The F-Team

by Silver-Spirits-and-Ales

Friendship problem

Ponyville

Fluttershy was tranquilly pruning her rosebush and humming a tune, without a care in the world. She had woken up just a few minutes before, in a very chipper mood. She had fed Angel the bunny, Harry the bear, and the rest of her little friends, before deciding to do a little gardening. Her pruning sheers were between her hooves, clipping away at the thorns. Once she'd finished, Fluttershy got her watering can, and started feeding her plants. She was watering her petunias when she heard a regular, yet small stamping noise from behind her. She knew what it was.

"What is it, Angel bunny?" she asked the snow-white rabbit, who was standing behind her. Angel pointed towards the Pegasus's flank. Fluttershy turned around, and looked at her cutie mark. The three butterflies were glowing. She knew what that meant. Thanking Angel, she galloped over to Princess Twilight's castle.

"I'm here!" the yellow pegasus gasped, bursting into the main room, before realizing that it was empty.

She approached the cutie map, and realized that whatever the friendship problem was, it was important. All of the six friends' cutie marks were hovering over what seemed to be...

"Manehattan?" Rarity gasped, as she entered the room. "I've been absolutely DYING to go back to the big city!"

The five others filed into the room, chatting enthusiastically. All, except Fluttershy and Twilight. They looked at each other, and both of them instantly guessed what the other one was thinking.

The Princess quite literally put her hoof down, and called for everypony's attention.

"If you ladies could calm down!" she asserted. The room went quiet. "Thank you." Twilight Sparkle cleared her throat, and continued. "As you ladies can see, all six of us have been called over to Manehattan," lectured Twilight. "This means that whatever it is, this friendship problem is probably huge."

Rainbow Dash grinned at the mention of the word 'huge'. A huge friendship problem was always synonymous with a great adventure.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" she asked, excitedly jumping into the air and hovering over the others as she always did.

"Alright, ladies, we'll pack and meet at the train station in an hour. Okay?" Twilight asked.

AppleJack, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity left the room, all chatting excitedly about what sort of friendship problem they'd be facing in Manehattan.

"Erm... Twilight ? Do you have a moment ?" asked Fluttershy, a good thirty seconds after the other ponies had left the room.

Twilight jumped in surprise.

"Wha- you're still here, Fluttershy? I thought you left."

Fluttershy's cheeks reddened, and she looked down at her hooves. If there was one thing she hated, it was being a nuisance to somepony else. Even if said somepony was a friend.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Twi, I'll just go and pack my things." She turned towards the door, but Twilight teleported in front of her with a loud bang, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"No, really," said Twilight, concerned. "What's up?"

"It's just that I... I don't know how to..." Fluttershy took a deep breath. "What if it's a problem that's too big for any of us to solve?"

Twilight reassured Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I know why you're worried. That same fear gets to me all the time. But every time it does, I remember that my friends will always be there for me. Always. Okay?"

Fluttershy smiled at her friend, and they both embraced.

Roughly an hour later, the six friends were waiting on the platform for the next train to Manehattan.

"Fillies and Gentlecolts, your attention please," went the loud speakers. "Train number One-Sixty-Five, inbound from Las Pegasus and heading to Manehattan will arrive at Ponyville station, platform one, in five minutes.

"Well, this is it," said Spike, who had finished pushing Rarity's gargantuan suitcase to the edge of the platform. "Need any more help?"

Rarity looked down at Spike with one of her trademark smiles.

"That'll be all, Spikey-Wikey," she said, in her soothing voice. She gave the dragon a peck on the cheek, and he left, looking extremely pleased with himself.

Eventually, the train arrived, and the small troop of ponies boarded. Some excited whispers could be heard as the Princess and her entourage entered the wagon, where two business ponies, sitting together at a table and wearing business suits, looked around to see what the fuss was about.

"Is that..." a chestnut business pony asked.

"Twilight Sparkle, the princess of friendship herself? It can't be!" said the other.

"It's her! Look at her mark!"

The two stallions bowed their heads in respect as Twilight and her friends walked by.

After a while, the six friends found a free compartment, and they settled down.

“Goodness, Twilight!" said Rarity as she sat down, and the train started moving. “You sure are popular around here!"

Twilight blushed and smiled embarrassedly, looking down at her hooves.

"Oh, please!" snorted Rainbow Dash. "She's popular everywhere! You know why? Cuz she's the best alicorn ever!"

Rainbow Dash's unwarranted remarks always made Twilight feel uncomfortable, and this time was no exception. But every time that would happen, the Princess would realize what a great friend she had in Rainbow Dash. She'd always be loyal and supportive, whether you want it or not. And that's what mattered the most to Twilight.

"Thanks, Dashie," answered Twilight, when she'd realized that, once again.

The trip went as smoothly as was expected. The only soundtrack to the six fillies' journey was the chugging of the train, and the occasional hoofsteps of the conductor in the hall.

Other ponies would have found this atmosphere relaxing. But for Twilight, it was all served only to intensify the already tense atmosphere. Sometimes, even, she was so lost in her thoughts that the train's whistle made her jump out of her skin at every stop of the train. For Fluttershy had said the exact thing that Twilight feared the most.

"What if that problem is too big for any of us?" she thought.

---

It was about two o'clock in the afternoon, and as with every Sunday, Silver Spirit was lying in his bed, unable or unwilling to get up. Or maybe both, for all the difference it made. Maybe his inability to get up was a result of his unwillingness to do so. He didn't know. Nor did he care, really.

The doorbell rang. Silver difficultly pulled himself up from the bed, and took a short time to close his eyes, and breathe heavily for a few seconds. He didn't know why he always did that. It just helped him cope, somehow. He made his way to the door, breathed in, made a grimace that was akin to a primitive smile, and opened the door.

"Hi," said Silver, blandly, not really taking notice of the pony looking back at him. "What's the matter?"

But all of a sudden, a jet-black-maned chestnut pegasus colt found his way into Silver's arms and embraced him like a brother.

"Hey, Silver! How's the colt, eh?" asked the newcomer colt.

Silver scrunched up his face, and shook his head, as if he was trying to shake the hangover away. When he finally reopened his eyes, he recognized the broad smile and the green eyes in front of him.

"CrackerJack?" asked Silver, a broad smile finding its way onto his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Long story," answered CrackerJack, waltzing into the apartment. "I was on my way back to Trottingham, so I decided to stop by and say hello."

The two friends went into the living room, and CrackerJack sat himself down on a cushion, while silver busied himself with the kettles and the pots.

"Sorry about the mess," he said. "I've been meaning to tidy up." As he put the kettle on the fire, a nasty little voice wormed its way into Silver's head. "...for about three months, now," the voice said.

Once the tea was ready, complete with a plate of crackers (Silver hadn't been shopping for a long time), silver brought the kettle over, and poured the hot tea into some cups.

"I wish I had something else to give you apart from these plain old crackers," said Silver. "I don't entertain much."

"It's quite alright, mate," said Cracker, smiling.

The friends sat down, and started catching up on everything they'd missed.

Silver and Cracker were very old friends. They had been friends ever since the day they'd met, back at pre-school, in their old village of Coltford-upon-Trottingham. They had subsequently been to school, secondary school, and college together. As it turned out, Providence had been more generous with CrackerJack than it had been with Silver. CJ was now an up-and-coming journalist, working for the Trottingham Gazette.

At some point, the subject of Silver's book cropped up.

"I can't wait for your book to hit the stands, Silver," said CrackerJack.

Silver's expression fell. "What book?" he asked.

"Well, you know, Manehattan Noir!" answered Cracker. "It's exciting; it's gritty; it's daring! But, as bleak as it can be, there's always a glimmer of hope!"

"Oh, that book," said Silver. "I've had a few setbacks. But it's okay."

CrackerJack glanced at the half-empty bottle of cider on the writing table.

"You're sure you're alright, mate?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Silver looked at the floor. "It's okay."

Cracker shrugged it off. Silver had always been somewhat binary with his emotions. The two friends spent the rest of the day talking about everything and nothing, politics, the newest Princess, and their old misadventures with fillies.

But, like anything good in life, Crackerjack's visit came to an end. Silver saw him out, they hugged, and Cracker left.
As soon as he found himself alone once again, Silver's normal expression resurfaced. His friend was gone, and Celestia knew he was miserable now.

He went back to his desk, sat down on the cushion, and started typing. He typed and typed, until he had written the first two verses of a poem. The more he typed, the more his sadness seemed to ebb away. The poem wasn't the best one in the world, but at least it meant something to him.

Nopony like me,
Has a friend like CrackerJack.
Nopony like him,
Always has my back.

If I were to die,
and my world become black,
At least I,
Will have known Crackerjack.

He smiled at the first two verses, and a tear made its way down his muzzle.
Silver had cried many times before, so much so that nowadays, he couldn't find the strength to cry. He simply couldn't.

But this tear was different. It wasn't a tear of joy, but it was something like that. Feeling more words coming to him, Silver continued typing.

When I'm feeling down,
And my heart goes out,
CrackerJack comes along,
and rekindles it right.

There. It wasn't long; it was far from conventionally nice, but at least it said it all. Silver felt satisfied, so he ripped the piece of paper from the typewriter, and pinned the poem to his wall. He contemplated it for a little while, before emptying the bottle of cider, and went to bed.

Being an earth pony, it would take more than a bottle of cider to make him drunk. But he nonetheless felt a warm sensation that seemed to pump happiness into his heart. He went to bed, tipsy, but content, and happy to be there. Which to him, was the whole point of it all. And he knew that this happiness was only temporary. But he didn't care about the future. He just enjoyed the moment.

And then, came a knock on the door.

Comments

[Antiquarian]

Nicely done! I look forward to seeing more.