• Published 18th Jan 2018
  • 4,667 Views, 197 Comments

Winter Aria - Arcanum -Phantasy



When a daddy Unicorn and a mommy Alicorn get together and love each other very much, they get a rambunctious little Flurry Heart. When a daddy Siren and a mommy Windigo get together and love each other very much they get...a very lonely creature.

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Iceberg

Alto went over the list of letters in front of himself, eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to make sense of them. In spite of his friend and teacher's wishes, he was dead set on mastering the art of reading as quickly as possible and was making excellent progress in that regard. In the last couple of weeks, he had already mastered kindergarden level reading and was already well on his way to mastering first grade. While his progress both pleased and annoyed her, Flurry couldn't help but feel a little proud of herself for helping Alto. At least, when she could keep her thoughts anchored to the present. As Flurry watched him work a couple feet away from her, her thoughts kept wandering between the previous day and the colt's present lesson. As it did, her curiosity slowly started to grow. A faint heat started to form on her cheeks as she recalled the previous day's events in full.



***


"You want us to teach her about friendship?" Sapphire asked, raising a brow.

Alto gave a resolved nod.

"How the hay do we do that?"

"Spend time with her," he said, taking a step towards his new friend. "Talk to her. Give her a chance."

Sapphire reared back a little in the face of the colt's insistent tone.

"I don't know if that's possible," Ruby frowned, earning Alto's attention.

"It wound't hurt to try," he said, voice empty of doubt.

He gave Flurry a brief glance and a ghost of a smile before locking eyes again with Ruby.

"If somepony like me can make friends, then so can Platinum Scales. She just needs somepony to try."

Silence filled the cave as they all thought about what Alto said. Then, Sapphire let out a weary sigh as she broke the silence.

"What the tartarus? I'm willing to give it a shot if you are sis."

As she said that, she shrugged towards her sister. Ruby stared at the ground as she quietly mulled over her options. After a few seconds, she nodded in agreement as she looked Alto in the eye.

"It's worth a shot," she smiled. "She seems rather focused on us already."

Alto nodded in appreciation as he then retook his seat beside Flurry. The two fillies went back to work on their projects while Flurry eyed her neighbor quizzically.

"Are you sure that will work?" she asked.

"Absolutely," he nodded, then closed his eyes as he leaned into her. "It worked for me.

Unbeknownst to him, Flurry's eyes widened as her cheeks turned beet-red. Ruby and Sapphire looked away from their projects as they watched the exchange, toothy grins spreading across their muzzles. Flurry's blush spread to her ears as she guessed what they were thinking.

Oh pony feathers!


***


Flurry shook her head, desperate to disperse both her bad thoughts and the blush they birthed.

He's just a friend! Just. A. Friend!

But as she thought that, he seemed to shimmer before her eyes in the reflected light of the cave's ice crystal ceiling. The intense concentration in his eyes as he carefully analyzed the words in front of him reminded her of the first time they spent time together, so eager to learn and serious like an eagle searching for its prey. The fierceness in them along with the knowledge of how gentle they could be at times sent her heart a flutter in ways that were completely new to her.

"He is kind of cute," she whispered to herself.

"Hmmm? Did you say something?" Alto asked, looking up from his worksheet.

"Nope!" she squeaked, eyes wide and face burning. "J-Just thinking out loud!"

"Oh, okay," he smiled, then looked back down at his worksheet.

Flurry sighed in relief then looked down at the ground with a frown.

What the heck is wrong with me? she thought, her legs fidgeting beneath her as she sat. I-I shouldn't be feeling like this, right? I mean, Alto's just a friend right? It's not like I'm...am I? NO! I'm not.....amI?

A small groan slipped past her lips as she rested her forehead against the frigid cave floor, feeling the start of a migraine forming just below her horn.

"Are you okay?" Alto asked, concerned.

"Uh, yeah," Flurry said, an uneasy smile gracing her muzzle as she looked up at him. "Just a headache. Nothing to worry about."

"I see," he frowned. "Maybe we should take a break."

"Y-Yeah," she stammered. "Maybe that'll help."

Why did this have to happen? she thought with a sigh as she put all their books away. Maybe Starlight can help me figure this out.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alto asked.

"Yes," Flurry sighed as she levitated her now loaded saddlebags by the cave's exit.

She could tell he didn't believe her, but was too mentally frazzled to form a more believable explanation. What he said didn't help matters all that much either.

"Do you want to use my spring?"

Flurry blinked at him, mind slowly processing what her friend said.

"Your what?" she asked dumbly.

"My spring," Alto repeated, his concerned frown deepening. "Would you like to use it?"

Flurry stared at him in shock again for a few seconds, then fidgeted in place as she asked, "Are you sure?"

He nodded.

"It should help with your headache and you seem tense."

Flurry gulped, then said, "I-I don't have a towel."

"I can take the water out of your coat," he said, tone absent of argument.

Her face reddened as she imagined various ways her friend's magic could dry her, some ways less chaste than others.

NO! BAD FLURRY! BAD, BAD, BAD FLURRY!

"O-Okay then," she stammered, face partly hidden behind the shadow of her bangs.

A faint satisfied smile graced his muzzle as he nodded at her and moved towards the spring. Flurry staggered to her hooves as she followed, her mind a total mess as it struggled to make sense of the situation she was in. On one hoof she as happy that Alto was letting her use his spring, but on the other she couldn't get her rebellious thoughts to focus on the strictly platonic nature of the gesture. As such, her heart started to hammer in her chest as she stood on the edge of the spring, the source of her mental tug-o-war to her left. She gulped as she turned her head towards him and he nodded. She took a quick breath and eased herself into the warm waters before her.

Immediately, her tension dissolved in the spring's loving embrace. A pleased hum slipped past her lips as she eased herself into a comfortable position in the shallows, eyes closed to better enjoy her situation. A slight ripple in the water's surface caught her attention as she peeked an eye open towards their source. Alto practically slithered into the water with a grace that would've made a sea snake green with envy. She marveled at how the water slid past his scales as he waded through the spring and how his mane and tail seemed to trail behind him like paint. Her marvel turned into jaw-dropping awe as his body started to change right before her eyes. Alto's body shimmered as his hind-legs merged together with his tail and morphed into a fish's tail as his mane turned into a dorsal fin that spread from his head to the base of his new tail. As he glided through the water towards her she noticed how his forehooves had widened to be more like fins. She was mesmerized as she watched him take a seat beside her and blushed when she realized just how long she had been staring at him.

"Better?" he asked, a faint smile gracing his muzzle.

Pursing her lips, she nodded and lowered her head until the lower half of her muzzle was below the water.

He gave a satisfied nod then leaned against her, his tail coiled around her protectively like a sea dragon guarding his treasure. The comparison made her blush harder as she tried to ignore how close Alto was to her. Just like yesterday, his scales felt nice against her coat. They were tough and flexible like chainmail, but held the same kind of warmth she remembered every time her cousin Spike hugged her. Another thing that became hard to ignore was the muscle she could feel beneath them. Alto lacked the heavy build that was common amongst most Earth Ponies. Instead, he had a much leaner build that was built for speed and agility. A feature that made more sense when she took his new form into account. As she reveled in her new confusing situation, a question that had been nagging at the back of her mind made itself known.

Flurry raised her head out of the water and asked, "Alto, can I ask you a question?"

Eyes still closed, he nodded.

"W-Why did you want Ruby and Sapphire to be Platinum's friends?"

"Because they wanted to," he said evenly.

Flurry blinked, not sure she heard him right at first.

"W-What?"

Alto sighed as he pulled his head out of her shoulder.

"They wanted to help her, but didn't want to admit it. I could taste it."

"What do you mean?" Flurry asked, locking eyes with her friend.

"While they were talking about her, I could taste ozone. Mother told me that means hesitation, usually in the face of a daunting task. There was also a hint of berries, a sign that they wanted to help."

Flurry gawked at him, then sputtered, "You can taste emotions?"

He nodded.

"Mother could too. It helped us avoid the ponies from The Shining Place."

"O-Oh," she muttered, staring at the water below her. "That's cool."

Alto smiled then moved back into his previous position.

An awkward silence filled the cave for a few minutes, Alto enjoying Flurry's company while said Alicorn struggled to keep her frazzled mind from short-circuiting.

She gulped, then asked, "A-And w-what do you taste now?"

She felt his jaw move a little on her shoulder as he said, "Cinnamon and....mint? It's a strange mix with a little bit of sour berries. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Y-Yeah," she stammered, face burning. "J-Just a little tired."

"I see," he said, a hint of concern coloring his tone. "I'm sorry I can't do more to help."

"N-No," she stammered, lips pulled into a small smile as she draped a wing across his back. "This is perfect. Just what I needed. Thank you Alto."

"You're welcome Flurry," he smiled.

With that, the two of them sat in silence, enjoying the spring's gentle embrace along with each other's company. Flurry's smile grew as she peeked at the peaceful expression on Alto's face, a million thoughts drifting through her head as she enjoyed the view. Shyly, she gripped his hoof beneath the still waters and leaned a little further into his side.



***


Starlight yawned as she closed her book and put it on her nightstand, her covers shuffling lightly as she moved. She flinched when she saw how late it was on her bedside clock. She smiled sheepishly at the sleeping figure of her coltfriend under the covers next to her. Chuckling to herself, she scooted into Sunburst's side and got herself comfortable. Just as sleep started to creep in on her, a small flare of magic in the kitchen caught her attention. A sigh slipped past her muzzle as she reluctantly pulled herself out of bed.

This is what I get for staying up too late, she thought ruefully as she made her way to the kitchen. I wonder if we have any coffee left.

Just as she expected, when she rounded the corner down the hall from the bedroom the kitchen light was on and the faint clinking of glasses being moved around could be heard. She sported a small smile as she stepped into the kitchen to do the same line of work she retired from in Ponyville when she moved to the Crystal Empire. Her smile faded slightly when she saw how frazzled her God Daughter was.

The young Alicorn was a mess as she struggled to keep a steady hold of a glass in her magic as she turned on the tap to get some water. Her mane was a messy rats nest with strands sticking out at odd angles around her ears. Her tail wasn't much better as it flicked back and forth like it belonged to a frustrated cat.

"Flurry?" Starlight asked, cautious as she took slow steps into the kitchen.

Flurry Heart jumped then spun to face the mare. What Starlight saw filled her with even more concern. Flurry's eyes were red with tears and she looked absolutely miserable.

"Hey," she whispered, gently wrapping her forelegs around the distraught filly. "What's wrong Flurry?"

Flurry sniffled, hiding her face in her godmother's shoulder as she tried to organize her chaotic thoughts.

"I...." she started, voice shaky she leaned into Starlight like a crutch. "I.....made a new friend recently."

"I see," Starlight smiled, letting Flurry do this at her own pace. "Is it anypony around the castle?"

Flurry shook her head.

"I met him when I was exploring outside The Empire."

"Oh?" Starlight asked, raising a brow as a sly smile spread across her muzzle. "What's he like? Are we talking about another Flash Magnus or Rock Hoof?"

Flurry chuckled at that, then smiled as she said, "A little of both. He's really nice, but extremely shy around new ponies. He's really strong too. He used an ice spell once that pushed my tolerance to the limit when we first met."

A mix of surprise and worry filled Starlight upon hearing that. Alicorns possessed a naturally high resistance to magic, especially in regards to magic linked to their special talent. Luna and Celestia had a natural resistance to dark and light magic respectively while Twilight and Cadence could resist mental or emotional manipulation. The fact that this colt was powerful enough to overpower Flurry's resistances to his magic was just as impressive as it was concerning.

"Does he have a name?" she asked, masking her worry with a smile.

"Alto," Flurry answered with a faint smile.

The care in Flurry's voice as she said his name made the older mare's smile more genuine as the hidden implications of it made itself known.

"Nice name," she chuckled, pulling out of the hug enough to look Flurry in the eyes. "Tell me more."

And Flurry did. Naturally, she kept some of the most important facts about her new friend under her mane such as his living arrangements, appearance, and family situation, but was fairly open about everything else about him. As she talked, Starlight was happy to see the Alicorn's mood gradually improve. She especially seemed to brighten when she talked about how she was teaching him how to read.

"Sounds like a really nice colt," Starlight smiled.

"Yeah," Flurry smiled, staring at the ground. "He's a really good friend."

Her smile shifted into a frown as she added, "But there's a.....problem that's come up."

"What kind of problem?" she asked, a trace of edge entering her tone.

Eyes still locked onto the ground, Flurry gulped as she elaborated.

"Lately...I've been having some...feelings around him."

"Feeling?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Like...maybe.....a.....crush?"

"Oh," Starlight blinked. "So what's the prob-"

Realization hit her and she visibly cringed.

"Oh...yeah....Shining Armor might make that a little difficult."

"Th-That's not it!" Flurry blurted, cheeks burning. "I.....I...."

"Flurry?"

A heavy silence filled the room as the two ponies struggled to find their voices, but in time Flurry was the first to break it. Her eyes glistened with tears as she looked up at her Godmother and said something that shocked her like a lightning bolt.

"I don't want to have a crush on him. I just want to be friends with him but......I can't help it!"

Starlight pulled her into another hug as she let the filly cry out her frustrations into her shoulder. A rueful smile graced her lips as she remembered being in a similar situation about two years ago.

"It's not easy seeing a friend that way, huh?" Starlight sighed, earning a shaky nod from the shook teen. "It's even worse when they're hurting. You want to be a good friend, but you also want to be so much more to them."

"Y-Yeah," Flurry hiccuped. "I-It's horrible! The worst!"

Starlight let out a small chuckle at that.

"And the dreams aren't helping," Flurry pouted, her face turning beet red at the memories.

"Dreams?" Starlight asked, pulling out of the embrace to lock eyes with the Alicorn. "What dreams?"

"Well," she fidgeted. "It's all normal stuff at first. I'm just doing my normal things like walking though the palace or studying with Sunburst, but now Alto's there. We're laughing and having fun together, but then things get....different when its all over."

"What do you mean?"

"The dreams always happen in shifts. First we do the normal things when the sun is up in them, but when the day ends things are different. A couple of nights ago the second the sun went down, Alto and I were in a line at an amusement park to get on the Tunnel of Love together. In another we were in a cabin in the mountains somewhere....s-snuggled under a blanket together in front of a lit fireplace. Hay, a couple hours ago we were at some seaside resort sitting in a jacuzzi with fancy umbrella drinks!"

"I see," she smiled. "Is that all?"

When Flurry's blush spread to her ears and steam started to leak out of them she could guess what happened next.

"Wow, you've got it bad," the Unicorn sighed, shaking her head.

Flurry let out a dull whine as she nodded.

"W-W-What do I do?"

Starlight smiled.

"Easy. Be patient."

"Huh?"

Starlight giggled as she lead her stressed Goddaughter to the kitchen table. As they took their seats, a quick set of spells from the hostess got to work making a pot of tea for them.

"Right now, you're at war with yourself. You want to be closer to Alto, but you're afraid to get too close for his sake, right?"

She nodded, a bit of shame marring her features.

"Well, that's a good thing."

"What?!" Flurry squawked, a slight crack in her voice as she sat bolt upright.

Starlight smiled, then elaborated.

"The fact that you're so worried shows just how much you care about him. It also shows how much he trusts you with that care. That's pretty rare these days."

"I-I guess," she mumbled, staring at the table. "But what do I do? I can't just spring this on him out of the blue. There's no telling how he'd take it!"

"Of course you shouldn't," Starlight chuckled. "That's why I said you needed to be patient."

"Huh?" she asked, locking eyes with the smiling mare.

"Spend time with him like you always have, but instead of fighting with yourself you need to admit to yourself that you have a crush on him. Then, when the right time comes, tell him how you feel."

"How will I know when that is?" Flurry asked as a steaming pot of tea and a pair of tea cups floated onto the table.

"Oh you'll know," Starlight said cryptically as she poured both of them some tea. "Until then, just let things happen at their own pace. You don't need to rush through this.

"Right," she nodded, then took a sip of her tea.

A cheshire's grin spread on Starlight's face as she added, "Just don't try anything in your dreams just yet. I don't think Cadence is ready to be a Grandma yet."

Tea splattered against a well timed light-blue barrier as the sound of Flurry coughing filled the room.