24. Happiest Day
Machines beeped anxiously, hooves shuffled around, and shouting came from everywhere. Canterlot’s General Hospital was thrown into disarray. The staff was running everywhere in a hurry. Two patients in critical condition were brought this night, forcing the majority of the doctors to abandon the other patients in favor of saving these injured ponies.
During all this chaos, Twilight watched on, having nothing else to do but wait. Her back was covered in blood, their blood. Her eyes were still wide open, her breathing ragged and uneven. Her body ached, the burden of carrying two fully grown ponies finally catching up to her. The lavender alicorn sought out a seat and laid down, waiting for the pain to go away. Her tired wings resting closely to her now cold body.
The frozen rain made her shiver even inside the warm hospital. No matter how bad she’s feeling, she has to stay to see if they made it. She brought them here, and as a princess, it is her duty to make sure they live.
Under the rising sun, Twilight waited anxiously for the doctors to finish their surgeries, her hooves shaking despite her best attempts to appear calm.
The entrance to the hospital opened. A pegasus mare wearing an umbrella hat entered. She had a light blue coat, sparkly dark blue hair and lots of freckles on her face. Her tired violet eyes darted around the hospital, eventually noticing the resting alicorn.
“Are you an alicorn?” She asked curiously. “J’en ai rarement vu d’aussi petit.”
Mildly surprised, Twilight lifted her wet head. “Uh, yeah. I am one.”
The pegasus hit a button on her hat, folding the umbrella. “I didn’t know there would be another alicorn.”
The princess of friendship smiled sheepishly. “So did I. Princess Celestia made me one a few months back. I’m still getting used to it all.”
“Ah, and here I thought we’d stop at three.” Gazing over Twilight’s back, the mare raised an eyebrow. “May I know what happened to you? You don’t look so good.”
The lavender alicorn chuckled weakly. “It’s not me you should be worried about; I’m just having a little cold. You should be worried about these two ponies I brought in. I fear they might not make it...”
“Aw, nonsense. These doctors are the best in all of Equestria. There’s nothing they can’t do.” The mare responded.
“Heh, if you say so. I haven’t really been much in this hospital when I lived in Canterlot.” Twilight said, looking around the waiting room.
“So, you’re the prudent type, ay?” The pegasus asked. “I’ve certainly met quite a lot of ponies like you, and even then, they still get themselves in a lot of trouble.”
Twilight smiled weakly. “Doesn’t sound like they’re prudent at all.”
“Maybe they just lack introspection. That’s what I like to believe.” The mare took a seat next to the alicorn. “Anyway, I came here to visit a friend, but seeing as every doctor here is busy, I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer.”
“I hope he’s doing well, same goes for the other patients. Mister Looking Glass and Blossomforth are in bad shape, but that doesn’t mean everypony else should be ignored. Can’t they have like one doctor at least to keep an eye out for them?”
The mare had a slight reaction upon hearing the name of the detective, a reaction that went unnoticed for Twilight. “I’ll admit, it’s a risky move.” she said, her mind now going someplace else.
“If that doesn’t bother you,” Twilight said gingerly. “Can I know your name?”
The mare smirked. “Lady Dreamcatcher. Pleasure speaking with a refined pony like you.”
11 days left before the storm
“Mommy, where are we going?” The little filly asked.
Wandering around Ponyville, closely following her mother, Olive wondered why the earth pony was so thrilled to take her outside. The answer Applejack gave her was simply “Goin’ out shoppin’ with ya.” but the unicorn was no fool. A gut feeling told her something was up. As such, Olive remained quiet during the whole trip, trying to guess what they were going.
They passed by the Golden Oak Library, so thankfully they weren’t going there. They passed by a circular building in the form of a carousel. What an extravagant boutique! Next, they passed by the tallest building in all of Ponyville, the town hall.
The only building she knew they haven’t passed by yet was,
“Hey, looks like we arrived, sugar cube!”
Sugar Cube Corner. Olive blinked, wondering what business they had there. The two of them already reconciliated with Pinkie Pie before, so what gives?
“Now, let me tell ya; this a day yer gonna remember for sure!” Applejack exclaimed enthusiastically. The joyful tone in her voice sparked some excitement in the filly’s heart.
“What’s going to happen? What are we doing here?” Olive asked, her hooves happily stomping the ground.
The orange mare giggled. “Well, why not enter and find out?”
Curious, Olive trotted over to the door, looking back at her foster mother. She nodded, insisting that she went in first. Entering, she heard the signature bells of the shop ringing. The sound was then drowned out by a more powerful one.
Confettis popped everywhere, there were balloons littered around the whole store and last but not least, a small group of ponies wearing party hats welcomed her. Among them were some familiar faces, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and lastly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
“Happy welcome to Ponyville party!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, jumping next to her. “I know this is a little late, but you know what they say; better late than never! We’re all super excited to finally see you!”
Olive’s mouth opened and she froze, her eyes locked on the partygoers. A strange sensation swelled in her soul, a pleasant one. It’s a party, the first one she ever attended and it’s all about her. It’s the first time many ponies gathered just to see her. The first time ponies ever gave her attention, the first time she ever received that much love.
Pinkie waited for a reaction, but since it wouldn’t come, she continued on with her usual shtick. “So, how do you like it? Is it super duper fun?”
Olive didn’t say a word. Instead, her eyes did the talking as they began to shake, then they watered. Her lips slowly formed a smile as tears streamed down her face.
“Aw, Ah think she loves it!” Applejack said, holding her daughter in her loving embrace. The other ponies cracked before the infectious joy of the filly.
“Gosh, I’m just so happy we got to make you feel this good.” a soft voice spoke out, fluttering towards Olive.
The little unicorn immediately recognised her, the kind pony she’s been desperate to see again. She immediately jumped onto her, hugging her leg. Fluttershy was surprised by this clinginess, almost tripping over her tail as she pulled back. “Oh my.”
“Ah sweet! She already loves you, Flutters!” Rainbow Dash commented. “That must be so awesome to have a pony be this happy just to see you!” In the back, Scootaloo groaned and facehoofed herself.
Fluttershy smiled back at her pegasus friend. “I-I think I’m already familiar with this feeling.” She pointed at the three other fillies, the Cutie Mark Crusaders who were enjoying the snacks on display.
“I’m not sure what’s your mane style, but I must admit it does have its charm.” The white unicorn told Olive. The filly blinked, this is the first time she’s seen this pony. A beautiful unicorn with an extravagant indigo mane and with marvelous eyelashes to boot. It was clear this pony had a knack for fashion considering she was the one who put the most care in her appearance.
Olive rubbed her mane; she didn’t understand what the mare meant by “mane style” considering nopony ever styled it. “It just kind of grew like that.”
Rarity giggled. “Oh darling, I’m certain Applejack must have refined it at the very least.”
Applejack let out a sheepish smile. “Uh, maybe not, Rarity. Ah kinda just brushed it until it didn’t look messy. The swirls just sorta appeared like tha’.”
Sweetie Belle was the first of the crusaders to rush in. “So, your swirls are natural?! That’s awesome!” She caressed her lovely mane. “I always love swirls, so that’s why I have my sister style my mane like that.”
Olive kept a blank expression as she looked at Rarity, learning of the connection between the two white ponies. They're sisters... Apple Bloom is Applejack’s sister. Sweetie Belle is Rarity’s sister. Then that must mean Scootaloo is Rainbow Dash’s sister!
The little unicorn looked at Rainbow Dash. “Is Scootaloo your sister?”
“Nope, but she’s my number one fan!” Dash flew next to Scootaloo, placing a hoof over her shoulder. “And what’s a hero without her number one fan? Amirite, kid?”
Despite feeling a bit of disappointment, the orange filly smiled back. “Always here to cheer you on!”
So, they’re friends... Gears turned in Olive’s head, trying to piece all, well, pieces together. What puzzle she was trying to solve remained a mystery, but it was sure to be a good one. She has now met all of Applejack’s closest friends, and judging by how friendly they were to her, she could call them her friends too. It still felt really weird to her to be loved this much. Not once has she ever experienced how it feels like to be popular.
She was still surrounded by adults, but they were much kinder than the ones she grew up with. Interacting with other foals would be a different story. School still hasn’t left her mind, she’s heard of it, but never went to one before. And if there’s anything that Olive fears most, it’s change, trying out new things, leaving her comfort zone.
For now, she should just enjoy the party.
Then, from the corner of her eyes, the filly spotted another guest, a baby dragon. The same one she saw yesterday when she went to the Golden Oak.
“Oh c’mon! I missed the start of the party!” Spike bitterly exclaimed. “I thought I still had time!”
Rarity motioned at the dragon to come closer to the group. “Oh, Spike. You didn’t miss out on much. The party’s barely even started.”
Spike seemed less bitter now. As for Olive, she was extremely curious. Yesterday, she didn’t get to interact much with the baby dragon, but now, she had all the time in the world.
Olive approached him, and closely examined the scaly guest. Her head had unconsciously tilted to the side as she leaned closer to him.
“Uh, you want something?” Spike asked, getting uncomfortable with the eyeballing.
“You’re a baby dragon.” She responded, not really answering his question.
“Yeah, I know. You’ve never seen one before?” Of course she never did! I’m the only dragon living amongst ponies!
Olive shook her head. “I never saw one before. I only saw ponies, diamond dogs and griffons.”
“That’s... even more unusual than meeting a single baby dragon.”
“It is?”
The store’s bell rang, catching everypony’s attention. They were all surprised to see Twilight Sparkle arriving late to the party. There were bags under her eyes and her whole body showed a clear lack of rest. “Hey, girls. Sorry I’m late...” she muttered, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Twilight! Where have you been?” Rarity asked. “You promised you’d be here on time!”
The sleepy alicorn yawned. “I was in Canterlot on account of an emergency. I’ll tell you about it later.” As she trotted towards her friend, she stumbled and fell on her, clutching the unicorn’s body to stop her fall.
Rarity cringed. “Don’t tell me you’ve been up all night too!?”
“Yep. B-But at least I’m here now for th...” The lavender alicorn couldn’t finish her sentence in time. Her fatigue quickly caught up, and she fell asleep on her friend’s back.
“Uh... Applejack? Rainbow? Could you please, take Twilight back to the library?”
“Ugh, is it me or did Twilight gain some weight?” Rainbow groaned.
“Hey now, let’s refrain from judging other pony’s weight.”
Forced to carry their sleeping friend across town, Rainbow Dash was understandably bummed out to miss out a bit on the party, especially since it’s a Pinkie Pie party aka the best ones. Trotting around Ponyville with a sleeping alicorn on their backs earned them some odd looks from passerby which was to be expected.
It practically looked like they were carrying their drunk friend back home, which also was true to some extent, only it was a sleep deprived pony and not a drunkard.
“I’m betting it’s the wings, and the longer horn... and neck. Have you ever realised that Twilight’s neck got longer when she got her wings?” The light blue pegasus affirmed.
Applejack raised an eyebrow. “Wha-huh? Nah, Ah’m sure yer just seein’ things.”
“Well, go on and take a good look at her. You’ll see I’m right.” Rainbow Dash insisted.
Applejack tried to look over her shoulder but couldn’t get a clear view of the sleeping mare. “How can Ah? She’s on our back. Are ya suggestin’ we just drop ‘er on the ground and have a look.”
Rainbow cringed. “Come on, I’m not saying we should just drop her! We could just... care-fu-lly place her down, you know?”
The earth pony stopped, and so did the pegasus. Applejack briefly glanced over her shoulder, contemplating Rainbow’s proposal. “Eh, whatever. Let’s go for it.” The two ponies gingerly placed the sleeping Twilight on the ground and oh, would you look at that; she was snoring.
Some passerby stared at them in utter confusion with looks that just screamed What the hay are you two doing?
Rainbow Dash carefully observed the alicorn’s neck, placing her hooves on her own neck to then compare it to Twilight’s. The results were undeniable at that point. “See? Longer neck, told you so.”
Applejack couldn’t believe it. “What? So that’s why Ah always got that odd feelin’ that Twilight was taller than me. Consarnit!”
The light blue pegasus smirked. “I win. You owe me a bit.”
“Nah, Ah don’t. Ya never betted anythin’.”
“Darn...”
While the older mares were gathered around chatting, the Cutie Mark Crusaders reunited with their newest member. It’s been a few days since Olive saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, her new friends to which she’s slowly getting accustomed to.
Spending times with other ponies was exhausting for her, so she had to inevitably distance herself to get her energy back. The filly doesn’t know why it worked, but it didn’t matter to her.
“Nice seeing you again, Olive.” Scootaloo greeted. “We were wondering when you’ll be joining us in acquiring our Cutie Marks!”
Olive scratched her head. “I have no idea. Applejack decides everything. You should ask her instead.”
“That reminds me of my sister Rarity.” Sweetie Belle added. “She’s often bossing me around since she has nopony else to help with her task at the boutique. It’s really bothersome. You must be feeling the same way too, right?”
Olive blinked “Uh, not really. I’m fine with this.”
“You’re fine with being bossed around?” Scootaloo asked, sounding almost outraged on the unicorn’s part.
“Yeah, I like it when ponies tell me what to do.” Olive responded with a smile. “Making decisions is scary.”
Apple Bloom smiled sheepishly, forming a circle with her two friends. “Applejack said Olive needed a lot of help, and Ah’m startin’ ta see why. Girls, as Cutie Mark Crusaders, it is our job to help out our fellow members with their struggles.”
“And friends.” Sweetie Belle added.
“Yeah, it ain’t exclusive to just our members.” A metaphorical light bulb appeared over Apple Bloom’s head. She gasped, “We should try ta get our Cutie Mark by helpin’ other ponies overcome their issues!”
“That’s the best idea you’ve ever had!” Scootaloo complimented excitedly. “That’ll totally be a cool Cutie Mark too!”
“Yeah!” Sweetie Belle thought more about it. “How will a Cutie Mark about helping ponies overcome their problems look like?”
“I dunno. I guess we’ll just find out... if we even succeed.” Scootaloo responded bitterly.
“Snap out of it, Scootaloo! Pessimissi... Pessimistism.... The opposite of positivity is not the way of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Appleblooom scolded. “Even if our best is not enough; we’ll keep on tryin’!”
Scootaloo gave her a thankful smile. “Yeah, no matter what; we’ll never give up!”
Sweetie Belle kept an undecipherable expression. “... The word you were looking for is pessimism.”
“Hm.”
A fourth head poked through their inner circle. “Am I invited in your circle?”
“CMC! Break formation.” Apple Bloom commanded. The three fillies stepped back, breaking the circle.
“Am I intruding?” Olive questioned, looking rather lost.
“Not at all! You’re welcomed to join us at any time!” Sweetie Belle quickly said. “You did go through the initiation to become a full-fledged member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“If I knew you would be here, I would have brought my cool cape.” Olive said.
“That’s okay, we don’t have our capes either.” Apple Bloom reassured. “See it as a, uh, covert mission. We’re blendin’ in with other ponies!”
The shop’s bells rang once more, catching the attention of every partygoers. A brown earth pony entered, followed closely by a small pink filly. It was Filthy Rich and his daugther Diamond Tiara!
“And now, we hide!” Scootaloo announced, sliding underneath one of the tables. Sweetie Belle ducked next to the counter where the two newcomers couldn’t see her and lastly, Apple Bloom hid behind a vase. Olive didn’t understand why they had to hide, so she remained still and stared at the earth ponies.
“Oh! Mister Filthy Rich!” Miss Cake quickly dashed behind the counter to greet him. “I assume you’re coming for the cake?”
Filthy Rich gave her a stern smile. “Indeed. Is it ready?”
Miss Cake ducked and picked the cake from underneath the counter. “Oh yes! Your birthday cake is ready! Do you need a box?”
He nodded. “My, my, these are some pretty patterns. I must commend the Cake’s craft as always.”
Diamond Tiara looked terribly bored, she probably wanted to stay at home rather than to follow her father on his errands. As she desperately looked around Sugar Cube Corner for the slightest bit of entertainment, her eyes landed on a pink filly she’s never seen before. As the boss of all foals here in Ponyville’s Schoolhouse, she couldn’t ignore her.
Olive blinked and observed the earth pony trotting to her with a smug expression. “Hey there. Whatcha doing here? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
“You didn’t. I only arrived in Ponyville last week.” The little unicorn bluntly responded, somewhat catching Diamond Tiara off guard.
She scoffed. “Huh, so you’re the blunt type.”
“I’m blunt?”
Diamond Tiara raised an eyebrow. “Uh, yeah. I just told you so. What, are you deaf or something?”
Behind the counter, Sweetie Belle clenched her teeth as she listened to the confrontation. Oh no, what do we do? We can’t let Diamond Tiara bully Olive for her blank flank! Uh... Her eyes rested on the table Scootaloo was hiding under. Got any idea Scootaloo?
“I’m not deaf. I can hear you; I just didn’t think I was blunt.” Olive answered honestly, getting the tiara-wearing filly to groan.
Scootaloo poked her head out of the table’s sheet, her eyes slightly widening. Oh no, we’re not gonna let you bully our newest friend like that! Right, Apple Bloom?
“You’re not deaf, I’ll give you that.” Diamond Tiara grunted. “But what you are, blank flank, is stupidly obnoxious. How dare you question my words? You should know that I, as the daughter of Filthy Rich, am always right.” she said, poking at the unicorn’s flank mockingly.
Olive scratched her flank where Diamond had touch it. “... your dad is filthy?”
From behind her vase, Apple Bloom went pale. Oh no! She didn’t just insult her dad! That’s like, ta worst thin’ to say to ‘er! It’s written clear as day in the Diamond Tiara survival guide!
Diamond Tiara’s jaw dropped. “Did you just call my dad filthy?” Her face slowly turned red with anger, her eyes winced, and she gritted her teeth. But just before she could unleash her wrath upon the unsuspecting unicorn, three other fillies jumped out from their hiding spot.
"... Is he?"
“Wait, wait!” Apple Bloom shouted, quickly placing herself in front of Olive. “She didn’t mean to insult yer dad!”
“Trust us, i-it was just a slip of the tongue.” Sweetie Belle defended.
“She doesn’t have any reason to pick some beef with you.” Scootaloo added.
Diamond Tiara winced, seeming rather unconvinced. “Ugh, whatever, I’m just thankful I’m not stuck in such a lame party. Seriously, why was this even hosted?!”
Olive frowned, looking hurt. She slowly backed away from the pink filly.
Scootaloo’s brows furrowed. “Lame? Is it just because you weren’t invited?”
The pink earth pony scoffed. “Hmpf! It certainly would have been better.”
“Just admit you’re jealous, Diamond Tiara and leave Olive alone!” Apple Bloom demanded.
Diamond Tiara feigned shock by placing a hoof over her chest. “Jealous? Me? Absolutely not! Why would I be jealous of not being invited in a lame party? Your reasoning... makes no sense, blank flank.” She condescendingly poked Apple Bloom on the muzzle before turning to leave. “Anyway, my rich dad is going to throw down a better party for my mom than whatever this is.”
“That’s fine by us. We’re staying together, just us four and it’s more than enough.” Sweetie Belle said, bringing her two friends close to her. Noticing she was missing a certain pink unicorn. “Where’s Olive?”
“Uh, over there by ta window.” Apple Bloom pointed out.
Olive was standing by the store’s window, staring at her transparent reflection. It looked sad just like her. From the window’s reflection, she could see the banners and balloons around Sugar Cube Corner, albeit looking a bit dull.
“Hey, Olive! Are you alright?” Scootaloo asked gingerly. “You don’t seem happy.”
“Is my party lame?” She croaked, her eyes starting to swell with emotion.
“It ain’t lame.” Apple Bloom consoled. “Ah’d say it’s great even! Pinkie Pie always thrown down great parties, right girls?” She looked at her friends, insisting that they cheer her on too.
“Sure is! I’m having soooo much fun here!” Sweetie Belle cheerfully said with a smile.
“I got to meet my idol, so I’d say it’s officially 20% cooler.” Scootaloo smirked.
They waited in bathed breath for their friend’s reaction. The little unicorn turned around. Lo and behold, she had a happier expression now. “I knew it! My party’s cool!” She exclaimed, tapping her hooves on the floor repeatedly.
“Olive? Do you mind if I come here for a moment?” The four fillies stared in the direction of the voice. It belonged to Rarity, who ominously came to her with a brush levitating thanks to unicorn magic. “Now, I’m not saying that your mane isn’t good or stylish per say; just that it could use a little... refinement.”
“A brush?” Sweetie Belle asked, confused. “You really brought a brush to a party?”
Rarity giggled. “I always do, darling. If I my mane was to ever get messy during a party, I have to fix it, hence why I always carry the necessities around.”
“The necessities? I can guess...”
The white unicorn kneeled over the pink filly. “Now, you’ll need to stay still while Rarity gives you an awesome new look!”
Olive blinked and remained still. Not even her eyes were blinking, to the point that she looked like a realistic wax statue.
“That’s good, darling.” She began to brush the filly’s mane. Immediately, the problems showed themselves. The brush was pulling on her hair and that hurt.
“Mng!” Olive grunted, hurt by the harshness of the brush. Eventually, the pull of the brush made her tilt her head uncomfortably.
“Please stay still, you’re making it harder than it needs to be.” Rarity pleaded, struggling with the constant movement of the filly’s head. Every direction she brushed; the filly’s head would follow.
“Are you sure yo-” Sweetie Belle tried to ask.
“Hush now; I know what I’m doing.”
‘kay...”
After thirty whole unpleasant seconds for both parties, it was done.
Rarity pulled back, admiring her work. “The messy strands of hair were now fixed for good, the swirls bigger and more pronounced. The filly looked less like a homeless kid and more like a refined pony now. “Once again, Rarity’s done it.” She took out a mirror from her purse. “Here, take a look. I’m certain you’ll like it.”
Olive observed her reflection’s mane. She observed and observed, not really providing any answer to the white unicorn. Not even a clear, readable facial expression. Rarity began to feel nervous. “So, uh, do you like it?” she sheepishly asked.
“It’s fine, I guess.”
“Fine?! Just fine?!” Rarity asked, leaning too close for comfort.
“Well, it’s just a mane. Why is it so important?”
The mare gasped. “Because a mane is an expression of oneself. It’s a reflection of one’s beauty, of one’s personality. Your mane is everything, but not as much as your clothes of course.”
Olive looked to the side, formulating her thoughts into words. “Aren’t my words a better reflection of my personality?”
The Cutie Mark Crusaders giggled and exchanged amused glances.
“Uh, w-well. You’d be right.” Rarity sadly admitted. “But still! Take good care of your mane, it is an important life lesson you shall never forget!”
“Okay.”
The white unicorn sighed. “You’re one of the least expressive ponies I've ever seen, rivaled and beaten only by Maud Pie.”
“I should be expressing something right now?”
“You’ll learn as you get older... hopefully.”
After her brief exchange with the filly, Rarity went back to her friends. Applejack and Rainbow Dash returned from their short trip, joining the small group of five.
“Howdy, Rarity. Ah’m guessin’ ya went to talk to Olive?” The strong earth pony asked.
“Mmh.”
Applejack paused. “Ssooo... what do ya think?”
“Odd, I’ d say. In a way she kind of reminds me of Pinkie’s sister, Maud.”
The pink mare’s eyes nearly jumped out of their orbit. “She’s like Maud?!”
“Yes, darling. A very reserved filly, but I can tell she’s got no mean bone in her body.”
“That Ah can vouch for.” Applejack said. “Ah haven’t heard ‘er say a single bad thing about anypony really. It’s kind of a miracle considerin’ where she came from.”
Her friends cringed. The elephant in the room that was the filly’s past still lingered. None of the mares could stop thinking about it when they talked to Olive. It was an uncomfortable feeling to imagine what happened to her before arriving in Ponyville, be it by luck or by fate.
“Um, I guess she must have had a really nice pony looking after her.” Fluttershy theorised. “Foals are influenceable. They always look up to somepony as a role model.”
“Mmh.” Applejack thought once more about Aurora and what she’s learned of from her last visit to Heedful Care. Fluttershy sounded like she was right on the money. The filly turned out nice thanks to the kindness of a pony going through a similar nightmare scenario. In a way, it was inspiring just how much friendship can help you go through the worst things. Olive was much stronger than she believed herself to be, that Applejack was sure of.
“Ya should talk to ‘er, Fluttershy. Olive seemed really thrilled to see you ‘ere.”
Fluttershy jerked back. “Oh, well, um.”
“Come on; don’t be shy! Ah’m sure ya two will get along!”
The yellow pegasus looked at the four fillies in the corner of the store playing with the balloons. They were trying to keep them in the air so that they would not touch the ground, a common game amongst foals when they get their hooves on balloons.
Not knowing what to expect from her first real chat with Olive, Fluttershy took slow steps towards the playing fillies. Okay, I should start by introducing myself, then... Um, I-I don’t really know what to say afterward.
Olive stared at the balloon slowly descending to the ground. Determined to hit it back as hard as possible, she crouched, waggling her tail around before leaping high. A slight miscalculation caused her horn to be the first thing that struck the balloon. It popped, loudly.
“Eek!” Startled, Fluttershy ducked underneath a table. The small unicorn looked at her, mildly confused before realising her balloon was gone, reduced to a small patch stuck to her horn.
“Aw, I broke it.”
“Looks like you lose!” Scootaloo exclaimed. “Now it’s down to us three.”
“That’s not fair!” Sweetie Belle shouted. “You two have no horns, so it’s easy for you to not accidentally break your balloon. I demand we unicorns get a second chance to make it even!”
“Yer just sayin’ that so you can get a cheap win. Ah’d say yer the one not bein’ fair.” Apple Bloom attacked.
Meanwhile, Olive was struggling to remove the remains of the balloon from her horn. If she had claws like a dragon, that’d be foals play. “Spike, help me.” She begged in a neutral tone.
The baby dragon was, however, too busy trying to not lose. “No way, dude, I’ve got my balloon to take care of.”
Realising it was a problem she has to take care of on her own, Olive chose to use the ground to scrape off the balloon. She scratched at it with her horn, to no avail.
Seeing her struggle, Fluttershy finally moved out from her cowering spot to lend a helping hoof. “Here, let me take care of this.” Gently with her mouth, she removed the annoying piece off the filly’s horn.
“Thank you!” Her bright smile sent a wave of joy through the yellow mare. The filly’s happiness and excitement truly were contagious.
“Oh, it was nothing, really.” Fluttershy reached out with her hoof. “I’m Fluttershy. I live in a cottage close to the Everfree Forest. Um, I-I really like to take care of animals.”
Olive stared at the hoof, taking a moment to realise she’s supposed to shake it. “I’m Olive. I live on a farm, and I like to read books.”
Aw, she’s copying my introduction. Fluttershy gushed. It was adorable to see this filly trying her best to seem “normal” not knowing that it only made her appear cuter than she already was.
“You saved my life the day before yesterday. You really are a kind pony!” Olive continued, nuzzling against the mare’s legs.
“Oh, well I-I wouldn’t exaggerate. I only brought you home, it was no big deal.” Fluttershy humbly responded.
“Heh, it sure was a big deal ta me.” Applejack said loudly.
The yellow mare blushed.
“And now she’s turning pink like... Pinkie Pie!” A pink earth pony rolled to them with a large smile on her face. “So, are you having the best time of your life?”
Olive hopped in place excitedly. “Yes! It’s the best party ever!”
Pinkie Pie smirked. “Best party ever? Oh please, this only scratches the surface of fun my party brings. I always outdo myself with every new party!” She picked up the filly in her hooves and raised her high.
Applejack slightly leaned off the counter, preparing herself in case her friend somehow dropped the small unicorn.
“Really? When are you hosting a new party?” Olive asked, her tail waggling uncontrollably.
“Hmm, let’s see. How about tomorrow?!” Pinkie screamed. “We’ll celebrate your welcome to Ponyville after-party!” The pink pony’s hooves shook with excitement, offering a pleasing ride for the filly.
“Hey now, don’t get carried away, Pinkie.” Applejack placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Olive’s gonna go to school tomorrow. We’ll schedule your next party later.”
“Oh? He he, no biggie.” Pinkie Pie placed the filly down. The foal’s expression now changed to a neutral, emotionless one upon hearing the word “school”.
Applejack quickly noticed this change in expression. “Hey, hey. Is somethin’ the matter?”
Olive crossed her legs, looking uncomfortable. “Um... I-I'm feeling nervous.”
“About school?”
The filly nodded.
“Don’t be so distraught, sugar cube. Ya won’t be goin’ alone. Apple Bloom and ‘er friends also go to school, so ya won’t be alone there.”
The knowledge that she’ll be surrounded by her new friends did bring some much-needed comfort for the filly, but it couldn’t remove her anxieties. Change, unfamiliarity... trying out new things was and always is something she fears most. Not knowing how something is going to play out is scary. Being in an unfamiliar place without your mother is also scary. Being surrounded by lots of strangers is perhaps the one thing scarier than the previous two.
The worst day is always the first one. If Olive can get through her first day of school, then the rest should go better. For now, she should stop worrying about the future and enjoy the party. It’s the happiest she’s been, a moment she will cherish forever.
Life’s good in Ponyville.
Somepony came knocking at the door at Sweet Apple Acre as the sun was going down. Applejack quickly went to open the door to be greeted by Heedful Care. The pegasus looked distraught from the looks of it, swinging around in place awkwardly as her eyes struggled to meet Applejack's.
“Howdy, Care. Ya ‘ave some news on ta search party?” Aj said in an upbeat tone masking her own nervousness.
“Exactly, b-but it’s not really good.” Care said bitterly, looking above the orange mare’s shoulder as if she didn’t want anypony to hear what would come out of her mouth. “We did find something we believe belongs to Aurora...”
Applejack gulped; she looked behind her to make sure Olive wasn’t around. “A-And that is?”
“A severed wing... or what’s left of it anyway.”
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You know, this is the first time I've seen someone write a punny joke concerning Filthy Rich's name in a story.
Also, Olive is a treasure who is super lucky to have the CMCs as her friends and Applejack as her mama!
11701027
This little filly sure seems to take things a bit too literally at times!
11701145
I know and that speaks to me on a deep level!
I hope that if Diamond Tiara and Sliver Spoon pick on Olive that Miss Cheerilee will step in and tell them not to pick on Olive and give them detention and I also hope that Olive does not meet Spoiled Rich anytime soon
11701145
I imagine Maud was the same way at that age.
11701182
Starting to realise it? Olive is indeed somewhere on the spectrum. I've actually based her somewhat on how I used to act when I was a kid. It ain't for nothing they often say; write what you know!
11701556
Considering she's very clearly meant to be autistic, I can believe that.
That fight was awesome in the last chapter. But love that we finally get to see Olive have some much deserved fun in her long-awaited Welcome to Ponyville Party!
So glad there’s a new chapter, always makes my day when this story gets updated.
11704636
Thanks for the nice comment!
After that big fight, I figured it'd be nice to focus back on Olive and Ponyville, though I still have lots of plans for Anarchy and Looking Glass who are about to go through some big changes... changes I've had in mind since the beginning of the story.
11704788
Yeah! As much as I love all the focus on the villains, it’s always nice to check up on our filly and the Mane 6.
Of course! Always like to give nice compliments! This story’s awesome!
I hope she takes an position test.