Friends of a Feather Have Fun Together
A few days later...
At the breakfast table, all three of the princesses were sitting down to a nice, wholesome, and tasty breakfast.
"So Flurry Heart, how have you enjoyed your stay in Canterlot?" asked Princess Celestia, making some small talk with her great-niece.
"Great!" replied Flurry Heart, gulping down some orange juice. "You and great-aunt Luna have been so nice to me, and I've had so much fun going around town and exploring the shops. Not to mention the new friends that I've made here."
Princess Celestia smiled at Flurry Heart. "I'm glad to hear that." she said.
"Um, speaking of my new friends," said Flurry Heart, looking down at her plate and poking at a slice of peach. "I was wondering if I could invite them to my birthday party. I mean, since I'm going back to the empire after the party, and I want to be able to say a proper goodbye to them."
Celestia and Luna looked at each other and gave a nod. "I think it'd be wonderful." said Celestia. "I'm eager to finally meet these new friends of yours."
"I am too, I know you're going to love them." Flurry Heart cleared her plate and excused herself from the table.
"And where are you off to in such a hurry?" asked Luna.
"There's a new airship that's going to be launched today, I'm hoping to ride it with Harmony today." said Flurry Heart. "I'll be back soon, bye!" Without another word, Flurry Heart was gone.
* * *
On her way to the cafe, Flurry Heart made a quick little stop at the jewelry shop she'd been in front of when Harmony had come to her rescue. There was something here she had to pick up, for her new friend. A little bell rang above the door as Flurry Heart opened it and trotted up to the counter. A stunning Unicorn mare spotted her coming in and bowed to her.
"Ah! Your highness, welcome back." said the Unicorn.
"Is it finished?" asked Flurry Heart.
The Unicorn nodded, and pulled out a small box out from under the counter. "It's such a splendid gem! I made sure that the chain was exactly as you specified." She lifted the box up and opened it for Flurry Heart to see inside.
"It's perfect." said Flurry Heart. "You've done an excellent job."
"Thank you, princess. It's an honor to have somepony such as yourself in need of my services."
Flurry Heart paid the Unicorn and took the box, giddily prancing out of the shop with her head held high. Everything was going perfectly for her.
Harmony was wiping down the counter, enjoying how quite and pleasant things had been since Friday night. After those last few hectic days, it felt good to take a breather and get back to some nice, soothing work. Cafe door swung open, and in came Flurry Heart, an excited grin on er face.
"Oh, hey Flurry." said Harmony. "I haven't seen you around here for a while, been busy?"
Flurry Heart nodded. "Uh-huh, after Friday I wanted to catch up on seeing all of Canterlot before the end of my trip, which is why I'm here?"
Harmony blinked at her in confusion. "Huh?"
"There's an airship that's going to be taking off today, and I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me on it's first voyage." Flurry Heart waited expectantly.
Harmony looked away, unsure. "I don't know. I mean, don't get me wrong, it sounds nice and all. But I've kept the cafe closed for three whole days that I need to make up for."
"Please? Just for an hour or two. It starts around noon, so you could go during your lunch break." Flurry Heart batted her eyelashes and pouted.
Harmony gave her a straight-faced look. "Laying it on there a little thick, don't you think?"
Flurry Heart dropped the pout.
"Look, I maybe be able to spare an hour with you during my break, only if you let me get on with my work." said Harmony with a sigh. And secretly she thought to herself, Besides, I've never been on an airship before, and it sounds really great! She did her best to hide her enthusiasm about going on the ship by maintaining a calm, rational composure. "But I don't guarantee any promises." she added.
"Great!" said Flurry Heart smiling. I'll see you at the launching dock."
"I said maybe!" called Harmony, but Flurry Heart was already out the door before she could actually hear what Harmony had said.
A little ways down the mountainside from Canterlot, there rest the great airship, docked beside a golden platform and dock, waiting to be released into the air. The airship itself was quite remarkable. The lower part looked like a sailing vessel, painted with the Canterlot colors of white, gold, and purple, and had little flaps at the sides and in the rudder to help it glide properly through the air. And there was of course, the key attachment that kept the whole vessel afloat, a large blimp balloon that was tied to the ship by many strong, thick cords. Standing on the docks were the ponies eager to either board the airship for its first flight, or to merely watch the takeoff. Flurry Heart was waiting in line at the gangplank, holding a ticket for herself and for Harmony, in case she did come. She kept an eye out, searching over the crowds for any sign of her with little success.
Flurry Heart sighed in disappointment. "Guess she isn't coming after all." Just as she set her hoof onto the gangplank, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.
"Flurry, wait!" She whirled her head around and saw Harmony flying over the crowd toward her.
"Finally, you made it." she said as Harmony landed down in front of her. "I knew you would."
"Yeah, well, I'm only going to be here for a little while, at least until my break's over." she looked up toward the airship, an ecstatic smile creeping its way up on her face. "It sure is a nice-looking ship." she said.
"Well, let's hurry up and get on it before they take off without us."
"Right."
The line surge forward as ponies boarded upon the airship. Once everypony who was going on the voyage was on the ship, the captain said a speech he'd prepared. A glass bottle of champagne was hit against the ship's hull, and the airship left the the dock. Ponies on the ground cheered and waved to the ponies on the ship. Flurry Heart smiled and waved back at them, while Harmony stood off to the side, admiring the work of the ship and looking out at the breathtaking view ahead of them. The captain went behind the wheel, and steered the airship on its course.
It sailed out through the sky, soaring higher and higher until it was above the cloud line. Harmony looked out over the railing, a light breeze blowing through her mane, as she looked at the rolling greenery, and the clear winding rivers below. Flurry Heart joined Harmony and looked out over the landscape with her.
"This view is amazing!" she commented. "I can almost see the Crystal Castle from here."
"It is pretty impressive." admitted Harmony. "I've never really flown this high before."
Flurry Heart arched an eyebrow at her. "Really? But you're a Pegasus. Don't they usually fly super high?"
"I may be a Pegasus, but I grew up in a cottage on the ground and in Canterlot my entire life, the highest I've ever flown is just over the rooftops."
"Oh. Sorry. I just thought--"
"No, it's okay, you didn't know." Harmony returned her gaze out toward the horizon, a far away gaze and a wistful smile appeared on her face. "The very thought of flying terrified me when I was little, my mom had a rough time trying to get me to face my fear. But after a while, I got used to it."
Flurry Heart giggled. "Sorry." she said when Harmony looked at her curiously. "It's just that, when I was a baby, I was flying all over the place! My parents told me that I was a really strong flier for somepony so young, and how I was even able to lift aunt Twilight's friend Pinkie Pie off the ground."
Harmony chuckled. "You must've had some interesting flying lessons then while growing up."
"Yeah." said Flurry Heart, her cheeks turning pink. "They certainly were interesting."
Harmony cast her eyes downward, and pawed at the deck a little with her right hoof. "My mom used to sing a song when she taught me how to fly, to calm my nerve and keep me from worrying about falling."
"A song?" asked Flurry Heart.
"It was an old song, it was one of my favorite songs, along with the others mom sang to me."
"Could you sing it?" Harmony looked at Flurry Heart, who was intrigued to hear it.
"I don't know, it's been years." said Harmony, a little unsure.
"Please?"
"Well...okay." Harmony took in a deep breath and began to sing the song, the words flowing into her as she remembered how her mom used to sing them.
"We leave the ground so easily, float along so breezily. Here we are; you and I, two for the sky!"
As Harmony sang the next verse, the ship passed through some puffs of cloud that grazed against the hull.
"Above the clouds we're hovering, having fun discovering. What it's like way up high, two for the sky! Could any road be airier, anypony feel merrier? Gosh I'm glad we can fly, two for...two for the sky."
A strong gust of wind blew, raising the ship higher and whipping the girls' manes in their faces, causing them to laugh.
"We see the earth grow tinier, every star seems brighter. And we sigh; you and I, two for the sky!"
As the wind died down, a few song birds flew past them and around the balloon.
"Zip and zoom so snappily; greet the birds so happily, proud that we too can fly, two for...two for the sky. Two for...two for the sky!"
When Harmony had finished, Flurry Heart applauded wildly. "That was great!" she exclaimed. "You've got a really amazing voice."
Harmony blushed. "I-it's nothing. I've...just had a lot of practice, from my mom I mean. It's just something the two of us used to do together."
"Well, I think it sounds lovely." said Flurry. "Your mom must've had some voice."
Harmony smiled fondly as she looked up into the endless blue sky. "Yeah, she did."
The rest of the voyage went smoothly, with the girls oohing and ahing at the scenery and looked out at the clouds, imagining them in different shapes. Flurry Heart felt very pleased. Everything was going as well as she planned, and it would soon build up to the big finish that she had for Harmony, where she'd finally give her the special surprise she'd made for her. As thanks for becoming her friend, and all that she'd done the past few days during her stay.