Destinies Intertwined

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were waiting at the clubhouse for Applebloom. They were waiting to see if they would be able to invite Rumble into their group. The roads were still too icy and snowy in Ponyville to get to school, so the Cutie Mark Crusaders were holding a mandatory meeting. Sweetie Belle looked out the window for the umpteenth time. “She sure is taking her sweet time.” She noted.

“Tell me about it. It’s gonna be lunch time in an hour.” Scootaloo pointed out.

Sweetie Belle sighed, and returned to looking out the window. She immediately saw Applebloom run up to the front door.

Applebloom burst into the clubhouse, out of breath. She went over to one of the beanbags and collapsed.

Everyone looked at her. “You okay there, Applebloom?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah, just had a hard time leavin’, Applejack found out she was handlin’ the Apple family reunion this year and was makin’ a whole bunch of plans.”

“Oh...when’s the reunion?” Scootaloo asked.

“Next weekend.”

“Oh...So did you talk to Babs?” Sweetie asked.

“Yup…” Applebloom nodded.

“What did she say?”

Applebloom sighed. “She said she didn’t mind… Not ta mention Granny Smith scolded me when she found out Ah didn’t want Rumble cuz he was a boy.”

Both girls laughed.

Applebloom glared at them both, “Ah don’t have a problem with boys...but this feels weird…”

“Well… I’m fine with adding boys. Especially if they’re cute…” Sweetie Belle grinned deviously.

“Ew! You two are startin’ to sound like some of the gals who make eyes at Big Mac...which has been almost every girl in town…”

“Not EVERY girl. What about… Um…” Scootaloo had to think for a few moments.

“Ms. Twilight?” Sweetie suggested.

Applebloom thought for a few moments…”Maybe...but she ain’t been here long enough.”

“Besides, she seems to be all over someone else,” Scootaloo said.

Applebloom and Sweetie Belle looked at their friend. Sweetie Belle asked, “Ms. Twilight? The anti-social bookworm?”

“Yup. Least that’s what I heard…”

“Weird…”

“Think it could be a mistake?” Applebloom asked.

“Well… I heard it from Spike. He told me when he told me about his wings.”

“He told ya about that?” Applebloom asked.

“Yup, since Rainbow Dash might teach us both.”

“Oh.”

“Hey! Should we go tell Rumble?” Scootaloo asked.

“Oh yeah, we should.” Sweetie Belle went over to the door and opened it, holding it open for the other two girls.

Both girls walked out of the clubhouse, with Sweetie Belle close behind. They started to head into town when Applebloom noticed a figure from a distance. The others also noticed the figure and stopped to watch as the figure approached.

Once they could deduce what the figure was, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo felt a shiver go through their spines.

He was a black Pegasus with a yellow mane. He was wearing a blue jacket, a red shirt, worn baseball cap, jeans, and boots. He saw the girls and waved, smiling. “Hey there.”

"Hello," Applebloom greeted, albeit in a suspicious tone.

The other two girls didn't say anything.

"Well, I'm trying to meet up with my little sister. Though I doubt you've heard of her."

"Try me." Applebloom sneered.

"Her name's Fluttershy, she lives in a cottage...but I don't know where the cottage is. I haven't seen her in...forever."

“Wait, Fluttershy? As in the Element of Kindness Fluttershy?”

“The what?”

Applebloom shot him another strange look. "You don't know what the Elements of Harmony are?"

"She hasn't really mentioned it in her letters... She's mentioned having friends, though."

"Uh-huh..."

Sweetie Belle finally got out of her frozen state and asked. "Do...you...uh..." Sweetie started blushing.

Applebloom rolled her eyes.

"Look...I know you probably shouldn't talk to strangers...but... I'm really her brother."

“Are ya sure about that?”

"I am... Hold on..." The man reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, then handed it to Applebloom. "This was the letter she sent me inviting me over."

Applebloom looked at the letter for a minute. It looked like Fluttershy's handwriting, sounded like Fluttershy, and even had a slight animal smell to it like Fluttershy's cottage. “Eeyup. It’s definitely her.”

The other girls gave her a strange look.

Applebloom looked back at them. "What?"

"Nothing..." Scootaloo replied. “Anyway, we know where she lives.”

The man smiled, "Great, could you show me how to get there, please? Her letter didn't say where her cottage was..."

Applebloom explained the directions to the man, still feeling unsure about him.

When she had finished, the man thanked her, and left.

When the man was out of earshot, Applebloom said. "Ah don't like it."

“What do you mean?” Sweetie Belle asked.

"Somethin' feels fishy ta me..."

"With that guy?"

"Yeah...maybe we should follow him..."

"And get arrested?" Scootaloo questioned, "Count me out."

"But would you rather see Miss Fluttershy hurt?"

Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at each other.

Finally, Scootaloo answered, "Good point, let’s go.”

*****

The girls followed the stranger while he walked to Fluttershy's cottage. He wasn't really doing anything all that weird...but Applebloom retained her suspiscion.

Her fellow Crusaders, while suspicious, couldn't help but stare at him when Applebloom wasn't looking at them. Unlike Applebloom, they had developed a small crush on the newcomer.

The stranger knocked on the door. After a minute of silence, Fluttershy answered. Upon seeing the stranger Fluttershy gasped and put her arms around him.

The man hugged her back and they remained that way for a few moments.

Applebloom turned to the other Crusaders. "Well...guess Ah was wrong...again."

"Don't worry about it," Scootaloo shrugged, "You were just worried about Miss Fluttershy."

"Ah know...but Ah still feel bad."

"Well... Are we ready to tell Rumble he's a Crusader?" Scootaloo asked.

"Y'all can. Ah'm gonna help AJ and Big Mac with the reunion stuff."

"Yeah...and I need to keep my eye on Rarity. She's beginning to scare me ever since the whole Changeling thing."

Scootaloo gulped. "So...I'm just gonna tell him?"

Both girls nodded.

"Great..."

*****

Fluttershy allowed her visitor inside. "Thank you so much for coming, Brainstorm."

Brainstorm smiled at Fluttershy. "I couldn't say no to my little sister."

"So how's Uncle Big Deal?"

"He's doing okay."

"That's good. He said he was doing good when he wrote me last, but...you know how he is..."

"Yeah..."

"So how bout you? Are you doing well?"

"I am, actually."

"Good. You know, it has been way too long since I last saw you."

"It has..." Brainstorm chuckled, " You really surprised me when you told me you had friends, you know."

Fluttershy blushed, "I remember, you spit up your punch at Uncle Big Deal's party."

"Yeah... Though I felt better when he did the same after you told him."

Both siblings burst out laughing remembering the scene. “Oh those were good times.”

“Yeah… By the way, I would like to meet those friends of yours.”

“Oh… Um… I’ll have to see if they aren’t doing anything right now.”

“I don’t mean right now, just while I’m here. Course, guess I’ll need to meet Miss...uh...Twilight?”

Fluttershy nodded.

“...Since...well…”

She nodded again, “Thanks again for being willing to do that…”

“Sure. I’m happy to help.” Brainstorm smiled.

Fluttershy sighed, “I just hope they’ll accept it.”

******

Scootaloo stood by the large tree and was waiting for Rumble to finish up. As the pegasus colt was finishing a quick game of football with his friends, he finally went over to Scootaloo. “Hey,” he greeted.

Scootaloo smiled, “Hey. You looked real good out there.”

Rumble’s eyes widened, “I-I did?”

Scootaloo realized what she had just said and tried to recover, “U-uh...yeah...you did real well...especially on that last touchdown.”

“Oh…” Rumble looked disappointed, “Thanks…”

“Anyway… I have some good news.”

“You do?”

“Yeah, you are allowed to be a Cutie Mark Crusader.”

“Really?!”

“Yup.”

“Awesome!”

"Yeah... Our first meeting is after lunch at one."

“Today or another day?”

"Today...just make sure you're there."

“You can count on it.”

"Cool, see ya then."

Scootaloo was about to leave, before Rumble said. "Hey Scootaloo?"

"Yeah?"

Rumble smiled, "Thank you."

*****

Midnight was sitting in the middle of Luna’s room. He was still trying to process in his mind that he once again had a home. The only differences were that his guardian is a pony and he’s living in a castle. His guardian was asleep on her bed. He felt mildly tempted to go up there and lay with her...but he wasn't sure he should rush it. He didn't want to make her angry and get kicked out…

Wait...out...

Maybe it was time he explore his new home… He quietly walked out the door and padded through the hallway. Midnight was impressed with all the hallways and doorways. The elaborate construction exceeded what he has seen in the den he was born in before his parents...

Midnight shivered at the thought. What he saw is the last thing that needed to be on his mind right now. He shook it off and continued on his trek. Soon, the faint sound of coughing caught his attention. His ears picked it up before he walked toward the source of the sound. He entered the room and saw a featherless, ugly bird in a gold cage.

“Oh… my…” were the first words to leave his mouth.

The bird looked at him and cocked its head.

Midnight was having a hard time taking his eyes off of it, but he eventually shook it off. “Um… Hi?”

The bird squaked.

“M-My name’s Midnight… What’s yours?”

The bird pecked at it's full food tray.

“Oh, you’re hungry. I guess you’d rather be left alone…”

The bird squaked again.

“Okay then, I’ll just leave…”

The bird made a few choking noises.

“Are you okay?”

The bird continued coughing.

Midnight walked back over to it. "Maybe I should get some help."

Suddenly, the bird burst into flames!

Midnight gasped. "I'll go get someone!" He bolted out of the room and started howling.

A few guards were running up to the room. The first thing they noticed was Midnight, a wolf they were never informed of. Their first reaction was to point spears at him. Midnight noticed this and swallowed hard before he calmly walked back to the room with the bird.

Princess Celestia walked into the room and saw Midnight. "Well...hello there, little one. How are you?"

Midnight tilted his head in confusion. He couldn't understand this one like Luna. Speaking of, he noticed Luna running in behind Celestia. “The wolf is mine,” she yelled, “I just found him last night!”

Celestia looked to her sister, "So, is he your pet?"

“Yes.”

Celestia smiled, "I'm glad...but I wish you had told me earlier."

“I never really got the chance.”

"Well...maybe a note next time or something?"

“Okay.”

"Now...whys he so upset?"

“I have no idea, but I can ask him.”

“Okay.”

Luna knelt next to Midnight. “What’s wrong?” Luna asked Midnight.

"There was this bird coughing and then it got caught on fire!" Midnight explained.

“You mean the one that’s now ashes?”

Midnight looked over at the cage- and gasped. It WAS ashes! “No! I- I was too late.”

“No you weren’t. Let me handle this.” Luna walked over to the cage and said, “Philomina, would you knock it off already?”

A flash of light engulfed the ashes, and it soon changed to a beautiful Phoenix. Midnight looked at her with such awe.

"Why do you have to keep scaring people like that?" Celestia asked the bird.

“But it’s so fun…” Philomina replied.

"But do you think a wolf puppy would know about a Phoenix's life cycle?" Luna asked.

Philomina shrugged. “I never figured I’d meet a wolf.”

Midnight heard this. “Well...I never thought I’d meet a phoenix.”

“Suppose so…”

"So what do you have to say for yourself?" Celestia glared.

Philomina sighed. "I'm sorry..."

"Good."

Midnight looked at Philomina. “Do you do that to every new person you meet?”

Philomena thought for a few moments, then finally. “Pretty much.”

Midnight rolled his eyes.

“But...I don’t meet a lot of people…”

"Why's that?"

“I just don’t get out much, but that’s my choice.”

"What's stopping you?"

Philomena shrugged, “Not a lot of folks like talking to me.”

“Well, they might like you if you didn’t prank them…”

"A very good point,” Luna pointed out.

Then something occurred to Midnight, “Philomena? Do you have any friends?”

"Like I said, not a lot of folks don't like talking to me."

“Oh...well… I could be your friend…”

Philomina looked at the wolf. “Really?”

"Sure." Midnight grinned.

Philomena smiled back, "Thank you."

“Just don’t scare me like that again.” Midnight noted.

"Okay..." Philomena sighed.