Lilly continued to hum music as it passed through her head. She moved slowly, allowing herself to relax and get ready to go back out into the insanity which was the rest of the group.
It wasn’t that she disliked groups, it was just that... Now that she was away from everyone she realized she felt tired. She wanted nothing more than to find a notepad and pencil and sketch out a new flight routine, or go study the mind, or take another anatomy class. Perhaps she could—
She shook herself, pulling her mind out of the enticing realm of her innermost thoughts. She couldn’t fold yet. Lilly knew she still had a job to perform. Passing a window, she glanced outside. The clouds were slowly being moved into place. The pink mare giggled as she watched her beloved stallion lose that well-kept temper at the black colt. Soarin was doing his best to oil things over, but it was evident Steady had had enough.
“Just wait until he sees Arrow,” she muttered to herself. “Alicorns flee, the great stone wall has just started attacking.” She then giggled harder after saying it. “Sorry, it sounded better in my head. I mean—” She placed a hoof over her mouth, blushing. Nopony was even around and she was apologizing to thin air over a joke that nopony heard. “Smooth Feathers, smooth.”
Finally tearing her eyes from the window, she turned her sensors out, listening and feeling for the presence of other ponies. She could feel Discord nearby, but the god of chaos was minding his manners and keeping a low profile. Lilly was glad for this.
Without trying, her mind ventured to the scariest moment of her life. One that had only happened a year before: the night she met that monster. There had been no warning, no prior information sent to them about even the possibility of him getting out. Then suddenly, while the three were exploring, he’d appeared.
Her stomach flopped as she remembered the agony as he merged all three of their spirits into the same body. Winter Wonder, alicorn of Winter, coming to life for the first time ever. It was both amazing and horrible. The pain, the noise of having all three of them, their minds taking up the space of what would normally be just one pony’s mind. It was amazing, because for the first time in her life, Lilly had felt whole. It was horrible because of the fact that Unity was never meant to be just one.
Lilly was very thankful that Glitter had kept her head on her shoulders and taken charge. Lilly was just too scared to really add anything to the table. Catstitch had nearly declared a holy war.
The part of a pony that made it possible to ascend died in her that day. From then to now she knew she’d never know the magic of the alicorn in its purity. She’d forever be stuck between the realm of the average pony and the realm of existence that Celestia and Luna lived in. Twilight and Cadance had only ever seen a glimpse, they were ascended. Lilly knew what it was to truly be an alicorn. And never again could she hold that power fully between her wings and wield it against another being.
Not that she held it for long. For after Discord had them stuck and confused and had gotten Glitter to shoot at him, he then stole... it. Lilly was never sure what. But something within her was removed. Something that would forever tie her magic to that mismatched beast.
“Oh, I’m so hurt.” Arrow’s whining is what snapped Lilly from the dark memories.
“Lassy! Ye are neigh more hurt than if ye had stepped onna’ stone!” Catstitch protested.
“I am so pathetic!” Arrow continued.
Lilly’s ears flicked back. “That foal!” Flying up, she entered an passageway above the main hall. Following it, she entered the main hall where all the action was taking place. Lilly froze still to listen.
“I didn’t mean to!” Apple Bloom defended herself.
“My pride is destroyed!” Arrow continued to blubber.
Lilly could tell nopony was impressed by Arrow’s display. Frowning, she slipped out of the vent and landed directly in front of the young mare she’d been charged to help raise. “Miss Arrow, when I was little, I remember all of Canterlot wearing potholders on their heads and calling them hats. I’m not sure who’s more ridiculous, you, or the mare who came up with that fashion trend.”
Everypony stood there stunned. The ones who had been previously blindfolded removed them. “How—” Twilight began.
Lilly pointed to the ceiling. “I’ve got wings,” she stated.
“Potholders!” Rarity’s eye twitched. “POTHOLDERS?!”
Catstitch cringed. “Ah’ remember it. We had been neigh o’er five. Did ye’ havva bring it up?”
“Report,” Lilly ordered, her eyes having not left Arrow.
Arrow snapped to attention, her eyes wide. “I was— you see—”
“Ensign, how is Steady going to react when he hears about this one?”
Arrow’s eyes narrowed to pinpricks. “Please... no.”
“What would Steady say?” Lilly repeated.
Arrow started shaking.
“Yep, you have earned his wrath. You better be glad I’ve not told him yet,” Lilly barked. “Five minutes with your nose in the corner. NOW! Neither Steady nor I are in the mood for this.”
Arrow galloped off as fast as she could.
Lilly snorted. “That filly!”
“Don’t you think you were harsh?” Fluttershy asked.
Lilly deflated almost instantly. “Did I hurt her, yes. You have to remember Fluttershy, I’m basically that filly’s mother. But I’m also her captain. My own feelings or her’s don’t really matter. She was on duty and had a job. That did not mean pulling the dramatics. So, how’d it go down here?”
There were hums and haws throughout the crowd. “Great!” Pinkie tried to hold a brave face.
Lilly nodded with a sigh. “That’s what I thought.”
“How’s mah sister?” Apple Bloom asked, stepping forward. “Ah mean, is she gunna be, ya’ know, like Dash?”
Lilly shook her head. “I really don’t think so,” she comforted. “Rainbow’s always been like this. I’ve seen her go into these modes before. Applejack, no. She’s, if I am correct, the personality type known as Executive. What should be done is based off what’s been done. For her, I bet first off, she’s already wrapped her head around it and has a clear cut goal in mind. The thing to remember is, you have to allow her a level of control. She needs to be in control to a degree.”
Apple Bloom cringed. “I know that alright.”
“I bet you do. My Aunt Carmel is like Miss Apple. Simply amazing mares in their ability to multi task. Rainbow, her personality type, like Arrow’s, is what’s referred to as the Performer.”
“Types?” Fluttershy asked. “I didn’t know there there were types. I don’t think you could put Pinkie in a category.”
“Yes, she fits into a category too,” Lilly affirmed.
Pinkie was instantly in her face. “I’m a Champion! Right?”
“Err … yes Pinkie. Out of my face, please. I don’t like that.” Lilly gently shoved the pink ping-pong pony out of her personal space.
“Exactly how do you come up with these … types, Darling?” Rarity asked.
“Four indicators, sixteen types, eight mental processes,” Lilly quoted. “It’s complicated. And I’m really not in the mood to explain the whole thing. It’s called MBTI if you want to look it up. First you go off the introversion vs. extroversion; intuition vs. sensing, which is more important; then thought vs. feeling. Which process there is used before the other. Then you go by organization, J VS P—it’s complicated. Anyways, Dash’s type is the Performer. This type kinda likes showing off, and is one of the few feeling types I still can’t get along with all the time. Dash’s strengths come in her emotions. She has to be in tune with her emotions to be happy. If she starts thinking before going through her inner morals, then we have a problem.”
Twilight looked skeptical. “But thinking is important!”
“That’s also your strength. You need to think through a problem, she needs to feel through a problem. Neither is better, neither is worse; it’s just the way it is,” Lilly stated.
“Didn’t ya say that was the difference between ye and I?” Catstitch asked.
Lilly nodded. “One of them. Twilight, your personality type is what’s known as the Master Mind.”
“One afternoon and you already know what our personality types are?” Twilight asked. “I still am uneasy about this. I don’t want shoved into a box.”
Lilly nodded. “I’m not putting you in a box; I’m understanding the box you came in, using it to know how to give you the information I know. Logic isn’t a strength of mine. Neither is giving information to someone I hardly know. So studying ponies’ types and how they work was very important to me actually being part of people’s lives, not just the pony who cleaned the air vents of dust because she didn’t want to accidently have to talk to anypony. Anyways, back to Dash, or do you want to know what’s going on?”
Fluttershy placed a hoof on Lilly’s shoulder. “Please continue.”
“Well,” the young captain took a deep breath, “her strengths come in her emotion. Her natural state of just understanding things comes in experiencing the world through her five senses. But her weaknesses will be coming in when she has to think about the group as a whole. When she forgets to put herself in your shoes, she starts thinking about how good she is, how great she is ... or the exact opposite, I’ve failed. I’m sure you know the song and dance.”
They all nodded.
“I’ve helped her as much as I can. Don’t harp on her to tell you what she’s feeling, but for her, it’s important that you guys are still there for her. She needs hugs, pats on the back, just somepony to sit beside her so she’s not alone. Dash is as much a Phantom as most of my other friends. In a different time and place, she could have easily joined the Midnight Flyers and nopony would have been the wiser; she loves the wind, the sky, and being free. And to know that all this could have been avoided if only she …. It’s not setting well with her. She made a bad choice in judgement, and she is not handling it well, not that I’d expect anything less of her.” Lilly rubbed her forehead with her hoof, closing her eyes for a moment.
“Headache?” Catstitch asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Lilly stated. “Just tired.”
Catstitch frowned. “Ya know sis—”
“I promised I’d help, and I won’t let them down,” Lilly fired back. “I’ve taken liberties, and I’m not going to back down on my obligations.”
Catstitch nodded. “Now that’s the sis’ ah know ana’ love.”
Lilly glared. “Well then, how far did you get?”
“Get?” Rarity asked.
“I ran into a wall!” Pinkie said. “That was fun!”
“You also talk to flour and call that fun,” Lilly pointed out.
“No, that’s creepy.” Pinkie looked sad. “But talking to books is fun! They can tell you all kinds of things.”
“I won’t go there,” Lilly said, holding up both hooves. “I mean in the class—actually, I think I should do this. Twilight? Can I start with you?”
“Start? Oh, you mean guiding?”
Lilly nodded. “Yep. I need to know how far each of you has come and tweak a few things.
-------------------------
Ka-Boom!
The windows rattled as the thunder crackled across the afternoon sky. “Arrow, Flutterfly, go check everypony upstairs,” Lilly ordered, ending the class.
Instantly, the two ponies moved from their spots and thundered up the stairs, Fluttershy just slightly on the stiff side. Apple Bloom and Sweetie both clung to one another.
“Are you girls scared?” Pinkie giggled.
“Us?” Sweetie squeaked.
“Why would we be scared?” Apple Bloom added.
“Don’t be worried if you girls get a tad spooked. But there’s nothing to be afraid of. Thunder is just the sound of energy burning the air. Nothing to it. Besides, once we hear it, the damage is done.” Lilly smiled encouragingly.
“Ah knew that,” Apple Bloom defended herself.
Lilly smiled as Rarity patted them both on the back. “I think we’ve learned enough and have time for tea and some fun.”
“Yeah,” Twilight agreed. “My head hurts.”
“Is that where my headache is coming from?” Lilly asked. “I thought it was from trying to think too much myself.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Twilight apologized. “I didn’t mean to make you—”
Lilly started giggling. “I’m teasing. I might be emphatic, but not like that. You are uncomfortable and tense, I can sense that, but my headache is my own.”
Cat said something in a language the others didn’t recognize: the twin language.
“That is entirely possible sis, but no way to know for sure,” Lilly responded, opting not to use their special code. “It’s also possible that she’s just showing off.”
Another clash of thunder shook the building. Angel Bunny came screeching around the corner to bury himself in Rarity’s fur.
“Now that’s a first,” Rarity commented.
Again the lights flashed outside, the rumble and grumble of clouds being parted shaking the earth once more.
“Are you sure that stallion is capable of constructing a storm?” Rarity asked. “This seems a little fierce.”
Lilly looked worried. “I trust Steady.” The pink pegasus sighed. “I know that isn’t much to go off of. This actually reminds me of the night I first met Willy. Dark spring night, Papaw was telling a story, when suddenly the lights went out and something large broke out of the building.”
Cat shivered. “Ah remember that night. Scared me it did. I neigh can say I was more terrified of anythin’ else more than I was of that shadow beast that night.”
“That was years ago,” Lilly said, trying to reassure the now frightened fillies. “Williwaw wasn’t as gentle or as civil as she is now—if you can call it that. As far as the storm goes, as long as Steady has room to work, there won’t be any problems. However, from the sound of things … I don’t think Dash’s team follows instructions any better than she does.”
------------------------------
Steady was furious with the team. “Did I say to pack those clouds that tight? Light rain. That doesn’t mean thunder or rain. It’s just a gentle downpour, a mist that soaks the ground, not swamps it.”
Soarin was equally miffed with Rainbow’s less than competent team. “You’d all be booted from the Wonderbolts with this level of incompetence.”
The twins looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry,” Flitter said.
Thunderlane hid something behind his back as he blushed. Steady frowned as he looked around the group. “Soarin?”
The Wonderbolt stepped forward. “Commander?” Soarin teased.
Steady glared for a moment. “We might as well make the best of this, but remind me to inform Lilly of this development. This could be serious.”
Soarin nodded. “Spitfire needs to know as well, Probably Celestia too.”
“I can see drills becoming a daily thing for a while in this town,” Steady said.
“Can see?!” Soarin exclaimed, brushing some rain from his face. “I’d be shocked if anything less happens.”
Steady grumbled. “I’ve met incompetent…. This is insanity.”
“Ever met Rainbow Dash?” Soarin asked.
“If she’s anything like Arrow, I don’t want to,” Steady stated. “Come on, we need to keep this somewhat under control.”
Commander Soarin nodded. “Alright, let’s move.”
--------------------------
Scootaloo snuggled in closer to Rainbow’s chest as another thunderclap shook the room. In the corner, the lamb had woken up and was bleeding, but both of the mares were out cold. “Shhh.” Scootaloo’s voice was uncertain. “It’s alright, little one.”
Rainbow muttered in her sleep, her face screwing up as she herself began to whimper. “Please Daddy, make it stop!”
Scootaloo paused to look at Rainbow.
“DADDY! STOP!” Rainbow said louder.
Applejack opened one eye. “Tarnation, Dash!” she grumbled. “It’s just a bit of thun—” The farm mare’s eyes locked. “Not again.”
Luckily, Fluttershy and Arrow came through the door at just that moment.
“It hurts!” Rainbow Dash whispered. “Daddy, it hurts!” Her voice took on a high pitched squeal as she finished.
Fluttershy frowned. After gently nudging Arrow to the stumbling lamb, she turned to the others. “Again? Rainbow? It’s a dream.” She helped Scootaloo maneuver out of the crushing vice Rainbow had her in.
“NO!” Rainbow screamed in her sleep.
Scootaloo looked up to Fluttershy. “Is this why you wouldn’t let us come in the other day?”
Fluttershy nodded. “If we can get her to wake up, she can come out. But—”
A crash of thunder muted the last of what Fluttershy had to say.
Scootaloo, finally free, walked over to Applejack for comfort. “Will she be alright?”
“Eventually, Sugar Cube. Ah don’t think it’ll be immediately though. A little here, a little there. That’s all we can hope for.”
Scootaloo whimpered.
“There there, ah don’t fuss. Ya’ need ta be strong! For Dash, be strong for yer’ sister,” Applejack soothed.
“Look kid, she’s still alive. You don’t see her head hanging anywhere, and she didn’t die in a flight accident or to bandits. She’s just lost in the dream world. No biggie,” Arrow said unsympathetically.
“Please Arrow, that’s not helping,” Fluttershy gently corrected.
“Sheesh, I try to give some personal wisdom and I get shot down. And ponies wonder why I’m so crazy.” Arrow plopped down, bringing Gertrude into her lap.
“DADDY!” Rainbow Dash whimpered over another clap of thunder.
“Ah call that disgusting,” Applejack said. “Not wisdom.”
Arrow looked up. “I would have said the same five years ago. Then I saw it—you either break, go nuts, or go hard. No biggie.”
Scootaloo kept looking anxiously over Fluttershy’s shoulder. Soon, they’d woken Dash up enough for her to be aware of what was going on. Upon opening her eyes, the first thing they landed on was a trembling Scootaloo. “Scootaloo?”
Scootaloo immediately rushed into Rainbow’s arms. “Oh sis!” the younger sister cried.
Rainbow Dash glanced up at her two friends for help. “Ya went ta’ that other realm again,” Applejack supplied.
“Oh!” she groaned. “Not again.” Dash tried to sit up, but was held down by her blubbering honorary sister. “Alright Scoot, that’s enough. I’m fine.”
“No you are not!” Scootaloo cried.
Rainbow Dash couldn’t argue with this. “Hey, didn’t we agree to work together?”
Scootaloo nodded.
“Well Squirt, how I see it is like this: I’m awake, sore, but awake. And I’ve just scared my sister. That’s not 20% cooler, that’s 100% not cool.”
Scootaloo looked hurt. Rainbow scratched her head sheepishly. “You see Scoot, what I’m trying to say—”
“Look kid, things happen. You’ve just got to carry on,” Arrow blabbed. “Crying endlessly never did anypony any good. Cry for a bit, find a plan, and go with it.” The brown mare looked away, seemingly angrily.
“That’s no way to talk to a scared filly,” Fluttershy said, trying to calm Arrow back down.
Arrow frowned. “Scared! What is there to be scared of? You’ll recover if you behave. You ain’t dead!”
“What’s up with you and death anyways?” Applejack asked.
Arrow looked away, pretending not to hear. “Most fillies my age like it. You know, undead this, undead that. It’s part of the culture.”
The lie was evident. “Arrow is an orphan,” Fluttershy whispered to Applejack and Dash. Sympathy suddenly filled AJ’s eyes.
“Yer’ an orphan?” the farm mare asked.
Arrow said nothing but looked away in shame. Everypony was left in awkward silence. Finally, Arrow stammered, “I do hope that you do get better soon.” Her eyes lifted to meet Rainbow Dash’s. “It’s horrible to see such honorable ponies so beaten down. It’s like—” She paused again, looking away. “I miss my mum.”
---------------------------------------
Pinkie lay at the edge of the room, thinking. It wasn’t often that the pink pogo stick would have want for silence. Rarity and Catstitch were discussing fashion, Lilly and Twilight the current situation. This left her alone, lost in her own thoughts.
Pinkie was the next to youngest in her family. Maud was the eldest, followed by Igni, then herself and Marble being twins. The Persimmon family had been well known by the Pies. She’d been well acquainted with Mr. Still Waters Persimmon for a number of years.
Still Waters had been a very quiet stallion, much like Maud in his humor and ways. She very much remembered the day she, in her surprise and excitement, lost her footing and tumbled down the path, crushing the slightly older Catstitch Persimmon. It would not have been an issue, but Pinkie was pulling a cart quite full of bricks and rocks to be sold at market.
For years, Pinkie’s mind had not turned to that day, but now with the two mares here, she couldn’t help it. That, and Lilly had blatantly reminded her of the event.
It was true that Pinkie often forgot to think before acting. From the the time Fluttershy had decided to perform on stage, even if it was hidden, to her most recent display of thoughtless randomness: leaping on Rainbow Dash, even if it had been a ‘gentle hug.’ It was a good thing she’d not thrown her entire weight into it. Pinkie shuddered to think how that would have ended.
Suddenly, the front door opened. She watched as Flash Sentry entered, the orange and blue guard blowing his horn. “Presenting Doctor Stable.”
It wasn’t long after that the good doctor arrived in the room. Twilight rose to meet him. “Doctor! What a surprise!”
The doctor shook some water from his coat as he handed his slicker to the guard to be hung up by the door. “Just decided to pop in for a visit,” he said.
From the corner of her eye, Pinkie caught Lilly loosening her braid once more. The twins looked at each other, then tossed a blanket over their backs.