16 – Aftermath and Confessions
Fine and Fang knew they couldn’t hide in that crumbling building forever. After awakening the next morning, they agreed to venture back into the city, Fine taking point. They moved slowly, partially on account of Fang’s physical state, but mostly because they didn’t want to be seen by potential allies of Elder Candid first. And if Fine were to be honest, he wasn’t exactly feeling ready for a brawl himself; his body ached terribly from yesterday’s battle. He wasn’t in as bad a condition as his sulking companion, but he didn’t feel like a spring foal, either.
He presumed it to be only luck that the first thestrals they encountered were not only searching for them, but were familiar to Fang. With Fine keeping hidden in case he needed to strike, she stepped out and called to them. Fine watched, ready to engage in a heartbeat. He considered casting a listening spell, but couldn’t without giving away his position.
Seconds passed to minutes. To Fine’s consternation, Fang turned and called for him. He chose instead to slip away. Darting from shadow to shadow, he kept his distance and watched carefully. Fang was understandably angry with him, but Fine didn’t trust her friends just yet. After nearly thirty minutes of this, Fang gave up, though her curses were loud enough to hear even with how far away he was. It almost made him smile. Almost.
Her friends led her away, and he followed. The subtle chase entertained him, as always. What was the point of having a cutie mark if you didn’t enjoy it? Even so, he kept on alert at all times. If Fang’s friends turned on her, he wanted to be ready to get her out as quickly as possible.
They passed into the inner city. It was far quieter than before. Signs of the night’s fighting were sporadic, but unmistakable: blood staining a wall there, a broken weapon here, places where the earth had been upturned due to some kind of struggle. Curiously, not a body was to be found.
Until they reached the main courtyard in the center of town.
Soldiers were indistinguishable from civilians. Mare and stallion, Night Eye and Guardian, it made no difference. All were lined up in rows, their forelegs raised to their chests in what Fine could only guess was meant to be the Royal Submission. There had to have been over a hundred bodies lined in the town square, and more were being brought from the direction of the arena. Elder Iron was there, directing the flow of traffic. With every body that came through, he pressed his left forehoof to their barrel, bowed his head and whispered a few words.
Fine approached, but kept hidden behind a crumbling wall as Fang got to the elder first.
“Elder Iron?” she asked as she stepped up close. “How fared the battle?”
Iron finished whispering over the body of the dead mare passing by him, then turned to her. There were bags under his eyes and his mane had become an unkempt mess. He sported a nasty bruise on his shoulder, but otherwise appeared fine. “Nibbling Fang. It is good to know you survived this night. The battle is won, but you can see at what cost.”
Fang cuffed the ground, her ears folded back. “And… Aunt Sera?”
“She was wounded.” He raised his hoof swiftly, catching her before she could speak. “But she’ll live with only a scar. Elder Bright Eyes forced her to her bed, and I must emphasize ‘forced.’ ” He offered a weak smile, but then cast his eyes over her shoulder. “Where is Mr. Fine Crime?”
“Here.”
Fang cried out and swung her hoof wide. Fine ducked under it without so much as a flinch, his eyes set on the elder. “Good to hear the Coven made it.”
Fang hissed in his face. “You thoughtless piece of gargoyle dung! Where in the Nightmare’s name did you go?”
He shot her a cool frown. “I wasn’t about to reveal myself to a bunch of thestrals who may or may not want me dead, so I kept hidden and followed.”
“You could have given me some sort of sign!”
“And give away my position?” He turned away from her crimson face to address Iron once more. “What of Candid and his Night Eye allies?”
“All in custody.” Iron gestured down the road behind him. “If you’re up for it, I’d suggest heading to the arena. You’ll find some interesting developments there.”
“I’ll do that.” Fine turned to address Fang, but she was stalking away. “Guess I’m on my own.”
“She’s going to see her aunt, if the direction of her departure is any indication.” Iron turned to the next body that approached. “Your friends went to the temple during the fight, didn’t they?”
Fine had been caught red-hooved and interrogated enough times that maintaining an air of curious innocence came naturally. “Why would you think that?”
As he mumbled over the body of another thestral, Iron pointed a hoof in a seemingly random direction. Fine's gaze followed it up the mountain… where water cascaded along the once-dry riverbed. He took in the scene, following the water’s path as best he could up the side of the mountain. “That’s unexpected.”
“It seems last night was one of mixed blessings,” Iron said, turning back to Fine with a deep frown. “Many good thestrals died, and yet the Temple of Tides has been reactivated. Most of us don’t know how to react.”
Fine glanced around at the crowds. Reactions did seem mixed, with a general malaise of uncertainty passing over the square. Thestrals gazed upon the mountain with wonder, but upon the rows of dead in mute despair. The entire scene left Fine with a neutral feeling.
He turned back to the equally impassive Iron. “I don’t think I can understand what you’re going through, Elder, but for what it’s worth, I am sorry.”
Iron nodded and heaved a deep sigh. He pressed a hoof to his forehead. “Just tell me the truth, pony: did you really use the fight as a decoy for your friends?”
“It seemed like a good plan for our purposes, yes.” Fine cast a wary glance at the winding river. “I had no idea about the water, though. Is it safe to say this is a problem?”
“Unlikely.” Iron turned to another passing body. How he knew it was coming, Fine couldn’t say. After whispering a few words over the dead mare’s form, he turned back to the unicorn. “You won the fight, so you would have been given access anyway. And the Temple of Tides is active again, something that would normally have every thestral in the Wilds thrilled beyond comprehension. I don’t think anypony will hold your choices against you, no matter how underhooved they might have been.” He leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “But we will remember your methods.”
Fine countered the suspecting gaze with a small smile. “I should hope so. I’d like to go and check on my friends now, and I don’t want to intrude any further in this…” He cast a frown at the bodies behind him. “…moment. So I think I’ll be going.”
“Before you do.” Iron placed a hoof on his shoulder, stopping him from leaving. “I must know: were you really unaware of the temple’s need for reactivation?”
Ever patient, Fine looked him in the eye. “I can assure you, as far as I knew the temple was just an old building. That it would have some purpose other than a place of worship never occurred to me.”
Elder Iron held his gaze for some time, but finally pulled away. “Alright. I recommend you visit the arena first. Elder Bright Eyes is there, and he wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Very well.” Fine turned away, leaving the elder to his sad work.
Nye lay on his belly, forehooves dangling over the edge of the temple. Before him, the Wilds spread in a seemingly endless sea of green. Jungle rolled to the south atop hills, and somewhere beyond he could make out what might have been plainsland. To the West loomed mountains as tall as the Appleachians, and to the East the jungle seemed to go on forever. Just to his right, the waterfalls he’d somehow created the night before roiled, loud and filling the air with a pleasant, cool mist.
It was a truly magnificent view. No wonder the thestrals’ ancestors built a temple here. Luna would have surely appreciated such scenery. She always had been more of a nature pony at heart, not unlike her sister.
Not for the first time, he longed to be able to write to the princess. Alas, the bottle containing the potion had been smashed in his fight with the alpha. Luna would have to learn of this place later. Perhaps that would be a good thing; he couldn’t be sure how well she’d take to the fact that the thestrals worshipped her as a genuine goddess. When she used to lament to him her desire for the affection of her subjects, he doubted this was what she had in mind.
He looked over his shoulder. Rainbow lay on her side a few dozen feet away while Fluttershy checked her leg. They’d been forced to make a splint out of a limb retrieved from outside the temple, and their most skilled healer didn’t like the setup. Rainbow noticed him watching and offered a blushing smile. He felt a similar fire burn in his own cheeks and smiled back. He’d always thought Rainbow attractive, but why was it she always seemed cute every time he looked at her since the proposal?
The gems on her engagement necklace shined in the morning sun, only making him grin more. He almost wished he could take them back, just to relive the joy of offering them to her again.
Rainbow turned her attention back to Fluttershy, and Nye scanned the rest of the temple. To his worry, Pinkie was nowhere to be found. He considered looking for her, but his body argued with his every motion. What had seemed a mere ache last night had turned into an overwhelming soreness covering every square inch of his body, making him less inclined to do anything save lay there.
He allowed himself one more loving gaze at Rainbow, then turned his gaze back to the jungle. Rainbow still remained firmly on his mind, though. They were engaged… he was engaged. Not two years ago, he probably would have thought that impossible. Heck, not three years ago he was still going to every mare in Ponyville on Hearts and Hooves Day hoping for a little affection. He still felt guilty for neglecting Rainbow two years in a row. If Jimmy hadn’t hit him over the head when he did…
Jimmy. Good Goddess, how would Jim react when he found out? That was going to be a fun conversation. Maybe he could design the wedding venue? With Rarity’s help. They were dating now after all, it might be a fun project for them to work on together.
Oh, Rarity was going to keel over from excitement when they got back. How would she design the wedding dress? White was nice, but it didn’t really feel… Rainbow.
He chuckled and shook his head; engaged for less than a day, and already he was imagining his fiancée in a dress. The thought left butterflies in his stomach, but in a good way.
“You look pretty happy for a chirop who can barely move.”
Nye blinked out of his reverie. Polar hovered a few feet over the cliff, one of Nye’s bags hanging around his shoulders.
He grinned at the thestral. “Of course I’m happy, I’m engaged. And, uh… chirop?”
Polar’s ears perked, his brow furrowing. “Yeah, chirop. Y’know?” At Nye’s blank expression, he facehooved. “Right, sorry. Chirop is just a friendly term for a stallion.”
“Oooh.” Nye nodded his understanding. “Got it. Like ‘bro’ or ‘buddy,’ I guess.”
“Yeah, sure.” Polar landed next to him and sat. As he took off the bag, he asked, “You feeling any better?”
“Eh, somewhat. Still hurts to move, but at least I can breathe normally.” Nye eyed the bag, then gaped when it opened to reveal an assortment of fruits. “Whoa, you got all that on one trip?”
Polar grinned and pulled out some berries and a few items that looks like oblong peaches. “Like I said, the area under the mountains is really good for foraging. And without having to watch for gargoyles anymore, the worst parts to search are now the best. Here, have a tearfruit.” He offered one of the peach-like fruits to Nye.
Nye took a careful bite, wincing at the tangy flavor. “That’s stronger than I expected. Still… not bad.” He took a few more bites, his empty stomach rumbling its approval. As an afterthought, he asked, “Hey, is there a female version?”
“Of what?”
“Chirop.”
“Oh.” Polar shrugged. “Flitter.”
“Flitter?” Nye looked back at the unawares Rainbow and gained a mischievous grin. “Oh, she’s gonna have a real fun reaction to that one.”
The two stallions shared a chuckle, then lingered into silence. After a moment, Polar added a few more fruits to Nye’s pile and closed the bag. “Hey… I just wanted to say thanks.”
The quiet, soft tone caught Nye’s attention. Upon swallowing his latest bite, he asked, “For what?”
Polar rubbed his lip with the back of a fang, eyes set on the stones beneath them. “Everything. Telling us Luna’s back, for example. And this?” He looked to the waterfall, eyes shining and a soft smile on his lips. “You defeated the gargoyles. Alone. And reactivated the Temple of Tides. You’ve not only brought back the Mother of All Night, you’ve cleansed our most sacred landmark. Thestrals can go on pilgrimages again for the first time in centuries.”
Nye shuffled and averted his eyes as Polar looked to him once more. “I… just did what I had to. You don’t have to treat me like I’m some hero.”
The thestral laughed gently. “Nye, chirop, whether you like it or not, you’re more than a hero now. You’re going to be a legend.”
With a groan, Nye rubbed his forehead. “No more titles, please. It’s embarrassing enough when ponies refer to me as ‘Count Stone.’ I don’t need thestrals going around calling me their ‘savior’ too. How do I keep ending up in these situations?”
“ ‘Count Stone.’ ” Polar considered the title. “Did you really go to the Moon and rescue Princess Luna?”
“Who told you—no, nevermind, it was Pinkie.” Nye buried his face in his fetlocks and released another low moan. “Yes, I did it. Can we please talk about something else? Something that isn’t related to me doing crazy things for the ponies I care about that happen to make me look better than I am?”
Polar remained silent for some time. Nye didn’t bother to look up, though he did reach over to pull a few berries into the hiding place beneath his forelegs. They were very sweet; Pinkie was going to love them.
“Very well, Nye. I need to deliver the rest of these to the others. You just relax.”
By the time Nye looked up, Polar had gone. With a sigh, he turned his attention to the rest of the fruit he’d been given, glad that the conversation had ended.
Rainbow winced as Fluttershy continued rewrapping her leg in vines. “Ow. Ow. Ouch. Does it have to be so tight?”
Fluttershy gave her a hard look. “Rainbow, how many times have you broken something?”
“Uh… a time or two.” Rainbow blushed and glanced away. “Or five. Whatever, I lost count.”
“And every time it happened, was the doctor or nurse gentle?” She continued wrapping the vine around the thick stick they were using as a makeshift splint. “I’m almost done.”
Rainbow had to acknowledge that her friend had a point. She just wanted this part done. Why did Fluttershy want to recheck the splint, anyway? Her gaze lingered to Nye, who appeared to be in the middle of a conversation with Polar. With a lopsided smile, she reached up to touch the necklace around her neck.
Catching the motion, Fluttershy gained a sheepish smile. “It’s funny, I always thought Rarity would be the first of us to get engaged.”
“Yeah, me too.” Rainbow chuckled and let her head rest on the travelling bag she’d used as a pillow the night before. “I wonder if she’ll be jealous?”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Fluttershy finished with the vine, tying it into a rough knot, then lay down by her foalhood friend. “She might have beaten you to it, y’know. She really likes Jimmy.”
“Believe me, I know.” Rainbow frowned. “Wait, she can’t do that.”
Fluttershy’s ears folded back as she cocked her head. “Why not?”
“Because! I… Me and Nye… we…” Fire erupted in Rainbow’s cheeks. She cast another glance at Nye, then at her hooves. “I wanted to be first.”
A dainty laugh rose from Fluttershy’s lips. “It’s not a race, Rainbow.”
“I know that! It’s just… When we get back to Ponyville and share the news, I want to be…” Her lips set in a thin line, Rainbow returned to studying the dirt under her hooves. “I want it to be about us.”
A moment passed in silence. Rainbow couldn’t help feeling foalish, but that didn’t change her desire. Her engagement to Nye was supposed to be a big deal! She shouldn’t have to share that spotlight with Rarity… right?
“You’re fretting over nothing.” Fluttershy nuzzled her, as gentle as a dove. “Rarity’s not going to be engaged to Jimmy when we get back.”
“But you said—”
“I was teasing, Rainbow.”
“Oh.” Rainbow took this thought in, then stared wide-eyed at her companion. “Wait… you? Teasing me? Since when did this become possible?”
Fluttershy only giggled.
Silence came over them, but it was short-lived. Rainbow looked up at the blue skies and sighed. “I’m gonna get married, Shy. I… I still can’t believe it.”
Fluttershy’s smile faded. “But you’re happy, right?”
“Of course I am! I’m thrilled. Nye’s gotta be the most awesome stallion I could ask for, and did you see the way he went to town last night? He’s awesome.” She paused, glancing towards her new fiancée. “I just wish he’d recognize it sometimes.”
Polar was winging his way over. He landed by the two mares and set his bag on the ground. “Hello, ladies. I’ve got plenty of fruit for everypony.” Sure enough, he opened the bag to reveal quite the haul.
Rainbow’s stomach made a sound not unlike a dragon awakening from slumber, and she greedily tore into a weird fruit that looked and crunched in her teeth like an apple, but had a taste more like a fig. “Yrr uh lifshavr!”
Giggling, Fluttershy accepted a bundle of something looking like grapes. “Thank you, Polar. We really appreciate it.”
“It’s the least I could do after the miracles you ponies have given us.” He poured a few more fruits out, using his hoof as a dam to control the flow of edibles. “Thestrals are going to remember last night. It’s history.”
“Hey, you’re part of that history too, bub.” Rainbow grinned and raised her hoof. Polar eyed it as if looking for something, then raised an eyebrow at her. “What? I’m offering a hoofbump.”
“A… what?” He studied her hoof again. “I, uh, don’t think that’s appropriate.”
Rainbow balked. “What? It’s perfectly appropriate!”
“I-it is?” His cheeks were burning at this point. “I mean, I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but… uh… I’m not inclined to rub hooves with a taken mare.”
“Okay, you’ve lost me.” Rainbow stared at the bottom of her hoof, half-expecting to find something nasty underneath. When she didn’t she waved it at him. “It’s just a hoof-bump.”
Fluttershy was half-hiding behind her mane. “Umm, Rainbow? I think hoof-bumps mean something different for thestrals.”
“How can they mean something different?” Rainbow waved her hoof erratically at both of them. “It’s a hoof-bump.”
Polar seemed incapable of looking either mare in the eye, and Rainbow suspected she could have melted marshmallows with the heat his face probably produced at that moment. “W-well, only stallions offer to rub hooves. And if a mare accepts, it means… uh… it means…” He rocked from side to side, lips working soundlessly.
Rainbow considered his odd behavior, then examined her hoof. She tried to imagine the scenario in her head. She offered her hoof again, and Polar leaned away from it as though it might be poisonous.
It clicked. “Oh. Oh. Now I get it.” She took another long look at the bottom of her hoof. “That’s weird.”
The stallion released a long breath, shoulders sagging. “Oh, good. I’m not good with that subject at all.”
Rainbow couldn’t help grinning. “I’m gonna remember that.”
“R-right.” Polar lifted up his bag. “Where’s Pinkie? I still need to give her some.”
“I’ll take it to her.” Fluttershy stood and reached for the bag. “You should eat, Polar. You went through the trouble of getting us food, after all.”
“But I—”
“I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” She tugged on the bag. “Come on, take your share so I can give the rest to Pinkie.”
He looked to her with an uncertain frown, then at the bag between them. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.”
He hesitated, but finally took a few pieces of fruit for himself. “Well, alright.”
“Thank you.”
After Fluttershy left, he sat near Rainbow and nibbled on his food. Rainbow ate in silence, although she watched in curious fascination when he used his fangs to pierce one of the apple-like fruits and sucked the juice out. “That’s kinda cool.”
“If you say so. We thestrals take it for granted.” Polar rubbed his lips clean with a fetlock, then cast a wary glance towards Nye. Rainbow followed his gaze; her coltfriend’s gaze remained on the view.
Polar fiddled with some grapes. “Is he always so… self-critical?”
She sighed and shook her head. “What’d he say, that he wasn’t all that great?”
“Something like that, yes.”
“That’s just Nye.” She rolled her eyes and looked to Polar. “He’s a lot more awesome than he thinks, but he gets hung up on being ‘normal.’ I know some ponies think I could use a little modesty, but I think he takes it too far sometimes.”
Polar pursed his lips, eyes set on his grapes. “I don’t mean to intrude, but… is that going to be a problem for you two?”
“A problem?” She stared at the back of Nye’s head, thinking on everything she knew about him. All the things he’d done, whether he wanted to or not, his awkwardness, his unwitting charisma, even his showing of bravery and loyalty. At last, she smiled. “Y’know, I don’t think so.”
Polar leaned forward, silently prompting her to continue.
So she did. “I know what everypony thinks about me. If I’m honest about it, then… yeah, I’ve got an ego.” She smirked and flicked her mane back. “And why not? I am pretty awesome.”
He raised an eyebrow, but she only grinned. Then she sobered, looking down at her broken leg. “But… I can go overboard. It’s happened a few times, and my friends had to take me down a peg. I don’t blame them for it.”
Her gaze shifted to Nye, who was watching her now. He waved, and she smiled for him. This seemed to satisfy, for he grinned and returned to his quiet watch of the scenery. “Then I met Nye. Now, Nye’s always been pretty self-conscious and sensitive. When I think about it, I am too. But where I get all braggy and aggressive, Nye gets modest and, yeah, sometimes self-defeating. We’re kinda like opposite sides of the bit in that sense.”
She gave Polar a knowing smile. “But y’know, that fits. We balance one another out. If I get all loud and obnoxious, he helps me get real. And when he starts moping, I’m there to remind him how cool he really is. And we both get touchy at times, but we’re aware of one another’s triggers, and how to help each other.”
She climbed gingerly to her hooves. “So no, it’s not a problem. If anything, we compliment one another. Speaking of which, I think he could use some uplifting talk.” She gave Polar a gentle smile. “We’re perfect for one another, and I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”
With that, she left the thestral alone, ready to enjoy a few quiet minutes with her fiancée.
Fiancée.
The very thought made her giddy.
The birds chirped pleasantly in the trees, the sun shone down on the cobblestones, and a gentle breeze filled the air with flowery scents. Pinkamina paid no attention to any of it. Instead, she just rubbed her stomach and wished she could see the future. Her friends liked to say she could, but they didn’t understand Pinkie Sense. She hardly understood it herself, and that disturbed her more than ever.
She sat beneath the pleasant gaze of Princess Luna’s statue, staring at nothing in particular. Her mind had been running over the same thoughts again and again, like a broken record that played everything she didn’t want to hear. Even the positive things hurt to think about.
The first thing was always Rainbow and Nye. She should be happy for them. She was happy for them. But… at the same time, seeing them together was an unpleasant reminder of what she couldn’t have. Their gooey cuddling from this morning was what had driven her here in the first place, although she’d have never admitted to that.
Yet being out here all by herself? Not much of an improvement. She felt so lonely. She had for a long time now, but it seemed more pronounced today. Rainbow’s ever-blossoming relationship only rubbed salt in the wound, so she wasn’t inclined to go back. So she sat, and thought, and cast long glances down the mountain to the ruins of Tidal.
Those glances served to bring up even more unpleasantness. Had Fine won? Could he be hornless and helpless down there, waiting to tell them the bad news? Or perhaps he’d lost and was imprisoned, awaiting some big, burly thestral in a black hood and carrying an axe. Maybe he was staring out the bars of a cell right now, hoping his friends would come to rescue him.
Maybe Fang just killed him during the fight.
She was being pathetic. Pinkamina knew it. Even if Fine lost, he was far too smart to be imprisoned for long. He’d have escaped and would be making his way up here. Even so, Pinkamina couldn’t get over the idea, or the image in her head. The thought of Fine being in so much trouble was almost enough to bring her to tears, but she fought them down. Why should she cry for a stallion who wouldn’t cry for her?
Not that she was bitter about it. Just… depressed. So her thoughts curved in another direction, winding down the asinine, chaotic highway of her mind. It exited towards the crossing of duty and desire, where her depression created an ugly traffic jam.
Pinkie was happy. This was an unwavering, eternal fact that everypony knew. She waved at Pinkamina from the other side of the street, all bubbly and excited and full of hope. Pinkamina didn’t wave back. She didn’t want to.
But Pinkie was happy. She should be in the temple right now, smiling and joking and maybe setting up a fire to cook with. Being happy was her job. If she had any proper dedication to that view, she’d hop to her hooves right now and prance over to her friends!
…
“Buck it.”
With a resigned sigh, she settled her chin atop her fetlocks and gazed at the trees. Rainbow and Nye were plenty happy. Fluttershy finally had her special ingredient, so she was all smiles. Polar’s temple was gushing water, so he couldn’t complain. There was enough happiness back there, Pinkamina could take a break. Pinkie could stuff it.
She was scowling. That fact alone filled her belly with worms. She shouldn’t be so miserable. Things had gone well, hadn’t they? They’d completed their quest, they could go home, and the thestrals would be part of Equestria again. She should be happy.
Yet, the more she thought about it…
The more she realized she didn’t want to be happy.
Useless. That's all she'd been from the very beginning. She could make ponies and thestrals smile, but what did she do beyond that? She'd not helped them get here. She'd failed miserably at endearing herself to the thestrals in the beginning. Elder Candid's scorn burned a particularly nasty hole in her heart, because she knew he was right. And last night? She'd been of no help at all. Her party cannon didn't put a dent in the gargoyles. Everypony else had worked so hard and done so much.
No wonder Fine didn't notice her. She didn't belong on this stupid trip. It would have been better for everypony if she'd stayed in Ponyville.
An unpleasant shiver ran across her body, forwards and backwards along her coat. Her stomach gave a fresh twist and she was tempted to gag, although she resisted. Her entire form tensed involuntarily, her muscles wound so tight they actually hurt, only to go loose once more.
Pinkie Sense. The doozy. The reminder mortified, but more than that, it frustrated. Pinkamina almost screamed at the sky, but somehow kept her lips firmly sealed. If only she knew what was coming. If only her stupid sixth sense would tell her things in words, rather than unreadable tingles and wobbles across her body.
For everything that seemed right, so much more seemed wrong. How was she supposed to fix what she couldn’t see? How could she bring her joy back, to embody that which had defined her existence in the eyes of her friends? Pinkamina wanted Pinkie back so badly, but the only pony who might understand and help her was the one she couldn’t bring herself to talk to. If only he wasn’t so enraptured with Fluttershy…
“Pinkie?”
Pinkamina shot into the air with a shriek. A second later, she dangled from the stone neck of Princess Luna, sucking down huge gasps and staring bug-eyed at her would-be assailant. For her part, Fluttershy had dropped to her belly, staring up at the scene with eyes the size of saucers, ears folded and tail tucked. A bag lay forgotten on the ground, its fruity contents scattered.
With the speed of bad news, Pinkie put two and two together and made waffles. With a gasp, she hung from the statue by her tail and pointed both forehooves at her friend. “Wow, Fluttershy, I didn’t know you had it in you! You got me good. We’re gonna make a pranking pony out of you yet.”
Fluttershy gradually raised into a proper standing position. “I-I don’t know about that. I think I startled me as much as you. I—oh!” She looked upon the fruit that lay in the dirt as if witnessing a true crime against nature. “Oh, no, that was supposed to be your breakfast! I’m so sorry, Pinkie.”
Smiling proved a challenge, far more so than Pinkie expected. She muscled her way through it, bearing her teeth as she dropped from the statue to land lithely at Fluttershy’s side. “Oh, that’s alright.” She darted forward and grabbed up most of the fruits as quickly as she could, lifting the whole batch above her head as though it were a trophy. “Haven’t you heard of the ten second rule?”
Fluttershy raised her leg in a nervous display. “Um, I don’t think that rule is real, and it’s been longer than ten seconds anyway.”
“Ten seconds, thirty seconds, it’s just time, and time is an illusion!” Pinkie examined her haul thoughtfully. “But seriously, it doesn’t matter. I can still eat it.”
“But how?” Fluttershy stared at the dirt-encrusted fruits with a pout. “They’re all nasty. You’re not going to try to eat them like that, are you?”
“Nope. We’ve got water, you silly filly!”
Fluttershy paused upon hearing this, then gained a smile. “Oh, right. I forgot.”
Pinkie’s cheeks were starting to hurt. She sucked in a sharp breath, but kept her smile going and her expression cheerful. Deep down, she felt like running and hiding. Smiling had never been a painful experience before…
“Pinkie, are you okay?”
“Huh?” Not realizing she’d been staring quietly at the fruit, Pinkie looked up to find Fluttershy’s concerned eyes boring into her own. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Imeangreat! That’srightI’mgreatnotFinethatwouldbesillybecauseFine’sastallionandI’mamareandthat’swaytooconfusingacombinationthatwouldbealmostfreakywhenyoustopand—”
“Pinkie.”
Her high speed rant ceased and she slunk back from Fluttershy’s stare.
But Fluttershy only smiled. “Fine is okay. Trust in him.”
Trust him. She really did, didn’t she? Pinkie felt something nasty in the back of her mouth at that thought. Why did she have to be so… perfect?
Goddess, Pinkie was jealous. “I-Iguessyou’reright.” She winced at how fast the words came out. “I should have faith in him like you do. I just…”
I just wish he’d stare at me instead of you.
She winced and looked away, chewing her lip. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, Pinkie.” Fluttershy enveloped her in a warm hug, making her drop some of the fruit. “Don’t be sorry. It’s okay to be worried about Fine.”
“Who’s worried about me?”
The mares gasped in unison, clutching one another tight as their heads turned as one to the new voice – and sending the fruit toppling to the ground again. Fine stood at the edge of the slope leading back to Tidal, a curious expression on his muzzle.
“You’re okay!” Pinkie was a blur, tackling him in a flying leap. “You’realiveandwholeandhaveyourhornandIwassoworried!”
Fine avoided falling – barely. “Wow, Pinkie. I mean… wow.”
She ignored his hesitation. She was too busy burying her muzzle in his mane and giggling like a madmare.
“Hello, Fine. I was wondering when you’d stop by.”
Fluttershy’s words didn’t so much pop Pinkie’s bubble as crush it under a steel weight. Pinkie’s heart dropped back down; she could swear she heard it rattling in her ribcage. She swiftly pulled away from Fine and stared at her hooves, cheeks burning.
Fluttershy, ignorant of the pain her voice had just caused, trotted up to the grinning stallion. “Oh, you look terrible! Is all that because of the fight with Fang?”
Upon hearing those words, Pinkie took a closer look at Fine and gasped. He was covered head to hoof with so many bruises that one would think blue his natural coat color. His mane, which by now had a lot of his natural red showing at the roots, was a disheveled mess. Just looking at him was painful.
And yet, Fine only grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah, she was a lot tougher than I expected. I had to get pretty serious about the fight.” When Fluttershy’s eyes narrowed, he responded by rolling his own. “And yes, she’s alive. Beaten pretty badly, but she’ll recover.”
Fluttershy sighed before giving him the kind of smile that made Pinkie want to vomit. “That’s good. I’m proud of you, Fine.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Proud. Uh-huh.” Shrugging off the moment, he looked between the two mares. “So, I notice the temple’s got water, which the thestrals tell me is a good sign. I take it you got what we’re after?”
“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie nodded with as much enthusiasm as she could pull off. “You should have seen it, Fine! Me and Rainbow were getting chased by all these ugly gargoyles and having fun and all that, then everypony else got this reallybiggargoylemadandstartedrunningawayuntilRainbowbrokeherlegwhichgotNyesomadhebeatthealphaupallbyhimselfanditwasincredible!”
Fine’s ears perked and his eyes went wide. “Wait, did I hear that right? Nye beat the alpha?”
The two mares nodded in unison, Fluttershy speaking next. “It was scary, but Nye was amazing! He used Zecora’s strength potion and fought off all the gargoyles completely on his own.”
Pinkie hopped in place, the excitement of her memories finally making her smile come naturally. “Oh, oh, and right after, when the gargoyles were running away and the temple was all blue and glowy and pretty, Nye proposed to Rainbow! It was perfect timing!”
Fine opened his mouth, paused, then let his jaw drop. He raised a hoof as if to speak, but his brow furrowed as if he’d forgotten what he was going to say. At last he managed a nonplussed, “Rainbow and Nye are engaged?”
Fluttershy was beaming brighter than the Sun. “I wish you could have seen it. It was beautiful.”
“Huh.” He grinned and shook his head. “Wow. Way to go, Nye. He always does come through when he needs to. I can’t wait to see the look on Rarity’s face.”
“I know, right?” Pinkie couldn’t resist a giggle at the thought of that future display. “So how are things in Tidal? Are the thestrals all happy now?”
“Uh-huh-huh…” Fine averted his gaze, ears falling back. “Well, yes and no.”
“No?” Pinkie looked down the mountain but couldn’t see the city for the trees. “Why not?”
“And why yes too?” Fluttershy added, concern lacing her tone.
“There was a battle.” Fine raised his hooves before either mare could speak beyond a gasp. “Let me finish. Elder Candid led the Night Eye soldiers and a few traditionalists amongst the Guardian Tribe into attacking right after my fight with Fang. Tidal won, but a lot of thestrals died.”
“Oh, dear.” Fluttershy’s lip quivered as she turned to gaze down the mountain. “What have we done?”
“Have we started a civil war?” Pinkie asked, her tail tucking around her flank.
“I can’t say. Maybe.” Fine raised his hooves in a placating motion. “But I’ve got some good news too. Remember how Elder Iron said Candid only brought a sixth of the Night Eye warriors with him to Tidal? That’s because they were the only ones who believed him when he said the eclipse was some kind of unicorn hoax.”
Pinkie scrunched up her face as she thought. “What does that mean for us?”
Fine gave her a warm smile that her fluttering heart wasn’t at all prepared for. “Last night, Elder Evergreen brought the rest of the Night Eye Tribe’s soldiers to Tidal. They were there to deal with the ones that went with Candid, who they’re treating as traitors against Luna.”
Fluttershy gasped, her eyes lighting up. “You mean they’re friends with Tidal now?”
“Eeh, friends is a strong word.” Fine rolled his hoof in the air with a thoughtful expression. “It’s more like a ceasefire, not that they were firing to begin with. The point is, they’ve agreed to work with the Guardian Tribe on a more amiable basis, starting with protecting the ruins and the Temple of Tides. It’s a bit of a political move, but they seem pretty serious about it.”
“But this is still great news,” Fluttershy insisted. “It could signal the unification of the thestral tribes! And when Luna comes to visit, it’ll only cement things for them all. This could be the beginnings of a new era of harmony for the thestral race!”
It was growing easier to smile by the word. Pinkie bounced in place. “This is great! We got what we came for, the thestrals are gonna be all friendly again, Discord’s gonna be cured, Nye and Rainbow are engaged, it’s the whole package!”
Fine looked around the area. “Speaking of Nye and Rainbow, where are they? I want to hear this from them directly.”
“They’re in the temple with Polar,” Fluttershy said, trotting for the entrance. “Why don’t we go right now?”
“Sounds like a plan to me!” Pinkie grabbed the fallen fruit and bounced after her, Fine close by. But not too close.
“Oh, wait.” Fluttershy jerked to a stop, her ears perked and her hoof rose in the air as if to indicate a sudden thought. She turned around to look at Fine. “What were you going to tell me, Fine?”
Fine blinked and shared a questioning look with Pinkie. She only shrugged, prompting him to turn that same expression to Fluttershy. “Tell you?”
“Yes, tell me.” She closed her eyes and spoke as if reciting something “ ‘When all this is done and we’ve dealt with the gargoyles.’ Remember, you were going to tell me something?”
Fine pressed a fetlock to his lips, brow furrowing as he thought. “Oh.” A second passed. Another.
His eyebrows shot up and pink bloomed across his cheeks. “Oh, right. Uh… that.” He took a step back, eyes darting about the shadows as if in search of an escape. “I don’t know if… I mean, this might not be the right—”
“It’s the perfect time!” Pinkie’s heart had fallen into her hooves, and this time she was sure she heard the clunk of its fall. She smiled anyway, her muscles burning from the effort. Balancing the fruit on her head, she pushed him towards Fluttershy with her forelegs. “There’s no better opportunity, right? You two talk all you want, I’m gonna go wash these things and have a bite to eat.”
Fine kicked against the floor in a vain attempt to stop his forward momentum. “P-Pinkie, I… Y-you can’t—” He tried to look back at her, but she stepped back and brought the fruit up before her face. Her smile wasn’t going to last much longer.
“It can’t be that bad,” Fluttershy said. Pinkie was tempted to slap her flank for sounding so innocent and ignorant, especially since it was almost certainly honest.
“Right. Of course.” A nervous laugh broke free of Pinkie’s lungs as she hurried past them. “Can’t be bad at all. Don’t chicken out, Fine!”
And she ran. She ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, praying she’d be well away from them before they started.
If only her eyes didn’t sting so much.
Fluttershy had no idea that Fine Crime could be so… skittish. If she didn’t know him any better, she’d think he was going to bolt at any second. His forehooves were doing some kind of jig while his back legs remained stiff as boards, and his eyes moved to take in anything that wasn’t her. His lips, while never actually opening, moved without rhyme or reason.
This anxiety was, to say the least, something she never thought she’d bear witness in the normally unflappable unicorn. Concern washed over her and she took a step forward. To her surprise, he retreated from her. “Fine, what’s wrong?”
“I just—” He took another step back and flopped to his haunches. His trembling forehooves raked through his mane. “H-hold on. I’ve never done this before.”
She almost stepped closer again, but stopped herself when he flinched. Worry filled her at the sight. It wasn’t right, seeing him like this. “Fine, please. Just tell me what’s wrong. You can trust me, I’m your friend.”
“I don’t wanna be your friend!”
She retreated a few steps, eyes wide at the sudden outburst. His face likely mimicked hers as he slapped his hooves over his lips.
Fluttershy gave her heart a moment to get over her surprise, then smiled. “That’s not true,” she declared with confidence. “You love me.”
He froze. If his eyes got any bigger, they might fall out of his head. “W-what did you say?”
“We’re friends, Fine.” She leaned towards him expectantly. “We’ve been through a lot together, as friends.”
“B-but you just said—”
“Don’t friends love one another?” She raised an eyebrow playfully. “I love all my friends. You love all your friends. That’s—”
A bark of a laugh interrupted her. Fine added a few more nervous chuckles as he rubbed his forehead just below the horn. “Oh, wow, this is like that one time I walked into a changeling hive; every little word is a bomb ready to get me caught and killed.”
Fluttershy blinked, an image of him creeping through the shadows of an ugly, shadowy cave full of changelings coming to mind. “I don’t think you’ve told me that story.”
“Good times.” He sat back and released a long breath, suddenly appearing much calmer. “But you know what’s amazing about it? I wasn’t all that scared. There I was, with a foal in tow, marching into the depths of a hive filled with changelings who would kill me in a heartbeat if they realized I wasn’t 'in disguise,' and knowing full well that a dragon was somewhere down there.”
Fluttershy blanched. “W-what possessed you to do something like that?”
He stared at the ceiling of the tunnel with a lazy smile. “That’s not even the amazing part. The amazing part is that I wasn’t even close to as scared then as I am right now, having to finally say this.” His grin turned anxious as he looked to her once more. “My life’s not even on the line.”
There was that look again. That dopey, happy expression with the eyes that seemed so focused. She leaned away and gave an anxious smile of her own. “Okay?”
“You’re beautiful, you know that?”
Her smile dropped to a dull frown and she rolled her eyes. “Have you been reading from the mountains of cards I get on Hearts and Hooves day? Because they all say that.”
He laughed and shook his head. “I think I could come up with better reading material.”
“Me too.” She still had a pile of the things in her fireplace, waiting for winter. “Now, stop dodging. What did you want to tell me?”
“Dodging?” His smile faded. For a moment, the anxiety returned to his eyes. But then he shook it off and stepped close. Very close. Close enough that his face dominated her vision.
“I’m not dodging anymore, Fluttershy.”
She took a backwards step involuntarily, taking in his serious manner. “A-alright. So… You were saying—”
“That you’re beautiful.” He took her hooves in his own and gave them a squeeze. His eyes bored into hers. “I meant it. I always thought so. Beautiful…” His gaze roamed up and down her body, quickly returning to her eyes. “In every way.”
Fluttershy’s heart slammed into her throat, which had abruptly gone dry. Her jaw dropped, her breath hitched. Fine was close. So horribly close. And getting closer.
“Fluttershy, I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now.”
Oh, Goddess.
“You were right.”
This was real.
“I don’t know why it took so long.”
He was going to say it.
“I couldn’t even describe the way I feel right now.”
When had this started?
“And as a writer, that’s saying something.”
How had she missed the signs?
“But I don’t need words.”
She needed to use her words!
His lips curled into a warm smile. “Well, maybe I do.”
Too late. Too late, too late, too late!
He leaned close. His gaze turned sultry.
“I love you.”
The words hit her with all the power of a lightning bolt. She didn’t move. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t react. She could only stare into those rosewood eyes and feel the world collapsing around her. It was like she’d been sucked into a black pit with no means of clawing her way out. She knew what she had to say, and do, but to do it…
Seconds passed. Neither pony moved.
Fine leaned in. His breath was on her lips. Her heart pounded against her ribs and panic took over. Another instant and he’d…
“No.”
He paused. His lips were just brushing against hers. They remained stuck in that pose, his gaze unblinking, lingering, uncertain. At that moment, Fluttershy knew only one thing: she didn’t want to be here for this.
She didn’t even take the time to consider the idea. She just turned and ran.
Fine stared at the retreating form of the pegasus. Even when she disappeared completely in the darkness of the temple, he just kept staring. His forehooves grew cold as her warmth fled them. He felt light, still high on the emotional momentum he’d picked up, but his mind was a fog. He could still see her beautiful blue eyes, smell her breath in his nostrils.
But they were gone.
Gone.
And he was… she was…
How was he supposed to…
What had…
…
“No?”
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And now, right after the climactic battle, all the emotional conflicts come to a head.
I am still extremely envious of your pacing skills.
Oh deary me Fine... What a right old mess you've made...
Then again, he could really blame Fluttershy for this because he didn't want to say anything, but she'd pushed the issue...
As much as this is setting us up to feel bad for Pinkie, I can't really feel bad for her because she's going about wanting Fine's attention the wrong way... I mean, it doesn't even look like she's trying to get to talk to him...
I know that all she sees is Fine fawning over Fluttershy, but if she had noticed that, why wouldn't she notice that Fluttershy either wasn't interested at all or wasn't even reacting to his supposed advances...
But that's alright, I can guess where it's going from here...
Everybody gathers their things and start heading back for Equestria...
Fine in the front with Nibbler, leading the way since Nibbler seems much less opposed to Fine now then she did before...
RD+Nye behind them, being all lovey dovey and pathetic
Then you'll have Fluttershy whispering to herself where did she go wrong and what kind of a mess had she gotten herself into...
And Pinkie, up above them all, dashing from tree to tree listening in to anything that Fine/Fluttershy say moreso listening to Fine and stalking him than Fluttershy, but Pinkie can't help but try and console Fluttershy because she hasn't completely lost her mind yet...
Then, when they all make it back to Ponyville, Pinkie goes into solitude mode, with nopony being able to talk to her... Until Fluttershy finally asks Fine to talk to her... Fluttershy having figured out Pinkie's crush on Fine by now, and (funnily enough) Fine being entirely oblivious to it...
Then they'll get into a hoof-fight and either A) The entire world will tear itself apart because we've had too much focus time on the bubbly pink mess that is too many people's "best pony"
or B) Everything comes up rainbows for them and Fine finally understands what Pinkie had meant the entire time (Hint: It's a doozy)
*ahem* where was I....
oh yes, the chapter...
Ha-Ha, sucked in Fine... The elders know you're a scumbag now for not honoring the conditions of engagement... Now they'll think all ponies are underhooved back-stabbing liars while you're just a... well, regular liar who can beat anything in a hoof-fight...
Still, maybe it's just me, but I never noticed (or can't remember) the Jimmy/Rarity moments... hmmm, maybe it was just background noise that I forgot over the 13 or so chapters of what's happened here...
Oh well... But seriously... You really need to stop messing with these ponies lives, man...
Just because you're a boating enthusiast and you have to have everypony hitched to the same port...
But you can't just keep putting them all on full throttle without thinking of the consequences, so now we have one boat being tugged in both directions since one wants to leave the port, and the other wants to stay firmly attached to solid land...
Bleh, either way, it was another fun chapter... As much as the moments with Pinkie bore me, she is the next piece in this puzzle... But either way, I'll still prefer to hang around Nibbler, because she's the most awesome one at the moment...
shame she's on family leave from the plot at the moment...
Oh well...
Still, I don't know how you're going to get the Pine train running... Pine? Finkie? bleh... you'll work it out somehow, you always make the
worstbestmost interesting....Oh forget it, you'll make it happen somehow... And again, THAT will be the doozy.... Or maybe the doozy is the fact that there isn't going to be a doozy... And you've just got Pinkie pretending to have a doozy so that it makes us think there's something big coming... But you've made us think something big is coming by pre-empting that there isn't anything big coming at the end of this story...
See? Now look at the mess you've made...
7458377
Pacing skills? Have you read the first half of this story? I'd say I totally dropped the ball in the pacing there.
7458799
Oh, how I wish I could properly address your predictions. Alas, it'll just have to wait until things roll around. Stick around for my blog tomorrow to get a little news about that.
As to the JimmyXRarity (Jimmity?) thing, that was covered in the main No Heroes story. You might recall that they were officially a couple by the end of Book IV. It did mostly happen in the background, though.
And not thinking about the consequences? That's cute. I knew before the original series ended back in 2013 that the FineXFluttershy ship was never going to work. Heck, this entire story was conceived specifically for the purpose of addressing that fact; everything else was secondary. I've been wanting to deliver this blow for some time.
...yeah, I'm a total jerk to my own characters.
7458799
Also: Crimemina? Pinkerity? Verimina? Crinky?
It's not an easy one, is it?
7459333 I like Finkie... But very well, I'll keep an eye out for your thing tomorrow
7459324 you're not a jerk to your own characters... You just have some sense of intellect when it comes to putting some ponies together...
Any other self satisfying author would have just gotten them together, personalities be damned...
But wait, you conceived this entire story for that singular purpose...? I certainly wouldn't call you a monster for doing that... (Done it meself once upon a time)... But it kinda makes the entire rest of the story suddenly not matter much (if at all) if we've hit the point you always wanted to make...
Either way, I know this story is coming to an end sooner rather than later... But yeah, there are a few things I would still like to see before the end... (Not telling because don't want to jinx it)
Also; side point: Yes, this story is incredibly well paced... Yes, the journey was much more talky, but that's exactly what it was... It was a long journey through a dark forest that no one had explored in many, many years... Of course they'd be on edge and worry more about each other and talking a lot... That was the point I thought...
Then Nibbles turned up and the actual story line appeared, broke 3 peoples spines, and now we've hit act 2.5, the politics of what they've done before (act 3) heading home...
If I was you, I'd spend a lot of time talking in the village before spending another while through the forest on the way back... Then again, since Nye broke the message bottle, that's telling me that Luna might send someone to find them thinking the worst because no contact...
Now I'm rambling again... Please make me stop...
7459333 Veripink.
Very, VERY pink.
7460042
I kinda like that one.
7459628
Oh, the rest of the story matters. It's going to matter a lot. That may have been the dominant purpose of this story, but there were a few other major topics. Nye and Rainbow, for example.
Besides, I've still got one more punch to throw.
7459324
Going too slow is way better than going too fast. Because then you still get character development.
I can relate to Pinkamena's depressive spiral far too well.
...I think that's enough for tonight.
Looking forward to the next chapter!
And romantic conflict comes to a head here.