//------------------------------// // Renewal // Story: To Make Old Friends // by Incidental Pegasus No. 5 //------------------------------// "Fluttershy, what's wrong?" Cloud Kicker was mystified by her friend's distress. She knew that it wasn't because of the Best Young Flyer competition – Fluttershy hadn't taken her "failure" there nearly this hard even when it was fresh. Even with her tendency to apologize for things that weren't her fault, Cloud Kicker couldn't imagine what could have caused her to suddenly become so despondent. Fluttershy wasn't much help there, only making high-pitched squeaking sounds in between sobbing. Noticing that they had started to attract the attention of some of the students, Cloud Kicker led Fluttershy to a more secluded area of the school's grounds. They were able to find some measure of privacy underneath a large tree. She lifted Fluttershy's chin with her hoof and look her in the eyes. "Talk to me, Fluttershy. I'm starting to get worried." Fluttershy turned her head, unwilling to meet Cloud Kicker's gaze. "I-I'm a terrible friend." "What?" She wasn't expecting that. "You don't have to apologize for that. I've never thought you were a bad friend." "But that's only because I haven't told you yet. Do you remember back in Manehattan, when you asked me about your other self? The thing is... I don't know what she's like. She's hardly in Other Fluttershy's memories at all, and even then, she's usually just in the background. I don't think we're friends in that world. I'm not even sure we know each other. I didn't want to tell you; I was worried you might think I didn't care." "It's alright. You aren't responsible for anything Other Fluttershy does. Besides, you told me the other ponies weren't much like the ones you met. That socialite we were looking for, the one who changed her name – what does her other self do?" "She's a farmer. She runs Sweet Apple Acres with the rest of the Apple Family." "Well, our other selves might be just as different as hers is. They might not even have met. Please don't beat yourself up over something happening somewhere else that probably isn't anypony's fault." "That isn't the worst part, though. I can't really explain what it is, but there's something about these memories that makes them feel... right. Like they're how the world is supposed to be. And the more I see of them, the more I'm sure that there, those other ponies are my close friends, and you aren't. I haven't just been looking for those ponies, I'm letting you help me. What kind of awful pony would let their friend do that?" "Fluttershy, are you saying you... don't think we should be friends?" Fluttershy's eyes grew wide, and she frantically held out her hooves placatingly. "No! That's not what I meant! Please don't hate me!" When she accepted that Cloud Kicker didn't, she caught her breath and continued. "I just meant, what if that's what happens? If Other Fluttershy's world is right, then doesn't that make ours wrong? And if it is, what does that mean for us?" Philosophy was a subject had never really held much interest for Cloud Kicker. In school, even before she earned her cutie mark, she had always preferred the more hooves-on aspects of weather management to dry technical lectures on subjects like the science behind the composition of rainbows. It was even in her name, she said – she was born to kick clouds, not manufacture them. Consequently, while an excellent pony to have on hoof when one needed to know the best way to tame a wild storm rolling in from the Everfree, she was less well equipped when the problem had to do with a friend's metaphysical doubts about the nature of reality. She felt like laughing at her assumption that she'd never have a practical use for the subject, but with Fluttershy as distressed as she was, her friend might get the wrong idea. "Honestly, I'm not really sure how to answer that. I've never felt like there was anything fundamentally wrong with how the world is. Even after everything that's happened the last few days, I still don't. Couldn't both be right?" Cloud Kicker thought for a moment. "If I'm following you, your problem is that you aren't sure whether Other Fluttershy's memories are more real than yours, right? So, I guess what the most important thing is, is does our friendship feel real to you?" Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. "It feels real to me, too. As far as I'm concerned, that's all that matters. If the way we feel about each other feels real to both of us, then it must be real. Simple as that. Whatever else turns out to be right, I know that is. But if you're worried, let's promise right now that no matter what happens, we won't let it affect our friendship." She extended a hoof. "Best friends, no matter what." Cloud Kicker got her answer as Fluttershy leapt forward and wrapped her forelegs around the lavender pegasus, inadvertently tackling her to the ground. "No matter what." For the first time in days, Fluttershy felt like smiling. Not merely as a way of coping with a stressful situation, but a real, true smile of joy. It felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from her chest. She still didn't have any idea what to do next, but right now, she didn't care. ---------------------------- The sun was lower in the sky when Fluttershy awoke. She shook her head as she tried to get her bearings. She hadn't meant to fall asleep like that. She and Cloud Kicker had just decided to relax under the tree for a few moments, and she must have dozed off. "Oh, good. You're up. I got you some lunch." A paper-wrapped sandwich landed on the ground in front of her. Fluttershy yawned and rubbed her eyes. "How long was I asleep for?" "A couple of hours. You just seemed so exhausted, I didn't want to bother you. Are you feeling better now?" "Much better, thank you." She unwrapped the sandwich and began to eat. "I guess I didn't realize how much it had been upsetting me." "I wish you had told me sooner," Cloud Kicker said, doing her best to avoid a critical tone in her voice. "You wouldn't have had to keep all that anxiety bottled up." "I know." The two friends just stood in silence for a few moments, punctuated by only the occasional biting of a sandwich, before Fluttershy spoke up. "We can go back home now, if you like." She started to walk towards the exit of the campus, with Cloud Kicker quick to follow her. "Are you sure? Twilight Sparkle might not have wanted to help, but there are a lot of other students here. We could go find Lyra. She seems pretty open-minded about unconventional ideas." "No, that's okay. It turns out Twilight Sparkle wasn't just Other Fluttershy's friend, she was Princess Celestia's personal student. If even she can't do anything..." Fluttershy let her voice trail off. Cloud Kicker brought up some weather team business, and she and Fluttershy spent several minutes discussing the best time to schedule an upcoming storm they were planning for next week. Suddenly, she stopped walking and stuck out a foreleg to block Fluttershy's progress. "Say, Fluttershy... if Other Fluttershy's friend is Princess Celestia's student, does that mean that she also knows the princess?" "Yes, I think so. Why do you... oh. Oh my goodness." Cloud Kicker had a point. If anypony was wise enough to solve her problem, it was Princess Celestia. Still, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel more than a little intimidated by the concept. The princess and Other Fluttershy may have had a cordial relationship, but she already had five examples of how little that counted for anything. And Princess Celestia wasn't just another pony, she was, well, ­Princess Celestia. She was the ruler of the nation. She brought forth the sun and the moon each day. Wait, was it the sun and the moon, or just the sun? Was somepony else responsible for the moon? Enough of Other Fluttershy's memories had started taking up residence with her own that it was getting a little confusing. It was one more reason why she needed to figure this out. Surely, though, being princess meant having so many problems of your own. Would she even have time to help somepony she didn't know? "I guess it's worth a try, if we can even get a chance to talk to her." "Yeah, it's not like the guards will let us walk right in to the palace." Something in the corner of her eye caught Fluttershy's attention and caused her to gasp. "The guards won't let us walk right in," she said, pointing to a poster adorning a nearby wall. WONDERBOLTS AERIAL SHOW Now Extended Through Sunday! Come one, come all! See the bravest pegasi in Equestria perform incredible stunts that are sure to amaze and delight! Spitfire, Soarin' and all your favorite Wonderbolts will be there! Excitement! Thrills! Fun for foals of all ages! Performing Daily at Skydancer Stadium in Downtown Canterlot ---------------------------- "A-are you sure this will work?" Fluttershy felt a bit silly asking that. It was, after all, her plan. Well, it was sort of her plan. Technically, it was Soarin's plan, but it was her plan to ask Soarin' for help, and she didn't know what else she was expecting when she decided to ask him. So, in a way, that made it her plan. It had seemed like a good idea when that was all it was, but how that it was ready to be put into action, she was starting to have doubts. "Sure thing, 'Shy. When we get there, just let me do the talking. It'll be no problem." "Okay, I trust you. Thank you so much, Soarin'." Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker had found Soarin' outside the stadium signing autographs for the fillies and colts that had attended the Wonderbolts' show. When he finished, they explained what was going on to him and asked for his help. "I gotta say, I think it's really cool that you're doing this for Fluttershy." The three pegasi were headed towards the palace, both mares now attired in brand new Wonderbolt flight suits and goggles. They had chosen to walk down some of Canterlot's less busy side streets in order to avoid attracting too much attention to themselves. After all, they were celebrities now, or at least they were pretending to be celebrities, which wasn't really that different when it came to the difficulties it could cause them. The two friends were taking very different approaches to this problem. Cloud Kicker had adopted the quasi-military bearing ponies expected from the Wonderbolts, trying to deflect notice by acting too unremarkable to be worthy of much. Fluttershy, on the other hoof, seemed to be searching for some happy medium between walking fast enough to keep up and curling up as small as possible. None of it helped. "Mom, look, the Wonderbolts!" A pegasus filly sprinted up to them, with a somewhat weary mare trotting behind her. The filly had a white coat and light blue mane, with a trio of purple snowflakes for a cutie mark. "This is so amazing! Hi, Soarin'! My name is Flurry and I'm your biggest fan!" She turned to look at Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker. "Who are you? I've never seen either of you at a Wonderbolts show before." Fluttershy did her best to keep from showing how nervous she was. If even a foal could see through their disguises, their plan would never work. "Oh. We're, um, new." "That's right," Cloud Kicker added. "We've only just joined. That's why you haven't seen us before. My name's, um, Sky Streak, and this is... Quick... Wing." "That is... so cool!" Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker relaxed, hopefully not too noticeably, upon hearing Flurry's apparent acceptance of their story. "When I grow up, I wanna join the Wonderbolts, too." Fluttershy looked at the eager young Flurry. From the look of things, she was probably a year or two older than Cloud Kicker's little sister, and just entering the awkward stages of adolescence. Fluttershy could remember being that age, feeling like she was all legs and wings. Surely it couldn't hurt to say something encouraging. "Well, Flurry, if you work really hard and believe in yourself, you'd be surprised by what you can accomplish." "Really? Thanks, Quickwing! I can't wait to see you in action!" Flurry's mother also gave her thanks for them taking the time to speak with her daughter and the two left the Wonderbolts, real and pretend, to go about their day. When they were gone, Cloud Kicker remarked, "Well, that went better than I thought it would. I'm not really good at naming things. Sorry about that." Even with her face covered by the Wonderbolt uniform she was wearing, it was clear she was blushing. Fluttershy was concerned by Flurry's parting comments. "Oh, I hope I did the right thing. What if she becomes disillusioned when she never sees 'Quickwing' again?" "Don't worry about it, 'Shy. I'll think of something." Fortunately, they were able to make it to the royal palace without any further difficulties more trying than stares from nearby ponies. As they approached one of the entrances, Soarin' whispered, "Remember, I'll take care of this." Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker took their positions behind Soarin' as he walked up to the pair of unicorn stallions flanking the entryway. "Hey, Stalwart, Quarterstaff. How's it goin'?" The response from the guards was nearly imperceptible. Most ponies wouldn't have even noticed the ever so slight nod of the head, the tiny upwards curl of the mouth. "Just taking the new recruits for a tour of the place." The whole time, Fluttershy stood there, impassive, as the Wonderbolt she was pretending to be should. Inside, however, she was practically hyperventilating. Trying to get a word with Princess Celestia was one thing, but sneaking into the palace to do it was just an awful idea. She didn't know what would happen to her friends or to her if the palace guards saw through their disguises, but it couldn't be anything good. She wanted to simply turn around and leave, but if the guards were suspicious of them, that would only make things worse. When the guards responded to Soarin' by stepping aside, as if his request were the most routine thing in Equestria, she was so relieved she felt like skipping right through the door. She settled instead for giving a polite but emotionless nod to whichever of the guards was on her side as she passed him. After all, Wonderbolts did not skip. Probably. At least, not while they were in uniform. ---------------------------- "It worked!" Careful not to speak too loudly in order not to attract anypony's attention, Fluttershy threw her forelegs around Soarin's neck in an embrace. They had been lucky enough to find an empty hallway where they could take a moment and work out the next step of the plan. "Hey, I said it'd be no problem, right? Wait in there," Soarin' said, gesturing to a nearby room. "I have a friend here who might know where to find the princess." The two mares agreed. "I'll try to be back as quick as I can." Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker waited for Soarin' to return. They tried to avoid speaking or making noise as much as possible, just in case some curious pony was walking by and decided to check things out. There wasn't really anything to do but look at their surroundings. In the center of the room stood a large wooden table over an intricately woven rug. A series of tapestries were hanging, depicting some ancient conflict between Equestrian forces and the griffon kingdoms. Along one of the walls stood several ponyforms, clad in ceremonial armor. On the opposite side of the room were shelves filled with fancily-bound books. Fluttershy looked them over, but with titles like A Brief History of the Campaigns of General Claymore, Volume VII and Kumquat Harvesting in Neighpon – An Overview, it didn't seem like there were any with information that would be useful to her right now. After what felt like ages, Soarin' returned. "I know where the princess is gonna be. I was talking to Coconut Cream, one of the palace bakers, and she said that Princess Celestia should be in the gardens out back soon." "That's great news," Cloud Kicker said. "I was worried we weren't going to be able to find her." "Yeah," Soarin' chuckled, "I guess I'm just full of great news lately, huh, 'Shy?" Fluttershy wasn't sure what he was talking about. She must have looked confused, because he continued, "You know, the letter I sent you? They brought you the wrong mail again, didn't they." Fluttershy suddenly remembered. The letter! Soarin' had sent her a letter recently. She got it right before... "No, it wasn't their fault this time. I did get your letter, but I didn't have a chance to read it then, and then everything started happening, and I completely forgot about it. I'm sorry." "It's okay. You should get the official notice in a day or so, anyway, but when I heard what was going on, I asked for clearance to tell you. This year, the Weather Bureau chose Ponyville for tornado duty! It's that great?" Fluttershy was stunned. Tornado duty? She was going to be in charge of tornado duty? This was not welcome news, and she would be sure to worry about it later, but right now she didn't have time. She also didn't want to disappoint her friend. "That's wonderful," she said, putting on her most convincing fake smile. "Thank you, Soarin'." Wanting to forestall any further conversation, just in case she slipped, she said, "Anyway, we should get going if we don't want to miss the princess." She began to tug at the Wonderbolt uniform she was wearing, but wasn't having much luck. "Can you help me get this off, Cloud Kicker?" The lavender pegasus approached, and working together, the two of them were eventually able to extricate Fluttershy from the flight suit before doing the same for Cloud Kicker's. "It's a shame. I was kind of hoping we'd get to keep these. They look good on us." Soarin' laughed. "You can have them if you like. They're just spares, anyway. I'll mail them to 'Shy." He turned to leave. "Good luck. I hope the princess can give you the help you're looking for." ---------------------------- Fortunately, the way to the gardens behind Canterlot palace were easy to find. Once there, finding a pony twice as tall as most with a flowing ethereal mane was even easier. She was in conversation with somepony, but from this distance, and with all the foliage in the way, it was unclear who. Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker ducked behind a hedge and crept forward to get a closer look. A quartet of other ponies – guards – began to approach the princess. The leader was a unicorn stallion with a bright white coat wearing purple and gold armor. Fluttershy thought he looked familiar, but she was having trouble figuring out why. She didn't know any unicorn soldiers, or even many unicorns at all, and while Other Fluttershy had been more successful with the latter, she didn't seem to know anypony like this either. Following behind the strange-yet-familiar stallion were three pegasus guards, two stallions and a mare. The leading guard was the first to speak. "Good afternoon, Your Highness." "Good afternoon, Captain." "Will Princess Luna be joining us today?" Celestia's expression became pained. "No, I am afraid that my sister is still not feeling well. I thought it would be best not to try and drag her out here against her will." The worry in the princess's face was reflected in her captain's. "Permission to speak freely, Highness?" "Captain, as I've told you several times already, you don't need to ask me that. Please, speak to me freely. Also, we're going to be family soon. 'Aunt Celestia' has a much nicer ring to it than 'Your Highness', don't you think?" "I know, your... er, I know. Nevertheless, I think that I would be setting a bad example for my troops if I did any of that while they were standing right there." Celestia just smiled. "As you wish, Captain. Now, what did you want to talk about?" "I'm... concerned about Princess Luna. She keeps apologizing to me, but the things she's saying... they don't make sense. The past few days, some of my guards have reported similar experiences with her. It has a lot of them... a lot of us on edge. She's not usually like this." "Yeah! What's wrong with Auntie Luna? And why does she keep mentioning that name? Who's 'Nightmare Moon'?" At this vantage point, Fluttershy was finally able to make out who this other voice belonged to. He must have been the one Princess Celestia had been talking to before the captain's forces arrived. It was a baby dragon! He wasn't scary like those regular gigantic dragons that could eat a pony in one bite if they had a mind to; he was actually really cute. He was so cute that, under other circumstances, Fluttershy would probably have rushed right over for a chance to find out more about him, but she couldn't afford to just blow her cover like that. "I wish that I had some answers to give all of you, that I knew what was troubling my sister. Regrettably, I do not. I will continue to do whatever I can to find some way to help her. I only hope that will be enough." Celestia was attempting to maintain an unperturbed facade for her little ponies, but her eyes betrayed great age and a sadness that only the very long-lived could truly understand. "It was not my intention to burden any of you with this. Please accept my apologies." For a moment, nopony spoke. The captain looked troubled. He glanced back at the other guards before apparently deciding that saying it this once would not hurt. He placed a hoof on Celestia's side. "Aunt Celestia? Do you still wish to continue? I know this day is very important to you." "Thank you, my nephew. You are right, this is a very important day. I have not missed it in all the time I have had the privilege of sitting on Equestria's throne, and I don't intend to begin today. Luna would not want me to for her sake, either." Princess Celestia began walking away from the palace. The captain and the little purple dragon followed her, with the other three guards bringing up the rear of the little procession. Still behind cover, Cloud Kicker silently gestured Should we follow them?­ Fluttershy nodded, and the two snuck forward, mindful to remain hidden from the princess and her retinue. While she skulked, Fluttershy had plenty of time to reflect on all she had just seen. She wondered if Princess Luna's situation was similar to her own, and why she thought she recognized the guard captain. Not just him, though. The baby dragon accompanying Princess Celestia also stuck in her mind, and she was certain she would remember having met a dragon. The answer to the last of these questions, at least, came when the princess spoke to him, addressing him as Spike. Spike! Of course! Spike was Other Fluttershy's friend. He usually appeared in memories around Twilight Sparkle and her house. Could all of this be a coincidence? Their path led them into a sculpture garden. From her position behind the base of a statue of a pony looking out at the horizon through a spyglass, Fluttershy saw that the lawn was covered with statues of ponies. There was also one statue that was most definitely not a pony. She wasn't actually sure what it was, besides unnerving. It wasn't even so much how it looked – with it being carved in the middle of a laugh, it at least appeared to be a happy whatever it was. It just filled her with a sense of dread she couldn't explain. She was glad when they could move onward, and she could put the eerie sculpture out of her mind. The end of Princess Celestia's journey seemed close as she and her party entered an area surrounded by tall hedges. The entrance was flanked by a pair of statues depicting trumpeters performing a fanfare, each with a pole bearing the Equestrian flag behind it. Inside, a dirt path extended straight ahead, with a row of trees on each side, and bushes scattered on the other sides of the trees. When it seemed safe, they advanced behind these for cover. At the far end of the path, Princess Celestia had stopped, evidently having arrived at her destination. Before Celestia stood six pedestals, each supporting a marble statue of a pony. Although the ponies themselves looked unfamiliar to Fluttershy, the subjects of the statues having lived so long ago nopony knew what they really looked like, she immediately recognized who they were meant to be. Any foal that had seen the Hearth's Warming Eve pageant performed would have. One of the statues was attired in a jeweled crown and flowing robe that were fancier marble versions of the costume she had worn the year her class had been chosen to perform the pageant at her school. Now there was something she wished could have trouble remembering. She didn't like the idea of performing in the first place, and the costume hadn't helped matters. The headband she had to wear with the prop horn attached just made her feel ridiculous. It wasn't even the right color! Fluttershy was dismayed when she found out that her parents thought she looked cute; a photograph of her wearing the outfit was still sitting on their mantle the last time she visited. There wasn't time to dwell on that now, however, as the princess had begun to speak. "Noble Founders. Once again, I come before you to renew my pledge to you and to Equestria. To watch over and protect this country that you created. To ensure that the dream of a land where the three pony tribes can live together in harmony remains alive and well. I make this promise to you, as I make it to all ponykind, that I shall care for Equestria and all those who live here, and defend them from those that mean them harm, for as long as I may live." After a moment of reflection, Celestia began her walk back down the path, with Spike and the guards falling in behind her. The hiding pegasi edged their way around the bush to keep out of view. As they were doing so, Fluttershy accidentally brushed against a branch, disturbing a small bird eating berries. The bird's startled chirps and the rustled branches of the bush drew the attention of one of the pegasus guards. She tapped the guard nearest to her and gestured over at Fluttershy and Cloud Kicker's hiding place. Fluttershy tried to muffle a panicked squeak when the two guards started over to investigate. Her barrel heaved as her mouth began to form the words "Oh my goodness" over and over, but no sound came out. They were going to get caught and probably thrown in prison for breaking into the palace and her family would be disgraced and they'd find out Soarin' helped sneak them in and kick him off the Wonderbolts and she'd never even find out what was going on and – A lavender hoof across her back snapped Fluttershy out of her panic attack. She felt Cloud Kicker's warm breath against her ear as she heard her whisper, "Once I get these guards out of the way, go and ask the princess what you need to ask." Before Fluttershy had a chance to object, Cloud Kicker sprung up from behind the shrubbery. "Hey! Flying bricks! I bet you can't catch me!" she shouted, before darting straight upwards as fast as she could. The two guards that had been advancing on them were surprised for a brief moment before regaining their composure and giving chase, with the third pegasus guard not far behind. Fluttershy waited a few seconds for them to clear out before emerging and heading towards Princess Celestia as fast as she could. This isn't how she wanted this to happen, not at all, but she wasn't about to let the risk Cloud Kicker just took be for nothing. "Excuse me, Princess Celestia, my name is Fluttershy and I really really need your hel– eep!" Fluttershy suddenly found herself hovering off the ground, and it wasn't because she was flying. In fact, her wings had frozen themselves to her sides in fear. It wouldn't have mattered much, though, as she realized she wasn't able to move at all. The captain's horn was glowing with a magenta light. Suddenly, it was as if a magenta filter had been placed over the entire world. Fluttershy regained the use of her limbs, but found herself trapped inside a sphere of magical energy floating a few feet above the ground. Fluttershy curled up into a ball, her words tripping over each other to get out. Most ponies would likely have understood only one or two in ten. "I don't know why you're here, intruder, but I won't let anypony harm the princess." Fluttershy opened her eyes to see the captain standing between her magic prison and Princess Celestia. "Captain," Celestia spoke, but was unable to redirect the stallion's attention. She tried again. "Shining Armor," she said, draping her wing over her captain's back, which met with greater success. "I appreciate your dedication to duty, and also your concern with my safety – and yours as well, dear Spike," she added to the little dragon, who had also interposed himself between Celestia and Fluttershy, his claws balled up into fists. Spike beamed at the praise. "However, I think you may have been a bit overenthusiastic with our unexpected visitor. Please put her down." Shining Armor opened his mouth to object, but Celestia continued, "If she truly is here to attack me, I will deal with that myself. Now please, Captain, put her down." "O-of course, Aunt Celestia." The sphere imprisoning Fluttershy slowly lowered itself. Once her hooves were back on solid ground, the magic began to fade, freeing her. Fluttershy found herself face to face with the ruler of Equestria. The strange thing was that Princess Celestia didn't seem angry with her, or even annoyed. She just smiled. "Hello, my little pony. What's your name?" "Fl-fluttershy." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fluttershy. I imagine you must have a rather serious problem if you've gone through all this trouble just to talk to me. Is there something I can do to help you?" Although she knew that the princess' placid demeanor was almost certainly a genuine attempt to put her at ease, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel intimidated by her sudden audience with royalty. Despite the fact that she had put in a lot of effort specifically with the goal of asking Princess Celestia about her problem, now that she was about to do it, she could hardly believe that she was actually going to ask Princess Celestia about her problem. She started to recount her experiences over the last few days, very hesitantly at first, frequently trailing off to silence in mid-sentence, or apologizing for not telling the story clearly enough. While she was in the middle of detailing her travels, Shining Armor exclaimed, "Twily? Oh. Didn't mean to interrupt. Sorry." After explaining what she had been up to, she began describing Other Fluttershy's memories to the princess. They were disjointed, and out of order, and once or twice she had to stop when she realized she was talking about one of her original memories, but she relayed them as best she could. "That's everything I can remember. I came to ask you for help because I didn't know what else to do. I understand if you don't believe me, though. If somepony told me a story like that, I don't think I would believe them, either." That enigmatic smile never left Princess Celestia's face. "Truly, Fluttershy, I do not know what to make of your situation. Let me set your heart at ease by telling you that I don't believe you are lying to me or imagining things. I cannot explain what you are experiencing, but I do believe you." Fluttershy couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You... you do?" Celestia leaned in close, her voice and smile taking on a playful tone. "Well, you've clearly dealt with Philomena before. I'm sorry she gave your counterpart such so much trouble. She can take her pranks a bit too far sometimes." "But I should really be the one apologizing. I'm sorry I snuck into your palace." "After what you've told me, I'm glad that you did. Next time, though, you just need to ask. Unfortunately, I have other responsibilities that prevent me from assisting you myself, but if you'd like access to the Canterlot Archives, I can have that arranged." "Th-thank you." "The most important thing I can tell you is to not let yourself get discouraged. One thing I've learned from Philomena is that sometimes, when things look their bleakest is our chance to shine the brightest." Celestia bent down and wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy and pulled her into a motherly embrace. "Can you remember that, my little phoenix?" Fluttershy thought deeply about the princess's words. She thought, too, of what Cloud Kicker said to her when she felt at her lowest. Knowing what she knew now, she could see that had been going about things all wrong. She shouldn't waste her time focusing on searching for Other Fluttershy's "ideal" world. If even Princess Celestia didn't know, then she might never find the answer. There was no reason to assume that she'd be able to make things right once she did. If she felt that it was important for Rainbow Dash and Pinkamina and Rarity and Valencia and Twilight Sparkle to be a part of her life, then she should be inviting them to be part of her life. Hopefully, they'd be receptive. After all if having two close friends was good, having seven would be even better, wouldn't it? She wasn't going to give up trying to make sense of things, but if she carried on with the single-minded devotion she had been these last few days, burying herself in the Canterlot Archives, she wouldn't be living Other Fluttershy's life or her own. "I'll do my best. Thank you, Princess Celestia, for everything." Fluttershy took a deep breath before she asked her next question. "Princess, there was something else I wanted to ask you, if that's okay. I, um, heard the conversation you were having earlier about Princess Luna. I'm really sorry that I was eavesdropping on something so personal. I shouldn't have, and if you want to punish me for it, I deserve it. I was just wondering, if it's alright, if I could speak with her. But if you don't want me to, I understand." Even this latest confession did nothing to darken Celestia's mood. "I'm sorry, Fluttershy. I know your heart is in the right place, but if you heard that, then you know why I don't think my sister would want to meet somepony new at this time." "It's okay, I know what you mean. I'm usually nervous about meeting new ponies myself. There is one other thing..." Fluttershy hesitated. Princess Celestia waited for her to continue, listening attentively. The silence was broken by the sound of shouting coming from the sky. "Come on! You'll have to do better than that! I've dodged lightning, you think I can't dodge you?" "Could you please ask your guards to stop chasing my friend?"