Keys of My Destiny

by RageLokiCat


Chapter 11: Find The Music In You

"Mmm, what day is it?" I asked groggily as I stumbled down the stairs. Fluttershy was in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled wonderful. She looked at me and smiled warmly.

"Saturday, August 25th, 5173." She said, looking back to her cooking. I opened my mouth, paused, and then closed it again.

"So...what day did I go to bed?" I asked, realizing I didn't actually know what the date was. She laughed a little and continued stirring.

"Only yesterday, silly. Although you have been sleeping for almost sixteen hours, and I was starting to get a little worried," she said happily. I shook my head and looked at the clock on the wall. It was a little past ten in the morning, and the sun was streaming in the windows. The house was fairly empty at this point as many of the animals had headed out for the day. I wandered back into the kitchen, peering into the pot she was tending.

"Oatmeal?" I asked, looking up from the bubbling mixture. She nodded happily, grabbing some bowls from nearby.

"Hungry?" She asked with a smile as she portioned some into one of the bowls. I nodded, and she wordlessly placed the first bowl down and grabbed a second one, filling it too before handing it to me. She grabbed another bowl, raising it up so I could see.

"Blueberries?" She asked, an innocent smile on her face.

"I'll pass, thanks." I said. She shrugged and grabbed a small handful, tossing them in her oatmeal before sitting down. I followed her and took my place at the table like I had the previous night, and we ate our breakfast silently, finishing quickly. I again helped her clean the dishes, and before long we were standing in the kitchen awkwardly, both unsure as to what to do. I coughed, then, realizing she was probably expecting me to start speaking, struggled through a sentence.

"So, uh... Do you... Have any, uh, plans for the day?" I asked, wishing I could face-hoof at my lack of ability to speak.

"Not until two, which is when I'm supposed to meet Rarity in town for my first concert with the Ponytones. And that'll only go for an hour at most, so I'm free most of the afternoon as well." She said quietly, looking at her hooves. I looked at her with worry.

"Is something wrong? You seem... Down." I said compassionately. She looked back up, meeting my eyes for a moment before looking away.

"No, it's just... I'm scared about going on stage. I don't want to let everypony down." She said, staring out the window. I hugged her gently with a fore-hoof, speaking softly.

"No matter what happens, you will be the envy of everypony simply for having the courage to face your fears. Don't think about them, just think about you, and how much you enjoy what you do." I said, smiling at her. She looked back at me and smiled a little, tears just barely forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you, Blaze. You'll be there too, right?" She asked. I nodded.

"Of course! I wouldn't miss it for the world!" I said, letting go of her. She smiled, wiping away her tears.

"Thank you." She said, walking into the living room. Following her I found myself noting every little detail of the room, comparing it to what I remembered and seeing what had changed. The stand with the lamp had moved slightly, no doubt from when it had fallen over. The books on the bookshelf were a little straighter, there was almost no evidence of animal residence around, and everything was carefully and thoroughly dusted.

"I see you've been up for a while." I said with a small laugh. Fluttershy smiled and opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by firm knocking on the door.

"Excuse me." She said, walking across the room and pulling open the door. It was just out of view, and curiosity took over as I walked to see who it was.

"Hiya Flutters, I was just wondering if you'd like to- Oh, him." A familiar voice said, changing abruptly when its rainbow-maned source caught sight of me.

"Sorry, what was that, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just going." Rainbow Dash said, turning and taking off abruptly. Fluttershy looked at me with worry.

"I think it'd be best if you went after her and figured that out." I said reluctantly. Fluttershy nodded, stepping out the door and preparing to take off herself. She looked back over her shoulder at him sadly.

"Sorry, Blaze. I'll be back as soon as possible. If for some reason I'm not back by showtime, head to Rarity's Boutique." She said, launching off into the sky.

"Will... Do..." I said aimlessly as I watched her fly off. What the Hay was that all about? I totally understand her not liking me, but if anything that'd make her want to take Fluttershy away from me MORE, not less. Weird... I thought as I looked around, wondering what I was supposed to do while she was gone. I wandered outside, heading behind Fluttershy's house where the largest opening in the forest lay. It felt good to be outside, away from the busyness of the town, and not dying or lost, all at the same time. I made my way across the yard, watching various different animals scurry about their business. I passed a chicken coop and paddock, in which several chickens clucked happily while digging at the ground for stray bugs. Next, a large oak tree with several bird nests, where the tweeting of baby birds could be heard.

"I can see why she loves it so much here." I said to no pony in particular. My comment was greeted by yet more sounds of animal life.

"Although I can see why she might get lonely sometimes." I said, following up my previous comment. My oddly one-sided conversation was interrupted by chattering and a gentle tapping on my hoof. I looked down to see my mouse-friend from my first visit to the house staring keenly up at me.

"Oh, hello little guy. What's up?" I asked him, reaching out a hoof slowly. He sniffed it, and then jumped on and scampered up my leg onto my back, where he sat while squeaking and chewing on a nut that he had acquired... Somewhere between the ground and my back. I don't want to know. I thought as I listened to him. Nothing he said seemed of particular value, he had an aura of general contentedness.

"Ya, I know the feeling." I said as I continued walking, after which he squeaked once, finished his lunch, and then jumped off my back and ran off to do whatever it is mice do in their spare time. I found myself thinking about the previous days events as I walked, particularly my encounter with Trahern, and the advanced magic we apparently were both capable of, although far more he than I. I tried again to remember what the word I had used for my final spell, and was rewarded only by a staggering sense of power, something so foreign and yet so familiar, and at the same time, terrifying. I turned my mind away from that and thought instead about all the useful lessons I had learned about life.

"One: if it takes magic to make, it's expensive to buy. Two: haggling for someone else is a bad idea. Three: don't pick fights with zebras. Four: stop getting hurt. That sounds about right..." I said as I laughed at myself. I wandered about for a little while longer before propping myself against a tree trunk and dozing off, knowing that with my luck, I wouldn't get to sleep for a day or two and I needed all the help I could get.


I awoke to the gentle flapping of wings a little while later. I slowly opened my eyes to see Fluttershy land softly on the ground not far away. I yawned, and then stood up and shook myself off, blinking several times in the bright sunlight. She had a small smile on her face and she was looking away from me, up at the sky.

"What's up? What was the deal with Rainbow Dash?" I asked, walking over. She looked at me, her smile growing as we locked eyes.

"She was furious that you were around, especially that you were still living with me. She said that you were a bad influence, and that you were only going to hurt me more. She wanted me to send you away." She said, somehow still smiling. I looked at her, baffled.

"I reminded her that if we never forgave our friends for when they messed up, and if we judged them solely on a single mistake, she would never have made the friends she has. I told her that you deserved just as much of a chance as anypony else. She then seemed to change her mind about you, and agreed to give you another chance. I don't really think she's changed her mind, I don't even think she would talk to you, but I'm pretty sure she won't assault you again." She said cheerfully. I laughed and smiled, a little shocked at Fluttershy's forwardness.

"Well, I appreciate the honesty, brutal as it may be." I said, smiling.

"Applejack would be so proud of me." She said with a giggle.

"So, did you ever figure out what she wanted?" I asked curiously. She nodded.

"She wanted to invite me to a Wonderbolts performance tomorrow. Except, there's one problem..." She said sadly, her smile fading.

"Well, what is it?" I asked, looking at her thoughtfully.

"The performance... It's in Cloudsdale." She said, looking at me unhappily.

"And? Is Cloudsdale really far away? Remember, I've only lived in this world a week now." I said with a laugh.

"Well, no, you can actually just see it in the distance from Canterlot. But it's made of clouds, and if you're not a pegasus, you can't stand on clouds, you fall right through. Twilight has a spell and a potion for cloud-walking, but unless we go to Canterlot first in the early morning to get you enchanted, it's very unlikely we'll find another way to make that work." She said, looking at the ground. I nodded, finally understanding.

"That's OK. I'm pretty sure- No, I'm really sure Rainbow Dash wouldn't want me there anyway, and I don't want to interrupt your... Date?" I said cautiously. She looked at me in surprise, blushing the tiniest bit.

"That's not... She didn't..." She stammered, clearly flustered. I grinned and laughed.

"Hey, I'm just picking on you, Fluttershy. That, and I couldn't figure out what else to call it." I said, shaking my head. She nodded hastily and turned back to the house, walking away. I quickly followed her, still grinning.

"So, uh, what is it exactly that ponies DO on weekends?" I asked as we reached her house again, heading inside.

"Well, most ponies do pretty much the same things every day. That's what happens when you get to have your dream job." She said, not looking back.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked suddenly, feeling that she was avoiding me on purpose. She turned and looked at me, a smile on her face. I did a minor double-take as she responded.

"No, why would I be mad? You've done nothing wrong!" She said, almost defensively. I shook my head in confusion, and then simply rolled my eyes and looked up at the clock impatiently. Ugh, it's barely noon. I'm not going to make it... I though, wishing it could suddenly be two.


"Do I look OK? Is everything clean? How is my hair?" Fluttershy asked, pacing back and forth backstage, clearly panicking. I stood slightly off to the side, trying to figure out how to calm her down.

"You look fine, Fluttershy. You sound like Rarity- worrying about your looks so much. You're always pretty, you don't have to worry about that changing now." I said, watching her travel back and forth. She paused and blushed at the end, looking over at me with a wavering smile. She attempted to take a big breath and calm down, but ended up hiccuping instead. I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking, standing up and walking over to her. She looked at me again, her eyes watering, a look of near terror on her face. I smiled warmly at her, and then wrapped my fore-legs around her, hugging her close.

"Fluttershy, everypony is proud of you. They know how hard this is for you, and the fact that you even agreed to try is amazing. No matter what happens, we will always be proud of you, and we will always have your back. That being said, we especially don't want to hurt you. If you really feel like you can't do this, we all totally understand. It's up to you- Either you can go out and show us the amazing mare we all know and love, or you can pass and we all know you're amazing anyway." I said, letting go of her and stepping back. She sniffled and nodded, determination on her face.

"Now, are you ready?" I asked, smiling at her. She nodded briskly in response.

"Good. I think Rarity will be right back, I'm going to head out front and see if I can find a good spot to stand, OK?" I asked, turning slightly away. She nodded again before going back to her breathing exercises, most of which could just be described as barely breathing. I trotted off to the stairs before making my way around to the front. As I turned the corner I stopped, amazed by the crowd that had appeared in the last 30 minutes. There were at least 300 ponies in the crowd, probably closer to 400 total. I shook my head, any hopes of this going over well and Fluttershy keeping her cool vanishing into the air like smoke. I hugged the wall of the stage until I got to the front of the crowd, where I stood in anticipation. A few minutes later, the curtain slowly opened, and I saw Fluttershy standing on the stage with Rarity and Applejack's brother, Big Mac, along with two ponies I didn't recognize. Fluttershy started out at the crowd in shock as they cheered, and she looked like she wanted to run away. I looked away, expecting her to be gone when I looked back; however, she was still there, and Rarity was whispering something in her ear. Fluttershy looked over at her, and Rarity nodded. Fluttershy then looked down at the others on the stage, who also nodded. She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. Big Mac then counted them off, and they began their song.


The songs were amazing; I had never heard music like that without instruments before. Everypony cheered at the end, and the look on Fluttershy's face made my entire day worthwhile. I had only ever seen her so happy a few times, and certainly never in public. As the Ponytones bowed and headed backstage again, ponies began to disperse, and I smiled as I walked away as well. She actually did it. I thought as I headed back behind the stage where they were no doubt talking about the performance. I stayed out of sight while they talked, not wanting to interrupt.

"But that was amazing, Fluttershy! I'm so proud of you!" I heard Rarity say as she finished her statement.

"Eeyup." Agreed Big Mac in his usual way. I heard two more voices of encouragement from the other members, and Fluttershy's normal quiet voice.

"Thank you all, but Blaze is really the one who convinced me to do it; you should thank him." She said. I heard an assortment of laughs and chuckles from the group, and I grinned to myself.

"Oh no dear, that's your job. He may have helped you gain the courage to stay, but only you could be the one to sing, and you were incredible." Rarity responded as she finished laughing.

"Oh, ok. Well, um, thank you all." Fluttershy said quietly.

"Not at all, dear. Are we still on for the 8th?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy must have nodded, because suddenly Rarity was speaking again.

"Wonderful. You really were magnificent, Fluttershy, you have such a beautiful voice. I just can't wait to sing with you more." She said, her voice suddenly getting louder. I panicked, realizing they were coming towards me, and I was just sitting and listening to their conversation. I looked around quickly, seeing nowhere to hide. Instead, I dove backwards as far as I could, and then began walking calmly and slowly towards them, trying to appear as if I was just coming over. The group turned the corner when I was still I small distance off. None of them said anything to me, but when Rarity saw me, she grinned at my deviously and winked, to which I replied with a look of confusion. She just smiled and kept walking, as did I, donning my own worried smile. As I turned the corner I saw Fluttershy busily packing the rest of her uniform away into its case. She picked up the case and turned my way, jumping and squeaking when she saw me. I smiled for real, chuckling a little.

"Sorry if I scared you." I said. She smiled warmly, picking up her case again.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just so jumpy." She said as she walked over.

"So, how do you feel? I thought you were amazing, I've never heard music like that before. You'll have to sing more often with a voice like that." I said happily.

"Thanks, Blaze. I feel great! It was still scary, but not as much as I thought! I might even be able to do it without panicking as much next time." She said with a laugh.

"See? You're getting better already." I said semi-sarcastically, but honestly enough that it wouldn't sound insulting. She was quiet for a few seconds, looking away from me. I opened my mouth to speak again, but she cut me off.

"Hey, um, Blaze?" She asked, still looking away.

"Ya?" I responded, curious why she was avoiding my eyes. She went quiet again, and then suddenly she turned to face me, paused, and kissed me lightly on the cheek.

"Thank you for believing in me." She said, her face turning bright red as I stared at her in shock before she took off into the sky with probably the fastest launch I had ever seen. Oh. That's why... I thought as I started dreamily off after her.

"Hey, Miss Fluttershy- Awwww..." I heard a young voice say from behind me, and I spun around to see a small white colt with brown spots looking sadly at me. My heart almost melted when I saw him.

"Sorry kid, she just realized she forgot something in the oven." I lied, thinking it would sound better then trying to explain the truth. He head hung low, and he slowly turned around and began to walk away with a long sigh.

"Ok... I guess there are always other times." He said. Suddenly an idea popped into my head.

"Hey, what's your name?" I asked. He turned and looked at me sadly.

"Pipsqueak, Sir." He said.

"I'll let her know her number one fan missed her, and I'm sure she'll be sure to stay and catch you next time." I said with a warm smile. His face lit up like a firework, and he jumped high in the air.

"Oh my goodness, thank you, Sir!" He said before running happily off. I shook my head, glad I could make his day so easily. I hope Fluttershy doesn't mind too much. Speaking of which... I wonder where she went? Hopefully home, or my lie will get shot full of holes. And, I wonder if that kiss meant something? Oh dear, it's going to be a long walk... I thought as I started off.