//------------------------------// // A Wonderful Fantasy // Story: To Make Old Friends // by Incidental Pegasus No. 5 //------------------------------// Fluttershy was pacing back and forth in the great hall at the entrance of the palace when Cloud Kicker approached her. Cloud Kicker was able to get out, "Hey, so how did it –", before she was cut off by Fluttershy rushing over and nearly tackling her with her hug. "You're alright!” Fluttershy relaxed her grip when Cloud Kicker coughed out a request for some air. “Oh, my! I’m sorry! I was just so worried about you after you took off like that. I thought the guards were going to toss you in some dungeon and I’d never see you again." "It might not have been the best decision I've ever made," Cloud Kicker admitted, "but I didn't have time to think of something better. I wasn't going to just let them catch you." "You didn't have to put yourself in harm's way again, though." Before Cloud Kicker could say anything, she continued, "If something happened to you because you were protecting me, I would feel just awful." Cloud Kicker raised a hoof to brush Fluttershy's mane from in front of her eyes. "But that's what friends, do, right? I'd apologize, but I think we both know that I'm not actually going to stop standing up for you. You'd do the same for me." Fluttershy could feel the start of a blush creep into her cheeks. "Friends should stand up for each other, I know, but.. well... would you at least mind only doing it so dangerously if it's an emergency? Please?" Cloud Kicker immediately began to object, but stopped herself. There was something about the look Fluttershy was giving her. There was worry in her shy friend’s eyes, but Fluttershy was often worried. This was different than usual, though. More serious. If it was bothering Fluttershy that much, maybe she should try to rein it in. It wouldn’t be easy – at times, Cloud Kicker felt that her drive to protect those she cared about was more instinct than conscious thought, although it was an instinct that, when she did have time to think about it, she decided she was perfectly fine with. But, for Fluttershy... "Alright, Fluttershy. I promise I'll try.” Fluttershy gave a sigh of relief. “Thank you, Cloud Kicker.” “But enough about me – we're forgetting the most important part. Did it work? Did you have enough time to talk to the princess? What did she say? Does she know what's going on?" Fluttershy told her all about her conversation with Princess Celestia and the epiphany she had during it. "Okay, so I guess that means we're going –" "Um, actually, Cloud Kicker, I was hoping you'd be willing to go back to Ponyville as soon as possible." Cloud Kicker's ears dropped flat against the sides of her head. "Oh. Yeah, sure, I can go if you like." "Wait, no, I didn't mean it like that! I just want to make sure the team has been keeping on schedule while we've been gone. Remember what Soarin' said about Ponyville being in charge of tornado duty this year?” “Yeah,” Cloud Kicker exclaimed. “How could I forget? I can’t believe Headquarters is willing to take a chance on a small town like us. When we pull this off, you’ll really make a name for yourself.” Fluttershy hoped Cloud Kicker wouldn’t be upset if she ignored that. She was not at all excited about tornado duty, but didn’t want to have a conversation about her worries with Cloud Kicker right now, or, if she had anything to say about it, anypony, ever. “If our team missed anything important, we’ll have to take care of it right away, before we need to focus everything on the tornado. After all, everypony in Equestria is counting on... us." At this, Fluttershy had developed a far-off anxious stare, as though she was staring at some disaster only she could see. She was sure she was going to make a name for herself, but not the way Cloud Kicker had meant. She took a few moments to compose herself. "Anyway, everything has to be in order for tornado duty, and there isn't anypony I trust with that more than you. I only have one stop to make, so I should get back only a few hours after you do, but those hours might be important." "I understand. You can count on me." Any further conversation was interrupted by the clatter above of metallic armor, as a pair of pegasus guards appeared at the top of the stairs – two of the guards they had encountered in the palace gardens. "What do you think they want?" Fluttershy whispered. Celestia's guards were widely known for their endless stoicism. These two, however, were actually visibly annoyed. "It would be nice if they weren't so serious," Cloud Kicker whispered back. "At least Peregrine had a sense of humor about everything. We didn't get to talk for long, but she was joking that she would have caught me without her armor holding her back. Said she wanted a rematch." The guards continued to stand silently, giving no hint of the reason for their presence. Fluttershy was wondering if it would be a good idea to approach them and ask, when Captain Armor arrived. The pair tried to hide their expressions from their commanding officer, a fact which didn’t go unnoticed. “At ease, you two,” he said, having trouble hiding his own amusement. Heading downstairs, he turned his attention to the mares waiting below. "Miss Fluttershy, I'm glad you're still here. I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment in private." Fluttershy instinctually backed up a few steps and tried to shrink down, her head drooped and her ears tucked back. "You... want to talk to me?" Cloud Kicker held her tongue, but drew herself right next to Fluttershy, draping a wing over her friend's back. Shining Armor chuckled. "Don't worry, Miss Kicker, I'm not here to take her into custody or anything. In fact, this has nothing to do with my position at all. I want to talk to Miss Fluttershy about a personal matter, not a professional one." Fluttershy couldn't imagine what kind of "personal matter" he might want to talk to her about. They had only just met, and had barely spoken to each other in what little time they had spent in each other's company. Still, she didn't see the harm in hearing him out. She nodded her approval. "It's alright, Cloud Kicker. I'll see you back home tonight. I shouldn't be too long." The two hugged and said their goodbyes. As Cloud Kicker and Fluttershy were parting, Shining Armor dismissed his guards. "Miss Kicker, before you go, I wanted to have a word with you about your stunt out in the gardens." Suddenly, Fluttershy was standing between the captain and Cloud Kicker, wings spread. She realized, to nopony’s surprise greater than her own, that she was glaring at him. She had no idea where that had come from, or what she intended to do if he pressed the issue, but she was not just going to stand by and let him threaten her friend, no matter who he was. Shining Armor was also caught by surprise by Fluttershy’s actions, although he didn't allow himself to show it. It was not for nothing, after all, that the princesses had entrusted him with the command of their personal guard. Undeterred, he pressed on. "While your temperament wasn't exactly what we look for in the guard, your talent is impressive. Are you happy with what you're doing right now?" Cloud Kicker, who had made her way to Fluttershy's side, placed a foreleg over her shoulder and pulled her close. "Yeah, I'm happy." "Well, if you ever change your mind, let me know. I can’t promise much at first, but if you’ve got potential, you could advance through the ranks very quickly. You could be an officer with your own command in three years.” "Thank you, Captain. I really appreciate the offer. It's an honor.” Cloud Kicker strode over to Shining Armor and shook his hoof. “But, I’m sorry, I have to turn you down. I don't think I'm cut out for the military life. Like you said, it isn't really in my nature." When Fluttershy and Shining Armor were alone, he headed for one of the hallways off to the side of the room. “Would you mind taking a bit of a walk?” Fluttershy agreed. "First of all, let me apologize for the rather zealous way I restrained you earlier. In retrospect, I realize I must have really frightened you. I’m sorry." “Thank you, Captain, but, really, I should –” Fluttershy began to apologize for having snuck into the palace gardens, but stopped when Shining Armor waved her off. "We could spend all day going back and forth over who's more sorry, and, anyway, that's not what I really wanted to talk to you about." They arrived at a room where, after Shining Armor made sure it was unoccupied, they entered and closed the door. "I admit, the story you were telling us sounds, frankly, bizarre, but if Princess Celestia trusts you, then so do I. When you were explaining your efforts to, if I'm following this correctly, find certain ponies because you’re experiencing memories of some counterpart of yourself, and these ponies are that counterpart’s friends – is that right?" Fluttershy nodded. "It is? Really? Great. But you mentioned that one of the ponies was a unicorn named Twilight Sparkle." Shining Armor paused, and took a minute before he continued. "Twily's my little sister." Upon hearing this, Fluttershy realized why the captain had looked so familiar. He must have been the pony she saw in that photo at Twilight's. "She can be a bit rough around the edges, as I'm sure you've noticed, but, deep down, her heart's in the right place. It may not seem that way sometimes, but it is. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. It sounds like you got off on the wrong hoof, but I think it would be good for her to have somepony like you to spend time with. Please don't give up on her." ---------------------------- Fluttershy prowled the aisles of the library of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns. Twilight Sparkle hadn't been in her room when Fluttershy went back there. Fortunately, Lyra lived on the same floor, and was able to tell her that Twilight spent most of her free time in the library. So Fluttershy had come, determined to find her. Thoughts of her conversation with Shining Armor buoyed her spirits. Perhaps "Twily" was not as different from the one Other Fluttershy knew as their initial meeting would suggest. At any rate, Fluttershy was determined to find Twilight and make her understand that she wanted to be friends. If Twilight rejected her offer, so be it, but she was going to try. She found the studious unicorn holed up behind a desk in an out-of-the-way corner of the library. Several books lay open before her, with an additional stack off to the side. She was so focused on the pages before her, she had no reaction to the sound of Fluttershy's approaching hoofsteps. "Um, excuse me?" Fluttershy asked, but there was no response. "E-excuse me? Twilight Sparkle? If I could just–" Without looking up, Twilight waved dismissively with her hoof. "G'way," she mumbled. "Reading." Fluttershy's natural reaction to this was to leave. She couldn't do that this time, though. Between the promises she'd made to herself, and her conversation with Shining Armor, she couldn't simply walk away. "If you really want me to go, I will, but I need to talk to you first." With a groan, Twilight finally lifted her eyes from the book in front of her towards Fluttershy. "Ah, the dimensional traveler returns. Are you here for my help again? Was I not enough of a disappointment last time?" Fluttershy refused to let herself be discouraged. "I didn't come here to ask you for help, Twilight." "You aren't still expecting me to believe that absurd story, are you?" "Well, I wouldn't mind if you did, but, no, that's not why I'm here." Twilight regarded her through narrowed eyes. "Just why are you here? What could you possibly want from me that's so important?" Fluttershy instinctively backed up and began speaking in a voice so quiet that even she could barely hear it. She checked herself when she realized what she was doing. No, she couldn't be afraid right now. She owed it to herself and to Other Fluttershy to be strong. "I'm sorry about that. I came back to ask you to be my friend." Twilight sat there barely moving, her jaw slightly agape, for long enough that Fluttershy started to worry about her. Composing herself, she said, "But... I don't understand. Why?" "Because you can be a great friend, even if nopony else seems to be able to remember it. And I know you aren't her. I don't expect you to be. That's why I'd like to get the chance to know you. I want to be your friend, if you'll let me." Twilight sighed. "You don't want to get to know me better. You think you do, but you'll only find out that I'm a failure." Fluttershy tried to interject that she didn't think that, but Twilight interrupted before she could finish. "That's nice of you to say, but that's because you don't know me. I spend so much time trying to learn as much as I can about magic, and I only know one spell. And it isn't even really my spell! I learned it from my big brother; it's just a weaker version of one of his spells. You said you wanted to know more about me, Fluttershy? Well, that's really all you need to know. That's who I am." Fluttershy wasn't sure what to say. Seeing Twilight sitting there, slumped over, her eyes staring at the floor, she did the only thing she could think of and hugged her. She was pleasantly surprised when she realized Twilight was hugging her back. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I didn't mean to bring up painful memories for you." "It's not you, Fluttershy." For a few moments, neither spoke. Eventually, Fluttershy broke the silence. "May I ask what you're reading?" Twilight hesitated a bit, before responding, "Yeah, sure," in a tone suggesting she would rather not answer, but didn't want to make a big deal about it. She grabbed the book directly before her with her magic, and turned it so Fluttershy could get a look at the title – A Mirror to Ourselves: The Multiverse in Fiction. Looking at the other books, a pattern in the violet mare's research stood out, and Fluttershy allowed hope to swell up within her. "Twilight, your research... this isn't a coincidence, is it?" "...No," Twilight admitted reluctantly. "No, it isn't." "Does that mean that –" Fluttershy eagerly began her next question, but Twilight forcefully interrupted her before she could get any further. "No. Like I told you before, I don't believe you." Twilight glanced away from Fluttershy at the floor and blushed, her hoof idly scuffing the floor. "I... I think I want to, though. Everything you told me may just be some fantasy your mind's concocted," she said with a melancholy smile, "but it's a wonderful fantasy. After you left, I tried to get back to work, but I couldn't stop thinking about your story. A world where I'm somepony my family can be proud of? Where I'm not so alone? But... things aren't true simply because you want them to be. I thought that if I did some research, maybe I could find something, anything, to convince me it wasn't as crazy as it seemed. That's not a scientifically sound way to investigate something, I know, but it turns out it didn't matter. "There wasn't anything helpful. The book I'm reading right now is actually literary analysis. Most of the books that talk about alternate universes are fiction. There's a few by philosophers, too, or scientists speculating on how parallel universes might work, theoretically, if they existed." She permitted herself a small chuckle. "There was also a self-help book that used the idea of alternate selves as a metaphor. It wasn't useful even as a self-help book, just a lot of words like 'self-actualize' and way too many rhyming catch phrases. I'm digressing, aren't I? Back to my point – I couldn't find anything about alternate universes existing, let alone them interacting with us like you're saying. I can't make myself believe something because it would be nice if it were true. Nopony can. Sorry." Fluttershy couldn't help feeling disappointed at the lack of information, but that was hardly Twilight's fault. "You don't need to apologize. I'm grateful that you did all that research, whatever your reason was. Thank you." There was one thing that didn't quite add up, though. "You were still reading when I got here. Does that mean you think you might still find something?" Twilight shook her head. "I said the book wasn't useful. I never said it wasn't interesting." After another silence that seemed to last minutes, she continued, "So, um, I don't want to keep you while you're reading, but you never answered my question. Could you? If it isn't too much trouble, that is." Twilight still wouldn't look at Fluttershy. "You mean you still... But why? I don't have anything to offer you." Fluttershy gently placed her hoof on Twilight's shoulder, drawing the unicorn's gaze to her. "Yes you do, Twilight. You have yourself. It doesn't matter if you aren't a magical prodigy. Wanting to be your friend was never about that. In the other world you don't believe me about, the rest of us were friends with you for several weeks before we even found out." "There's a lot about you I don't really get, Fluttershy. But if you're this determined –" Twilight Sparkle's grin shined across her face "– then yes!" She cringed after her outburst when she remembered she was in a library, albeit an isolated, empty corner of one. "Sorry!" she sheepishly cried out to the air, before returning her attention to the pegasus before her. "Sorry. Yes, I'd love to be your friend." "Really? That's wonderful," Fluttershy said, her wings flaring in excitement. "I wish that I had time to stay in Canterlot and get to know you better, but I need to get back home. Something big's coming up at my job, and everypony's depending on me to see it through. I'll come back to visit as soon as I can." "What do you do?" Fluttershy was hesitant to share the whole truth about her position. If Twilight was going to be her friend, though, she deserved honesty. Besides, the alternative would mean maintaining a long-term friendship somehow without ever mentioning her career. "Well, um, I'm the weather team manager for Ponyville." Twilight looked like she intended to say something, but then thought better of it. "Well, whatever it is you have to do, good luck. We've got a break coming up soon, so I might have a chance to visit Ponyville. See you later, Fluttershy." "Goodbye, Twilight." As she was leaving, the student's voice called her back. "Fluttershy? I just wanted to let you know that I still think you're crazy. That hasn't changed." At least she was smiling when she said it. Fluttershy trotted out of the library with an extra spring in her step. She'd done it! She'd met with one of the strange ponies from Other Fluttershy's memories and come away with a new friend. Maybe this wouldn't be as hard as she thought. She couldn't wait to get back to Cloudsdale and tell Cloud Kicker the good news. Although her wings remained in their usual rest position at her sides, Fluttershy felt like she was walking on air. ---------------------------- Fluttershy groaned as the sun streamed through the window and roused her from her slumber. She turned over on her side to try and get back to sleep, but was bothered by something that, in her half-asleep state, she couldn’t quite put her hoof on. She pulled the silk sheets up, and... wait a minute. Silk? She didn’t have any silk sheets, and the dresser over by the wall wasn’t hers, either. This wasn’t her bedroom. Startled, she sprang up in bed. After untangling herself from the sheet, she tried to get her bearings. Now fully awake, she breathed a sigh of relief as she realized there was no reason to panic. She hadn’t woken up in a strange place at all. It was just Cloud Kicker’s bedroom. It had been late when she returned from Canterlot the night before. The first thing she had done was go see Cloud Kicker and make sure nothing had gone wrong with the weather team in their absence. Fortunately, everything had gone fine, with the exception of Cloud Kicker burning through all of her favors with Blossomforth and now owing a couple of her own. Fluttershy had been so exhausted that Cloud Kicker had suggested she stay there instead of flying home. And so, Fluttershy found herself waking up in Cloud Kicker's room. The mare herself had just entered, a towel wrapped around her mane. "Good morning, Fluttershy. So, how did your errand go?" "Better than I expected, actually," Fluttershy replied. "Twilight Sparkle still doesn't believe me, but she was enthusiastic about my offer of friendship." Cloud Kicker frowned. "She didn't yell at you again, did she?" "Oh, no. She was much nicer this time." Fluttershy recounted her encounter from the evening before, carefully leaving out the feelings of self-doubt her new friend had shared with her, which Twilight would surely prefer be kept secret. "That's great," Cloud Kicker said, as she finished drying the excess water off of her coat. "It's a shame she couldn't find anything out, though." "Yeah," Fluttershy agreed. "With tornado duty coming up, I won't be able to take time off for personal things." The mention of tornado duty reminded her of a plan she had. As weather manager, she didn't actually need anypony's approval, but she knew that if enough of her team objected, it didn't matter. It would dampen morale and might even put the success of the entire project in jeopardy. Even though she could claim she was just bringing on extra ponypower to make sure they had enough pegasi to get the job done, she would know her real reason was more selfish than that. She might never have to justify the decision to anypony but herself, but she still couldn't do it. She decided to broach the idea with Cloud Kicker first. If even she wasn't really happy about it, it would never work. "About tornado duty... I was thinking about inviting Rainbow Dash to join us. Do you think I should?" Cloud Kicker shrugged. "Sure. Why not? The more pegasi we have, the more wingpower." It wasn't really lying, exactly, but Fluttershy's feelings of guilt about using her position for her own benefit grew stronger. Letting Cloud Kicker believe she had only been thinking about what was best for the team just wasn't right. "Um, well, that isn't really why I was going to ask her." "I kinda thought that might have something to do with it. If it were just a matter of worrying we were going to be short-hoofed, I can think of at least three pegasi from around here who'd be fine additions to the team. There isn't anything wrong with wanting to stick with ponies you feel comfortable around, though. Having another pony on hoof can only help, right?" "That's what I'm worried about. Back in flight camp, she sometimes had a problem with rubbing ponies the wrong way. If she starts causing problems with our team, we could lose more wingpower than she could replace. The ponies she works with now didn't seem to like her very much. Not that I'm saying she's a bad pony," Fluttershy quickly clarified. "She was probably just having a bad day. Everypony has bad days. I know I do." "Fluttershy, your idea of having a bad day is that time they gave you the wrong kind of tea at Cloudbuck's and you thought about going back for a replacement but decided not to." Cloud Kicker suppressed a chuckle. She knew her friend could be sensitive about her timid nature and didn't want her to think that she was making fun of her. "That's not really the same thing." "Well, I'm sure it isn't an easy job, and they work really hard there..." Fluttershy caught herself. "But, um, you didn't really answer my question about Rainbow Dash, if you don't mind me saying so. Sorry." "As long as Rainbow Dash understands that you're in charge, everything should be fine. You may have to be assertive." Cloud Kicker walked over to Fluttershy and draped a wing over her back. "Don't worry about the tornado. You've got a good team, and you've got me watching your back. Everything's going to work out fine." "I hope you're right." ---------------------------- It was somewhat of a relief to Fluttershy that the day's weather schedule didn't call for anything demanding. Although she hadn't officially received word of Ponyville's selection for this year's tornado duty, she had no reason to doubt Soarin' and didn't want her team fatigued from anything too strenuous. If she was actually going to be able to pull this off, she might very well need every flap of wingpower she could get. Today, all that she had needed to do was set up some light showers over some of Ponyville's farms. Dizzy Twister and Parasol had been pleasant enough to work with. She hadn't said anything to them about the team's upcoming responsibility, preferring to wait until she had heard from Headquarters and could address everypony at the same time. With her work done, and with plenty of daylight left, Fluttershy decided to make her way back by taking a walk through town. If she was lucky, she might have a chance to see Rarity and have a word with her. She landed near the entrance to the fields of the town's carrot farm. Right nearby was Sweet Apple Acres, which brought to mind her recent trip to Manehattan to see Applejack. Valencia, Fluttershy corrected herself. If you want her to be your friend, you're going to have to stop thinking of her as Applejack. Thoughts of that meeting combined with the bright green and red fields of apple trees reminded her of her budding friendship with a certain filly with an incredibly optimistic belief in Fluttershy's ability to be persuasive. Almost unconsciously, she began to pick up her step. Having to find a way to break the bad news was one conversation she wasn't quite ready to – "Fluttershy! Ya came back!"