Castle in the clouds

by ovineConventionalist

Allergic to sincerity

“But we need to get on this train!” Rainbow Dash was saying.

“I’ve told you, it just isn’t possible.” The ticket sales mare was patient, understanding even. “I can book you a seat for tomorrow evening, 6.20, but not before. I’m really sorry.”

Rainbow shut her eyes tight. She didn’t like waiting around, she wanted to help. But it seemed every pony in Equestria had the same idea.

“Thank you kindly.” Applejack had to be polite for the both of them. She was much more patient than Dash.

The mare smiled. “You got family down there?”

“Summat like that.”

They paid for their tickets and began walking back to Ponyville.

“You can be really rude yeh know.” Applejack was saying.

Rainbow glared at the floor, she supposed she had been imagining some gallant, exciting, spur-of-the-moment rescue mission. But instead she got train-times and waiting around.

****

“Arrrgh!” Cadence cursed as yet another one of her spells did nothing to penetrate the fog.

She stood alone on the balcony outside her room. The bump on her head was swollen and the others had insisted she rest, at least for the rest of the afternoon, so she helped them in secret. She worked by the light of a single candle, the mugginess was beginning to make her claustrophobic. The wall of smoke seemed to mock her as she failed time and time again to affect it.

The other three princesses stood on the observation tower. They had quickly exhausted everything they could think of, and were sifting through a mountain of old hardbacks under flickering candle light, occasionally marking pages or trying something out. They didn’t speak to each other, the hostesses felt bad for not taking the danger as seriously as they should, and Twilight was doing her upmost to impress, sifting through books at an impossible speed. Spike lay in a pile of cushions in the corner. Twilight didn’t want him to leave her sight in the circumstances.

Rarity and Heartstrings were having even less luck, on the balcony outside of the dining room, though Pinkie insisted the smoke was at least a shade lighter. Every fifteen minutes or so they would half-heartedly suggest Pinkie go inside and rest, but her and Fluttershy made good company.

Rarity sat down at last, massaging her temples. Fluttershy moved from Pinkie’s side to fuss over her other friend for a moment.

“Darling I’m fine.” Rarity insisted, severely irritated that Heartstrings wasn’t showing any pressure. “I’m… dehydrated, that’s all. I’ll be back shortly.” She trotted out through the glass doors, head held high, every step causing a painful twinge to shoot through her skull.

“I don’t know how she does it.” Heartstrings confessed as the doors closed behind her. “I’ve been trying to burn it for the past half hour. And you are correct Pinkie, it does look a shade lighter.” He smiled wryly.

Pinkie and Fluttershy grinned, and then whipped around at the ‘CRASH’ from next door.

“Oh!” Fluttershy jumped up. “I’ll just go and check on Rarity.” She took one of the candles and left.

Heartstrings took her place next to Pinkie Pie. It was a subtle gesture and yet there was a definite shift in the atmosphere.

“How are you feeling?” He asked simply.

“Great!” Pinkie flashed him a smile.

He nodded slowly, and they looked out, as if they could see the sky behind the grey veil and were watching the clouds float by.

“You haven’t really spoken much…” He tried again. “Usually you’re always talking… n-not that that’s a bad thing!” He added his speech was faltering.

Pinkie cocked her head. He was acting… weird, even she could sense it.

“I wasn’t talking because I knew you and Rarity needed to concentrate, silly!” She gave him a gentle prod. “Even though I really really really wanted to ask what spells you were doing!” The poison had taken its toll on her. Every sound caused her stomach to lurch painfully.

“Oh!” He said. “Well Rarity was endeavouring to transfigure it into something else like water or…erm…”

“Or a bouncy castle!” Pinkie was still nauseous, but she wouldn’t let it show.

Violin laughed. “A bouncy castle as big as this one with floors and a working kitchen!”

“Ooh! I would live there.” Her head was pounding, she could barely concentrate.

“It would be the safest place to live in Equestria.”

“The funnest place to live.” What was she even saying anymore?

“I was really worried about you, you know.”

Are you even allowed to change a subject like that? Wondered Pinkie.

She wasn’t good at being serious, especially about worrisome incidents. She could cheer ponies up however. She put on her biggest smile and felt it trigger pain across her left eye.

“Don’t worry about me, Heartstrings!” She closed her throbbing eyes and made a dismissive movement with her hoof. “I’m peachy keen, even Pinkie-keen!”

“Excellent!” He said cheerfully. He cocked his head, eyebrow raised, and what can only be described as a smirk playing across his face. “And your head is aching and your stomach feels as if it’s lurching back and forth of its own accord?”

She shuffled her hooves, and then nodded.

“I know a spell.” He informed her. “May I…?”

She nodded gratefully, so he performed the incantation.

It was a lot like being dunked in cool water, except she could breathe better than she could ever remember doing. She took a gulp of oxygen which seemed to fill her. Her stomach stopped it’s swinging and her mind cleared, or as much as it is possible for Pinkie’s mind to clear. She blinked, Heartstrings beamed at her.

“Better?”
“Totally!” She leaped on him, crushing his ribs, before bounding around him like an excited billy-goat.

“Easy there, Pinkie Pie!”

She stopped her bouncing.

“It’s only a temporary spell, and works best if you don’t exhaust yourself.” He said seriously. “I’m not even sure how well it works for poison.” He flinched at the word, remembering. “We used to use it for travel sickness.”

“We? You mean you and your family? Do you travel a lot?”

“I used to. We used to perform at concerts, my parents loved to travel and music made a good excuse.”

“That sounds super fun!”

“Not really… or at least not for me. I was never very good.”

“But then you found your talent for the violin, and it turned out you were really really good?”

“Heh… no not really. I wasn’t particularly overjoyed with my cutie mark.” He confessed.

****

“It’s fine.” Rarity insisted as Fluttershy cleared the shards of glass from the floor with a dustpan. “I tried to levitate it, though it appears I’ve exhausted my powers for now.”

That’s what she got for trying to show off. That’s what she got for competing with a pony who was none the wiser.

She wasn’t sure exactly why she felt the need for competition, but thinking about all of the stallions she had idealised in the past, doing everything to impress and receiving nothing but indifference, made her head sore.

She supposed it was Applejack who had made her realise just how pathetic that was of her. And yet she had done it so nicely, making Rarity feel more confident rather than idiotic.

Oh, Trenderhoof. She thought. And felt angry all over again.

She wished she had Applejack to confide in right then. Though she did have another good friend right in front of her.

Why not?

****

“Perhaps playing the violin isn’t really your talent.” Pinkie suggested. “Rarity isn’t a jeweller and she has diamonds on her flank.”

“Hm.” He said.

He was almost ashamed to admit it, but he hadn’t considered that.

“You’re obviously more intelligent than I.” He confessed. Though honestly, violin-making seemed even less appealing than playing the awful instrument.

Pinkie was conflicted, he had somehow both complimented her and put himself down simultaneously. Rejecting the compliment would be rude, but not doing so would be mean.

You can't do that.

She offered him a smile, which he returned, his grin wide and sincere, his eyes looking directly into her own.

“there’s something I wanted to ask you.” He stood up.

“Uh huh?”

“I… Ah, seeing you before after…” He mimed drinking tea. “Well…” He paused, unable to look her in the eye.

Pinkie blinked expectantly.

“It made me realise how much I like you.” He blurted hurriedly.

Pinkie hadn’t missed a word. She thought she knew where this was going. She was an innocent pony, but still she had been through that song and dance many times before. She was asked out quite often, not so much as Rarity, but often enough that she recognised what was happening. It wasn’t unusual for flowers to turn up at Sugarcube Corner addressed to her. She loved getting them; she just wished she didn’t have to cause frowns when stallions eventually confessed.

“I mean I’m not suggesting we jump into anything, I know you’ve only just met me…” He was saying.

“I’m so sorry, Heartstrings.” She interrupted. She watched his face fall. Her stomach tightened, she had caused that to happen.

“Don’t apologise!” He said. “I quite understand.”

She smiled at him. There was a pause.

“I didn’t even ask if you were... um... unattached” He exclaimed suddenly. “I was in such bad form!”

Pinkie giggled, that sounded like something Rarity would say.

****

“I suppose I’m tired of having these emotions, only to be let down.” Rarity was saying.

“Isn’t it better to be let down than strung along?” Inquired Fluttershy. She was talking to herself more than Rarity. She was feeling guilty, she had known about Rainbows feelings for her when they were fillies. She should have let her down sooner.

“Yes I suppose so.” Sighed Rarity.

There was a pause, and something else entered Fluttershy’s mind.

She looked up, but Rarity had got there first.

“That is completely, completely different.” Rarity protested.

How? Thought Fluttershy. How is that different at all?
****
“Was I too forward? I hope I haven’t made things awkward between us?” Heartstrings was tentative.

Pinkie giggled. “No silly, you were so so so sweet!” She turned to face him, ready to be serious for once: “I think you’re super nice, and I think another pony thinks you’re super super nice if you know what I mean.”

Violin Heartstrings wasn’t an egotistical pony, ready to assume ponies had a crush on him at the drop of a hat, but he had noticed the way Rarity had batted her eyelashes at him and laughed amicably at his most failed attempts at being humorous, as well as the subtle glares the dragon who so doted on her gave him every once in a while. Though now she just seemed mildly irritated with him whenever he was around. It wasn’t the first time something similar had happened, he wasn’t unaware of his attractive appearance, he supposed his personality didn’t live up to his looks.

“She’s a fascinating and obviously very talented pony.” He said sincerely. “Though my fondness for her isn’t quite… the same as it is for you.” He blushed. “Though now she seems more annoyed with me than anything.”

“Really?” Pinkie was surprised. She wasn’t aware annoyance was possible for the pony in question. When it came to such emotions she was either go big or go home.

Heartstrings sighed inwardly and sat down, doing his best to appear un-upset at Pinkie’s lack of reciprocation.

****

“He’s happy is he not? I’ve never heard him protest once. I don’t force him to do things for me, he offers!”

Rarity was attempting to defend herself, Fluttershy continued to listen wordlessly. It would have been better if she had said something reproachful. Anything would be better than the look Fluttershy was giving her.

“And besides, it isn’t as if it isn’t plain that I… that I don’t…”

She turned on her hoof and stomped back onto the balcony. Fluttershy followed close behind. She wanted to give Rarity her space, but the desire to not be left alone in the dark castle surpassed that.

Pinkie and Violin turned, startled, as she stormed through the door. Heartstrings jumped to his hooves and distanced himself from the pink mare. Rarity felt a small jolt in her stomach. What had they been doing?

“Pinkie dear, you should really be in bed.”

Violin agreed enthusiastically, eager to get back into Rarity’s good books.

“Yes, I can walk you to your room.”

“That’s quite alright, I can do it.” She said primly.

He sat back down, somewhat folorn.

Fluttershy sat with him. She was hurt, she felt like taking care of Pinkie was her duty… taking care of her friends was what she did. Rarity had known that and had swooped in to take over because of her annoyance with her.

“How are you feeling?” Asked Heartstrings conversationally.

“Oh! Yes, I’m alright. And you?”

“Splendid.” He lied through gritted teeth.

Twilight Sparkle appeared in the doorway before the following silence could get too awkward.

“Applejack and Rainbow Dash won’t be getting here until tomorrow night it seems.” She handed a folded piece of paper to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy wasn’t quite sure why the news saddened her so, it hardly made a difference. They wouldn’t be able to see them when they arrived whether sooner or later. She supposed a small part of her expected the smoke to suddenly dissipate at their arrival. The power of friendship! She sighed, the whole notion was ridiculous.

“I’ve told Pinkie Pie, will you tell Rarity?”

“Um, no.” Fluttershy’s answer surprised her.

A shameful grin made its way across Twilight’s face. She had a chance to fix a friendship problem right in the same castle as her idol. Really it was the opportunity of a lifetime. She arranged her features into something more solemn.

“Is there any way I can help? As a good friend, I’m sure I can help you solve whatever dispute you are having with Rarity.”

Heartstrings raised an eyebrow, he hadn’t known her for very long, but he couldn’t imagine Fluttershy having a dispute with anypony.

“N-no, that’s… she’s with Pinkie now, she probably already knows.”

“Oh.” Twilight was disappointed. “Well, if there is anything.” She left, eager to get back to Spike and the princesses.

“Is Rarity cross with you too?” Heartstrings inquired.

“Yes.” Said Fluttershy sadly. And then: “Oh no, what happened?”

“I’m not quite certain.” Heartstrings admitted.

“Hmm.” He said after a pause. “I’ve heard it said that a good friend doesn’t necessarily tell their friends what they want to hear, but what they need to hear. That isn’t to say they should value their own judgement over their friend.” He added quickly. “But… I can’t quite imagine that being something you would do… if you’ll forgive me for being personal.”

Silence again.

So he's polite and wise.