Chapter 63: Fluttering Problems
(CHS)
Flash was deep in thought at the time.
He thought long and hard on what to say and what to do.
At first he tried to ignore it. He tried to convince himself that Timber was just raging mad. That jealousy and paranoia muddled his words and twisted his perception. But now it was starting to get to him.
And this damn ache on his hand wasn’t helping him either. Seriously. The school nurse already checked it out four times over. She said that it was fine and that he might be suffering phantom pain or something. Whatever that means. Thankfully she was more than happy to apply disinfectant to help alleviate his worries. Now he just had it rewrapped.
Still… the situation didn’t exactly change for the better.
For a moment Flash thought of ignoring it. Let it go and have the whole thing run its course. After all, it was just a simple crush. But he couldn’t do it. There was no way in the world was he ever gonna ghost one of his friends just because they might have some unrequited feelings. The boy was never one to shy away from a fight, and he wasn’t gonna start now. He was going to face this problem head on and deal with the consequences later. And once he rips off this band-aid, they’ll either become better friends or they’ll become the most awkward pair this side of the hemisphere. And then the rift between them will get worse by the day until they can’t even be in the same room together.
…
…
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. He should probably consult with an actual expert before he commits. I mean… what if this whole thing destroys their friendship altogether? It’ll be a disaster. If only he had someone to talk to.
And so his wish to the universe was sent.
And thankfully the big fella on the other side decided to answer that plea in the form of a pink haired animal lover who came barging through the door.
The girl looked down right haggard, like she had been running for hours. She scanned the room, noting the dim lights and closed curtains before letting out a sigh of relief. She must think that no one would be here.
“Fluttershy?”
“Meep!” She squeaked, looking like an animal ready to bolt at the slightest noise.
“Don’t worry. It’s just me.” He quickly reached for the light, illuminating the place.
Thankfully the sight of him calmed the girl’s nerves down quickly enough. “Oh. Flash. It’s just you. You scared me.”
“Sorry. I didn’t think anyone else would be coming here.”
“Me too…” She muttered, moving shyly like she always had.
Then suddenly there was a commotion outside. A flurry of footsteps could be heard running through the hallway like a parade. Fluttershy’s body tensed up and quickly ducked behind the row of musical instruments, blending in so seemingly natural.
Flash wasn’t quite sure what was happening until the door opened a few moments later and a head poked in. The girl cast a glance around, noting only him standing at the center like a statue.
The boy smiled back, raising one hand slowly. “Um… occupied?”
“Hmph.” She didn’t reply and simply went away on her own.
It was only after the ruckus outside died down did Fluttershy reappear from her hiding spot, letting out the quietest of squeaks. “A… are they gone?”
“I think so.” He answered, lending a hand to her. “Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No.” She squeaked. “Well… yes. But not really.”
“Uh… ok?” He shrugged. “It wouldn’t happen to be magic related, would it?”
“Oh no. Absolutely not.” Good. Because a magical hazard right now would be the worst timing ever. “I’m just hiding from some… people. It’s… complicated. You uh… wouldn’t happen to have heard any rumors lately, would you?”
“Rumors? Well… not really. I’ve been somewhat preoccupied with my own thing right now. Haven’t really had a chance to hear all the going-ons around school.”
“Is that the reason why you’re skulking around in this dark room all by yourself?”
“I wasn’t skul…” Uh… actually thinking back… he probably was. No self-respecting law-abiding citizen would hide in an unused room, lingering in the dark without some fowl intentions. It made him look like one of those peddlers who hands out ‘Candies’ to kids. “Ok maybe I was. But I have a perfectly good reason. It’s just that I was meeting up with somebody. It’s umm… complicated.” They shared a small chuckle, clearing some of the awkwardness in the room. “Seeing as we’re both need some alone time. Wanna sit around and wait?” He offered a hand.
She looked at it, giving a weird look before accepting. “I’d be hap-” They were interrupted by the sound of her stomach rumbling.
“Was that…?”
Fluttershy clutched her stomach, her cheeks darkening in embarrassment. “Uh… ahehehe… I… might’ve skipped lunch.”
“Ah…” The boy reached for his jacket producing a candy bar, which seemed pretty ironic at this point. “Chocolate?” She greedily accepted, tearing into the plastic and taking a large bite. The little chunk of calories relieved her of her stress. “So what’s this rumor going about that has you hiding?”
“Oh… it’s umm…” Her face sulked. “It’s nothing. Just something Zephyr started. It’s stupid.”
“Wanna talk about it?” He grabbed a table, patting the open area next to him inviting her to join. “They say that talking about your problems is a great way to de-stress. I can lend an ear for you if you want.”
“I’m… not sure that’s necessary.”
“It’s not like we got anything better to do.”
She gave it a thought…
… for about half a second.
xxxxxxxxxx
Ok. Here it was. The showdown of the century!
Rainbow Dash braced herself. She sat, arms folded, legs crossed, and eyes forward brimming with the same fiery determination she held whenever she was on the field. Her opponent sat on the opposite end of the table, not remotely impressed with her huffs and puffs. Rather he looked calm and bored than annoyed.
Rainbow darted her eye to the side noting Luna sitting on the couch. She gave a casual wink which eased her up a bit. But it still didn’t sit well that she had to be here at all.
She was brought over to this office by the order of this… vampire.
No. Vampire was too good for the likes of him. Count Vladcula was a gentleman compared to this creep. A true vampire would be edgy and cool, and maybe even a bit broody. But this guy. He was more like one of those emotionless Frankensteins that were either true terrors or misunderstood villains. She was willing to go with the former.
“Well then Ms. Dash.” Neighsay began, breaking the silence. He pulled out a folder from his desk, flipping it open. “Let’s begin with your Career Aptitude Test.”
“Pffft. Yeah. Sure.”
The man cocked a brow. “Ms. Dash. I recommend that you take these sessions seriously as it will apply to your future. Since this is your last semester in CHS, you must be prepare yourself so that you can be a productive member of society.”
Yeah sure. That’s what you want us to think. But I know your game, Neightsay. If that’s even your real name. You’re probably just doing this whole hoop jumping sessions to lower our guards. And the moment we do, you’re gonna show your fangs and bite our necks to drink our blood!
Well no sirree! I ain’t falling for it. Unlike her friends, she came prepared. And she wasn’t just talking about her geode either. She got smoke bombs from Trixie stuffed in her pockets, the Wendigo’s Hooflet on her arm, and as a special surprise: Some chili bombs from Granny Smith. Those things can be way worse than your average pepper spray. The moment he tries anything, anything at all, she’ll unleash the full force of her arsenal and blast him to smithereens.
So bring it on chump. I’m ready for you. Bring out your magic, your shadow monsters or any tricks. Because I’m ready for ya!
“Rainbow Dash!” Luna called out to her bringing her out of her crazed imagination. “Pay attention please.”
She glanced between the two adults and laughed it off awkwardly. “Oh… right.”
Neighsay cocked a brow in her direction. “As I was saying: I’m afraid your future is a bit… too troubling for my taste.” Troubling? What does that mean? “Your grades are reaching below-average, sloppy behavior, no sense of organization whatsoever, and… prone to extreme actions at the drop of a hat. If there was a word to describe you, Ms. Dash. I’d say it was ‘Chaotic’.”
“That’s putting it mildly.” Luna mumbled just low enough for her to hear.
“If you continue on this path, Ms. Dash. I’m afraid your choice of careers will be pretty bleak.”
“Hey, you can’t tell unless you try.” She challenged. “How would you know what I want to be?”
“That’s because you were asked to fill out the forms beforehand.” The vampire slapped the said form on the table which the girl responded with an awkward ‘Oh’. “Ahem. Your career choices are… Astronutt, explorer, ugh… an Astronutt-Explorer, arkeologist, Daring-Do kind of arkeologist, debonair librarian, or whatever job Daring Do has.”
Ugh… for some reason that stare he was giving hurt her soul. Even VP Luna was giving her a disappointed look.
“Well yeah!” Rainbow retorted. “I mean haven’t you read a Daring Do novel before?”
“Fortunately… no.” He answered back without regret. “Seeing how it has muddled your brain, I think I might’ve spared myself the trouble. But that’s not even the worst part. You penmanship is atrocious, you misspelled over fifty words in this form alone, and you spilled juice all over the sheet. It’s enough to give me a migraine.”
“Ahehehehe…”
“Your only saving grace seems to be your club activities and athletic events, which is hardly an improvement.” Neighsay let out a tiresome sigh. “Without the proper grades to elevate your standing Ms. Dash. I’m afraid your choices of career will be severely lacking.”
“Oh please. What’s so hard about being an astronutt? I just wear this awesome space suit and press a button.”
“The fact that you don’t even know what an astronaut does, much less spell it correctly is the reason why you’re in school.” He scolded lowly, bringing out a paper from his desk. “But seeing as you have yet to improve any of your needed factors, there may yet be time to remedy it, and set you back on the right path. Because of this I am recommending you to get yourself a tutor for your afterschool remedial lessons, and banning you from all sports activity.”
“WHAT!?” She nearly slipped from her seat in shock. “You can’t do that!”
“I may not. But Principal Celestia does. And when she sees your abysmal grade firsthand, she will undoubtedly agree with me on this.”
“But that’s not fair!”
“Nothing in life ever is, Ms. Dash. As you will learn soon enough.”
“Wh… but… but… Vice Principal Luna!”
But sadly, the star haired lady only raised her hand up in decline. “Sorry Rainbow Dash. But I’m afraid I have to agree on Neighsay with this one.” Betrayal! “Your grades have been slipping lately – and you’ve only been able to keep your head above water because of your extra-credit projects. Unless you show some improvements in your other fields, we’ll have to bar you from your… uh… other distractions.”
No. Did Neighsay get to her already? Was she under his spell? Did he hypnotize the whole school with their knowing?
“This is all for your benefit, Ms. Dash.” Neighsay added, showing a hint of a sarcastic smile. “Improving your grades will open many doors for you. Perhaps even more than any of your athletic skills. Believe me. You will be grateful for these little help when you’re successful in life.”
Rainbow Dash glared at the man, slumping on her seat as the session went on.
She didn’t think she could hate someone so much until now.
She wondered if she could still use that chili bomb.
(Camp Everfree)
Gloriosa gave a wide and pleasant smile as she strolled around the camp that afternoon, observing the multiple activities going around. The latest batch of campers arrived just yesterday, and she was pleased to announce that they were having the time of their lives.
Everywhere she looked there were happy smiles all around. Some were cozying over one another to watch frozen river, some were ice skating, a few more roasting marshmallow by the large fireplace, and a few of the younger children having a snowball fight. It was a day of fun to be had.
With this successful trip, the camp itself was definitely bound to make a heck of a lot more money than before. With the new cabins in place, and the ad campaign she launched, she had people making reservations by the dozens. Some were even high class citizens living abroad. If she can keep up this momentum, she may even outdo Filthy Rich’s woodland resort. Oh she can already imagine herself rubbing that news on his face.
It’ll be so worth the wait.
“How ya doing everyone? Good?” She asked around to one in particular. “Great! Just remember to gather up before dark for another round up of spooky stories by the campfire.”
The kids let out a squeal of excitement and went on their way while the young adults clamored and nodded back in approval. Yup this camping trip was gonna be a successful one.
Gloriosa beamed brightly, pacing herself down the path, whistling a tune she remembered.
But she would be rudely interrupted when the ground suddenly rumbled, shaking everyone and everything. The resident of the camp all took notice and stopped whatever it was they were doing. The tremor was mild, shaking some of the snow off trees and rooftops alike. Thankfully however, it lasted for only a few seconds before every calmed down.
Gloriosa paused to listen, hoping that it was just a one-time thing. There shouldn’t be any kind of quakes in Canterlot City or its outer areas. There were no fault lines nearby, and the closest thing to a volcano around here was a hundred miles away.
But just when the folks were about to return to their business, the shaking returned, and this time in greater force. The campers huddled, while the children rushed to their parents instinctively. They all held their breaths until the shaking stopped.
“It’s ok people. It’s nothing.” She lied. “This happens all the time. I’m sure it’s just another of Mother Nature’s complaint. It’ll stop soon.”
It didn’t.
In fact, the tremor got worse, and louder this time. Loud enough to wake the birds from their nests which concerned her.
The money ba—err… campers, did not seem to like it.
But Gloriosa continued to smile and wave it off like it was nothing. “Stay right here folks. I’ll uh… take a moment and see what’s happening.”
She fast-walked her way to the direction of the tremors hoping not to spook her paycheck.
Dang it all. Things were going so well here. She had plenty of happy campers, enjoying their time. The last thing she wanted was another crisis.
The head camp counselor followed the dirt path which she easily recognized as the road to the old Rock Quarry. Timber spent weeks setting that place up to perfection. It’ll be a shame if all his hard work went to waste.
Oooh… if this was another one of Filthy’s ‘Expansion’ project, she was gonna give that billionaire a piece of her mind. Those bulldozers of his have caused enough damage to the woods as it is. He already had his darn resort and pool! What else was he planning to build? A dang golf course?
Gloriosa soon found herself at the mouth of the quarry’s entrance which didn’t seem to be all that bad. The shaking must’ve caused some of the furniture to move and scatter, but it wasn’t anything she and her new camp workers can’t fix with a little bit of elbow grease.
We can just remove some of the fallen snow, rearrange the chairs, put back the lights…… oh… and we can probably move that stone golem out of the way to make room for the dance floor.
…
The girl would later come back to that thought and turn towards the giant towering monstrosity, who in turn… stared back at her with its singular red eye.
…
Gloriosa screamed.
(CHS)
Twilight wasn’t really sure why she felt so… giddy that afternoon. Her body temperature rose slightly, and her heart rate increased twice over. Her skin was crawling, her head felt slightly feverish, and she the sudden urge to skip her way through the halls like Pinkie Pie.
She hope she wasn’t coming down with anything. The last thing she wanted was to get sick on the first week of school. And the Brain Blast tournament was coming soon. She needs to be in her A-Game if she wants to get a chance to participate.
The only problem now was to have a partner. They say that two heads are better than one, and for this case she was reluctant to agree.
Micro-Chips was the obvious choice. With their brain-powers combined, they could dominate the whole game and maybe even win. But he already decided to team up with Scribble-Dee on some super project of theirs.
Maybe Sunset? She’s also super smart. And her in-depth knowledge of magic could give her the edge to get ahead of the competition.
Her happy skip was sadly interrupted by a buzzing from her phone.
Hmm? An unknown number?
“Hello?”
“Hey~~ Twilight. How ya doing?”
She recognized the estranged voice. Just barely. “Gloriosa? Is that you?”
“Yup, it’s me. Your best buddy, calling you. Ahehehe…” Ok her tone was strangely stressed out. Either she was wheezing in a panicking way, or she was really on something. “Listen… you… wouldn’t happen to know something about a giant stone monster living in the Everfree Woods, would you?”
A stone monster? What giant sto--…
Oh…
“Now that I think about it. There was this one golem Timber and I found in a cave a while ago.”
“It wouldn’t happen to have one eye, has a creepy face, and about three times taller than your average person, would it?”
“Uh… yeah? Why?”
“Because it’s looking at me.”
…!
“It’s there!? At the camp?”
“Yup. Please hurry!”
Twilight bolted towards the exit, frantically sending a text to all her friends.
xxxxxxxxxx
“Wow… that’s… quite a story.”
Fluttershy groaned as she watched Flash’s reaction after she finished regaling him the shortened version of her tale. She spent the better part of the hour ranting heavily about her brother and the predicament he brought her in, down to the escape from the cafeteria, leading to this very moment. Thankfully the boy was kind enough to lend an ear for her rant and had his whole attention fixated on her.
“So now here I am. Hiding in this room, away from prying eyes.”
“That explains a lot. That brother of yours is really something.”
Oh he’s something alright. He’s in a whole mess of trouble the moment they get home. That brother of hers was going to get what’s coming to him and then some. He’ll be eating lead and pooping bricks when she’s done with him. She just needs to stop by the local pet store to pick up a few… ingredients.
“This is the first time, Zephyr actually done anything that involved me.” Fluttershy added, leaning back on her table. “He’s done a lot of things before but he never included me. Ugh… it’s infuriating.”
“I guess that’s how sibling works.” Flash shrugged. “I mean… I don’t really have brothers of my own. But if I had one, I’m pretty sure it’ll be like yours.”
“Tell me about it. It’s frustrating.”
“So you feeling any better?”
She blinked for a second and felt the air around her. The tingling fear she had earlier was gone. And the ebbing twitch and tremble stopped completely. “Huh… actually. Now that you mentioned it. I am.” The girl let out a calm breath. “That feels a lot better.”
“Told you talking about your problem was a good way to de-stress.”
Of course she knew that. She’d spend all day complaining if she could, but only in front of her animal friends. Unlike most people, they don’t judge.
Well… actually they kinda do, just not in a way humans would understand. Angel in particular was very judgmental and would put his opinion on everything.
“Thank you.” Fluttershy gave an appreciative nod. “I really needed that after what happened this morning.”
“Don’t sweat it. I do the same thing to my dog whenever I’m feeling anxious. It helps out in the long run. Especially when you can’t exactly tell others about it.”
“I know how that feels.” She mumbled. “So what about you?”
“Me?” He balked. “What about me?”
“Why are you hiding away down here?”
“Oh! I uh…” He turned away shyly. “It’s nothing. I’m actually uh… waiting for someone actually.”
“Oh…?” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion before suddenly jumping to conclusion. “Oh! You mean…? A secret date?”
“What?”
She jumped off her table dusting herself hastily. “I’m so sorry. If I knew you were meeting someone in secret, I never would’ve taken so much of your time. I’ll excuse myself now. Good luck on your date!”
“Wha? No! Fluttershy. It’s nothing like that.” He stopped her. “Trust me. I’m not doing some secret rendezvous like Feather Bangs. It’s more of a… private conversation… with a friend.”
Ah… that sounded way better.
“So… can I still stay here?”
“Of course.” He gleefully replied. “We chickens need to stick together.” They shared a quiet laugh together which lightened the mood around them. “But if it’s any consolation. I think I can understand why Feather Bangs would be attracted to you. You’re cute, pretty, and one of the sweetest girls in school.”
Her eyes widened for a second, surprised at the sudden compliment. “You… you really think so?”
“Come on. Don’t tell me no one’s ever called you adorable before.”
“W… well Rarity does. But she says that to a lot of things.”
“And I think she’s right.” He let out a chuckle which in turn made her hide behind her bangs. “So… what do you plan to do now?”
“Can I hide in my room for the next three weeks?”
“I doubt the school will allow it.” He stared at her with a goofy grin. “But if it’s any consolation, you can hide out at Sunset’s place. I don’t think she’d mind the extra company.”
It was a tempting offer. After the deal with Hoity Toity and his fashion disaster, there hasn’t been a single shadow monster attack against them. Which is why she and many others have decided to move back home. But the arrival of Neighsay could drastically change that, despite his peaceful intentions.
Sunset’s new home would be a good place to lie low, away from people. Her parents wouldn’t mind. And it would be great to get away from her brother before she’s tempted to throw away his CD collection and burn it in a pyre.
Still… the trouble was in school. Not at home. Even now she could imagine her friends expecting a real answer from her. And not some hootenanny excuse. They’ll be laying in the pressure and she’ll be powerless to stop them.
“Hey, it’s not the end of the world.” Flash added, patting her shoulder. “So the start of the year might not be the best. Just get through it and you won’t have to deal with it ever again. Just think of the next three weeks as some kind of challenge.”
“I don’t like challenges.”
“I know. But try holding it anyway. And hey…” He gestured to the room. “If you need a place to hide. This room’s open.”
That sounds… pretty good actually.
A quiet place. A safe space just for her.
“And if you need a little time away from everyone else, you can come over to my place. I’m sure the birds in the aviary will be happy to see you.”
And that alone got her all perked up.
She recalled the wonderful aviary back at the boy’s mansion. The large bottled up nature reserve with all of her feathery friends. The thought of seeing such a gorgeous place again brightened her mood and filtered off that depression like a water cooler.
“That does sound lovely.” Fluttershy chuckled. “But will your dad be ok with it?”
“Pfft. Oh please. He’ll be too busy running his election campaign to even notice.” He said it without a hint of remorse in his voice as he offered his hand. “So how about it? Stop by my place later?”
The girl let out a genuine smile, feeling somewhat giddy on the inside. It was sweet of him to try and cheer her up after everything that happened. And so with a nod, she accepted.
“I’d love t-”
But sadly they were rudely interrupted by a sudden tremor that caught them off their feet.
They were brought out of their happy moment, both casting their eyes onto the floor as it shifted slowly, vibrating loudly.
“Is… that an earthquake?” Flash felt his own feet trembling. He then looked up and noted the whole room… no… the whole building itself was shaking at the seams.
“Eeeep!” Fluttershy jolted towards him as a stack of various musical instruments fell from their holdings. Later they could hear students outside shouting as the tremor grew worse.
More objects fell. The ceiling itself began to crumble. Bits and pieces falling off until the whole support came crashing.
One particularly large piece broke off, falling in her direction.
The girl stood there, like a deer in headlights.
“Look out!” Flash shouted. And through some strange and magical force, the ceiling tile blasted away in the other direction shattering to a thousand pieces.
The two teens stared at the crash, puzzled. It was obvious what happened yet Fluttershy couldn’t grasp her head around it. Flash too seemed confused as he looked at his hand with an expression saying ‘Did I do that?’
But before any of them could investigate further, another tremor followed, sending the school into a panicked frenzy.