Continuity Disrupted

by Doug Graves

143 Lysah's Respite, Part One

February 14th, 1001 Domina Solaria, The First Year of the Two Sisters

Underneath the thin layer of ice covering the stream comes the soft gurgle of running water. Most years, the stream didn’t freeze over entirely, but this winter had been particularly cold. One night it just, sort of, happened, as these things tend to do. It never really warmed up enough to melt, and the stream underneath seemed content to leave it be. And nopony has been adventurous enough to step a hoof on it, and test to see if the ice truly is thick enough for their pony games. That doesn’t stop the various critters from scampering about; they seem to know their impact on the world, but the faded claw marks suggest that nocreature has tried in at least a day.

Some ponies theorized the aberrantly cold weather was because Princess Celestia, the previous summer, had told her Sun to cool off, because otherwise the Summer Sun Celebration would have been uncomfortably hot. Or, it’s because Nightmare Moon, around the same time, decided that Equus needed another four hours of moonlight on this side, and convective forces never really caught up. Or, it could be a combination of both, and Cloudsdale and their weather gurus weren’t able to calibrate things just right.

Maybe it was because of the chill, or because Fate felt like giving them a break before it threw something particularly nasty at them, but it has been a quiet month in Ponyville since Spike went on his rampage. Applejack had raised a barn for a new schoolhouse, as promised, but with more doors and stained glass windows. They built it right on top of the old one, so they could still use the cellar. The playground equipment, though, is still in a sorry state of disrepair, and fillies would occasionally find the odd bent nail. The class was both sad and happy when Miss Cheerilee returned, but that could have been because Trixie was less concerned with things like grades and homework and sticking to the official EEA curriculum than she was about teaching the fillies tricks or regaling them with stories of her (supposed) adventures. Turns out, Rainbow wasn’t the only pony who found Daring Do a source of inspiration.

Speaking of, the enforced slow flight had done Rainbow Dash a world of good. Able to practice nothing but control, she had nearly perfected every maneuver that didn’t require speed. Since she already had the speed sections down pat, it was only a matter of waiting the painful weeks to get started. And then, after tweaking a muscle going too hard on day one, waiting another miserable couple of days before she could really go all out. She's optimistic, as always, about her chances the next week.

These thoughts and more pass through the mare as her cyan eyes flitter about, focusing on everything and nothing at the same time. They tend to linger on the open door of her cottage. Twilight Sparkle had been by earlier. She looked stressed, for some reason, and mumbling about magic kindergarten. Her mane was all askew, her eyes kept twitching, and she left with an old bird’s nest on her head. It was all very strange. But, since it didn’t have anything to do with her, she let it be. She was afraid, probably rightly so, about how these things tend to go. Still is, for that matter.

Sometimes her eyes are drawn to the footprints that lead to the snow around her. Or the traces of them. After helping set up her little snow burrow - or igloo, as Doug called it - the falling snow hid the tracks leading around and about. No wonder Twilight didn’t know where to look for her. And, if she’s being honest, maybe she likes it that way. Just being able to meld into the shadows, unnoticed, just able to observe what is going on around her.

The way the last snowfall of the year slowly dribbles down from the sky, and the symphony of the branches around her as they creak and groan, shifting under ever accumulating layers of weighty water. It is nice, sitting here under her awning of ice, bundled up against the cold, without a care in the world.

She has a couple pieces of dried fruit left, but they’ve gotten frozen even next to her. So she just lets them thaw in her mouth for a few minutes before slowly chewing, savoring every little bite. She’d probably be hungrier if she wasn’t stretching her rations so thin, and she’ll need to break out to use the little filly’s room eventually, but for now she is content.

There’s Twilight again, chasing down Rarity. Both mares look awfully distressed, but it’s hard to tell from this distance. Searching through the snow outside the Boutique. Eventually they both go inside, looking no better, and her eyes stray away.

The snow makes everything so crisp and clean, even as it chills. Fluttershy merely adjusts her scarf; she got a white one from Rarity. It used to have this beautiful diamond encrusted purple ribbon, but she took it off and put it next to Rarity’s sewing machine. It wouldn’t do to have her camouflage ruined by looking fabulous! Even if the scarf and her vibrant pink mane is hidden by the snow.

There’s Twilight Sparkle again, leaving the Boutique. She looks sad, but it’s hard to tell exactly why from this distance. She walks towards the library, or at least to the north part of town, the opposite direction from the Everfree and her cottage.

It’s too bad her vantage point doesn’t let her look out over the Everfree. There’s almost always something going on in there, often scary enough to get her to look away. But she’s getting better! It’s best when Doug is with her, cuddling after they practice making more foals. He always pushes her to confront her fears, even when - or especially when - she has absolutely no desire to do that herself. He makes her feel safe. Sometimes she wishes she was better at it. But Doug has funny little sayings, like that you should never ask for patience, because the world will give you opportunities to practice it. And it’s probably like that for her fears, too.

She wraps her forelegs around one of the mounds of snow, and squeezes. It’s already packed hard enough that she makes little more than an indent, and she doesn’t squeeze so hard that it spills out the sides. But it reminds her, if just a teeny bit, of squeezing him. She wishes he was with her. But he’s very busy, with Spring starting up tomorrow. Well, really it’s Winter Wrap Up tomorrow, and Celestia knows when Spring will actually start.

Her ears flick at the multitude of hooves coming along the hard packed path. She lays still, forelegs embedded in the snow, only her opening eyes visible as she watches five of her herdmates walk to her cottage. They’re probably making Trixie watch the foals again.

Twilight alone walks up to the open door of the cottage. She seems surprised that the door is still open, cautiously looking around. Then she peeks her head in. If she says anything it’s muffled by the snow and that she’s inside the house. She comes outside, and everypony looks worried. Not quite distraught, though. Twilight says something, and everypony else laughs, which only makes Twilight so upset that she storms away.

Are they really foals, though? Her filly turned four today. Four! And Hedge’s birthday is one of the last, being nearly a week overdue. At least her foaling had gone well, as far as she remembers. Longer than most, sure, but nothing too bad. But now, Hedge is the oldest of the herd still missing her cutie mark. Still has no idea what exactly she wants to do, but such is the way of things. No rush, none at all. Plenty of time to take it slow.

She would have liked to have her filly with her, just meditating. Watching the ponies as they go about their day. In fact, there’s Hedge now! And the Cutie Mark Crusaders are with her, too! Scootaloo in the lead, tires barely able to push through the packed snow. Hedge along for the ride, though she looks a little queasy. Apple Bloom keeping pace, while Sweetie Belle struggles to keep up. But she makes do. They all do.

Until Twilight waylays them, that is. The mare looks to be riding a Pinkie Pie level sugar high, with how she keeps jolting back and forth, the way her eyes can’t stay focused, and how she keeps shaking that little doll in her hooves. None of the fillies want the doll, either, which just makes Twilight even more frustrated.

Actually, Hedge wants the doll. She likes dolls, even if Fluttershy can only get her dolls that she makes herself. She makes dolls like she makes nests, full of whatever odds and ends are at hoof at the time. Every one of them unique, and built with love and kindness! And the Crusaders are more than willing to let Hedge have the doll. Rarity must have taught them well; how generous!

She really thought Twilight would give Hedge a book for Foal’s Week. Maybe she got a tip from Pinkie Pie, but perhaps the mare is branching out. Hedge doesn’t care what her dolls look like, or how old and beat up they are, as long as they are cared for and played with love. And that doll has clearly been loved a lot.

Twilight seems decidedly unhappy with that result, though. She tries to take the doll back, but Hedge holds on like her life depends on it. Twilight frowns, shouting something. Scootaloo grins as she takes off, Hedge barely keeping a grip as they head into Ponyville. Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle follow close behind, scared but playful glances at the mare behind them.

Maybe she should confront those fears of hers, of getting involved. That’s what Doug would push her to do, right? She shakes her head; she shouldn’t do it because it’s what Doug wants, she should do it because it’s what she wants!

“Hey, Twilight!” she calls, her voice dull in her ears, but that’s mostly because of the snow around her.

Twilight looks around, surprised and agitated. “Clock is ticking, Twilight,” she mutters to herself. “No need to go around imagining things! Clock! Is! Ticking!”

Fluttershy lets go of the mound of snow to poke a yellow hoof out, waving at her Friend and herdmate. “Over here!”

Twilight scampers over, eyes gleaming with elation crossed with what is probably an unhealthy amount of madness. “Fluttershy! I found you!” Her eyes grow wide while her pupils shrink. “Do you, by any chance, have a… Friendship problem?”

“Um,” Fluttershy says, her head involuntarily shaking no, her body’s base desire to avoid danger overtaking her. “N-no…”

“Oh.” Twilight mouth pulls wider, her grin stretching past the edges of her face. Her teeth jut out at crooked angles, “Well… If I can’t find a friendship problem… then I’ll m-”

Fluttershy puts a hoof on Twilight’s withers, the unicorn cutting herself off to look down on it. Fluttershy beams a smile up at Twilight, reassuringly stroking her side. “It’s okay, Twilight. Because I have a Friend who does.”

“Oh. You do?!” A tiny portion of Twilight’s madness seems to fade from her face, a quill and paper materializing beside her. “Tellme tellme tellme!”

Fluttershy grins as she grips Twilight, pulling the surprised mare into her burrow. She offers her a piece of dried fruit, Twilight accepting with a bit of confused hesitation.

“Yes, Twilight. And I’m looking at her.” Fluttershy gulps as Twilight’s eyes narrow. She forces herself to lightly stroke her herdmate, trying to calm both of them down. “Would you like to talk about it?”

Comments

[badninja]

And now we see Twilight screw it up with Want it Need it. I hope the foals will forgive her for this.

[Ryunaker]

Actually, looks like it got redirected. Glad to see it going a different direction.

[Doug Graves]

9580426
If anything inspired it, it is Twilight singing in 'You'll Play Your Part' - 'wanna do all that I can'. It could also be Fluttershy and Rainbow singing in 'I Can Do It On My Own' - 'But if you give it your all' and 'have to give it your very best shot'.

It is eerily reminiscent of some random anime kid, too.

[Iron Comet]

Flutters here to save the day.

[DarkPhoenixx]

Go Fluttershy! Save that mare from herself. Lol