//------------------------------// // Chapter One: A Day at the Park // Story: Elements of Discord // by Inky Scrolls //------------------------------// “Hey Twilight!” A cyan-coated pegasus called down from her lofty position. “Catch!” Below her on the ground a purple alicorn looked up in time to magically grasp the cricket ball the pegasus had thrown. Twilight grinned. “Can't catch me out that easily, Rainbow!” Twilight, Rainbow Dash and their five best friends were all gathered in the park for a late summer picnic. It was an impromptu affair suggested at the last minute by Pinkie Pie who, never one to miss out on a good time, had felt it too nice a day to spend indoors. It would have been, as she put it, “a crime.” And she was right. The sun shone, birds chirped, little animals scurried about happily and there was a slight breeze, perfect for keeping everypony cool enough to be comfortable and yet warm enough to feel at peace. Despite all this, Twilight had at first refused to join the others on their picnic when they'd come calling in the late morning, pleading the excuse that she had too much reading to catch up on. But at the behest of her little dragon companion, Spike, she had eventually allowed herself to be persuaded, and was enjoying the gorgeous day as much as everypony else. Getting ready to throw the ball back up to Rainbow, she paused when the cyan pegasus shouted down, “Come on Twilight! Why don't you fly up here instead?” Twilight frowned. She had only been an alicorn since her crowning as the fourth Princess a few weeks ago, and was still uncomfortable using her wings. Rainbow was forever trying to get her to fly, and although Twilight was grateful for the encouragement, it could get a little wearing at times. Fluttershy, sitting nearby stroking her bunny friend Angel, quietly spoke. “Don't get cross Twilight, you know-” The Princess, not hearing Fluttershy, flung the ball up to Dash as hard as she could, forcing Rainbow to fly higher to be able to catch it. “Looks like I don't need to fly!” she said. “I know Twilight,” Fluttershy began again. “But you know-” “Excuse me, Fluttershy, darling,” broke in a pretty white unicorn sitting on a rug next to her. “Please could you pass me the sandwiches? They're so far away and I'm so comfortable...” Fluttershy smiled wanly and stopped stroking Angel. “Of course, Rarity.” She reached forward and passed the plate of sandwiches over to Rarity, and was graced with a lovely smile in return. As Twilight and Rainbow continued their game, Fluttershy turned to Rarity again and spoke. “Where are Applejack and Pinkie? They were here-” “They went off down to the river with Spike.” Rarity had rather a bad habit of interrupting the yellow pegasus, and seemed oblivious to any upset she could have caused. Fluttershy blinked and stopped talking. A few quiet minutes went by with those on the ground enjoying the silence. Twilight had eventually flown up to Rainbow and they were seated on a small cloud, deep in conversation. Their voices were too far away to be understood but added a soft, background murmur which Fluttershy found very soothing, almost inducing her to sleep. At that moment Pinkie Pie appeared, bouncing up the slope from the river with Applejack trotting along behind; both earth ponies were dripping wet. “Oh my goodness!” Rarity was shocked. “Whatever happened to you two?” Applejack grinned as she plonked herself down on the grass. “Pinkie and ah just had ourselves a little water fight,” she explained. “Y'all should come and join us! Water's lovely.” Rarity shuddered. “No thank you, Applejack, I would much rather stay here in the dry. Thank you anyway.” “Oh, that's a shame.” Pinkie was still bouncing up and down, making the ground underneath her increasingly saturated. “Where are Twilight and Dashie? They'd enjoy the water!” Suddenly the sound of raised voices made everypony look round; Spike pointed. “Look, up there!” High above those on the grass, Twilight and Rainbow appeared to be in the middle of an argument, waving their hooves at each other. They were speaking loud enough now for their friends below to hear. “Just stop it!”, Twilight was saying. “I'm only trying to help, Twi!” Rainbow swooped around Twilight, but the alicorn was able to turn around in time to face her. “Why does it matter to you anyway?” “I'm just trying to help!” “I know! You keep saying that! But why do you want to? What's it to you?” Rainbow Dash muttered something inaudible and Twilight groaned, face-hooving. “Argh! You're impossible.” She turned and dived towards where the others were standing, pulling up in time for a soft landing. “Hey girls, hey Spike,” she said. No one else spoke. Rainbow was still hovering overhead, scowling, and Twilight's smile looked rather strained. Finally Rarity piped up. “Is everything... alright, Twilight darling?” “Yes, of course! Why wouldn't it be?” “Well, it's just that we heard some sort of... altercation between you and Rainbow, and...” She trailed off as Twilight's smile finally disappeared. “It was just a little dispute, okay? Just leave it.” Pinkie, who had stopped bouncing as soon as the argument had become heard, look inquiringly at Twilight. “Do you want to come and play in the water with me and Applejack? It's fun!” Twilight sighed. “Sorry, Pinkie. I think I'll go home now. I've still got a lot of reading to catch up on, and... I feel cold.” “Don't you think you should put things right between you and Rainbow?”, asked Fluttershy. The Princess shook her head. “It's Rainbow who's at fault here, not me! She can apologise when she's ready.” “But Twili-” “I said no, Fluttershy! Don't you get that!?” Fluttershy stepped back and hung her head. Twilight leapt into the air without another word and flew swiftly back off to her castle, Spike running behind. The uncomforatble feeling left by their departure was broken by Applejack. “You know, Fluttershy, you really shouldn't let ponies treat you like that. If they get the ahdea you're a pushover-” For the first time in many months, the pale pegasus stood up tall. “I am not a pushover! You may think I am, Applejack, but I'm not!” “Hey, Fluttershy, you know ah didn't say that!” “But it's what you were thinking.” “It was not!” Applejack felt shocked at herself, for that was what she had been thinking. But the feelings of her friend were more important than perfect honesty, weren't they? Fluttershy frowned but didn't speak. Pinkie Pie broke in: “Come on guys, this is no fun! Let's do something fun, come down to the water with me!” “Ah don't feel lahk doing that anymore, Pinkie.” Applejack looked around the three remaining ponies, noticing that Rainbow was nowhere to be seen, probably somewhere above the thickening clouds. “Ah thank y'all for invahting me, girls, but ah think ah'll be going now. See y'all later.” She trotted slowly off in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. “Oh,” said Pinkie, eyes downcast. “Does anypony else want to come and play with me?” Rarity, taking pity on the saddened earth pony, also stood up. “Alright then, Pinkie, I'll come down with you. But only to watch, not to get wet!” Pinkie smiled again and boinged off down to the river. Rarity turned to Fluttershy, who was still frowing at the retreating figure of Applejack. “Are you coming, Fluttershy?” “No, Rarity, I think I'll stay here.” “Oh, but Fluttershy, darling-” Fluttershy shouted. “No! I am not a pushover, Rarity, and you won't make me change my mind! Just go.” She turned away and began stroking Angel again. Rarity, surprised at the uncharacterfulness of Fluttershy's response, wondered slowly down to find Pinkie. She found her at the water's edge, preparing to leap in. Rarity, who had brought her rug down with her, laid it carefully on the soft grass and lay down gracefully upon it. She liked Pinkie, but found her antics somewhat too energetic at times. Not like Fluttershy, who could always be counted on to provide soothing support. Which made Rarity think: when was the last time Fluttershy had actually become angry with her? The unicorn spent a few minutes deep in thought, trying to remember another time when she and the obliging pegasus had fallen out, eventually deciding she couldn't think of a single one. She was just drifting gently off to sleep with these thoughts floating round her head, when she was rudely brought back to reality by what felt like a deluge of cold water. “Eugh!” “Sorry, Rarity!” Pinkie was peering anxiously at the sopping wet unicorn. “I was jumping in the water from the bank and then I thought about jumping from the tree so I climbed up but the splash was much bigger than I thought it'd be and it got you all wet and I'm sorry!” Rarity, who had been wearing one of her favourite frocks, was not to be appeased. “You've simply ruined this dress Pinkie! I shan't be able to wear it anymore, just look at the state of it!” She stood up. “Oh, please Rarity, don't go!” “I'm sorry, Pinkie, but I simply must go straightaway. This is not the sort of weather to be outside in wearing wet clothes.” Feeling put upon and determined to be inconsolable, the unicorn left without another word, ignoring Pinkie's pleas for her to stay. She had been right about the weather. Whilst the ponies had been in the park, and particularly after Twilight and Rainbow's altercation, dark clouds had been gathering. Sweeping slowly in from the north, they brought with them a colder wind, and the expectation of rain. Fluttershy had left with Angel some time ago. Only Pinkie Pie was left now; her presence being the only reminder of the picnic which had started off so well. Heavy drops of rain began to fall, wetting the riverbanks ever more so than Pinkie's splash had done. She sighed, holding back tears. Crying was alien to her, the Element of Laughter, and she didn't understand why she should feel like doing so now. But then... her friends had all left her, alone in the rain. Twilight had said she was grateful for the picnic, but had gone home early anyway. Spike had gone with her. Rainbow Dash, supposedly Pinkie's best friend, hadn't even bothered saying goodbye. Fluttershy and Applejack had argued for the first time in years, with the orange earth pony leaving early too. Fluttershy had snapped at Rarity and then gone home, and Rarity had become cross at Pinkie and left... Pinkie began to feel rather sad, and somewhat unsure. What if Rarity never forgave her? It had been one of her favourite frocks, Pinkie knew that. What if Twilight and Rainbow didn't make up, and Fluttershy stayed mad at Applejack? Pinkie didn't want that. She wasn't used to not being able to fix things; normally ponies cheered up when she was around. But that hadn't worked today. What if she was losing the ability to make others smile? What if she'd forgotten how? As the rain became slowly heavier, the young pink earth pony began slowly walking back to Sugarcube Corner. She felt tired, confused and – afraid.