Apple Bloom sat back on her haunches with a yawn and scrubbed a hoof over her eyes. She'd been awake for a few hours now, this morning being her turn at kitchen duty. She was used to getting up early living on a farm all her life, but she wasn't used to working with so many ponies to quickly set up a dining area for hundreds of ponies to come and have breakfast. Her little legs didn't move quite as fast as the grownups and there were a few times she got shuffled aside by accident. Now that it was all over she felt good about helping out. There was little she and the other children could do under the current circumstances so when it was her turn to help in the kitchen, at the medical tents, or even just help reload the corn cannon she took her responsibilities very seriously and worked as hard as she could.
As ponies wandered away from breakfast the little filly watched them with tired interest. They'd all been there together for so long now that Apple Bloom was starting to recognize ponies she'd never known before, remember their names and anyone in their family. She, along with all the other younger ones and Spike, usually went unnoticed in their observance of ponies coupling off, of new families forming. Her own family had changed so much, too. It wasn't just her and her siblings anymore. With this budding relationship between her big sister and Pokey also came a new pseudo-sibling in Silver Spoon, who Pokey promised to look after. She would never be able to replace Scootaloo or Sweetie Belle but the girls were slowly forming a tight bond with one another.
Then there was Big Macintosh and Fluttershy. Apple Bloom loved the soft-spoken pegasus and gained a great deal of respect for her the night she saved all three Crusaders from the cockatrice. The filly couldn't have picked anypony better for her big brother though she did worry about Fluttershy. She saw her now, head down, hooves moving slowly as she headed back to the tent she shared with Pinkie Pie. Big Mac said Fluttershy hadn't spoken once after the night she woke up in the medical tents and that bothered Apple Bloom. Getting to her hooves, she followed behind at a reasonable distance. The left side of Fluttershy's body where a wing should have been was flat under the tightly wound bandage, but it was no longer bleeding through. That, and the simple fact that she was walking on her own without Big Mac to help or shelter her was a big improvement. So why wasn't she talking?
Fluttershy disappeared behind the tent flaps and Apple Bloom paused, wondering if she should enter. All she really wanted to do was help. It made her sad to see a pony she cared about so defeated. Maybe she could tell Fluttershy a joke or bring her an extra helping of Pinkie's chocolate cake. Or maybe nothing would help, but she knew she had to try. Tentatively, she moved forward and edged through the tent flaps. Fluttershy was on her side on her cot, pale pink mane blanketed over her side and her eyes closed. Apple Bloom knew the pegasus couldn't be asleep that quickly, so she took another step forward and said Fluttershy's name quietly.
Teal eyes opened with a snap and Fluttershy lifted her head. For the first time since she lost her wing there was something new in her gaze; fear. But seeing Apple Bloom, she lowered her head, the sadness returning to her eyes.
“I know you probably wanna be alone,” said Apple Bloom softly, “but I just wanted to see if there was anythin' I could do to make you feel better. Do you need another blanket or a pillow? Applejack's workin' on makin' cider out of these city apples – I can see if she's got any you could try.” But Fluttershy gave no reply and made no movement. It made the filly take another step forward, prompted her to continue until she was close enough to Fluttershy to have a quiet conversation with her. “Ain't there anythin' I can do?” Fluttershy's silence left her feeling hopeless, an emotion she'd never truly experienced before. It made it seem like breakfast had never been eaten and there was just an empty hollowness inside of her.
“I know it's not the same as losin' a wing,” she continued after a moment, “but I know what it feel like to lose somethin' so important to you.” Apple Bloom sat and looked at her hooves, her own sadness creeping into her throat. “Every mornin' I wake up here I keep hopin' Sweetie Belle or Scoots'll magically turn up an' when I don't see 'em anywhere...” She trailed off, tears stinging her eyes. Fluttershy moved on her cot and Apple Bloom looked up. The pegasus had lifted her head, the sorrow in her gaze no longer just for herself, but for Apple Bloom as well. “I just miss 'em so much,” Apple Bloom cried.
Fluttershy shifted herself back on her cot and lifted a foreleg in invitation. It was all Apple Bloom needed to jump up onto the cot and snuggle into Fluttershy's embrace. “I'm so sorry, Apple Bloom,” Fluttershy whispered hoarsly into Apple Bloom's mane, pressing a tender kiss between the filly's ears. Apple Bloom buried her face in Fluttershy's coat and wept, really wept for her friends for the first time.
Rainbow Dash stretched in bed, sheets tangled around her legs. Something was niggling in the back of her mind, trying to wake her up, but she fought to stay asleep. She didn't want to wake to a world of responsibility and chaos again, not when her dreams had been so wonderful. With eyes still closed she turned her head on her pillow and took in a deep breath. Someone pressed a kiss to her brow and Dash opened sleepy eyes to see Soarin looking down at her. She smiled lazily and offered a quiet, “Hi.”
“Hi,” he repeated, voice just as soft as hers. “Sleep okay?”
A dopey grin turned up the corners of her lips. “Once I got there, yeah. Best sleep I've has since all this started.” She blinked, realizing he was no longer in bed with her but standing beside her. From the look of things he'd already had bandages changed and even a bath. It wiped the grin from Dash's face and replaced it with confusion. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Better than okay,” he promised, offering a smile that didn't hide the sadness in his green eyes. Rainbow sat up in bed and Soarin took a step back, turning as if making to head out of the tent. “I brought you some coffee,” he said, no longer looking at her.
Dash frowned. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Fine.” Still, he kept his gaze on the closed flaps of the tent doors. “I'm going to go see where I'm needed.”
“Soarin.” He'd only managed to take one step before Rainbow said his name. Stopping, he looked down and kept his back to her. It sent irritation rippling through the rainbow-maned pony. “Did I do something wrong?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question but she really didn't care. “I thought after last night...”
“Last night shouldn't have happened.” Soarin shook his head and finally turned to look at her, so much sorrow in his gaze. “Rainbow, I used you.”
“Pretty sure we used each other.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” she said tersely, “I know what you mean. Except I'm not some fanfilly who'd just sleep with a pony because he's famous. Nopony uses Rainbow Dash. Not even a Wonderbolt. If I didn't want something to happen last night, trust me, it wouldn't have happened.”
“That's not what I'm saying.” Soarin's brow wrinkled. “I needed something to make me forget for awhile, to take it all away. I came here because...because you were the first pony I thought of when I was ready to talk. Because ever since you won the Best Young Flyer competition and spent the day with us I knew there was something special about you.”
“So special that you couldn't remember my name at the Gala?”
“I knew your name.”
“Oh that's right. It was Spitfire who couldn't remember me. You were too caught up in that precious pie I saved for you to even really notice me!”
Soarin flinched as if hit. “I noticed you, Rainbow. And Spitfire knew you, too. You don't know what it's like to be as well known as we are...were. We have to maintain a certain level of indifference.”
“Don't even try to tell me about how hard it is being famous,” Dash said coldly. “Whatever, okay? If you want to say last night was a mistake, it was a mistake on your end.” Crossing her forelegs over her chest, she quirked a brow. “You can go now.”
Finally something seemed to get past the wall of depression he was behind and there was the briefest flicker of anger behind his gaze. He took a step closer to the bed, brows drawn together. “You want to know why I think it was a mistake? Because I've been attracted to you since that first day we met. I think it was a mistake because I promised myself that someday I'd get to know you better and maybe see if there was anything between us. I wanted to have conversations with you, Dash, take you out to dinner, see a movie...”
“Hold hooves as we fly through the sky?” Though Soarin seemed upset now, Dash actually felt herself relax some and gave a little laugh. “I don't need all that stuff. I'm not like other mares.”
“Trust me, I've realized as much. And maybe I'm not like other stallions but I want those things. Maybe not to hold hooves like that, but I want...I don't know. I wanted to court you, to pursue you. Not just jump into bed with you.”
It was surprising the amount of butterflies his words stirred up in her stomach. With a nervous chuckle, Rainbow shook her head. “Court me? How old are you?”
The winged stallion gave into a small smile. “I'm old fashioned. I like the idea of being friends first, getting to know each other better and then see where it goes from there. I never wanted us to start off the way we should have finished.”
“It was just one night.”
“Not to me.” Whatever levity he'd felt before was once again claimed by sorrow as he looked at her. “I've made so many mistakes, Dash. I wanted this to not have to be one of them.”
She almost got angry at that word again, defenses going up as she immediately translated what he said into meaning she was a mistake, but his saying he wanted to pursue her made for a hefty buffer. Nopony had ever wanted to pursue her before and she never wanted that from a relationship. She'd seen it in other ponies, how complicated things got once emotions were involved. There was never a real desire in her to settle down and be tied to one pony for the rest of her life. In fact it was something she'd been adverse to for as long as she could remember. Yet here was this genuine, heavy-lidded, strong, handsome stallion before her alluding to the very things she did not want. It was confusing and frightening, two things Rainbow never dealt with very well.
“Maybe we should take a step back then,” she said heavily after an awkward minute of silence. “It sounds like you know what you want out of a relationship, or at least how to get it started. I'm just not so sure that's my thing, you know?”
Soarin looked at Rainbow as if he didn't believe her. “You can't tell me you haven't thought about all those nights you're going to spend alone once everpony starts coupling up and starting families.”
“I haven't,” she lied coldly. “As long as I've got the sky and my wings, that's all I need in life. I don't need some stallion to validate my existence or some kid clinging to my tail to give me a purpose in life. I've been on my own for as long as I can remember and I kind of like it that way.”
Soarin's ears twitched. “I have never met a mare with such high walls before.”
“Get hurt enough when you're young and you realize it's better that way.”
“What happened to you, Dash? I see this amazing passion you have for flying and the incredible loyalty you have for your friends that tells me you're not this hard all the way through. What was so horrible that made you feel like-”
“Hey, Rainbow?” The tent flaps moved aside and Applejack stuck her head in. Seeing Soarin there and Dash still on the bed, the earth pony froze and blinked awkwardly. “Uh...I'll come back.”
“It's fine, AJ. Soarin was just leaving.”
The two pegasai stared at each other for a minute, Soarin willing her to open up to him and Dash stubbornly shut down. Finally the stallion lowered his gaze, shook his head, and slid past Applejack to leave the tent. The orange pony glanced after him before entering the tent fully and looking at her best friend. “Everythin' okay?”
“Fine.” Rainbow tossed the sheets aside and got to the floor, running a hoof over her mane to smooth it out some. “What's up?”
“Luna's called a meetin'.”
Alarm set into her expression. “What's going on?”
“Dunno,” said Applejack with a shrug. “But she wants everypony to get a seat in the stands. Includin' you.”
“Okay.” Dash walked slowly to the small table at the foot of her bed and peered down at the wash basin atop it. “I'll be there in a few minutes.”
Though her tone was clearly one of dismissal, Applejack took a step closer to Dash and tilted her head. “Sugarcube, I'm gonna ask you again if everythin' is okay an' then remind you I ain't another one of your soldiers. It's me, Rainbow, your best friend.”
Dash frowned at her transparent reflection in the water, taking a slow breath in and out before turning to Applejack. “Soarin and I had a...night. And I figured it was going to be a one time thing, something that would make both of us feel better and then we could move on with life but then this morning he was talking about...” She made a face. “...dating me.”
Applejack bit down on a smile but was unsuccessful at keeping her amusement from her eyes. “Heavens to Betsy, Rainbow. How could he ask such a thing?”
“Shut up.”
The earth pony gave into a quiet chuckle. “It ain't like he asked ya to marry him or nothin'. I know you're allergic to anythin' that smells like a relationship beyond friendship with anypony an' for the longest time I was to. I figured I had my farm, my family, and my friends. Didn't really need much else.”
“And then you met Pokey and blah blah blah. I get it.”
“Ain't even about Pokey. It's about life as we know it changin' forever, sugarcube. Nothin' we had will be ours again, not for a long time anyhow. Priorities change, stuff you never thought would be important becomes alarmin'ly important.” Applejack touched a hoof to Dash's withers. “I know you got a past to deal with. We all do. But don't let hurt that happened a long time ago keep you from bein' happy in the present. Me, Twilight, the rest of the girls...we know what an amazin' pony you are, Rainbow. Maybe it's time to let somepony else see that, too.”
Dash's jaw worked as she clenched her teeth together. Coming from anypony else the advice could simply be shrugged off, even another of her close friends. But coming from Applejack made it hard for her to ignore. “You better head out,” she said softly. “I just need a minute.” Applejack nodded and hugged her friend, then left the pegasus alone for a few minutes with her thoughts.
Pinkie Pie looked around the stadium with wide eyes, sorrow on her face. Ponies were trickling in from every doorway and slowly filling the seats, but for every pony there seemed to be at least ten empty chairs. “It always feels like there are so many of us when we're down there,” she said, plopping down in her seat between Braeburn and Spike. “But now that we're up here it feels like there's so little of us.”
“What if I'm the only dragon left in the world?” Spike contemplated quietly. He looked over at Pinkie. “You know how some mares say 'Oh I'd only go out with him if he were the last stallion on the planet?' Do you think if I'm the last dragon on the planet Rarity will finally say yes out of pity? And maybe partial species conservation?”
“Spike,” intoned Twilight dryly, sitting on the other side of him. “Dragons are far more resilient than ponies are. I'm sure the rest of your kind are just fine and are holed up somewhere waiting this out, if they're not trying to fight it themselves. You're not the only dragon left in the world.”
“Darn it.” Catching the look Twilight gave him he coughed. “I mean, I'm so glad I'm not alone.” When Twilight shook her head and turned back to a conversation she'd been having with Dr. Whooves, Spike rested his chin in his talons and muttered, “Just forever alone in the romance department.” As if on perfect cue Rarity entered from one of the lower entrances with Fancy Pants, giggling about something. In frustration Spike cried out, “Oh, come on!”
All conversation around him ceased and ponies turned their heads to look at the baby dragon, Rarity and Fancy Pants included. He felt his face burn and thought quickly, stammering, “Um...I was pretending there was a game going on. You know, to ease the tension a bit.”
“Good idea, Spike!” Pinkie enthused, turning her attention to the field below. “Let's go you good fer nothin' meat sacks! You call that defense? That line was easier to break through than your mama's pantyhose after a bowl of eggnog at a Hearth's Warming party!” Both Braeburn and Spike turned very slowly to look at the pink pony who paid them no mind, just balled her hoof and shook it in disgust at the invisible hoofball players.
Applejack plopped down in the seat behind Pinkie and leaned forward to talk to her friends. “Any idea what this meetin' is all about?”
“None what so ever,” answered Twilight. “But it looks like we're about to find out.”
The field that was almost always crowded and busy with activity was silent and motionless for the first time in weeks. All tents were vacant, save the medical units, and every pony free of guard duty was seated and waiting. Luna stood in the center of the field speaking to Rainbow Dash, and when the pegasus nodded then flew up into the stands to find her own seat, the princess turned to face the side of the stadium with the biggest crowd.
“Can everypony hear me?” she bellowed in her Royal Canterlot Voice, minus the double timbre.
“Loud and clear!” her best friend assured.
Luna nodded to Pinkie with a small smile before growing serious. “As you are all aware by now, the harbingers are slowly retreating. It has come to the attention of both myself and your commander, Rainbow Dash, that this has given some ponies a false sense of security. Ponies have been breaking the established curfew, going out into the city on their own or with very few other ponies, and assuming there is no longer a need to tell others where you are going or that you need be accountable for your own actions. To say we are disappointed in you would be a gross understatement. These rules and perimeters have been set up for your protection, not to simply limit you on your freedoms. Many have sacrificed time and much needed rest to make sure you are safe here. By not following the rules with which we aim to keep you safe you are saying you do not care about what has been done for you. It is not something I will tolerate any longer, especially tonight.”
Pausing, Luna carefully swept her disapproving gaze over every seat in the stadium, making sure no section was missed. “You cannot ask for allowances such as this carnival that many ponies are going to great lengths to take care of and believe a night of levity means a night of freedom. Tonight our same rules and regulations remain, and it is more important than ever that you take heed. Do not be fooled by the decreasing number of the enemy outside of these walls. We have seen them grow and mentally evolve from the very first day and there are many that would think their departure is to regroup and prepare for a final attack. I am among those who subscribe to this theory. Tonight when we are out we will appear as vulnerable as we have ever been before. That will not be the case thanks to Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor, and several others who will hold fast a shield around us. But keep a weather eye. If the enemy does not know we are protected they may feel this the perfect time to attack.”
“If it's still so dangerous,” called down a pony from higher up in the stands, “why are we even having this stupid carnival?”
Pinkie opened her mouth but Braeburn pull a hoof over hers just as Applejack touched a hoof to her shoulder. Crossing her forelegs over her chest, Pinkie pursed her lips and stayed quiet in a pout.
“We are still having the carnival because we need a night to unwind a little,” explained Luna. “You have trusted Rainbow Dash thus far, you would do well to continue trusting her. We will be well protected and she believes that this night will be something of a sign to our enemy. It tells that that we may be grouped here out of self-preservation but we are not afraid.”
“Speak for yourself,” said the same pony loud enough to be overheard. It made Luna scowl and rustle her wings.
“Do not forget who you address, earth pony. The world may have changed but I have not.” Snickers rippled through the stadium but Luna continued. “It is your choice whether or not to participate tonight but no matter your opinion you are still expected to act within the limits of the rules. Nopony is to be out in the city on their own, someone must know where you are at all times and how long you expect to be gone. You will not be allowed to go back and forth between here and the carnival so it would be wise to make your decision soon.” The alicorn turned, looking in Dash's direction. “Have I forgotten anything?”
The rainbow-maned pony rose from her seat and flew down to land next to Luna. They exchanged several words before Luna bowed her head and touched her horn to Rainbow's throat. “Okay!” Dash's voice bounced off the stadium walls so loudly that there wasn't one pony who didn't flinch. She grinned sheepishly and tried again, a little softer. “Wow, this Royal Canterlot Voice is insane. Anyway, I just wanted to say tonight is about fun. Try not to worry about what's going on anywhere but where you are. We're going to be well protected both by magic and constant recon teams. And, yeah, that's pretty much it. You can turn this – me – off now.”
Twilight stood beside her brother and Luna on the roof of one of the highest buildings in Fillydelphia. Behind them were eight more unicorns, the best of those who'd been able to pick up the shielding spell. “Do you really think this will work?” Twilight asked, a nervous glance cast toward the star-sprinkled sky.
“Of course it will,” Shining Armor promised. “You saw how well the spell worked at my wedding, and that was with just me keeping it together. With all of us? I'd say we'll be safer than we have been in a long time.” He turned to look at the other eight. “As soon as the spell is cast you'll be free to go. As long as Twilight, Luna or myself keep reinforcing it every once in awhile it won't disappear.” Turning back around, he looked up and took a breath. “Okay, let's do this.”
Pinkie Pie watched the sky with barely contained anticipation. There was a beam of light in the distance that rose up into the night, then spilled out in an almost liquid wave of multi-colored magic to encase the entire city in a spell of protection. The earth pony held her breath, watching the bottom rim of the spell as it sank closer and closer to the ground. Then, as soon as it touched down, she threw her hooves up and exclaimed, “Hit it!”
Somewhere a switch was thrown and the entire area was flooded with lights and sound. Stands full of games to play, vendor stations ready to cook and serve yummy treats, roller coasters, a carousel, spinning swings, bouncy houses, and a Ferris wheel silent for too long now came alive with a sigh of wonder from all gathered to witness it. Ponies scattered quickly, those assigned to different stations knowing exactly where to go and exactly what to do, thanks to Epona and her freaky knowledge of everything mechanical. Fun bubbly music soon filled the air and ponies both young and older began moving throughout the fair grounds.
“I gotta admit, Pinkie Pie,” said Dash, touching down beside the speechless party pony, “this looks really awesome!”
“There's so much to see! So much to do! I don't know where to start!” Dash laughed at Pinkie's indecision and Pinkie looked around with wide eyes. “Should I try the carousel first, or get some fried dough? Maybe I could ride the train the goes around all the rides and then decide. Or maybe that will make it harder to decide. Maybe I should play a game and see if I can win a stuffed penguin!” Without a clear decision, she ran off leaving Dash alone to shake her head in amusement. But she wasn't alone for long. Soarin walked up beside her and looked up at the tall Ferris wheel lighting the sky. “Personally, I want to try the platform drop.”
Rainbow's amusement faded and she stiffened. “You should go do that, then.”
“Want to come with me?”
“Not particularly. It's not really my thing.”
Soarin raised a brow. “Fun isn't your thing?”
“No, I love fun things. I just think my time would be better spent keeping an eye on everypony.” She flapped her wings and took the the air without so much as a glance at Soarin. “See you later.”
In no time at all it seemed as though every seat on every ride was filled. Ponies played games and laughed, win or lose. They partook in fried dough and fried candy bars, drank soda pop and relaxed. There was a general feeling of true levity in the air and it lit even the darkest places in the hearts of the weariest.
A band gathered itself in the center of the grounds, ponies who grabbed whatever instruments they could find on a particular night of foraging, and began playing a lively tune. Rarity stood to the side with a warm smile on her face, tapping her hoof in time to the music and watching ponies dancing and laughing. Clover came up beside her and let out a happy sigh. “Now this is what I'm talking about. How are you doing, neighbor?”
Rarity smiled up at him. “I'm well, thank you. And how about you? It seems we haven't had much of a chance to catch up since our rag tag little group got here.”
“We should fix that then,” said Clover, grinning. “How's life been, Rarity? What's new?”
She shrugged casually, gaze returning to the dancers. “Oh, you know. My boutique was probably destroyed during the raid on Ponyville, I ran farther in one week than I have in my entire existence, and I'm being stalked by ghosts possessing bodies of dead ponies I may or may not know. You?”
“Pretty much the same,” Clover laughed. “Minus the boutique bit.” They said nothing for a few minutes, just watched and laughed, both of them tapping their hooves now. One song bled into another and Clover looked at Rarity. “I never got to tell you how sorry I was to hear about Sweetie Belle. She was a good kid.”
Rarity smiled sadly. “Thank you, darling. Forgive me for not telling you myself. I know how dearly she loved you.”
“You have nothing to apologize for.” He draped a foreleg around her withers in a brotherly side embrace and Rarity leaned into him. “Think once this is over we'll go back to being neighbors?”
“I do hope so. I'd like at least one thing to return to normal and I have always loved having you around if I needed a strong hoof.”
“Well it's settled then, isn't it?” He let her go, only to offer a hoof to her and nod to the crowd. “Come on.”
Rarity blanched. “What? In there?”
“When was the last time you let your mane down and just danced?”
“Never,” she said with a nervous giggle.
Clover leaned in close and said in a low, conspiratorial voice, “Then I'd say it's about high time, wouldn't you?” Without waiting for an answer he grabbed her hoof and pulled her into the crowd, spinning her as she laughed.
Luna soared overhead, a whooping Pipsqueak on her back as she maneuvered through the different rides, flying beside one of the roller coaster cars at one point. Gleefully, he waved to his friends all clustered into one compartment on the Ferris wheel before Luna took off again and had him hanging on for dear life.
Four fillies and a baby dragon laughed as they watched their friend speed away. “I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head,” said Silver Spoon, Archer nodding in agreement.
“But it looked like he was having fun,” Dinky added, looking at the night princess doing beautiful aerial acrobatics.
“Maybe he'll get a cutie mark of himself strangling Luna,” Spike guffawed. “I don't know how she can breathe!”
Apple Bloom huffed. “At least I'm not the only one who still has a blank flank.”
Where Silver Spoon would have jumped at the opportunity to rub salt in Apple Bloom's wound before, now she offered her a sympathetic smile. “You'll get one, Apple Bloom.”
“I just hope it's not durin' the fightin'. Can you imagine what kind of cutie mark that would be?”
All five of them shuddered and groaned in disgust.
Spike leaned over the railing and grinned. “Hey, Pinkie Pie and Braeburn are below us! Hey, guys!”
“WOOOO! Hi Spike!” Pinkie Pie rocked the compartment as she bounced in her seat, waving emphatically at Spike. She didn't seem to notice Braeburn with his forelegs wrapped tightly around the the window bar. “Oh my gosh, this is so much fun!” She shoved the last of her fried dough into her mouth and looked at her companion as she chewed. “Isn't this fun?” she asked, blowing out a puff of powdered sugar with her question.
“A real heart-racer,” answered Braeburn shakily. “When do we get to get off again?”
“Not sureLOOK!” She launched herself at the window, leaning out so far that Braeburn was forced to let go of the bar so he could hold onto Pinkie. “I can see Fluttershy all the way down there. Do you think if I yell she can hear me? FLUTTERSHYYYYYYYYY!”
Down below Fluttershy stood by herself. Pinkie's voice was drowned out by the contradicting music being played in the center of the grounds and the music coming from different game stations and rides. After her morning with Apple Bloom, doing everything in her power to cradle the filly, stroke her mane and just be there for her, she'd fallen asleep and had strange dreams. When she woke up Apple Bloom was gone, but Fluttershy had felt different. Not better, really. Just different somehow. She thought coming to the carnival might help improve on the feeling but it only seemed to make her want to get away more. Deciding she'd seen enough she turned to head back to the stadium, disregarding Luna's previous instructions, but found herself face to face with Lyra.
The unicorn stood in her path, reluctance and shame on her face but determination in her stance. “Hi,” she stated simply. Fluttershy just looked at her. “I know I'm probably the last pony you want to talk to right now, especially given that you're not talking to anypony, but I need you to listen to me for a second. What happened...I take full responsibility for it. I saw Bon Bon attacking you and instead of trying to help you I just froze. My brain shut off. I don't even...I'm not trying to make excuses. I just wanted you to know how truly sorry I am, Fluttershy, and if there's anything I can do to make up for it...”
Fluttershy lifted her head in as much confidence as she could muster and walked past Lyra, pausing only to say, “You can't,” before heading away from the carnival.
Lyra's expression fell, her heart clearly breaking. She sighed in defeat and swallowed, trying to gather herself before heading into the crowds. When she started forward she looked up and saw Big Macintosh heading right toward her. Ears drooping, she looked like she was about to lose it. “I tried.”
“I know,” he assured in his ever-calm voice. “I'll talk to her.”
The unicorn watched the big work horse as he wandered past her, then turned to try and find something to distract her from her self-loathing.
“Hey, Lyra!” She looked up, searching for whoever had called her, and saw Merry May waving at her from the line to the carousel. Scribes was with her, along with Spectrum and Raindrops. “Come on, it's our turn next!” Lyra looked at the sculpted animals and sleighs that decorated the simple ride, then at the group of ponies now looking expectantly her way. Mustering as genuine a smile as she could, she trotted over to join them.
Applejack and Pokey were among the crowd just getting off, and shared a wave and a big hello to the group now getting on. “I haven't been to a carnival since I was a colt,” Pokey said, grinning from ear to ear as the couple walked through the fairway. “This brings back so many memories.”
“Yeah? Like what? I never been to one before.”
He blinked and looked at her. “Seriously? I practically lived at one when I was young. Of course, it helps that my uncle ran the balloon popping stand.”
Applejack laughed. “Now why doesn't that surprise me?”
“Are you implying something?”
“Nope, not implyin'. Downright sayin' it – you an' your kin have a thing for poppin' balloons!”
Pokey gave her a side-eye, a smile teasing the corner of his mouth. “Know what else we have a penchant for?”
“What's that?”
“Throwing fillies in the fountain.”
Applejack jumped and flung her body around to face him, lowering into a defensive stance. “You wouldn't dare?”
“Wouldn't I?” Pokey lowered himself as well, a wicked grin on his face. “Care to test that?”
She pawed the ground. “You gotta catch me first!” Turning sharply, she galloped off. Pokey reared back and shouted “Yeehaw!” before tearing after her. She raced through the crowd as expertly as only a rodeo pony could, Pokey trying to keep up with her. “You're gonna have to speed it up iff'n you wanna catch me, pretty boy!”
Pokey accidentally shouldered another stallion, then bounced like a ping pong ball off of a vendor table. Though he was shouting apologies out as he went and leaving a disaster in his wake, he was laughing almost as much as Applejack was.
Two of the ponies they passed were Twilight and Cadance, both mares drawing up short as first an orange blur then a blue one sped past them. Twilight laughed softly as they started forward once more. “Yeesh. Give some ponies an inch and they take a mile.”
“It's been awhile since any of us has had fun,” Cadance reminded gently. She looked around at the ponies enjoying themselves and smiled. “It feels good to be around all of these smiling faces.”
Twilight looked up at her sister-in-law with concern. “How are you feeling?”
The alicorn's smile wavered but she managed to hold onto it. “I've been better, but I have also been much worse. Like any other loss, it's going to take some time. This truly does help.”
“I have to admit, I thought Pinkie was crazy when she came up with this idea, but looking around at everypony?” It was impossible not to feel the outpouring of high positive energy. Their laughter made Twilight want to laugh, their smiles made her want to smile. As they came upon the group in the center of the grounds, she chuckled. Their dancing even made her want to dance.
“So which one is your special somepony?” Cadance asked, humor in her quiet question.
Twilight blushed and looked quickly up at her. “Why do you ask me that?”
“I have witnessed that look before, Twilight. I know love when I see it.”
“I wouldn't call it love. I don't know what it is exactly, but...I...”
“Mm hmm.”
The unicorn sighed helplessly, a goofy smile lighting her face when she saw Clover. “That one right there. The one dancing with Rarity.”
Cadance nodded in approval. “He is quite handsome, isn't he? And he treats you well?”
“Better than anypony has ever treated me,” Twilight admitted loftily.
“Then I'd say he's a keeper.”
“Who's a keeper?”
Shining Armor joined them, kissing his wife on the cheek. Fancy Pants was with the stallion and smiled at Twilight in greeting.
“No one!” she said quickly, sharing a glance with Cadance.
“Fancy Pants!” called Rarity from the crowd, “come dance with me!”
The unicorn stallion smiled widely and bowed his head to Cadance and Twilight. “If you'll be so kind as to excuse me.” He trotted into the throng as Clover trotted out, only to grab Twilight and pull her back in with him.
With the married couple left standing there, Cadance leaned her head against her husband's neck. Shining Armor leaned down to rest the side of his face against her forehead. “Are you alright, my love?”
“I'm better. I just want all of this to be over with so we can mourn properly. Shining, I'm so sorry-”
“Stop right there.” Shining Armor lifted his head so he could look her in the eyes. “It was not your...I don't fault you for the loss of our baby, Cadance. I could never. If I blame anypony it's me.”
“No.” She reached up to touch his cheek, her eyes sad. “Let's not blame each other or ourselves.” Leaning forward, she kissed him lightly. “Let's dance.”
Shining Armor's brows rose. “Really?”
“Really. Come on.”
The music changed then, Octavia taking center stage as the tune kept up the fast tempo but took on a darker feel. It lifted to the highest crest of the roller coasters and the topmost compartment of the Ferris wheel. Even Rainbow Dash, hovering high above so she could keep an eye on everything, could hear it far below. But she wasn't thinking about the music, she was watching a group of ponies toward the back of the carnival where the unusable rides sat stony and dark.
“Have you been watching them, too?” Soarin asked, joining her from seemingly out of nowhere. Dash nodded, brow furrowed and gaze fixed. Soarin glanced between her and the ponies below. “What do you think they're doing?”
“I'm not sure. There's no reason anypony needs to be back there.” After a moment she looked at him. “Why were you watching them?”
“I'm on one of the rotations tonight for keeping watch.” Surprise registered on Dash's face and the winged stallion nodded. “I let myself wallow for too long. Somehow last night woke me up to that. I don't blame myself any less but sitting around replaying everything that happened won't let me go back and change it and it certainly won't bring any of them back.”
“Yeah, well.” She shrugged. “I didn't know any of them at all except for Spitfire, and we never were able to get to the point of friendship. Even just being an acquaintance of hers, though? I think if she saw you drowning in self-pity she'd give you a good kick in the flank.”
Soarin chuckled quietly. “Without a doubt.” He finally met her eyes and she could still see sadness there. “I'm sorry about this morning. Not for what I said but for how it ended.”
Dash tossed her mane and returned to watching the ponies below. “I didn't have anything more to say anyway. You want to get inside my head, Soarin, but you can't. You're looking for a mare who wants you to know her life story, her secrets, wants to share everything with you and as much as you may want me to be that mare, I'm not, okay? I'm not the relationship type by any stretch of the imagination. Besides, I'm too much of a handful for anypony.”
“Because you're stubborn to a fault, strong willed and independent? Some stallions like that, you know.” She picked up on the teasing thread in his tone but it didn't soften her any. Moving forward a bit, Soarin tried to get her to look at him. “You know what I think your problem is? You're afraid to let somepony get too close.”
“Of course I am,” she spat, as if the answer should have been obvious all along. “You know why? Because it's not worth my time. Everypony who says they care about you just ends up leaving anyway so what's the point?”
“Everypony does not leave,” Soarin countered calmly. “What about your friends?”
“The rare exception in my life, trust me.”
“Who else has left you, Dash?”
She could feel the pressure building in her chest, tightening her throat. Then before she knew what was happening it all came up; word vomit. “Where do you want me to begin, when I was a foal? Yeah, let's start there. How about my dad leaving when I was three? He said he was going to Baltimare on a business trip for a week and the next time I heard anything from him or about him was in the form of a letter I caught my mom crying over that said he wasn't coming back and that he'd met somepony new. Oh, and then there was my mom, the one pony in the world I loved more than anyone, growing so depressed that she didn't take care of herself so she got sick, so sick that she died and I was alone. Then I made an awesome friend in Flight School when I met Fluttershy, who decided to choose life on the ground instead of living in Cloudsdale with me so, you know, once again I was alone. Also, don't forget my best friend before I went to Flight School, Gilda, who decided I wasn't cool enough to hang out with anymore after she turned into a royal jerk and has pretty much decided I don't exist anymore. Then Cloud Kicker, the one pony on my weather team I could rely on no matter what, is dead. What was the point in caring about any of these guys?!”
By now she was practically shouting and tears blurred her vision. She was so used to being rejected, dismissed and forgotten that she pushed each and every new occurrence down, telling herself she was just becoming stronger and there was no need to shed tears over every bad thing that happened in her life. Tears were a sign of weakness, moving on was a sign of determination. Hovering there, having told Soarin the biggest of her heartbreaks made her feel as weak as she ever had. She was openly crying now, something she almost never did. It all hurt so much coming back up, almost as if she was living through each and every loss again. Soarin moved closer to try and hold her but Dash fought against him. She didn't want to be consoled like some weak-willed filly. He was stronger than she was, however, and won against her protests, wrapping his forelegs around her in a tight embrace. Emotionally exhausted from everything that had been happening and now this, she eventually let him comfort her and clung to him.
“Your father was a fool for leaving you and your mother, Rainbow.” Soarin ran a hoof over her mane as he whispered in her ear, their wings beating together to keep them in the air. “Your mother...she didn't leave you because she wanted to. I'm sure if she could have stayed with you she would have. Maybe she was just so broken that she didn't know how to make the situation better, let alone keep herself well. I don't know about Gilda, but it sounds like you're better off without her. Friends change as they grow older and sometimes they just don't stay compatible. I know what it feels like to lose your second, believe me. But Fluttershy...she's here now. She's with you again. She didn't leave you.”
“She won't talk to anypony,” Dash said thickly, face buried in the crook of Soarin's neck. “I don't know how to make her better.”
“It's not your job, Rainbow.” He pulled her back slightly so he could look at her, concern on his face. “You do not have to take care of everyone all the time. I know you think you do and that you think you don't need anyone to take care of you but that's not true.” He took her face gently between his hooves, expression serious. “I won't leave you. Ever. Not if you let me in. That's all I want is for you to let me in.”
Dash wiped her eyes, calming some, and looked down. “I don't...” she paused, the group of ponies she'd been watching before suddenly catching her eye. They were moving as one, a huge mass of metal in the middle of them. “What in the hay?” Soarin looked down as well, confused. Rainbow sighed heavily. “Looks like we'll have to finish this later. Come on. We need to see what they're up to.”
As one, Soarin and Rainbow Dash descended to fly past the carnival and land before the suspect group of ponies at the back of the activity. The leader of this odd group stepped forward with excitement on her face. “Hey, Dash!”
“Epona? What are you guys doing out here?”
The brown unicorn eyed a broken down water ride to her left. “Harvesting.”
Dash and Soarin exchanged a glance and Dash tilted her head. “Harvesting?”
“Recycling,” replied Epona. She stepped forward and wove her way under a bit of wood. As the darkness swallowed her she was barely visible until her horn lit with a translucent white light. This magical aura surrounded a long piece of something and there was a terrible wrenching sound as it was broken free. Floating her prize before her as she made her way back out, Epona was triumphant. “This is exactly what I need!”
Soarin eyed the floating object. “You need a two inch thick pipe?”
“Now all I need is some propane or something.”
“Propane?” asked Dash.
“You can't have a flame thrower without propane, Rainbow Dash.”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Dash took to the air to eye to cart filled with scraps of metal, wood and other miscellaneous items. As the new pipe was added to it, her eyes widened. “What is all this?”
As if suddenly realizing Dash was talking, Epona looked up at her in surprise. “Commander! You haven't seen my lair!”
“Your...lair?”
The unicorns around the cart nodded and murmured in quiet enthusiasm. Epona grinned. “Oh, Dash. You have no idea what you're in for. Follow us!”
Falling into step behind the procession, Soarin looked up at Dash and waited for her to land and walk beside him before saying anything. “Is this pony all there in the head?”
“Honestly? I have no idea. But she's a flipping genius when it comes to building stuff. She came up with the second wall idea, designed and built the cannon. It was her that brought this whole carnival to life.”
“Still, I can't help but feel like we're walking to meet our doom.” Rainbow laughed as quietly as she could and continued walking.
Fluttershy stood alone atop the inner wall, her mane blowing in the chilly night wind. Every so often there were makeshift staircases and platforms to allow wingless ponies access to the high parapet and Fluttershy had been lucky to find one close to the carnival. Right now she didn't want to be around the party or the joy, and she didn't want to be around the sullen ponies back at the stadium either. Being alone was always a comfort to her but even that didn't feel completely right. She'd gotten so used to having Big Macintosh around that perhaps it was his not being there that left her feeling particularly vulnerable.
She looked out to the ocean, past the tinted film of the shield before her, and tried to shut her thoughts down. It was the only way she was surviving now; not thinking kept her from over-thinking, which kept her from losing her mind every morning she woke up. She was always in pain, always feeling off balance, and though that was a big part of her sorrow there was something else that was leaving a huge aching hole in her chest; she missed Angel more than words could describe. How the others were coping with the loss of their pets was beyond her because every moment without her bunny felt as painful as a missing wing.
There was a noise below that drew her attention away from her thoughts. Fluttershy turned to see Big Macintosh lumbering his way up the rickety steps and watched him until he was on the wall's walkway with her. As he moved to her side she returned her gaze outward, stoic. Big Mac sat next to her and looked outward as well. They were both ponies inclined to silence and had found it easier so far to communicate without words. They had looks, touches, movements that said all that needed to be said, and it made their relationship feel special. Though she'd always longed for a special somepony, Fluttershy always assumed it wasn't meant for her. She was much too shy and timid for any stallion to ever take interest in her. But the attention Big Mac had shown her in this new broken world of theirs had been the one thing that felt like healing. Every time she hurt he was there to make it better, even when h e didn't realize he was doing it. Just like now. The simple fact of his presence somehow made it easier to breathe.
“What am I?” she said, so quietly her voice was almost lost to the wind. Big Macintosh, startled at hearing her speak, looked down at her with slightly widened eyes. Fluttershy looked up at him with a pained expression. “What am I, Big Mac? I'm not a pegasus anymore if I only have one wing, but I'm not an earth pony. What am I?”
The big workhorse dipped his head to nuzzle against her cheek, pulling her close to him with a strong foreleg. “You're my girl,” he said quietly, feathering a kiss over her brow. For awhile they stayed like that, comfortable together and warmed from the wind by each other's body heat. For awhile it almost felt peaceful, but it didn't last. It never lasted.
“Fluttershy.” He rarely ever said her name, usually just calling her “darlin'” when he spoke to her, so she knew what was coming was not going to be light or easy to hear. “You know I love you, don't you?”
She looked at him, tenderness in her eyes that said she did know and that the feelings were reciprocated.
“I know this has been hard on you. Been hard on all of us but I know things affect you differently. So I'm wonderin' if you even realize how much Lyra blames herself for what happened to you.”
Sitting up straighter she looked outward, her expressions hardening.
“She thinks this is all her fault, your not talkin' an' not bein' like you used to be.”
Fluttershy tried to swallow down the anger that was rising but nothing would stem the flow of bitterness this time. “It is her fault,” she whispered venomously. This seemed to shock the stallion more than just her speaking had. “She could have stopped Bon Bon but she just stood there and watched. She didn't do anything to help me at all!And now I'm...I'm not anything! I'm a freak!”
“You are not a freak,” Big Mac replied strongly. Even though there were tears in her eyes, he fixed her with a stern gaze. “What you are is a victim of somethin' evil an' somethin' terrible, but you're not a freak. You're also not this unkind, Fluttershy. The pony I know would be able to forgive Lyra, put herself in Lyra's place an' know she would've done the same thing.”
She couldn't say anything because he was right. If it had been one of her best friends attacking somepony else, she would have completely frozen and been utterly useless. But that didn't make her feel any better. In fact, it made her feel worse. “I'm so angry,” she hissed shrilly, shaking with rage she'd not been allowing herself to feel. “I'm so angry and I've never been this angry before that I didn't know what to do with it. I feel like I hate everyone, even my friends. I hate that they're all perfectly fine and I'm left stuck in the middle. I hate Princess Celestia for not being here, for her not warning us sooner. I hate the Creator for letting this happen. I hate every single pony who has died and is now the face of our enemy. I hate this force we have no name for.” She was panting now, her heart racing. “And most of all I hate...I hate...”
“Tell me.”
“I hate...” The anger reached its highest breaking point and exploded in the form of tears streaming down her face. “I hate myself for being so weak!”
Big Macintosh embraced her, ever careful of her still-healing wound. “There it is,” he said gently. “That's what you needed to get to.”
Her anger and self-loathing had become an infection inside of her, slowly poisoning and eating away at everything she was thinking and feeling. Even as she cried she felt a wonderful release of such pressure she didn't even know had been inside of her.
“Why do you think you're weak?”
“I've always been weak. All of this has just shown me how weak I really am.”
“No,” Big Mac soothed. “A weak pony wouldn't have made it here after bein' attacked the way you were. She wouldn't have fought though all the poor care you were bein' given. Darlin', I've been seein' such a quiet strength in you these past weeks...I didn't even know existed. None of us did.”
“I don't feel very strong,” she admitted when her tears slowed. “Only when you're with me.”
Big Mac smiled slightly. “You don't need me around to be strong. You're plenty strong on your own. You just gotta see what I see.”
Fluttershy sniffed and shook her head. “I don't want to be angry at Lyra. Or my friends. I don't like being angry at anypony.”
“Maybe it's time you start havin' some conversations then.” She looked up at him and he chuckled. “I know, pretty ironic comin' from me.”
“Can we just stay here a little while longer? If that's all right? It's so peaceful here.”
He kissed her and nodded, nuzzling her cheek. “'Course we can.”
She sighed in both relief and release as she leaned into him and turned her eyes to the ocean once more. Somehow, though everything was dark, Fluttershy got the feeling something was different. Pulling away from Big Mac and getting to her hooves, she narrowed her eyes to try and see past the shield better. “What is it?' Big Mac asked.
“I...I don't know. Something seems...there! Do you see it?”
“See what?”
“Over the waves, far out. It's...it's darker somehow.”
Big Mac narrowed his eyes as well. “I don't see-” He stopped abruptly as something seemed to explode in the sky. “I see,” he said quickly.
“It's a whole mass of something,” Fluttershy breathed, panic in her voice.
“Get on.” Fluttershy did as she was told and hung onto Big Mac for dear life as he turned to run for the steps and back toward the carnival.
It felt like a very slow journey back toward the stadium, partially because they had to keep stopping to pick up things that would fall off the cart, partially because Epona or one of the other unicorns would find something else they thought was interesting or could be of use. “I'm concerned this pony has a lair,” Soarin said under his breath, making Dash laugh. “No, really. Only super heroes or crazy psychopaths have lairs.”
“Oh come on,” Dash chuckled, “in order to be a super hero you have to be a bit of a psychopath.”
“So when we're the ones being 'harvested' you'll remember that, right?” Dash chortled but quickly shut herself up when the unicorns looked at her. When their attention was ahead once more the pegasus jabbed Soarin in the ribs with a hoof.
The door to Epona's lair was on the outskirts of the stadium and led down into the earth where the other hallways inside led up to the field or the seats. The farther down they went the warmer it got, and soon the two pegasai were sweating. Near the end of the hallway was a cloud of some sort of fog that poured out from under a door to one of the locker rooms. As Epona pulled it open the fog rolled out with the smell of sweat and hot metal. Trying to clear their vision, Dash and Soarin entered after the cart to a room of steam, busy ponies, and innumerable metal contraptions.
“Welcome!” Epona shouted grandly.
“What is this place?” Dash asked.
“This is where my minions and I have been busy at work.”
Soarin raised a brow. “Minions?”
“We have three more corn cannon built now,” the unicorn continued, all but ignoring the stallion.
Dash looked at a nearby table where sheets of bent metal and rivets lay. “What's all this?”
Epona's eyes lit with excitement. “Body armor. Look!” She picked one up to demonstrate how it worked. “It's kind of like a saddle in the way you wear it. I made replicas of the armor used in the Hearth's Warming day pageant but with real metal and strong fasteners. Over there we have helmets, too.”
Soarin nodded, looking impressed. “You have enough of these for everypony?”
“Not yet, but we're getting there. If you follow me, I'll show you what other goodies we have. Over here we have foreleg crossbows being made. Luna said these beasties can only be killed by unicorns because of sharp, magical horns, right? What if we have magic tipped arrows? You just strap one on, pull an arrow from your side quiver, load it like so, and release with a simple bite. Oh! This is where we have special light reflecting goggles, way better than the ones used by the Wonderbolts. No offense.”
“None taken,” said Soarin, picking up a pair of the goggles to slip over his head and try out. Looking around the huge room through them, he pointed to another table. “What are those?”
“These?” She picked up something that looked like the skeletal frame of a dragon wing. “Bracers for pegasus wings. Like shoulder pads for hoofball players. It will not only protect the spines of your wings from attack but it will also absorb some of the impact should you fall and significantly reduce your chance of breaking a wing. And feel them! Light as air.”
While Epona slipped a bracer over one of Soarin's wings, Dash picked up something slightly different from the same table. “What's this?”
“That's been my super special project!” Leaving Soarin to flex and fold his wing in test, Epona grabbed the metal thing from Dash's grip. “This is for Fluttershy when she's healed up a bit more. May I?” Dash nodded and Epona's horn glowed, magically grabbing one of Rainbow's wings and pulling it out. It was then carefully threaded through a hole in the contraption before being released of magic. The amazingly light metal thing draped over her back like a saddle and rested somewhat uncomfortably over her other folded wing, hiding it completely. Epona ran around to Dash's side and clicked two metal cuffs around her foreleg, then connected them to the side of the contraption.
Dash looked at the part that concealed her wing. “Is that what I think it is?”
The question made Epona grin. “You bet it is.” Her horn glowed and pulled out a metal jointed wing just as she'd pulled Dash's natural wing taut. “I call this a winglet. Bearing in mind I won't be able to properly test it until Fluttershy is ready, but if I did this right it should act like a normal wing. She'll have to have somepony hook and unhook it for her, but once the wing is extended and the rivets fall into place, she'll be able to move the wing just by running in the air. The supports cuffed to your leg will make the wing move up and down. She won't be able to fly crazy fast or even for very long until she build up her strength and stamina, but it should get the job done for short flights to help her critters out when she needs it.”
Soarin, now with two bracers on, goggles and armor, looked at Epona, amazed. “You came up with that all on your own?” She shrugged modestly and Soarin shook his head. “I take back everything I said or thought about you in the entire fifteen minutes we've known each other.”
“Thanks!”
“Has anypony seen Rainbow?”
Applejack's voice came echoing through the room and Epona quickly unhooked her. “Applejack, over here!'' Applejack and Big Macintosh came running through the steam, panic on the faces of the siblings. “You're gonna wanna see this.”
Without waiting for anything else, all three turned and ran for the outside, Soarin following behind in all his gear.
“But wait!” Epona called. “You haven't seen my best invention yet!” With a sigh, she shrugged. “Oh well. Guess I'll have to wait for the battle to show it off.”
Outside all residual noise from the carnival had stopped. All four ponies raced at top speed to join the others who stood silent, staring at the sky in the distance. Another fiery explosion lit the night and Dash sucked in a breath. Looking at her friends, she could only form one thought.
“Dragons.”