A New Perspective: A Fable Between Friends
Rainbow Dash shoved one last grey cloud into place. Quickly shaking the chill from her hooves, she turned on the spot and gave it a stern buck. Moments later, little white specks began falling from the cloud.
“Last one!” she said, wiping her hooves together and grinning a cocksure grin. “Winter is officially a go!”
A fierce gale suddenly struck her side, sending her tumbling down into one of the smaller clouds. It promptly poofed out of existence and let her fall into the snowstorm beneath.
“Whoa!” She quickly righted herself and shook her head clear of the fuzziness. “Where did that come from?!”
Beneath the clouds, she finally got a look at the scene her weather team had spent the afternoon creating. Hundreds of snowflakes blew horizontally through the air, nipping at her face. All of the ice, snow, and wind had rapidly changed the atmosphere from a mild cold to an arctic tundra. Ponyville sat just a small ways into the distance, almost completely obscured by the fog of snowflakes.
“Horse apples,” Rainbow said, squinting, “that’s one heck of a blizzard. I’d better get home quick.” She forced every ounce of energy into her wings. The howl in her ears grew to a deafening extreme as she pushed through the wind towards Ponyville.
After clearing half the distance, something caught Rainbow’s attention just at the edge of her periphery. Turning her head down, she saw the silhouette of a pony through the white gale, a pony who appeared to be walking away from the warmth and safety of town.
“What the hay?” she muttered to herself. She angled her path towards the earthbound figure and shot downwards.
It didn’t take long for the figure of the pony to become clear.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow called as she approached.
Fluttershy stopped. Her mane, tail, and scarf were blown parallel to the ground, and she had a pair of brown saddlebags draped across her back. She looked up at her quickly approaching friend. “Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash!” she called, forcing her voice above the wind’s roar.
Rainbow tried to hover just ahead of Fluttershy, but the manic winds forced her to land. She squinted at Fluttershy and said, “What are you doing out here, Fluttershy?! Didn’t you notice the storm?!”
“Of course I did!” Fluttershy said, wincing as a stray gust punched her side. “But I had a few errands to run back in town! I’m on my way home now!”
“Errands?! Now?!” Rainbow gestured to the steadily growing white mountain around them. “This is a Class-4 snowstorm, Fluttershy! Everyone should be inside right now!”
“W-what about you?” Fluttershy asked, shaking a bit. “You don’t even have a s-scarf, Rainbow!”
“I was just on my way back home!” She eyed the satchels hanging from Fluttershy’s sides. “Fluttershy! Give me the bags! I’ll help you home!”
“Y-you don’t have to! I’ll b-be fine!” A particularly thick cloud of snow and ice rushed over her, eliciting a small eep from the pegasus.
“It wasn’t a question, Fluttershy!” Rainbow cried. “This isn’t safe!” She held out one hoof and beckoned towards her friend.
Fluttershy paused for a moment, but she nodded as the wind picked up force. She reached over to her saddlebags and passed them to Rainbow.
Rainbow Dash wasted no time in strapping the bags around her own back, tucking the straps under her wings. “Now, let’s go!” She turned in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage. “The wind is with us, so it shouldn’t be too—”
The furious gale chose that specific moment to change direction, flipping so that it whipped little shards of ice straight into the pegasi’s faces. Both of them ducked their heads and shut their eyes at the impact.
“Great!” Rainbow cried, squinting into the wintry fog. “Just great!” She lifted a hoof and used it to cover her muzzle as she started forward.
The two pegasi—staying close by each other’s side—pushed as quickly as possible along the path towards invisible salvation.
***
A small group of mice, rabbits, and other small creatures scattered as the door flew open to the icy maw of the outside world. Fluttershy quickly stepped across the threshold, Rainbow Dash following closely behind.
“Oh, m-my,” said a quivering Fluttershy. She gently shook herself free of the icy burrs which clung to her body. As she stepped out of her boots and pushed them to the side, a streak of water following them across the floor, she looked to the side and asked, “A-are you ok-kay, R-Rainbow Dash?”
“N-n-never b-b-better,” Rainbow stammered. She shook her own body much more thoroughly than Fluttershy had, but her shivering body wouldn’t forgive her so easily.
Fluttershy set her frost-laden scarf on the nearby coat rack before stepping over to Rainbow Dash. “Here,” she said, reaching for the latch of the saddlebags, “let me get those off of you.”
“Th-thanks,” Rainbow said, standing stock still and staring at nothing in particular through squinted eyes. Many little creatures looked at her from around the room, most with worried expressions.
Fluttershy finished removing the saddlebags and draped them loosely over her back. She started towards the kitchen. “I’ll get some hot cocoa ready. Why don’t you just take a seat on the couch for now? I’ll find a nice, warm blanket for you.”
“C-can’t,” Rainbow said, shaking her head. “G-gotta get h-home.” She slowly began turning towards the door. Her motions were almost mechanical.
Fluttershy suddenly appeared in front of her, pressing her back to the door and spreading her hooves wide. “Oh, no,” she said, “you’re not going anywhere in your state, Rainbow Dash. Just sit down on the couch for now. You can sleep here tonight.”
“B-but T-tank—” Rainbow began, looking through the window to the rapidly darkening blizzard beyond.
“Tank will be fine, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said. “Tortoises are designed for longevity and endurance.” She lowered herself from the door, wrapped one hoof around Rainbow Dash’s withers, and coaxed her towards the couch. “Please, just rest, Rainbow. You need it.”
Through half-lidded eyes, Rainbow looked over her shoulder at the window. The wind’s howl had only grown louder, and the fog pressing against the cottage was thicker. She turned to look at Fluttershy. Her eyes were big and profound, and she wore the warmest smile in the world.
Still shivering slightly, Rainbow nodded and started towards the couch.
“Make yourself comfortable,” said Fluttershy, moving towards the kitchen again. “I’ll be back soon.”
***
Several minutes later, Rainbow Dash looked much more like herself. She sat on the couch with a knitted green blanket wrapped around her and a steaming mug between her hooves. She lifted it to her muzzle, took a generous sip, and sighed contentedly. “That hits the spot,” she said, her eyes filling with warmth. “Thanks, Fluttershy. You made the right call keeping me from going back out there tonight.”
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” said Fluttershy, hovering over to a small dish and pouring some sort of green pellets into it. Two little rabbits hopped up to it and began eating hurriedly. “If you hadn’t been there to help me get home, I would’ve been in an even worse state than you.”
“Speaking of that,” said Rainbow Dash, quirking one eyebrow at Fluttershy. “What exactly were you doing out there, anyway? Whatever errands you had probably could’ve waited till tomorrow.”
Fluttershy filled up another dish with food, and a small group of mice swarmed to it. “I was out of animal feed. It’s very important that all my little friends get the food they need, after all. I can handle a little storm for that.”
“Yeah, but—” Rainbow’s expression went straight. She craned her head to look around the room. Only a few little rodents sat scattered about the floor, and a half a dozen or so birds were perched near the ceiling.
“Hey,” Rainbow said, scratching her head, “I thought all the animals hibernated during the winter. And don’t the birds usually fly south until spring?”
“Most of them do,” Fluttershy said. She floated up to the birdfeeder hanging from the ceiling and topped it up with seeds. The birds all fluttered to it immediately. “Not all animals hibernate, though. And some of them just like to keep me company for the winter. Isn’t that right, friends?” All of the animals turned to her and nodded before resuming their respective dinners.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Go figure.” She took another sip of cocoa as Fluttershy sat next to her. “But still, they probably could’ve waited until morning when the storm was over before they needed food, right?”
“Probably,” Fluttershy said, frowning a bit. A familiar white bunny hopped up onto her lap, and she began petting it gently. “But it’s really not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” Rainbow said, eyeing her strangely. “Fluttershy, you would’ve been a big, fluffy pony-sicle if I hadn’t come along! Seriously, I could understand if most of the animals weren’t in hibernation already, but—”
“Oh, that reminds me!” Fluttershy set Angel down on the couch next to her. The little bunny crossed his paws and looked up at her with slanted eyes, but didn’t protest.
Fluttershy smiled sweetly at her friend. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. If you’ll excuse me, I have to go out for a second.” She started towards the door.
“Go out…?” Rainbow repeated, staring after her friend as though she’d suddenly transformed into a manticore. She shook her head wildly. “Fluttershy, were you even listening?! It’s dangerous out there!”
“I know, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said, slipping on her boots with an audible squish. “And I appreciate your concern—I really do—but I’m afraid I have to go and make sure all the warrens and dens are safe for the night. I’d better make sure the chicken coop is holding up, too.” She looked past her scarf to the outside world. “This really is quite a nasty storm…”
“You’re darn right it is!” Rainbow set her mug on a nearby table and marched over to Fluttershy. She grabbed both her shoulders so that they were looking eye to eye. “Fluttershy, the animals will be fine. Even if the storm is messing with the dens, you can check on them tomorrow and everything’ll be okay. It’s not worth risking your own health over.”
Fluttershy’s eyes were hard and her mouth was a firm line. She didn’t even waver as she said, “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash, but this is something I have to do. I won’t be able to sleep tonight not knowing that all my little friends are safe.” She pulled her eyes away and grabbed her scarf, tossing it around her neck. “If you get hungry, there’s plenty of food in the kitchen. Help yourself to—”
“Let me go with you.”
Fluttershy’s eyes shot wide as she turned back to Rainbow. “Oh… I couldn’t let you do that, Rainbow Dash. This is my responsibility. Just relax, and I’ll be back in a bit.”
Rainbow shook her head, holding Fluttershy’s shoulder firmly. “Nope. I’m not letting you go outside alone. This storm is too unpredictable. Besides, it’ll go faster if we both do it.”
“I—” Fluttershy felt Rainbow squeeze her shoulder, and she met her eyes again. Eventually, she sighed. “Hold on. I’ve got some spare winter clothes upstairs.”
***
It was dark now, and the storm had only gotten angrier. It pummeled the two pegasi mercilessly as they pushed through the snow towards more of the scattered warrens.
“Just a few more!” called Fluttershy, lifting her head from one of the snow-covered holes. “Then we have to check the other field, and then we can go back inside!”
“The other field?!” Rainbow squinted an evil eye in Fluttershy’s direction. “All of these have been fine so far, Fluttershy! The other field’s not gonna be any different!”
“We need to check them all, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy adjusted the tarpaulin cover hanging over one of the dens. “I’ll never forgive myself if even one of the animals gets hurt by the storm!”
“Can’t we at least take a break after this field?! My muzzle feels like it’s gonna fall off!”
“You can go back if you like! I’d rather finish this as soon as possible to make sure they’re all okay! Help me with this tarp, please!”
The two of them lifted a fallen tarp back into place. Snow began piling atop the green canvas almost immediately. The whole thing shook under the push of the wind.
“Fine!” cried Rainbow, driving one of the pegs of the tarp farther into the ground. “But you owe me after all of this!”
***
Rainbow Dash soared through the doorway and directly to the table near the couch, not even removing her scarf before grabbing the half-full mug of cocoa and taking a large swig. A few seconds later, the mug was empty.
Fluttershy shut the door behind her, shaking the cold dampness away for a second time that evening. “Th-thank you so much for your help, Rainbow Dash. I-it was very… helpful!”
“Sure thing,” Rainbow deadpanned, kicking her boots to the side. “Got any more hot chocolate?”
“Of course.” Fluttershy removed her winter wear and trotted briskly to the kitchen.
Rainbow tossed her scarf onto the floor and settled back onto the couch. She pulled the knitted blanket back across her body and wiggled into a comfortable position. Then something firm began pounding on her leg. She looked down to see a very agitated little rabbit beating her with a single foot.
“Hey, you snooze, you lose,” Rainbow said, shrugging. Angel made a small noise of indignation before hopping away.
“Here you go, Rainbow Dash,” said Fluttershy, giving her another piping hot mug. She sat down on the other side of the couch with her own cocoa clutched between her hooves.
“Thanks,” said Rainbow, taking a small sip. “Now, promise me we don’t have to go outside anymore tonight.”
“I don’t think we will,” said Fluttershy. She took a sip of cocoa and recoiled at the scalding liquid. She set it down gently. “Everything’s taken care of for tonight, as far as I can remember.”
“Good.” A little red bird landed on Rainbow’s shoulder, but she shrugged it away. “I still say we should’ve waited until morning to do that. The storm’s supposed to have died down by then.”
Fluttershy sighed, eyes trained on the ground. “I’m sorry, Rainbow, but I already told you—”
“Yeah, yeah, it’s important to make sure that they’re all safe and stuff,” said Rainbow, waving a dismissive hoof. “I just find it a little weird that you told me to stay here tonight because it’s too dangerous to fly home, but you don’t mind putting yourself at risk for something that could wait until tomorrow. Doesn’t make sense to me.”
Fluttershy lifted her head and looked out the window across the room. The world was black and very ferocious-looking. The frozen gale rattled the windows in their frames, and the snowflakes pelted her house like tiny, arctic missiles. It was a terrifying scene.
She took a moment to absorb the warm room and sweet smell of cocoa around her. Eventually she said, “Rainbow Dash, how do you feel when you’re flying?”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow and eyed Fluttershy. “What does that have to do with—”
“Please, just answer the question.”
Rainbow followed Fluttershy’s gaze to the window. Letting the silence play for a few moments, she soon said, “Alright, I’ll bite. How do I feel when I’m flying? Well... awesome! That surge of adrenaline, knowing I could crash and burn at any second. The freedom of the open air. The wind blowing through my mane. Being totally at one with my element. It all makes me feel—”
“—like you’re on top of the world and nothing could tear you down?”
Snapping her eyes back to Fluttershy, Rainbow stared at her a bit blankly. Fluttershy turned to meet her stare with a pair of distant eyes.
“Yeah… yeah, that’s how it feels.”
Fluttershy blinked at her. “What about at the Best Young Fliers’ competition all those years ago? When Rarity was falling, and you had to put your flying skills to the test. How did you feel then?”
Rainbow blinked in kind. “Fluttershy, what are you—”
“Answer the question, Rainbow.”
Ripping her eyes away from Fluttershy’s, Rainbow looked at the ground. “Well… I guess it felt like… like me, Rarity, and those Wonderbolts were the only thing in the world that mattered. It was like I didn’t have any choice but to save them.”
Fluttershy nodded, still looking at Rainbow Dash with a set gaze. “And what about when you broke your wing? When the doctor told you that you couldn’t fly for at least a few days. How did that feel?”
“I…” Rainbow turned back to Fluttershy, meeting her stare in full force.
“Angry. I felt angry that I was robbed of the one thing I was really good at. The one thing I could do better than anyone else. Even if it was just for a little while, it felt terrible to not fly for those few days. I would’ve gone crazy without that book to read.”
The two of them stared at each other for a while. Eventually, Rainbow said, “Why are you asking me all of this, Fluttershy?”
Again, Fluttershy blinked. Then her face split into a warm smile, and her eyes softened a bit. “Rainbow, you’re really good at flying. Amazing, really. You’re so good, it’s your special talent.”
Rainbow craned her head to regard her cutie mark for a second. She quickly returned to staring blankly at Fluttershy.
“It’s your special talent,” Fluttershy repeated. “It’s the one thing in the world that you feel you can do better than anyone else. It’s your passion. It’s your destiny. And nothing can stop you from doing it, right?”
Rainbow nodded dumbly.
“All of those things you just said, Rainbow Dash, all of those feelings you described… those are feelings I get too… but not when I’m flying.” Fluttershy looked down and smiled fondly at her own cutie mark.
Rainbow Dash followed her eyes, and something clicked. “You get those feelings for—”
“—taking care of animals, yes.” Fluttershy took a tiny sip of cocoa and focused her eyes on the birdfeeder, still smiling. “When I make my animals happy, it makes me happy. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world and nothing can tear me down.”
She turned to look out the window. “When I feel like my animals are in danger, or if they’re desperately in need of something, it feels like that’s all that matters in the world. And it feels like I don’t have any other choice but to help them.
“And when somepony tells me I can’t do what I need to do to take care of them—” she turned her eyes to Rainbow Dash, her smile still strong “—it makes me feel angry. It makes me upset. It makes me want to prove them wrong, no matter what.”
Rainbow blinked, her mouth slightly agape.
“And it’s not just us, Rainbow,” said Fluttershy. “Other ponies feel those things too. Applejack with her family, Pinkie Pie with making ponies happy, Rarity with designing dresses, Twilight with her magic. They all have the same drive that you do. The same passion. They just show it in different ways.”
Rainbow Dash looked around the room. The few animals that remained in the room looked remarkably content. Some were sleeping soundly, others were still eating, and others still were just meandering around, occasionally throwing Fluttershy a smile.
“Fluttershy…” Rainbow began breathlessly. “I’m sorry. I—”
At that moment, the back door to the cottage flew open, and a badger stormed into the living room. It started frantically waving its claws about and letting off panicked squeals.
Fluttershy’s eyes went wide and she leaned forward. “W-what? Are you sure?”
The badger hopped up and down, pointing to the still-open door.
“Oh my!” Fluttershy stood, beaming. “That’s just so, so wonderful! But… oh, I need to hurry!” She ran over and began hastily throwing on her winter attire.
“Fluttershy!” Rainbow called, standing. “What’s going on?!”
“Oh, it’s just the greatest news, Rainbow Dash!” said Fluttershy, her eyes alight. “It’s Harriot the bear! She’s giving birth!”
“Whoa!” Rainbow cried, her mouth falling wide. “Do you need any help?”
Fluttershy cantered to the kitchen as she said, “No, I think she’ll be more comfortable if it’s just me there. You understand, right?”
“Sure, yeah,” said Rainbow, watching as Fluttershy pulled a first-aid kit from a cupboard. “Er… you’ll be safe though, right?”
Fluttershy met Rainbow’s eyes with a reassuring grin. “Of course I will, Rainbow.” She resumed her mad rush and zoomed for the back door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Could you please make sure all the water dishes are filled before you go to sleep? Don’t wait up!” And with that, Fluttershy and the badger disappeared back into the blizzard.
Rainbow stood there for a while, just staring at the door and running Fluttershy’s words through her mind on repeat.
Eventually, she recalled something and made her way into the kitchen. She gathered up the water dishes from the floor and took them to the sink, filling them one by one. She carefully put them back down in their assigned places, some of the animals rushing for a drink immediately, and then she moved back to the couch and lay down against the pillow, staring up at the nothing on the ceiling.
A small, irritated noise pulled her attention to the ground at her side. Angel looked up at her, paws crossed and foot tapping.
Rainbow blinked at him. “Uh… you can come up if you want. I don’t mind.”
The bunny kept pounding his foot mercilessly.
Rainbow Dash sighed and gave him a straight-faced expression. “Look… sorry about earlier, alright? I know you probably don’t care that I’m sorry, but things’ll be a lot better for Fluttershy if we can just get along, okay? So, just… sorry.”
Angel’s ears perked up, and he looked at her with an oddly neutral expression. After staring at her for a short while, he shrugged, hopped up onto the couch next to her, and settled himself in. He closed his eyes and fell still.
Rainbow blinked at the rabbit, her face nonplussed. Eventually, she smiled, yawned, closed her eyes, and laid her head back down against the cushion. The soft chirping of the birds overhead sang her to sleep in seconds.
***
When the moon was high in the sky and the storm had calmed a bit, the back door to the cottage came open, and Fluttershy stepped inside. Her mane was in tangles and her coat was terribly matted, but she was smiling brightly.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, you should’ve seen those little cubs!” she said, stepping out of her boots. “They were the cutest things ever! And there were three of them! Oh, I just can’t believe—”
She froze when her eyes fell on the couch.
Rainbow Dash was snoring softly, a little smile held on her face. Nestled between her body and one of her outstretched forelegs was a tiny bunny, sleeping soundly against her fur. Other little critters slept at the foot of the couch, and all of the birds were perched quietly overhead.
Fluttershy couldn’t stop her eyes from misting as a small, sweet smile crossed her face.
She quietly stepped over to the snoring pegasus and lifted the green blanket off of the floor, draping it over her sleeping form. Rainbow moved just slightly at the touch, but she didn’t come awake.
“Good night, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy whispered. Her eyes moved to the tiny white form hidden just beneath the blanket.
“And thank you.”
