//------------------------------// // chapter 43. The Briefing // Story: Becoming Fluttershy // by Hope //------------------------------// We all fall silent as Julien walks in, unannounced and for a few moments unaccompanied as he snags a banana and a plate in a rosy glow, that seems much more cheerful than he is. He takes a seat away from the rest of us and is carefully peeling the banana when Linda enters the room. I look to her but quickly look down at my plate as she sees her pseudo husband, snagging an apple in her own glow before sitting across from him, head hung low and wings drooping. “...listen. About, um, yesterday...” She starts. I try to block it out since I am not part of the conversation, and I feel like I am intruding, but the cafeteria is so quiet I can’t help but hear, and finally look up timidly to watch. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you that, I'm dealing with....” Julien gestures to his own head, not quite looking at the princess. “...I, um, kinda lied a bit.” Linda says, rubbing the back of her head with one hoof. “See... I said, um, we both wanted you to... ya know... that, uh, that was just me.” Linda looks away, blushing a bit. “Cadance just wanted a hug... and... yeah. I was being a bitch.” She admits. I feel a nudge to my shoulder but i'm in some other realm of thought as the two royal ponies make up in front of me, a place long ago, back when I was still just Erica... “It’s not your fault, it really isn’t, I’m sorry okay? Is that what you want to hear? I’m just a bitch. it’s all my fault, blame it all on me so you can pretend like you are perfect.” The words flow off me like tears in the rain, just a few more drops of teenage angst to join the flood. “Jerrica...” I start, reaching up a hand, that I can’t help but notice is shaking slightly. “I didn’t...” “Yes, you did! You never loved me. All of this was a waste of time because you didn’t have the decency to tell me that you didn’t love me.” The worst part is, I can’t say she is wrong. The worst part about being kind is, you forget about what you need, what you want, until someone sits down and drags it out of you. She must have asked me a hundred times a day how I was feeling, and it was always the same answer. “I’m fine, how are you?” Every day. I didn’t realize that I was hurting, I didn’t even notice that I wanted to cry every night because I felt like everything was paper thin and ready to fall away. Well here it was, closing time. The end of the charade I had been accidentally putting on to please everyone else, when they didn’t even want me to. The worst part is, I don’t regret it. The memory of my failed relationship is a sharp counterpoint to the successful one I see in front of me. Even half strangers, with all the world going mad, they can put their pain aside. I have to choke back a sob, but I’m smiling. “...Actually, I just wanted to make sure, you know, Cadance and Shining weren't... breaking up because of me....um. Soooooo. You... were going to take me out on a date today, right?” Linda asks, plainly full of regret for ever putting a wedge between them. Then a literal wedge in the form of a pink pony who had just been right next to me suddenly appears between them, having just stepped out of my sight for a moment. “Right after trick or treating, I believe that was the plan! Cause we're totally still doing that.” Reid says enthusiastically. Linda looks at her in shock before shaking her head. “What? Where did you come f--?! No. Never mind, I've heard that joke too often. Ugh.” Julien looked a bit relieved despite the sudden pony appearance. “No, of course not. No argument could do that. And yes, I figure after trick or treating and getting to the next town, we can sneak off to go on a date.” “And then make up sex!” Reid suddenly exclaims joyously, to the surprise and confusion of everyone in the room. I have to wonder if Discord is really to blame for the sudden preoccupation she seems to have gained with sexuality, or if the flood gates have simply been opened, exposing her to the new and wondrous land of the adult world. This leads me to thinking about Pinkie launching some less than appropriate things out of her party cannon while laughing wildly. Luckily this train of thought is cut short by Linda’s reaction. “WHAT?!” Really a simple reaction, but appropriate. “..you know what, I'm going to blame Discord for that.” She explains as she shows them the grey streak in her mane. “Ever since I woke up, I had this, and a strange obsession with sex. Strange for me, anyway. And since Dissy is responsible for the streak, I'm blaming him for that too. Excuse me, pancakes.” The sudden departure from the conversation hides her blush from most of the room as she makes her way back to the table and resumes eating her pancakes, an unusually quiet breakfast for her. After a moment, Harold speaks up. “Where's Ian?” he asks, looking anywhere but the center of awkwardness in the room. Ginny looks like she is about to answer but can’t see the missing human either. “I... don't know.” She finally admits. I decide to fill them in and give a small warning to prevent more grumpy cutie mark crusader syndrome. “Ian is now Applebloom. And he is not comfortable with being adorable.” “Thank Celestia I stayed a stallion.” Julien chuckles from his corner. “Ooooookay. That still doesn't explain where he--” Harold starts to say before being interrupted by Ian, the very pony he is searching for, held aloft by Jackie dressed in what looks to be a Photo Finish cosplay. Ian has a plastic sword in one hoof and a shield in the other, but what tips me off to the costume’s design is the world renown pointy green hat and green tunic. “DARLINGS! BEHOLD!” Jackie says proudly, as Ian struggles a little. Ian Bloom just growls miserably. “Why is everybody treaten' me like a doll?” I want to motivate Ian to accept his new form and start working towards becoming friendly with Applebloom and the easiest way to do that is distract him from his problem. “But you wanted to go trick or treating, didn't you?” I ask. “Ah didn't...” ian pauses and seems for a moment incapable of countering my flawless distraction. “Ah mean, Ah didn't care either way!” Reid holds out a hoof to pause our conversation, pondering the costume with a critical eye. “Wait wait wait. I'm Midna, and he's Link? JACKIE YOU ARE AMAZING!” She declares. The cosplay guru seems quite smitten by the compliment and for a moment I feel a surge of jealousy before I quell it. “Oh, well, I made this for some rich brat who decided it wasn't cool at the last minute. Still, I'm glad you like it.” She says with a smile. “Please. Put me down.” Reid’s brother and/or sister begs. “Oh! Right! Sorry.” Jackie says, a bit insincerely, before setting him down. Still on my crusade of fixing people’s personal problems without their permission, I lean down to offer a compliment. “I think your outfit looks great, and it hides your Bow too.” I point out to Ian. “If you lovebirds would come over to the main table, I'd like to tell you all some important things!” Reid suddenly shouts, almost startling me, but I manage to avoid a flip-and-faint maneuver by mashing my ears down against my head to dull the volume. Linda seems less than pleased with the new moniker. “WE ARE NOT oh forget it, she's going to keep at it no matter what we do.” She sighs, trotting over to the table, royal wings fully splayed out as usual. I have to wonder if that is a posture thing like how royals are supposed to walk a certain way, or if their wings are simply built differently. But then I fear that I am verging on being as obsessive as Reid and his ribs. “At least yer not short.” Ian chimes in, sitting in front of his lone pancake he had been dragged away from. Everyone and everypony takes their seats around our pink commander, looks of concern or confusion mixed with tired half open eyes and yawns. “Alrighty! So, Erishy has already heard what I'm about to tell you all. Now, last night I discovered the princesses were missing and had a brilliant idea on how to find them.” Reid declares proudly. Her brother just rolls his eyes (or, he rolls her eyes seeing as how he is in Apple Bloom’s body? I don’t know.) “She told us about tha tin foil thang. And about Twilight.” “..right.” Reid seems sort of dazed for a moment before continuing after a shake of her head. “So anyway, I did manage to get in contact with Luna and Tara. I didn't come out entirely unscathed, Dissy was there too, but I managed to scare him off. So, Luna and Tara are, well, making amends for what happened with Tara's family while they were Discorded, and then they'll go find Celestia.” She explains, showing everyone the grey streak in her mane. Ginny nods in agreement. “That seems like a good idea...” “BUT THAT'S NOT ALL! Luna told me of a few things Dissy let slip.” Reid says dramatically, sipping a glass of orange juice that looked familiar, almost like it had been back in the food room a second ago. “The fact is.... Twilight Sparkle was not shot.” “Oh thank Celestia.” Julien says in relief, before looking back to Reid. “So what, did Discord fake that picture?” “Nope! A purple unicorn, who could pass any genetic test you want, got shot and is now in the hospital.” Reid explains, making us all a bit more confused as we look between ourselves sleepily, as though one of us might hold the answer. Jackie is the first to speak up, voicing what we are all thinking. “...But... that couldn't... what?” “Now now, Jackie, know thine enemy. What fun is there in making sense? Twilight did get shot. Twilight also did not get shot.” Reid ‘explains’. Julien seems to get it before the rest of us do. “No... He can't have... He made a bunch of Twilights? And I thought one was a pain... But that still means we need to get to Twilight.” He says firmly. After a bit Reid nods. “He split Twilight in two. The one in the hospital has her magic. The one we haven't found has her mind. At least, that's what he told Luna in order to discourage her. And then he had one shot. So they must both be important, from a purely strategical perspective.” “Alright. So... what do we do?” Harold asks. “We have two responsibilities. One: Locate and gather ALL the bearers, hopefully with the elements on them. Two: Keep the population calm. Shooting Twilight is terrorism, plain and simple, Discord's trying to get us all in a panicked state of mind.” Reid smiles and looks to Julien. “Lucky we have a way of fighting that. Julien! Where's the next city on our trip?” “Columbus, Ohio. We can get there in a single day if we leave at sunup or we can do it overnight, taking turns at the wheel. Or, wheels. Wait, we don’t have multiple drivers anymore except for Erica's car, since it has been... modified.” He ponders. “Yeeeeeah we're going to have to cut that journey in half. We need to be in a town by this afternoon or evening.” Reid says, looking worried. “Why?” Harold asks. “Publicity. Or rather, counter-terrorism methodology. Because that's what putting Twilight in the hospital is, terrorism. It's meant to terrify us, and I guarantee you the MOMENT we walk out that door we will be assailed by news cameras and whatnot.” Reid explains, gesturing to the hotel exit. I can see Ginny look towards me with concern, concern I must admit I probably need.”That... probably isn't good.” Ginny says. “We need to divert their attention from the tragedy while also reassuring them that we still have hope. SO! We'll tell them that whatever town we end up in next, Hasbro has arranged a public talk show interview with Erishy and I. Hasbro will have to arrange the interview then, since we're basically their flagship salesmares copyright or not... Anywho, then we tell them that all questions WILL be answered on the talk show but that we intend to celebrate Halloween no matter what, because we're not going to cower in fear.” Reid declares, a sort of bravery in her voice that bolsters my confidence. “Where are you getting these ideas?” Harold asks. After a bit of a pause, Reid answers with an expression of bitter distaste. “...history. Recent history, actually...It... happened eight days before my birthday. I was born on talk like a pirate day, did you know that?” For a moment I don’t get the reference, until I remember that talk like a pirate day is in september, and that is all the hint I need. To remember that, and that we are taking tips from that sort of event, can I really take my fears as a valid excuse to delay a resolution? Has it really gotten that bad? “Don't worry about me, I can... Suck it up, and deal with my fear later. This needs to happen.” I say quietly. “Then we need to leave now. I'll start packing.” Julien says, getting up. “Wait wait wait, what about Trick or treating?!” Reid gasps, as though we were going to miss gummy’s birthday party. “That's a vital part of the plan! We can't let Dissy send us into a panic, otherwise he wins!” Linda just observes this panic with incredulity. “Are you sure you don't just want candy?” “That's a side benefit and you know it.” Reid says, though everyone in the room knows she’s lying, or at least stretching the truth. “We could trick or treat after the press conference.” I propose. “Or we could do it before, spreading the word.” Julien chimed in, as I pondered pamphlets or something. Reid seems stunned that we didn’t already understand what she meant, gaping at us. “That's what I'm saying!” “I agree to this plan.” The half asleep costume maker says, standing alongside Julien. “You see? Sense!” Reid declares. “I prepared the body dye and we need to get it on you soon if you're going to be Midna. Give me twenty minutes to apply and ten minutes for it to dry... and I think Erishy can handle helping the other ponies into their costumes and applying her own makeup.” Jackie adds as she turns to leave back to the rooms. “Wait, I thought you were making a bodysuit?” Reid asks, looking like a deer in the headlights. “Nope. Body paint and colored contacts. And hair dye. I don't half-do things. Now finish those pancakes missy!” Jackie demands before walking to the door. Reid looks between the leaving woman and her pancakes, panic and indecision filling her face before finally swallowing the entire meal of pancakes whole, in a way that can only be described as pinkie-ish, then bounds off to get costumed up. “... that's just freaky.” Ginny comments. “But if we do it in kansas city not many of the locals will be able to make it. If we get to the next city and trick or treat there, the publicity will be put to better use.” I hear Julien pondering. “I think what Pinkie is... was trying to say, before Jackie dragged her off, is that by announcing HERE that we're going to have a press conference in the next city, we prepare everyone online to ask questions.” Linda explains. “Reid. His name is Reid.” Ian practically growls. We all look at him for a moment, unsure how to respond. Finally Linda just nods. “...right, sorry.” Harold turns to his fellow cosplayer. “Ginny, do you think we should clean up our cosplay costumes? Jackie's been rather busy with the ponies'.” I can hear them talking and what sounds like packing as the cosplayers leave, the two royal ponies off in a corner and everyone else indisposed, I am left alone. I really should go get my costume on, but I have been staring out the window for a while now. My thoughts are stuck in a loop of the dreams I had last night that stuck so vividly in my mind, and of the comfort Reid provided me when I awoke, was that an instinctual reaction to a crying filly, or does Reid really care about me as more than a Friend? It’s a question that cannot be answered without destroying the relationship in question, it’s something I can’t do. Not again. But then beyond that are the dreams themselves. I hear a sigh and the light tapping of our new filly companion moving up beside me. “...Okay. Since Reid's not here, Ah guess it falls ta me ta ask: What's up?” Ian asks me. I keep staring out the window for a moment before I speak. “You know, there's this theory... I forget where I heard it... But there's this theory that the more you worry about something happening, the more likely it is to happen. Like... If you are scared of heights, you are gonna end up being stuck in high up places a lot....” I look around to make sure we are alone, my thoughts spinning. I finally look back to the tiny pony. “Or if you like being tall you'll end up becoming short or something.... I'm really, really, really worried that Reid is going to die, Ian. I've been having nightmares about it...” “...Reid specifically, or just all tha bearers of tha elements?” Ian asks. I smile sadly, admitting to myself that the whole group had fallen in one dream. “Well, both. But Reid is the only one I've dreamt of dying more than once.” Ian nods. “Ah think it's just cause yer worried. And have spent time with him tha most. Ah mean, if ya met up with... Rainbow Dash, that was tha other pegasus, right? If ya had met up with her, ya'd be haven' nightmares bout her. It's just fear, Erishy. Horrifyen'... but in tha end harmless.” “I sure hope so Ian. I'm sorry about the hugs, I would've hugged you no matter what pony you turned into.” I say, hoping to mend some of the anger I had inadvertently caused. “...It was less tha hugs and more tha whole... kid... thang. Um. If Ah'm getten' this... Apple Bloom girl, should Ah childproof mah mind? Oh gawd that sounds weird...” “She is more mature than any foal I've ever met. Just look out for impulses and doing things without thinking them through. Apple Bloom really wants her cutie mark, but she understands that this is a very tricky situation. I bet she is just as scared as you.” I caution. “Ya know if Ah had become a pony on tha first few days Ah'd be scared, but right now Ah'm more annoyed then anythang.” Ian grumbles, the accent coaxing a giggle out of me. “You know, maybe some of Apple Bloom's adventurous spirit and energetic optimism will rub off on you.” I propose, still pushing for him to embrace the change. I can hear the packing of things slow down and Linda speaks up. “Look, Julien... Shining... Whatever, we can think up a good name later. I know Jackie, and if we don't have our costumes on by the time she's finished with Reid we are going to regret it. So can we please get a move on upstairs?” Julien sighs. “sorry, I just... I thought that getting in matching costumes might... Not make you happy. I'm really trying not to make this any harder on you.” “You're an arrogant sap, you know that?” Linda says in an oddly kind tone. “Hey Erishy! Come help me drag this depressed lug into Aragorn's armor!” I turn away from Ian. “Well, I have been summoned.” I say, waving to Ian before trotting off and up to their room to help them into their costumes.