The ocean before her was as beautiful as it always was whenever she traveled here, whether on an assignment or for pure pleasure. The same went for the soft sand on the underside of her legs as she sat down on the beach. A slight breeze blew across the beach, accumulating a little sand against her body while blowing through her hair, messing up her bangs. She took a moment to straighten them before turning her gaze to Florina next to her.
The only physical similarity between the Florina before her and the Florina from two years ago was the attire, and even that wasn’t perfect, as she now wore a full torso chestplate. Her sister was a different person on the inside now. She was still a meek little girl who had a hard time conversing with most people the last time she saw her, but now she carried herself with almost as much grace and confidence as a full-fledged pegasus knight. She still held onto some of her prior softness, and she still occasionally stuttered according to her, but for the most part, her sister had matured into a dame that could stand shoulder to shoulder with herself and some of her finest subordinates. How much of that was the result of living with Lord Hector, she couldn’t say, but she supposed it proved that marrying Marquess Ostia came with more benefits than she initially believed.
Fiora tore her gaze away from Florina as unwelcome thoughts surfaced in her mind. Florina must have noticed the action as she immediately asked, “What’s wrong. Fiora?”
Fiora had long debated with herself over whether to broach the topic of Florina’s new royal status. She couldn’t hide her anguish from her sister, though, no matter how much she tried and wanted to. Keeping things to herself was a bad habit of hers, especially when it concerned her stubbornness over accomplishing tasks on her own. But Florina had seen right through her, so the only thing she could do now was be openly honest.
“Florina, I know I mentioned this in my letter, but…” She trailed off for a moment as a wave of grief washed over her. “I’m sorry. My fellow commanders put so much pressure on me that I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. It was unbecoming of me to use my personal connection with you to goad Hector into supplying us with food.”
“Fiora, you mustn’t blame yourself,” Florina insisted. “I don’t blame you. I know all too well how bad the winters can get here.” She smiled. “It just makes me happy to be able to aid this country even as a royal instead of as a mercenary.”
Fiora smiled in return for a moment, but a second wave of grief shot down her rising spirits and she frowned. One thought, above all the rest she’d tried to suppress, was threatening to snap her constitution like an axe chopping through a log, to make her stomach turn itself inside out and roll over.
“Fiora? What’s the matter now?”
“... The truth of the matter is, I’m a little envious of your new position.”
She didn’t turn to gauge Florina’s reaction. Such an admission was unbecoming of a pegasus knight, much less a sibling, and she didn’t have the courage to look Florina in the eye when saying it.
“You’re… envious?”
Fiora didn’t detect any hint of resentment in her sister’s tone, but it didn’t help much to nullify her mounting guilt. She forced herself to return Florina’s gaze— her eyes were devoid of anything save curiosity.
“I imagine life in Castle Ostia is very pleasant, isn’t it?” she asked.
Florina was silent for a moment, only reacting with a very slow blink. “Well… yes, it is nice.”
Fiora pursed her lips, then grit her teeth as she turned away again. “I’m sorry. I must sound incredibly awful right now.”
“Fiora…” She felt Florina place a hand on her shoulder.
Fiora placed her own hand on top of her sister’s, relishing in the warmth it provided. She needed it right now more than ever.
“No matter what I say, I’m proud to be an Ilian. I can weather all the hardships one faces by calling this country their home. I’m proud to do so, and doubly proud to use my earnings to help the people of this country.” Her shoulders stiffened and she let out a great sigh before continuing. “Sometimes, though, I can’t help but imagine a life where fate took a different path.”
“What do you mean?”
Fiora turned back to her sister, forcing herself to crack a small smile. “Believe it or not, Lord Eliwood and I grew rather close during our time in his army.”
Florina’s eyes widened. “Truly?”
Fiora nodded and turned her gaze back to the ocean. “He really is a good man. There doesn't exist many nobles who would happily treat mercenaries such as myself with the same level of respect and kindness as those of equal standing. If I was ever going to marry, I would want it to be with someone who shares that same ideal— all people, regardless of stature, age, gender, or place of birth, should be treated as equals.”
She sighed. “There were times I thought we might share a future together, but I knew if I were to marry him, I would have to leave Ilia behind me. In the end, my loyalty to Ilia won out, and Eliwood ended up falling in love with and marrying Ninian.” She placed her arms on her knees and rested her chin on them. “It’s strange to think about my potential love life like this. Never before I met Eliwood had I spared much thought regarding the matter.”
Florina was silent for a few seconds before she responded. “Fiora, it’s okay to have such thoughts. I know you would’ve been happy with Lord Eliwood, and it’s only natural to think about what could’ve been. You shouldn’t hate yourself for questioning your decision.”
Fiora sank a little deeper into her arms. “I wish it was so easy,” she muttered.
Florina wrapped her arm around Fiora’s shoulder and she once again relished in the warmth it brought her. It was a comforting, almost motherly action she couldn’t imagine from the meek little girl of two years ago.
They stayed that way for a few minutes, silent, listening to the gentle break of crashing waves upon the shore before them and relishing in the occasional breeze that blew through their hair. It was the perfect ambiance to accompany their first chance to bond as sisters in two years. More even, as they hadn’t had much chance to do so during their time in Eliwood’s army. Having her littlest sister by her side like this was a sensation Fiora had sorely missed. She wished it could never end.
Her attention was brought back to reality by the sound of leaves rustling, rising above the breaking waves. The two of them turned around to see a pair of large, aquamarine eyes staring at them from a bush alongside the path.
There was a startled eep, and the yellow pegasus from earlier jumped out of the bush. At the same time, a brown blur darted from the bush and scurried off out of sight behind some nearby sand dunes. A small part of Fiora’s brain recognized it as the fox the pegasus had been carrying, but the bulk of her attention was fixated on the pegasus herself. Part of her pink mane had gotten caught up in the bush and she found herself pulled suddenly back to the ground. She landed on her back with a thud; the resulting pained expression indicated it wasn’t a soft impact.
Fiora was on her feet and sprinting over to the downed flier in an instant.
“Are you okay?” she asked upon reaching her. She reached out and began untangling her mane from the bush.
The pegasus girl took a moment to recompose herself before glancing up at her. The instant their gazes met, she froze stiff as a board.
“I’ll get you free,” Fiora promised. “Just stay still.”
Florina ran up to join them and knelt down. “Fluttershy?” she said.
She reached out a hand and gently petted the pegasus, ‘Fluttershy’. The name brought Fiora up short for a second by how strange it was, but she quickly resumed untangling her mane, finishing up in a few seconds’ time.
Florina continued petting Fluttershy for a short while until her body visibly relaxed. She peeked one eye from behind the curtain of her mane, then the other. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Florina tilted her head. “Why are you sorry?”
Fluttershy stood up to her full height. Fiora took note of how Fluttershy’s head only reached up to her midriff. She’d been confused as no one as young as the ponies had looked was allowed to be a pegasus knight, but whatever strange magic they’d used to disguise themselves was undoubtedly impressive. It only served to reinforce Hector’s claims about their power and ability.
Fluttershy scuffed a hoof against the sand, a guilty expression crossing her face. “I, um… I was kinda eavesdropping.”
“You followed us from the village?” Fiora asked.
Fluttershy nodded, an accompanying squeak escaping her mouth.
Florina smiled and reached out her hand again, stroking Fluttershy’s mane. Seeing her sister show such open displays of consolation further reinforced how much she’d changed in two years. The fact that Fluttershy seemed to be every bit as shy as Florina typically was probably helped her sister feel more comfortable as well.
Fluttershy didn’t react to the action besides hanging her head. Fiora knelt down as well, trying to put on the most reassuring smile she could. “You didn’t need to be so secretive,” she said, earning Fluttershy’s attention. “You and your friends have agreed to aid my homeland in its time of need— what reason could I have to not enjoy your company?” She mimicked Florina’s action and gently stroked Fluttershy’s mane— it was incredibly smooth, which took her by surprise, but she maintained her composure.
“I thought, maybe… you two wanted some alone time together,” Fluttershy said softly. “I mean, you two are sisters and you haven’t seen each other in a while.”
Fiora cast her gaze upward in thought for a moment. “A reasonable assertion,” she said. “But we could have arranged some time alone together another day if you had wanted to join us right now. Any friend of Florina is a friend of mine as well.”
“So, you’re not disappointed?” Fluttershy asked, lifting her head back up.
Fiora shook her head. “It’s okay.”
They continued petting Fluttershy’s mane for a minute, working to make her feel better. Gradually, Fluttershy’s features grew bolder, her body posture straightened, and a soft, yet firm smile crossed her lips. Fiora and Florina retracted their hands once Fluttershy looked ready to join them in earnest.
The three of them sat down next to each other on the sand, with Florina and Fluttershy on either side of Fiora.
“I like how close you two are,” Fluttershy said. “I have a younger brother, but we don’t really talk a whole lot.”
“Does he know you’re here?” Fiora asked.
Fluttershy shook her head. “Only a few people know we’re on this mission; even most of our families don’t know we’re here since we left on such short notice. My brother, Zephyr, still lives with our parents. I don’t visit them very often, mostly because he and I… well...” She rubbed the back of her head— a strange gesture that Fiora assumed signified hesitance. “We’re not really close anymore, I guess I should put it. We don’t have any bad blood between us or anything, it’s just…”
Fiora and Florina patiently waited for her to continue. Fiora had to admit, learning more about the ponies’ personal lives — and the troubles thereof — was low on her list of interests. They were talking equines from another world, possessing the magic to create illusions, control weather, and accelerate the growth of food. Their relationships with their families seemed so petty in comparison, but she would still listen as Fluttershy confided in the two of them for the sake of establishing good relations with her country’s saviors.
“Sometimes it’s hard to believe we’re siblings,” she finally said. “Some people have actually thought we’re step-siblings at first. He’s a lot more outspoken than I am, and I guess over time I found it too hard to connect with him to continue trying.” Her eyes took on a faraway glint as her mind undoubtedly went somewhere else. “He’s also very stubborn and impatient and likes to shirk off doing work whenever he can.”
“He sounds like a difficult person,” Fiora remarked.
Fluttershy simply nodded.
“But you still love him, right?” Florina asked.
Another nod.
“And I’m sure he loves you in return,” Florina continued. “Maybe your relationship is strained right now, but it can always be mended as long as you both love each other.”
Fluttershy was silent in response for a few moments before she flashed them both a soft smile. “Thank you for the advice.”
Florina gave Fluttershy a pat on the back which the pegasus visibly relished in.
“If it helps you feel better,” Fiora spoke up, drawing Fluttershy’s attention, “my relationship with our middle sister, Farina, was strained as well.”
“Really? How so?”
Another surge of unpleasant memories bubbled to the surface of Fiora’s mind. This time, however, she was willing to express them. “Put simply, Farina loves money. Very much. A lot of it has to do with the fact that Ilia is so poor, but even for a mercenary born in this country, Farina’s infatuation with gold borders on obsession. I, too, recognize the importance of being financially sound, but I would never put that ahead of my desire to protect the people I care about.
“In a way, that difference in our beliefs drove a wedge between us. Farina ended up leaving home and I didn’t see her for a very long time afterward. We didn’t meet each other again until she was paid to join Eliwood’s army, but by that time, we were older and wiser and could see the strengths and weaknesses in each other’s outlook on life.”
“That’s nice to hear,” Fluttershy said. “Where is she now?” Florina also looked to Fiora with interest.
“That’s right, I never did tell you in my letters— Farina is currently on a mission in Bern, and unfortunately, won’t be back until after you’ve all left. She does know about our call for aid, and I will tell her when she returns that the people of Ilia are set for the winter.”
“Are you going to tell her about me and my friends?”
Fiora thought about that for a moment. Farina would keep a secret if it was for her sisters’ sake, she was sure, but she questioned whether Farina would even believe her about the ponies in the first place without having seen them firsthand. Perhaps she would believe her after listening to the other villagers? Either way, the most trouble it could cause was a few japes at her expense and whether or not Farina thought Fiora had suddenly grown fond of tall tales.
“I don’t believe it will be a cause for concern one way or another if she knows the truth,” she answered. “That is, assuming she believes me to begin with.”
The three were silent for a few more moments before Fiora spoke up again.
“Well, we have a fair amount of time before your friends are to demonstrate their abilities to everyone in the village,” she said to Fluttershy. “In the meantime, I’d love to learn more about your homeland. Hector’s words lead me to believe you four hail from another world— I imagine that means you have many interesting stories to tell.”
“Oh, well... I mean, I guess so.” Fluttershy rubbed the back of her head again. “What would you like to know? I think Twilight might be the better pony to ask about what our home is like, though.”
“Anything you want to talk about will be fine,” Fiora assured her. “There will be plenty of time to talk with your other friends later.”
“Well, okay then…”
Fluttershy began talking more about her friends, family, and her homeland of Equestria, all the while Fiora listened intently and soaked up every word. Every so often Fluttershy would take a break to allow Florina and herself to ask specific questions or for clarification on certain points.
Fluttershy’s descriptions of Equestria were quite interesting, to say the least— an entire world populated by talking equines, among other races, ruled over by two powerful ‘alicorns’ that controlled the sun and the moon, and according to Fluttershy, she and her friends were responsible for saving Equestria a couple of times by themselves without even dealing a single lethal blow to their enemies. She would’ve thought it too idyllic to be true had she not known the ponies were from another world altogether; the total feasibility of peaceful solutions in one world compared to another couldn’t always be the same.
Fiora was especially attentive while listening to Fluttershy’s descriptions of the ‘Windows’ and the ‘Singularity’. The Windows sounded remarkably similar to the Dragon’s Gate on the Dread Isle, but unlike the Dragon’s Gate, one could travel through to the Singularity and back at will. Although considering the understandable secrecy surrounding its existence, she imagined Lord Hector would frown upon it being overused. She would love to go through and visit other worlds, but her duties to Ilia came first and foremost.
Fiora noticed her sister occasionally fidget during the part where Fluttershy summarized the origin of the Singularity, the ‘Great Convergence’ as it was called. Apparently, Florina had been a part of it, but her reaction clearly indicated the memories weren’t pleasant. It made sense they wouldn’t be, given how hard it was for Florina to get along with most people. She decided against asking her sister for details, feeling positive that Florina would open up to her if she needed counseling.
The sun’s position had noticeably shifted by the time the three had gotten their fill of conversation.
“We should return to the village,” Fiora said, standing up and stretching her legs. “Soon it will be time for Rainbow Dash and Applejack to demonstrate their power to everyone. I must admit I’m all the more curious after listening to your descriptions, Fluttershy.”
Florina and Fluttershy stood up as well, the latter nodding curtly. “I hope I didn’t raise your expectations too high,” she said softly.
“I don’t believe that will be an issue. Magic in Elibe is used primarily for combat and very rarely for utility, and anyone who’s witnessed a battle or two starts to associate it with nothing but combat. Despite its many practical uses, it grows tiring for people like me, who frequently fight against combat mages as part of missions. Having the chance to witness a new type of magic, even one that’s not as spectacular to the common man, is an exciting prospect.
“Truthfully, to bear witness to magic that’s only meant to help people rather than kill them is uplifting. Equestria sounds like a nice place to live from what you’ve told me. I hope I get to visit sometime before I die.” She took another moment to stretch before turning to Florina. “I’m also proud of you, Sister, for remaining strong when faced with such an incredible and frightening situation like the Great Convergence.”
Florina faintly blushed but smiled all the same. “Thank you, Sister.”
The three took off down the path connecting the beach to the village alongside each other. Fiora took note of how Fluttershy chose to walk rather than use her wings. She seemed more comfortable on the ground, whereas it was easy to discern from their brief meeting earlier that Rainbow Dash loved using her wings.
Something darted over the sand dunes in Fiora’s eye’s corner. She turned to see Fluttershy’s fox companion rushing down to meet them.
“There you are, Rusty,” Fluttershy said as the fox hopped onto her back. She softly petted it with a hoof while making cooing noises. “There’s no need to be afraid, now. Sorry if I startled you earlier.”
The fox, ‘Rusty’, to Fiora’s astonishment, actually responded with a soft mewling noise before curling into a ball on her back.
“Can you speak to animals, Fluttershy?” she asked, amazed by the display.
Fluttershy nodded. “Do you want me to say something to an animal you know? Your pegasus, maybe?”
Fiora cast her gaze upward in thought. “I’ll admit to being curious to know what she thinks of our many years spent together.” She would hope that Lucy had only good things to say about her, but with the trouble they sometimes found themselves in on assignments, she couldn’t be so sure.
“I’m sure she would praise your company, Sister,” Florina said.
Fiora chuckled. “Perhaps I’m better off not knowing.”
They quickly reached the village where everyone was still going about their daily business. The aura around the villagers was one of excitement, no doubt a result of their anticipation for the coming spectacle with Fluttershy’s friends.
A sense of both relief and happiness filled Fiora as they entered through the side entrance. Her sister was with her and in good health, Ilia’s food crisis was about to be solved, and she’d even made a new friend in one of their saviors. For once, the stresses of being both an Ilian mercenary and an older sister didn’t register to her. She wished this feeling could remain with her forever.
Of course, she knew it couldn’t, but she was still thankful for the bright turnaround.
Applejack saw herself as a simple mare; most folks would agree with that assessment. And the simplest reaction she could muster to the scene before she and Rainbow was, “Sweet mother of—”
“Whoa, there weren’t this many people before, were there?” Rainbow asked no one in particular.
Every corner of Applejack’s vision was filled with the excited faces of dozens upon dozens of alien humans. Their eyes were fixated on the two of them, filled with happiness and hope like the Cutie Mark Crusaders’ when they look at their flanks after finishing one of their many ‘crusades’.
Indeed, as Rainbow said, there seemed to be many more people here to watch them now then there had been earlier when they’d first arrived at the village. She could only surmise not everyone had arrived then and the crowd was now much bigger through word of mouth. She pressed a hoof to her forehead, feeling overwhelmed by all the attention being directed towards her. It made perfect sense, seeing how she was half responsible for bringing their country back from the brink of starvation, but it didn’t help quell her rising anxiety.
Two things did help to quell it, however. The first was all the little kids strewn among the front of the crowd. Their eyes were about as star-filled as the adults, but in a more blissful, charming way that reminded Applejack of a foal admiring a newborn kitten or puppy. Normally she would take offense to being treated like she was, but seeing all these kids looking so happy to see her made her happy in return.
The second thing was the rest of their friends standing off to the side of the crowd: Twilight and Fluttershy had comforting expressions of support; Hector and Oswin were just staring passively, but that was to be expected of them; Canas had a hand under his chin while looking on with scientific interest, no doubt eager to see hers and Rainbow’s magic firsthand, and Serra’s face was something of a mixture between Canas’ and both Hector’s and Oswin’s.
“Yo, Applejack, is this awesome or what?”
Applejack turned to see Rainbow Dash with possibly the cockiest smile she’d ever had stretched across her muzzle. It came as no surprise whatsoever to Applejack that her friend would just be soaking up all the adoration from everyone like a sponge. Of course, if she could fully grasp the scale of everyone’s expectations of them, she might be singing a different tune.
“Ah’m just hoping we don’t end up disappointin’ them or nothin’.”
Rainbow snorted a laugh. “No way in heck that’s gonna happen.” She turned to give Applejack a playfully inquisitive look. “Not on my end, at least.”
Applejack managed to force out her own laugh. “Guess I’ll have ta crank up my confidence ta match yer ego. What notch are ya at? Eleven? Twelve? Fifty?”
“Oh, haha, very funny, AJ.”
Fiora emerged from the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention as she approached Applejack and Rainbow. Behind her trailed a small group of what Applejack assumed to be farmers, judging by their casual, heavily dirt-stained attire. They each carried a small canvas bag which Applejack figured must have been full of seeds. Each one took a place in front of a column of tilled soil before standing still patiently, waiting for orders.
“I hope you both had a good rest,” Fiora said, stopping before Applejack and Rainbow and flashing them a friendly smile.
“You betcha,” Rainbow said. She stretched her wings while letting out a huge sigh of content. “I am so ready to do this.”
“Same here,” Applejack said. “I feel completely rejuvenated an’ itchin’ to do some farmin’.”
Fiora nodded. “Glad to hear it.” She turned around to face the crowd. “Citizens of Ilia, do not be alarmed by what you are about to see. The methods these ponies employ might seem overwhelming, frightening, even, but it is all to ensure our survival through the winter. Let us push aside our natural fears of the unknown and instead be thankful for the generosity these ponies have shown us.”
There was a rousing chorus of cheers from the crowd. Applejack couldn’t help but blush a little at the praise, while Rainbow just kept soaking it all in. Knowing she was aiding the survival of an entire country was undoubtedly inflating her ego to critical levels; she might need to have a talk with her friend later to keep it in check.
Once the crowd’s cheering had died down, Fiora turned around to Rainbow and said, “You may begin Rainbow Dash.”
“Aw yeah.” Rainbow flared her wings, crouching low to the ground to get a good takeoff.
Applejack blinked and her friend was gone, an ascending prismatic trail the only remnant of her presence.
The crowd went dead silent with what Applejack could only assume was awestruck reverence. Looking up towards the sky, she saw her friend wasn’t wasting any time lollygagging. A decent-sized hole had appeared in the clouds, revealing the blue sky beyond. It was expanding outward in a circular motion, like a rag cleaning off a dirty window, with a rainbow contrail trailing around the inside.
Murmurs of delight and awe passed throughout the crowd as Rainbow conducted the arduous task of clearing the entire sky. As good as the pegasus was at working with the weather, her whole ‘ten seconds flat’ schtick would never pass in this situation, where she had to essentially clear away every square inch of sky.
The couple of times Rainbow descended in order to catch her breath and rest her wings, some of the kids in the crowd threatened to stampede her in their attempts to hitch a ride on her back only for the adults to desperately hold them back with all their might. No doubt, they wanted to keep in Rainbow’s and Applejack’s good graces and so didn’t want to risk that by letting one or both of them get run over by a bunch of over-excited children. Applejack couldn’t help but chuckle each time it happened.
Over time as Rainbow cleared the sky, Applejack noticed the air temperature simultaneously go up. At one point, the sun broke through and a collective gasp emanated from the crowd— one would think they’d never seen it before with such a reaction. Then Applejack remembered where they were and realized such an idea might not be entirely implausible.
Applejack guessed it was about mid-afternoon by the time Rainbow descended for the final time. The cloud-ridden sky had been cleared away, filled with an unmitigated expanse of blue. Rainbow took a few moments to catch her breath before flaring her wings and bowing before the crowd.
“All in a good day’s work!” she announced loud enough for everyone to hear.
The crowd was silent for a couple of moments, likely too awestruck to say much of anything. Eventually, though, steady applause erupted from them as everyone clapped their hands something fierce, even letting loose a few hollers of unbridled joy. Applejack thought she even saw a few faces in the crowd shedding tears, a notion she thought to be too much at first, but quickly shrugged it off, deciding she shouldn’t judge when she didn’t know the full extent of their worries over their food crisis.
“And that’s not all!” Rainbow continued. She crouched low again. “Now for something really awesome!”
“Wait, what’re you—” Realization hit Applejack like a brick. “RD, what’re you—!?”
Too late. Rainbow shot up into the sky, this time with enough force to send a blast of air across the ground, nearly toppling Applejack’s hat and a few members of the crowd.
Applejack tracked Rainbow’s ascent as she flew higher and higher until she was little more than a rainbow speck against the sky’s blue backdrop, eventually stopping when she was about two miles up. Murmurs of surprise spread through the crowd while Applejack just sighed, knowing exactly what was coming.
The rainbow speck darted off into the distance, disappearing behind the surrounding mountains. A few moments of silence passed. Then, suddenly and without warning, a great thunderous boom echoed through the air, startling the crowd in its entirety. A rainbow trail quickly emerged from behind the mountains, arcing through the air at breakneck speed across the sky above the village. A round of shocked gasps emanated from the crowd as they witnessed the Sonic Rainboom.
“Mommy! Mommy! Look, it’s a rainbow!”
“By the gods. Such power…”
“Why is she doing this? Is she going to smite us!?”
Applejack snorted at that last one. “Nah, she’s just showing off!” she said but didn’t bother turning around to see if whoever said it heard her.
Applejack saw the distant form of her friend stop just above the ocean’s surface before she quickly zipped back towards them as the rainbow began disappearing. Rainbow reached the crop fields to be met with the gawking faces of every single adult human and the star-filled faces of every child. Only Fiora appeared to be relatively neutral about the display, though, even her eyes showed a bit of reverence.
Rainbow hovered over the crowd, visibly relishing in their stupefied expressions as she made her way over to Applejack and deftly touched down on the ground. “So, did anyone’s brains blow out the back of their head?”
Applejack resisted the urge to facehoof, responding instead with a playful eye roll. “No, RD, no one’s gonna lose their minds that badly.”
“Hey, hey, I’m just trying to lift their spirits.” Rainbow casually bumped a hoof against her chest, smirking slightly. “Although, maybe I should’ve turned the awesome dial down a notch, judging by the fact that they aren’t moving or saying anything.”
Indeed, the crowd may as well have been statues for how frozen they were, staring open-mouthed at Rainbow. Again, Fiora was the only one seemingly unaffected by her showing off as she cleared her throat and turned to address the farmers lined up along the field.
“Rainbow Dash has fulfilled her task; it is now Applejack’s turn, so please get moving. We only have a few hours of daylight left to use.”
Her words seemed to snap the farmers from their stupor as they hurriedly dropped to their knees and began digging little holes along the first row of tilled soil. Once the first one dropped a seed into his hole, Applejack stepped up to it while he backed away to give her space. The magic coursing through her hooves was strong and potent, waiting to be discharged. Twilight’s explanation of the ‘physics sharing’ or whatever it was called certainly seemed to hold up even for her earth pony magic. Whether or not it would naturally regenerate like in Equestria, she couldn’t say, but if Twilight didn’t make mention of such a potential issue, she trusted that it wouldn’t become one.
She filled in the hole, gently patting the dirt with her hooves and sending a small discharge of magic with each one.
She leaned down to the ground. “Now don’t be shy ’bout growing now,” she whispered. “Ya gotta grow big an’ strong to feed all these good people. This world will be a much better place when you blossom into a big, beautiful plant.”
She put her ear to the mound once she was done talking. A barely audible thrumming sound emanated from beneath the dirt; her technique worked even here in Elibe, it seemed.
“Excuse me, Miss?” Applejack turned to see the farmer staring at her in amazement. “What kind of spell did you just cast? And not from a tome at that?”
Applejack just laughed. “Just a few words of encouragement is all. Things are different here, but back home in Equestria, a little goading can go a long way in getting plants to bloom quickly. Lucky for you all, it’s working just as well here when I try it.”
“Fascinating.”
Applejack spent the next few minutes repeating her technique for each and every planted seed, each one giving her the same success as the first. The crowd’s collective attention shifted from Rainbow onto her, but all her previous anxiety had melted away in light of the viability of her agricultural technique here in Elibe. She’d never used it to such an extent as she was now, and by the time she was done she remembered exactly why she hadn’t; she was completely drained of magic, and in turn, stamina, her breaths coming out labored and her hooves struggling to hold herself up. She managed, however, and trotted back over to Fiora to deliver her report.
“Everything’s goin’ mighty fine on my end, Fiora. The plants should start sproutin’ come nightfall. By mornin’, I think they’ll start bearing fruit, or whatever’s bein’ grown.” She sighed, plopping her rump down in the dirt. “Ah’m gonna need another rest ‘fore I do that again, though. Glad to be of service, still.”
Fiora knelt down and grasped her hooves with her hands, smiling hugely. Applejack resisted the urge to snort a laugh at the sight of the woman’s glistening eyes; she was doing a great deed, no doubt, but that kind of reaction seemed a bit much.
“Applejack, I could never properly thank you for just this small token of generosity. Even a little aid like this will go a long way toward preparing the people of Ilia for the harsh winter months ahead. Please, rest as much as you need to; you’ve earned it.”
Applejack returned her smile. “Much appreciated.”
Fiora stood up and turned to address the crowd once again. “These ponies have worked their magic, and now we must wait while our crops bloom under their power. Return to your daily business for now. I will announce when the next round of planting begins tomorrow for those who wish to bear witness to it.”
The crowd began dispersing with everyone's eyes lingering on Applejack and Rainbow Dash for a while. Rainbow continued soaking up all the attention, but Applejack didn’t have the strength to care anymore.
“Gee, Applejack, you’re lookin’ a little overworked there,” Rainbow Dash said once everyone had left, coming up to Applejack. “You’re not getting out of shape, are you?” she asked, jokingly, with a small smirk.
“You keep on dreamin’ there, RD.” Applejack forced herself onto her hooves, internally cringing at the slight aches she felt in response. “Using up so much magic at once ain’t the brightest idea, ya know. Gimme a little more time to rest an’ I’ll be ready to whoop yer behind in a race.”
“Oh, now look who’s full of themselves!”
“Oh, you two,” Twilight said.
They turned to see the rest of their friends approaching.
“You two did very well,” Fluttershy said. Rusty barked from his place on her back in apparent agreement.
Hector had a thousand-yard look in his eyes, as did Oswin and Serra. “That was… quite the display of power from you two,” he said, more soft-spoken than Applejack had ever heard from him.
Oswin said nothing, merely nodding his head in agreement.
“What was that rainbow thing, though?” Serra asked.
“That,” Rainbow said, puffing out her chest and tucking her legs together while flaring her wings in a heroic pose, “was my Sonic Rainboom. I do it by flying so fast that I break the sound barrier, but even if somepony else was able to do that, only I can create a rainbow outta it. It’s just another thing that makes me the awesomest pegasus in Equestria, and I guess here in Elibe, too.”
“But what did it achieve?” Canas asked.
Rainbow was about to answer, but Applejack cut her off. “Nothing havin’ to do with the job at hoof, if that’s what you’re wonderin’.” Rainbow shot a glare at her over being interrupted which Applejack ignored. “Trust me, Sugarcube, ain’t no way we were gonna leave here without y’all seein’ at least one Rainboom, so y’all might as well enjoy being some of the only people in Elibe who’ll get to witness it, probably ever.”
“It was very pretty to look at,” Florina said.
“It was rather loud,” Oswin observed. “No doubt, that boom was heard by anyone traveling just beyond the mountains.
“It shouldn’t be a huge concern, so long as Rainbow Dash never does it outside of the village,” Hector said while shooting her a glare akin to a disgruntled parent toward a disobedient child.
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Rainbow replied, waving a dismissive hoof.
Fiora stepped up to the group, drawing their attention. She approached Hector and gave a deep bow. “On behalf of every mercenary, commander, and commoner alike that calls Ilia their home, I thank you deeply, Lord Hector, for answering our plea. Please, feel free to make this village your home during your stay. I’ll see to it that your group’s visit remains pleasant.”
Hector nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Applejack took a moment to stretch before speaking. “Reckon it’s about time we had some supper; it feels like forever since we’ve eaten anything.”
“Of course.” Fiora turned and gestured back towards the village. “I’m positive the tavernkeep will be thrilled to serve you all.”
“Consider it paid for,” Hector announced proudly. “It’s only fair that the ponies be allowed to indulge themselves to their heart’s content after all they’ve done for us—”
Oswin cleared his throat.
“—within reason, that is.”
Everyone shared a laugh before heading as a group back to the village.