The pony trio made their way onto the train together and promptly chose their seats. Rainbow Dash was the first to take her seat, and across from her, Fluttershy and Rarity took their own.
The fiasco with the conductor was still on the forefront Rarity's mind, and now that they were settled in, she was quick to let Rainbow Dash know. “Rainbow Dash, I can’t believe you would almost ruin this trip for Fluttershy!” Rarity crossed her forelegs and raised her chin at Rainbow in contempt.
“Hey! It wasn’t my fault!” Rainbow Dash shot back instinctively.
“Oh, I doubt that!” Rarity spat, jerking her head back down to glare at the object of her reprimand with narrowed eyes. “But, I'm all ears, darling. I'd love to know how you, yet again, aren't responsible for your consequences of your actions.”
The only reply Rarity received was a scoff from Rainbow Dash who, despite her best efforts, couldn't think of an excuse to shift the blame away from herself. Most times she could come up with something to blame it on, but this time it really had been entirely her fault she had been late.
“Um... Girls…?”
Rarity continued her scolding. “Go on, tell me, what's your excuse this time? That it was Fluttershy’s fault that you were so late?”
“Girls...”
Rainbow wasn’t hugely invested in defending herself since she was, in fact, quite clearly in the wrong, but she also wasn't one for just sitting back while being berated, or doing the unthinkable and apologizing. “Well... I did have to fly slower so Fluttershy could keep up with me.”
“Oh, and I assume you would have been right on schedule if Fluttershy hadn't gone to get you? Pardon me in saying this, but that doesn't sound anything like the Rainbow Dash that I know. How is it, dear, that you're the fastest flier in Equestria, but still unable get anywhere on—”
“GIRLS! Stop!” Fluttershy scowled back and forth between both ponies. “Is that how you want to spend this trip? Bickering and angry with each other the whole time? Or do you want to enjoy yourselves and appreciate the time we’re going to be spending together?” Fluttershy said, her tone softening near the end.
Fluttershy looked back and forth between the two other mares waiting for one of them to respond. Rainbow Dash chose not to. She had a guilty look about her but otherwise refused to admit to any wrong-doing, instead choosing to reposition herself so that she was lying down across the bench with her hooves behind her head. Rarity had the same look about her, but unlike Rainbow Dash, she chose to apologise. “I suppose you have a point there, Fluttershy. That whole incident on the train platform has me rather high-strung at the moment, but that doesn't excuse the way I lashed out... Forgive me?”
“I forgive you, but what I really want is for you two to apologize to each other. We’re stuck with each other for the next few days whether or not we get along.” Fluttershy shifted from speaking just to Rarity to both of her companions. “So as I said, you two need to apologise to each other, not me.”
“Very well,” Rarity began. “Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry. The way I acted was uncalled for, and in no way how one should talk to a friend. Can you find it in yourself to forgive me?” The tone Rarity spoke with was mostly sincere, but not entirely.
Rainbow Dash was lying on her back with her head facing the aisle and her hooves folded behind her head. She stared out the window on the far wall of the train, thinking about nothing in particular, watching as the scenery passed by outside, the landscape still familiar since the train hadn't yet traveled more than just a few yards from the station. It was the same terrain that they were greeted with when they took the train to Canterlot or the Crystal Empire. Evidently they were heading in the same direction.
“Rainbow Dash.” Rarity said, looking at the cyan pony expectantly.
Torn from her absent-mindedness, Rainbow Dash glanced over to the pony addressing her. “Yeah?”
“I apologized.” Rarity leaned forward, trying her hardest to maintain a friendly demeanor. “Is there anything you would like to say?”
“Apology accepted.” Rainbow Dash did her best to play it off as though she was genuinely oblivious. Hoping that, even if Rarity knew what she was doing, she would just give up and drop the subject anyway—but she didn’t.
“And…?” The waning of Rarity’s patience was apparent in her tone.
Rainbow Dash was well-acquainted with apologies due to her reckless personality, and if there was one thing that she had come to know about apologies, it was that she didn't like them. But more than that she had learned that she really didn't like to give them to Rarity.
It was always weird to Rainbow Dash just how inordinately unforgiving Rarity was to her. Especially over the small things. For whatever reason, Rarity didn't hold back when Rainbow Dash did something she disapproved of, and rarely did she accept her apologies. Which was somewhat annoying for Rainbow Dash, but mostly... it kind of hurt.
“And...?” Rarity repeated.
Rainbow Dash's opinion on apologies was that they were best compared to pulling teeth; not very fun generally, but less painful when done swiftly. She did her best to look Rarity in the eyes, then spoke. “And I’m sorry.”
“For what, exactly?”
Dash clenched her teeth. Rarity had to be kidding... "I'm sorry..." she continued as best she could, breathing slowly through her nose. “For being late.”
Rarity pressed on. “I'm sorry, darling, I'm not sure I know what you mean. Would you care to elaborate on that?” She did in fact intend to 'pull that card.'
Rainbow Dash cringed, then, with a sigh annoyance, got it over with. “For staying up all last night, even though I knew I needed to get up early, for going back to bed this morning like an idiot, for never being on time to anything, for avoiding responsibility when I screw up, for making you act like a crazy-pony then just laughing at you, and for every other little thing that I didn’t do right in your eyes that I can’t think of! Ugh, are you happy now!?” Rainbow Dash turned onto her side to face away from Rarity, crossing her hooves and letting out a huff. She was met with an eyeful of cushion which, all things considered, was a much less spectacular view than the one she had looking out the window, but infinitely better than having to see Rarity out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't exactly a comfortable position either, but she had already committed to giving Rarity the cold-shoulder, so she had no choice but to stick with it.
“Thank you, dear, and apology accepted.”
Rainbow Dash gave a huff then fell into an unfriendly silence which persisted for several painfully awkward moments until Rarity finally spoke up. “Do you think that maybe... I pushed her a little too much?” Rarity said, looking to Fluttershy. She could see that Fluttershy was trying to suppress a smile. “Why are you smiling? You should be upset right now,”
“It’s nothing.” Fluttershy turned away, hiding her face from Rarity.
“Tell me.”
“I really shouldn’t...”
“Tell me!” Rarity begged, prodding at Fluttershy's side with a hoof. “Pleeease!”
"I mean... I wouldn't want to—"
“Pleeeeeeease!”
“I-I...”
“Pleasepleasepleasepleeeeease—”
“Oh, alright.” Fluttershy relented. “It's just... when Rainbow gets all pouty like she is now, I just think it’s the most adorable thing in the world.”
Rainbow Dash clenched her teeth at the thought of being “adorable.” It was such a condescending word. It undermined everything she strived to be. And worst of all, it was totally uncool. “I am not adorable!” She shouted over her shoulder, then proceeded to glare even more intently at the cushion. Such a stupid shade of green.
“It reminds me of when we were fillies and Rainbow Dash would pout like this all the time,” Fluttershy said. “I used to call her Ms. Pouty-pants.” Rainbow Dash tried to hide her face as her cheeks flushed a bright shade of crimson. It was hardly a creative nickname, but it sure worked its intended purpose on her. “Isn’t that right Ms. Pouty-pants?”
“Whatever,” Rainbow Dash said, leaping up to open the window nearest to the three ponies. “I’m gonna... get some air.” She said, then leapt out the open window, taking to the skies.
The two remaining mares sat together in silence, staring at the spot where Rainbow Dash had just been, neither knowing quite how to react to the sudden exit.
The mild surprise quickly evaporated though as Rarity's lips curved upward into a grin and she shook her head from side to side. “Fluttershy?” she said. “Sometimes I’m astonished by the way you act around Rainbow Dash.”
“How so?” Fluttershy's eyes lingered for a moment longer on the open window, that is, until a new thought occurred to her and she shifted her attention fully to the mare beside her. “Did I do something I shouldn't have?” Fluttershy cowered behind her mane.
“I don't know if I would say it's wrong, but it's certainly different from what I've come to expect of you.”
“What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, still hiding within the security of her mane.
“I mean the way you were just teasing Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said. “I can’t imagine a single other living creature that you would tease. Come to think of it, I can’t imagine you teasing an inanimate object.”
Fluttershy thought about what Rarity had just said; it was definitely true. But why? Why did she act differently around Rainbow Dash? There must have been something about Rainbow Dash that made her act differently. Some aspect that was unique to Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash alone, because no other pony could make Fluttershy behave as she did when she was around Rainbow Dash.
It couldn’t be that she was just closer with Rainbow Dash than she was with anypony else, could it? It seemed unlikely, considering that Rarity was a better friend than Rainbow in some—most ways, and she spent far more time with Rarity than Rainbow Dash. Although there had been a time when Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were the others' only friend, but that was a long time ago when they were just fillies. Maybe that had something to do with it, or maybe it had nothing to do with it at all, or maybe it was just Rainbow Dash's brashness rubbing off on her. Fluttershy didn't really agree with that last notion though. It didn't feel to her like it was just Rainbow Dash's personality rubbing off. It felt much more natural, like who she was around Rainbow Dash was her real self, and the pony that she was around anypony else was a mask that she wore to hide all the things that she didn't feel comfortable revealing to other ponies.
Fluttershy's thoughts continued uninterrupted for several more minutes, as she sat staring out the window. In the midst of Fluttershy's continued mulling, another (albeit completely unrelated) thought occurred to her.
“Rarity?” Fluttershy said. “I almost forgot to ask, what did you end up doing about Pinkie?”
Rarity was almost shocked to hear Fluttershy speak up. From the way Fluttershy had looked while she had sat there thinking, Rarity had half-expected her to not say another word for the rest of the train ride. “Oh, that? It was easy, really. Remember when Maud came to visit?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“I’m sure you don’t need me to remind you of how well that went,” Rarity said. “So, being the generous friend I am, I bought her a train ticket to her family's rock farm so that she could go see her sister. At first she didn't seem to want to go; she kept going on about not wanting to have too much fun without us, but I managed to talk her into it in the end.”
“She... she wasn't mad about not getting to go with us was she?”
“No, not as far as I could tell. If anything, she seemed happy to have the opportunity to visit to her sister without worrying about us missing her.” Rarity pulled Fluttershy in for a sideways hug. “You really do overestimate just how offended ponies will be by the things you do, dear. Especially from us, no less. We're your friends, Fluttershy, and we know that you would never try to hurt our feelings.”
Fluttershy leaned into the hug. “I guess I just worry so much that I forget that sometimes.”
“I imagine the way you seclude yourself from other ponies doesn't help with that either. If you spent more time around us, you wouldn't be able to forget that we're all your friends. And you could ask us for advice any time you need it.” Rarity looked Fluttershy in the eyes. “If anything, remember that second part. If you ever have something on your mind, you can come and talk to me about it. You don't have to wait for our weekly spa date either, just come over any time, day or night.”
“I'll remember that.”
“Good.” Rarity broke the contact between the two then shifted to a lighter topic of conversation. “So tell me, darling: how have your animal friends been holding up?”
Fluttershy noticeably perked and an appreciative smile formed on her lips in response to Rarity allowing her the opportunity to talk about her favourite subject.
• • ❖ • •
The train pushed onward. Passing through one tunnel, then a second on its way up a mountainside. Rainbow Dash was back inside the train, napping in what appeared to be a world-first of a sleeping position that involved having her forehead pressed against the seat cushion and her back legs in the air. Rarity had also, rather ungraciously, nodded off, while Fluttershy sat quietly reading a book on the destination of their voyage.
Just like everything else she had read on the Crystal Forest, the book talked in detail about the extensive folklore surrounding the forest, which really wasn't what Fluttershy was looking for. What she had been trying to find was something a little more scientific, a little more factual, but the authors seemed more interested in the fairy tales. Magical wisps, giant stone monsters, forests that had minds of their own, even a sea monster that preyed on boats that approached the island, they were interesting stories no doubt, but Fluttershy reasoned that most of it must be made up. The fact that, for hundreds of years, ponies hadn’t inhabited the island that the Crystal Forest resided on, and the disappearance of its pony residents being a complete mystery made the abundance of theories and camp-fire ghost-stories all of the more understandable.
Out the window, hanging on the mountainside high above the train, Fluttershy could see Equestria’s splendorous capital city approaching. The sun shone behind the tall, ornate towers, silhouetting them and illuminating the space in between, creating an absolutely stunning spectacle.
Fluttershy gently prodded the mare next to her. “Rarity... Rarity, wake up.”
“Huh?” Rarity blinked her eyes several times as she awoke. “What is it?”
“Sorry for waking you up, but I thought that you might want to see this. Look.”
Rarity's gaze followed the direction of Fluttershy's outstretched hoof to the window behind her. “Oh my! That's... breath-taking!”
“We're going to be getting off there in just a minute, so you should probably try to not fall asleep again. Unless you want to, that is... I wouldn't mind waking you up again if you do,” Fluttershy said.
“Wait, why are we stopping in Canterlot?”
“It's a surprise. I think you’ll enjoy it.” Fluttershy gave an enthusiastic grin. “I don't know about Rainbow Dash, but I think she'll like it too.”
The train continued onward up the mountain for a short while longer until arriving in Canterlot. Rarity was buzzing with excitement, and the fact that the train had gotten increasingly stuffier over time it had taken them to arrive in Canterlot only served to make Rarity even more eager to get off the train.
Rainbow Dash, on the other hand, had yet to wake up and realise that they were, in fact, in Canterlot.
Rarity grabbed for her things as Fluttershy woke their sleeping companion with the slightest of nudges. “Rainbow Dash, wake up. We’re here!” she said.
“Huh…? I must have really zonked out,” said Rainbow Dash as she discontorted herself out of her painful-looking sleeping position. “Or this place was a lot closer than you made it sound.”
Rainbow rubbed her eyes and stretched her wings, then peered out the window to see a vaguely familiar train station. “Hold on a second…”
“Canterlot, darling,” Rarity said. “And please, do fix your mane.”
Rainbow Dash looked up. Her mane was indeed a mess. She shook her head then ran a hoof over her mane a few times before calling it quits. It probably looked fine, and if it didn’t Rarity would take matters into her own hooves, no doubt.
There was an easy way to find out whether or not her appearance was passable. Rainbow Dash shot her signature cocky grin Rarity’s way, then raised an eyebrow as if to say: “How do I look?”
“No,” was all Rarity had to say in response. She levitated a comb out of her saddlebags which she was now wearing across her back and got to work. She brushed Rainbow Dash’s mane, making sure to be thorough without completely eroding Rainbow’s patience. “Aaand there. Your mane looks… as good as it usually does.” She worded her remark carefully to avoid insulting Rainbow Dash. It’s not as though Rainbow Dash was particularly concerned about looking pretty, but she was rather fond of initiating conflict at the first sign of confrontation. In fact, if Rainbow Dash were to ever make it into the history books for doing one thing better than anypony else, that thing would either be flying, or bickering. (some ponies also think that she makes an O.K. Element of Loyalty.) Rainbow Dash even had the gall to consider messing her mane up again as soon as Rarity had fixed it just to be difficult, (which she oh so loved to do,) but decided that it would probably be best if she didn't. Rarity probably deserved a bit of a break considering the way her morning had gone.
“Now,” Rarity added, gesturing toward the exit. “Shall we?”
• • ❖ • •
“Where exactly are we headed for this ‘surprise,’ Fluttershy,” Rarity questioned. She glanced from one store-front to the next as they walked down a street lined with small shops on each side. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful since it is here in Canterlot!” A wave of glee passed over her as she spoke the final word.
“It isn't far. I mean, it is on the other side of the city, but Canterlot isn't very big so it should only take us a few minutes.”
“Can we get lunch on the way?” Rainbow Dash interjected. “Or brunch or whatever? I didn't have time for breakfast.”
Fluttershy considered the request. They would have some time to kill if they went directly to their next stop. “Um... Sure, I guess. Where would you like to eat?”
“Where shall we eat indeed!” Rarity chimed in. “There a so many good choices. For starters—”
“I'm thinking Donut Joe’s,” Rainbow Dash interrupted.
Rarity stopped in her tracks, having trouble comprehending what she'd heard. “You can’t be serious,” she said flatly, the other mares stopping as well. “We’re in Canterlot, darling. You don’t eat at an old doughnut shop when you have all of this at the tip of your hooves.” Rarity motioned to the city around her with a hoof to emphasize her point. “Fluttershy, tell Rainbow that we’re going to eat somewhere a little more classy than Donut Joe’s.”
“Well, if you have something else in mind... maybe we could do that. Preferably something that we all agree on...” Fluttershy said, though she knew how unlikely it was that Rainbow Dash and Rarity would agree on something.
In no mood for foods with names she couldn't pronounce, Rainbow Dash did the one thing she knew would ensure Fluttershy's favour. She got down on the ground in front of Fluttershy and clasped her front hooves together, staring up into Fluttershy's eyes. “Please, 'Shy. Just this one time can we eat at Donut Joe’s?” She finished her plea by sticking out her bottom lip.
Fluttershy nervously looked from side to side, but no matter how hard she tried to avoid looking, she could still feel Rainbow Dash's begging. Especially the stuck out bottom lip. “Well… Okay.”
“Fluttershyyy” Rarity whined. She had chosen to not acknowledge that the reason Rainbow Dash hadn't had time for breakfast was entirely her own doing, but eating at such a low-quality establishment without voicing her objection? That she would not do.
“You can pick the restaurant next time, Rarity.” Fluttershy tried to ignore the fact that they probably wouldn't be visiting another restaurant on their trip as she continued on ahead, while Rarity scowled and muttered under her breath her doubts about the existence of a 'next time.'
Rainbow Dash trotted over to Rarity and threw a hoof over her shoulder playfully. “Yeah, Rarity. I get to chose where we eat now, and you can pick the restaurant when we're out in the middle of the wilderness”
“Two can play at your childish games, Rainbow, dear.” Rarity muttered.
Rainbow Dash made no attempt to contain her laughter at Rarity’s remark. “Oh yeah?”
Rarity raised her chin and looked away from the pony of which her scorn was directed. “You won’t be laughing when I get my way.”
“Oh, please…” Rainbow Dash lowered her voice to a near-whisper, and made sure that Fluttershy was far enough away that she wouldn’t hear what she said next. “I'd be willing to bet that if Fluttershy ever has to choose between the two of us, I'll always get my way.”
“And what makes you so certain of that?” Rarity said incredulously.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “I'm just super persuasive, I guess.”
“You know what? I've decided that I'd rather be the bigger mare, and not partake in your shenanigans.” Rarity trotted ahead to catch back up with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash’s hoof sliding off her back as she did so.
“You're just saying that to throw me off my game.” Rainbow Dash stood there for a moment then took to the air to catch up with Fluttershy as well.
• • ❖ • •
The stop at Donut Joe's was made swiftly, despite the shop-owner's tendency to chat for just a little too long for comfort, and the three were now back on the street, happily munching their doughnuts as they walked. There had been a brief moment before entering the shop when the thought of refusing to get anything at all had crossed Rarity's mind, but such petty obstinance was nothing if not unladylike, and Rarity was feeling rather embarrassed to have ever spawned the idea. True, she had had her reservations about the eating establishment—valid reservations, she might add—but in the end, the pastries were delicious, and Joe took pride in making the best doughnuts in Canterlot.
As the only one who knew where they were heading, Fluttershy lead the way to their way to their next destination. The abundance of storefronts soon gave way to well-maintained lawns embellished with stone statues and water features as the ponies made their way into a very prestigious residential area. With a little more walking the high-class neighborhood transitioned into apartments, which then further transitioned into the less-talked-about industrial district near the edge of the city.
As the three passed around the corner of an old building, so old-looking that the bricks that made up its walls appeared to have a sag to them, the sight of a dozen or so large floating airships came into view. Below the ships, under the massive, balloon-like envelopes, hung elaborate wooden gondolas, some adjoined directly to the envelope, and others suspended on ropes, allowing for open-air decks that mimicked the appearance of traditional sailing ships. The ships sizes varied widely from small vessels that required only a single pony to pilot, to massive commercial airships that could carry more than a hundred passengers. Several ships that were either just arriving, or beginning to leave, drifted about lazily over the edge of the city. Most however were moored to large spires, their gondolas hanging just over the edge with their doors equal in elevation to the ground so that, with the aid of a gangplank, ponies could board the ships.
Rarity gaped taking in the sight before her. “We aren't, are we...?”
“Mhmm.” Fluttershy pointed to one of the docked ships. A fairly large one with an attached gondola. “That one over there.”
“Oh, Fluttershy, This is wonderful! Airships are only the most classy way to travel! We'll be like the Canterlot elite!”
“Alright, I'll admit, the airships are pretty cool, but why didn’t we just take the train all the way there?” Rainbow Dash didn't want to sound ungrateful, but the airships did seem a bit over-the-top.
“There’s no way to get there by train,” Fluttershy stated. “The Crystal Forest is on an island in the middle of the ocean.”
“Okay, so why didn't we take a train to the ocean then a boat the rest of the way?”
“This way is a lot faster,” Fluttershy said, then added quietly, “and... I'm... afraid of the ocean.”
“Oh, Well...” Rainbow Dash looked away and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “I can't say that I disagree with you on that.”
“Wait... You're afraid of the ocean too?” Fluttershy asked disbelievingly.
“No! I'm not 'afraid' of the ocean. I just... don't like it...”
“Because it's scary?” Rarity said snidely.
“No, because... I just don't like.”
Rarity remained unconvinced. “Is it a pegasus thing to be afraid of large bodies of water?”
Rainbow Dash growled. She would have liked to have said something in defense, but found herself in absence of a retort.
“Um... How about we just go ahead and get on the ship.” Fluttershy suggested. “If you’re both ready, that is.”
Rarity would have preferred to have revelled in her argumental victory over Rainbow Dash for a little longer, but conceded anyway. “Certainly, Fluttershy. Lead the way.” she said, a residual smirk still on her face.
Lead the way. It was still foreign to Fluttershy, the concept of being in charge of other ponies, but she was beginning to grow accustomed to it. She was even beginning to like it. So, in an outward display of confidence, Fluttershy puffed out her chest and marched for the boarding-ramp of their airship.
At the ramp upon arriving there, was a brown-coated unicorn behind a wooden booth. He wore a pale, yellowish-brown vest under a fancy dark-brown coat. The vest was embellished with a subtle paisley pattern in a slightly lighter yellow-brown than the colour of the rest of the vest. Atop his head he wore a peaked-cap similar to that of a police or military officer's—He was quite obviously the ticket inspector.
After a short (and reluctant) conversation with the ticket inspector, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity were granted entrance to the ship. Upon boarding the ship, the three mares were immediately greeted by a doorpony wearing a black suit who proceeded to show them to their room. As they walked, he informed them of important information they would need to know for their stay, starting with the layout of the ship, then finishing with the estimated time of arrival.
“Provided that the weather conditions remain fair, it looks like we be arriving at your destination sometime just before sunrise. If you're interested, we can send somepony by half an hour prior to wake you.”
“Yes, that would be much appreciated,” Rarity said. “But, do make it a full hour prior, would you?”
“Certainly, madam. Is there anything else you will be needing?” The doorpony stopped in front of their room, unlocked the door, then gave Rainbow Dash the key.
“I think that will be all. Thank you,” Rarity replied.
“Then may I finish by saying, on behalf of the captain and the rest of the crew, that we are honoured to have affiliates of the ESPRC on board, and that we hope you have an enjoyable flight.” After giving a modest bow, the doorpony trotted off back the way they had come.
Rainbow Dash waited for the doorpony to round a corner before saying what she said next. “What a schmooze.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. “It's called being polite, Rainbow,” she chided.
“No, polite is saying 'thank you,' and 'please.' That whole 'it's an honour,' thing is complete horsefeathers. He's probably paid to act like that for everypony who comes through the door.”
Rainbow Dash put on her best posh-face then mimicked the doorpony's voice. “May I say on behalf of the princesses themselves that it is a very great honour to have somepony with such a purple mane on board,” she said, batting one of Rarity's curls with her hoof. “Complete. Horsefeathers,” she reiterated, resuming her normal voice.
Rarity let out a disparaging chuckle. “And who, pray tell, crowned you princess of politeness? Here you are claiming politeness is simply saying 'please' and 'thank you,' yet you don't even bother to do that most of the time. It would do you well to take some time to learn what real civility is.”
Rainbow Dash laughed. “Oh yeah? And why would I need to do that? What's in it for me to learn what 'real' civility is?”
“A spot on the Wonderbolts for starters...” Rarity mumbled, mostly to herself. The topic of 'what it takes to be a Wonderbolt' was something that she had wanted to bring up with Rainbow Dash for a while, but had avoided it, imagining that the response she would receive would be... arrogant... frustratingly so. It was true that Rarity wasn't a pegasus, and as such, Rainbow Dash would have had good reason to be doubtful of her, but for her to dismiss her entirely, in every regard, including those that don't require wings to be knowledgeable about? The thought of it alone was enough to make Rarity grind her teeth.
“What was that, Rarity?”
“Absolutely nothing, darling.” Rarity trotted past Rainbow Dash then pushed open the door to their room. The time would come when she would have that conversation with Rainbow Dash, but it was not this day.
Inside the room were two bunk beds, a nightstand, and a single circular window above the nightstand, as well as a few other furnishings. The wood of the furniture in the room matched that of the rest of the ship, a rich dark-brown, and all of the woodwork had an intricate, ornate, detailing to it.
Rarity was a bit disappointed to find that they had received a second-class room, but considering that the room was not only paid for by someone else, but that that someone else was actually a non-profit organization for the preservation or rare species, she could hardly complain.
“I call bottom-bunk!” Rainbow Dash shouted, trotting over and plopping down on the bottom-bunk on the right side of the room.
Rarity turned to look at Fluttershy. “You wouldn't mind if I took the other bottom-bunk would you?” she said. “Getting up and down from the top bunk would be a bit more of a challenge for me, considering my lack of wings.”
“Not at all.” Fluttershy lied. In truth, she would have preferred to not sleep so high off the ground, but she was more than happy to let Rarity and Rainbow Dash have their way.
Rarity levitated her bags up to the bunk above the one she would be sleeping on. “Here, let me have your bags, I''ll put them up out of the way,” she said, taking Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's bags before they could even respond and levitating up to the bunk above hers just as she had her own.
Suddenly the floor rumbled and the ship lurched forward as it set off on its journey. This caused everything that could creak to creak, and being a mostly wooden ship, that meant quite a lot of creaking. The dangly drawer handles clanged and jingled, and the floor panels moaned before falling back into silence, the only remaining sound being the faint, rhythmic, two-beat thunk of the steam engine providing the propulsion. The three ponies looked at the ship around them expectantly, waiting for something more to happen, but everything had seemingly returned to normal.
Rainbow Dash did a quick search for anything in the room with any entertainment value, but came up short. The room, as she saw it, was boring.
“So do either of you wanna see if there's anything to do on this ship?”
• • ❖ • •
“I'm assuming you'll be reading a Daring Do book?” Fluttershy said, turning the brass doorknob, then pushing open the door to their room.
After a mostly uneventful, and highly disappointing excursion throughout the ship, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash returned to the room, both intent on reading the books that they had brought with them. Rarity had stayed behind in a library they had found, claiming that inspiration had struck, and that she would need to be left alone while she drew up some sketches.
“Nope. I finished those a while ago now,” Rainbow Dash said as she threw herself onto her bunk then propped her head up onto onto one of her hooves. “When I first started reading them, there were so many that I didn't think I would ever read all of them, but, here I am. It kind of sucks not having any more Daring Do to read.”
“What did you bring to read then?” Fluttershy asked.
“It's a book that Twilight recommended to me. I'm not sure if I'll finish it. I just started it, but so far it's been pretty boring.”
“Mind if ask what it's called?”
“I think it's called The Saddle Arabian Assassin.” Rainbow Dash said. “It sounds cool but the author won't just get to the action! I don't need to no what the door knobs look like! I mean, come on!”
“Well I hope it turns out to be good.” Fluttershy said as she rummaged through her things to find the book she'd brought about the island they would soon be setting hoof on.
“Me too.” Rainbow Dash said. “So what are you going to be reading?”
Fluttershy found the book she had been searching for. “This book here.” She held it up so Rainbow Dash could see it. “I've only read the first few pages, but it turns out that ponies have pretty much forgotten about this Crystal Forest place completely, and the only information about the place is in old manuscripts written in a dead language. So the author mostly had to piece things together from second-hand accounts.”
Rainbow Dash squinted at the cover of the book. “What's with the title? It looks like gibberish to me.” She narrowed her eyes further as if she could will the words into making sense.
Fluttershy turned to book to look at the cover herself. “Oh, that's the name of the island that the Crystal Forest is on.” On the cover was an artists painted rendition of what the island looked like based on the accounts of those who had gotten close enough to see it, and on top of that in large letters were the words Lliannwn: The Lost Island. “I don't really know how to pronounce it so I just haven't been saying it.”
“Let me see it again.” Fluttershy decided to just pass the book to Rainbow Dash. “Lie... Luh-Lee-uh-n... Lee-an-nuh-wuh..." Rainbow Dash looked at the word as if it had learned to talk and called her a dirty name. "I see your point.” She opened the book then flipped through a few pages to see if there was anything of interest, but nothing caught her eye. Rainbow Dash handed Fluttershy back the book then got up off of her bed to find the book she'd be reading.
Rainbow Dash searched through her things until found her book then she plopped herself back down onto the bed. She scrunched up a pillow to rest her head on, and once she found herself in a reasonably comfortable position, she cracked open the book and began reading.
Seeing that Rainbow Dash was now occupied, Fluttershy did the same and began to delve into her own book. She sat with her back against the wall across from Rainbow Dash on the other bottom bunk, and began reading. The two sat there in silence for several hours concentrating intently on their books, Fluttershy determined to be as prepared as possible for their coming journey, and Rainbow Dash immersed into the fictitious universe of The Saddle Arabian Assassin. Occasionally Rainbow Dash would snicker at a funny part or mumble “Wow!” to herself if something particularly impressive happened, (the latter of which Fluttershy found to be remarkably cute sheerly because of the unadulterated enthusiasm involved,) but for the most part, neither pony said anything. Until that is, Rainbow Dash got to the twist midway through the book.
“Oh my gosh, are you kidding me!? Ha! This is great!” She laid the book down for a moment, simply reveling in the glory of the turn of events. “I bet you wish you hadn't chucked that pendant into the river now, Princess. Have fun going back for it!”
“I'm guessing Twilight was right to recommend that book to you?” Fluttershy said, momentarily looking up from her own book.
Rainbow Dash responded without taking her eyes off of hers. “Yeah. And I guess this means I'll never have to read a bad book. I'll just keep having Twilight tell me which ones are worth reading.” She said. “I think that's why I didn't like reading in the first place. Every book I ever read was terrible so I assumed that they all were.”
“Well I just found out that there might be a breed of bunnies called the 'chestnut lop' living on the island that went extinct hundreds of years ago on mainland Equestria. It also says that there might be timberwolves too,” Fluttershy said. “'When the grey fox was introduced to Equestria,'” she read, “'the chestnut lop went extinct virtually overnight!'” The momentary enthusiasm that Fluttershy had felt had vanished. “Those poor bunnies!”
No matter how important Fluttershy tried to convince herself it was for her to read about other aspects of the island than just the wildlife, she simply couldn't. Not that she was disinterested in the other aspects, she was just more interested in the bunnies.
“Only you would be more worried about seeing bunnies than running into timberwolves, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash said. “Anyway, I've gotta find out what happens to the assassin's daughter. Why didn't she just keep her mouth shut?”
Just before Rainbow Dash could get back into her book the door to the room swung open and in stepped Rarity. She was carrying with her her sketches, and on her face was a smile, yet her eyes had a sheen of fatigue.
Rainbow Dash peered over the top of her book, “How did your sketches come out?” she asked.
“Poorly,” Rarity responded frankly, in complete contradiction to the smile she wore. “But I did get to have a chat with the captain. She said she'd like to talk with you Fluttershy.”
“Is something wrong?” Fluttershy said, worry in her tone.
“No, she just wants to meet the mare that organized this trip of ours,” Rarity said. “She was very nice, very friendly.”
“Does she want to talk to me now?”
“She said she would be there to see us off in the morning, so I imagine that's when she was planning on getting to know you.” Rarity said in a particularly tired voice.
“Are you alright, Rarity?” Fluttershy asked. “You look awfully tired.”
“I am. I've been trying to force ideas in existence, and that never works,” she said. “It always ends up stressing me out, but I never seem to learn.”
“Would you like to lie down? Here I'll move, this is your bed anyway.” Fluttershy said. She jumped up from her spot then gestured toward the empty bed with a hoof.
“Thank you, dear.”
“You're welcome.” Fluttershy flew up to the bunk above Rainbow Dash that she would be sleeping on when night fell.
“So what are you gonna do now Rarity?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It better not be 'take a nap' 'cause the last thing I want to do is listen to you snore some more.”
“I do not snore,” Rarity growled through the pillow that her face was now buried in.
“Tell that to my ruptured eardrums,” Rainbow Dash quipped. “The last time the six of us had a sleepover you snored louder than anypony else I've ever known.”
“That must have just been that one time then, because normally I sleep like lady.”
“Whatever you've gotta tell yourself…”
“If I were tired enough to take a nap right now I would, just to spite you. But I'm not—not quite anyway—and I can't really think of anything else to do,” Rarity said.
Fluttershy peered down from the top bunk where she was sitting. “We could just talk,” She suggested. “But without bickering like you two always do…”
“I suppose it's the best thing I've got,” Rarity said. “Rainbow Dash, How is that book of yours? Actually, scratch that, I couldn't care less about what you're reading. So, how about... Ah, I know! Rainbow Dash, what have you been up to lately. It's been so long since we've 'caught up,' so to speak.”
Rainbow Dash closed her book, finished with being interrupted every five seconds. “Nothing. The only thing that I've done for the past month or so is my job.”
“Found yourself in a bit of a rut, have you?”
“More like a ditch. Actually, no, it's more like canyon,” she said. “It's been a whole lot of boredom everyday for quite a while now.”
“What about practicing your flying tricks?” Fluttershy interjected. “You still love flying, don't you?”
“Yeah, but it gets repetitive doing the same stuff over and over. I mean, flying's still great, I love it, but what's left for me to do? There are only a few tricks I still can't do, and working on the same ones over and over and getting nowhere is just... ugh... I've pretty much just been walking around town in my free time to keep myself occupied. I used to go over to Sweet Apple Acres every once in a while to mess with Applejack, but Applejack started to get pretty annoyed with me showing up all the time and bugging her while she was working, so that was the end of that. Then just a few days ago I complained to Twilight about how I finished all the Daring Do books and she recommended this book here, and it's good, but it's nowhere near as good as Daring Do. And, yeah... That's pretty much it.”
“We've all been there, Rainbow Dash,” Rarity said. “Just keep your chin up,something will capture your interest soon enough. Although, if you'd like, you could always stop by my boutique and we could chat whilst I work.”
“Or you spend time at my house and get to know the animals. I could make us tea too,” Fluttershy said.
“No offense, but those both sound way too boring for me.”
“Well, maybe they're exactly what you need then,” Fluttershy reasoned. “Maybe what you need to do is learn to appreciate the slower side of life.”
“Fluttershy might have a point, darling. If you gave it a chance, you might grow to appreciate such things.”
Rainbow Dash shrugged off the remarks. “Eh,” she simply said, before changing the direction of the conversation completely. “Anypony else hungry?”
Rarity shook her head. “I already ate. I thought a full stomach might help jog my creativity.”
“I'm hungry,” Fluttershy said. “You wanna see what they have to eat, Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah, that's exactly what I'm thinking. Come on, 'Shy.”
Rainbow Dash jumped up from her position on her bed as Fluttershy hopped down from her bunk, flapping her wings to slow her descent, her hooves making an audible thud as they hit the floor.
Fluttershy opened the door then she and Rainbow Dash headed to the stairwell and made their way down to a the lower floor where, exactly as the doorpony had told them they would, they found the dining hall. The first thing that both ponies noticed, was that calling it a dining hall was high praise. Calling it “the most dull room ever designed that also happens to serve food,” would have been more apt. The thing that made the room so dull was, to a great degree, its utilitarian design philosophy. While it may have incorporated the same beautiful wood found throughout the rest of the ship, it did so with an apparent reluctance. The geometry seemed intentionally uninspired, and It was quite clear that the architect of the ship had been in a terribly resentful mood whilst designing this room in particular.
The duo made their way through what would have been the line if anypony else had happened to be getting food at that time, and each picked up a tray. It was a self-serve food line, so they chose what they wanted from the selection at hoof which, all things considered, wasn't spectacular, but it was no where near as dull as the décor, and that in itself was enough to liven things up considerably. They then took a seat at one of the perfectly square tables which, along with the other tables in the room, was arranged into grid pattern on the floor. There were a few other ponies eating at this time since it was, more or less, the time that ponies ate dinner, and Rainbow Dash could only imagine the kind of misery that they must be in. It was well known that Rainbow Dash wasn't one to obsess over aesthetics, but this “dining hall” was beyond even her low standards to the point of being uncanny.
“Alright, this place officially sucks...”
Fluttershy had just unwrapped the daisy sandwich which she had gotten for herself and was about to take a bite before she had been interrupted. “It's not so bad.”
Rainbow Dash stifled a chuckle. “Come on, it's awful! I mean, you immediately knew what I was talking about when I said it sucks, so you have to agree at least a little bit.”
“Yeah, you're right it is pretty bad.”
The two spent the rest of their time exchanging their general impressions about the journey thus far before finishing their brief and unsatisfying dinner to retreat to the agreeable atmosphere of their room.
As they reached the top of the stairwell Rainbow Dash peered down the hallway and noticed a number of ponies enjoying themselves in a manner that indicated a moderate to high blood-alcohol level. “I wanna see what they have to drink in that bar we found earlier. You wanna come?”
“Umm... No thanks.” Fluttershy, like Rainbow Dash, noticed the enthusiastic vibe emanating from the bar down the hall, but decided that she could do just as well without it.
“Suit yourself. I'll be back in... probably less than an hour.”
“Be safe.”
“I will.”
With that, Rainbow Dash made for the bar and Fluttershy for the room.
Fifteen minutes shy of an hour later Rainbow Dash too returned back to the room. She barged in quite proud of herself for what she had managed in the time.
“I just drank... the most disgusting thing... in my entire life,” Rainbow Dash proclaimed, pausing for dramatic effect. Rainbow Dash firmly held that any statement that could be ended with “in my entire life” was worthy of celebration, but neither of the other two mares seemed particularly interested. “Come on, doesn't anypony want know what it was.”
Rarity was asleep on her bed. From her appearance, it seemed she hadn't planned on falling asleep since she was still on top of the covers. Fluttershy however, was wide awake, so it fell upon her to respond. And Rainbow Dash wasn't blind so it was quite clear that she'd fully expected her to from the beginning.
“What was it?” Fluttershy asked.
“I didn't know it at the time, but basically it was snake juice.”
Fluttershy shot Rainbow Dash a quizzical look.
“It was just a regular bottle of booze... with a dead snake in it.”
“That's horrible!”
“I know! The bartender said that it's a zebra thing, but I think more of a no-taste-buds kind of thing, because it tasted just like a dead snake in a jar.”
Rainbow Dash proceeded to climb onto her bunk and make herself comfortable.
The sun was beginning to sag in the sky, the vibrant hues it created on the horizon shining through the tiny window into the room.
“So,” Rainbow Dash began, calling up to Fluttershy on the bunk above her. “Are you ready for bed? 'Cause I am,” she said. “I've got snake juice in my belly and a comfy pillow under my head. Everything I need for a good night's sleep.”
Fluttershy looked out the window at the darkening sky, then assessed just how tired she felt. Her eyes were getting a little tired, and the whole day had been rather eventful by her standards. She could feel the pent up anxiety in her chest that a good sleep would surely remedy, and decided also that getting to bed early wouldn't be such a bad idea since they had a big day ahead of them, as well as having to get up early.
“I think that that's probably a good idea.” Fluttershy threw her book down onto a pile of her things laying on the floor then curled up under her covers. “G'night, Rainbow.”
“Night, shy.”
• • ❖ • •
A mysterious combination of mumbling and what sounded like whimpering tore Rainbow Dash from her sleep. As soon as Rainbow Dash opened her eyes though, the sound stopped, making her think that maybe it had just been her imagination.
She waited, her eyes open and alert but having nothing to look at, listening in the quiet pitch-blackness for the soft noise to make a reappearance. After enough time had passed that Rainbow Dash felt confident in deeming the noise as either insignificant or imaginary, she began to drift toward sleep again, but just as she closed her eyes, she heard the sound again. It was coming from above her.
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash whispered.
The whimpering continued.
“Fluttershy,” she said. This time a little louder.
Still no response.
At that, Rainbow Dash crawled out from under her covers and flew up to the higher bunk. Fluttershy was facing away from her toward the wall when Rainbow Dash alighted on the edge of the mattress. Space was scarce but she managed to find a comfortable sitting position without any problems. Rainbow Dash reached out a hoof, placed it on Fluttershy’s shoulder, and shook gently. “Hey, 'Shy, wake up.” Fluttershy stirred then craned her neck to look at the pony behind her.
“What’s wrong, Rainbow?”
“I’m pretty sure you were having a bad dream. It was keeping me awake.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don't be,” Rainbow Dash said in an even raspier voice than her usual. “Are you okay? Is there something on your mind you wanna talk about?”
Fluttershy turned around then sat up, assuming a more conversation-friendly position. “I think... I think I’m just really nervous about leading this whole expedition thing...” she said. “Actually,” she corrected, “I know I’m nervous—but I think that’s why I was having a bad dream.”
Rainbow Dash wrapped a hoof around Fluttershy and pulled her in for a side-ways hug. “Well you’re doing fine. I don’t see what you’ve got to worry about.”
Fluttershy leaned her head against Rainbow Dash neck. “It's not what I’ve done that I’m worried about. I’m worried about what I will do. What if something happens where I just don't know what to do, then I make the wrong choice and something really bad happens. It would be all my fault, I don't know if I could handle that.” Fluttershy stared down at her hooves in the darkness. “Oh... and um… Rainbow, you were being kind of loud. You should try to keep it down. You might wake up Rarity,” Fluttershy said with a pleading tone.
“You’ll be fine. Trust me.” Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around Fluttershy and pulled her in closer. “If you ever have to make a decision and you don't know what to do, just choose something. If that thing doesn't work, then oh well. You learned that that thing doesn't work, so try something else. Nopony will be mad at you if you make the wrong choice. We can't be mad at you for not happening to know something.”
“You're still not being very quiet,” Fluttershy said, concerned more about that than anything Rainbow Dash had said.
“Oh, you don’t need to worry about waking up Rarity. She sleeps like a rock,” she said. “See, watch.” Rainbow Dash raised her voice to a level somewhere between a normal talking voice and shouting. “Hey, Rarity, I accidentally set your mane on fire.”
Rarity remained still.
“Told ya.”
Fluttershy’s eyebrows furrowed at the display. “How did you even know that?”
Rainbow Dash chuckled. “Hehe... You remember the last time the six of us had a sleepover, right?” Fluttershy nodded. “Yeah well—” Rainbow Dash burst out into a fit of laughter at the thought of the story. She tried to hold it in as to not wake the ponies in the other rooms but her restraint only did her so much. “Hold on… gimme a second.” Eventually she calmed herself and, wiping a tear from her eye, she began again. “Okay… So anyway, at our sleepover Rarity was snoring really loudly, so I nudged her to get her to knock it off, but she just kept snoring. So I did it again but harder, still nothing. Then I started poking her face, and then I got the idea to make her make funny faces by pushing her cheeks together and stuff—You want me to show you, I could go do it right now?” Rainbow Dash said with a devious smile that stretched from ear to ear.
“You shouldn’t invade her privacy like that.”
“Eh… fine, whatever,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Anyway it ended with me and Applejack turning her into a puppet. I moved her mouth and did the voices, Applejack controlled her forelegs.”
Fluttershy stared at Rainbow Dash with a look of disapproval.
“What? It’s not like she cares; she doesn’t even know.”
“That doesn’t make it okay.”
“You would have laughed if you saw how great it was.”
An uncomfortable silence grew between the two, neither pony having anything more to say, until Rainbow Dash broke it. “So… Uh… I guess I’ll get back to bed. Are you gonna be alright?”
“I think I’ll be fine.”
“Alright, well... Night, 'Shy” she said, making her way back down to her bunk.
“Good night.”
• • ❖ • •
Again Rainbow Dash awoke to soft mumbling. And again she tore herself from the warm bedding and half-wakingly flitted up to the higher of the bunks. Fluttershy lay before her, much as she had before, except that this time Fluttershy had pushed the covers off of herself. Rainbow Dash was much too tired for conversation, so instead she gently placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s quivering shoulder. The sleeping pegasus jolted at first, but then warmed to the contact, the whimpering stopped and Fluttershy's breathing slowed from a sprint to a stroll. Seeing the affect her actions had had, Rainbow Dash lay down beside Fluttershy and pulled the covers up over the two of them. As soon as she was comfortable she closed her eyes, then pulled herself in close.
Fluttershy awoke from the tugging sensation. "Rainbow Dash?” she said wriggling around to face Rainbow Dash. “Did I wake you up again?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“What… What are you doing?”
“Shh… Sleep”
Fluttershy didn't know if Rainbow Dash had answered her question, or if she was making a demand, but it didn't matter, she would have obliged either way. Fluttershy stared at the sleeping pony with a hoof draped across her body. She still felt like there was more that needed to be said but at the same time, nothing worth adding. She also wanted to apologize, but more than that, she didn’t want to disturb Rainbow Dash.
Fluttershy felt like a foal from having woken Rainbow Dash twice in one night, and looking at the situation she found herself in, expected Rainbow Dash thought the same. That’s what everyone thought of her wasn’t it? Fluttershy the mare-foal. They were either annoyed with her or pitied her. She could see it with everyone she'd ever met. Rainbow Dash belonged to the first category, and, now that she thought about it, she preferred it that way. It meant that Rainbow Dash thought that Fluttershy could do better. That she expected more from her. But when a pony pitied Fluttershy, it meant that, in a way, they'd given up on her. They thought of her as a lost cause. A 'poor little thing' that suffered from her own inadequacy and couldn’t be helped. And maybe, in some ways, she couldn’t, but there were some ways in which she had improved over the years. Rainbow Dash could see it, Fluttershy knew she could. She was her oldest friend, so she knew better than anypony else just how far Fluttershy had come, and in a strange way, simply for having been their to see her get better, Fluttershy was thankful.
Fluttershy tried to think more on the topic, but the nagging of sleep began to pull at the edges of her consciousness and coherent thought became impossible. She tucked her hooves close to her chest and closed her eyes.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy whispered.
“... Sleep,” Rainbow Dash whispered back.
Fluttershy giggled.
"Okay."