A cloud of steam followed Rainbow Dash as she stepped out of the shower. Rivulets of water rolled off her coat, the drops quickly absorbed by the specialized cloud floor. She stepped over to the nearby mirror, regarded her image, and couldn’t resist a devilish moment of pleasure in imagining Nye's reaction to her sodden mane clinging to her soaked coat. Alas, Nye wasn't around to tease and she wasn't flying in this state, so she pushed the amusing thought aside and shook out her wings.
Water droplets flew in every direction as her entire body shook wildly. The shaking lasted for only a few seconds, but that was more than enough to leave the hairs on her coat standing on end, giving her a fuzzy appearance. She glanced at herself again and promptly stuck her tongue out at the ‘soft’ Rainbow who looked back.
"Bleh, way too fluffy."
She grabbed a towel and went to work soaking up the dampness and smoothing her coat, and soon her toned, muscular form was visible. She regarded herself in the mirror again, and this time she couldn't resist a smirk.
"Now that's more like it."
Satisfied that the day’s work had been cleansed from her otherwise perfect body, she tossed the towel into a collection bin and strutted out of the showers. Her steps carried her through the Ponyville Weather Office’s soft cloud halls and into the offices proper. In a nod to traditional Cloudsdale architecture, the offices were arranged in an oval around a wide area open to the blue skies. Instead of a door, each office had an open side framed by two carefully formed columns. As the office had officially closed for the day half an hour ago, each of those offices was deserted.
Except for one.
Behind the desk sat a turquoise pegasus with a brilliant amber mane. Rainbow strode up to her, observing as the pony peered at some forms. “Hey, LD. I thought you’d be done with the paperwork by now.”
Lightning Dust’s immediate response was a glower. “Some squadrons came in late, so I’m still finishing up.” She shoved a stack of papers towards Rainbow. “You wanna sign those? I’ll give you the rest in the morning.”
“Works for me.” Rainbow plucked a quill from Lightning’s desk and began her last duty for the day. After signing a few of the flight reports, she said, “Looks like Airheart’s team is improving.”
“Yeah, Rumble’s proving to be a pretty good replacement for a mere trainee. Thunderlane’s trying to hide it, but you can tell he’s proud.” Lightning never took her eyes off the papers, her lips set in a seemingly permanent scowl.
Rainbow paused in her signing to study her friend. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” Lightning grumbled. After a few seconds she sighed and shook her head. “It’s just that I’m going to be late to pick up Keen. Again. Plus, Fluttershy’s not going to be available for foalsitting soon, and Octavia’s off on her trip to Nildia. Airheart can foalsit during her off days, and Twilight’s teaching hours will help, but I’m gonna have to find a new foalsitter soon to pick up the slack.”
“Look on the bright side,” Rainbow suggested. “School will be starting soon. Then you won’t need a foalsitter.”
Lightning heaved a sigh. “School creates its own challenges. Me and Cheerilee are gonna have a talk in a few days about it.”
Rainbow stared at Lightning, then gained a warm smile. “Don’t worry, LD. With the way you two turned things around, I’m sure this is nothing you can’t handle.”
The quill paused. Lightning looked up and saw Rainbow’s smile. She blushed and glanced away, fidgeting in place. The tremble of her lips gave away the effort she put into not smiling. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
For a moment – just a fleeting instant – Rainbow considered teasing her former rival, but she dismissed the thought just as quickly as it had occurred. She knew it could be funny, but it also could be insensitive. That was a bad habit Rainbow had been trying to break herself of lately, so she scrunched her nose in search of a new, safer topic. “How’s the wing?”
Lightning glanced at her left wing as though it had grown a tumor. “Still useless for anything but the basics. I overdid it yesterday while playing with Keen, so it’s kinda sore.”
Rainbow winced. “So there’s no improvement? It’s been seven months.”
“Hey, I’m glad I can fly at all.” Lightning noted her boss’s pained expression and rolled her eyes. “Don’t give me that look, you know I’ve got no regrets. You gonna finish signing those or what?”
“Oh, right.” Rainbow went back to work, and for a time the only sound in the largely abandoned office was that of their quills scratching. It didn’t take long for Rainbow to finish her work. She placed the papers in the appropriate ‘out’ tray on Lightning’s desk. “So you need any help? I could do some of those reports, get you out of here faster.”
Lightning shook her head yet again. “Actually, I’d appreciate it a lot more if you could stop by Fluttershy’s and let her know I’ll be late. Keen worries sometimes, y’know?”
“I guess I can do that.” Rainbow stood and turned, but came to a stop as something clicked in her head. “Wait, you said Fluttershy couldn’t foalsit for you for a while? Is she going somewhere?”
“You didn’t know?” Lightning glanced up in time to catch Rainbow’s shrug. “She told me this morning. Something about a task she volunteered for. Spur of the moment kinda thing.”
“Huh…” Rainbow rubbed her chin, brows knitted as she looked up to the sky. “That’s not like her. I better ask and see what’s up. Maybe something important happened. See ya, LD.”
Lightning merely grunted her response. Rainbow walked out to the center of the open area and launched, moving slow to keep from scattering the mare’s paperwork. The moment she felt she was far enough away, she went from flying to flying. The wind cut into her face and the landscape passed beneath her in a blur. Her lips pulled up in her trademark smirk, the one that always came to her when she was in her element.
Her smile faded, though, as the bulk of Ponyville came into view below her. The once-quiet little town had exploded in the wake of the disaster months ago. The stream of refugees from places as far off as Manehattan created a veritable second town of shanties, tents, lean-tos and shacks on the East and North sides. Rainbow looked out at the sprawl, silently congratulating Twilight for weathering the initial chaos to ultimately morph the area into something organized and habitable, if not necessarily hospitable. If only she could have done more before leaving.
The sudden influx of refugees had quickly overwhelmed the town's limited resources and open housing. A flood of cheap apartments and duplex homes continued to spring up, but even with around the clock shifts, they could barely put a lasting dent into the housing problems. Worse, the town was running out of resources; there was even talk of cutting down swaths of the Everfree Forest, although the princesses had insisted such measures be put on hold until all other options had been exhausted.
"And that's just the housing," Rainbow muttered as she surveyed the area. Ponyville's infrastructure had been stretched to the breaking point. Food, schooling, jobs, even things as mundane as running water and power; what once was plentiful had become scarce overnight. At times Rainbow was sure that the town would finally break under the immense pressure.
Her thoughts turned to Canterlot. Like Ponyville, it had escaped the disaster relatively unscathed – the castle notwithstanding – and more than three times the number of refugees had flocked there with the hope that the princesses could solve their problems. Rainbow couldn’t imagine the kind of pressure the Royal Sisters were under.
With a sigh, Rainbow turned her attention to her destination, a familiar cottage at the edge of town. Fluttershy was fortunate to live near the Everfree Forest, the only thing that kept the refugees from bringing their sad little cities to her doorstep. That didn’t mean she was entirely unaffected; there were a lot of new pens and extra little animal structures all over Fluttershy’s lawn.
Rainbow landed at the front door and knocked. She didn’t have to wait long, as Fluttershy appeared at the door within a matter of seconds. Rainbow saw an expression of abject determination on her friend’s face, but it melted into a welcoming smile in an instant. “Oh, hello, Rainbow! Done with work for the day?”
“Yep! Lightning asked me to stop by to tell you she’ll be running late. Paperwork and all that.”
“Oh, that’s okay. Keen’s always a pleasure to look after.” Fluttershy stepped back and waved invitingly. “You want to come in?”
“Sure do.” Rainbow trotted inside, immediately spotting a off-white blue filly with an incredibly long mane of white. “Hey, Keen.”
Curled up on the couch, Keen Arrow looked up from a book that was almost as big as the six-year old herself. “Hello, Miss Dash. Mom’s doing paperwork again?” She sighed at Rainbow’s nod. “Alright, then…” Her eyes fell back to her book, her shoulders sagging slightly.
“Don’t worry, Keen, I’m sure she’ll be here soon.” Fluttershy turned her attention to the door to her storage closet. “Everything okay in there?”
Rainbow cocked her head and followed Fluttershy’s gaze. She caught the back-half of a green pony with a thickly-braided red tail. “Hey, Tree Hugger.”
The pony stepped back to look at Rainbow, her eyelids low and a dazed smile on her lips. “Oh, heeeey. Your colors are, like, loaded with feelings. Love the vibe they give off, y'know?” She promptly went back to doing… whatever she was doing.
“Uh, right. What’s she doing?”
“Just checking inventory,” Fluttershy replied, already making her way to the kitchen. “We want to make sure that she and Spring Water can take care of things for a while without me.”
“Which brings me to the number two reason I’m here. Where are you going and why didn’t you tell me about it?”
Fluttershy turned to her, guilt plastered across her features. “Oh, I’m sorry! I was going to get all the girls together tomorrow morning. I didn't think you'd find out so quickly, especially since I only made this decision yesterday.”
“No, no, it’s cool.” Rainbow put on a show of confidence. “I was just curious, that’s all. It’s not like you’re going off to do something dangerous.”
Her chuckles faded as Fluttershy failed to respond. Rainbow’s mild curiosity rapidly gave way to worry. “Fluttershy? What’s going on?”
Her friend winced and crossed her forelegs in a bashful display. “W-well, I guess it’s okay to tell you now, since the secret’s out and all. I’m going to find a cure for Discord.”
Rainbow’s shoulders promptly slumped, her expression bemused. “A cure? Fluttershy, you can’t just go looking for one.”
“The cure’s already found,” Fluttershy replied with a wan smile. “But there’s a certain ingredient, and somepony needs to get it, so I volunteered.”
“Oh, well, that’s different.” Rainbow heaved a relieved sigh. “For a moment I thought you were about to go on some wild goose chase. So where is this ingredient, then?”
“Um… A long ways off.” Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together and wouldn’t look Rainbow in the eye. “I may be gone for a few weeks. B-but I’m going!” She abruptly stood tall, giving Rainbow a look of confidence that impressed her. “Discord is my friend and I’m determined to help him. It’s something I have to do.”
Rainbow hovered in the air and waved her hooves to placate her friend. “Hey, calm down. I’m not about to stop ya, but you still haven’t told me where it is.”
Fluttershy’s determination wilted. “O-oh, right. Well, it’s… you see…”
Tree Hugger walked out of the closet and spoke in her typical airy tone. “She’s going through the Everfree. It’s, like, overflowing with radical creatures.” She paused to give Fluttershy a one legged hug with a lazy smile. “I'd love to examine the whacked auras that flow through there, you know?”
“What?” Rainbow shook her head so fast her mane left multicolored streaks. “No way, uh-uh! Fluttershy, you have no idea what’s out there!”
“Yeah,” Tree Hugger said as she made her way back into the closet, “it’s gonna be awesome.”
“It’s dangerous!” Rainbow landed before Fluttershy. “What in the world are you thinking? You could get hurt.”
“So could anypony else who might go.” Once again, Fluttershy was glaring. “Why should they? Why should anypony who doesn’t know Discord take that risk? It’s not fair to them. I care about Discord. I’m the very first friend he’s ever had, and that means I have to be a good example. How would you feel if none of your friends came to help you when you were a prisoner?”
“I’ve never been in that situation!” Yet Rainbow paused to think on Fluttershy’s argument. “Well… I guess I’d just be happy to be freed. Gotta admit, though, it would make me feel better if somepony like you or Applejack or Twilight came to save me.”
Or Nye. The thought made her smile, reminding her of a certain adventure…
Which snapped her to the present. If Nye hadn’t overcome his fears that night, she’d probably be dead. And Fluttershy wanted to go out there alone?
“I won’t be alone,” Fluttershy said encouragingly. “Fine Crime’s coming with me.”
“Oh. That… helps.” The thought tempered some of her initial concern, but it also had alarm bells ringing in Rainbow’s head. Had he put her up to this? Given his profession, there was no way it would be a straightforward assignment. “Just the two of you?”
“Yes, unless he decides to bring somepony along. I’m hoping he doesn’t, though, I wanted this to be limited to Discord’s friends.”
“Fluttershy?”
Their eyes turned to the couch to find Keen watching them with ears folded back. “Are you gonna be okay?”
“Oh, Keen, of course I am!” Fluttershy trotted over to nuzzle the filly. “Your Uncle Fine is coming with me. You know he’d never let anything bad happen.”
The filly bit her lip before asking, “Do you think you’ll run into monsters?”
Rainbow smirked and struck a pose. “You don’t have anything to worry about, kid! I’m going too—”
Fluttershy whipped around. “Huh?”
“—and there’s no way I’d let any monsters hurt my best friend.” Rainbow winked at Fluttershy.
“B-but, I… I didn’t mean to…” Fluttershy fidgeted as she sought some kind of response. “Rainbow, you don’t have to. What about the weather team? With Cloud Kicker gone for who knows how long, how—”
“Lightning can lead the weather team while I’m gone.” Rainbow jumped into a hover and crossed her hooves with a smirk. “She’s totally ready for it. Don’t worry, Fluttershy, I won’t leave you hanging! Besides…” Her enthusiasm faded a little. “I was in Nildia when it happened. I was there, Fluttershy. Who knows what Tazel would have done to us in our sleep if Discord hadn’t been there? I owe him.”
“I guess that’s true.” Fluttershy thought on it for a moment longer before her lips curled into a warm smile. “Thanks, Rainbow. I appreciate it. But I was going to leave tomorrow afternoon. Are you sure it’s not too short a notice? I can wait until the morning after, if you want.”
Rainbow winced. “Come to think of it, yeah, Lightning’s gonna need a bit longer than one night to prepare, especially with all the new employees from the refugee camps.”
Keen’s timid voice caught their attention. “Um, Miss Dash? What will you do if a monster comes?”
“Hah! You gotta ask?” Rainbow did a quick loop before throwing a few practice punches. “I’ll show them who’s boss, that’s what!”
The filly ducked as if to avoid a blow. “Um… You don’t have to hurt them, do you?”
The reaction brought a pause, and then Rainbow burst out laughing. “Wow, Fluttershy, you’re really rubbing off on her.”
Keen stood up, worry flashing in her eyes. “B-but what if they didn’t have to be monsters? Some monsters can be cured.”
“Oh, Keen,” Fluttershy gushed. She nuzzled the filly once more and stroked her mane. “We’ll try not to act too quickly, okay? I don’t want to hurt the animals in the Everfree any more than you would.”
But Keen’s gaze was still on Rainbow, who blushed and rubbed the back of her head. She felt like she were the target of one of Twilight’s lectures. “Uh, yeah, I won’t rush into things if I can help it.” Not that she expected any of the creatures in the Everfree Forest to give them the same courtesy. “So we’re leaving the morning after tomorrow? I better go get my place secured, then.”
“And tell Nye,” Fluttershy reminded her with a warm smile. “He’s hopeless without you. You should have seen him when you went to Nildia, the poor thing.”
Rainbow groaned and stuck out her tongue, though she couldn’t hide a small smirk. “Don’t remind me! He wouldn’t leave me alone for nearly a month after that. I’m gonna see if he’s home. See you tomorrow!”
She fled the house in a blur.
Nye thought he felt his jaw hit the doormat. “Fluttershy’s doing what?”
“You heard me.” Rainbow huffed her exasperation. “She’s got it in her head that she’s gotta go on some death-defying quest to rescue Discord’s rump. I was gonna talk her out of it, but she sounds pretty determined. I wanna promote that kind of thing in her, y’know?”
He closed his jaw with a click of teeth. “Going on dangerous trips?”
Rainbow facehoofed. “Being assertive, ya blockhead!”
“Oh, right.” He chuckled and rubbed his mane back. “This is all pretty sudden.” Understanding dawned on him and he let out a long groan. “You’re going with her, aren’t you?”
“I’ve got to,” she declared with a confident pose. “Fluttershy’s my oldest friend. I’ve been looking after her since flight school.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You mean like how you knocked her off a cloud in a race and didn’t even bother to save her from the fall?”
“Hey! That was…” She jumped into the air, sputtering for some kind of comeback. “I… That was the first time I met her, okay? I thought she could at least hover!”
Nye broke into laughter. “I was picking on ya, Rainbow! Geez, lighten up.”
“Sorry, sorry…” She landed once more, head hanging low. She was silent for a few seconds, but Nye knew better than to say anything just then. The silence drifted on longer than he expected, though, and he was about to say something when Rainbow spoke up again, saying something wholly unexpected.
“H-hey, is Jimmy here?”
“Jim?” Nye’s eyebrows rose, but it was more for her despondent tone than the question. “No, he’s working late again. Why?”
She pushed him backwards. “Inside.”
“Uh, okay.” He let her in, quickly closing the door behind him. “What’s going on, Rainbow? You’re not usually so… down.”
“I know, I just...” She stood in the hall for a few moments, rubbing her colorful mane back with a bashful expression. After a while it faded to something a bit more typical of the esteemed Rainbow Dash: a determined glare. “If you tell anypony I’m saying this—”
He raised his hooves between them with a chuckle. “I know, I know. Rainbomb to the head, right?”
“Right.” She shuffled from hoof to hoof, chewing her lip. “What do you think about Fluttershy and Fine Crime?”
Nye cocked his head. “What the hay does Fine have to do with anything?”
“Just answer the dumb question.”
He took in her uncertain look and realized how serious she was. What had gotten into her? Perhaps directness was best. “They’re frustrating,” he said at last. “I mean, it’s obvious to anypony watching that Fine’s head over hooves, and equally obvious that she hasn’t a clue.”
Rainbow’s eyes hardened, though they glazed over in an aimless stare. Nye couldn’t tell if she was glaring at his chest or nothing at all.
Nye leaned forward. “Rainbow?”
She flinched as if coming out of a trance. “So… how well do you know the guy? I mean, yeah, I know Fine, but I don’t know know him, y’know? We really don’t see much of one another.”
“Oooooooh.” Nye couldn’t resist a smirk. “I see now. Feeling like the overprotective big sister, huh?”
“Well… yeah, sorta.” Rainbow fidgeted some more, unable to meet his gaze. “It’s not just that, though. He’s going too.”
“Going? You mean with you and Fluttershy?” At her nod, Nye couldn’t help but grin. “Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe spending so much time with her like that will give him the kick he needs.”
“Maybe.” Rainbow didn’t look at all pleased with the idea. “So… you think he’d treat her well?”
“Are you kidding?” Nye laughed at the suggestion. “He’d treat her like a princess! She’d be so pampered, even Rarity would get jealous.” He sobered quickly when she didn’t react in kind. “What’s wrong?”
She kicked at the floor, a scowl on her lips. “I’m just worried. I’ve always been there for Fluttershy, and now some shadowy stallion comes swooping in and acting all… protective of her. Forget that he’s taking my job, I don’t like it.”
Nye stared for a few seconds. He glanced around at nothing, buying time to think of what to say. “So you’re… jealous… of him?”
“No, not ‘jealous,’ just…” Rainbow heaved a long sigh. “It’s stupid, I know. I just don’t know Fine very well. If they do end up together, does that mean I’m handing her safety over to him? To a guy I know next to nothing about?” She huffed, cheeks burning. “I’m overreacting, right?”
Nye smiled and sidled up next to her. He nuzzled her ear playfully. “I don’t think so. You’re just worried about your friend. It’s only natural… and cute.”
“Rainbow Dash isn’t ‘cute,’ ” she grumbled, but didn’t pull away from his touch.
“So you’re a changeling?” He chuckled and tucked his muzzle under her chin. “I’m so easily fooled. Will I at least enjoy it as you suck all the love juice outta me?”
She bumped him back and shot him a glare, her cheeks burning. “That is not an appealing image.”
He burst out laughing once more. “That’s not how I meant it, Rainbow! And ponies say my head’s always in the gutter.”
She sputtered as the red in her cheeks grew to cover her entire face. “I… That’s not what… You are so lucky there was nopony here to witness that!” She shook a hoof at him, but he only laughed some more. “Ugh, your dirty mind is starting to rub off on me.”
“My mind isn’t half as dirty as ponies seem to think.” He chuckled and moved in close, this time crossing his neck along the back of hers. “You know you love me.”
“Yeah, if I have to.” She reached back to rub his head between the ears, which brought a contented smile to his lips. “I’m still gonna get you back for that when I come home.”
“Might as well do it now, ‘cause I’m going with you.” The scratching stopped. Nye peered with one half-open eye, his smile broadening when she facehoofed.
“Oh, come on! Now you want in on this?”
“Hey, she’s my friend too. So’s Fine.” He shifted so he was beside her and, with one leg wrapped around her shoulder, poked her in the chest. “And if you think I’m letting my mare-friend go out on another big adventure without me, you’ve got another thing coming.”
She fixed him with a glower. “This isn’t you pretending to be macho because of some desire to impress me, is it?”
“Maybe.” He smirked. “But it’s also to avoid having to spend Luna-knows how long waiting for you to come home. Do you have any idea how miserable I was when you went to Nildia?”
“How could I forget?” She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue. “You wouldn’t let me out of your sight for a whole month after that. I’m not much for clingy, y’know.”
He nodded, suddenly serious. “And I’m not much on you going off on dangerous adventures with no means of letting me know if you’re safe. I don’t care if you’re already a hero, RD, I still worry.”
“I think I’ll be just fine.”
“Ah-ah.” Nye caught her before she could walk for the door, pulling her back into a sitting position. “I’m going with you. Just once, I’d like to do something like this together.”
She hesitated, only able to meet his eyes after a few seconds of consideration. “Together, huh? You really wanna go on this trip? I know your heart's in the right place, and I appreciate it a lot, but you and I both know this isn't exactly your thing. We gotta go through the Everfree Forest, and you know how that went last time.”
He flinched as her wing reached down to caress the scar on his hind leg. “Y-yeah, how could I forget?”
He took her hooves in his, noting with some satisfaction the pink in her cheeks at the contact. “But we’ve never done anything like this together. I mean, we do spend a lot of time with one another, but something memorable like this? Where we go out and face the threat as one, knowing full well what that means?” He leaned forward to press the tip of his muzzle to hers with a warm smile. “Can you think of a better way to bond?”
“Bonding.” She chuckled, once again not pulling back from his affectionate display. “Is that what you think we’ll be doing out there?” She paused, her eyes going wide. “W-what if that’s what Fine’s planning on doing with Fluttershy?”
“In that case, rejoice! You don’t have to feel so awkward with me around.”
“That’s not what I was talking about,” she grumbled. “But yeah, it’s a good point. Being the third wheel would be so uncool.”
He rubbed his chest in a self-approving manner and leaned over to give her a smug smile. “So. I’m going, right?”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow and looked him up and down appraisingly. After a few seconds she rolled her eyes and smiled. “Oh, fine! But only because if I say ‘no’ you’ll bring out the puppy eyes.”
“Aww, come on.” He put on an exaggerated slouch and looked up at her with big, shining eyes and pouting lips. “You like the puppy eyes.”
“You are such a goofball!” She pushed him against the wall with a laugh that he joined.
His laughter came to an abrupt stop as she moved in close, her eyelids low and her muzzle so close to his he could feel her hot breath.
“I like goofballs.”
A sideways smile came to his lips. “Even the clingy ones?”
She considered the question, but there was no hesitation in those sultry red eyes. She pressed her forehead against his, her voice just a whisper. “Yeah, I think I can put up with it.”
“Good, ‘cause I’m about to get clingy.”
A long pause. Nye wanted to move in, to touch those lips that were so, so close, but he held back. The moment needed to linger. This, he’d come to learn, was just as electrifying as the conclusion; her breath on his lips, her eyes filling his vision, her chest pressed against his own. The fuel was on, and all they needed was one little spark.
The anticipation was divine.
As was the challenge.
Nye resisted. He fought it with everything he had, relishing each second of tense, heart-pounding eagerness. Rainbow fidgeted, the fur of her body rubbing with his and alerting him to her desire.
Her wings trembled, a familiar sign. He needed only wait a few more seconds…
The front door opened, and Rainbow became a multicolored blur. Then… nothing. Nye was staring at the wall, his flank pressed tight to its opposite and his lips no longer heated by her blatant desire. He stood in a stupor, trying to process what just happened. Slowly, he turned his head to the door.
“Uh… hey Nye.” His twin brother, Jimmy, studied him with head cocked. “Why do I get the feeling I interrupted something?”
Gritting his teeth, Nye pried himself from the wall and pushed his mane back into place. “Jim, you know I love you, but I kinda hate you right now.”
“Hey, Jim!” Rainbow came trotting from down the hall with a grin. Though she bore little indication of Nye’s frustration, her jaw looked just a little taught. “What’s up?”
“Not much.” Jimmy fluffed his wings and avoided their gazes. “Should I, er, come back later?”
“Hey, it’s your house. Do what you want.” Rainbow shrugged and moved for the door. Though she didn’t look at Nye, he gave the tiniest of shivers when her tail whipped up to rub beneath his chin at her passing. “I’ve gotta go secure my house. See ya later, Nye!”
“Looking forward to it.” He grinned and waved, but she never looked back and soon the door was between them.
Jimmy sighed and shook his head. “Yep, definitely interrupted something.”
“You’re going where?”
Fluttershy leaned back at the combined cry of her friends. “Um… the Everfree Forest?”
“Beyond the Everfree Forest,” Rainbow corrected with confidence.
They were all gathered in the library the next morning. Fluttershy stood with Rainbow and Nye flanking her. Despite the alarmed expression of their friends, she felt a little more comfortable knowing that she wouldn’t be explaining this alone.
Rarity responded with her expected posh disapproval. “Why would you possibly want to make a journey through such a dreadful place?”
“We’re looking for a cure for Discord,” Nye replied. Though he lacked the blatant confidence of his marefriend, he also didn’t appear to harbor any doubts. His posture was relaxed and he had that same unassuming smile Fluttershy was accustomed to. “Fine Crime believes he found something and we’re gonna investigate.”
Applejack tilted her head with an uncertain frown. “But why would he ask ya’ll to do it? Especially you, Fluttershy. Makes less sense than askin’ Rarity to clean pigs.” She ignored Rarity’s shudder.
“Fine didn’t ask us to go,” Fluttershy corrected. “I volunteered, and when they found out Rainbow and Nye offered to join.” She cast a smile at each of her companions. “For Discord, I’m willing to try.”
“We’d all like to help Discord, of course,” Upper Crust noted with a frown, “but are you really sure that you are the ponies to do this?”
“There’s no point trying to talk them out of it, guys.” Jimmy sat beside Rarity, his own expression grim. “I tried everything last night. They’re determined to see this through.”
Pinkie bounced in place in the center of the group. “But did you really try everything? Like, did you mention how there could be dangerous wild creatures in the forest that could eat everypony in one big gulp? But then I bet Fluttershy could just use her stare on them and solve that right away. But what if they were to come across something scary, a ghosty they can’t giggle at? Oh, oh, or thestrals! A whole tribe of thestrals with fangs and bat wings and maybe they’ll try to drink your—”
Lightning planted a hoof in Pinkie’s muzzle, stifling the flow. “They’re not gonna run into thestrals, Pinkie, but I do think the three of you alone won’t cut it.” She cast her eye towards Rainbow. “No offense.”
Rainbow puffed out her chest with a brash smile. “Hah! As if I couldn’t handle a little walk in the woods.”
Applejack stomped. “I can’t believe Fine told you about this! He should be here anyway. If he’s gonna get you involved, the least he could do is go with you.”
“Oh, he is.” Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile at the thought. “He’s just busy making sure the Archons won’t collapse while he’s gone.”
Upper Crust sighed her relief. “That’s good to know. If anypony can keep all of you safe, it’s him.”
“Hey! What about me?” Rainbow crossed her hooves with a huff.
Applejack stepped forward. “I should—”
“No.” Fluttershy waved her back. “It’s apple bucking season! With all the new helpers at the farm, Sweet Apple Acres needs you now more than ever to keep things organized.”
“I… But…” Applejack sagged and covered her face with her hat. “I guess that’s true. Big Mac’s no good at controlling so many ponies at once.”
“Nye’s already convinced me to stay behind,” Jimmy admitted with a guilty expression. He pointed at Upper Crust. “And he’s assigned me to pin your tail down.”
She groaned and sat, already resigned to inevitability. “I really don’t like this, Jim.”
“I’d go, but then who would look after Keen?” Lightning shook her head in defeat. “Besides, somepony’s gotta keep the weather team in line, and I doubt I’d be much help anyway with my bum wing.”
“Look on the bright side,” Rainbow offered with a smirk, “You’re gonna be making my salary until I get back.”
Lightning’s ears perked and her eyes widened. “Really? You did that for me?” At Rainbow’s nod she broke into a wide grin. “That’s great! I’ll finally be able to get that bed for my room! I’m getting sick of sleeping on that couch.”
“If only Octavia hadn’t already left on her vacation.” Upper Crust kicked at the floorboards. “You know she’d be good to go.”
Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Don’t forget Twilight and Spike! They’d have been really useful on a trip like this, but hey, Canterlot needs all the help it can get organizing aaaaalll those refugees. Oh well, I guess we’ll have to make do.”
“I’m sure we’ll be just fine. None of you need to—” Fluttershy paused, her eyes shifting to Pinkie. “ ‘We?’ ”
Pinkie appeared at her opposite side, wrapping a hoof around Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Yepper doodles, I’m going too! Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rainbow and Nye, four friends on an epic adventure. The sights, the sounds, the dangers—” She began to shake Fluttershy wildly. “—the romance! It’s gonna be so much fun!”
“I-I-I d-d-don’t-t-t th-th-think-k-k-k—”
Nye pulled Pinkie off, leaving Fluttershy to wobble in place and fix her swirling eyes. “Pinkie, you do realize we’re not exactly going on a picnic?”
“Indeed,” Rarity chimed in, “what could possibly make you think their trip is going to be fun?”
“Uh, duh.” Pinkie patted herself on the chest with a smile. “Because I’ll be with them, of course.”
“Hey, I don’t mind,” Rainbow said, dropping down to share a hoof-bump with Pinkie. “We’re talking about traipsing for who knows how long in the woods. At least with you around it’ll never be boring, right?”
“Just doing my duty, Dashie!”
Rarity heaved a long sigh. “I wish I could go. As much as ‘traipsing’ through the woods sounds like a horrid experience, I’d really hate to stay behind. If I weren’t so tied up with Fancy’s campaign trying to provide for all the refugees, I’d sign up in a heartbeat. Alas, I really don’t think they could spare me; just finding the time to come here today was a feat.”
“And none of us blame you for that,” Fluttershy was quick to reply. “Those ponies have lost everything. It’s so good of you to contribute so much time and energy to them.”
“So,” Nye said, casting his gaze around the library and all present. “Fluttershy, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fine and me. I think we can handle it.”
Rainbow flew a quick loop and hoof-pumped. “Oh, we can’t just ‘handle’ it, we are gonna smash it like a bunch of dusty old academy records!”
“I have every confidence in you,” Upper Crust declared with a winning smile.
“Yeah, but still…” Jimmy rubbed his silver mane back, wings twitching as he looked to Nye. “Be careful, okay, bro?”
“Don’t worry about him!” Pinkie patted Nye on the head with a grin. “This guy rescued a princess! I think he’ll survive a camping trip, even if it does involve big, nasty monsters in old rotting temples.”
Rainbow paused. “Temples? Like in Daring Do?” Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Nye, on the other hoof, flinched. “What big, mean monsters? Nopony said anything about that.”
“They’re not monsters, they’re gargoyles.” Fluttershy flicked her mane with a confident smile. “And I imagine they won’t be a problem if we just explain the situation. I’m sure they’ll be perfectly reasonable.”
“Even so.” Rarity walked up to embrace her tightly. “Do be careful, dear.”
“Yeah, and don’t take forever,” Lightning suggested with a wink. “Otherwise I’ll get used to being in charge. I’d hate to have to fight you for it and have you go down as losing to a cripple.”
They all shared a hearty laugh, forgetting for just a moment the uncertainty that they all faced in the coming days.