//------------------------------// // Wherein Fluttershy Makes a Salad // Story: Straight Answers // by Rebonack //------------------------------// Impossible. It's a strange word, impossible. A word implying that which can not and must not be. A word that rigidly defines the edges of reality. A word that so colors our perception of the world around us. And yet, it takes but one strange happening to turn impossible upon its head. Because after all, if it happens it isn't impossible, now is it? If it happens it isn't impossible any longer. Instead it is strange, weird, whimsical, peculiar. An anomaly that often defies both description and explanation. But still it is. ~~~~~ “Now, come on Angel, time to eat your breakfast,” Fluttershy said. She gently nudged the little bowl of mixed greens toward her oldest bunny friend. Angel could get very picky at times. He was just such a strong willed little bunny and Fluttershy loved him all the more for it. She had once tried to be just as assertive as Angel Bunny was, but it came off as rather mean. She even made some of her friends cry! It really was terrible. Angel's brand of assertiveness just wasn't for her. “Please? Just one little bite?” The white rabbit crossed his arms impetuously and gave his head a shake. He wasn't going to stand for it. But at least he hadn't upended the bowl on Fluttershy's head yet. That was something he did every now and again. Often breakfast came to Angel last. If Fluttershy attended to him first it would take far too much time and her other animal friends would start to get a little cranky. And Fluttershy never did know what the little rabbit would want. His desires changed from day to day and they were always so... complicated. Today he wanted a salad with tangerine slices and raspberry vinaigrette. All Fluttershy had were naval oranges and those weren't doing the trick. The little rabbit held up a placard with a picture of his desired salad on it and gave his head another obstinate shake. Angel Bunny really wasn't much like Fluttershy's other animal friends. All the other animals were always happy to listen to Fluttershy's kind, polite requests. They were pleased to be around her and pleased to obey her. After all, they knew that she had their best interests at heart. The animals would talk to her, too. And she could talk to them in kind. It wasn't quite like talking with ponies. More like... it was more like she knew their hearts. Their intent. It was as easy to read as the weather to any other pegasus. But Angel Bunny... He had to communicate with gestures and props and pictures. Fluttershy occasionally thought that she understood him, but just as often she was wrong. Angel was a mystery to her. A wonderful, fluffy white mystery that she loved unconditionally. The rabbit gave the salad Fluttershy had worked so hard on a vicious kick, sending it tumbling through the air. As it so often did, the bowl ended its flight upside down atop Fluttershy's head. She couldn't help but give a small sigh. Yes, she loved Angel unconditionally. Even when he was misbehaving. “Oh Angel, what am I do to with you?” Fluttershy asked. The rabbit pointed at his placard again. Fluttershy really wasn't sure where Angel got the cards from. With another sigh she began gathering up the spilled salad. If nothing else she could eat it herself, though not before getting something for Angel. It just wasn't right to have her breakfast before her animal friends all had full tummies. There came a knock at the door. That was a surprise. Fluttershy wasn't expecting any guests today, after all. A few years ago she probably would have gotten all flustered and surprised and dropped the salad again. It would have been a little embarrassing and resulted in her feeling self-conscious about answering the door. But now? Now her friends had lent her a bit of their strength. She might still be jumpier than the average pony, but her friends had really helped to coax her out of her shell. For that, Fluttershy was grateful. She carefully set the salad atop the coffee table and trotted over to the door. “Hello? Who's there?” “It's me Fluttershy. Can we talk?” came a familiar voice from the other side. Fluttershy smiled and opened the door. “Oh, hello Twilight. I wasn't expecting any company this morning. Would you like something to-” “No, that's fine. I had breakfast with Spike already,” Twilight replied tersely. Fluttershy recognized that tone. It was the sort of way Twilight talked when she had something on her mind. Twilight often had things on her mind, things Fluttershy really had no context for. Things about magic and astronomy and history. When Fluttershy thought it was usually quiet reflection. She imagined Twilight's mind was a much busier place. “Like I said, I was hoping I could talk to you,” Twilight voice dropped to a hush and she glanced about the room. “It's about Pinkie Pie.” Out of the corner of her eye Fluttershy noticed Angel Bunny perk up. “Oh dear... Is Pinkie Pie alright? She isn't... she's not feeling sad again, is she?” Fluttershy asked. The thought of Pinkie being sad gave her inklings of sorrow and nervousness alike. Sorrow because Fluttershy hated seeing anyone hurting, physically or emotionally. And nervousness because Pinkie got... strange... when she was sad. Or stranger, at least. “No, it isn't anything like that. I'm doing some research into how Pinkie Pie is all Pinkie Pie,” Twilight clarified. Fluttershy gave a small murmuring meep. Visions of fleeing animals and fire and banana custard swam before her eyes. “Fluttershy, I promise there won't be a repeat of the Banana Bread Incident. That isn't going to happen again,” Twilight reassured her. That made Fluttershy feel a little bit better. “Besides, I don't have any experimentation planned. Just research this time.” “That's... nice...” Fluttershy replied uncertainly. She trusted her friends. She trusted Twilight. But sometimes Twilight got a little bit too intense... “Now, I've been investigating some more exotic explanations for Pinkie's abilities and Spike mentioned the idea of Pinkie being a ghost. This isn't the first time he's brought up the concept,” Twilight recounted. “And he said that he got the idea from you, Fluttershy. I was hoping you could tell me a bit more about it? Why do you think Pinkie might be a ghost?” Fluttershy averted her gaze to the floor and began playing with her mane. Twilight frowned. “If you don't want to talk about it that's okay, Fluttershy.” “N-no. It's fine,” Fluttershy muttered. “It was just a few days after you moved to Ponyville that I told Spike that. I really didn't know Pinkie Pie very well yet. Before we met you I... umm... I kind of...” Fluttershy's tone dropped to a inaudible murmur. She felt so embarrassed even saying it out loud. “What was that?” Twilight asked. “I couldn't quite hear you.” “...I didn't like Pinkie Pie...” Fluttershy admitted after coaxing some courage. “She was always so fast and loud, she used to scare me, Twilight. When I first met her she did impossible things and startled me a lot. Then she avoided me. After she appeared in my mirror I was sure she was a ghost.” Twilight shuddered at the mention of the 'mirror trick'. Fluttershy joined her. “But now that I know her better we're very good friends. How could such a nice pony be a ghost?” Fluttershy reasoned. Twilight seemed to consider that reply for a time. “Guess that's a dead-end then. Do you have any other ideas, Fluttershy? About Pinkie, I mean. What do you think she is?” Fluttershy replied without hesitation, a small smile creeping onto her face. “Pinkie is a true, true friend.” At that Twilight laughed. “You've got me there.” “Why do you want to know, Twilight? Did something happen?” “Well, Rainbow Dash stopped by to talk to me today,” Twilight recounted. “She was pale and shaking with fear. I hadn't ever seen Rainbow so afraid before. She told me that Pinkie had told her how she did all her weird impossible things. She wouldn't tell me what Pinkie had told her, not specifically. But she was obviously concerned.” There came a creak from the door as it was pushed open and Fluttershy spied Angel Bunny's cottony little tail for but a moment before the rabbit was gone. Huh. Maybe he had to go to the bathroom really fast? Fluttershy gave a little shrug and turned her attention back to Twilight. “Oh dear... Is Rainbow Dash alright?” “She's pretty badly shaken up, but I think she'll be fine,” Twilight assured her. “That's... good... I can't imagine Pinkie saying anything that would upset Rainbow Dash like that...” Fluttershy said. Old visions of ghosts and monsters dominated her mind for but a moment before she dismissed them. “Exactly. That's why I'm trying to figure this out,” Twilight explained. “If there's something potentially dangerous going on then I need to inform Princess Celestia.” “But... but Pinkie's our friend. She wouldn't ever do anything dangerous, would she?” Fluttershy objected. “Probably not intentionally. But still... Come on Fluttershy, any ideas that you have would be helpful.” Fluttershy gave a little sigh. There was one thing that came to mind. Her experience over the past few months had really crystallized it in her mind. Though... she hadn't ever brought it up to anypony. She didn't want to hurt Pinkie's feelings, after all. “Umm... well... I was just thinking...” Fluttershy began. “Yes?” Twilight asked eagerly. “What if... what if Pinkie is the same thing as Discord?” As soon as she uttered that aloud Fluttershy clamped her hooves over her mouth as if simply speaking those words might get her into trouble. “A draconequus?” Twilight mused aloud. “That would explain a few things. Altering their appearance certainly isn't beyond a draconequus' abilities. And they do use a lot of magic that would be flagrantly impossible for anypony else. And Pinkie can be pretty chaotic. Not Discord chaotic but...” Twilight gave her head a small shake. “Discord makes chaos to amuse himself. Discord is the only thing Discord cares about. Pinkie stirs things up too, but she does everything for everypony else. If anything, they're opposites.” “Oh, but Discord is getting better, Twilight,” Fluttershy assured her friend. “He really is. He's learning that there are ways to have fun without making somepony else sad or upset. Maybe Pinkie just learned that lesson already?” “Hmmm... And Discord did say that Laughter was his favorite Element,” Twilight muttered. “Ugh! That's another line of inquiry. Now I'll have to hunt for any historical records about draconequus. I think there were a few reported sightings during the classical period noted in Pony the Younger's writings, but the veracity of his works are questionable at best. I might have to request access to the Dream Valley Scrolls or maybe Wind Whistler's Codex.” “I hope this won't be too much trouble for you...” Fluttershy muttered apologetically. She really did hate being a bother to her friends. Twilight smiled reassuringly. “It's no trouble at all, Fluttershy. You've just given me a new idea that I probably wouldn't have considered otherwise. Pinkie's... unusual, sure. But a draconequus? It really isn't any more outlandish than she is. And I am doing my best to explore some more exotic explanations.” “Umm... Twilight? If you want to know so badly why don't you just ask Pinkie?” Fluttershy suggested. That seemed like an easy, simple solution to her. If Pinkie wanted to let her friends know then she would tell. If she didn't then she wouldn't. And all this prying did seem a little bit, well... a little bit rude. Fluttershy didn't like the idea of talking behind her friend's back. And Pinkie really was a true, true friend. “If she told Rainbow Dash why wouldn't she tell you?” There was a short intake of breath as Twilight readied a rebuttal, but no such rebuttal ever came. The pretty purple pony princess blinked, face-hoofed, and laughed. Fluttershy slowly tilted her head to the side, mildly confused over what Twilight could possibly find so funny. “I've been so caught up in trying to reason my way through our little 'Pinkie Mystery' that I didn't stop to consider the easy solution! Even if Pinkie won't give me any hints there's no harm in asking,” Twilight punctuated her reasoning with a little stomp. “Where better to learn than straight from the horse's mouth, right? Maybe there's even a good reason why I shouldn't be investigating this subject that Pinkie could share with me. I'm sure I would be able to set aside unfinished research for a friend.” Twilight's left ear twitched a few times. Fluttershy suspected that Twilight probably couldn't set aside unfinished research for a friend. Though, she would certainly try. Twilight was a good friend like that. “This has been an enlightening little chat, Fluttershy. You've given me quite a bit to think about! Assuming Pinkie decides to be cooperative I'll have this figured out in no time!” Twilight said as she trotted out the door. Fluttershy waved to her departed friend and gave a little sigh. Twilight was making a mountain out of a mole hill, she thought. And she knew mole hills quite well. After all, how else would she be able to deliver the worms to Mister Mole? But then again... the last time she and the girls had dismissed Twilight's worries things had gotten just a little bit... not nice... As silly as it might seem Fluttershy still felt bad about that. And that was in spite of Twilight already forgiving her! Little anxieties tended to linger in Fluttershy's mind for quite some time. She really did wish that she could just leave the past in the past instead of letting it weigh her down. A gurgle from her stomach reminded Fluttershy that she still hadn't fixed her breakfast. She had been so busy with her animal and pony friends that she had quite forgotten! But that was okay. This wasn't the first time she had a late breakfast. With a song in her heart and a spring in her step Fluttershy banished the troubling thoughts and began preparing a salad all her own. “Hiya, Flutters!” She was rather surprised to find Pinkie Pie inside her ice box. “Oh, umm... hello there Pinkie Pie,” she said. An ice box was a dangerous place for a pony to hide. Pinkie could have gotten stuck or ran out of air or frozen! And those were all terrible things. But, Fluttershy thought, those weren't things that would happen to Pinkie. Pinkie always seemed so aloof to common dangers. That's why Fluttershy used to think she was a ghost (among other reasons). Fluttershy smiled somewhat awkwardly while Pinkie hovered out of the ice box, the pink pony's hooves crusted in mud. There wasn't any mud in the ice box, thankfully. Fluttershy's gaze performed a migration between Pinkie and the floor below her several times, absently wondering when her friend was going to touch down. “How are you staying up in the air like that?” Fluttershy asked. She knew she probably wouldn't get a real answer to the question, but she was curious. Especially after her little chat with Twilight. Usually hovering in the air was pegasus magic, but that didn't seem to bother Pinkie at all. “Weeell that's a funny story! See, the Cutie Mark Crusaders thought that the whole world was a cartoon for some silly reason and so I decided to help them with experiments to find out if that was true! It mostly involved eating pies really fast and running in place and walking off high things without looking down and dropping an anvil on my head and -” Pinkie began rambling. Fluttershy nodded and smiled even though it was hard for her to follow Pinkie's train of thought. It was okay if she didn't understand everything since Pinkie loved talking; paying her friend the simple kindness of lending an ear to listen was something Fluttershy enjoyed. “-and then we painted tunnels on Applejack's barn and tried running through them but Applejack wasn't very happy about that since she likes her barn being red so I peeled all the paint off and tossed it on the ground so then there was a tunnel on the ground instead and I think one of the pigs fell in but that was okay since he fell back out again and knocked my over and I tripped in the mud and got all muddy and decided to come and see you but I didn't want to get your floor dirty!” Pinkie concluded. Fluttershy blinked. “So... you aren't landing because you don't want to get my floor muddy?” “Yep!” Pinkie confirmed. “Oh, well... thank you. That's very thoughtful, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. She was pretty sure Pinkie hadn't actually answered her question, but that was okay. Pinkie did that when she didn't want to talk about something. In a sudden surge of assertiveness Fluttershy decided to indulge her curiosity a bit. “Pinkie? Are you a draconequus like Discord?” “Not every balloon is a balloon animal,” Pinkie replied. “So... you are a draconequus, then? Just not like Discord?” Fluttershy prompted. It would be so nice if she could answer Twilight's question for her. Twilight would be so happy and proud that her friend figured it out all on her own. “If it floats like a balloon and bounces like a balloon and goes phbbbbbbtt! when the air comes out like a balloon, then it must be a balloon,” Pinkie said resolutely. “I knew it!” Fluttershy squeaked with glee, then flushed at how loud she was. “I should tell the girls. I'm sure they would want to know, especially Twilight. If, umm... if that's okay with you.” Pinkie wrinkled her nose. “Tell them what?” “That you're secretly a draconequus?” Pinkie held her hind hooves with her forehooves (which were inside white gloves with... fingers?) and begin to turn slow somersaults in the air, grinning all the while. “Huh? I thought we were talking about balloons.” “Pinkie, don't you think you would feel better if you got it off your chest?” Fluttershy said with a kind smile. Pinkie was avoiding the question again, but Fluttershy was sure she could coax an answer out of her with a little quiet patience. “You don't need to keep secrets from your friends.” “Hmm... maybe you're right, Flutters,” Pinkie said with a nod. Then she stuck one of her gloved hooves far deeper into the fur on her chest than strictly possible. Fluttershy was briefly worried that Pinkie was hurting herself, but when she pulled a certain tiny alligator out of her fluff Fluttershy heaved a sigh of relief. The reptile blinked his large, purple eyes absently. “Boy oh boy were you right, Flutters! Gummy was getting hot in there, I feel better already!” the pink pony giggled. “Pinkie... that doesn't make any sense,” Fluttershy said, smiling in spite of Pinkie's continued antics. Or perhaps because of them. “Make sense? Silly filly! What fun is there in making sense?” Pinkie retorted. That phrase... Fluttershy recognized it from somewhere, but she couldn't put a hoof on it... “Hey! I've got a great idea! Why don't I show you all the fun I had with the Crusaders?” “Twilight really did want to talk to you, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said. She wasn't going to let herself get swept away in Pinkie's enthusiasm. It was still really distracting, though. “Aaww... There's no fun in just giving Twilight the answers. But I guess I probably should talk with her before she fills the reservoir with banana custard again,” Pinkie reasoned. “Anywho! You can stay here and watch the show from Sweet Apple Acres.” “Umm... how will I do that, Pinkie?” Fluttershy asked. Had Pinkie recorded a film reel? She wouldn't be surprised if Pinkie had a motion picture camera hidden in her mane somewhere along with everything else. “Did you make a movie?” “Phbbbbbt! Nothing like that. I'll just have a flash-back. It'll be a snap!” Pinkie giggled. Before Fluttershy could object Pinkie snapped her fingers and the world turned white.