Chapter 3
Ranked against Rainbow Dash’s favorite mornings, she probably would’ve named today as a below-average 3/10.
It wasn’t just that she’d woken with the cloud-bed of her cloud-house suddenly puffing away beneath her. Then her body was sent tumbling down towards Lake Ponyville, which wasn’t great either. Nevermind that she was up altogether earlier than she would’ve liked, no matter the circumstances.
Falling from great height was nothing strange for Rainbow, and it wouldn’t have ordinarily pushed the morning much below her average. The problem was, rather, that she no longer had her wings. She kept trying to spread them, but there was nothing there, nothing to catch the wind. When she started to tumble in the air, she could do nothing at all to correct her fall.
She screamed, catching a brief glimpse of a waxy blue tail above her as she turned over her own flank in the air. But she lived alone above a lake, so it wasn’t as though there was anypony to hear her and come for help. Rainbow was completely on her own as she fell, the terrible reality of her impact rushing up to meet her from below. Whatever had happened to remove her ability to fly, it would soon remove her ability to live as well.
She knew full well just how likely she was to survive an impact from great height, even into water. That wasn’t the kind of crash you could walk away from.
Rainbow had a few precious seconds to wonder how she’d gone wrong, and to speculate at the mistakes that had led her to that point. Then she hit the water, and her world shattered.
She felt like she was shattering too, breaking apart as she hit the water. But what she expected to be a point of terrible agony before the end of all sensation—wasn’t.
Her mind drifted, disassociated from body, sensation, or thought. She felt briefly at Lake Ponyville’s boundaries—it wasn’t really much of a lake, even by generous estimates. More of a pond, with only a few dozen scrawny fish.
Shouldn’t I be dead? Rainbow found herself searching for her broken corpse, which at the very least would seem highly improbable and create an awesome mystery for her friends to solve. Her only regret would be that she wouldn’t be able to go on that adventure and solve it with them.
But there was no body, no corpse, no blood. Rainbow couldn’t really see, even, so much as she could perceive what was in the pond, and no further. She knew the roots of the various little plants had to connect to leaves further up, and that the world continued past the water’s banks. But why couldn’t she see it anymore?
Rainbow tensed, and found herself coming back together. It wasn’t a broken thing mending, since she hadn’t broken exactly. But one moment she wasn’t, and the next… there she was, standing on the bottom of the lake as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
She could feel the water pressing down around her, restricting all but the faintest shreds of light piercing through the surface above. Sounds were muffled too, only the occasional lapping of the water and a slight breeze above the pond.
Shouldn’t I need to breathe? Curious, Rainbow pushed off the bottom of the pond, swimming up towards the light. Her head broke the surface near the edge, and she took a deep breath. Yes, she could breathe. But did she need to?
She dropped down again, closing her eyes. She waited for the pressure for air to get to her, forcing her to surface. It didn’t.
Finally Rainbow realized that it never would, or at the very least she became bored enough that she didn’t want to wait it out. Instead she rose from the water, turning to look at her own reflection on its broken surface.
There was a little resemblance there—she still shared some of the same colors. But she no longer looked even a little like a pony. Maybe a dog, or a small wolf, though she was bright blue and had smooth scales instead of fur. She reached up, feeling the fins running up her head.
I won’t be flying like this, she realized, horrified. Rainbow stared up at her distant cloud house, watching it slowly drift away. There was nothing she could do to stop it.
I should probably go get help, she thought. I shouldn’t be a wolf-thing. Being able to somehow land and survive in the pond had been a lucky thing. Should she still be bothered about her near death? Rainbow didn’t really get bothered, she almost died too often.
Who would know how to help when you’re suddenly a wolf-thing? Twilight, obviously. The tricky thing would be getting to her without being noticed. Dogs weren’t dangerous, but she’d have to pass the Apple Farm on her way back into Ponyville, and Applejack could get quite protective of her chickens. Fluttershy too, if she happened to go that way.
“I should probably go to her first,” she said to herself, picking that direction and setting off at the equivalent of a trot for wolf-monsters. Fluttershy’s cabin wasn’t that far away. If she could fly, she probably could’ve reached it in just a few minutes.
At first Rainbow Dash kept to the path she knew, though her paws liked the grass more than the bare dirt, and she stuck to that where she could. The sun beat down on her all the while, and she found herself soon missing the lake. Why did Ponyville feel so dry today? They were on track with the moisture schedule, at least Rainbow thought they were.
Soon enough the cabin came into view, and Rainbow lowered her whole body into a stalking crouch. Fluttershy would never hurt a strange animal, no matter how predatory it looked. But she might have visitors, in which case Rainbow would wait until she was alone. At least it was early enough in the morning that she didn’t think her friend would be gone anywhere.
But she still had to find her. Of course it might all be pointless. Maybe anypony would’ve been able to understand me. But even if that was the case, at least this way she’d be able to figure out just what a weird blue wolf thing was.
She listened at the door as she approached, intent on whatever might be going on inside. Sure enough, the area was completely inundated with smells—there were many creatures in this cabin, some of which might be a threat to her. But considering Rainbow had gone hoof to hoof with dragons before, she wasn’t going to be scared off. Even if Fluttershy’s bear friend did make it particularly troublesome to be here.
She approached the door carefully. But she could make out no voices from inside, not even faint ones. The knob was a little over her head, but she could probably reach it if she lifted up high enough. The first few times she flopped uselessly onto the floor, landing like something wet.
But the third time she got the knob in her mouth, and was able to twist. Unlocked, as usual. The door opened inward, taking her with it, but she caught herself on her paws easily enough. At least wolf things stood and walked in basically the same way as ponies did.
“Fluttershy, are you in here? I’m, uh… I think I need your help. Maybe a little bit? And before you say anything, it’s totally not my fault.”
For a few seconds there was nothing but silence in the cabin, and a breeze whistling through the open window. Which, the longer Rainbow heard it, the stranger it seemed. Fluttershy’s cabin was busy. But she couldn’t see any of them now.
Finally, from down the hall, Rainbow heard a single tiny voice. “I can’t help you right now.” Fluttershy, coming from inside her bedroom. Her voice was unusually faint, but still familiar. “Ask Zecora.”
“I mean maybe I would…” Rainbow began creeping forward, eyes alert for any of Fluttershy’s animals that got too aggressive enforcing what their master wanted. It wouldn’t be the first time.
She stopped in front of Fluttershy’s bedroom door, which was shut just like the front. She pushed it, but no good. She’d have to twist the knob too.
“Go away,” Fluttershy said again, a little more forcefully this time. Forcefully enough that Rainbow might’ve had pause, if it wasn’t for her following up a few seconds later. “I’m sorry if I sound a little cross with you right now, but I really don’t have the time to be helping anypony. Just trust me that I would love to if I could, and visit somepony else for help. Zecora maybe, or Twilight.”
Something rumbled on the other side, massive claws scraping at the wood. Rainbow backed away instinctively, feeling the house depress a little, and knowing what must be on the other side to make it do that. She tucked her tail in, big as it was, and waited.
A second later, and Fluttershy’s bear emerged from the other side of the room, swiftly shutting the door behind him. Rainbow tried to peak around him to whatever was going on beyond—the bedroom had been destroyed, with sheets and blankets and pillows everywhere. But she didn’t see Fluttershy. Where was her friend hiding?
“Go away,” the bear growled—though he actually sounded less angry about it than Fluttershy herself had when she said the same thing.
“Hey, I can understand you!” Rainbow found her fear fading fast—even though the bear towered over her, with claws as long as her muzzle, you didn’t think of someone who you could talk to as likely to rip off your face. Being able to understand the bear probably meant some other things too, but Rainbow wasn’t really the sort of pony to think them through. Let Twilight worry about that.
“Fluttershy! Fluttershy, I’m a weird blue wolf thing and I can understand your friend now and maybe you should just come out and talk to me?”
Silence. Even the bear waited for her response, seeming completely unfazed by Rainbow’s appearance. He barely even looked at her, in fact.
But then a voice did answer from inside the bedroom. “Come in.”
“Finally.”
Despite everything, Rainbow waited until the bear got out of the way. He seemed intent on watching her with every step, though she couldn’t quite guess at his emotions. She never showed her back to the animal, keeping low and submissive to the ground at all times—ready to run if she had to.
But she didn’t have to, as soon enough he had opened the door and moved out of her way. Rainbow hurried in, but whatever she might’ve said turned into a garbled mess at what she saw there.
Fluttershy wasn’t in bed, she was curled up on the floor beside it. The reason she hadn’t left her bedroom was a familiar one: her friend no longer looked like a pony.
Like Rainbow Dash herself, the physical resemblances to the way she was supposed to look were obvious. She was still a similar creamy yellow, though her paws were brown. Her ears and tail were the strangest however, melting into something like leaves near their tips.
She was instantly struck with a sense of familiarity—Fluttershy hadn’t just gone through the same process, but ended up something that looked almost the same as she did. Except that she was a leafy wolf thing instead of a blue river wolf thing.
“The real question is, when does Discord pop out to laugh and take pictures?”
“I… don’t think it was him,” Fluttershy answered, shaking herself out and rising slowly from her pile of blankets and pillows. She made her way over, sniffing at Rainbow. “Discord would never pull a practical joke on me without a warning first, he knows I don’t like it. Something else did this.”
“Whatever it was, we can figure it out together.”
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Rainbow: water
Fluttershy: wood
Twilight: cat
...wait
Colors certainly make for a decent enough matching system, and one that helps them recognize each other. So far, there are even fairly strong reasons to pick them. I might have gone with Jolteon for Rainbow otherwise what with the bombastic personality and the speed thing. Water does provide a very nice way for Rainbow to survive the fall though.
Hmm, if which eeveelution is based solely on color, then pinkie would have to be a sylveon, AJ a flareon (possibly shiny), and Rarity's probably a glaceon (possibly shiny).
10092671
if AJ was a flareon then sweet apple acres would e up in flames, point being I want to see this happen in this story for no other reason than just the lolz.
10092671
And if you dig more and match up their personalities, the color matching still fits, Espeon is a friendship evolution, and well psychic/magic seems sort of obvious as well, Leafeon is grass/nature, Glaceon is ice, and ice is both a crystal and beautiful in its own way, Sylveon is a fairy, and thus a little odd, but is also friendship based.
So far, seems only the Mane 6 were affected by this transformation. Somepony should check the state of the Tree/Elements.
10092689
Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was going to be based on color or personality alone, but it sounds like you're right— it seems to be both. And while I like your idea for Rarity as Glaceon, if the cover is anything to go by, Glaceon won't be among them...
10092689
Sylveon is affection-based rather than friendship-based.
10092759
Good point. Looking it over, there is a Jolteon there, so I would have thought Rainbow as that and Rarity as Vaporeon, but it seems the other way around. I'm not sure I can see Rarity as Jolteon, or Flareon either if things go that way, but I'm also not completely familiar with either of them.
10092793
Ah, thank you for the distinction, I was not aware the mechanics were really separate.
So Rainbow drew the Vaporeon, mildly surprising, but I suppose that was the only way she'd be surviving that fall.
We need a picture of Rainbow being a cute Vaporeon with rainbow fins. The cute demands it!!
She's not going to be happy once she actually realizes she can't fly. Sure, she kinda noticed it, but she doesn't actually Know it yet. It's going to hurt
Yup, as the description said, it's not just Twilight. Also, Equestrian animals apparently speak the same language as Pokémon. Make of that what you will.
10092696
The Apricorns of Harmony? There are just enough of them for a full team.
Generosity Ball: Works better when the Pokémon has a held item.
Honesty Ball: Works better against Pokémon with boosted stats.
Kindness Ball: Stronger Heal Ball.
Laughter Ball: Works better against confused Pokémon.
Loyalty Ball: Stronger Luxury Ball.
Magic Ball: Works best when you have a party of exactly five Pokémon.
So much of fiction forgets this. My favorite example is I Wanna Be The Guy, which at one point has you fall far enough to start burning up as if from re-entry, and you only survive if you land in the pool of water that's about the same height as your character. Granted, given that the game doesn't otherwise have falling damage it's more likely that it's the fire that kills you and water makes a bit more sense for stopping that, but still.
10092793
10092807
As of Sword and Shield, they've been unified. Additionally, most location-based evolutions have been replaced with stone-based ones only for them to introduce Runerigus. Because consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds (and I'm probably giving Game Freak too much credit with that one, but eh)
10092826
Much like a penguin, she can still fly underwater.
10092916
Fascinating. I stopped playing S&S around the 7th gym because it just wasn't holding my interest, so I never got to the point of filling out the Dex.
10092926
Well, read that evolution method. It's the most ludicrous thing since Malamar requiring you to do something that nobody else realized the 3DS would be able to detect, or at least I've never heard of another game that uses it. (For the record, holding your system upside down while leveling up, which is detected by the same thing that causes the game image to spin rapidly in the literal second or less that you're actually in the main menu)
I'm predicting Applejack will be a flareon (really bad for apples), Pinkie will be a sylveon, and Rarity will be a glaceon. Wonder if the CMC will turn to classic Eevee themselves. Can't exactly leave that one out.
10092814
Whatever caused it seems to be going with appearance/color based choices.
Twilight = Espeon
Rainbow = Vaporeon
Fluttershy = Leafeon
so I'm gonna guess:
Pinkie = Sylveon
Rarity = Glaceon
Applejack = Flareon (possibly even shiny!)
edit: okay I see some folks pointing to the cover now that the comment section refreshed. I'm like, nooo...don't be like that. Rarity shooting pin needles will be impossible to deal with!
10092993
Considering and over-analyzing Zutcha's artwork for the story it looks like Pinkie and Rarity will be jolteon and sylveon. Don't know which will be which but I'm leaning towards Pinkie being the jolteon.
10092995
I honestly can't see Applejack being anything other than shiny now.
Hmm. Rainbow and Fluttershy don't seem to have undergone any real mental changes -- or at least none as significant as Twilight's. Interesting.
LEAFEON!!!!
(cough)
sorry, Leafeon is just my favorite eeveelotion you see...
cool story.
The moment Dash woke up different I knew she'd be a Vaporeon. Leafeon for Fluttershy works well enough.
I'm voting for straight normal Eevee for Applejack, largely because it would be funny.
10093369
Nah, doesn't sound fitting... Flareon perhaps? Kind of hard to manage crops when a large portion of your fur is literally fire, yet still gels with her personality enough.
10092916
Ah, thanks, I watched S&S on YouTube, I didn't play it, so didn't catch that.
looking forward to more! I absofreakinglutely LOVE Eevee and their Eevolutions!
10093548
Here I was thinking Applejack would be Leafeon, due to her working with plants. But nope; she's something else.
10093845
Because plants need water, while Fluttershy wants to be a tree.
I am completely lost on the Pokémon side of this but still enjoying it.
So Twilight is not alone we see.
10092916
It's more like the benefits of Affection were ported over to Friendship. And the change happened with Let's Go Eevee/Pikachu, not Sword & Shield.
The only significant change to the Friendship system in SwSh was that you can't increase Friendship beyond 160 unless you're in camp (and friendship evolutions require 220).
10093147
I beg to differ. Rainbow wants to go back to the water.
I think it’s more a case that they’re being invaded by new instincts. For Twilight it was bad because all she has to do is wait. What is a feline-like creature going to do while waiting? It’s going to explore, play, nap and eat.
On the other end, Fluttershy is scared and worried. What is she going to do? Flight or fight, she’s going to curl up and stay put.
Rainbow Dash being the Vaporeon, she wants to go back to the water, but she can’t stay put, so yeah.
It could also be affected by the type of Pokémon, how they typically act.
10094190
I strongly disagree. Rainbow does want to get back to the water, yes, but that seems like nothing more than a reaction to physical discomfort -- if you're out in the snow, it's no mental compulsion to want to get somewhere warm. It's just the logical reaction to being in a potentially harmful environment.
In fact, compare how Fluttershy and Rainbow react to their own desires with how Twilight does the same. Rainbow wants to hydrate, Fluttershy wants to soak up some sun and both seem to feel the urge to chase small animals, but both of them are clearly able to put those urges aside in order to concentrate on other things -- again, think of being out in the cold and torn between two desires, the instinctive urge to warm up and a more mental desire to perform another task. People are generally able to ignore or override the instinctive urge to focus on what they consider important on an intellectual level (getting something that's outside, say, or moving between two buildings), only caving in to the urge when the cold becomes too intense or harmful to safely ignore; more generally, this is the same thought process that makes people get out of bed or off the couch to got to school or work or the like.
This is the same thing that Rainbow's doing here -- she has a new physical urge that becomes stronger or weaker in different contexts, but she's able to focus past it if she needs to. Fluttershy is likewise able to ignore her new instincts if she has things she would rather do more, like avoiding notice.
Twilight does not show this level of self-control. She hasn't really demonstrated any real ability to hold back her whims and urges or prioritize tasks above them. Consider, for instance, how she spends most of the first two chapters with a clear task in mind -- find Spike or Starlight and get them to fix things -- but shows no ability or interest in actually getting that to work. She communicates her problem to Spike, and then immediately wanders off and loses him. She manages to get Starlight to understand what Twilight wants her to do, and then the very moment the latter leaves she sneaks out and wanders off, casually sabotaging the very thing she spent two chapters trying to do. All three characters have new urges they have to deal with -- explore, hydrate, sunbathe -- but Fluttershy and Rainbow can prioritize things over them a lot better than Twilight can. Rainbow didn't abandon her trip to find Fluttershy the moment her skin started getting dry.
Of course you do. The answer is 100% for surviving it and without a scratch at that.
Considering Ponies (even the younger ones) regularly survive shit much worse than a fall (regardless of height).
2:20 for a very blatant example.
But sure, a fucking fall is going to be anything more than a minor nuisance to a Pony who crashed into a rock cliff hard enough to bring it down and didn't have a scratch on her until it hit her wings (which are a weak point for Pegasi). She wasn't even flying full speed when she did this.
People really overestimate how deadly a fall is when it comes to superhuman characters like Pokemon and Ponies.
Sorry for the rant but that was so insultingly stupid that it took me right out of the story and I had to get all that off my chest. On to the fourth chapter.
10094643
You all have forgotten one thing "Cartoon Physics!!!"
10096010
"Cartoon Physics"
WHAT! You mean people in real life can't run into a cliff hard enough to cause it to collapse (while not even going at full speed or using all her strength)?
Well why stop there? Why not bring up the fact Pegasus wings are way too small to be able to carry creatures that size? Or how about the fact Ponies aren't pastel coloured, nor can they speak, or perform magic in real life?
You see why that isn't an argument? This would be like trying to discredit the feats of manga or anime characters like Goku or Omegamon because it's just "manga physics" or "anime physics". Yeah pointing out that it's not realistic doesn't change what they're capable of.
Fact remains Rainbow and indeed any Pony worth mentioning consistently survive shit way worse than a fall with nary a scratch to show for it. So the story's assertion that Rainbow (one of the strongest and most durable non-aliorns in the series aside from Fluttershy or the Pillars) was in any danger from a fucking fall, is retarded no matter how you try and spin it.
10096167 Please stop being rude.
10096167
... You so realize that pokemon can die... right? At least, from falls into water. It would make flying types useless against water types elsewise.
I think you're just sorta over reacting to this anyways.
10106177
We are talking a water type falling in the water though, it’s a bit obvious RD is a vaporeon
10106290
The best of the Eeveeloutions
10168963
Besides Glaceon.
10092668
10092814
I don't think the fall really needed a justification. Ponies and Pokémon have survived far worse in canon, especially where water is involved. If Rainbow had become a Jolteon, simply landing on her paws uninjured would've been just as, if not more believable for me, personally.
10106177
What? I'll certainly give you that Follower of Chaos overreacted, but your logic is non-existent. When the hay have Pokémon ever died from falling into water? Even assuming that somehow happened, what in the apples could that have to do with Flying-Types vs Water-Types? Flying-Types fly and wield the wind!