If Chaos prevails...

by The Marshmallow

25-After the big day - Side C

Fluttershy didn't sleep well that night, her mind consumed by the thought of what unfolded the previous evening. Rainbow Dash found herself quite preoccupied too, to the point it took her a full ten minutes to fall asleep. To her credit, when the following morning she woke up perfectly well-rested, the blue pegasus noticed the dark circles underneath her friend's eyes immediately, and soon tried to relieve her worries.

While the walk from their bedrooms to the dining room, where they would have breakfast, was by no means an especially long one, it was one they would conduct perfectly alone due to the lack of personnel in the palace. This would allow them to speak their mind, although without raising their voice, having no fear of being overheard. And Rainbow didn't miss the chance, trying to enquire on her friend's thought.

She found herself incapable of having Fluttershy reveal her train or though, which was not too surprising. But to her dismay, she couldn't guess it either! That was what she usually would do, having known her for so many years, to the point that she was sometimes the one better capable of articulating the delicate mare's opinion. It was easy, she would say, as Fluttershy wanted to express something, and was just too timid to do it. But in these past few days, she finally realized, she had really wanted to keep her thoughts to herself.

Which was nothing wrong, per se, but it bothered Rainbow nonetheless.

This didn't dissuade her from trying to have her friend to open little by little, and this went on until they reached the large door that would lead them to their meal. A maid was waiting for them there and smiled meekly as she saw them getting close enough: "Lady Fluttershy, Miss Rainbow dash. " She bowed her head slightly, as a sign of deference: "Our Lord is not going to join you for breakfast. Until he is back, he instructed to make sure your wish is our command." Another bow, smaller, and then a smile, wide enough to be perceived as a bit creepy by the rainbow-maned pony.

"Awesome." She answered dismissively "Can you let us have breakfast alone?"

The maid' expression suddenly turned a lot colder while looking at Rainbow, and moved her gaze towards Fluttershy, inquisitive but much warmer. After a few moments of pause, the yellow mare nodded meekly to confirm her friend's request, and asked "Please?"

If she was bothered by the request, she didn't let it show. She answered with a cheery "Absolutely, Milady" And left, smiling, as soon as the two were seated. "If you need anything, Just come to the servant quarters."

After the big door was closed, and waiting a few more moments to be safe, Rainbow dash was the first to speak again: "It wasn't just my impression, right? She doesn't like me..." It was not that she doubted the fact, it was only that she didn't fully understand why, being as awesome as she was.

Fluttershy caught the purpose of her question immediately, and addressed it directly, albeit carefully "I think she might be... Jealous?" Rainbow looks perplexed, but she went on "I am set to marry Discord, so she can't do much. Maybe she even thinks that if I like her things will improve for her..." Rainbow nodded, she could understand this, but the part she herself played in all of this was still a mystery. "But as long as you are here with me, you can have the same lifestyle, only without having to do anything for it." She then paused for a moment, initially unsure if it was the case to go on. The enraptured expression of Rainbow Dash made her decide to do so. "Maybe she is a bit... Uhm... resentful she doesn't have the privileges she thought she would have by working for Discord?"

The cyan pegasus was for a moment speechless. Fluttershy was quiet and observant, she knew as much, but that was much more. "That was awesome". Her eyes were sparkling, showing honest admiration for the timid mare "You were like a Psy..." How was the word? "A Psycho..." Definitely not "A shrink!" She improvised, looking satisfied.

"No, I'm not" The mare in question was a bit embarrassed at the compliment, as she always was, but that was not all there was to it. "I..." It was difficult to actually say it, but she had to. "I've just been thinking about a lot of things." Which even to rainbow was clear. And if it had not been in the previous few days, certainly it was that morning. "It's not like I didn't want to tell you." Her friend was relieved, but also seemed kind of doubtful at this assertion "Ok, maybe I didn't want to make you worry." That was part of it, sure "But... I really don't know what I'm thinking."

Rainbow nodded supportively, genuine happiness at her friend's attempt to open to her "Try to say it. I am here to help you."

Fluttershy smiled, she didn't doubt the other's words "It has been hard, in Cloudsdale" She started, reminiscing of her life until a few days prior. Rainbow did the same, empathizing with her "So when I was sent here, and Discord chose me..." Her feelings on that were still uncertain. She was terrified, but also kind of flattered. maybe even happy, or maybe not. "I really thought that it could make a lot of things right. For both of us." As she looked up towards Rainbow, she found her with a mouth slightly agape.

"Wait you mean..." Slowly but surely The blue mare was realizing how blind she had been in these past few days, and her shiting emotion showed freely on her expression "You were doing this... For me too?" A single, gentle gaze from her friend, and she stopped questioning.

"You have helped me so much", it was stated as a matter of fact, in a surprisingly decisive manner "You have defended me when no one else would." A pause, her eyes were now pointed straight at the other's eyes "I owed this to you".

Rainbow Dash cheeks became slightly flustered. But that didn't stop her to reply promptly, decisively yet gently "You owe nothing to me!" And this, too, was a matter of fact. "All I did, it was because you are my friend."

"I know." Fluttershy smiled widened for a moment. "But you are my friend too." Her happiness didn't last long, as she arrived at the difficult part of the conversation "I think I got us in something bigger than us" Rainbow was tempted to make some joke about nothing being bigger than the most awesome pony in Equestria, but even she realized it wouldn't be appropriate. "What do you think of Pinkie? And of Rarity and Applejack?" And then she stayed there, silently for a few long moments.

The answer dint' come immediately, it was clear that Rainbow had to consider the question for a moment"Pinkie is... weird." And there was really no other word for it. Not that it was all there was to her "But like, really nice, and funny, and caring. I think I like her." Fluttershy nodded, approvingly. She then thought of the other two ponies. "Applejack and... Rarity, right?" they didn't interact quite that much. But still enough to have an impression of them "They seemed okay ponies." She then thought of what the white unicorn suggested the previous evening. Running away and being hidden by then, maybe achieving freedom. "I think I would have told you to take on their offer, if they weren't..." She looked around, carefully, and lowered her voice further "Probably involved in foalnapping Pinkie."

"I won't comment on their offer." Mostly because she didn't really know what to think. The whole situation she was in was incredibly difficult to digest. "Although I have thought on just running away, a few times..." her mind went back to one, first arriving in Canterlot, she had been looking the trains time table, hoping to find an appropriate time to flee. In the end, she didn't and the rest was history. "But about Pinkie..." She was the one she wanted to talk about, the one thing on which her mind was truly set "Can we really stay here and do nothing?" It was a tough question, that made Rainbow dash looked at the table for a few moments, embarrassed "We know where she is, probably. Or at least where Rarity and Applejack are." She took a deep breath, before whispering "We should go there."

"What?!" rainbow raised her voice for a moment, in surprise, before composing herself and going back to whispering. "That seems crazy dangerous. I think we shouldn't get in between them." As much as Rainbow Dash was a risk-taker, even she realized when it was too much. Risking to find themselves in the middle of the feud between the Lord of Chaos and his enemies had in her mind no good ending in sight. They might be perceived as traitors by Discord, or be just as well taken hostages by the rebels. And whatever they would do, would that not be useless? "Discord is going to catch them just fine, probably"

"I know. I'm sure he would." They had both witnessed his unimaginable power firsthand. She doubted anypony, even anycreature, could go beyond that. "But are you really fine with it?" While she could see the result already, she didn't find it acceptable. Despite being an ancient, eternal being Discord was extraordinarily emotional, and he really loved Pinkie. She didn't want to imagine what he could do to those that took her away from him, and she wanted even less for it to happen. "They are good ponies, too. I think we could help find a compromise."

Fluttershy was serious. She should have expected it. The one thing the usually cowardly mare would always stand up to was Injustice (as long as she wasn't the designated victim), and if there was one thing she would never change in her friend was exactly that. "I'll come with you" So she didn't even try to dissuade her, knowing she would fail, and just smiled supportively.

Rainbow was serious, too. Fluttershy expected it. If there was one thing she really knew about her friend was that she would always stand by her. Without her support, she doubted she would have ever found the strength to stand for what was right. "Thank you" was all that she could say, for other words were not needed. And the two just stared at each other warmly for a few moments. until a low rumble interrupted them.

It came from Rainbow Dash's belly. This made her blush even more than before "But... Like, we should go right now, right now?" The option seemed to worry her a bit, especially since she finally realized that her worrying about her friend had prevented her to realize how hungry she really was "Or can we finish breakfast first?"

"Oh, uhm..." After a moment of surprise, Fluttershy giggled softly, amused by the turn of events "Later is fine, I think?" She then was lost in thought for a few moments, as if trying to recall something from the past "There should be a train for Ponyville right before ten. Maybe it would be good?" She wasn't one hundred per cent sure. After all, it had been almost a week (and a very hectic one) since she had looked at those trains.

But Rainbow Dash didn't doubt her at all, and she answered quickly, right as she was started to fill her plate with pastries and fruit from the large tray set in front of them "That's perfect!" She then started to fill Fluttershy's plate too, certainly to her taste but a bit more than she would do herself. "We'll need a lot of energy for this negotiation stuff, so make sure to eat!"

"Ok!" Fluttershy was ultimately relieved, as she started to take a few bites from a slice of pineapple (one the many exotic fruits Discord had provided). The support from her friend was all she needed, and she was really hopeful they would succeed. Only one last thing came to her mind, worrying her slightly "Oh, maybe we should leave Discord a message? I don't want to be rude..."

"Sure" Rainbow Dash answered, a bit dismissively, "But remember our priorities!" She smiled, and pointed at Fluttershy's plate, before continuing with a teasing tone "the first of which is eating!" And that was the end of the conversation.

Author's Note:

meanwhile, The Saviour of Saddle Arabia is almost done. Next chapter is the climax, and then there will be the epilogue. Once I'm done with that, This fiction should proceed more smoothly.

Also, spoiler alert (?), what happens in that fiction could soon become relevant here, too

With love,
The Marshmallow

Comments

[The Marshmallow]

10055990
Thank you so much! I really like the Idea of each "side" (but really each individual) having its own ideas, its own plans, and trying its best to achieve its goals. I think that it makes the story a bit more dynamic and interesting than just having the heroes confronting a big bad while everyone else is passive in the background... Or at least, I hope it does!