8 AM-
Fluttershy was sitting in a couch at the spa, reading a magazine while the morning sun peeked from the window, her usual “waiting for Rarity” routine that she had invented after many spa appointments she and Rarity had had. Usually it took Rarity from 10 to 15 minutes to get there and she had grown used to it, after all she did enjoy peaceful mornings and a good magazine.
After a while and just on time, 15 minutes late of course, Rarity appeared looking very distraught. Fluttershy was known with her friends as a good therapist and she was actually very good at reading others emotions it was just natural to her maybe it was because of her shyness and that she usually didn’t talk that much instead she observed and that skill came to be very useful when something was troubling one of her friends but she usually didn’t have to use it because her friends came to her first before she had the chance to use her talent. But this time it was different from the moment that Rarity arrived she knew something was very wrong.
“Amm.. Rarity are you alright?” Fluttershy asked concerned.
“Uhh.. oh of course dear” replied Rarity flinching a bit “It’s just that I have a lot of thing in my head right now that is all, thanks for worrying thought.
“Of course but you know if you need help or want to talk about it I am here for you okay?” Fluttershy said while walking to the massage table.
“Okay” Rarity said plainly. “Maybe I should talk about my concerns with Fluttershy after all she’s one of my best friends and she always has the best advices”. “Fluttershy, dear..” started Rarity as she made her way to the massage bed right next to her friends’ one.
“Ye-e-e-ss Ra-re-ee?” replied Fluttershy while one of the spa sisters was giving her a massage. “You see…” Rarity continued trying to select the correct words “I had a meeting with Miss Cheerilee today”.
“Oh-h-h my wh-y-y?” Fluttershy cut her off. “Well it wasn’t just with me, Rainbow and Applejack were also there”.
Fluttershy seemed to catch what she was saying and looked over to Rarity with concern “Oh my, what did the girls do?”
This of course surprised Rarity but then she remembered that Fluttershy was very close to the crusaders since all the commotion in the Everfree Forest, “No they didn’t do anything wrong, actually Cheerilee only told us marvelous things about them its just that there’s a little detail that concerned her”.
“Oh and what could that be?” asked Fluttershy sweetly. Rarity sighed and responded “She was telling us about the presentation that each pony has to do the day of the graduation, and how she was concerned for the girls because the presentation had to be about the talent of each pony” Rarity noticed how Fluttershy’s eyes widened following Rarity as she talked “And well you can probably figure out the rest” finished Rarity.
Rarity noticed Fluttershy looking ate her blinky and she sighed and looked away once more with a pensive face, "Even she doesn't know what to do..."
Fluttershy was at loss of words she wanted to help but how could she help she knew for a fact that each pony has to learn what their talents are by themselves, other can help of course but it is up to every pony to finally fully understand what they are passionate about. She also knew Rarity and anyone that knows Rarity knows that she is an excellent plan maker, heck not everypony was able to make their own bussines from nothing and manage it without any help that was something that she respected Rarity for and not only her but all of her friends thought the same thing. So what could she do? The only thing that she could do was be there for her, give her support and help her with whatever plan she came up with, if she needed it of course.
The rest of the spa session went on without much talking just some little chit-chat here and there about the treatments but nothing more.
It was already past noon when they left the spa neither of them feeling more relaxed at all. “Well my dear it was as always a pleasure to spend a morning with you, thanks for coming with me Fluttershy, but I have to get back to work, see you later?” Rarity finally broke the silence.
“Oh okay, don’t mention it I always have fun with you” Fluttershy flinched a bit, “Almost always anyway…”. Rarity started to leave but Fluttershy couldn’t let her go she simply couldn’t what kind of friend would she be if she didn’t offer her help or try to comfort her?.
“Rarity wait” said Fluttershy with her voice a little high pitched catching Rarity’s attention. She saw her and immediately felt worried and hided her face with her mane “If it isn’t a problem that is” she finished.
Rarity chuckled, this was so Fluttershy it was something that she liked about her she was very shy and that usually made her act like this, “Not a problem dear” she stated while moving Fluttershy’s mane from her face “What’s the matter darling? Need any help with something?” she asked kindly.
“No no, I’m okay its just… you see… I-I was wondering… if it was okay with you of course… that… maybe I-I… umm… if you needed… only I you needed… am not saying you aren’t capable! I would never do that! Oh I’m sorry I didn’t want to insult you! Please don’t be mad at me!” Fluttershy cried and fell to the ground shivering.
Rarity stood there perplexed and then just smiled, oh Fluttershy… “Dear, don’t worry you didn’t insult me at all!” she assured “You don’t have to be nervous about telling me something, we are friends and friends hear each other, so tell me I won’t get mad” she chuckled.
Fluttershy looked up, her eyes looked like she was about to cry, *sniff* “Promise?” Fluttershy asked.“Promise” Rarity assured with a smile.“Pinkie Promise?” Fluttershy stood up. Rarity rolled her eyes and started making the classic movements “Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye”.
Fluttershy sighed and with all of her power of will she spoke “Well, it’s just that I noticed that something has been bothering you” she could tell that she was spot on by the flinch that Rarity made “so I wanted to know if you needed any help or if I could do anything for you”.
Rarity turned a little bit and dropped her gaze to the floor as if it was a ruby or something and she stood like that for what could be at least a minute making up her mind in whatever she should talk to her dear friend or not. She thought deep about it until she broke the silence, “Why don’t you come with me and I will explain everything to you in the boutique, okay?”
Fluttershy nodded “Okay” and they started walking towards the boutique”.
They arrived at the Carousel Boutique and took a sit on the couch.
Rarity started “Fluttershy dear, you really don’t have to do this I, I mean—“
“I know” Fluttershy said sternly “But I AM your friend and I will help you”
Rarity smiled “Thanks dear”. So Rarity started telling her friend about everything, what Cheerilee had told her, the problem with the cutie marks and the presentation of talents and even the stories of her parents’ cutie marks.
With that last part something sparked in Fluttershy’s head “Rares you said your parents were always into the fine arts?”
“Why yes Fluttershy they still are” Rarity answered.
“And you are a fashion designer” Fluttershy pressed.
“Um yeah but I don’t get where are you going at” Rarity replied.
“Maybe Sweetie Belle’s talent is something related to arts, I mean I have heard her sing and she has a wonderful voice so maybe that is it or something else like dancing or painting“
“Fluttershy dear that is brilliant” Rarity said excited.
“Oh thanks” Fluttershy blushed “It wasn’t really that much”.
“Not that much?” Rarity said “It was more than… oh oh OH! IDEAAAAA!” Rarity exclaimed.
“Oh what is it?” Fluttershy Inquired.
Rarity smiled and stood up walking to the stairs “Dear Pack your stuff we’re going to Manehattan”.
7:50 AM-
Rainbow and Applejack had just given their farewells to Rarity who had left for her spa appointment with Fluttershy.
They were walking in silence side by side on way on Sweet Apple Acres, both of them were too immerse in their respective minds to say something.
They continued walking until the gate of Sweet Apple Acres came into view and a Rainbow yawned snapping Applejack out of her trance.
“Ya tired Rainbow?” asked Applejack with a smile.
“You bettcha” responded Rainbow with another loud yawn “I never get up so early NEVER!” she stated while stretching a bit and flapping her wings.
Applejack rolled her eyes because of her friend’s statement “Well you can go and take a nap and—“she turned to see Rainbow Dash but discovered that she wasn’t with her anymore. She frowned and sighed as she continued and thinking.
Rainbow had decided to take a nap due to her lack of sleep and the fact that she had woken up earlier than she used to. She decided that her house was a little too far away so instead she simply took a cloud and started to made a bed out of it, after years of practicing this art she had her bed in ten seconds and even in less time she had drove out of reality and started snoring.
“Ugh” Rainbow groaned as she tried to deflect the light that was assaulting her face. After a few minutes she accepted her defeat and decided get up. She opened her eyes slowly and stretched her joints “That was one of the greatest naps I’ve ev—“she was cut off when she realized that the sun was already setting as her eyes opened widely.
“WHAT?” she bolt out of her cloud and looked over to the Ponyville clock tower, her fears became real when she saw the clock reading *6:57 PM*, yep it is already sundown.
She stood there motionless and mouth agape for a brief moment and then dashed off to Ponyville’s animal shelter and home of one of her closest friend.
Twilight was reading a new book that Princess Celestia had send and had just arrived she was so hyped at first when the princess wrote to her telling her that she would send a book. At first she tought it would be about magic or friendship or strange creatures or even history, anything else than what she was actually reading a… botanical book… yes… a book about plants. She didn’t understand why the princess would send her a book like this but she knew that Celestia was wise and always did things for a reason, although she had to admit that her princess could be a prankster or a troll as Rainbow called it from time to time.
She didn’t bothered on the reasons of why the book was sent to her instead she simply started reading and taking notes as if she was studying for an exam. Eventually she heard something that startled her but she shrugged it off.
“Oh why do I have to be always so immersed in books to the point to not foresee something like this?” she thought as she felt another body slam into her and send her falling to the ground.
“Arghh” was everything Twilight could say as she stood up searching for the thing that slammed into her. She found what she was searching a rainbow mane Pegasus with a sky colored coat looking at her with a smirk in her face “RAINBOW WHAT THE HAY? What’s wrong with you?” Twilight shouted at her friend.
Rainbow couldn’t hold it back anymore and started laughing very hard and fell to the ground “HAHAHA, oh.. oh.. oh.. that was so much, you should have seen your face” Twilight simply muttered under her breath and started organizing everything her tomboy-ish friend had thrown away with her little ‘entrance stunt’.
Finally Rainbow finished laughing and stood up wiping a tear from her eye “So-sorry Twi, I was in such a rush that—OH RIGHT!” Rainbow yelled startling Twilight who watch her with concern, just when she was about to say something her friend rushed toward her and pined her to the ground “TWILIGHT! Do you know where is Fluttershy?” asked Rainbow, Twilight simply shot a glare to her friend and spoke coldly “Yes. Get off me”.
“Heh heh right sorry about that too” said Rainbow as she helped her friend from the ground “but do you know?”
Twilight sighed “Yes Rainbow I know but please calm down”. Rainbow obeyed her friend and sat down “She came here earlier asking me for a book that she could borrow for the train to Manehattan” Twilight finished her story just in time to see Rainbow about to fly off, “Rainbow wait! Where are you going?” Twilight asked as her friend took off.
“I need to talk to Pinkie” she said and disappeared in the same window she came in. “But Rainbow, Pinkie—“Twilight tried to reason but her friend was already gone she sighed and decided to continue her reading.
About 20 minutes later Twilight found herself hearing an unusual noise that she thought sounded familiar but she couldn’t place it. Just when she was about to shrug it off she reacted and moved from her place like a flash just in time to see a rainbow blur pass by inches from her “Huh those alicorn powers I had really made me more agile” she thought as she breathed in relief for the accident she just prevented.
She approached her friend who was lying in the floor all spread and asked with a mocking tone “Yes Rainbow, how can I help you?”
Rainbow Dash stood up looking a slight drowsed by the crash “Uh-huh” she managed to say as she tried to snap out of her confusion. When she finally recovered from her crash she went and grabbed Twilight by the shoulders and practically yelled “WHERE THE HECK IS EVERYBODY?”
Twilight couldn’t hold it anymore seeing how her friend was acting and she released a giggle “Rainbow that is was I was trying to tell you just before you bolted outside twenty minutes ago”.
“Oh right he he” Rainbow chuckled in embarrassment “Anyway what is it?”
Twilight rolled her eyes and sighed “Typical Rainbow”.
“Well you see…”
12:00 PM-
Applejack was lying next to an apple tree, relaxing after she had finished all her morning chores and had lunched with her family “Wow Granny Smith’s cooking can’t really get better” she thought as the gentle afternoon breeze stroke her mane.
Even though her usual work had kept her from thinking about what she was going to do about the current ‘Situation’ she still couldn’t shake off the fact that she really needed to do something but what could be done? She had told her little sister a bunch of times that a cutie mark appeared when the time was right… right?
But now she found herself not actually believing the advice that she had gave her sister all those times, was she right in all those times? Should she had done something?
She was starting to feel a little overwhelmed by thinking all this stuff maybe she needed to talk to someone. Yeah… she in fact needed to talk to someone… “Maybe Twilight can give me some advice” she thought “I’ll go visit her after my afternoon chores are done”.
With that she stood up and walked to the barn to continue her labors.
3:00 PM-
“Wow ah really did all my work in three hours?” Applejack thought while she trotted by Ponyville. Sure it had seemed that it had been more than that but apparently her being concerns about her sister made her feel like in another reality were time flowed way more slowly.
She arrived at the castle and knocked only to be greeted by the Princess of Friendship herself.
“Howdy Twi” she greeted her friend.
“Hi Applejack” Twilight smiled back “What brings you around town a Monday?” she asked knowing very well the Sweet Apple Acres schedule “Come in” she beckoned her friend to follow her.
“So Applejack what’s up?” asked Twilight breaking the silence that had been between them since she had poured the tea and they had sat down… and that was fifteen minutes ago.
Applejack sighed and looked down “It’s just that I am concerned about mah little sister and—“
“And you were wondering about her cutie mark, the Friday presentation and her talent am I right” Twilight cut her off.
This hit Applejack in a completely unexpected way, her jaw dropped and her eyes widened “How the hay do you know that? Don’t get me wrong Twi Ah know you are very intelligent but that was like something Pinkie would pull off”.
Twilight giggled “I know about it because Fluttershy was here earlier and she told me everything” Twilight explained “She told me that she and Rarity were going to Manehattan to do a bunch of stuff Rarity had planned to help Sweetie Belle get her cutie mark”.
Applejack continued to be in what could be described as a state of shock so Twilight continued. “She also told me about Applebloom and Scootaloo so I simply figured you were here for the same reason” Twilight said calmly “Speaking of which what has really surprised me is that Rainbow Dash hadn’t showed up around here” Twilight wondered and then laugh “Hah well in fact I get it I would be the last person Rainbow would try to ask for help! She probably would like to do ‘Awesome things’ with Scootaloo like tricks, stunts and stuff and my expertise wouldn’t actually match”.
“You mean that your egghead-ness wouldn’t actually match” said Pinkie Pie startling both of her friends.
“PINKIE?” Twilight shouted “When did you get here?”
“Well duh just about now and I was very intrigued on whatever you guys were talking about” Pinkie explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
“Uhh okay” said Applejack “So Twi, if ah get ya right, Rarity is going to take Sweetie Belle to Manehattan but what exactly is the purpose of that ah mean how is it going to help Sweetie with discovering her cutie mark?” Inquired Applejack.
“Well that’s actually simple” Twilight started “You see just like in your family Apples are conection between yourselves in Rarity’s family the ‘high arts’ are something that bond them together, Rarity is a designer, her mom is a stylist and her dad is a professional photographer but not quite in the same way as Photo Finish”.
“Ohhh and in my family that would be rocks… well except for me hehehe” Pinkie stated.
“Yes Pinkie exactly, so Rarity is going to take her sister to Manehattan to experience a lot of different fine arts to see if they can find her talent, though I already have an idea of what it is” Twilight chuckled “And Fluttershy is going to go with them and help taking in fact that she herself knows a lot of things in that specific area.
“OHHHHHH” Aplejack yelled frightening even Pinkie “THAT’S… simply brilliant, how couldn’t I think of it! It makes me feel so dumb” Applejack said.
“Yes it in fact was a very intelligent idea Fluttershy gave Rarity” said Twilight.
“And the change of scenery is going to help a lot to” exclaimed Pinkie Pie.
“So what ah have to do is try to connect Applebloom to the Apple Family roots but in a way that she can find her own path, right?” Applejack asked.
Twilight widened her eyes “Right… wow Applejack that was very deep”.
“Aww shucks, ah have mah moments” said Applejack.
“Oh oh!” exclaimed Pinkie “Why don’t you take her to Appleloosa you know where there are a lot of apples and apple trees”.
“Pinkie there are apples and apple trees in Sweet Apple Acres” groaned Twilight.
“Well duh I know that silly” said Pinkie “But I mean Big Mac and AJ found their cutie marks easily in there but that doesn’t mean is going to be the same for AB she might just need a change of scenery and as Applejack said her own path to her roots”.
Now it was Twilight and Applejack turn to be perplexed. Applejack spoke up “How did you—“ but before she could continue her pink friend cut her off “What I have my moments too” laughed Pinkie Pie.
“Well Pinkie ah’ll have to thank you that is exactly what I am going to do” Applejack thanked Pinkie and stood up and walked to the door “Thanks to you too Twi”.
“Not a problem” the lavender mare assured and waved she then turned to Pinkie to notice she was gone too. “Huh?... oh well back to that book Princes Celestia sent me”.
Applejack was returning back to Sweet Apple Acres already thinking about the train schedules and what she would do by time they arrived at Appleloosa.
“Applejack wait!” Pinkie called her. She was wearing her saddlebags and was sweating for apparently running or something.
Applejack turned to see her friend. “Pinkie Pie? What happened?”
“I-want- *gasp* to- *gasp* go-with you” Pinkie said between breaths. Applejack lift an eyebrow “Why?”, “Well that’s nice Pinkie but you don’t have to come” Applejack responded.
“Please Applejack I want to help you and I don’t want to be the one not going on a adventure, also I grew in a farm so I know a thing or two about the business”.
Applejack wasn’t going to even ask about what she meant with the only one without an adventure even though Twilight seemed like she was going to have a very normal week and Rainbow would probably stay in Ponyville with Scootaloo but whatever Pinkie was Pinkie “Ummm… well okay if you really want to” she said.
“Oh thanks a lot!” Pinkie hugged her friend “This is going to be so fun and I already have some songs we can sing for our journey”.
Applejack eyes widened “Oh boy…”
8:10 PM-
Twilight had just finished telling her friend the story of where Pinkie and Fluttershy were.
Rainbow groaned and fell on her back “Dang it” she said “I really needed some help, I had thought in taking Scootaloo to Cloudsdale and go to an Wonderbolts show or something like that where she could cheer up but I can’t exactly take a filly and some luggage to Cloudsdale by myself” she stood up again and grabbed Twilight “That’s why I needed Fluttershy to help me or Pinkie Pie to take us on the balloon”.
“Well Rainbow” Twilight started “I don’t exactly have a lot to do this week so maybe I can help you” Twilight smiled.
Rainbow looked at her friend with eyes full of hope and asked “Really?”
“Really” assured Twilight.
“Thanks Twi, maybe we will need an egghead on our trip” Rainbow grinned.
Twilight rolled her eyes “Oh and maybe we can go to the Cloudsdale museum or go and see some books at the library and look at the sky patterns in Cloudsdale! OH OH maybe—“Twilight started an exited rant about nerdy stuff while Rainbow’s eye twitched very violently.
And twitched.
And twitched.
And twitched.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO”