//------------------------------// // Chapter III // Story: I Like You // by TheKing2001 //------------------------------// “Alright so who exactly are these three you want me to meet?” I asked with a raised eyebrow as Rainbow flapped her wings to stay aloft above me. “Wait for it,” Rainbow grinned as a roaring sound got closer and three pegasus landed in front of us, their smoky trails fading in the sky. “The Wonderbolts! Meet Soarin, High Winds and Sassaflash.” “Uh hi?” I said as they took their goggles off. The one who I assumed was Soarin approached me with an outstretched hoof. “Nice to meet ya. I’m Soarin if you haven’t figured it out,” he commented with a smirk. It was surprisingly a warm smile and not smug as I had expected. I shook his hoof and stepped backwards. “Sassaflash here lives in Ponyville,” Rainbow explained as she shoved the mare forward. “She lives with Sea Swirl, the unicorn with the dolphins for a cutie mark. I wanted to get a Wonderbolt who lived in Ponyville here. It was either Sassaflash or Bulk Biceps and well, he’s a bit excitable so I picked Sassy.” “Starlight right?” Sassaflash asked as she examined me. “You’re lucky Dash found me first. Raindrops is a bit grumpy, Cloudchaser has an ego, Sprinkle Medley would drag you into her house for music, White Lightning would get you drunk and Cloudkicker would drag you into her house for a different reason.” “Oh and what reason would that be?” I asked curiously. Sassaflash gave me a look and raised her eyes as I blushed. “Oh.” The others snickered a bit as I recovered from that. “Yeah Cloudy has a bit of a reputation,” the remaining Wonderbolt commented as she brushed her mane with a hoof. “So you’re the one who needs help with something the Princess assigned to you?” “You haven’t told them?” I asked Rainbow in surprise. Rainbow shook her head as the three other ponies gave us confused looks. “Nah. It’s your responsibility since Twilight gave this,” Rainbow explained and I turned around to hide my eye roll. “Twilight wants me to well make a friend,” I said simply and shifted nervously on my hooves. The three looked at each other and laughed as my ears pressed again my head. “That’s so Twilight!” Sassaflash giggled as she climbed to her hooves. “And I guess she said Rainbow and the others didn’t count, right?” “Right.” “I’m down,” Soarin shrugged. “Always could use more friends I suppose.” “Wanna race?” High Winds suggested and flapped her wings. “First one to the hill wins.” “Oh uh I don’t know,” I scuffed my hoof in the dirt. Rainbow wrapped her foreleg around my neck and grinned. “Oh come on! It’ll be fun. No teleporting either!” Rainbow exclaimed sternly as she stretched before giving her own wings a flap. “Ready, set, go!” The four took off and I spun around from the force of their take offs. “Woah!” I muttered as my eyes stopped spinning. “Dizzy. Hey wait for me!” I stared at the rapidly disappearing pegasi and sighed. “I’ll just go see Fluttershy I guess. Maybe she has some advice.” I raised a hoof and gently tapped it against the door of Fluttershys cottage. I hope I wasn’t waking her up. She could be great at unknowingly guilt tripping people. A white bunny opened the door and glared at me. “Oh it’s you,” I grumbled as I gave the bunny a dirty look. Angel and I didn’t really get along well ever since he repeatedly stole my carrots and swapped out my mane conditioner. Rainbow and the others secretly call him the devil of Ponyville. “Is Fluttershy home?” Angel stomped his foot a few times and made some noises and disappeared into the house. Either he was cussing me out in Bunny or what, I have no idea. He stuck his head out and angrily gestured for me to follow him. With a shrug, I followed him inside and closed the door with my magic. “Holy hell,” I said in awe as I stared at the plethora of animals in her house. There was even a bear. Who just has a bear chilling in their house like this? “Oh hi Starlight,” Fluttershy said quietly as usual as I stood in her living room. “I didn’t know you were coming over.” “Yeah sorry. Kinda freaked out a few times about this whole friend thing and figured here was a decent place to go to calm down. Just met some of Rainbows Wonderbolt friends. They’re well interesting to say the least,” I smiled faintly as we sat down. “I wouldn’t exactly call them her friends,” Fluttershy frowned as she stroked a squirrel with her wing tip. “She has a complicated relationship with them all.” “Huh weird. They seemed friendly when I met them,” I shrugged and stared at the bear. “She’s friends with the Ponyville ones but that’s because she was friends with them before they went to the academy. You know, Raindrops, Sassaflash, White Lightning, Cloudchaser, Cloudkicker and Sprinkle Medley. They all work on the weather team with her,” Fluttershy explained. “Cloudchaser and Flitter were always bullies.” Well I’m glad I didn’t really meet them. If Fluttershy doesn’t like someone, that’s a pretty good indicator that I shouldn’t like them or socialize with them either. “Got any advice or any ponies I can be friends with?” I asked hopefully and grinned at her. Fluttershy rubbed her chin with a hoof and her eyes lit up. “Wait right here. I don’t have a pony you can be friends with per se,” Fluttershy answered as she flapped her wings and flew off. I sat waiting as she quickly returned with a small bee on her hoof. “Meet Mister Buzzington. He’s a very nice honeybee.” He buzzed for a few moments and waved a leg. “He says hi how are you? He also likes your mane.” “I’m good and tell him I said thanks,” I answered. “Just one problem Fluttershy.” “What’s that?” “I think Twilight meant my friend had to be a pony.”