31) Month 2 - The Concert
“Now are you sure you’ve gotten everything down?” asked Fragrant. She hoped she wasn’t nagging too much, but she really wanted Max to fully understand his role, and given his previous mistakes she wasn’t sure his reputation would stand another screw up.
“Yes,” replied her coltfriend sounding a little sulky. “I’ve got all your notes, I read up on cloud cities and the rules about them. It was all very interesting.” He gestured towards the large pile of papers and books on his desk.
“And you’ve read my notes about how to chair a meeting?” said Fragrant fidgeting a little.
“Yes. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” With a smile he leaned forwards and rested his head against hers, she felt some of her stress flow out of her. “Just forget about work for the rest of the night. Enjoy your niece’s concert. Just relax!”
Fragrant sighed, an explosive sound as all the air flowed out of her lungs. “Thank you, Max,” she mumbled before slumping down into a seat, “Thank you for agreeing to take my place at the meeting today.”
“It’s not a problem. You could do with the time off.” That wasn’t entirely true, it wasn’t much more than a month since court had started. Still, her worries about Fluttering and the other duty she had to carry out today wasn’t helping.
“I’ll have to think of some way to make it up to you,” she replied with a small smile.
“I’m sure I could think of a way or two,” said Max wiggling his eyebrows and giving a naughty grin.
She felt her cheeks glow and struggled to keep her tail from flagging. How did he do that to her, with only a smile and a few words? “I’m sure you could Baron Bow Wow,” she replied playfully, using his pet name.
“Actually,” said Max a little more seriously, “There is something I’d like. Is there a chance I could meet your niece? She does sound interesting and she’s about the only one of your family I haven't talked to.”
Fragrance actually jerked back a little in surprise. She hadn’t expected that response. “Fluttering? I don’t know. She is a very shy filly. She doesn’t do well with strangers.”
“She’s a member of your family, so I’d like to meet her sooner or later. Maybe you could ask her after the concert?”
Fragrant found herself blushing a little at the implications of Max wanting to meet her family. “I’ll ask her, but she might not be willing. She can be very sweet but, well she still has difficulty coming out of her shell.” She felt her stomach drop a little, it was so sad, Fluttering had never been the most outgoing filly, but since her breakdown... Why couldn’t she have seen what she was doing to her niece?
“That’s all I can hope for,” said Max, shaking Fragrant out of her revelry.
Fragrant thought for a moment. “If you really do want to meet my family... what are your plans for Hearthswarming?” she asked with a hint of a blush, this really was a step forwards in their relationship.
“Hearthswarming? Well I was planning to try to get back to Nulpar when the court closed for the holidays so I could spend the Twelvetide there with Mum. But with the trains being how they are, I’d probably only get to spend a week there before I’d have to head back. Why, what did you have in mind?”
“Well... Maybe you could spend some of the holiday with me, in Cloudsdale? It would be a chance to spend time with my family.”
Max bit his lip for a moment. “I’d love to, but I’ve always spent the holidays with Mum.”
“She could also come,” suggested Fragrant. Although she hadn’t realised it at the time, she’d seen the mare in Sadlzberg, but hadn’t had a chance to talk to her. “I would like to meet your family as well.”
Max looked rather panicked. “I don’t know, with her bad leg I don’t think she’d make it to the station, and I don’t think she’d like to leave the province. All her friends are there!”
Fragrant raised an eyebrow at her coltfriend’s rather worrying reaction. Did his mother not approve of them? Did she not think the duchess of Cloudsdale was good enough for her son? It felt a little insulting. If anything, Max couldn’t be considered objectively good enough for her, she was a duchess and he was only a baron. Although her feelings for him weren't all that objective. “Maybe we could come to a compromise? You could spend Hearthwarming in Cloudsdale and I could arrange a sky carriage to get you home for the New Year? You’d still get to spend a week with your family then.”
Max smiled. “I think that might work. We can sort out the details later since we still have a few months to go.”
“It’s never too early to plan,” noted Fragrant.
“You’re right, but there’s something about being a little spontaneous as well. Now you better be off. Isn’t your train leaving soon?”
“I have enough time to get ready,” she said while standing up. “Now remember to not let Baron Thunderbird talk too much. Once he gets started, you’ll be there until tomorrow, and Viscountess Nighting Gale will bring up Cloudholm again. Let her do her thing then get a vote to reject her proposal at least until the next meeting.” She was a little worried about the Viscountess, she had heard a few disquieting rumours about her financial affairs, and she wasn’t entirely sure it was random chance that she’d rearranged the committee meeting for today.
“I know, I know. You wrote it all down!” exclaimed Max.
“If you have any questions before the meeting, just talk to Saltpeter, and make sure you-” Fragrant was cut off as Max quickly closed the distance between them, placed a leg to the back of her head, and pulled her into a deep kiss. She struggled in surprise for a moment before reciprocating.
“Everything will be fine,” he said gently when they finally broke contact after what felt like a few hours later. “Enjoy the concert.”
“Thank you,” she said. He certainly knew how to calm her nerves. She impetuously gave him a quick peck on the cheek before heading towards the door. If she waited too long, she’d never want to leave.
She shut the door behind her and then leaned back against it for a moment. Hopefully the rest of her day would go as well. It would be so good to hear Fluttering make music again. Maybe her other meeting wouldn’t be a problem either, although it was unlikely. Trying to look on the bright side, Fragrant set off towards her estate to get ready for her trip.
Fragrant shuddered as she glanced around the crowded station. She knew it was just her own paranoia but she was sure that every pony was staring. She struggled against the urge to wrap her wings tightly around herself. This was a bad decision.
She had wanted to be incognito in Ponyville. Today was to be Fluttering’s day and she didn’t want to spoil it by drawing all the attention to herself. Plus, Fluttering actually hadn’t invited her. It stung a little, but she suspected it was because Fluttering didn’t want to be under any more pressure. Just playing in public was an epic feat for the shy filly, while playing in front of her family would potentially be even worse given what their expectations had done to her.
Maybe she should have followed her niece’s wishes, but Fragrant so wanted to be there when her little filly finally managed to return to pony society. However, once it had come to dressing for her trip she had realised that almost everything in her wardrobe would immediately show her as an important pony, if not a noble. The simplest option had been just to go to the event naked because she doubted the population of Ponyville went about clothed much of the time.
However, now that she had actually gone ahead with her spontaneous plan, she felt hugely self-conscious. She shuddered and tried to get a grip on herself. She was an adult now. Using clothes as a crutch to deal with her own shyness was something she should have grown out of a long long time ago. Still, she realised it had indeed been a long time, likely years since she had appeared in public without being clothed. It would probably do her mental health good to try and wean herself off of her dependency. Although maybe today wasn’t the best time to have started. She just wished it didn’t feel like everypony was staring at her!
Maybe she should fly herself to Ponyville rather than taking the train? She’d be alone for most of the journey then. With the extra exercises she’d been undergoing recently, she was sure she could make the trip despite most of her training being based on increasing her lifting capacity rather than her endurance or speed. No, the concert was only a few hours away now. Despite the trip being more or less a glide all the way from Canterhorn down to the town, she wouldn’t make it in time. The train would be her best option. She’d just have to push past her insecurities for Fluttering. Anyway, she’d be back home again in only a few hours.
Slipping into the first class carriage, she was glad to see that it was only half full. Spending time in a crowded room without her armour would be torture. Slumping into her seat, she glanced out the window at the various ponies rushing about. For a moment, she thought she saw Max out there, but that wasn’t likely. He would be back in the palace, unless he’d come to see her off... no, it was probably a similar looking pony. She’d lost track of him in the crowd anyway.
Behind her, the door to the carriage slid open and a large party of familiar ponies started to tramp in. Her brow furrowed for a moment, wondering why so many nobles would be making this journey. Then she saw that Baronetess Soft Hoof was leading them. They must be supporting her at the concert. It was good to see that so many had made it. It suddenly struck Fragrant how awkward this could be, because she had not publically offered to support the animal shelter, thinking only of Fluttering. However, to her surprise, none of the courtiers gave her a second glance as they took their seats and started to talk amongst themselves, not even Marquis Jet Stream despite how long they had known each other. Was she really so difficult to recognise without her normal clothes? If so, it was another reason to go sans clothing.
Still, better not chance her luck. She hunkered down and gazed out the window again as the train started to pull away.
The trip to Ponyville had gone without incident and she had managed to slip out of the train without being noticed. The stage Fluttering was to perform from had already been set up and the performance was only an hour or so away now. Most of the other nobles were chatting amongst themselves, with only one or two of them having broken away to wander the town. Fragrant was hoping to slip into the crowd of local ponies unnoticed to see the performance. However, she had a duty to carry out first, an unpleasant duty, although it was her responsibility.
Fragrant nervously looked up at the cloud dwelling floating far above her head. It was a rather ostentatious structure, but it certainly matched its owner’s personality. While growing up, Rainbow Dash’s brashness had been a counterpoint to Fluttering’s shyness, making it surprising how the two of them had gotten on so well given their opposing personalities. Despite Dash being her seneschal’s daughter, Fragrant hadn’t been entirely happy with the relationship between her and Fluttering. She’d always considered it important to keep a clear line between those that ruled and those being ruled, but she could never deny the strength of the friendship between the two fillies.
Glancing up again, Fragrant wondered if it wouldn’t be better to come back later. Certainly, as a youth Rainbow hadn’t been an early riser, but her job as a weather patrol leader probably meant she’d have to work shifts. She might not even be home yet. Shaking her head, Fragrant realised that she was trying to distract herself. She wished she’d worn something, even a cloak. She really didn’t like the feeling of nakedness, because there was nothing to help her be the Duchess. Silently she cursed Thunderous again. Why did he have to be such a coward to leave her to tidy up his mess? For a moment, she wondered if she really needed to do this in person. Surely a letter would convey her apology in her place? Or she could send a servant? No, maybe she would have done that a year ago, maybe even half a year ago but, well, Max wouldn’t like it. He would want to do things like this himself — and this actually surprised her — she found herself wanting to be more like him. There was a certain justice in carrying out your duty first hoof, even if doing so could be painful.
With a sigh, Fragrant spread her wings and soared into the sky, past the rainbow fountains pouring from the bottom of the building and up to the front door. Dash certainly hadn’t spared any of her brother’s money when she’d had this place built, but it still probably represented far less than one percent of a day's profits for Posey Weather.
Steeling herself, Fragrant gently tapped her hoof against the cloud of the door, feeling the slight electrical charge held in it release and hearing a bell ring further inside the building. She waited for a moment, then another, then another. Maybe she’d been correct and Rainbow wasn’t in at the moment. A wave of relief flowed through her and she turned to go, only to hear movement from inside.
“Thunderlane?” came Dash’s scratchy voice, “That you again? I told you that was a one off thing, I don’t want you crawling back here begging for more of the D...” The door disintegrated in front of Fragrant’s face to reveal a rather unkempt and sleepy looking Rainbow Dash. “D-D Duchess!” she gasped, her eyes suddenly growing wide at the unexpected sight.
“Miss Dash,” said Fragrant formally, trying to keep down her unease. “May I come inside? I have something I wish to discuss with you.”
“Err, yeah, um sure. Come in,” said Rainbow with something like panic on her face, stepping aside to allow Fragrant to enter her house. Then suddenly her eyes widened again and she rushed past the noble, almost knocking her aside. Fragrant frowned and followed the blue mare into a large and well-appointed living room. Dash appeared as a blur as she quickly tried to tidy the room, stashing away various slightly-gnawed looking pizza boxes and takeaway menus before rearranging the furniture. “Sorry, I haven’t had a chance to clean up, I didn’t know you were coming!” She balanced half a dozen plates and bowls on her outstretched wings before tossing them through a window to get them out of the way.
Fragrant couldn’t help but smile. Rainbow’s mother Cloudia was one of the most meticulous mares that the duchess knew. It appeared that the rain had fallen rather far from the cloud in Dash’s case.
“Tea! Would you like some tea?” asked Dash, then she paused. “I don’t actually have any,” she admitted, “but I can fly down to Ponyville to get some, or even to Canterlot, maybe Shouma?” She began to fly back and forth as if deciding in what direction the continent lay.
“Miss Dash,” said Fragrant trying to calm the frightened filly without much success. “Rainbow!” she called sharply, causing Dash to freeze in place halfway up one of the walls. “Thank you for your offer, but I am fine. I just want to talk to you, to... to apologize.” She seated herself on the nearest chair and gestured for the other mare to take a seat opposite.
“Yeah, right, apologise,” said Dash as she sat down, “I’m really sorry about Fluttershy, I mean Fluttering, sorry!” she babbled. “I really should have told her about the concert, but if she’d been given the opportunity she’d never have done it and sometimes you need to be kicked off a cloud before you’ll fly. Please don’t fire my mom!”
Fragrant sighed. She didn’t understand half of what the younger mare was saying but it was clear that Rainbow had taken her brother’s words to heart. She cursed him again for not being here to tidy his own mess up. “No, Miss Dash. I am here to apologise to you. I believe that you may have misunderstood the offer my brother made to you, and that you may not be entirely happy here.”
“Happy? Why wouldn’t I be happy?” Rainbow Dash laughed a little nervously. “Who said I wasn’t happy?”
“I talked to one of your friends at the Gala, one of the element bearers, Carrot Top. She mentioned that my brother might have forced you into your role as Fluttering’s caretaker. I did not think of it much at the time, as other things came up.” Like a near riot. “But I discussed it with him over the summer.” Really, it had been cowardly of her not to have dealt with the issue straight away, but she had been so busy, and hadn’t known what to do about Fluttering and... she was delaying again.
Steeling her will, Fragrant took a deep breath and said, “I believe my family has done you a grave injustice, and as the current matriarch, it is my responsibility to make recompense. Whatever my brother may have implied, we would never force your mother to do anything against her will, or fire her. Your family has served mine loyally for several generations.”
“Huh!” explained Dash, sinking into her chair staring at the older mare with her face a picture of incomprehension.
“After Fluttering’s incident, her parents and I had to decide how best to look after her. Keeping her in Canterlot or Cloudsdale would likely prevent her from being near the things she loved and would probably leave her open to press scrutiny.” Fragrant shivered at the thought of a gaggle of newspaper reporters swarming like locusts over her delicate little niece. Taking another breath, she continued, "We thought it would... be best if she was moved to somewhere quiet where she could recover with all her pets. Ponyville seemed the perfect location, close enough to me that I could keep an eye on her but still out of the way from society.” Fragrant tried not to sigh. It had seemed a reasonable idea at the time, but looking back, would it have been better to have kept Fluttering closer to home? Should they have listened more to what the filly herself wanted? She seemed content, but was she actually resentful of her family for them having banished her in this way?
“Still,” continued Fragrant, “she needed somepony to keep an eye on her, to look after her. We agreed that you would be an ideal candidate, since you were her best friend. My brother... my brother was to ask you to consider helping her... I'm not sure Thunderous knows the meaning of the word. Due to his position, he is far more direct with his orders and may get upset if he is not instantly obeyed.”
A flame seemed to light in the previous bewildered looking young mare and Dash’s eyes narrowed as she processed this information. “Mr Posey said that he was going to reassign my mom if I didn’t help Fluttershy!” she said accusingly. “He said that she’d have to take a pay cut as well!” Her wings shot open in a clear threat display.
“I... I think you might have misunderstood.” Fragrant hoped the younger mare had, and that was not exactly how Thunderous had explained it. If he had been lying, her younger brother would feel the sharp side of her tongue when she next saw him. “Cloudia was indeed our next choice for a caretaker for Fluttering, but she was going to be recompensed for the inconvenience, as you were.”
“Recompensed!” Dash was yelling now, up on her hooves and looking like she was going to charge Fragrant. The older mare struggled not to shy away; this was her responsibility, and she would take whatever the distressed filly would dole out. “It’s insulting! Fluttershy’s been my best bud for like forever.” She turned aside for a moment, blushing slightly pink under her blue coat. “I love her like a sister! If you’d just asked me I would have helped her, but your brother—” Rainbow Dash jabbed out with a hoof pointing at Fragrant “—decided to try and blackmail me instead!”
“I… I am sorry Miss Dash. I recognise we did not take your opinion into account, but, but Fluttering needed a friend, maybe more than she needed her family. What my brother did was rash... was wrong of him, but you have to believe that he only wanted to protect his daughter. He would do anything for his family, as would I!”
“So you threw her away when she needed you the most!” Dash snarled.
“We... we didn’t! After her incident, she needed time alone, to recover. If she’d stayed with us, she would be in the public eye, her every move followed, with no privacy.” That was right, wasn’t it? Their decision had been taken with Fluttering’s best interests at heart? Hadn’t it? Should they have protected her themselves, kept her with them?
“Sure didn’t look that way to me!” snapped Rainbow Dash. “She doesn’t measure up to your expectations and you throw her away. Luckily, she had a sister to take over, right! Just swap one kid out for the other, no problem! Just throw away the old one and her friend with her! Did you honestly think she was ever going to be able to run Posey Weather and work in the Night Court? I mean, have you even met Fluttershy?!” Rainbow Dash angrily shook her hoof with her wings spread out behind her in an aggressive display.
“Rainbow!” yelled Posey. She was off her chair as well now, with wings spread and her ears laid back. Incandescent anger seethed under her skin at the insolent upstart's words. As if Fragrant did not already regret what had been done to her niece!
"I am fully aware of how much our family has failed my niece!" snapped Fragrant. Once the hateful words were out, she managed to take a breath and lowered her wings fractionally as the anger cooled into regret. "I blame myself," she added. "I saw too much of myself in her, far too much, I think. I thought she could grow into my position, to follow in my hoofsteps. My brother thought the same, and we did not think about who she actually was, who she wanted to be. If we could take back what we have done we would, in a heartbeat.” She struggled to keep down her tears and lowered her wings to touch the cool clouds of the floor.
“Hey, um, yeah,” said Dash, looking awkward as her anger drained out of her. “Sorry, I, um, know you love your family, err, Duchess.”
“No, there is some truth in what you said. I have not treated Fluttering, or yourself as I should have. But, please.” Fragrant looked up at Dash. “Tell me she is happy here. I would hate to think that we had added to her burden.”
“Fluttershy? Oh, she loves it here, in her little cottage with her animals and stuff. Yeah, she loves it out here.” The tone was casual, but there was a little bitterness in Rainbow’s voice.
“But you do not?”
Rainbow flinched back a bit. “Well, I didn’t at first, but well…” She rubbed the back of her head. “It’s grown on me, since there’s always a challenge with the Everfree next door and the weather team... well there’s some surprisingly cool ponies out here who really know their jobs.” She shrugged. “I just really didn’t see my life like this, running an out of the way weather team. If it wasn’t for Fluttershy...”
“I... I am sorry,” she stuttered. “It was wrong of my brother to exile you out here against your will. You can, of course, follow any career you wish. I can only apologise and do whatever I can to recompense you and your family.”
“So I could just leave like that?” Rainbow Dash sounded a little unsure. “Well I’ve always meant to join the Wonderbolts, at least go to the academy.”
“If you wish, I have had some dealings with the Wonderbolts in the past. I could certainly put in a good word with you next time I speak to Captain Spitfire.”
Dash’s eyes turned wide. “Oh my gosh! You know Spitfire!? That’s so... wait a minute.” The broad smile went away, leaving her face sour. “If I went to the academy, who’d look after Fluttershy?”
“From what I understand, while Fluttering has been recovering, she has made friends with others in town, including several of the element bearers, Miss Do, Miss Toppington, and even Trixie Lulamoon.” Fragrant tried to hold back a frown, as she still didn’t entirely trust the Element of Magic not to be trying to use Fluttering to further her own career, but after what she had told her before the gala and the events that happened there, she was willing to try and give her the benefit of the doubt. “If Fluttering does need further support, I’m sure I could hire somepony.”
“I don’t know,” said Dash her brow furrowed. “Fluttershy doesn’t like new ponies much, so it won’t be easy to find help for her, and yeah she’s got more friends now, but I don’t know... Maybe I should hang around for a while? Maybe a year or so? Long enough for my application to make its way through the right channels. Thanks for your offer, but I’d like to get through on my own awesome skills, you know, not who I know.”
Fragrant smiled. “Thank you Rainbow. You really are an excellent friend.”
“Yeah,” said Rainbow rubbing the back of her head. “Me and Fluttershy have been through quite a lot over the years, so I don’t want to leave her hangin’. It’s bad enough I almost screwed up the whole concert thing... oops.” She grimaced.
“Screwed up the concert?” asked Fragrant frowning.
“Uh, right. I might have sort of put Fluttershy’s name forward for the concert without telling her. I really thought she’d love it but you know she wouldn’t do it by herself, so I sorta gave her a little push.” She gestured as if shoving something with her hooves.
Fragrant ran a hoof over her face. She should have realised that her niece wouldn’t have willingly volunteered to appear in front of an audience. “Rainbow,” she growled, “How could you! I will have to get the concert cancelled now before even more harm is done to Fluttering’s mental health! You...” She was furious! How dare this filly do that to Fluttering, there was no way she could be left caring for her if this was how she acted. The damage she could do to Fluttering, all her hard work recovering destroyed just like that!
“Yeah, I know I messed up, but Trixie fixed it!” exclaimed Dash.
“Trixie? Trixie Lulamoon?” asked Fragrant, her anger momentarily forgotten.
“Uh, huh. She brought in some big shot musician from Canterlot, Oct something I think. She’s going to help coach Fluttershy to play. She really wants to play, because the concert’s for all sorts of cutesy animals. You know Fluttershy would move all the clouds in the sky for them! She’d even play in public!”
Fragrant couldn’t help but smile at that. “That she would, that she would,” she mused. “Do you mean Octavia? The court musician?” She had no idea that Trixie knew her, although it did make some sense; she knew the musician had acted as a mentor to the element of loyalty, Lyra Heartstrings. “I suppose there could be no better teacher.” Although she had heard the young genius was a perfectionist, she hoped she had not pushed Fluttering too hard. Still, to have put so much effort into helping her niece, maybe she had misjudged Trixie. She would have to apologize to her later.
“Yeah, and you know how good Fluttershy is with her birds! She’ll knock ‘em dead! I’m going to make sure the weather’s perfect as well!”
“Yes, her music is beautiful...” Maybe she should have more faith in her niece. She might not want to run Posey Weather, or be part of the Night Court, but she would give her all to raise money for animals. “You... you are right, this is what Fluttering, what Fluttershy would want.” She didn’t like her niece’s nickname, but she had to admit it fit. “I, I will let her play. I suppose I should leave now, to make sure I get a good seat.”
“Yeah, I better get to work on the clouds as well.”
“Once again I apologize for my brother’s actions. I owe you a debt for the help you have given Fluttering. If you ever need anything, you only need to ask.”
“Yeah, ok. Thanks,” said Dash awkwardly.
“Oh, and your mother sends her best wishes,” said Fragrant with a smile. “She says you could write more often though, or even visit. Cloudsdale isn’t all that far away at the moment.”
The area around the stage set up in the centre of Ponyville was packed. It was hardly the biggest event that Fragrant had ever been to, as there were probably only two hundred ponies there but it was certainly less formal than the larger events she attended. Ponies wandered back and forth chatting to friends and family. She assumed that most of the crowd were locals, although some looked a little lost suggesting they had arrived in town for the event.
Off to one side stood the small group of courtiers that Soft Hoof had brought with her. They seemed to be keeping their distance, clearly separated from the rest of the crowd and resplendent in their smarter clothes. Was that how she normally appeared as well? So separate from the ones that she ruled? She knew that it would be presumptuous of her to think she could understand and be friends with the whole population of her province, but should she do more to understand the ponies she ruled? Her lack of clothing still bothered her, making her feel self-conscious but it also letting her fit more easily into the rest of the population. Nopony gave her a second glance as she took her place near the back of the crowd.
She looked out towards the stage, painted with a woodland scene. Peering closely, she could see perches built into the set, with some already occupied by her niece’s flock. Presumably the concert would start soon. For some reason, there was a small hut placed in the centre of the stage also, perhaps to store instruments. Worryingly, there was no sign of Fluttering yet. Fragrant hoped the filly’s nerve hadn’t broken at the last minute. Glancing up, she could see Rainbow Dash sweeping away the few clouds that had filled the sky, and in a few minutes, the weather manager took up a position above the stage and looked down expectantly. There was still no sign of Fluttering though.
“You look a little lost,” said a voice next to her, almost causing Fragrant to jump. She turned to see a smiling unicorn mare standing next to her, a little on the plump side with a fluffy purple mane and off white coat. Her mark was a full plate of food.
“I am sorry?”
“Oh, sorry if I startled you. I’m Sweet Treat. I guess you’re new to town. Did you come just for the concert?”
“I am from Cloudsdale.” Fragrant paused for a moment trying to come up with an alibi. “I have heard very good things about the performer.”
“Fluttershy? She’s a bit of a mystery around these parts, moved in out near the Everfree a few years ago, hardly anypony sees her. Some say she’s actually a ghost.”
Fragrant’s heart ached a little. Was this really the best place for Fluttering? Was she treated as some sort of town pariah?
“Still, from what I’ve heard she is a really good musician. They say they brought in the court musician herself to help her. I can’t say I’m much of a music fan myself, but my daughter begged me to bring her. Of course now one of her little friends dragged her off somewhere, leaving me alone.” She pouted a little and glanced around the crowd. “Oh, there she is,” she said pointing off to one side. “Alula dear, don’t wander too far,” she called.
Fragrant followed the mare’s hoof and felt her legs weaken as she saw a yellow filly with a purple mane. The filly’s wings were puffed up on her back and a horn poked through her hair. It was the hybrid she had seen at the gala, the little princess. She staggered back as if struck and collided with the mare next to her. No, she thought to herself, I can’t break down, not now, not at Fluttering’s concert. Fragrant fought to keep the tears from her eyes. This wasn’t the foal she knew was gone. This was another like her. Still, her wings ached from holding back the instinct to fly back to her estate in Cloudsdale to check the grounds to see if a miracle had occurred, that she had returned.
The foal's mother apparently took Fragrant’s reaction as some sort of disapproval of her daughter and her face darkened. “Alula may look a little unusual, but she’s a little filly like any other!”
“N-no,” stuttered Fragrant trying to regain her composure. “She’s not like any other filly, she’s a miracle!”
“It’s not like that,” said Sweet, her ears flicking. “She’s no alicorn, no princess, she just happens to have a horn and wings.” She sighed. “Alula has enough trouble with her friends thinking she’s going to have the answer to all their questions. She just wants to be a normal filly.”
“A normal filly or something special, she’s still a miracle. Never forget how lucky you are to have her,” exclaimed Fragrant, her eyes still locked on the foal.
“Well, yes I suppose I am,” said Sweet a little taken aback. “She’s such a good filly, maybe a little shy, but her friends try to get her to come out of her shell. That Firelock might be trouble, but the two of them get along so well.”
“Yes, friends, friends can help,” mumbled Fragrant thinking of Fluttering and Dash. “Just don’t push her too hard. Let her become what she wants to be.”
“Ok,” said Sweet sounding unsure. “I don’t mean to pry but you sound like-” Sweet was cut off by a commotion near the stage. The crowd was parting as a familiar blue mare, her head held high and purple cape flowing behind her, made her way towards the stage, her tall pointed hat illuminated by the glow of her horn within.
“Make way!” she cried. “Make way for the Great and Powerful Trixie!”
Fragrant’s brow furrowed. She’d been told that Trixie was now Fluttering’s friend, but now she was practically crashing Fluttering’s concert! It looked like she hadn’t changed at all. She ground her teeth together to try and hide her rage. Then as suddenly as she had appeared, the unicorn seemed to almost fade away. She lowered her head and looked behind the construction on the stage apparently saying something to whatever was behind it. Her horn went out and suddenly there was something moving back there. Fragrant saw a brief flash of a pink mane... Fluttering! Her niece was behind the shed, or as she now realised it was, the hide! For a second she felt disappointed. She had so hoped that her niece was recovered enough that she could appear in public, but then her heart rose. It was still a great improvement that she would even take part in the concert. Trixie must have brought Fluttering here under an invisibility spell, and acted out to draw further attention from the crowd. She had once again misjudged the princess’ student. One more thing she needed to apologize for.
She blinked. While she had been lost in thought, the town mayor had taken her place on the stage and had given the usual welcoming speech. Now the grey-haired mare was stepping down from her perch and a hush drew over the crowd as the concert itself was about to start.
Fragrant held her breath as she heard the first few cheeps from the birds. At first it just seemed like random noise, but as they sang, a tune slowly emerged. It grew and grew and developed and split as the chorus split into multiple tunes, each being played one over the other yet making up part of a larger melody. She imagined Fluttering standing safe in her hide controlling the flock, ensuring each of her living instruments sang at just the right moment to support all the rest. She knew the effort it took, the long hours her niece had spent perfecting her craft.
She knew that Fluttering didn’t want to follow her hoofsteps into politics or her father’s into management. Maybe music was where she wanted to spread her wings? Fragrant could certainly support that venture. The right words in the right ears and she could ensure her niece would be playing in the largest of venues, her fame would be... No, much like Rainbow Dash had reminded her, she should not set Fluttering's life for her again, would not break her again. The decision on where to take her future would be Fluttering’s and Fluttering’s alone. If her niece asked for help, then Fragrant would be more than happy to provide it, but it would be Fluttering’s own decision. Sighing, Fragrant tried to clear her mind and let herself be swept away by the river of music her niece was controlling.
All too soon, the concert came to an end and once again Trixie helped Fluttering leave the stage unseen despite the crowd calling the musician’s name. Soft Hoof took to the stage to remind the audience of the charity they were supporting. The baronetess spoke well and soon the crowd were begging to be able to provide her with the funds she needed. It looked like Vicereine Wallflower had chosen her pupil well. Fragrant decided that she would need to increase her donation to the animal shelters once she returned to her office.
As the crowd surged forwards to contribute to the charity, Fragrant decided that it was time to take her leave. She would head towards Fluttering’s cottage to congratulate the filly in person before she took the train back to Canterlot. She couldn’t fully suppress a yawn. It was almost midday, which meant she would normally have been in bed several hours ago, not that she begrudged the loss. With a flap of her wings, she leapt into the air and set course only to be distracted by a yellow and pink shape in an alleyway only a short distance from the stage. Could Fluttering still be present? She would have thought the girl would be half way home by now. But of course! A wide smile crossed Fragrant’s face. She would want to stay to see that the animals were being supported. That her niece was able to stay in town showed a huge improvement in Fluttering’s mental state. She altered course and swooped towards the alley, slowing as to not scare the filly and dropping to the ground just in front of Fluttering.
For a moment Fluttering’s large eyes widened at the appearance of her aunt. “You-you came,” she stuttered in surprise. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you but Rainbow-”
“Don’t worry dear. I have spoken to Miss Dash. She is sorry about surprising you.”
“No, no,” said Fluttering with surprising strength. “She was right to volunteer me. The animals needed me.”
Unable to contain herself any longer, Fragrant stepped forwards and wrapped her wings around the shorter mare. "That was lovely, dear," she said, not even trying to contain the emotion in her words. "You've... you've made me so very proud."
In so many ways. Your music was incredible, you performed in public, well almost public, and you love your cause so much.
"I'm glad you liked it, Auntie," muttered Fluttering happily, partially smothered by her aunt’s plumage.
Fragrant was about to say more when there was a thud from the other end of the alley. She turned to see Trixie sprawled next to an upturned water barrel. She felt a momentary twinge of annoyance at having the moment interrupted, but then Fluttershy trotted over to the fallen pony with a smile on her face. "Trixie! It was wonderful! Thank you for your help!" Her voice was still soft, but for Fluttering she was practically screaming with joy. “That was fantastic, and now all those animals will be saved and helped and loved… oh, Trixie, it was wonderful!”
“I’m glad—“ said Trixie struggling to her hooves.
Fluttering nuzzled the blue unicorn. “I couldn’t have done it without you.” Any lingering worries that Fragrant had that Trixie was in some way trying to use her friendship with Fluttering for her own gain was evaporated by the bright blush colouring the unicorn’s cheeks.
"You were behind this?" asked Fragrant. The younger mare had clearly helped Fluttering to and from the stage, but had she come up with the entire set up which allowed Fluttering to play in public?
Trixie paused for a moment. "Yes," she eventually said.
Fluttering bowed low. "Then I thank you as well. You've... you've done a lot for my niece. I think I speak for both of us when I say how grateful we are." Fluttering nuzzled Trixie again and the showmare returned the gesture, her cheeks glowing.
“I was... I was just trying to be a good friend,” muttered Trixie.
“And it appears you have been. I am sorry that I have misjudged you so much in the past, both at the gala and more recently. Our relationship has not... has not been the best at court, but I want to you know that I owe you a great favour for your support of my niece. If there is ever anything I can do for you, you only need to ask.”
For a moment Fragrant thought that Trixie might suddenly announce that she wanted to have a province named after herself or a cloud city of her own, personal weather for the rest of her life, or something equally grandiose, but instead the unicorn only nodded. “Thank you, Duchess Posey, but friendship is its own reward.”
Fragrant couldn’t help but smile. Maybe the elements had been correct in choosing Trixie as one of their bearers. She certainly seemed to have grown as a pony since her time at court.
“Now if you would excuse me,” said Trixie with a bow, “I will leave you two to catch up. I have a court musician to track down.”
“Oh, yes,” said Fluttering as the unicorn left. “Octavia was such a big help. I need to thank her.”
Fragrant was once again pleasantly surprised by her niece’s growing social circle. She would have to thank Miss Philharmonica herself at some point, but first she did have a few things to catch up with her niece about.
Fragrant looked around Fluttering’s cottage as her niece busied herself in the kitchen preparing a further pot of tea for the two of them. The house was rather small and certainly smelled like it was home to so many animals. Still, there was no doubting that this place was Fluttering’s: every feature, every piece of furniture, every square inch was stamped with her niece's personality.
The two of them had chatted about the concert and family matters on the way home. Fluttering had received several letters from her sister about her holiday and her course now that she was back at university, but her brother hadn’t contacted her for some time. Fragrant filled her in on what she knew of Dangerous’ recent life, such as the white water rafting and his trip to the Griffin lands. He always seemed to be on the move despite his father's attempts to get him to take up his family responsibilities. She was sure the colt was just too busy to write to his sister rather than ignoring her. Still, it would not hurt to remind him to contact her when she next saw him. Maybe he could even visit. If nothing else, she was sure he would be interested in the nearby Everfree forest.
When they had first entered the cottage, Fragrant had been surprised by a large shaggy shape that leapt on her and almost knocked her to the ground. It had taken her a few seconds to recognise it as the orthros that she had given Fluttering only a few months earlier. It had grown so much over that time, now it stood less than a head shorter than her. She knew that his sire towered over most ponies, but she had not realised that the creatures grew so quickly. She was a little surprised that it still remembered her given they had only spent a day or so together. It had taken Fluttering’s gentle command to get the animal, who she had named Schwarz-Weiß, to stop licking her and slump loyally at the hooves of its mistress. Fluttering had given the great creature a belly rub and it had barked in obvious pleasure. Fluttering’s way with animals really was wonderful. The dog was obviously devoted to her.
Now having used up all topics of general conversation, Fragrant decided to delve into the other matters she had wanted to bring up. “I’m glad to see that you’ve been able to make so many new friends here.”
Fluttering looked up from her tea. “Oh, yes. I’m so lucky there are so many nice ponies here. Ditzy comes to visit every few days even if I don’t have any mail, and Dinky helps me with my animals every weekend. Oh, you haven't seen her but she’s just the cutest little foal, she’s so sweet and helpful. Then there’s Carrot Top, she helped me out when I was sick...” Fragrant stiffened a little. Fluttering hadn’t said anything about being ill. “It wasn’t that bad,” added Fluttering quickly. “Then there’s Trixie. I really didn’t think I’d like her, she’s normally so loud and big and scary.”
Fluttering seemed to shrink into herself for a moment, clutching her cup. A large white rabbit hopped up onto the seat next to her and almost unconsciously one of her hooves reached out to cuddle him. “I really did think she was picking on me, but it was all a big misunderstanding.” She let out a breath. “Trixie tries really hard to be a friend and, well I should try just as hard, she really helped me with this concert. Then there’s Rarity, she’s like Trixie. I didn’t think I’d like her but she makes such pretty clothes and she’s really nice to listen to, and now there's Octavia as well. I have so many friends,” she concluded with a smile.
Fragrant found the same smile gracing her face. Truly, half a dozen ponies was not a large social circle, but given the way Fluttering had been after the incident it was a near miracle how much she had recovered, and apparently continued to recover.
“Oh and there’s Rainbow as well, of course. I don’t know what I’d do without her. She even saved my life last month from Timberwolves!” Fluttering’s hooves shook a little and the rabbit hugged against her side.
Fragrant felt her hooves follow suit. She’d heard there had been some sort of issue with the creatures of the forest recently but she hadn’t known that Fluttering had been personally involved. Maybe this wasn’t such a safe place for her niece. Maybe she should move her. She closed her eyes for a moment. No, if Fluttering wanted to move, that would be her decision. She shouldn’t try to control her life anymore. Although, this was just one more thing she had to thank Rainbow for, which reminded her of her previous conversation with the weather manager.
“Fluttering, would you be... how would you feel if Rainbow moved away?” she asked gently.
The younger mare tensed up again for a moment. “Well I... I know she’ll go away one day, maybe one day soon. She wants to be a Wonderbolt and to do that she’ll need to move away. I’ll... I’ll miss her, but I have other friends now and I’d hate if she was forced to stay just for me.” The look in Fluttering’s eye made Fragrant wonder if her niece knew more about what Thunderous had done than she’d previously thought, which brought up some worrying ideas. What effect had her father's actions had on Fluttering over the last few years? Did she feel guilty about his treatment of her friend? That was a line of thought Fragrant did not want to follow at the moment.
“There is another topic I’d like to talk to you about actually,” she continued, changing the topic. “You know that I’ve mentioned Baron Mounty Max in my recent letters?”
“Oh, he’s your um, coltfriend isn’t he?” she asked with just a touch of a cheeky smile.
Fragrant found her cheeks burning a little. “Well we are,” she cleared her throat, “courting. I suppose our first real date was... er... memorable.” To put it mildly. Their next date was going to be more pedestrian, as she had already informed her staff to plan a dinner for them at her estate. "Oh, and I did travel with him on a tour through his province for a time." And shared his tent, and his bed, and...
Fluttering smiled and petted the rabbit. "From what you've said in your letters, he sounds... nice."
“Well, yes he is. He’s a very kind and energetic stallion, but—” Fragrant sighed “—he can be an idiot sometimes. At least he tries so hard at everything he does, and he really seems to think that he can make everything better.” Including me she thought as she felt a smile stretch uncontrollably across her face.
“I think he sounds more than nice then,” said Fluttering. “I know it’s been a long time since you’ve had a special somepony...”
“Longer than you’ve been alive,” admitted Fragrant.
Fluttering nodded. “I know how hard that was for you. Mother told me, as long as I’ve known you you’ve seemed a little...” She paused for a moment seeming to search for a word. “Sad. Not really depressed, just a little sad, like you’re missing something. I know what you lost and this Mounty Max won’t replace it all, but the last few times I’ve talked to you, you’ve been happy. It... it looks good on you.”
Fragrant couldn’t help but blush broadly at her niece’s words. “Well, I don’t know, but yes. Yes, I am happy around him. He makes me feel, well, more alive I suppose. The thing is, he’s, he’s asked if he can meet my family, meet you.”
“Oh!” exclaimed Fluttering sinking a little back into her seat.
“I know you don’t like meeting new ponies all that much, but he is very nice and it can only be for a few minutes if you like. If you’re not comfortable we can just leave again.”
“No, no, I... I think I’d like that, to meet him. Maybe just for a little bit? You’re very special to me, auntie, and he’s obviously special to you, so I’d like to meet him.”
Fragrant let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She was so glad Fluttering had agreed. “That’s good. We can sort out a time in the next few weeks. I’m sure the two of you will get along fine.”
“Auntie,” said Fluttering with a slight smile playing over her face.
“Yes, dear.”
“Is Baron Max going to be my uncle?” she asked innocently.
“Um, oh, well I don’t really know, I haven't really, well,” spluttered Fragrant. Truly it wasn’t a topic she’d put all that much thought to so far. She was happy to take her relationship a day at a time at the moment, but it wasn’t entirely beyond the realms of possibility that in a number of years they would wed. She might have even made a few attempts at signing documents Max-Posey or Posey-Max, just to see how it felt. She looked up at her niece, who was giggling quietly at her discomfort.
“You can be a very wicked filly sometimes you know,” said Fragrant with mock sternness.
“I’m sorry, auntie,” said Fluttering with false sorrow.
Fragrant couldn’t help but smile. It looked like things had worked out all right. She wondered how Max’s morning had been.
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Whew.
Why do I feel that this wont be the only time Possey has to confront Thunderous over his actions ?
I did a bit of a double-take when I first started reading, but everything cleared up just fine.
That was briefly confusing, I actually had to check the previous chapter for a second to see if I had loaded the wrong one.
A naked trip to Ponyville? Very daring, Fragrant.
Hah!
Oh wow, that conversation with Dash was everything I didn't know I needed. I've been vaguely unhappy about the disposition of Dash in the Lunaverse for years now, and it was excellent to see that addressed.
Heh, unhappy enough that for the longest time I didn't even realize that the Wonderbolts existed in the 'verse. It's great to see her life long goal brought back into potential reach.
Good plan. There's a time and place for networking, and joining the Wonderbolts is not it.
Octavia is involved with the concert? Now that's some coaching power in Fluttershy's corner.
Whoops, surprise Alula to the heart.
Doh, it's a shame that Sweet was interrupted like that, could have been a very healthy conversation for Fragrant to finally talk about her problems.
Distracting Trixie is very distracting.
Oh Trixie, physical affection really won't kill you. Especially coming from Fluttershy, that's got to be about the most gently applied physical affection possible.
Aww yeah, a meeting with Max. I suppose it's probably going to be months before we get there, but I cannot wait.
Hahaha!
Oh man, just you wait, Fragrant.
I so now want Max and Fluttershy to meet.