STRONGER:
by Einhander
II: LIES
Fluttershy bit her lip as she walked down the path towards Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity by her side. Her black veil shielded her face from any prying eyes as they walked through town, although she realized now that if she didn’t want ponies looking at her, she shouldn’t have worn her diamond butterfly brooch around her neck.
It didn’t help that Rarity was wearing a large black hat that demanded attention, complete with rainbow streaks on each side of the floppy brim. She had been filling the air with words ever since they met up to walk together. They were full of volume, but missing any of their usual music.
For most of their walk, Rarity had been going on and on about... something. But now, she had stopped. Fluttershy tensed. Silence usually meant an answer was needed.
"Um... Oh yes, Rarity."
Rarity blinked. "Yes what?"
Fluttershy folded. "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening."
Nodding with a small smile, Rarity said, "Not to worry, dear, I understand everypony deals with this awfulness in their own way. Personally, I find that talking about other things, pleasant things, makes all the sad leave me for awhile." She sighed. "Of course, there’s only so much small talk in the world. Forgive me?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "Nothing to be forgiven for, Rarity." She tried to smile. "What was your question?"
"There were several, but the most pressing to me is why little Scootaloo wasn't at the funeral."
Fluttershy's smile fell.
"Apple Bloom was there,and my sister of course. Practically everypony in town, even ponies I didn't recognize. But no Scootaloo. I thought they were cl— oh my!"
Fluttershy stumbled, body going limp. She would have fallen over had she not leaned in Rarity's direction. Magic flowed over her as Rarity tried to steady her, but what happened to her physically meant little to her in this moment. Rarity's words had already done the real damage.
"Oh my goodness. That poor little pegasus. Dash was her..." Sobs started coming. Rarity held her tight. "I didn't even think, I haven’t reached out, I haven’t done anything."
"There, there..." Rarity cooed, voice cracking as she wrapped her friend in a hug. "It's not your fault."
"But it is!" Fluttershy cried.
"No, darling!" Rarity held her tighter. "Celestia told us! That storm is to blame, the worst she's seen in decades. It's a miracle you survived."
Fluttershy wiped her tears and broke the hug. "It was no miracle." She shook off the magic and stood up straight, staring ahead. "I’m alive because she died."
"Yes…” Rarity hesitated. “But that was her choice. She give her life to save you, for love."
Fluttershy turned to her friend with a grim face and glassy eyes. "That's the point, Rarity. If I had loved her better, she wouldn't have had to." Rarity's mouth dropped open, but no words came out. "And if she didn't have to, then Scootaloo would still have her hero. And... well."
“But then those little, er, creatures. The ones staying with you now. They would have died in the storm, yes?”
A different kind of guilt flooded through Fluttershy. Of course, the beavers she had gone out to save. Had she not gone out in the storm they would have surely perished. On the other hoof, had she asked for Dash’s help and not told her to stay behind…
If Dash hadn’t become half metal, with that red eye staring at her, so alien and un-equine.
If instead she had looked at Dash’s other eye, her pony eye, pleading for forgiveness.
If, if, if.
“Oh my.” Rarity held out a hoof and looked up. “Do you feel that? I believe It’s starting to snow.”
Fluttershy stared up at the overcast sky. Gloomy atmosphere had evolved into a mild snow shower. The gray cloud cover seemed to have no end. She sighed. "Dash would have hated this."
Rarity frowned. “One does wait in vain hoping for a ray of Celestia’s light. Or at least some kind of silver lining.” She turned to Fluttershy, smiling faintly. “I agree it is a grim overture for what is supposed to be a happy event."
Fluttershy nodded. "She would have wanted something..."
"Twenty percent ‘cooler.’" Rarity finished.
It started small, a little giggle on Fluttershy’s part. Rarity joined in with a snicker. Fluttershy kept giggling, until it broke into actual laughter. Rarity was snorting in-between guffaws, and Fluttershy leaned on her for support, laughing so hard she was crying. Then she realized she was just crying.
Rarity hugged her again, and eventually the crying stopped. A silence lingered.
Fluttershy said, “I don’t want to go to this wake, Rarity.”
Rarity sniffed. “We have to go. Applejack and Pinkie have been working very hard. They need this. And Twilight asked for it to be moved so she could attend. The five of us, together.”
“But they don’t need me, do they? I don’t like, um, hard cider anyway.”
Lines of frustration started to form on Rarity’s face. “No pony is saying you have to partake in the Apple Family bacchanal, but come now. It’s a celebration of Rainbow’s life. You don’t want to be there?”
“Angel is sick, I should be with him. And, you can go for me. Say I’m sick. Say I’m still too sad.” Fluttershy looked away. “It’s not really a lie.”
And oh, how she wanted Rarity to say, You’re right, you don’t have to. Stay home, rest. I’ll go on for you.
Instead she said, “Darling, I must insist. You need this. We all need this. You’ve been staying in your house day after day. It’s not healthy. You can’t just keep waiting—”
Rarity caught herself, but not in time. Fluttershy blinked. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Fluttershy frowned. “Waiting for what?”
Rarity sighed. “Waiting for her to come home.“
Fluttershy stared at her friend for what seemed like a very long time. Then she walked on without another word.
"You’re sure don’t remember anything else?”
They had been walking on the path towards town, Twilight gently but persistently peppering her with questions along the way. Fluttershy had answered each one with a minimum of words, staring ahead and not looking anypony. Finally, she turned towards Twilight to look her in the eye and say, no, I don’t remember anything else, I would have told you if I did, and stopped.
For the first time, she noticed signs of age on her friend. Not actual lines or wrinkles, not on an alicorn. But her eyes seemed dimmer, more used to disappointing sights. Her mane, which had begun to shine since her ascension, now had a tinge of gray. Maybe it was the snow still falling on her dual-colored hair, maybe not.
She wanted to reach out and hug her. Tell her it was going to be okay. Give her that kindness in her heart, the kindness that usually flowed out of her like a waterfall.
The older guard growled. "The Princess has asked you a question, citizen."
She remembered they weren’t alone, and the waterfall ran dry. She stopped walking, held her head up high, and answered the question as formally as possible.
"That’s all I remember. We didn’t speak again until the wake." She stared up at the sky. The gray from yesterday continued despite her harsh glare. “It’s all a blur after that.”
Twilight nodded. "And the wake was at Applejack's barn, right?"
"Yes... Although, like I said several times, I don't remember much of it."
Twilight paused. “Try, Fluttershy. It’s important.”
Fluttershy sighed and closed her eyes. "It’s fragments, nothing that makes much sense. I remember faces, though? Applejack. Pinkie. Rarity. Ms. Scratch was there, and that mean griffon. Oh, I forget his name but the Wonderbolt stallion who flew with..." Her throat refused to let the name pass by her lips. She swallowed and opened her eyes. "Um, with her."
"Huh." Twilight frowned. "Nopony else? Scootaloo wasn't there?"
"I don't remember seeing her face. At least not inside the barn." Fluttershy blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "I also don't remember seeing you there, either."
"I know." Twilight coughed. "Royal business came up at the last minute."
Liar, the other voice hissed. No one else seemed to hear it, and her ears relaxed as her shoulders tensed.
They came upon a crossroads, and Twilight stopped, frowning. “So you must have seen her after the wake... It would be a good place to start..." Twilight looked to her left and then to her right, two different paths. She tapped her right hoof to her chin.
"Princess..." Sergeant Knocks rumbled to life, "If I may be so bold, Celestia did order us to return with the suspect immediately.”
The embers inside Fluttershy lit up as new life breathed into them. So she was a prisoner.
"Yes, but she also charged me with investigating the incident. Which means I should take Fluttershy to the barn and see if anything jogs her memory." Twilight closed her eyes and sighed heavily. "How am I supposed to follow two sets of contradictory orders?"
“You are our Princess, Princess.” Steady saluted with a painful earnestness. “Where you go, we follow.”
"Well then,” Twilight said with a weak smile, “Let’s go down this path." She pointed down the road to Sweet Apple Acres.
Fluttershy turned towards the way to Applejack's home. A dusty, well-trodden path lay in front of her, which would take her all the way up to the farm. She had travelled it many times, as recently as yesterday.
There was nothing worrisome or dangerous about the way to Applejack's farm. It was a twenty minute walk that was as familiar to her as the way home. Yet now...
Scenes from the Crystal Empire played in her mind. Memories of being chased through a winter wasteland. The howling wind bringing cold and the screams of a monster pony bent on vengeance. Running, running, running. Afraid to look back. Afraid to see if he was catching up...
She looked around at the grim guard ponies surrounding her, and the snow covering the carved path. In this company, under this steadily building blanket of cold, it all felt alien. Her wandering eyes crossed paths with caught the young guard's breastplate, frosted with snow and obscuring her reflection. For a brief moment she was thankful for the weather. She didn't know who was in the mirror staring at her, but she also knew she wasn't eager to see her again.
Fluttershy realized no one was speaking. The guards were glaring at her, and Twilight was looking at her expectantly. It was a familiar feeling. She relied on her usual reply.
"Um, I'm sorry, Twilight. What did you say?"
A quick jolt of annoyance ran across Twilight's face. "I said, will you come with us to Applejack's? Maybe it will jostle your memory a bit."
Fluttershy stared down the path again, this time with context. It still felt far away. "And if I don’t want to?"
"Princess Celestia is waiting to speak with you," Twilight said, biting her lip. She leaned in to Fluttershy's ear and whispered, "She's going to have questions, for both of us. I'd rather have answers before seeing her. Wouldn't you?"
Fluttershy frowned. "I don't want to see her at all. I was supposed to spend the day with my friend." She felt the embers again, although this time it wasn't a fire forced on her. It came from her heart and it choked her voice. "We were supposed to do silly things and not think about this for awhile."
"I know, and I'm sorry." Twilight’s smiles were getting thinner. "But I'm your friend, Fluttershy. At least we're spending time together?"
She stared at her friend. Her Princess. Her warden. She exhaled. "Okay, Twilight."
"Excellent!" Twilight turned to the guards. “Gentlecolts, onward.”
They began heading down the path towards Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight nudged Fluttershy, smiling weakly. “I bet Applejack is hurting after last night, huh? How much cider did she have?”
“I told you, Twilight.” Fluttershy stared straight ahead, steel in her eyes. “I don’t remember.”
Steady shook his head as they entered the barn. "Goddesses… What happened here?"
Fluttershy looked around with wide eyes and chose her steps carefully. Some kind of party happened last night, that much was clear. There was a piano with disorganized sheet music and a stack of pink blankets on top of it. Cups and plates were scattered on the floor. What appeared to be cake residue lined the sides of the walls. And some point, things had escalated beyond cake and punch. The barn reeked of spilled cider. Windows were shattered, broken glass and cider jugs were everywhere, and streaks of red, green, yellow and orange paint covered the walls along with torn banners and streamers. In the middle of the room was a smashed lantern, lying on top of a broken table. A stack of barrels, some of them spilled open, were stacked in the corner. And while a healthy amount of snow was blowing in from outside, especially from the open window at the top of the barn, nothing could hide the confetti that was most likely now a permanent part of the wood floors.
Twilight shook her head. "The saying goes, 'there ain't no party like an Apple Family party, because an Apple Family party has cider.' Stand back, gentlecolts." She lit up her horn and used her magic to clear a path.
Glass shards began to float off the floor and stack themselves in the corners. Fluttershy backed up, trying to avoid the floating pieces.
“Fluttershy, does this refresh your memory at all?” Twilight asked.
She closed her eyes. The smell of spilled cider filled her senses.
Fluttershy looked around the barn slowly.
The barn had set it up for some kind of party, that much was certain. Besides the assembled ponies, there were tables, balloons, cupcakes, punch the game ‘pin the tail on the pony’ set up on the wall, a microphone in a stand hooked up to speakers, and rainbow colored banners everywhere. Hoof painted signs saying 'We'll miss you Rainbow!' and 'she never left Ponyville hanging!' adorned the walls. The only touch that seemed halfway appropriate was an old piano sitting against the one part of the wall that didn’t have multicolored decorations.
Rarity looked around, her muzzle visibly tense. “I’m not sure if I’m at Rainbow’s wake or her birthday party.”
Fluttershy nodded It felt... wrong.
A gruff voice behind them barked, "What kind of bucked up wake is this?"
They turned, they gasped. She was older than when Fluttershy had last seen her, more gray feathers and scrawnier limbs poking through an ill fitting vest. But her face was as mean as ever.
"You lame-o's had like, one job to do." Gilda the Griffon, sniffed, brushing by them and looking around the square barn interior. "Figures. You all ruin Dash, then you ruin her last goodbye."
"Pinkie Pie worked very hard on this party, including the invitations..." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Which I am sure you did not receive."
Gilda gave Rarity a hateful glance and and lifted her claw. Fluttershy whimpered, expecting a blow or a scream. Instead, Gilda produced a black card from her vest, which was looking increasingly familiar. The card had the words 'For Dash' written on the front in white script.
"That... That could be anypony's invitation!" Rarity pointed an accusing hoof at her. "How do we know you didn't—"
Without another moment of hesitation, Gilda opened the flap of the invitation and a small amount of confetti shot out of it. Then a recorded voice that vaguely sounded like Pinkie Pie sang, "Hey Gilda the Griffon! We'd be super grateful if you'd come honor the memory of our departed friend Rainbow Dash at her wake, this Friday at Sweet Apple Acres! Starts at eight, don't be late!" She shrugged, and placed the invitation back in her vest.
Rarity’s face met her hoof. "Well then, I suppose that’s settled.”
Fluttershy looked at the vest again. Where had she seen that design before?
Rarity continued, “Just behave yourself while you’re visiting our home, and we won’t have any trouble.”
“Visiting? Nah. I’m sticking around for a bit.” She showed off her vest. “Heard there was an opening with the weather team.”
Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. That’s how she knew the vest. It was the same pattern as Dash’s…
“No pony thought they were up to filling Dash’s hooves. And they were right.” Gilda turned to Fluttershy, and caught her gawking at the weather team vest. She stared Fluttershy up and down. “So. You’re the one, eh?”
Fluttershy blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“I heard about you, but I wanted to see for myself.” She narrowed her eyes. “I wanted to see you.”
Fluttershy nodded, and swallowed.
Gilda smirked. “And I wanted you to see me.”
“HAPPY WAKE!”
Pinkie bounced in haphazardly, knocking over a small table of blue and rainbow cupcakes. She didn't notice or didn't seem to care; she continued to bounce until she was standing in front of Fluttershy.
"Aren't you three super duper excited to be at this party?" Pinkie sang, jumping up and down. "I planned the whole thing, except for the location and the alcohol, that's Applejack. And the music, that's Vinyl. But otherwise it's all me! Games and dancing and food... Oh and somepony remind me, I've got cheese puffs cooking outside, they are her favorite. We're gonna have so much fun, right Rarity? Grindle?"
"It's Gilda," she growled.
Pinkie turned towards Fluttershy, oblivious to the growling griffon. "Right, Fluttershy?"
The decor was frustrating Fluttershy more and more by the minute. She turned towards her friend, harsh words boiling up into unpleasant mush in her mouth. However, even the mildest of reproaches died when she saw Pinkie's face. The smile was there, the exaggerated expressions. But none of the joy, replaced instead by manic energy.
"Don't you think Rainbow's gonna love it?" Pinkie stared at Fluttershy, eyes burning into her.
Fluttershy whimpered, looking to Rarity for help. She shrugged and gave Fluttershy an encouraging little hoof motion, which had the appearance of being helpful without solving anything. Fluttershy sighed. "It's... nice."
Pinkie looked from left to right, breathing quickly and tapping her hooves. "I can't wait until she gets here!"
Nopony knew what to say.
"It's a wake, you loser," Gilda said. "That's the whole point. She's never coming back."
"You don't know that!" Pinkie pointed a shaking hoof, her eyes serious as stone, "You don't know that."
"Yeah, I do. She died. There was a funeral." Gilda turned and glared at Fluttershy. "You were there."
"Yeah? Well I know that this isn't how the story ends! Dash doesn't just fly into a storm and disappear, silly filly!" The other ponies in the room were beginning to stare as Pinkie started trotting around the room, voice building in volume and speed. "She goes away for awhile, she waits. And then she comes back more awesome than ever! We all will be amazing together!" She was on top of the piano now, shouting. "What would she want us to do while she's gone? Be sad? Throw a sad party? No!" She pounded her hooves down. "No. Dash would want us to be happy, she'd want a happy wake, she was a happy pony!"
Pinkie sagged as her smile finally gave way to exhaustion, collapsing on top of the piano. Fluttershy ran over to her, her own sadness forgotten for the moment. She wanted to comfort her friend, her fellow pony in pain. But then Pinkie raised her head and caught Fluttershy's gaze.
"This is just a 'so long for now.' A seeya later, an after awhile, Rockodile." Pinkie's eyes searched hers. "Right? You know she's coming back, right?"
Fluttershy opened her mouth but nothing came out.
"Pinkie!" Rarity said, "Your cheese puffs!"
Instinct kicked in, and Pinkie abandoned the forces of gravity to gasp in the air before rushing out.
"All you ponies are crazy," Gilda said, before walking off with a huff.
Rarity paid Gilda no mind, instead frowning in Pinkie Pie’s direction. "I think I should go check up on her." She glanced at Fluttershy. "Will you be alright for a moment?"
Fluttershy nodded, looking around the room. "I'm fine, Rarity. Besides, Twilight should be..."
She turned back to see nothing: Rarity had gone.
She was alone.
A terrible noise broke through her reverie. It sounded like a lazy roar of a bored pig.
"What in the world...?" Twilight muttered. A quick review of the barn revealed no pigs.
"Princess?"
Twilight turned, and Fluttershy followed her gaze. A light blue pegasus stallion stood in the doorway, a blanket underneath his front arm. His jaw dropped in surprise, then quickly threw up a salute. The blanket dropped from his raised leg and onto the stain covered ground. His eyes shot downwards and he groaned.
"Ah, horseapples. Crud! I mean crud!" he yelped, kneeling to pick up the blanket, and blushing. "I'm sorry your highness, I meant crud."
Twilight smiled. "At ease, Mr. Soarin. I've heard worse. I've said worse. What's with the blanket?"
Fluttershy blinked from behind Twilight. Soarin. Yes, she recognized the name and the stallion from previous adventures with Dash. But there was something else, a tickle in her brain that felt like she was missing something...
"I came down this morning and when I heard this awful noise. I thought it might be a bear or something. But, uh… it wasn’t a bear."
He pointed at the piano. The roar came again, longer and more wet this time.
"Pinkie? Oh my, is that you?" Twilight asked. She pointed at the shivering pink form on top of the piano. “Was that for Pinkie?”
Soarin nodded, grimacing at the fabric in his hooves."It was, but that was before I dropped it in the muck."
"Dashie," muttered the sleeping Pinkie. "Tell the weather team to turn off the blizzard,"
"Let me see," Fluttershy said. She stepped forward and took the blanket from Soarin's hooves. After shaking it out and giving it the once over, she threw it over Pinkie's sleeping form with a nod. "Even if it's a little damp, better than nothing.”
She turned to find Soarin staring at her, slack jawed. A hot blush of embarrassment shot through her veins. "Did I do something wrong?”
“What? No, you’re cool. I'm just glad you’re alright. I mean, after that brawl last night."
Fluttershy swallowed. "Last night?"
He nodded slowly, concerned. "Don't you remember?"
She was alone.
Though it was packed with ponies, she stood by herself. Over there was the group of Wonderbolts, in the back, weather ponies with Gilda, to the side, Lyra and Bon Bon talking to Berry punch. And no sign of Twilight, or Applejack, and Pinkie and Rarity hadn't come back yet...
"Ms. Shy?"
Fluttershy turned. A light blue pegasus stood before her, wearing a smart uniform and a serious but warm expression. He had a shock of black mane and gave a salute before saying, "Soarin, at your service. 2nd class Wonderbolt."
"Oh. Um. Hello," said Fluttershy. She wasn't sure what else to say. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"Very sorry for your loss, ma'am. I had the honor of flying with your fiancée. She was, for real, one of the fastest and bravest trainees I had." A crack formed in his facade, and he looked away. "She’ll be missed. She already is."
Fluttershy nodded, again unarmed in the words department. A slight memory stirred, a moment with Dash before the subject of the Wonderbolts was a sore one. The name, the name... Oh!
"She mentioned you, Mr. Soarin. She had your picture on her wall, flying with you was a thrill for her." Fluttershy tried to smile. "Especially the first day she came home from practice."
Soarin grinned. "Oh? What did she say?"
Fluttershy shrugged. "It wasn't what she said, it was how she said it over and over."
"’Ohmigosh’, right?" He winked. "She said the same thing a billion times the day she got your engagement gift. She was so excited to ask, so worried about what you'd say, and..."
Tears were rolling down her face. She was holding back sounds, but just barely.
Soarin coughed and stood up straight. "Anyway, ma'am, the point is, we don't forget our own. We don't forget the ones they leave behind. If you need us, any service, no matter the size." He produced a card and held it out for her. She took it with a trembling hoof. "You call on us. You show this to any Wonderbolt. They'll know what it means." He paused. "Okay?"
She nodded, tears drying now.
Behind them, a scraggly voice said, ""But you're the DJ, and it was her favorite song. Play it, play 'Daring'!"
They both turned to see a cyan pegasus mare wearing a uniform similar to Soarin’s, standing in front of Vinyl Scratch with a furious expression.
Vinyl shook her head. "I'd love to, babe, it's a killer track. But I got orders from Applejack: no music till the cider comes..."
“That’s horseapples and you know it! Play the song!”
He frowned. “Lightning Dust...”
She held up a hoof. “Just a sec, Soarin.” Dust then slammed the hoof on Vinyl's table, slurring her words. "And another thing. When does the cider get here!?"
Vinyl sighed, politely but firmly removing the offending hoof off of table. "Believe me, if I knew, I'd have already told you, so you'd get off my case. Just have some punch until — "
“Punch?! What the buck is this?" Dust threw a cup of red liquid down on the ground. She was snarling, eyes furious. "Where's the booze?!"
He sighed. "I apologize, I should deal with this. It's been a rough few weeks." She nodded and he saluted. "I'm so sorry for your loss."
She nodded and watched him turn around and return to his group, quickly grabbing the errant pegasus by the ear and dragging her into a corner for some whispered (but loud) scolding.
Vinyl went back to her work.
"Um, excuse me..."
Vinyl looked up and over her sunglasses.
"Pardon me, but I believe that mare was mistaken..."
“About what, babe?”
Fluttershy looked away, embarrassed. "Rainbow Dash's favorite song isn't, well, wasn't 'Daring,' it's actually—"
"Evening, y'all."
The easygoing, smooth country voice made them all turn their heads. Applejack stood in the doorway with a box of mugs on her back. "Sorry ‘bout the delay, but we wanted to make sure the barrels we got were top shelf." Applejack trotted over and placed the box on a table. Behind her, Big Mac was dragging a cart filled with barrels.
"This is the best cider in the world," Applejack announced. "Not the stuff we make every year, although it's pretty dang good. Celestia knows we sell out fast enough." There were scattered chuckles. "No this is the aged cider, the good stuff. For special occasions.” She paused. “Even sad ones like this.”
Applejack nodded at her brother. He put a mug underneath the first barrel and hit the tap with his hoof. Sparkling, golden cider flowed out of the nozzle and collected in the mug. The room watched Mac fill it up to the top, bubbles popping and fizzing. He picked it up gently and offered it to Applejack, who took the cider and looked at it for a moment.
"The first glass is hers!" She held it up for all assembled to see, "And we leave it for her, to enjoy wherever..." Her voice cracked. "Wherever she is."
Fluttershy felt a familiar stab in her heart. She cast her eyes down as Applejack placed the mug on top of the piano.
The room was silent as the mug continued it's lonely fizzing. Applejack turned, eyes misty, and made her way back to the tap. "But this next one..." She climbed on top of the biggest barrel, and opened her hooves wide to the crowd. "The next few, in fact? That’s for us. The ponies who knew her best. Come up here, Pinkie. Rarity? You too.”
Fluttershy turned to see her Pinkie made her way to the front of the room, gently guided by Rarity. She hadn’t noticed them return. Then she realized that all eyes were on her, waiting expectantly. Panic started its slow climb up her nerves. She heard a voice calling her.
“Fluttershy, darlin’?” Applejack smiled, offering her free hoof. “It’s alright. Come on up. You belong with us.”
She accepted Applejack’s hoof, and found herself pulled on top of the barrels. Pinkie and Rarity supported her as she tried to find her footing. She kept her eyes on the ground or the pony next to her; she knew the rest of the room was watching her and did want to meet their gaze.
Applejack opened her mouth to speak when Pinkie whispered something in her ear. She lowered the mug and stared down the room slowly, squinting. Frowning and shaking her head, she muttered, “She knew damn well what time this started.“
Rarity nodded. “It’s time.”
“Big Mac?” Applejack said, and her brother handed her another mug. She held it up high with a triumphant gaze.
“To Rainbow Dash, the bravest, best competitor, best friend a pony could ask for!” She took a sip, took another sip, then passed it to Pinkie.
Pinkie was shaking, but held the mug as high as she could reach. “To Dashie, the best prankster, most awesome, laugh-loving pony you’d ever meet.” She gulped down a healthy amount, then passed it to Rarity.
Rarity held it high with her magic, her gaze directed past the mug and towards the stars. “To a champion of Equestria, the pony who saved my life on more than one occasion, the most loyal friend a pony could ask for… to Rainbow Dash.” Her sip was more dainty, but a fair amount of alcohol was gone when the glass made its way to Fluttershy.
Fluttershy stared at the mug, now only a third full. She knew what they wanted to hear. She knew it was time to say goodbyes, to make toasts and thank everypony for being supportive. She knew what she was supposed to do.
“To Rainbow Dash,” she said, draining the mug without another word.
Applejack smiled. “Now, anypony thirsty?” and waved at her brother who began to pour more mugs. There was a chorus of shouts as ponies stumbled over themselves to line up for the cider. Laughing, she gestured at Vinyl before hopping off to help her brother pour. The DJ nodded with a grin.
The music dropped.
The cider started flowing.
The wake had officially begun.
"Once I was a few ciders in, if I'm being honest... I don't remember much. But at some point you disappeared, Ms. Shy." Soarin adjusted the blanket around the still snoring Pinkie. "We were worried about you."
Twilight watched how carefully he was tucking in Pinkie. "We? You and Pinkie?"
He flinched like he'd been slapped. "What? No! No, we, uh, just found her like this morning. I thought I'd get her a blanket."
Fluttershy glanced at her reflection in Steady's faceplate. The other 'her' nodded. Truth, mostly. Still, something bothered her. "Mr. Soarin, why are you here so early in the morning?" she asked.
"Uh, that is, we — you see — "
She watched him stammer, and felt an unusual sense of calm. "You keep saying 'we.' 'We' who? If you didn't spend the night with Pinkie, who did you spend the night with?"
Soarin's face lost whatever color it had, and although his mouth was opening and closing no words came out.
"Fluttershy! I'm surprised at you!" Twilight said.
Fluttershy looked at Twilight evenly. "I'm surprising myself today, Twilight." She turned back to the stallion. "Well, Mr. Soarin?"
"A g-gentlecolt never — "
"Soarin, hon?"
They all turned. The barn doors opened and a sleepy Applejack poked her head in. "I'm making breakfast and some Apple Family hangover cure. Do you want — "
She blinked at the small sea of faces staring at her.
"Twilight? Fluttershy? What are you two doin’ here?"
"I didn't tell them anything!" Soarin blurted out.
Four sets of eyes ping-ponged back and forth between the pegasus and the earth pony.
Applejack sighed and gave him a weary look. "I think you just did, sugarcube."