//------------------------------// // Loyalty // Story: Wings of Friendship // by DemonBrightSpirit //------------------------------// After leaving her cottage, Fluttershy made a beeline to go rent the hot air balloon for the two flightless pegasi. It wasn't a long trip to Cherry Berry's usual spot, but it was long enough for Fluttershy's thoughts to wander. Shortly after leaving her cabin, she realized that this wasn't just about watching the Wonderbolts. It was an opportunity to meet the celebrities. Fluttershy didn't care much for airshows or fame or anything like that, but the Wonderbolts were the only ones besides Rainbow Dash that had any inkling as to what was going on with Lightning Dust. Hay, they were probably the only ones who knew where Lightning Dust was. Her neighbors didn't know and Fluttershy was pretty sure that Rainbow Dash didn't even have that information. Fluttershy sighed. She wasn't even sure what she was after anymore. Whether it was revenge or justice that confronting Lightning Dust might offer, or the mystery of just what happened to Lightning Dust, or even something else entirely. There was only one thing Fluttershy was sure of: the only way she was going to get any answers was going to be through the Wonderbolts. The passes would grant their holder a perfect opportunity to talk to the costumed fliers, but Rainbow Dash was insistent on taking Scootaloo herself. Honestly, it was endearing and sweet. Rainbow Dash had no desire to see the Wonderbolts—not with her wing missing. She just wanted to make the filly happy. What did that make Fluttershy? Selfish? Mean? Cruel? She wanted nothing more than to steal one of those days of happiness away just for her own desires. Fluttershy hung her head. Maybe she would just have to abandon her hopes of talking to the Wonderbolts. Rainbow Dash didn't have as many answers, but wasn't she the thing that really mattered? Confronting Rainbow Dash wasn't something Fluttershy fancied at all. To do so, she would have to admit that she was guilty of eavesdropping by proxy. Honestly, in keeping all of this to herself, she had been lying to Rainbow each day since she had learned about Lightning Dust. What should I do? Long before she could come to a conclusion, Fluttershy found herself in front of the town's only hot air balloon. She sighed, willing away her inner-conflict as she set about her assigned task. "Excuse me, Cherry Berry." "Oh! Hey Fluttershy!" Cherry Berry greeted as she turned to the yellow pegasus. "I don't suppose you're here for business?" "Actually, I am. I would like to reserve your balloon for tomorrow, if it's not too much trouble," Fluttershy requested. Cherry Berry sucked air through her teeth as she rubbed her neck. "Sorry, no can do," she denied. "It's reserved all day tomorrow for an anniversary. It was booked weeks ago." "Oh, um, that's okay," Fluttershy mumbled as her ears drooped. "What about the day after?" Cherry Berry put her smile back on. "Of course! I'll put you on the schedule." "Actually, it's for Rainbow Dash. That's okay, right?" Cherry Berry's smile faltered a bit. "I-I heard about what happened. That's gotta be rough for a pegasus... I'll go ahead and reserve it. Would you like to pay for it now or at the time of services rendered?" Fluttershy looked to her bare sides as she realized that she had left her house without her saddlebags. "Um, I can have the bits later," she said, putting on an apologetic smile. "Sure thing," Cherry assured. "Need anything else?" "Well, we might need the balloon a few more times this week, actually," Fluttershy added. Cherry Berry nodded. "I'll see what I can do." "Thank you," Fluttershy said before turning and walking away. She heard some sort of parting from the balloonist, but paid it little mind. After all, now she had a new problem. A perfect excuse for going to the event in Rainbow Dash's stead had literally fallen right into her lap. All she had to do was go home and tell Rainbow that her ride was already reserved. There was nothing else to be done but to let her take Scootaloo in place of Dash. She got what she wanted and she had the perfect—legitimate—excuse, too. Of course, a true friend wouldn't give up at the first obstacle. She should go to every length to try to get Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo to Cloudsdale tomorrow. It wouldn't be too hard to ask her friends and look for an alternative route. Even if nothing panned out, she could have the peace of mind that she tried everything in her power to help her friend. If she left and went back to her house now, it would be as a dagger in Rainbow's back. What do I do? Back in the library, Applejack had gotten back to Twilight about the surrogate bone situation. "So, what you are telling me is that the strength of the wood is directly proportional to its weight?" Twilight recapped what she had just been told, making a few scribbles on a nearby scrap of parchment.. "Yup. In general, the stronger the wood, the heavier it is," Applejack affirmed. "In general," Twilight repeated the words with a little smile. She put the quill down and gave Applejack her full attention. "Does that mean that there is an exception to the rule?" Applejack retrieved a small object from her saddlebag and showed it to Twilight. "It might be nothin', but this here is my Pa's old pipe." Twilight observed the ordinary-looking pipe a moment before looking back to Applejack. "I take it that there is a story that goes with it?" "It's nothing too special, and I ain't even really sure how much of it's true, but, yeah, it's got a story," Applejack affirmed. "I'd love to hear it," Twilight said with a genuine smile. "Well, the story goes that when Big Mac was a colt. Yah see, he ran off to the Everfree Forest. Ma 'n' Pa went right after him, of course." Applejack let out a single laugh. Her smile lingered as she continued, "It took Ma all of ten minutes to find him. Pa, well, he got lost himself. According to him, deep within the forest, he found a big, mysterious tree. He pulled a branch off, hoping it might've been somethin' like the zapapples Granny found as a filly. Story goes that as soon as he pulled the branch off, a scary monster appeared and chased him right outta the forest." Twilight examined the pipe again. "I take it that this came from that branch?" "We took off all the twigs and tried to grow them, but none of the cuttings took. That just left the branch," Applejack explained. "It weren't much, so all Pa could think to do with it was to make that pipe. He was known to...embellish the truth, but, if what he said was true, that branch was as light as a feather and stronger 'n' steel." "If he went through the trouble to drag a branch all the way out of the Everfree Forest and tried to plant it, then there had to be something special about it, right?" Twilight suggested. "I just don't wanna get anypony's hopes up or lead everypony on a wild goose chase," Applejack interjected with a sigh. "Is there a way you can figure out if that pipe really is something special? Without hurtin' it none, I mean." Twilight nodded. "I'll look into it as best I can. And don't worry, no harm will come to it. I promise." "I trust yah, Twi," Applejack vowed. "Wouldn't'a brought that here if I didn't." Twilight blushed as a smile touched her lips. She cleared her throat in an attempt to cover her embarrassment, "W-well, mystery tree or no mystery tree, we need to get to work on Rainbow Dash's wing right away." Using her aura, she floated several items into Applejack's saddlebags. "Here are plaster representations of pegasus right-wing bones, books on wing structure and some of my own notes on some slight modifications that might help fashion the false muscle to the bones. Oh, and some bits to pay your cousin for the work," Twilight commented each item as it weighed down Applejack's saddlebags. "Now just wait a durn minute. I can't take yer money," Applejack protested, giving Twilight a stern glare. "Don't worry, it's part of what I requested from Princess Celestia," Twilight assured. Applejack cocked an eyebrow. "Let me get this straight, yah just ask for bits from the Princess 'n' she gives 'em to yah?" "What? Of course not," Twilight disavowed, shaking her head. "It's part of a research grant." "What?" "I've been corresponding with Princess Celestia about our progress. She wants me to publish everything once we get a working wing. I get to write a book!" Twilight pranced in place with a goofy grin on her face. Applejack frowned. "Let's not forget that this is for Dash!" Twilight's enthusiasm evaporated in an instant. "I know that," she affirmed, putting on her serious face. "But Princess Celestia wants me to do this, and I agree with her. Rainbow Dash isn't the only pegasus to ever lose a wing. If we succeed in restoring her wing, then the techniques and spells we learn along the way—they can be used by other ponies to help more pegasi like Rainbow Dash." "I get where yer comin' from, I really do," Applejack protested as she kept a glare on Twilight, "but this is about Rainbow. She comes first." "I haven't forgotten. But if I do everything right, we can help a lot of ponies once the dust settles." With a sigh, Applejack turned towards the door. "I guess I best be gettin' this stuff to my cousin," she muttered. "This isn't going to hinder my progress on Rainbow Dash's wing, Applejack," Twilight called after her. Applejack didn't reply as she marched out, closing the door behind her. A moment later, the door opened again, but it wasn't Applejack. "Fluttershy? Aren't you supposed to be helping Rarity? Is there a problem?" Twilight inquired. "Oh no!" Fluttershy demurely gasped. "I'll go help Rarity right away, b-but I need a favor from you, Twilight." "What do you need?" "Rainbow Dash wants to take Scootaloo to Cloudsdale tomorrow, but she just can't get there all on her own," Fluttershy explained. "Can you, I mean, would it be possible for you find a way to get her there?" Twilight smiled and nodded. "I'll see what I can do." "Thank you," Fluttershy replied, smiling in turn. "You should hurry over to Rarity's," Twilight suggested. "Oh, and remind Spike that I do still need him here. Tell him to come home once he's done helping Rarity with her cloth." "I will," Fluttershy said before turning and leaving. Twilight sighed as the door closed. What did I just agree to? she kicked herself. She had a ton of work to do still, and now she needed to find a ride for two flightless pegasi to Cloudsdale—not to mention Applejack's pipe that she now needed to research. It was going to be another very long night. By the time Fluttershy got back to her cottage, most of her animal friends were already fast asleep. As she crept inside, Rainbow Dash stirred a bit on her couch. After a moment of shuffling, Dash became still again. Fluttershy couldn't help but to sigh. All this chaos was starting to wear on her. A tiny, fuzzy series of impacts drew her attention down to Angel Bunny. Once Fluttershy's eyes fell on him, he rubbed his belly and pointed into his open maw. "Oh, you poor, little bunny," Fluttershy gently said, careful not to wake Dash. "You're starving, aren't you?" Angel Bunny replied with an emphatic nod. "Well then, let's get you a nice, big, juicy salad." Rainbow let out a sigh as Fluttershy's hoofsteps faded away. She'd heard the pegasus come in, but, being half asleep, she just tried to ignore her and get back to sleep. It didn't help that Fluttershy's voice floated into her ears just as she was on the verge of falling asleep. "Oh, my. You must have been very hungry." Again, a relative silence allowed Dash to very nearly fall asleep again, only to be interrupted by her host. At first, Rainbow ignored it as she drifted off, but hearing her own name made her ear flick and chased away her somnolence. "I just don't know what to do, Angel. I'm happy that Twilight was able to arrange a trip to Cloudsdale for Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo, but I really wish I could've had a chance to talk to the Wonderbolts," Fluttershy's voice echoed. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up again, "I know I shouldn't feel this way, Angel. I just hate not knowing what's going on with Lightning Dust." More silence. "You know as well as I do that Rainbow Dash doesn't want to talk about it." By this time, Rainbow Dash was sitting up and waiting eagerly for any more words to come from the other room. Instead of more of a one-sided conversation, hoofsteps started to sound. Instinctively, Rainbow laid back down and feigned sleep. The next thing she knew, she felt the covers move as they were gingerly drawn up to her shoulders. "I got you a trip to Cloudsdale tomorrow," Fluttershy whispered, not wanting to wake Dash. "I'm sure you and Scootaloo will have a wonderful time. Good night." Only once Fluttershy's steps faded up the stairs did Rainbow Dash dare to move. Snuggling into a more a comfortable position, she was plagued with all kinds of questions about what she had just heard. Fluttershy wanted to talk to the Wonderbolts? Just what did she know about Lightning Dust? What was Fluttershy saying about something she didn't want to talk about?