Act 3: Routine as usual...or not
"Faster!"
Fluttershy and Blossomforth panted at the commanding voice of Rainbow Dash. She blew her whistle yet again. "Another fifty around the tree and back, go go go!"
The pair softly winced as they arched their backs at what was perhaps their one hundredth wing up.
"No pain, no gain!" Rainbow crowed.
"Come on...lift it, lift it! Pull!"
With weights tied around their legs, the two struggled to stay airborne as an industrial class fan blew down on them from above.
The two trainees ran up the winding steps of Lookout Hill, head and leg sweatbands drenched, with a tail of cheering friends in tow. As they reached the top of the 5,723 step climb, they looked out to the expansive city before themselves, and with a look of triumph they jumped again and again with wings outstretched as right above them Rainbow Dash hoof pumped the air.
"Yeah...yeah! That's right!"
Honey had her back leaned against a large maple tree with her forehooves wrapped behind her head. "When are we going to teach them some actual moves? This is a stunt competition after all."
"Oh...heh heh." Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. "Oops."
Fluttershy slowly twirled to the left as Blossomforth curved up and over her over the central park greenery.
"Not bad you two," Rainbow called from afar. "May want to give a little more twist there if you want to perfect the three-winged dragonfly technique though."
"Will you quit coming up with these ridiculous names? There is no such thing as the three-winged dragonfly technique," Honey argued. "That was just a basic Chandelle."
Rainbow blew a raspberry as Honey drew the two closer for the next lesson. "You're never gonna get them to impress the judges with lame-o 'technical' move names like that. You gotta show some pizazz!"
Honey didn't even bother trying to explain the move would look the same no matter what you named it and instead focused on her pupils. "Alright, we've covered up lines, Cuban Eights, Immelmares, Aileron and Barrel rolls, in and outside loops, and the wingover. That's pretty much all the basics with the exception of stalls and spins, which I don't recommend based on your slower flying styles. From what I've seen, I think we can cover one or two intermediate maneuvers. At the very least, you should attempt the Whifferdill as that move is often used to chain other ones."
"Okay, so, um..." Fluttershy seemed a little hesitant to find the words. "This is nice and all, but...wouldn't it be easier if you just told us what the whole flight routine was supposed to be instead of giving us pieces of it?"
Honey seemed a bit perplexed at what the meek pegasus was asking, then it dawned on her. "Oh, oh! I'm sorry. You thought all this so far was an actual routine? I'm sorry, I should have told you more clearly. These are just routine building blocks, you've got to come up with the act yourself."
"W-what?" the two stammered together. Blossomforth was first to break out of the stutter. "But Daring, I don't have a clue what to do with any of these! I don't know what's proper! Couldn't you just give an airshow plan from one of your history books?"
"And how would that help?" Honey wittingly spieled rhetoric. "You told us yourself, this competition is meant to bring out each flier's own individual style. There are only so many moves you can do in the air before it starts to look all the same. Even if I showed you something to do flap for flap, it wouldn't be your style you'd be displaying, it'd be mine. All I can do is give you the brush to make your art, I can't draw what's in your head."
Both mares seemed a little downturn that a performance plan wasn't going to be as straightforward as they thought. But Honey was quick to try and bolster their spirits.
"But I can pitch a few ideas on how to go about it. How about this? Group performances aren't that common, but are allowed according to the rules. Maybe you can come up with an act together. Here, I'll even teach a few moves that can't be done in a solo act, that should give you more to work with."
As Honey explained the fundamentals around a scissors pattern, Rainbow Dash lay flat on her back across a park bench. This was Snoresville! If she wanted to listen about how to fly, she'd still be in flight school. Aerobatics was all about doing, improv, on the fly, go with your gut with what you thought awesome, not taking a page from some pre-written flight manual! This kind of teaching was just not her style.
Then again, Fluttershy was not her. Yeah...now that she thought about it, her friend would like the hold-your-hoof approach this Daring Do was giving them better than hers. Still, it was boring as heck just sitting there watching them, maybe she could take the time to work on her own routine?
No, no. That would require complete privacy. She couldn't practice her Sonic Rainboom with them in viewing range. It wasn't...ready for a public showing, yeah, that was it! It would spoil the surprise. It's not like she didn't want to do it in front of them because of some totally embarrassing, nervous, and completely different reason altogether. Soooo...what could she do?
Her hoof drifted over and suddenly felt the hardcover of the book Daring and Twilight lent to her from the library. Her eyes drifted to the cover of Daring holding a sapphire statuette while swinging over a dangerous pit, then over to the field where the real Daring was guiding her watermelon maned friend through a curvy loop. It was clear none of the three were looking her way...annnnnnnnd it's not like just watching her friend pony paddle through the skies at a record snail's pace was going to get any more interesting.....
She scooped up the novel and flew a small distance away from the group, behind the trunk of the nearest oak tree. Maybe she could look at only one or two pages, just to see how lame it was...
"Step right this way!" Trixie boldly announced as she led the pair to her caravan clearing. "The Great and Powerful Trixie has just the thing for the aspiring thespians!"
Sitting their rumps down on a log seat around the fire pit, Blossomforth and Fluttershy watched several objects fly from the the magician's open door as she searched for something.
"You're not going to throw rocks and sticks at us from an imaginary audience again, are you?" Blossomforth inquired. Fluttershy squeaked at the word audience.
"Oh no no no no no," Trixie said as she popped her shaking head out. "A truly spectacular performer never puts on a stale act!" She proceeded down her wagon's steps, her telekinetic grip straining as it tried to squeeze a huge trunk through her doorway. "Trixie feels it's time for you master the second stage of show magic, the magic of-" With a final grunt, the trunk burst out and landed right in front of them, its lid snapping open to reveal a plethora of various bobbles and bangles. "-Accessorizing!"
The duo oooooh'd at all the pretty odds and ends that spilled over the edges of the chest, then Blossomforth looked up and spoke blankly. "I don't get it."
"Oh, it's quite simple when you think about it. The P in performance stands for prrrrresentation!"
"I thought the P in performance stood for performance."
Trixie frowned as a cyan, rainbow maned pegasus laughed on top of her wagon's roof. "She's got you pegged there, Miss Great and Powerful."
"Continuing..." she slightly growled through her teeth. "Nothing brings to life a world winning performance more than a few stage props!"
With that she reared up, and from right behind her a pillar of fireworks erupted into the air, spelling her name in bright vibrant colors, as well as singeing the airspace around her roof.
Rainbow Dash immediately rolled off onto the ground in alarm and rubbed the sparks off her coat before they could catch aflame. "Hey! You did that on purpose!"
Fluttershy and Blossomforth on the other hoof, clapped at the neon sight.
"Yes, amazing, isn't it? The Great and Powerful Trixie works with nothing but the best, and now you can too! Let's see if we can't find a little something to put a little shock and awe into those judges!"
Blossomforth, acting like a filly in a toy store, immediately began to root around the insides of the chest with a slightly more cautious Fluttershy poking around.
"Ooooh, what's this?" Blossomforth pulled out a white plastic stick with a long stream of colorful satin cloth attached to one end.
"Ah, good choice! A ribbon dancer! Perfect to bring out the elegance of any twist or turn! Go on, give it a few spins!"
Blossomforth spun her hoof around in a small circle and soon enough, a swirling trail of red, yellow, and green ribbon spun around her like a long tail. Giggling, she began to prance around in more livelier movements, bending the ribbon in a splashy pattern.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy poked her head out of the trunk with a hair full of confetti and a large hula hoop around her neck.
"Hmmm...rather simple, but Trixie supposes it's best to start small. Perhaps if we add...these!"
With a wink of her horn, Fluttershy was now anxiously spinning tiny hooplets on each of her four hooves in the air as well as the large one that was now around her waist.
The showmare then turned to Rainbow Dash as the other two continued to play around with the accessories. "How about you? Perhaps there's something in Trixie's little chest of wonders you could find to spice up your act too."
Rainbow, still a little bothered by Trixie's impromptu fireworks show in her face, chose to blow a large wet raspberry in her face. "As if! I don't need some of your cheap gimmicks to get first place! The only tool I need is right here!"
Trixie looked to the back of where Rainbow was pointing at herself. "A bookmarked copy of Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone?"
"Gaah!" Rainbow quickly flung away the tome that had been hidden under her wings and flapped fervidly. "No no no! These! My wings! That's all I need!"
She let her hooves drift all around her body from her neck to her legs in a displaying manner. "You don't and can't improve upon perfection." She then whizzed upwards at a lightning pace, punching through a row of clouds. She high hoofed the sun's outline and came straight back down, gathering a trail of moisture from behind. Looping a couple of branches, she skidded to stop, letting the droplets form a mini-rainbow over her head as they splashed against her wings. "They don't call me 'Rainbow' and 'Dash' for nothin'!"
"Let's not forget 'Lightning'!" Trixie announced with the most subtlest of teasing in her voice.
"Lightning? Heh, well that's cool too, but I don't see how-AZZZAPBBTH!"
That was when the pegasus had just noticed the little thundercloud Trixie had conjured directly behind her.
"Or should Trixie say 'Thunderbutt'? Ohh ho ho ho ho-BEEEZZZZZZT!"
Trixie's mane and tail frizzed up as Rainbow Dash seized the cloud and proceeded to kick a revenge zap out of nature's taser gun.
The two glared at each other, and another dark cloud poofed right besides the azure unicorn.
"You wanna dance, pretty wings?"
"Make your move, fancy cape!"
*BZZZT* "Ow!"
*ZAP* "Ouch!"
*ZOW* "Yah!"
*ZORCH* "Heeeee!"
The next minute and a half would probably be best analogized as two toddlers sitting in place and poking each other over and over again, trying to get the other to bawl first.
It probably would have continued for even longer had not Fluttershy interrupted with a soft, "Excuse me..."
The two staticky mares turned their heads to the side to find the other pair, sprawled out over the ground, legs and wings in very awkward positions as they were chained together, back-to-back by a series of rings while a strip of ribbons bound and knotted every other inch, complete with a bow on top.
"Yeah...soooo long story short, I don't think we're going to be using either of these," Blossomforth chuckled sheepishly. "What else have you got in that trunk?"
"A good method to alleviating the pressure of performing is to imagine the audience naked."
"But, um, we don't normally wear clothes."
Spike looked up to the white and yellow pegasi laying comfortably on a lounge sofa, then back to the the book open in front of him titled '1001 ways to overcome pathological shyness', then back to the mares.
"Yeah, you're right," he said as he slammed the book shut and tossed it over his shoulder. "These self-help books are a waste of bits. Shrinks must run the biggest scam in the world."
"Now Spike, there's more to being a psychologist than just asking a patient 'how do you feel?'."
Twilight levitated another stack of behavioral study textbooks over by her devoted assistant's side, where he sat on a stool, pen and paper in claw. Her mane done in a bun and a pair of professional glasses were sported on the bridge of her nose.
"Now then, if we want to avoid either of you freezing up in the upcoming competition, we need to address the root of the issue that causes you to freeze up. Topophobia, or otherwise known as stage fright, is a common anxiety disorder that inhibits the pony from performing a designated task under certain conditions, such as being watched by a group of peers. Effects can include but are not limited to: heart palpitations, muscle contractions, increased blood pressure, vision impairment, short term memory loss, and intestinal failure."
"That sounds painful," Fluttershy worried.
"More often than not," the studious unicorn continued, "development of this phobia stems from a traumatic experience in your past, either physical, mental, or emotional."
"In Twilight's case, it was her first A-minus in magic kindergarten," Spike joked.
Twilight shot Spike a look as the two pegasi giggled. He shrugged and simply pointed to another one of the books next to him titled 'Laughter is the best medicine: by Jasper Carrot*'.
"Moving on," Twilight shifted the focus of attention to her patients yet again, "Once the moment of origin is addressed, the fear can be effectively diminished through use of retrospective therapy. Now then, Fluttershy, what is the earliest moment of your life you can remember that was frightening for you?"
"Um...the day I left the hospital?"
Twilight blinked. "But wasn't that...ugh, never mind. We'll get back to you. Blossomforth? When was the first time you got nervous?"
"Hmmmm...I think...that time when I played tulip #2 in the school play...no wait, that was Cheery who played the tulip, I played the rhododendron. Funny thing, I remember the marigolds in that skit actually being orange, not gold. Wait, what were we talking about? Oh, yes. When did I first get stage fright. Actually, I think it was my third grade spelling bee-no wait, I was sick that day. Now that I think about it, my pony pox inoculation was pretty traumatizing, but that was because I was scared of needles at the time, not other ponies. Plus I think that was after my oral report on cirrus clouds, that made me pretty nervous. But was it scary nervous or giddy nervous? I forget the difference...what were we trying to do again?"
Twilight messaged the side of her temples with her hooves. "Okay, let's try something a little more intensive. Spike, fetch me the pendulum."
Twilight's dragon assistant pulled a pocketwatch out from one of the drawers and tossed it over into her telekinetic grip. She levitated the watch back and forth in her flowery friend's vision.
"You are getting sleepy...verrrrrry sleepy," the little dragon mystically echoed.
"Spike, I need to concentrate here," Twilight chided.
"Oh come on, Twilight, you don't really think that hypnosis thing really works, do you? I mean, even Trixie agrees that stuff is complete-*SNNNNNNNNRRRRKT*"
Twilight grinned as looked over her snoozing buddy, her horn fully glowing. "Oh, the watch is just a distraction. I've found the knockout spell is much more potent when the target is caught unawares."
She then leaned in close, her own eyes closed. "Now, listen carefully to the sound of my voice. I'm going to create a psychic link with our astral bodies. When I do, I want your subconscious mind to project your most uncomfortable moment ever. Ready? One, two, three."
Her eyes glowed as she opened them up again, and she felt the world swirl and change through the shifting of perspective and time as-
"NO! NO! WE WON'T BANG! NOT OKAY! AND GET THAT SCOOPER AWAY FROM ME!!"
Twilight screamed in a mortified state of shock, forcefully ending the connection as Blossomforth jolted awake. "Huh? Wha-? What happened? Why are we yelling?"
Twilight, beet red and mane frizzy, tried desperately in vain to wipe the images of whipped cream away from her mind, knowing all too well she would never look at a banana split the same way ever again.
"Well...you've certainly lived a very stimulating college life, but I don't think that was the memory we're looking for." She fanned the steam away from her ears. "Also, I don't know if you're still on speaking terms, but regardless, NEVER introduce me to this Cloud Kicker."
"Oh, it's really quite obvious and something most ponies oddly overlook," Sherbet explained from her chair, clothed in a luxurious bathrobe. "If you don't want frayed nerves, you just have to calm down and relax. Chevron, a little more on my right hoof please." The pink and teal earth pony brought her file to the tip of the business autocrat's hooves. "And, hooves down, there is nothing more relaxing for a mare than a sinfully pampered afternoon at a day spa."
"Y-y-ooou-u sa-a-i-d it," Honey's voice vibrated as the knots in her back were pounded and rubbed out by the strong peach stallion masseur.
Around the room, the various mares were receiving various treatments with unabashed bliss. Twilight lay on one of the comfortable cots, her tail being styled with special curls and clips. Octavia lay across, cucumber slices over her eyes, seaweed wrapped around her legs, and an herbal mud mask over her face as she sipped an iced tea. Spike lay in between, obviously taking the same treatment as his divine muse's. Trixie lay on the other end, her trademark hat and cape hung by the entrance and replaced with a coat of scented oils and smooth, hot healing stones. Steam cleansed her pores from the neighboring sauna bath, where Blossomforth and Fluttershy slouched neck deep, sighing into the warm waters with moist towels around their manes.
"I don't know if I've ever been so relaxed," Spike sighed.
"Let it be written on the record, oooooh~" Trixie gave a wincing hiss of delight as a new hot rock was replaced on her backside. "You should have your out-of-town friends visit more often Blossomforth, if-*hsssss...aaahhhhhhh~*-this is what comes from it."
"Aaahhhhh~" Blossomforth mimicked Trixie's sigh of euphoria. "I have to admit, soaking in this hot and bubbly makes the whole fliers competition feel a million miles away, wouldn't you agree Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy wore what was perhaps her most genuine and comfortable smile yet as she leaned in against the tub's ivory white marble walls. "Oh yes...this is...nice. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon."
The sound of a door slamming open out front accompanied by a 'hello, welcome to the Golden Touch health spa-hey! Customers only back there!' signaled the arrival of the tomboyish weather captain.
"There you all are!"
Spike yelped as the cyan mare came this close to crashing into his table, his cucumbers flung from his eyes to hers as he bolted upright. "I've been looking all over for you since you left the library! Sheesh, I take one little snooze, and suddenly you're gone!"
"The session ended a little early due to some...repressed inhibitions," Twilight uneasily explained as hoof polish coated her hooves.
"What the what?" Rainbow Dash puzzled, munching on one of the veggies on on her eyelids.
Spike quickly stopped her as he retrieved both and stuck them both on. "Just ask Blossomforth about Cloud Kicker, that's all I got from it."
"CK? What about her? She's one of the greatest partners I have!"
Twilight choked on the straw of her passion fruit smoothie, her face going full flush again. "W-w-what?" she coughed and sputtered.
"Yeah! Best cloud clearer the Ponyville weather team's ever had, minus myself of course."
"Oh!" Twilight laid her head down and beckoned to red velvet unicorn with the stack of wet towels. "Gentle Rub? Another wrap over here, and make it the icy snow glaze treatment."
Rainbow then hovered over the bath. "Anyways, on to more pressing matters. Up and at 'em, Fluttershy! You call this getting ready for the competition? I've had naps that were more productive than this!"
"Now, now. Rainbow, darling, Fluttershy and Blossomforth have already spent the whole day taxing their bodies and minds over this whole contest business," Sherbet politely argued. "They deserve a chance to unwind and put the whole thing out of their minds for just a little while. It's not healthy to obsess overly about one particular thing."
"Besides," Honey groaned as the masseur proceeded to stretch her wings, "This place isn't considered a health spa for nothing! Some of these treatments are one of the best body conditioning techniques known to ponykind."
"I'll remember that next time I'm rolling around in the mud," Dash deadpanned as she jerked her yellow friend out of the tub, who for some reason, instinctively grabbed another towel and covered her body with her hooves in a blush and a squeak.
"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are," Octavia said, not even lifting her head to talk to the pegasus. "Even the maker herself put aside one of the seven days to simply do nothing."
"Wow, seriously, do you write fortune cookies for a hobby?" Rainbow asked. "Can't anypony in this city talk normally?"
A slight frown was all the satisfaction the musician would concede to her. Orange Sherbet, meanwhile, waved an inviting hoof over to the mare. "Come now, why don't you join us? It's all on me. I'm sure a little lounging would do wonders for you too. Why, these hooficures alone are to die for!"
"Oh, yes. Rainbow, why don't you join us?" Fluttershy asked, taking the opportunity to conceal herself back in the bath.
Rainbow scrunched her mouth and gagged. "Flutters, did you forget who you're talking to? The day I get a hooficure is the day I turn in my daredevil license."
"I didn't know you need a license for that," Blossomforth obliviously pondered.
"Seriously though, first reading, now makeovers?" Rainbow brushed her locks with a roll of the eyes. "What kind of a sissy do you all take me for?"
"The only one who thinks it's sissy is you," Twilight tried to reason with her. "It's not like one little comb and brush will kill you."
A silken black mare approached from behind with a nail file in her mouth's grip. As she made an offering gesture to Rainbow, she instantly backpedaled a few steps. "Woah! Back off! Keep that thing away from me!"
"Oooooh," Trixie teased. "Could the awesome Rainbow Dash actually be afraid of getting her hooves done?"
"I'm not afraid!" Rainbow quickly countered. "I'm not scared of anything!"
"Prove it," the relaxing magician sipped from a bottle of mountain spring water before continuing. "Trixie's not asking you, she's daring you to get a hooficure!"
Rainbow seemed to blank out for a brief moment, then tried to hide a gulp. She then looked to everypony else, who gave her a quick nod over. "Uh, s-sure. Fine. It's...actually pretty good, right?"
"Heavenly," Sherbet assured her.
"Okay...maybe one just one little hoof."
Rainbow plopped down in the empty seat beside Orange, and the filer approached. She reached out with her tool to the lower legs of the client, and by instinct, they rolled up out of reach. Rainbow lowered them down again, tossing to the side with a bitten lip, you could almost see a bead of sweat go down her brow. The salon worker leaned slowly in, and as the tip of the metal connected with the cyan hoof-
"YALP!" Rainbow leaped up ten hooves into the air as stayed there. "I just remembered! I got an evening of scattered showers to arrange back in Ponyville!"
"Hmm? But didn't we just have some last-"
An unhooficured hoof plugged the soft melodious voice of Fluttershy. "I gotta go right now! See you at home, Flutters!"
With that the athlete zoomed out. Leaving the room in a stunned silence. Well, mostly silent.
"Bawk, bawk bawk bawk baaaaaawk..." Trixie sniggered.
Under the starry light of Luna's sky, Blossomforth wandered alone into her greenhouse out back. Despite the fact she had a full course spa treatment just hours ago, with all that had happened today, she still felt too restless to just go to bed. Taking a watering can in her mouth, she sprinkled over a batch of her moon lilies. Just a bit, didn't want to overwater. Settling down her can, she tucked in her legs around a ring of ferns, and let the aroma freshly trimmed foliage fill her nostrils.
Auntie Sherbet had the right idea, however, this had to be the most relaxing thing for a mare like her. All alone, under the clear and cool beautiful night with nothing but the company of her lovely and silent-
*rustle rustle*
Wait a minute, that wasn't silent!
Ears perked up, and wings taut against her body, Blossomforth's stance stiffened around her jungle-like landscape. Intruders! Her night adjusted eyes caught the unsteady waving of some nearby potted palm plants, and before she knew it, she was holding a broomstick between her teeth. She crept over to her tropical display slowly, only to knock over her watering can after four steps. The movement amongst the dense leafy silhouettes froze, then started up again with a quickened pace. Blossomforth's head turned to the orchid patch, but it had already moved to the bellflowers and violets. With a mad dash, Blossomforth tried to head it off at the door, and she had just rounded the holly bush when something soft and feathery leapt out and bumped right into her muzzle.
She shouted in surprise, causing the other to scream, which prompted her to drop her broom and scream back.
"Aaah!"
"Eeek!"
"Aaaaa!"
"Eeeee!"
"Whaaaaahahahahaaaahhhh!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
Finally out of breath, the scared wingless mare was able to get a good look at her ambusher as she refilled her lungs. "Fluttershy?"
The canary yellow pegasus peeked out of her shivering hooves. "Oh! It's just you, Blossomforth. I didn't know you were in here."
"Feeling's mutual," the other answered as she helped her old friend to her hooves. "What are you doing here? I thought you went back to Ponyville after dinner."
"Oh well, um, I wanted to," the inward animal lover started to explain. "But, the sun had already set a-and...I sort of...didn't want to wander all the way back in the dark alone. You understand, right? So, maybe, um, I figured I could have spent the night here in Manehattan, but then where was I going to sleep? I-I didn't want to trouble any of your friends, so I looked around and found your place. Oh, but then I thought I'd be troubling you, so I figured maybe I'd just lie down in your garden for awhile instead of knocking on your door so late at night. T-that was okay, right? I'm so sorry if it wasn't! I'll leave right away if you don't-"
Fluttershy's mumbling monologue slowed to a halt when she realized Blossomforth was starting to laugh only halfway through her apology.
"Oh, Fluttershy! Only you...only you..."
"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'llbegoingnowthank-awp!"
Fluttershy had taken two steps backwards only to be grappled softy around the neck and reeled in as Blossomforth escorted her back to the bed of ferns.
"Come here. Take a load off, and just keep me company why don't you?"
The pair lay their backs down on top of the leafy mattress, clear view of the starry sky directly above them through the transparent glass roof.
"So...you're not mad I'm here?" Fluttershy ventured at last.
"Honestly, I'm thrilled you popped in when you did. With all that's happened, we never did finish our catching up."
Despite saying that, the two lay there in silence for quite awhile, simply looking up at the starry sky and feeling the leaves tickle their sides occasionally.
"I...like your garden," Fluttershy finally said.
"Yeah. Had it built first thing when I saved enough to get my own place here. My own little patch of green in the concrete jungle." Blossomforth turned to her side, making eye contact with Fluttershy. "Just you and me, lying amongst the flora and fauna of the world without a care in the world."
"Like the day we first met, isn't it?"
"Yep, those were the days. Such simpler times..."
"Hello again little friends!"
Fluttershy was warmly greeted by the swarm of woodland creatures as she made her daily constitution from her home up in the clouds to the ground below. It had been a full six months since she first fell to the surface below, and she hadn't skipped a day of coming down after school.
Chirps and squeaks were all abuzz has their pony friend said hello to each and every one of them. "Good day Mrs. Ferretworth. Hi Mr. Frogucius. Oh, afternoon Cottontaily Fuzzlebuns, how's the litter doing?"
*chitter chitter chitter chitter*
"Oh! One more? How wonderful! Can I see him?"
The proud mother eagerly showed the little white bundle that lay snoozing in her arms. Fluttershy just squeed. "Oh! Isn't he just the sweetest little angel?" As she leaned in close, the newborn bunny suddenly popped its eyes wide open and gave her a swift kicker-bop to the snout. "Owp! Oh my. Lively little bundle of joy, isn't he? I'll bet he'll grow up to be one of the nicest bunnies ever, though."
*sniffle* *sniff*
Fluttershy's ears perked up. It was faint and off in the distance, but she could still barely make the noise out. Oddly, it didn't sound like any of her other animal friends. In fact, it almost sounded like somepony crying.
*hic* *sob*
It was somepony crying! Oh dear oh dear oh dear! This was awfully deep in the woods, so nopony ever seemed to be here but her. Could one of the foals from the nearby villages have wandered in and gotten lost? Straining her ears, the little pegasus filly followed the sound of the voice, a swarm of butterflies curiously tailing behind.
Reaching the edge of a clearing, she found a few evergreen pines growing freely over a slight mound across the grassy enclosure. She could hear the sobbing clearly now, it was coming from behind the largest pine, second to the right of the group. Shyness now catching up to concern and curiosity, she daintily approached the trunk, taking a few steps with a pause in between, never making a sound. After reaching the base of the tall, imposing coniferous, she stretched her neck around the base so as to get the tiniest look behind.
"H-hello?" she whispered.
The occupant of the other side, a small white filly that looked around her age shot her head up from the fetal position she was in and locked eyes with her company.
"Aaah!"
"Eeek!"
"Aaaaa!"
"Eeeee!"
"Whaaaaahahahahaaaahhhh!!"
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"
The butterflies scattered, as did any bird or mouse that happened to be within the direct vicinity of the clearing. The white filly stumbled backwards and flipped head over tail on the ground. When she scrambled back up, she quickly rounded the trunk and disappeared out of sight the same moment the yellow filly was doing the same.
A minute passed, then slowly, both heads peered around the wide body of the pine. They took each other in bit by bit. Their wings, their cutie mark, their mane, coat, and tail...
The white filly was apparently the bolder of the two, as she was the one to speak up first. "W-who are you?" she asked quietly.
Fluttershy shrunk her neck back like a tortoise and replied even more quietly. "Um, I'm Fluttershy...who are you?"
For some odd reason, the filly before her answered back even softer. "I'm...Blossomforth..."
"Um...I'm sorry? What was that?"
"Excuse me?"
"What did you say?"
"I can't hear you."
Fluttershy finally shook her head in a blink, finally getting enough nerve to raise her voice back to normal levels. "I'm sorry, why do you keep whispering?"
"Why did you keep whispering?" the other filly asked. "It wasn't some sort of game?"
"Oh, um...I don't know, I guess I didn't know if I should talk to you or not..."
"Why shouldn't you?"
"Because I was...um...interrupting your crying. Was that wrong of me? I'm so sorry if it was! I'll let you get back to it right away if you want!"
The white filly stared blankly at the other pegasus apologizing, then suddenly let loose a tiny giggle. "You're sorry that you made me stop crying? Oh you..."
She then sat upright to get into a more comfortable talking position, her nerves completely back. "My name's Blossomforth, Fluttershy, right?"
"Y-yes..." Fluttershy shuffled a lone hoof. The filly seemed well enough if she was being this friendly and outgoing, but just to be sure, maybe she should ask. "So, are you alright? You're not lost or hurt or anything are you?"
"No, I just..." Blossomforth turned her head to the side, a gloomy grimace sat on her face. "Rainy Feather just had a birthday party, and she invited everypony in the neighborhood...except me."
"Oh my, you poor thing," Fluttershy was no stranger to being left out, and moved around to sit next to her side. "Is that why you were crying?"
"Kinda..." her sad compatriot mumbled. "It's just...well it was the fifth party this month I was left out of. Sometimes I don't like it...being different from everypony else and getting booted for it. I like thunder tag, cloud bouncing, and all the other games pegasi play, it just not my favorite thing. I've tried sharing what I really like a few times but...they just don't like it the same way I do. Some of them even make fun of me, saying I have oddball tastes. That's why I'm always left behind, nopony wants a lead wing like me spacing out about non-normal pegasi stuff and dragging their fun down. Whenever that happens, I just come down here to be alone. After all, no pegasus except me ever wants to actually come down on their own."
"Oh..." Fluttershy gave a somber nod. She came here to get away from all the teasing and disappointment too. Why, even her loyal friend Rainbow Dash didn't like leaving the heights of Cloudsdale. In fact, the first time she ever came to the ground with her she was afraid of it.
Hang on a second...
"But I come down here," Fluttershy said in realization. "I come down here all the time."
Blossomforth turned her head, the same realization dawning on her. "Hey, that's right! You are down here! Why do you come here anyways?"
"I come down here to be with all my animal friends of course." Fluttershy coaxed all the nearby creatures who had taken to the holes, knots, and burrows nearby closer to her. "Come on out. It's alright. I'd like you all to say hello to Blossomforth."
Blossomforth looked all around the increasing cluster of woodland animals around her. "Hi there?" she half asked. The band of fauna chorused their greetings. Blossomforth giggled and enthusiastically waved before turning to Fluttershy. "Nice bunch you have here. Well, I suppose I should introduce my friends as well!"
"You have friends down here too?" Fluttershy was surprised. She thought she had known all the residents of these woods by now.
"Sure, they're all a little ways off, in my special spot!" Blossomforth trotted off past the trees, looking back only once to signal Fluttershy to follow.
After a brief minute or two of walking, the trees parted away again. But what Fluttershy saw this time was no small clearing. The branches opened up to reveal a vast and lush meadow, with rolling hills of grass and valleys carpeted in flowers of every shape and size.
"Ohhhhh myyyyy..." she gasped. She had been visiting these woods for so long, but never had she realized such a place like this was right nearby.
"They're not as chatty as your friends, but they are great listeners," Blossomforth said with a smile.
What is this place filled with so many colors?
Such beauty and fragrance send my heart aflutter~
Tulips, hydrangeas, and cute little pansies,
This is my garden, where I frolic with glee~
Liiiight and freeee~
Blossomforth spun around, wings outstretched and hooves upward as loose petals and pretty pollen danced around her, painting the very air in color and sweet smells as the filly falsettoed with a huge smile. Soon she was joined in the mid-air dance by an equally blissful leader of butterflies.
Ohhh, such a wonderful view!
And I owe it all to my meeting with you!~
Now that I know another loves the ground like me
I finally have someone to call a flower buddy!~
Yes, I...love...everythiiiiing!~
The pair fell into the fields, and Blossomforth popped her head out, a pair of daisies covered over her eyes like a pair of glasses. Fluttershy surfaced as well, a swallowtail butterfly masking her own. They took one look at each other and laughed long and merrily.
"After that, every day forth, I would always take my little friends and play with you over at your special place," Fluttershy lovingly reminisced.
"Our special place," Blossomforth corrected. She picked a few irises within reach and fashioned a necklace over their necks. "Flower buddies for life, right?"
"Yes, definitely." Fluttershy then stroked a strand of her own mane, as if coyly trying to find just the right words to say next. "Blossomforth, you know...I'm glad I got entered into the young best fliers competition now."
"You are?" her floral friend asked surprisingly.
"Yes," Fluttershy said with absolute certainty, and then gave her a warm nuzzle. "Because I got to become your friend all over again."
Blossomforth reached around and pulled Fluttershy into a tight hug. "Awww...well when you put it that way, I'm glad we got entered too."
After a few minutes, the embrace ended and they resumed gazing up at the stars, Blossomforth gave a sighing chuckle. "Still, it would be even nicer if we could figure out a way to go on up there without looking like a pair of complete klutzes."
"Oh, you're not that poor a flier," Fluttershy reassured her. "You're much better than me. I mean, just thinking back to our fillyhood makes me remember how gracefully you danced around in that meadow all the time, petals swirling in such wondrous and pretty patterns with every flap of your wings."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short, you were there prancing around with me. And let me tell you, those fluid motions of yours in sync with all your birds and butterflies were-"
The gardener pegasus sat upright in a bolt, eyes lit up.
"Blossomforth? What is it?" Fluttershy asked with mild concern.
"I think I just figured out our routine for the contest," she answered with a smirk.
Twilight flipped another page of her large spellbook under the low light of her candle, nearly burned down to the stump.
"Twilight, shouldn't we getting to bed right about now? It's almost midnight..." Spike groaned drowsily from his basket.
"You can go to sleep if you want Spike, but I've got to find a spell that can solve our current dilemma," the equally sleepy but much more determined unicorn responded, the conversation hours ago with Orange Sherbet still fresh on her mind.
"We can't use your family dirigible?"
Sherbet shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, it sprung a leak on my husband and our board's trip back from Alpacaistan. It's going to be undergoing repairs in the hanger for a full week."
"But how are we going to watch the competition then? Without a balloon, we have no way of staying airborne in Cloudsdale!"
"I'm terribly sorry Twilight, and I know it's rather imposing for me to ask this of you, but there's nothing I can do. Is it possible you could find a spell of sorts that could get us there instead?"
Twilight scratched her horn, and gave a serious nod to her rich friend. "I'm sure I can come up with something."
"I just know there's been some study done on flight spells before. If I could just find the right page-"
A loud thumping sound came from below, like a bookshelf had just been emptied of its contents all over the floor. Being that it was past the library's hours of business, Twilight could deduce whatever made that noise downstairs, it wasn't a customer.
Cracking open her storage closet, Twilight levitated out the closest blunt object she could find. Spike did the same and followed behind from a distance.
"Who's there?!" she demanded as she marched down the spiral steps and flipped on the lights. "I have a bat, and I know how to use it!"
She stopped at the foot of the stairs as her eyesight caught a mare clad in a black jumpsuit, which completely covered her in a stealthy garb except for her rainbow tail.
Rainbow tail?
The intruder whirled around in a panicked alarm, and Twilight recognized the face of none other than-
"Rainbow Dash? Is that you?"
"T-t-t-twilight! Spike!" The athletic pegasus quickly retracted against the wall and tried to put on her best accusatory face. "Wait! What are you two doing here?!"
"First, we live here...and second, I was about to ask you the same question." Twilight lowered her bat, but still kept her grip on it just in case. "Didn't you head back to Ponyville hours ago?"
Rainbow Dash's face quickly gave away to signs of unease. "Uuuhh, well, I just forgot my...my..."
"And why are your front hooves behind your back?" Spike pointed out.
Beads of sweat started to form on the cyan mare's brow. "Oh, um, I-I thought that..."
"Are you hiding something from us?" Twilight prodded.
"I...I...I...no, I didn't do..."
Rainbow suddenly twisted around in mid-air as Twilight gripped whatever was clasped behind her back with her magic, and pulled it over, pegasus still attached to it.
"Daring Do and the Griffon's Goblet? Why on Equus would you have the second volume of the Daring Do series-"
Twilight stopped, her mind began to connect some dots, and suddenly a big knowing grin spread across her face as she looked smugly at Rainbow Dash, who began to wave her hooves frantically.
"No, wait...it's not what you think..."
Her grin widened.
"Th-this is a big misunderstanding. You've got to believe me, I..."
She leaned in closer, gaze never faltering as her opposition started stamping the ground on all fours.
"Listen...I am telling you-! YOU BETTER LISTEN TO ME, EGGHEAD!!!"
"You like reading, don't you, Rainbow Dash?"
Rainbow's cheeks puffed up as she bit her lip, her legs trembled in fury as she squeezed her eyes shut. Then she finally slumped to the down, wings limp at her side, and let loose a defeated sigh of exasperation.
"Fine...you got me. I'm an...egghead..."
"You ended up reading Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Statue after all," Twilight deduced matter-of-factly.
"Yes..." Rainbow moaned.
"And you snuck in after the library hours, hoping to get the next book in the series without getting noticed."
"Uh huh." Judging from the smug look on her face, the pegasus knew the librarian was taking her time to enjoy this.
"Wow, I knew the book was good, but I didn't know it could drive a pony to petty theft!"
"Good? Try awesomely amazing!" Rainbow Dash finally relented her excitement. "That book is undeniably, unquestionably, un-put-down-able! When I finished the first one, I just had to read all the others! But after all the smack I said about books just being for smart ponies like you, I just couldn't face up to you all...especially not in front of Flutters..."
"Rainbow Dash, just because you're athletic doesn't mean you can't be smart!" Twilight explained.
"Yeah, just look at me!" Spike flexed his arms kissed his tiny biceps. He gave a little pout when he received no ovation.
"It's like I said in the first place, there's always a book for everypony."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it already. I shouldn't knock something until I've tried it." Rainbow then looked at her with a slight pleading expression. "You're not going to tell anypony about this, are you?"
"Nope, you are," the unicorn stated once again matter-of-factly.
Rainbow sighed. "Fine, but you better make sure that Trixie pony doesn't tease me afterwards!"
"You have my solemn word," Twilight said as she levitated the book back into Rainbow's hooves. "Speaking of trying new things, are you ready for that hooficure now?"
Rainbow was already halfway out the door. "ThanksforthebookIreallygottogonowbye!"
Twilight chuckled to herself at her little amusement. One step at a time I guess...
"Spike, would you mind tidying up here? I've got to get back to finding that spell."
The little dragon looked to the mountain of spilled books, then back to the purple unicorn trotting back up the stairs, an open spell book already levitated in front of her.
"This really is the city that never sleeps..."
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This chapter was funny and sweet. I also like the Winningverse reference you've made.
I really enjoy your manehatten 6 stories espically the way you include the original 6.
Very nice chapter, with a lot of funny moments like Trixie channeling Megamind and "nature's taser gun". And the scene with filly Fluttershy and Blossomforth is just heart attack-inducingly adorable.
Though, um... you did kinda... misspell "routine" in the chapter title.
2968351
Fixed.
And then Fluttershy and Blossomforth kissed.
2968706
Hey hey hey...don't start...
It appears that Cloud Kicker has become a constant in the multiverse.
Man, where do I begin.....
THAT WAS AMAZING!
First, the references to my stories, especially Blossomforth's down to earth story.
Next, your rendition of So many Wonders to be a duet was heart-breakingly good
Finally, including a bit of RD liking Daring Do in this verse, ooh the misconceptions this will hold for Daring handling another fangirl!
Keep up the good work and see you later!
P.S. Twilight finding the flight spell, who will it be? Trixie anypony
2969144
It's the internet, someone already has written it.
Just to let you know, try to rewrite the conversation referencing Hurricane Blossomforth and get the correct numbers of pegasi and the ending from my last chapter. Just a small tibbit.
3123880
I already did awhile ago.
Love that version of 'So Many Wonders'.
good spongebob reference
Wow a Jasper Carrot reference, not something I expected here. I guess he's relates to Carrot Top.
What the buck
?!
What
?!
Yeah, that about sums it up.
I had a comment. But then my mind took another turn involving what I think about those two ponies. And my mind just went into a downward spiral into the gutter. Let's just say that just because I ship Fluttershy and Blossomforth, it doesn't mean I ship them that way.
That... actually explains a lot. Are you sure that was just a joke?
I honestly don't know what to say about this. But I just feel the need to address it. Basically, if you remove the comedic aspect of this, that's kinda disturbing. She's basically either saying that she's always been like that, or being born was a traumatic experience for her. Then again, maybe that may explain Fluttershy. Perhaps there were complications during the pregnancy that made being born a traumatic experience for Fluttershy. That's now my fan theory for Fluttershy (at least the Manehattenverse version).
Now I want to see what a psychological analysis of Blossomforth would lead to about how easily sidetracked she is.
Actually, there's a big misconception about using a pendulum for hypnosis. Though I give credit for saying "pendulum" and not exclusively a pocket watch.
Touché.
I hope this story ends with them getting banana splits, because I want to see Twilight's reaction. I'm also curious as to how Blossomforth would react.
Well, she did say to remember her most uncomfortable memory. And that's not very specific. Especially considering that one's most uncomfortable memory may not be their first uncomfortable memory.
I'm sure nothing will come from that interaction.
Is he trying to argue that he's strong, or smart? Either way, he's not doing a good job at it.
This story is determined to make me say "I ship it" with Futtershy and Blossomforth in every chapter, isn't it?