A Day for Recovery
Rainbow Dash slowly walked her way through the streets of Ponyville. She had just been released from the hospital, and was on her way to the library. A corner of the Daring Do book she had been reading last night was sticking out of the saddlebags slung over her back. The Cutie Mark Crusaders snuck along the street behind her, trying not to be noticed but unaware that she had spotted them several blocks back. Dash climbed the library steps, knocking hard on the door a few times before pushing it open and entering anyway.
Rarity, who had been on her way to get the door, gave her an exasperated look. “Really Dash, as nice as it is that you occasionally use doors like a normal pony, there are still some manners you need to learn.”
Dash unstrapped the saddlebags from around her chest, tossing them and the book on the table before answering. “This is a library, right? What difference does it make?” This was an old argument between the two mares, and neither paid it much attention. Twilight entered the room, Spike walking alongside her with one claw on her shoulder.
Dash turned to greet them, giving the pair a friendly smile. “Morning Twilight, Spike. You feeling better, Twi?”
“Good morning, Rainbow Dash. It’s good to see you. And yes,” Twilight waved a hoof in front of her still milky eyes, “I can see you, though everything is still really blurry.”
Dash snickered and gestured at Spike. “Hence the seeing eye dragon.”
Twilight smiled and nuzzled Spike fondly. “I really am grateful to both of them. I don’t know how I would have through the night by myself."
Spike pushed her away, trying to look like he didn't enjoy the display of affection. "Obviously you couldn’t take care of yourself without my help, but that’s no reason for any mushy stuff.” Despite his best efforts, the mares were able to see his tiny little smile.
Rarity winked at Dash before walking beside Spike and nuzzling him from the opposite side. “Oh, don’t be like that, Spike. She just knows how fortunate she is that you’re around to take care of her. I’m sure you would do the same for me if I were blinded for any reason.”
“Of course, Rarity. I would do anything for you.” Spike proclaimed immediately. Twilight and Dash laughed at the completely different reaction of the love-struck dragon. He glared at them both until Rarity stepped away from him, his gaze softening as it rested on her.
“Incidentally,” Rarity asked Dash,” you wouldn’t have happened to have seen Sweetie Belle today, have you? I wanted to talk to her about something.” In response, Dash inclined her head in the direction of the window, where Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle could be seen before they ducked out of sight.
“Sweetie Belle, could you come in here, please?” Rarity called out, having spotted the tiny trio. Whispering could be heard from outside until the door opened and the three fillies entered the room, their gazes locked firmly on the floor in front of them.
“Hey Rarity. So…uh, what’s up?” Sweetie Belle uneasily scratched at the floor while she talked, staring at her hoof as if it was the most interesting thing in the world to her. Her two quiet friends were doing pretty much the same beside her.
“It occurred to me that we haven’t spent much time together recently," the fashionista said after a moment’s thought, deciding that this was more important than finding out whatever trouble the fillies had caused. “I’m free this afternoon, once Twilight’s feeling better, and I thought we could spend some time making accessories for you and your friends.” The three fillies looked up at her in surprise. They had clearly been expecting a lecture, and instead they were getting…presents?
“Wait, so you haven’t spoken to Applejack yet?" Sweetie Belle blurted out. Rarity’s eyes narrowed at the young trio, who slowly started to back away from her.
“Nothin’ happened,” Apple Bloom interjected a little too quickly. “Nothin’ happened at…” she withered under the strength of Rarity’s glare.
“What were you three even doing out here?” Twilight asked, her still slightly blind eyes looking at a point slightly to the left of the cowering fillies. Scootaloo quickly answered, pouncing on the opportunity to get out from under Rarity’s gaze.
“That was my idea. I heard this morning that Rainbow Dash had spent the night in the hospital and thought that if we followed her, maybe we could see something she needed help with – you know, in case she hadn’t healed yet – and help her. Maybe we could even get our cutie marks!" Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked noticeably less excited than Scootaloo at the prospect of a helping Rainbow Dash cutie mark, but they had probably gone along with it because it was easier than arguing.
“Aw, that’s so sweet. Aren’t you lucky, Rainbow Dash? Somepony who wants to run your errands and take care of you. I’m so jealous. All I’ve got is Spike.” The tiny dragon rolled his eyes at his housemate’s jab, knowing she was only teasing.
Dash snorted at Twilight’s sarcasm before turning to Scootaloo, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "Actually, there is something you can help me out with, Squirt.” Scootaloo was suddenly standing directly in front of Dash with a big smile on her face, ready to do anything her hero asked her to. Dash stood straight and tall at the youngster’s attention, unconsciously slipping into drill sergeant mode. “Last night, Fluttershy was quieter than usual, and seemed a little depressed about something. I want you and your friends to go to her place and see how she is doing. Try to cheer her up if necessary. Can you do this for me?”
Scootaloo, who had been standing at attention through Dash’s speech, saluted and turned to her friends. “Come on girls, we’ve got a mission. Let’s try to get our cutie marks this time.” The three foals inhaled deeply. Knowing what was coming, the others in the room quickly covered their ears.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS FLUTTERSHY CHEERERS!! YAY!!” Screaming their catchphrase at the top of their lungs, the three fillies sped out the library door together.
“Sweetie Belle,” Rarity yelled after them, slightly deafened despite having had her ears covered, “don’t forget, Carousel Boutique after lunch.” Sweetie Belle poked her head back inside and nodded in acknowledgement at her sister before sprinting after her friends, who had left without her. She could be heard shouting for them to wait up as they vanished down the dusty street.
“You’re not going to go see Fluttershy yourself?” Spike asked Rainbow, putting his claw supportively back on Twilight’s shoulder.
Dash shook her head, lifting up a hoof to brush her mane back. “Nah. I am worried about her, but I’m more worried about Pinkie. From what Rarity told me last night, I think I’m the only one who can get through to her.” Beating her wings, Dash took off and flew towards the library door.
“And I’m sure the fact that Pinkie will probably give you sweets didn’t affect you decision at all,” Twilight said in a flat tone.
Dash shot a grin at the sarcastic librarian. “Well, the cupcakes she makes are almost as awesome as I am."
A few minutes later, Dash carefully landed on the doorstep outside Sugarcube Corner. The bell jingled merrily above her as she pushed the door open and entered the bakery. “Good morning, Mrs. Cake. Is Pinkie in?” This was aimed at the chubby mare standing behind the counter, proprietor of Sugarcube Corner and Pinkie’s landlord.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash. She is,” Mrs. Cake looked uneasily up at the ceiling, “but she hasn’t come out of her room since yesterday. I know she’s still in there since I can hear her from time to time, but she doesn’t answer when I knock.”
Dash grimaced at the unwelcome news. Looks like it was worse than Rarity thought. “Mind if I give it a try?” Dash asked
“Go ahead. But please,” she added as Dash started making her was to the stairs, “be careful. I heard her mention your name a few times, and she would usually start crying immediately after.”
Dash’s upraised hoof stopped in midair above the first step before she slowly brought it down. “She was talking to herself?” That was bad. “Did it sound like she was still her? I mean, did she sound like she was changing her voice?” The last time something like this happened, Dash had nearly found herself replaced by a bucket of turnips. She hadn’t told anypony what had happened that day, but she couldn’t deny – not even to herself – that Pinkie’s mood change had scared her. Mrs. Cake assured her that no, Pinkie still sounded like Pinkie, even if she was less…bubbly.
Dash slowly ascended the stairs, making her way to the door of Pinkie’s room. Other than the noise filtering in from outside, the building was completely silent. Mr. Cake must have taken the twins out to the park. The silence was almost oppressive, and the feeling of dread in Dash’s gut worsened with every step she took. Reaching the door, she gently knocked on it, trying to push her own feelings aside.
Silence was the only response. Dash tried the door handle – locked, of course. She knocked on the door again, a bit harder this time. “Pinkie, it’s Rainbow Dash. Will you let me in?”
After a few seconds, Pinkie’s voice tonelessly drifted through the door. “Go away Dashie. I don’t want you to see me like this.”
Well, that was a response at least. Dash stomped a hoof on the floor, her feeling of unease replaced with annoyance. Screw gentle, she was getting in there. “Pinkie, I’ll give you ten seconds to unlock this door and let me in, or I'm opening the door and coming in anyway.” While she might not be able to put as much force into a single blow as Applejack could, a simple wooden door still wouldn’t a significant obstacle to the fit pegasus. Counting in her head, Dash got all the way up to seven before she heard the click of the door being unlocked. Turning the handle, Dash entered Pinkie’s room.
Pinkie’s room was much the same as ever. The walls, floors, bed, and ceiling were covered in various party motifs, while stuffed animals sat on chairs spread throughout the room. In the midst of this cheerful carnage, the room’s owner stood out like a deflated balloon. Her mane was still flat and lacked any of its regular luster, tear streaks could clearly be seen on her cheeks, and her eyes were still red and puffy. She must have been crying to herself all last night. Dash smiled awkwardly. She hadn’t planned anything beyond ‘get into Pinkie’s room,’ and she really wasn’t good at this sort of thing.
“Hey Pinkie, how are you doing?” Oh yeah, Dash grumbled at herself, what a great question. She’s going to answer “I’m doing just fine Dashie”, and then we’ll head downstairs for snacks, and everything will be sunshine and rainbows.
“What do you want, Dashie?”
Dash mentally sighed at Pinkie’s tone. This wasn’t going to be easy. “I’m worried about you, Pinks.” Dash moved in closer to Pinkie, hoping her use of the nickname would make the other mare lower her defences. No such luck.
Pinkie turned away from Dash, walking over to the window and throwing it open. “Worried about me? Ha, that’s a laugh. Why don’t you say what you’re really here for: that you blame me for you getting hurt and that you don’t want to be my friend anymore.” Her voice caught on the last few words, and she was barely able to choke them out.
“Pinkie, I don’t blame you-“
“Of course you blame me!” Pinkie shrieked, completely running over Dash’s assurances. “How could you not? It was my fault! If I hadn’t kept insisting that we should try to befriend the creature, if I had instead listened to you, then…” Pinkie trailed off, looking away from Dash. Panting, she pointed at the open window beside her. “So if you’ll just hurry up and say it, you can leave.”
“Fine, I’ll leave.” It was obvious that this conversation wasn’t going anywhere. “But…” Dash began stalking towards Pinkie, who didn’t notice the pegasus getting closer. “I’m not leaving alone!” Leaping on the pink mare, she grabbed Pinkie and flew out the open window, ignoring Pinkie’s screech of complaint. Flapping her wings as hard as she could, she flew her unwilling passenger straight up into the air, leaving a rainbow-coloured contrail behind them. It wasn’t enough for a sonic rainboom, but that wasn’t her goal.
“Rainbow Dash, let me go!” Pinkie shrieked, struggling in Dash’s hold.
Dash looked at the mare struggling in her grip, then down at the rapidly shrinking Ponyville far below them. “Very poor choice of words.” And she let go.
Pinkie continued to ascend as momentum worked on her until gravity realized it had a job to do. Pinkie screamed as she began to plummet towards the ground, Rainbow Dash calmly flying just out of reach alongside her. “Why are you doing this, Dashie?” Pinkie cried, the force of the wind stinging her eyes and whipping the resulting tears away. “Are you mad at me? Do you want me to apologize? I’m sorry! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m sorry you got hurt because of me, and I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you!” Pinkie was weeping openly, the tears now caused by her own anguish, rather than the wind.
Dash watched silently, her quivering lip betraying how hard it was for her to remain impassive in the face of her friend’s distress.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Pinkie continued to plead. “Please, Dashie. Please. Will you forgive me? Will-will you be my friend again?”
Dash’s wings flared open and she swooped towards her friend, grabbing her in mid-air. Pinkie wrapped her legs around Dash, pulling herself close, weeping into Dash’s rainbow-patterned mane. Tears began to trickle unashamedly down Dash’s cheeks as she flew them towards a nearby cloud.
Landing on it, Dash’s innate pegasus magic allowed her to stand on the fluffy cloud while Pinkie’s hooves sunk right through it. The earth pony wouldn’t be able to escape hearing what Dash wanted to say. The mares continued to hold each other until Dash felt she was able to tell Pinkie her thoughts.
“There’s nothing to forgive, Pinkie. It’s not your fault I got hurt. I was overconfident, and I didn’t expect the creature to have any hidden tricks. Please don’t blame yourself.” Pinkie’s sobs had tapered off while Dash talked, and she was silent for a minute before responding.
“Do you-“ her voice caught in her throat, and she took a moment to swallow her tears. “Do you mean that, Dashie?” Even through the sorrowful emotions clogging her throat, Dash could clearly hear another emotion in her voice: hope.
“Of course I do.”
Pinkie pushed herself as far back as she could, somehow looking Dash directly in the eyes despite being unable to stand on the cloud. “But…” Pinkie’s eyes were full of confusion. She had genuinely expected Dash to hate her. “But you were sent to the hospital because of me. You hate going to the hospital.” Dash gestured around them.
“Sure I do, Pinkie. But look around you. This is what’s most important to me. If going to the hospital is what it takes to keep it, then that’s fine.” Watching Pinkie, it was like someone had flipped a switch inside of her. Her expression instantly became the same bubbly cheerfulness she usually had, while her mane seemed to magically inflate, returning to her signature frizzle in a heartbeat.
“Dashie!” Pinkie exclaimed, puling herself towards the pegasus for a massive hug before leaping as high as she could into the air to proclaim her joy for the entire world to hear. “Woo-hoo!” Reaching the zenith of her bound, she landed back on the cloud…and fell right through it.
“Pinkie!” Dash shouted as her friend vanished, speeding through the hole in the clouds in pursuit. Catching up to her, they quickly grabbed at each other. The pair sighed in relief in tandem before they started giggling together.
“Sheesh, Pinkie. You really scared me.”
“And you scared me before.” Pinkie stuck her tongue out at Dash. “Sorry for scaring you, but I was just so happy knowing you didn’t hate me.”
“Hate you? Really Pinkie Pie, you are so random.”
The two shared a small laugh before they were interrupted by a deafeningly loud roar. They looked at each other in surprise before bursting out in spontaneous, simultaneous laughter.
"Aww,” Pinkie said, poking at her stomach. “My tummy rumbled. I haven’t given it anything since yesterday, and it must be really grumpy by now.” Dash’s wingbeats slowed, and the two started their descent towards the ground, making their way for Sugarcube Corner. It was almost lunchtime, and Dash was ready to mooch some sweets.
Fluttershy had a problem. It was a problem that the animal caretaker tended to struggle with daily. She had tried several methods of solving the problem in the past, but it always seemed to return the next day.
“Come on Angel, eat your breakfast.”
Her picky pet bunny was refusing to eat the salad she had placed in front of him. Every day, he seemed to come up with more and more exorbitant demands for what she should make for him. She still thought of him as a sweet dear, but the look he gave her as he kicked the bowl, flipping it over, would have made it hard for anypony else to think of him as anything other than the Tartarus-spawn he was.
“Oh no, Angel. Please, you shouldn’t do that. Look, it’s very tasty.” Picking up one of the scattered lettuce leaves with her teeth, she nibbled on it a bit before tossing it back into the bowl. Gathering the rest of the salad in the bowl, she placed it in front of the glaring bunny. Glaring eyes met pleading eyes until the front door was abruptly thrown open.
“Hi Fluttershy!” The Cutie Mark Crusaders shouted as the trio barreled in through the open door. They stopped when they saw Fluttershy, who was trying unsuccessfully to hide behind Angel. The bunny smacked her in the nose, forcing her to open her eyes and look at the three bundles of energy that had shattered the quiet of her morning.
“Oh, hello girls. Sorry, you just startled me. Girls?” As Fluttershy stepped out from behind Angel, she saw that the fillies had huddled together and were whispering to each other. She could hear snippets of what they were saying, but not enough to make out what they were talking about.
“…was right…”
“…depressed…”
“…help her…how?”
“…town…Rarity…”
“…all right…”
Fluttershy had been nudging the bowl of salad towards Angel while the three whispered among themselves. Angel would then push it away, and she would smile and push it back. This continued until the fillies broke off from their conversation and turned as one towards her.
“Could ya come inta town with us, Fluttershy?” Apple Bloom asked, making her eyes as innocently pleading as she was capable of.
Fluttershy gave the adorable crusader a curious look. “Well, I don't mind, but why? If you don’t mind my asking.” It wasn't like they had ever invited her out before.
“Rainbow Dash said you was feelin’ depressed and sent us over to cheer you up.” Apple Bloom blurted out.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo both facehoofed. “Way to be subtle, Apple Bloom.” Scootaloo groaned out.
“Yeah, we were going to try to be in-con-spic-uous, remember?” Sweetie Belle added.
Scootaloo glanced at the white unicorn past the hoof on her face. “What are you, a dictionary?”
“Girls,” Fluttershy interrupted before the three could devolve into one of their usual arguments. “I appreciate the thought, but I need to finish taking care of my animals.”
“How many animals do ya have left?” Apple Bloom asked as the three turned their attention back towards Fluttershy.
Fluttershy had a lot of animals to take care of, but it was already pretty late in the morning. She should just be finishing up about now. “Just Angel, but…” She gestured at the bad-tempered bunny beside her, who was pointedly ignoring the salad bowl.
“Looks to me like he’s not hungry,” Scootaloo said with a smile. The three fillies were suddenly crowding around Fluttershy, who squeaked as she was lifted onto their backs and carried out the front door. Angel looked down at the salad, which had been knocked over and trodden on, and was now the only thing he’d have to eat until Fluttershy returned.
Outside, Fluttershy “eeped” as she was tossed bodily into the metal wagon the Crusaders usually traveled around in. Dazed from the impact, she automatically caught the helmet that was passed her way. Blinking the stars from her eyes, she saw her ponynappers were strapping on their own helmets.
“Now girls, I really don’t think this is necessary.” The three fillies all gave her the most pleading, puppy dog look they could manage. Fluttershy knew they would let her go if she insisted, but in the face of those faces, she couldn’t think of a reason to insist.
The Crusaders cheered as Fluttershy slowly placed the helmet on her head. Scootaloo made her way to her signature scooter tied to the front of the wagon while Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom hopped in with Fluttershy. Beating her wings, Scootaloo sped off, pulling the wagon behind her as she made her way along the road to Ponyville.
“So, what are you girls planning?”Fluttershy asked. Not that she would bail out after having come this far, but she just hoped they didn’t do anything dangerous.
Sweetie Belle answered, raising her voice to be heard over the wind. “We’re going to take you to Rarity. We figured that if anypony could help you feel better, it would be big sis.” Well, that was a pleasant surprise. It was always nice to see Rarity. Scootaloo slowed down as they approached Ponyville, skillfully weaving through everypony in the streets.
Eventually, Scootaloo slowed to a halt in front of the library. The fillies took off their helmets and jumped out while Fluttershy blinked up at the tree building.
“Weren’t we going to see Rarity?” she asked, unsteadily climbing out of the wagon.
Sweetie Belle grabbed the wagon to steady it as it started to roll out from under Fluttershy. “Rarity’s going to take care of Twilight until lunch, and then she’s going to spend the afternoon with me.”
“Alright, and what are you two going to do?” Fluttershy kindly asked the non-unicorns.
“I’m going to practice with my scooter,” Scootaloo excitedly exclaimed. “I’ve got a new trick I want to show Rainbow Dash, but it’s not ready yet.”
“Ah’m goin’ to head back to the farm,” Apple Bloom unhappily said, staring at the ground at her hooves. “Ah need to apologize to Applejack.”
“More importantly, did we get our cutie marks?” The fillies all looked at their flanks at Scootaloo’s question. Seeing the same sight they always did, they sighed in disappointment.
Fluttershy was quick to try and reassure them. “Don’t worry girls. So long as you keep trying, I’m sure you’ll get your cutie marks someday. You just need to find your special tal-“
“Ah agree,” Apple Bloom’s agreement ran right over the important part of what Fluttershy was saying. “’We won’t quit until we find out who we are,’ right? Who are we?”
The other animatedly cheered. “We are the Cutie Mark Crusaders!” Having made their proclamation, they split up and scattered off to their respective destinations.
Fluttershy stared at the spot they had been, slightly shell-shocked, before shaking herself and knocking on the library’s front door. After a few moments, the door was enveloped in a blue glow and gently swung open.
“Hello Fluttershy, I wasn’t expecting you,” Rarity greeted her with a smile.
Wiping her dirty hooves off on the welcome mat, Fluttershy entered the library. Inside, she saw that Spike was holding up a book in front of Twilight’s face, and Twilight was glaring at the book as her eyes slowly slid across the page.
Spike greeted Fluttershy without moving the book. “Hey Fluttershy. Sorry Twilight’s not going to greet you, but you know how she gets when she’s focused on something. I doubt she knows any of us are even here."
Rarity huffed impatiently and imposed herself between Twilight and the book. “That’s no excuse for poor manners. Twilight Sparkle, you have a guest. Take a break and greet her.”
Twilight blinked as her line of sight was intruded on by a wall of white. Looking unsteadily around the room, her face lit up when she spotted Fluttershy. “Oh, hello Fluttershy. I was just doing some eye exercises. Sorry for not greeting you right away, but what can I do for you?”
“Um…actually, I think I’m here to see Rarity.”
Twilight frowned at Fluttershy’s choice of words. “You ‘think?’ You’re not sure?” she asked. “Wait, weren’t the Crusaders going to visit you? Don’t tell me they brought you here.”
Fluttershy’s silence was answer enough.
“Honestly, what am I going to do with that filly?” Rarity wondered aloud, thinking about her sister. “First, she and her friends cause some sort of disaster at Applejack’s, and now they bring Fluttershy here against her will."
“It wasn’t entirely against my will,” Fluttershy quietly protested. But there was no stopping Rarity.
“She constantly messes up my workplace, it’s almost impossible to get any work done with her underhoof, and she doesn’t get along well with Opalescence.” The last was referring to Rarity’s pet cat, a crabby Persian who didn’t get along well with anypony except Fluttershy. “And now I’m going to be spending the afternoon making accessories for her and her friends. Maybe I’m too easy on her. Do you think I’m too easy on her, Twilight?”
“I think you have a big heart, and that you love each other very much,” Twilight answered without hesitation. “Since you’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon with her, why don’t you and Fluttershy stay for lunch?”
“Oh, that sounds nice, but I don’t want to be any trouble.” Fluttershy was worried about imposing on the still slightly blind Twilight.
Spike spoke up, quickly putting her concern to rest. “It’s no trouble at all, Fluttershy. If you two can help Twilight get to the table, I’ll get started on making something right away. Can I get you anything for starters, Rarity?”
“No thank you, Spike. I will wait with the others.” Rarity said.
Twilight rolled her eyes as Rarity answered, both at Spike’s over-protectiveness and at being excluded from the offer of early food. Within moments, the three mares were seated around the table while the noises of movement filtered in from the kitchen. “Fluttershy, Rarity told me last night that you seemed depressed about something,” Twilight said. “Are you alright?”
“That’s right, it completely slipped my mind,” Rarity said. “Do you want to talk about it, Fluttershy?”
“Oh, there’s no problem.” Fluttershy tried to assure them.
Rarity gave Fluttershy a flat look at the poor lie. “Darling, don’t try to hide things from me. I know you too well. If you don’t want to tell us, that’s fine, but please don’t act like nothing’s wrong.”
Fluttershy hung her head in defeat, acknowledging the truth of Rarity’s words. “Alright,” she mumbled out. Her friends had to lean in closer just to hear her. “I was thinking last night, thinking about what happened in the forest yesterday. When I tried to communicate with the creature, there was nothing I could do. I failed to calm it down, and I needed to be rescued by Pinkie and Applejack. I was completely useless, and-“
“Stop,” Rarity interrupted. “Stop right there. Darling, you are not useless. If you hadn’t been there, I don’t think any of us could have calmed Twilight down. If she hadn’t helped me hold up the shield, I would not have been able to keep it up to protect her and myself from the fire. Nopony thinks you’re useless, Fluttershy, and you shouldn’t either.”
“She’s right, Fluttershy,” Twilight agreed. “You saved me when I needed help, and we all know you would do the same for any of us.”
“Do you really mean that?” Fluttershy asked shyly at their praise, tipping her head so that her mane covered her face.
“Of course we mean it, dear.” Rarity lifted her forehooves into the air. “Here, I’ll even make a Pinkie Promise.”
“You don’t need to go that far...”
“Cross my heart and hope to fly,” Rarity recited, going through the accompanying gestures." Across from her, Twilight was making the same motions. “Stick a cupcake in my eye. Are you alright, Twilight?” Twilight had jabbed herself in the eye with her hoof. Moaning while rubbing it, she waved for Rarity to continue. Rarity turned back to Fluttershy
“Anyways, we promise you that none of us think that you are useless. And as you know, breaking a Pinkie Promise is the quickest way to lose your friends-“ She cut herself off, as if she expected to be suddenly interrupted. The seconds ticked past silently until Twilight spoke.
“Huh. I guess she’s not-“
“FOOOREEEEVEEEEEEEEER!!”
The front door burst open, slamming against the wall with enough force to rattle the windows in their frames and causing a few books to jump off their spots on the shelves. Amidst the sound of falling books, Twilight’s sigh could still be clearly heard.
“-nevermind. What kept you, Pinkie?”
Pinkie stood silhouetted in the doorway, a maniac look in her eyes and smears of cupcakes covering her lower face. At Twilight’s question, her expression shifted to her regular happy-go-lucky one and she answered as cheerfully as ever. “You caught me in the middle of lunch, silly. Don’t you know what time it is?”
“What happened?” Spike rushed into the room, stopping as he spotted the source of the noise. “Oh, hey Pinkie. Hang on; let me get you something to clean your face.” Slipping back into the kitchen, he quickly came out with a clean rag held in one claw.
The rag was immediately wrapped in a blue glow, and Rarity levitated it over to Pinkie and started to wipe her face clean. “I can’t believe you just ran through Ponyville looking like that. You couldn’t have done anything to stop her, Rainbow Dash?”
“Don’t blame me, she left before I knew what was going on,” Dash defended herself as she flew in through the open door behind Pinkie. “So? Spill. Who made the Pinkie Promise?”
“They made it to me,” Fluttershy answered from her spot at the table. “I was feeling a little useless after yesterday, and that told me nopony thought of me like that.”
“Darn straight nopony thinks of you like that.” Dash flew over so she was hovering above the table. “If anypony did think that, I’d beat them into the ground. Don’t give me that look, Twilight. You and I both know that was before I really knew her.” The purple unicorn turned away from Dash, a small smile on her face as she remembered the time Fluttershy had stared down a full grown dragon.
“So are you two going to stay for lunch?” Spike asked from by the kitchen. “Should I make two more servings?”
“No need, Spike,” Pinkie answered, the cloth that had been cleaning her face nowhere in sight. “We’ve got a big plate of goodies to work through back at Sugarcube Corner. Come on, Dashie.” Pinkie sped out the door, the rainbow-maned pegasus flying along behind her. Rarity and Twilight stared at the spot Pinkie had just vacated until Twilight asked the question on both their minds.
“Rarity?”
“Yes, Twilight?”
“Did Pinkie just inhale that rag?”
“Yes. Yes she did.”
“Huh.”
Even after all this time, Pinkie was still capable of surprising them. Deciding to move away from this topic in order to preserve their sanity, they turned back to Fluttershy in order to continue their previous conversation.
“They agree, dear. You are not useless,” Rarity said, picking up where she had left off.
“And I don’t think we even need to ask Applejack,” Twilight pointed out. Her voice shifted as she tried to imitate the farmpony’s accent. “Land sakes, Sugarcube. You ain’t no kind of useless, and shouldn’ta be thinkin’ about yerself like that.”
Fluttershy laughed at Twilight’s impression. “That was terrible, but thanks.”
Twilight shrugged ruefully. “Alright, so it’s a good thing impersonating ponies isn’t my special talent. I guess I could never make it up on stage.” Spike entered the room, holding a platter with three plates of hay fries and Twilight picked up a fork as he placed the platter on the table in front of them. “But enough talk. Let’s eat.”
Apple Bloom made her way through the streets, a spring in her step and a smile on her face. She was a little worried about what Applejack was going to say, but it had been such a nice day so far. What could possibly go-
“Oh, look, it’s the blank flank.”
-wrong. Well, it had been a nice day. Apple Bloom turned to look at two filly earth ponies where they stood on the side of the road. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon, a pair of bullies from her class who seemed to enjoy nothing more than making Apple Bloom look bad. Apple Bloom released a mental sigh at the sight of them.
“Can I help you?” she asked them in a slightly cool tone. She was slightly nervous about having to deal with these two by herself, but the young farmpony flat-out refused to turn rail and run. Diamond Tiara’s nose rose into the air, and she looked down it at Apple Bloom.
“Help us? Tcha, like we could use any help from a blank flank. Maybe you don’t know this, since you don’t have one, but a pony’s cutie mark represents their special talent.” The pair had begun walking around Apple Bloom, circling like sharks. “I guess that means you don’t have a special talent.”
“It just means Ah haven’t found it yet. But Ah will.” Apple Bloom’s voice quivered, as if she was uncertain about what she was saying and trying to convince herself. “What do ya’ll want?”
“We don’t want anything,” Silver Spoon answered. “We just say one of our classmates walking alone and thought we’d have a nice chat. How about you? Like, have you gotten a cutie mark yet?” The pair made exaggerated glances towards Apple Bloom's unadorned flank.
“I guess not.” Diamond Tiara closed in for the kill, a nasty smile spread wide across her face. “I suppose you’ll always be a blank flank.”
“Ith that Apple Bloom?” All three of the fillies looked at the source of the new voice. Another one of their classmates joined them, her distinctive red mane, glasses, and bulbous nose drawing eyes away from the small white and brown spotted colt walking at her side.
Diamond Tiara “tch’d” and turned to leave, not wanting an audience. “Come on, Silver Spoon. Let’s go have fun somewhere else. This place is becoming too crowded for my tastes.” The duo walked away in a manner they probably wanted other ponies to call dignified, but Apple Bloom just thought they looked like they had a bur stuck between their legs.
“Were they teathing you again, Apple Bloom?” The new arrival asked, a strong lisp twisting her voice.
“A little. Thanks, Twist.” Twist was a young earth pony, and she had once been Apple Bloom’s best friend. The two had drifted a little ever since Apple Bloom had met Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, but they still hung out from time to time. “And who’s this?” Apple Bloom gestured at the small colt beside Twist.
The colt smiled at her, and she noticed he had one of Twist’s delicious homemade peppermint sticks sticking out of his mouth. “The name’s Pipsqueak. It’s nice to meet you, Apple Bloom. Twist was just telling me stories about you. Did you really meet a basilisk in the Everfree Forest?”
“Aw, c’mon Twist. That was embarrassing. Did ya have ta tell him that story?” Apple Bloom complained, but Twist just smiled at her. “How’dja two even meet?”
“I just met Twist today,” Pipsqueak answered, pulling the stick out of his mouth, “and she was kind enough to give me some peppermint and spend time with me until my parents finish up.”
“Ithn’t he cute?” A red blush spread across Pipsqueak’s face at Twist’s compliment. “I found him thitting all deprethed by himthelf, tho I went to talk to him. Peppermint alwayth maketh ponieth thmile, tho I gave him thome. What about you, Apple Bloom? What’chu you up to?”
“Ah’m headin’ back ta the farm. Ah need ta apologize ta Applejack soon, before I lose my nerve.”
Twist laughed kindly at Apple Bloom’s words. “You are tho lucky to have thuch a greath thither. Alright, I’ll thee you around.”
“See you around, Twist,” Apple Bloom said with a smile. “Goodbye, Pipsqueak.”
“Bye Apple Bloom. C’mon, Twist” Pipsqueak was already running off, “let’s get some more peppermint before I have to leave.” The rookie candy maker followed the younger pony at a more sedate pace. Left by herself, Apple Bloom once again made her way to the farm.
After walking for several minutes, Apple Bloom’s shuffling steps led her through the gate to Sweet Apple Acres. Just as she had feared, the filly had lost her nerve once the farm came into sight. All she wanted now was to avoid meeting Applejack. Her head moving non-stop as she tried to look in every direction at once, she slowly crept her way to the front door of the house. Focusing as hard as she could on staying silent and unnoticed despite the sun still being high in the sky, she carefully reached up a single hoof towards the doorknob. The door swung open and smacked her in the face just as she was about to touch it.
“Sorry about that," a concerned voice said from a point somewhere above her. "You alright?
Clutching her face in her hooves, Apple Bloom looked up into the concerned face of her older sister. A bucket of broken apples was balanced on Applejack’s back, which was carefully put down as she moved to her little sister’s side. Apple Bloom shrank away, still expecting to be punished. The fillies’ mouth opened, and an apology quietly slipped through her lips.
“Ah’m sorry.” Applejack didn’t say anything. Instead, she moved close and wrapped one of her forehooves around the smaller pony, pulling Apple Bloom against her chest and hugging her tight.
“Ah know you are, and Ah know you didn’t mean it. Ah am annoyed that you and your friends ran away instead of helping ta clean, but Ah forgive you.” Apple Bloom hugged AJ back, and the sisters held each other silently for a few minutes before both took a step back. Apple Bloom helped balance the bucket back on the older pony’s back, and the two made their way to the barn on comfortable silence.
“Outta curiosity, what were you gals hopin’ ta accomplish?” Applejack asked. Apple Bloom shot back an embarrassed smile in response.
“Promise not to laugh?” At Applejack’s nod, Apple Bloom started telling her story. “When Scootaloo showed up in the mornin’, she said she had an awesome idea to get our cutie marks. We was goin' to be Cutie Mark Crusaders Pony Cannonballs.”
“Where on Equestria did that filly even get that cannon?” Applejack asked, amusement staining her voice.
“Scootaloo borrowed it from Pinkies’.”
“What, she jest gave it ta ya? Jest like that?” Applejack frowned at the apparent irresponsibility of her friend.
“Not…exactly.” Apple Bloom hedged. “Apparently, Pinkie had locked herself in her room and had refused to come out, so Scootaloo kinda snuck it out.”
Applejack’s frown turned towards the little filly beside her. “I hope y’all returned it.”
Apple Bloom hastily nodded her head, wanting to reassure her sister that they had. “As soon as we was in town. After that, Sweetie Belle told us that Rainbow Dash was in the hospital and we went to visit her.”
Applejack nuzzled her younger sister affectionately. “Well, that sure was sweet of y’all. I think I get the jist of the story now. You loaded somepony into the cannon and launched them out. But somethin’ happened when ya fired, and the pony was shot into our apple storage.” Applejack took the bucket off her back and dumped its contents into a nearby ditch. At the bottom of the ditch, Apple Bloom saw an enormous number of destroyed and ruined apples.
“Ah’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Everypony make mistakes. I won’t deny that things are goin’ ta be hard for us for a while, but we’ll get past it. We always have.” She tenderly rubbed the top of her little sister’s mane, gently bumping against the ribbon perched on the little one’s head.
“Now, little sis. You are going to help me clean up.”
Apple Bloom emptied the last bucket of apples into the almost-full ditch. It had been a long day, but it was finally coming to a close. She looked up at the sky, where the sun was beginning to touch the horizon, getting ready to slip out of sight for the night. Gazing at it, she felt a wave of melancholy wash over her. Words said to her from earlier in the day rebounded in her head as she gazed down at the remnants of the mess she had caused.
“I suppose you’ll always be a blank flank.”
“Apple Bloom!”
Apple Bloom turned towards the voice calling her name, breaking away from her thoughts. Sweetie Belle was running towards her, the cape of the Cutie Mark Crusaders tied around her neck. No…not tied.
“Sweetie Belle, what’s that?” Apple Bloom asked, pointing at the sparkling object at Sweetie Belle’s throat.
“Rarity helped me make it this afternoon. She said that, since we’re trying to get our cutie marks, we should have symbols of those we care about who already have theirs.” Sweetie Belle wore a colourful necklace, made out of a trio of blue diamond-shaped gemstones attached to each other by nearly invisible wires and patterned in an unmistakable manner.
“Is that Rarity’s cutie mark?” Apple Bloom asked, giving the sparkling object a curious poke.
Sweetie Belle nodded while smiling broadly. “Yeah, isn’t it cool? Here, I can’t stay long, but I wanted to give you yours right away.” Sweetie Belle passed Apple Bloom a similar device. Unlike Sweetie Belle’s, the gems were red, rounded, and had a hint of green at the top.
“Applejack’s?” Apple Bloom said, holding the stylized pendant of her sister’s cutie mark up into the light. “This is pretty cool, Sweetie Belle.”
The unicorn bounced in excitement at the honest compliment. “I know! Isn't it just great? The whole thing was Rarity’s idea, and I was a little worried how it would look, but there really was no need to worry. Rarity made the out of gems because she refused anything else, calling it ‘tacky’ and ‘an utter abomination of fashion.’” She rolled her eyes at her sister’s dramatics. “Anyway, Scootaloo’s is a copy of Rainbow Dash’s, and I just know she's going to love it. Make sure to wear it." She glanced up at where the sun was hanging in the sky. "I better go; Rarity wants me back before sundown.”
Sweetie Belle ran off, leaving Apple Bloom alone and holding the gift, which she now recognized as a cape clasp. Looking back at the sun, Diamond Tiara’s words once again echoed in her head.
“I suppose you’ll always be a blank flank.”
“No.” Clenching the clasp against her head, she stared proudly at the sun. Thinking about her sister, Apple Bloom made her proclamation to the heavens.
“One day, no matter what happens, no matter what it takes, Ah swear Ah will get my cutie mark! Watch over me, Princess Celestia. Your little pony will not disappoint you.”
Apple Bloom sat and quietly watched the sun until it silently slipped out of sight beyond the horizon.
Dear Journal
I don’t know what to think anymore. This morning, I tracked the creatures to where they had been coming from, and what I saw. There was a town. A civilization, buildings. The ramifications of this terrifies me. These creatures are not only intelligent, they are capable of living peaceful lives.
What have I done?
I spent the day observing the creatures, and. As I watched, I saw these horses spending time together, interacting in ways that friends would. When I started, I was almost overcome by irrational hatred, but it faded throughout the day. I no longer hate the creatures, but why did I in the first place? Most of the creatures were unfamiliar, but I recognized the some of the ones I met in the forest. The ones I fought. The ones I hurt.
What have I done?
No, I must not think about it now. Focus. I need understanding.
A little before midday, I saw the blue winged one carrying the pink one in the sky. I could not see them very well at that distance; only able to spot them because of their bright colours, but what I saw left me no doubt that they are friends. And I hurt
No, not now.
I must not let myself be consumed by regrets.
I actually find myself hoping they are not badly hurt. Why? Why do I want them safe after trying to hurt them twice? I don’t understand. What’s wrong with me?
Are my feelings now the ones I should act on? Or are the ones I had?
Was I right to fear for my life? Or have I committed a horrible mistake?
Why do I even fear them? Why did I hate them? There was nothing I saw today that made me think of them as monsters, like I did when I first saw them.
But... they kept coming for me. They'll keep coming for me. I need to understand them as much as I can. I need to destroy them. It's the only way to stop them.
No, that's not right. Must remember. My thoughts are becoming... fuzzy. Are these even my thoughts any more?
The final blow to my hate was when I was watching the orange one who may have broken my arm. I watched it (maybe she?) interacting with another similar creature. This creature was smaller, and probably the orange’s daughter or sister.
I have no doubt what I saw there. Love. Only a few minutes of watching showed me a great deal of love for each other.
If these creature are intelligent, capable of building a sustainable society, and able to love each other so strongly, what does this mean for what’s happened!
I need to calm myself. I need to think about what happened without letting my emotions blur my thoughts.
I acted on emotion alone when I first met the pink one. When the purple one arrived, I fled despite them not offering me any harm. When the six arrived at my cave (I’ve moved to a hidden one not far away), my first reaction was to unleash a manticore on them. Shortly after that, I sent a tree down the river while they were crossing it, just to see how they would react. And yesterday I attacked them and set the entire area on fire.
No matter how many times I read that paragraph, I cannot defend what I did.
Have I been wrong the whole time? Do I have nothing to fear from these monsters?
No, these creatures are not monsters.
Am I the monster?
...
I need to think, journal.
I doubt I’ll be getting any sleep tonight.
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I have advice but I doubt others will agree with it. I think that you should have your first fic COMPLETELY finished before posting it. I'm not a guy who can wait for the next chapter or book in a series. One of my many flaws. But from the description, it sounds good. I'll be looking to see when it's finished. I DO like long stories.
I suggest you ignore my comment actually, I'm 14. I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Why did I even bother commenting? Why am I still commenting? Why did I tell you how old I am? Why am I asking all of these questions? Do you know? Do I know? What is wrong with me? 
Where's the nearest insane asylum?
1553959 i believe you're sitting in it
1561966
But then again I could get out of it. I've had tons of practice you know. 
Keep up the good work on the story! I'd love to read it!
If I was, I'd be wearing a straight jacket.
1562249 Valid point. And were you referring to one of my stories or the one we are currently chatting on?
1562277
When's the next update bro? I NEED IT!
The one we are on!
1562299 there is a simple solution to your predicament my friend. Get in the motherbucking TARDIS!!!
1562317
BUCK THE TARDIS! I DON'T USE THAT CRAP!
1562323 ah, would you prefer the elder scrolls then? or perhaps the classic time machine from the movie time machine?
1562442
HOT TUB TIME MACHINE! AWWW YEAH! I GOTTA GO! ME AND LUNA ARE BOUT TO HOP IN THE TUB!
1562249
If you're not going to read it until it's completely finished, you might be waiting a while. I haven't even introduced half the major characters yet.
I've plotted out the next update, and just need to write it down, so it should be up either tomorrow or the next day. Despite being a lot quieter and more relaxed than any of my previous chapters, I think it might be my favourite so far.
1564698
I'm not likely going to be able to read this then....big book equals brain pain.
You seem to be missing some things...
1566588
Arghlebargle. I thought I caught all that.
1566883I'm sorry, but I had to at least point out the first one. People might get ideas...
1566894
Oh, none of that. Thanks for pointing them out, I went and fixed them right away.
Besides, this at least means you're reading closely enough to spot my mistakes, and I'm hardly going to complain about people reading my story.
1566906Ah, okay. I have to say, your story is one of the better "Human in Equestria" fan-fictions I have read. Too many "Human meet pony then become friends instantly".
Is that a reference to Letters From a Disgruntled Friendship Student?
I now know that porn exists in Equestria due to the "Fifty Shades of Hay" book. I wonder who's in it?
I also liked how Rainbow Dash pointed out that Mrs. cake looked chubby. That made me giggle a bit.
This first impression is brought to you by: HiddenUnderACouch, as a sign of gratitude for a serious review of one of my stories by the author of this story.
This is the first impression because I didn't finish reading yet, so I can't call it a reivew. Possibly, I will be able to read all of this (and I really want to!) and give a proper review (though it will take ages for me).
I shall start with cons, becasue hearing pros after cons is always better, it's very relaxing, IMHO:
The tag Human got me worried for a second - it's only my opinion, but, by some reason, I just loathe HiE setting. I am just that kind of a person - I want humans away from my ponies. So, I delved in with a little bit of cautionesness, expecting that I won't like it. Thankfully, I was wrong. But pros I will describe later.
What else I wasn't too excited about? The details. Don't get me wrong, I love details, and they are beautifully presented here, excellent writing, well done, but the sheer amount of them, oh my. I have a very active imagination - the big amount of details is great, but when there are this many, I start to get very tired very quickly from reading.
Now, to pros:
Well, I can honestly say that this is that type of HiE I would read. I am actually interested in the story, I want to know what will happen next. I have never seen anything like this before - the human being portrayed as a wild animan. That is freaking cool, I'm a fan of that.
The writing, as I mentioned, is excellent. The details are great, awesome descritpions, and even though I mentioned that I don't like too much details in the story, that doesn't mean they aren't done good - they are perfectly done, painting a clear picture of what is going on, how things look and etc.
The first impression was great, I really want to read more, though the fact that I will have to read through more details is discouraging for me a bit. But other than that, I am all in and ready to read.
Sorry, that it's not a full review. Turns out I have a horrible case of procrastination, and I just can't focus on one thing - I kept getting distracted, doing something else while reading. I just can't focus my damn attention, I'm such a horrible person, argh!
. I'm a horrible reviewer, I know. Not even a good 'first impressionist'. But I hope that, in the future, I will read through all of it, and make up my complete opinion on it. So for now, I say - it's great, wonderful, but it will take me days to read it with my case of procrastination. Thank you, and forgive me in advance! 'bows down and leaves the scene'
3219383
So, the details are both perfect and too much. And the story matches your personal preferences? You're right; you're not good at reviewing.
To me, the story can give vivid enough visuals with its descriptions, and doesn't (usually) describe things any FIM fan should already have filled in. However, the flow of the story itself seems too slow. The story is focused on the Human coming into Equestria and interacting with the Mane six as Discord's vessel. (However, I don't think Discord would have hated the Mane six, or put them in a situation where they could have died. He has enough empathy/sympathy to not want to turn ponies into stone, and has to have some understanding to do his mental manipulation anyway. To me, this is a serious flaw in the story.) However, there seams to be a lot more leading up to that so far than that actually happening.
I also like that it's not allowing a simple spell or English=Equestrian to allow two aliens to communicate (well, the spell does exist, even when it shouldn't because, unlike a memory spell that just stimulates the amygdala, translating would require an insane amount of brain modification.) I have yet to see a story where the character realistically learns a language throughout it, but I always like to see authors try, because it takes a certain amount of dedication to keep track of that, and it lets me get closer to the characters.
That's what it is! The characters! I want to get close to the characters, know their exact reasoning and emotions. But that's what this story doesn't seem to be doing. I'm not sure exactly why, but I feel as if I'm some emotionless observer when I read this. Even heartfelt moments are described in exactly the same way as any other moment. Ah! Changing style with the tone of the story. If done right, it can get the readers on the edge of their seats instead of boring them without them knowing why!
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/5/4/316151__safe_sweetie+belle_meme_gun_rifle_that+is+beautiful_bacon_ak_win_epic+win_bacon+gun.jpg
You accidentally a word, dude.
Heath Ledger intensifies