Slice of Velvet and Pear

by David Silver

45 - The Return of Harmony, Part 5

"I... may not understand." Fluttershy sank in front of Rainbow Dash. "But I am listening."

"Really now?" Rainbow raised a doubting brow. "Not sure you want to listen, because you are the problem, Flutters."

Fluttershy recoiled. "Me?! I'm sorry... but what did I do?"

"Of course you have no idea." Rainbow frowned at her oldest friend. "You are so helpless..."

Fluttershy grimaced, but didn't back down. "So, what did I do?"

"Getting to it! So... remember when we got our marks?" She pointed a wing back towards her lightning bolt, muted in color as it was. "I was racing as fast as I could, faster than I'd ever gone before. What were you doing?"

"Um..." She tapped at the fluffy cloud floor. "I was meeting animals, and being... amazed?"

"You were on the ground," spat Rainbow with acid. "And you were happy, really happy, but also scared, really scared." Rainbow stepped towards Fluttershy, that scowl growing with every step. "So you came home. You knew that. You were safe there... But you couldn't forget all you saw. But you were scared! You were scared of the ponies you didn't know. You were scared of the town you didn't know. You were just scared."

Fluttershy hummed, thinking back on those days. "I was pretty scared..."

"So I went with you." Rainbow prodded at Fluttershy. "I came down from the clouds, because I wasn't going to let my friend be scared!"

Fluttershy demurely smiled. "And I am very grateful for that."

"Great!" Rainbow threw up her hooves. "But how am I ever going to get anywhere? I'm so busy being loyal to you that I'm throwing away my real chance to even maybe get into the Wonderbolts, or to protect Cloudsdale, which probabaly fell over already..."

Fluttershy skewed an ear back. "Oh my! I certainly hope not."

"How would you know?" demanded Rainbow. "When's the last time you even bothered to check?"

"Um... When did you last... check?"

Rainbow looked ready to launch new acid, but it fizzled and she crashed to her haunches. "Too long ago!"

Fluttershy reached for her athletic friend, patting her gently. "Want to go check, together?"

"Pfft." Rainbow brushed the hoof free of her. "That high? You're a pegasus that doesn't like flying."

"I'm a pegasus who loves her friend." Fluttershy turned for the door. "So, if you want to fly... let's fly."

Rainbow wriggled her nose. "Really? You know there aren't squirrels, or bears up there, right?"

"But there is one Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy dared a smile. "And she's just as important."

Rainbow crashed into her, thumping side to side with enough force to send the slender pegasus tumbling. "I still gave up years for you!"

Fluttershy rolled upwards. "T-thank you... But that was your choice, Rainbow... and I don't think they were 'wasted'."

"How are they not wasted?"

"You grew, um, as a pony. You made new friends, and you never stopped flying." She rubbed at her cheek. "You joined the weather patrol, and you're really, you know, good at it... That's good practice!"

"Best in town," cockily agreed Rainbow. "They'd be lost without me around to lend a hoof."

"They would be... You are getting, um, better, at being a pegasus." Fluttershy worked her hooves together. "Every day."

"Yeah? But... What if it takes too long?" Rainbow sagged. "What if I never get good in time, and I never become a Wonderbolt, because I took my time?"

Fluttershy suddenly pounced Rainbow, hugging her fiercely. "That will never happen! You're too amazing, and working too hard. I'm so sorry for not helping you more."

Rainbow pushed Fluttershy off, but was smirking instead of scowling. "How would you help? I could lap twice before you got halfway through one."

"If it was to help you... I'd finish that lap. If it was for you, I'd catch up." Fluttershy stood up, wings unfurled. "For you."

Such an outrageous statement! But... said with complete sincerity. "I doubt that..." She leaned in, touching noses with Fluttershy. "But... thanks for trying at least."

The two came in for a shared hug, Rainbow's rainbow returning to her in a bright flash. Fluttershy squeezed her friend tight. "Don't give up on your dream."

"Thanks..." Rainbow took a step back, shaking herself out. "Ugh... what a headache... Where's everypony else hiding?"

The two took flight back to the library, where the others joyfully greeted them.

Applejack nodded at the returned speedster. "Glad to have ya back. All better?"

Rainbow landed among them. "Yeah, ugh." She rubbed at her head. "That Discord did something..."

But they were reunited! Moon pointed back outside. "It's time we face him. We have the elements, and each other. I think we're ready."

Twilight took a firm step forward. "It's time we ended this."

The girls marched out in a wing, with Twilight and Moon taking the lead, Magic and Friendship at the front. Discord saw them coming, not like they were hiding. "Oh, back for round two?" He didn't look frightened about it, smarmily confident. "Or are you giving up?"

Twilight stomped a hoof. "We're doing no such thing!"

"We've solved your riddles." Moon pointed up at her half-tiara. "We're ready to face you."

Discord squinted at that half tiara. It wasn't right. A lot of things weren't quite... right. He couldn't place a finger on what, exactly. If something was wrong with the universe, he should have been the one to cause it!

Unfortunately for him, the girls neither knew nor cared for his existential dilemma. They glowed with the combined power of their unity, Twilight and Moon hovering in the air. "Wait, what?" That wasn't supposed to happen! "No! Stop!" He raised a hand to ward off the magic, but it did little to keep the sudden rainbow barrage away.

Discord was returned to a statue with little fanfare, just his echoing cry of impotence. Twilight and Moon lowered gently to the ground, their heads pressed against one another. For that one moment, their tiara was whole. Alas, they drew apart, breaking that moment of unity. Twilight clapped with a smile. "We did it!"

"You did it." Celestia landed with her chariot, stepping free as soon as it stopped. "Thank you, girls. Equestria is returning to normal, now that Discord is dealt with." She raised a hoof to rest on Discord's statue. "We'll take care of this."

Applejack huffed at the statue. "Gonna take it somewhere an' smash it up real good?"

Celestia pinned her ears at the violent suggestion. "Probably not that... Still, we will be more careful with him this time, this I promise."

Moon nodded at her mentor. "We trust you." She rubbed behind her head. "He made the worst obstacle be... ourselves. I feel foalish taking as long as I did..."

Celestia set a hoof atop her student. "Of all the troubles a pony may face, the one they see in the mirror can be the most intimidating. It may have taken you all a little time, but you faced it, and won. That's no small task."

Pinkie threw an arm over Moon Dancer. "I don't know what I would have done without awesome friends like you."

Moon leaned into the hug. "I required their help just as badly... Twilight!" She slipped free of Pinkie to face Twilight. "I owe you an apology. I was beside myself, um..." She tapped at her chin. "Sorry for being a total foal about a lot of things..."

Twilight shook her head. "Already forgiven. He played some mean tricks on us, but we made it through. Now! I suggest we put this behind us."

Rarity nodded in agreement with that. "Oh, yes, surely darling. I'm so behind in my work..." She turned away. "Do call if anything else comes up though, dears." And off she trotted back to her business.

Rainbow flipped out her wings, but didn't immediately take off, instead looking to Fluttershy. "Flutters!" She looked over at Rainbow. "Wanna fly a little?" Rainbow wriggled her bottom. "C'mon!"

Fluttershy smiled gently. Flying was not her favorite thing to do, but... for Rainbow... She lifted gently into the sky. "After you."

"As if there was another option." She tagged Fluttershy in a quick swat, then darted away.

Moon realized something after those two were gone. "Oh! Princess, you didn't take our elements back." She pointed up at her half tiara. "Should I gather them and get them to you?"

Celestia shook her head gently. "That will not be required. We might have saved a lot of trouble today if I had just trusted you all to hold them in the first place. Bearer of the elements, bear your element." She inclined her head faintly. "Maybe not all the time, but keep it close."

Moon drew her half tiara off to hug it gently. "I will do my best."

"Me too," chimed Twilight, holding hers. "Thank you, Princess."

Applejack buffed at her pendant. "Always did want to show this off just a little... Granny an' mom'll be so proud!"

Author's Note:

And so ends the mega arc. Shoot, I think this is the longest I ever ran a continuous arc like this. I hope y'all enjoyed it! Back to episodic content!

Comments

[TheGJ90]

You took Rainbow's reflection predicament in a very different direction! She was shirking from responsibility while being angry over the (ridiculous) idea of her shirking from her dreams. Very interesting! I'm glad that Flutters was able to talk some sense into her and now we've got another deviation from the OG timeline: Fluttershy is Flutterflying more often!

I found it cool that Discord, of all creatures, could sense that something was amiss with the universe! I wonder if that's going to come up again in the future?

[Booster Spice]

Discords trying to sing along to Same as It ever Was, while the Mane 7 are singing Mnnn Nmmm Mnn Nah?

[Venerable Ro]

Discord accidentally handing out a prime opportunity for emotional development, how about that. Great arc, I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

[redmar]

It's good that Discord was stopped. When it comes to Applejack's suggestion though I doubt that would actually stop Discord especially since a broken staue is more chaotic than an intact one. Of course given that this was all done with magic it might not even be possible to damage the statue at all without extremely powerfull magic.

[redandready45]

"So I went with you." Rainbow prodded at Fluttershy. "I came down from the clouds, because I wasn't going to let my friend be scared!"

AWW!

[Moonlight_Mist]

Celestia shook her head gently. "That will not be required. We might have saved a lot of trouble today if I had just trusted you all to hold them in the first place. Bearer of the elements, bear your element." She inclined her head faintly. "Maybe not all the time, but keep it close."

I wonder how Chrysalis is going to try (and fail) to account for this?

[Gamerboygaming]

This is so much better than the original episodes ngl. Everything fit together very well.