The Lost Lesson

by PFT

The Gears are Set in Motion

Fluttershy looked at her reflection in the mirror. Back at her stared a mare not satisfied with herself. She’d made excuses for far too long, and she was going to talk to him TODAY, even if it killed her. Sure, it would annoy the heck out of Rarity and Applejack, but they would get over it. Plus, she’d had enough of hearing them complain about him almost non-stop, and her conscience was tearing her apart- partially for not leaving when they turned the conversation in that direction, but more for having continued to make excuses as to why NOT to see him.

The chilly January air swirled around Fluttershy as she stepped out of her house. Stifling a shiver, she started towards Ponyville. It wasn’t too long before she passed by the frozen pond, where Pinkie Pie was skating. Klutzy on land, Pinkie seemed to be best out of her element, whether that was the sky or on ice, a fact that never ceased to puzzle all those that knew her.

Pinkie jumped, pulling off a triple pirouette with a backflip perfectly. Then, she skated towards Fluttershy. “Hey! You wanna join in?”

“No thanks, Pinkie. I’m going into town.”

“What for?”

“I’m going to see if someone’s in town, at home…” Her voice trailed off momentarily, as she second-guessed herself again.

“Is it a colt? Maybe who lives across from my place? And who has a huge house but lives all by his lonesome and is complained about by Rarity and Applejack and is best buds with Big Macintosh and just left yest-”

“Slow down, Pinkie.” Fluttershy uncharacteristically stopped Pinkie Pie in the middle of her tirade. “Do you know where your neighbor is?”

“I was just in the middle to telling you that, silly filly. He left yesterday morning.”

Fluttershy facehoofed. Of all the times for you to work up the courage, Fluttershy, you do it too late. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”

“There was a note on his door which said that he may not be back for a while.”

Inwardly, Fluttershy was angry, but none of her inward expressions came out, and she calmly thanked Pinkie Pie before walking back to her cottage.

---

Applebloom sat quietly in her treehouse, reading the stack of books that she had borrowed from Frank the day before, just before he had left. He claimed that he had read most of them when he was her age, and Applebloom decided that she probably wouldn’t have anything better to do. Same with Big Macintosh.

Applebloom looked over at her big brother, and she was surprised to see that he was pale and sweating. She couldn’t see just what he was reading, but he was really getting into his book. Then, nearly screaming, he threw the book across the room, and it hit the wall with a small ‘thud!’

Applebloom turned to her brother. “What was it?”

“It’s called Cupcakes.”

“That don’t sound like it should scare ya.”

“I know. But the main character is a crazy baker who takes ponies, cuts off their cutie marks, an’ then turns them into cupcakes! An’ she made a coat of their cutie marks! I’m gonna have nightmares for WEEKS!”

“Does she do that to her friends?”

“Eeyup… though they don’t suspect anything until she tries to do it to one of her friends- because why would such an innocent, happy filly do that?”

Innocent, happy… Baker? That sounds like… “Pinkie Pie? Why does that sound like her?”

“Ah don’t hear anythin’.”

“No, no. I mean, the character. Look at Pinkie! She’s happy, innocent, and she’s a baker.”

“But she’s not psychotic. An’ the book’s only fiction… it’s fake.” He glanced around before speaking again. “An’ don’t go repeatin’ that. You know what AJ’d do.”

“Ah don’t remember the last time that ya could climb into the treehouse, Big Macintosh.” Applebloom and Big Macintosh turned to face the speaker. There stood Applejack. “An’ ah don’t remember lettin’ ya come up here again.”

“We had it fixed up so’s Applebloom had a place to play. An’ if ya want to play the ownership game, AJ, ya’d best remember that the treehouse was mine, even when ya were Applebloom’s age.”

Applejack HATED it when Big Macintosh managed to outwit her. There was a reason why Granny Smith trusted him with the farm’s management more than her. “Who’d ya have fix it up?”

“Does that really matter? Ah mean, when was the last time you actually went into the treehouse?”

Applejack, sensing that the battle was lost, ran out.

---

“Naturally, darling, it means that they had Frank fix it.”

It was the friends’ dinner night at Sugarcube Corner. Normally, it was held at Rarity’s house, but an unfortunate incident involving Opalescence, a wind-up mouse, and a bucket of paint had led Rarity to cancel it, or at least, until Pinkie Pie offered to hold it at her place.

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie rolled their eyes. For months, the 2 had talked non-stop about Frank, mostly complaining about him; and so their patience for the topic was nearly as thin as Fluttershy’s.

“Yeah, but he’s got himself embedded in the Apple family now.”

“He has?”

“He was at Thanksgivin’, remember? Well, Big Mac became captain of Braeburn’s team, and he picked Frank- with permission from Red Delicious, of course- and Frank was instrumental in helpin’ the team win for the first time in almost 6 years.”

“It’s not all due to one-” Rainbow Dash tried to chip in, maybe getting Applejack off of this conversation trail. But it was to no avail.

“Well, Applejack, they did agree.”

“Ah know! But he’s not an Apple, an’ he will never be an Apple! Neither blood nor adoption will make him an Apple! But yet most of ma family loves him an’ wants him to join in the family events!”

“What’s his last name?” whispered Rainbow Dash to Fluttershy.

“Stablehaus.”

Rainbow Dash looked pensive for a moment… “Do you know what his dad’s name is?”

“I don’t-”

They were interrupted by Applejack slamming a hoof on the table, making everypony’s drink jump into the air and spill.

“Ah’m tellin’ ya, Rarity, I don’t care if Big Macintosh or the rest of my family wants him, he is mingling too much in Apple affairs!”

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash both saw red at this point, both for different reasons- but it would be Rainbow Dash who joined in first. “He helped your Brother win at Hoofball! Can’t you be happy for your brother instead of grumbling about HOW he won?”

“Well-”

Fluttershy added, “He has helped your family out! He rebuilt the treehouse that you used to adore, and he’s the only pony that will talk to Big Macintosh or Applebloom for an extended period of time… other than an Apple!”

Applejack angrily stood up. “Ah didn’t come all the way out here to be told this. Ah now it ain’t right. He ain’t an Apple, he will never be an Apple, and the Apples DON’T NEED no charity!” With that, Rarity and Applejack left, leaving the others.

Pinkie Pie sat down, her hair rapidly deflating. “But… my parties… they don’t hurt anypony…”

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy both sat next to her, and both put a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder.

With shining eyes, she turned to both of them in turn. “Why did you have to bring this up now? Why?” Getting angrier, she continued, “Couldn’t this have waited until after the party? What difference would an hour or 2 have made? Just, please, get out! GET OUT NOW! BOTH OF YOU!”

Rainbow Dash was about to speak, but she was stopped by Fluttershy, who was on her way to the door. Rainbow Dash joined in, somberly leaving.

---

In the halls of the royal Palace in Canterlot, Celestia was quietly laying in her bed, reading the most recent letter from a former assistant when a bright light appeared. She immediately set the letter down, and gazed at the light. The aura then began to take the form of… a griffon…

Glyder. Celestia screamed. “WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

“Is that really necessary, my lady?”

“Umm.. sorry.” Celestia laughed nervously. “It’s just… well… most ghosts are out for vengeance when they show up.”

“But I’ve actually been at peace for a while. I come bearing no ill towards the one who ordered my execution. You were caught up in the post-Nightmare Moon Panic. We all were. It was either to be us or Equestria that was sacrificed. But I do not seek to talk of long-lost things, my lady. I come to speak of the future.”

“The Glyder prophecy?”

“I am honored that it was named after me. But I come to warn you that the gears have been set in motion tonight.”

“What do you mean? Equestria’s going to fall?” Celestia asked, worry creeping in on her normal tone.

“No. On this night, Early in year 5 of the century 21, friendships are strained. Logic and reason were too- and these lead to the lesson being lost. These belong to 5 fillies. These 5 are 5 of the element bearers, who have the power to both save and destroy Equestria.”

“How? What happens to Equestria when… IT happens?”

He sighed. “I cannot tell you, my lady. Time is not simple. It is like a chain- but that chain can be both broken and twisted. Few things are written in stone- and those that are sometimes have asterisks. This is one of those things- only the asterisks are the potential outcomes.”