The walk through Ponyville was pretty uneventful. Twilight cast a very low level barrier spell above her and Fluttershy to help keep the rain out. Her horn glowed softly with lavender light, powering a sheet of magic the same hue above them.
It was something her brother had taught her in back in Canterlot. Twilight usually told ponies it was more convenient than an umbrella and it was. But the truth is Shining Armor taught her the spell because she always lost her umbrellas.
Ponyville was small and very rustic looking, an aesthetic Twilight very much appreciated. Fluttershy led the conversation with a speckling of questions about Owlowiscious. Twilight still felt a bit off balance at the implication Fluttershy felt she was a friend. She barely knew the other pony!
‘I could always learn’ a voice in the back of her head spoke up. She turned her full attention to the Pegasus by her side and couldn’t help but be a little impressed at the lean well used muscles beneath her yellow coat.
“So… How did you get to be a part of the Apple family?” Twilight asked during a lull in the conversation. Fluttershy squeaked in surprised and stopped “Oh, uhm, it’s quite a long story. I mean I’ll probably just bore you with it” she stammered out.
Twilight frowned, confused by the other pony’s actions. “I doubt it; besides, we still have at least 10 minutes before we reach Sweet Apple Acres” she gestured with her hoof at the path ahead and smiled at Fluttershy.
The yellow mare simply shook her head. “No, no, please uhm, I just met you, and it’s kind of personal” she whimpered. As Twilight processed what the Pegasus had said Fluttershy took the opportunity to keep moving. “A-anyways, we wouldn’t want to take too long!”
Twilight felt flushed with annoyance at both herself and her companion. ‘Great, I upset her. Ugh, why are ponies so sensitive sometimes?!’ she thought. As the duo kept moving the silence between stretched taunt and unbearable, Twilight debated with herself whether or not it was worth it trying to get Fluttershy back out of her shell.
As she was thinking her amethyst eyes settled on Fluttershy’s upright wings, they widened with an idea. “Oh, well, I’m very sorry about what I asked earlier. But I do hope you can answer a different question” Twilight plastered on a smile once again, and hoped her friendly tone wasn’t too artificial.
The Pegasus didn’t respond verbally, and Twilight had no idea if she was actually listening. “When I left Canterlot the weather pony said that it was supposed to be a clear day” she continued. “But it’s raining; do you have any ideas what that’s about?”
At first the other mare did not answer. But just as Twilight began to feel awkward she received the softly spoken answer. “I don’t know much about the weather because I work on the farm, and I don’t really like coming into town… But I do know that Rainbow Dash is in charge of the weather team and she can be… Oh dear, I guess the best way to say it is that she can get distracted sometimes”
Even Twilight could pick up the discomfort in Fluttershy’s tone. For a moment she was caught between continuing the conversation and lapsing into silence. Once more her curiosity won out. “Well Rainbow Dash sounds a bit lazy if you a-“
Sploosh!
Twilight froze in horror, Fluttershy squeaked in surprise and distress. A torrent of rainwater had burst through the barrier and soaked her in freezing liquid. “Oh snap! Sorry about that!” a crackly voice called from above.
She stood there shaking for a moment before she was able to look up. A cyan Pegasus was fluttering gently down to where she stood. “Oh man I really soaked you. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
Twilight did not care that the mare’s magenta eyes were filled with genuine concern, she did not care that Fluttershy was a sensitive pony that would not take kindly to an outburst, all she cared about was the fact that the mare before her had a rainbow mane and it didn’t take more than a second of thought as to who she could be.
“You! You’re the pony who ruined the weather today!” she yelled, her horn flaring to light. The pony in front of her backed away in the air, hooves up. “Now you have the audacity to dump freezing water onto unsuspecting ponies!”
“Hey! Hey! You try controlling rouge weather from the Everfree with a small weather team like Ponyville's!” snapped the prismatic mare in front of her. “It was just an accident! I’m not all that great at what I do! Now turn that thing off or something before you hurt somepony!”
Just as quickly as her anger had come, it vanished. She winked out her horn and felt an intense wave of embarrassment flood her. There was a moment of awkward silence before Twilight found her voice again. “I’m sorry; I wasn’t trying to threaten you with violence. But you’re still accountable for this terrible weather!”
Rainbow looked furious but before she could speak another voice cut into the argument. “Enough! Twilight Sparkle, that was very rude of you. Rainbow Dash is just doing her best, and she even apologized!”
Twilight’s mouth was agape as Fluttershy glared at her. Suddenly there was a change in her expression. “Uhm, if you don’t mind…” the other muttered. Yet another awkward moment descended upon the ponies.
“Uugh, okay, okay I’m sorry… Again” she said. “I just want to go and rest please, I’m soaking wet and I need to review my lesson plan at least one more time before bed. Cheerilee wanted to meet with me tomorrow and everything must be perfect!”
Rainbow Dash snorted looking even angrier than before. “Yeah, yeah, anyways if you don’t mind I’m going to get back to work. You better consider yourself lucky that this drizzle is all you have to deal with egghead. I’ll see you later Flutters, thanks for the back-up”
With that the mare turned tail and sped away with a surprising amount of energy. Twilight felt it in her core, which only served to annoy her. ‘Ugh, she clearly has the magic for proper weather control! Why doesn’t she use it?!’ she thought marching forwards. ‘And who the hay uses “egghead” as an insult anymore!?’
Twilight continued to mentally fume all the way to Sweet Apple Acres. She didn’t even bother re-activating the barrier spell and had long forgotten about Fluttershy who was following behind her. ‘I hope I never have to deal with that egocentric pony ever again!’ little did she know, fate had other plans.