Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

44 - The Return of Harmony, Part 4

The girls gathered at the library. Twilight counted quickly. "That's five of us."

Rarity shook her mane out, brush held in her magic and working out the kinks she had developed during her little episode. "Sorry about that, darlings. I was not myself."

Fluttershy hid behind her mane. "I know the feeling..."

Applejack adjusted her hat with a frown. "Ah thought ah was gettin' through to her. She remembers the Cakes and how they helped, but she's all caught up on how nopony seriously takes her, well, seriously."

Twilight considered with a humm. She may have been a different pony, but organizing the skills and talents of her friends in a mental spreadsheet was still exactly up her alley. "Takes her seriously..." She turned on Moon Dancer. "You."

"M-me?" Moon pointed at herself. "Of course, um. How can I help?" So smooth, nopony noticed her surprise. She could handle it...

Twilight pointed out the door. "When Pinkie was acting her usual strange self, there was exactly one pony that took them seriously, from the start to the end. You listened, and even documented, her 'Pinkie Sense'" She made quotes in the air with her hooves, clearly still having doubts there. "When she needed to assemble that outrageous instrument--"

Rarity perked at that. "Oh, yes, I remember that. You aided Pinkie in getting rid of those voracious little bugs."

Spike fired an emphatic thumbs up. "This is all you, Sis. If anypony could convince her she's being taken seriously, it's you."

Moon danced in place, wanting to argue that. Surely she wasn't that important... But to say that would be disagreeing with a lot of ponies. Then they'd hate her. No. She had to play it cool! "Alright." She stiffly turned for the door. "I'll come back with Pinkie Pie."

Twilight thrust a hoof out. "Or without her! If things don't go well, we'll understand."

Her girlfriend was just... the best. Moon set her shoulders and marched forward. "I will convince her." She had to avoid disappointing Twilight. There were so many other ponies to choose from. Why Twilight bothered settling with Moon was a mystery to her.

She felt something scramble up onto her, though it was a familiar sensation. "Spike?"

Spike rubbed her back and shoulders from above. "Right here! I'm here to help."

She twisted an ear back at him. Was he feeling nervous too? "Alright." He was her little brother, adopted. Maybe... Maybe he got nervous too. She wouldn't deny him a chance to prove his capabilities. "First step, find Pinkie." She emerged from the library and looked around, but there was no Pinkie in immediate sight.

"Applejack said she remembered the Cakes. Think she's around there?"

Moon frowned with thought, but did start there. "She is either there, or not there. She may be avoiding it for the exact reason she may be there." She grunted softly. "I'm not making sense."

"Sure you are," assured Spike. "You're just thinking out loud. I get it."

Moon smiled a little. Spike did seem to 'get' her. "It's worth trying. They may have seen her."

---

Twilight looked to the other ponies remaining. "There's still the matter of Rainbow Dash. Where even is she?"

Applejack waved a hoof in the air. "I saw her flyin' off, just afore Discord made the maze go away."

Rarity patted Fluttershy on the shoulder. "You're the one that's going to have to look for her, darling. She's probably a bit... elevated." She hopped in place, but gravity won that challenge. "And there's only so far we can go in that direction."

"R-right..." She lifted on her wings in a gentle hovering. "Maybe she's just at her house. I'll go check." She took off with a soft flapping out of the library. "Wait here, um, please." She ascended up into the sky and turned slowly. There it was. She flew to Rainbow's house, where there was no immediate sign of the pegasus.

"Rainbow?" she called, a shout, at least for her. "Are you there?"

"I gave it up!" came Rainbow's voice from inside her house, tortured and strained. "The whole thing... And for what?"

Fluttershy landed in front, resting a hoof on the door. "I'm coming in... if that's alright?"

"I could have been there." Fluttershy found Rainbow easily, rocking and hugging herself. "I could have saved the day... But no... I was down here..."

"Rainbow?" Fluttershy nudged the door shut behind herself. "Are you alright?"

"Flutter?" Rainbow sat up, staring at her with a haunted look. "Of course it'd be you..."

"Um, I'm sorry?" She shuffled nervously. "Is this a bad time?"

"It's a terrible time," spat Rainbow, but she sagged rather than lashing out. "You wouldn't get it... Of all the ponies, you wouldn't get it."

Fluttershy slipped closer. "What wouldn't I get? I may not 'get' it, but I'd love to listen... Please, help me understand."

"It's always about you!" Rainbow hissed like a cat, suddenly on all fours, back arced. "That's the problem!"

"Um, was I... Did I do something wrong?"

Rainbow pressed a hoof to her face. "Fluttershy... Dear, sweet, innocent Fluttershy. Of course you didn't. It's not like you even could do something wrong! No... Of course not."

Fluttershy sagged under the angry, if defeated, words. "I feel like I did something wrong..."

---

"Pinkie?" Mister Cake was there. "She swung by, ordered a cupcake, and ran off as quick as she could." He rubbed at his chin. "Seemed upset, but Pinkie's gonna be Pinkie. I tried not to pry too much into it."

Moon considered that. Surely Mister Cake knew better than she would...

"Which way did she go?" Spike was not laboring under the same problems. "We were hoping to talk to her."

Mister Cake pointed down the road. "That way. Good luck!"

"Thanks a bunch." Spike waved animatedly at Mister Cake as Moon started off in a spirited trot that way. "Alright, we have a target."

"Thank you, Spike. You are very clever." Why didn't she think of asking that? Stupid! Good thing Spike had been there to pick up the pieces she had foalishly left on the ground. "Do you want to speak to Pinkie first?" Surely he would be better at it. He was right on target.

"No way." He waved both hands in a strong negation. "You're the one with that connection. She needs to hear from you, not me. I mean, we're friends and all, but it's not the same thing."

Of course. He understood that social connection. She was being silly, again. "Right."

There was Pinkie, seated on a bench, morosely chewing on her cupcake. Moon turned her ears back on Spike. "How should I begin this conversation?" Surely he knew better!

"Say hi? Oh!" He clapped a balled fist against an open palm. "Talk about the experiment you two are working on."

"Ah, yes. Good idea." She should have thought of that, but she had not. It was a good thing she had Spike... Which is exactly what a little brother shouldn't be. She should be supporting him, not the other way around. "You stay here." She lifted him with her magic and set him on his own feet. "I'll take care of this." Like a good sister! Well, at least a less terrible one... "W-watch." Hopefully she would make a good impression. Probably not...

Moon walked up towards Pinkie, trying her best to look as confident as she didn't feel. "Hey." Super chill!

Pinkie looked up with a huff. "Another pony here to laugh at me? Figures."

"Why would I do that?" Moon stepped up onto the bench and sank on it. "I don't laugh very often."

Pinkie considered that. Moon was... not a jovial pony. "Am I the lucky one then?"

"I was thinking about our tests."

"Yeah? Figured out it was a bunch of nonsense?" She kicked at the air to little effect. "Gonna give up on it?"

"I am not." Moon inclined her head. "Your abilities are fantastic and deserving of serious attention. Why would I stop that?"

"S-serious attention?" Pinkie waved Moon away suddenly. "You're just saying that. If I wasn't here, you'd just find something else to care about."

"Maybe." She didn't even fight that possibility. "But you are here, and I would like to explore it with you. I also enjoy your company."

"Me? Seriously?" Pinkie curled both hooves at herself. "We're like, opposites! You never laugh at my jokes even when I do want you to. Which is not right now..."

Moon sagged with fresh defeat. "I'm very bad at that... I'm sorry..."

"W-what?" Pinkie raised a dubious brow at the deflating unicorn. "What are you sorry for?"

"I rarely know how to react... I suck." She sighed gently. "But I do enjoy your presence, and would like to continue studying your intriguing abilities... If you can put up with a loser like me."

"Don't look like that..." Pinkie reached for Moon's lips and curled them upwards in a poor imitation of a smile. "See? That looks better on you."

But the smile was gone as soon as Pinkie stopped holding them up. "I'm telling the truth." She worried her hooves together. "You are a great friend and test subject."

"Only you could say somepony's a good 'test subject' and sound like you're complimenting them." Pinkie smirked at the idea. "You... remind me of my sisters." She prodded at Moon. "All one emotion on the outside, but so many on the inside, just waiting to come out, but so bad at doing it..."

Moon inclined her head. "One day, if you'd like... Perhaps we could meet?"

"That would be..." Color rippled over her form. "That would be great." She grabbed Moon in a hug, color exploding in pink as she mashed Moon tight."Nng, feels like I had my head stuck in a vat of sadfaces... Where's every--" She paused, a necklace clipping onto her. "Oh! The element." She bounced to the ground, the element of laughter bobbing with her motions. "I'm ready! Where's everypony else?"

"Hirray!" Spike came rushing up. "Great job, Moon! Feeling better, Pinkie?"

She released Moon just to grab Spike up in a new hug, giggling. "Way better! I'm not..." She put him down. "Thank you." She turned in place to Moon. "Even if I was feeling... extra down... I still... Thank you for being an ultra awesome friend."

Moon's ears pricked, color teasing at her edges. "You have better... That knew how to smile, and how to laugh at your jokes..."

"None of them are Moon Dancer, and I wouldn't want to replace you for any of them." She reached out and booped Moon gently. "You're the one that takes me seriously, and still thinks my jokes are hilarious, even if you don't laugh." She giggled to herself, bouncing in place. "You should meet Maud! Oh, you two would get along so well! She's just as good at not laughing. She doesn't laugh at anything. But she cares." She thumped herself on the chest. "She cares a lot."

Spike looked back and forth between the two. Were they getting somewhere? It felt like that might be happening. He kept his lips sealed for the time, letting the mares chat.

Moon's ears danced. "How do you know she cares, if she's so poor at demonstrating it?"

"Because I know her." Pinkie hugged herself firmly. "Because I listen. Because she shows me with what she does, and what she says, even if she isn't smiling. Just like you... You like me, right? You rarely even say it."

Moon colored at that. "But I do!" she blurt out. "I enjoy your presence greatly."

"And I knew that already, in here." She tapped at her chest gently. "But hearing it is even better." She leaned in, touching noses with Moon Dancer. "And you just made my day..." The two hugged together, color returning to Moon Dancer in an explosion, banishing the grey funk that had blanketed her. "Let's go find the others so we can teach that meanie a lesson!"

Author's Note:

Just have to fix Rainbow Dash. What's her problem? Boy, this arc has become the longest, hasn't it? I hope folks are happy with it!

Join the special community of folks who like my stories and/or get your own here at atreon!

Don't want to do an ongoing thing? You could

Join my discord to chat!

Comments

[badninja]

Well here comes the hard part getting through to Rainbow Dash. Now I wonder if they will try reaching out to Discord as friends a bit earlier?

[redmar]

I wonder what Rainbow's issue is but given how long they've beenf riends Fluttershy will be able to get through to her.

[Venerable Ro]

Ah, Pinkie knows, that she does, of course she turned right around and got Moondancer back on her hooves. I love that she references her sisters, and Maud specifically, that's a really good parallel.

Lovely chapter, and merry Christmas!

[Booster Spice]

Lets just hope they dont roll a critical fail in the turn Dash attempt and end up having her bog for East.

[Herald of Opera]

A year and a half in and you still haven't gotten around to putting the Alternate Universe tag on a story that so clearly warrants it.

[TheGJ90]

Moony's got her color! Pinkie's got her pink! Here's hoping Flutters can bring out Rainbow Dash's inner-awesomeness!

[Jmunoz13]

I am really enjoying the story being told so far and I can't wait to see what lies in store.

[redandready45]

"Only you could say somepony's a good 'test subject' and sound like you're complimenting them." Pinkie smirked at the idea. "You... remind me of my sisters." She prodded at Moon. "All one emotion on the outside, but so many on the inside, just waiting to come out, but so bad at doing it..."

That's an apt description of the Pie sisters.

[Lord_01010000]

..... it feels like Rainbow's about to confess to Fluttershy

[howard035]

I really love this alternate version of re-cording.

[huntar21]

"And I knew that already, in here." She tapped at her chest gently. "But hearing it is even better." She leaned in, touching noses with Moon Dancer. "And you just made my day..." The two hugged together, color returning to Moon Dancer in an explosion, banishing the grey funk that had blanketed her. "Let's go find the others so we can teach that meanie a lesson!"

Something tells me that this will start a love triangle between pinkie twilight and moondance in the future

[Aiwhisper]

I love how they actually talk things out instead of just using a memory spell. So much more personal.

[David Silver]

11793642
I loved writing these chapters.