The arrival of the Breezies was a time of excitement for the entirety of Ponyville. The small, fragile creatures, making their way through the small pony town on the wind, were certainly a sight to behold.
The entirety of the town was dressed in ribbons, going about its day with subdued energy, as the ponies of the area practiced their silence for the Breezies' arrival. The normally reclusive Fluttershy had emerged from her shell to plan the event, if only to make sure everypony knew just how vital it was that they stay completely quiet and still when the butterfly-like ponies arrived.
There were, of course, plenty of ponies who had come to the town that day to see the migration. If they didn't go quiet after seeing all the local ponies and their hushed whispers, they were quickly shushed if they started to make any noise. For Frosted Eclair, a quiet pony by nature, this did not become an issue.
Eclair, however, had little interest in the Breezies. Instead, she had come for the baking competition that would be held in the town next week. She had arrived long before any other ponies would, but that was to be expected- when it came to traveling from Cloudsdale by any means other than by wing, she had taken a balloon ride when she could get it. As it stood, one of the few balloon owners in Cloudsdale was using it to come down for the Breezie event and bring photography equipment, so Frosted Eclair had managed to hitch a ride.
Bright Lights, the pony in question, knew where the local inn was, having visited family in Ponyville many a time, and escorted Eclair to the location while whispering about the Breezie event in her ear. Frosted Eclair paid her little mind, only nodding occasionally to give the impression she was listening while taking in the scenery. Eclair had visited when she was but a filly, riding atop her teacher's back as the pegasi made their way down for a class trip. Back then, she remembered the ponies being far too friendly for her tastes- not much different from Cloudsdale, really. But now, in the wake of the much-anticipated event, the townsponies kept quiet and Eclair found herself content.
It was some time later that found Eclair laid out across a lumpy bed, reading over the list of entrants into next week's competition. The list was short, kept to a list of local ponies like a couple called Carrot and Cup Cake or one Derpy "Muffins" Hooves, whom Eclair thought it was clear to predict what she would be making. Then again, Frosted Eclair was also pretty much a dead giveaway...
As Eclair mulled over these thoughts, she failed to notice a conversation being held outside her door, and when she finally noticed, it was too late, because-
"SURPRISE!"
Eclair shrieked, startled into falling off the bed, and hit her head with a nasty thump.
"Oh. Whoops. I mean...surprise."
A whole lot of pink filled Eclair's vision, and to her it seemed that there were at least three ponies hovering above her, although she thought she had only heard one.
"Whoopsie! Here. Let me help you up..."
Frosted Eclair felt herself being tugged into an upright position, and finally, her vision cleared. Standing in front of her was a pony whose smile was bright as the sun.
"You're..." Frosted struggled to find something to say, "...very pink."
"Teehee! Thanks, I get that a lot." The pink pony suddenly slammed her hoof over her mouth, then in a hushed tone, whispered, "Sorry. I keep forgetting we're supposed to be quiet for the Breezies. My name is Pinkie Pie! What's yours?"
Eclair rubbed her head, ensuring it wasn't bleeding before responding slowly, "Frosted Eclair."
"Woah! Frosted Eclair?!" Pinkie's eyes bugged out at her for a moment, farther than pony eyes should have been able. "Er, I mean....wow. Frosted Eclair? You must be be here for that baking competition next week! I mean, if you were here for the Breezies, you would be out there waiting for them, instead of hiding in your room like a sourpuss, right?"
Electing not to answer, the golden pony replied, "Why are you here?"
Unperturbed, Pinkie replied, "Cause you're a new pony, silly bean! And even though Fluttershy said no welcome parties today, I've been visiting all the visitors and just saying hi and welcome!" Before Eclair could reply, Pinkie Pie gasped, taking at least three seconds of breathing in before she stared into Eclair's eyes. "Wait a minute! Did I just say you weren't here for the Breezies? That's terrible! Come on, you have GOT to see this! It's going to be super duper amazing!"
"Wha-what?" To Eclair's dismay, the quite probably insane pony had grabbed her hoof, and was inexplicably dragging her across the hardwood floor. "What are you doing? I'll...I'll call the police! Let go of me!"
"Heehee! You're silly! Come on, let's go have some fun!"
************
After standing in the summer heat alongside the entire town of Ponyville, staring at the sky for about five minutes, Frosted Eclair squinted and turned to her new pink "friend".
"What are we supposed to be seeing?"
A chorus of shushes replied to her, and Eclair visibly flinched, bowing her head to look at her hooves. After a moment, though, she heard the somewhat-annoying voice whispering in her ear.
"I like the way your mane is all swirly and done up like that. The white looks like whipped cream, and the gold looks like honey."
Frosted blinked a few times, then turned to tell Pinkie that that hadn't answered her question in the slightest, but the pony had vanished. Frowning and attempting to keep her irritability in check, she turned her head back towards the sky.
After a few beats of silence, Frosted heard something, something very faint, and thought she was imagining it. The noise, however, started the gradually grow louder, beginning to sound like voices. A few moments more and Eclair saw something very, very strange- very, very small ponies.
Butterfly ponies, it seemed. Their gossamer wings barely moved as they rode the wind above the ponies' heads.
These are Breezies? Eclair thought to herself. I'm not sure what I expected, but....it definitely wasn't this.
Despite her hesitations, Frosted Eclair stood as spellbound by the small creatures as the rest of the crowd alongside her. They moved in mesmerizing flight patterns, weaving in and out with just the slightest twitch of their wings, which were at least twice the size of their bodies. Despite their size, they moved rather quickly, and soon all but the tail end of the herd had disappeared into the distance- and then tragedy struck.
Somepony made a noise of some sort- Eclair couldn't tell who it was or where it came from- and when a stray leaf tumbled into the path of the small ponies, the last couple dozen Breezies suddenly tumbled out of formation. After a few moments of tumbling in midair, one started to fall to the ground. Horrified into a stupor, Eclair could only watch as it fell to its doom- except a butter yellow pegasus suddenly leapt into the air and caught it.
The rest of the Breezies clung to the heroic pegasus, and Eclair cheered with the rest of the ponies as they all landed safely. Eclair found herself unable to see what was going on, her vision blocked by the crowd of ponies in front of her. After a while, though, the same pegasus took to the air, taking the Breezies with her, to some unknown destination.
Word started to spread amongst the ponies of whatever had happened, and the crowd started to disperse. Eclair found herself awkwardly standing there, too shy to ask another what had happened, before Pinkie Pie popped into her vision again.
"Wasn't that amazing?! Fluttershy totally saved those Breezies from certain doom! She was like a total superhero! Rarity said she was gonna make her a hero's gown! Or maybe a sash!"
Eclair didn't know who Rarity was, but Fluttershy's identity was easily deducible. Instead of bothering to ask, Eclair looked towards where Fluttershy was disappearing into the distance. "Why aren't they getting them back on track?"
Pinkie Pie started bouncing along as she replied, forcing Eclair to keep up at a brisk trot. "She said they're a little frightened or something, so after a rest they're gonna get them back on track. I bet they'll do it in a private area, though. Wouldn't want another leafy to bother-y them again-y!"
To her surprise, Frosted found herself disappointed. "I....I see."
Pinkie stopped bouncing with a gigglesnort. "You ended up liking them, though, didn't you, Frosty? Oh! Ooh! Can I call you Frosty the Snowpony?"
Any appreciation Eclair had for Pinkie's showing her the event quickly evaporated. "No. Absolutely not."
"Okie dokie lokie!" the pink pony replied without missing a beat. "Say, Frosty...ed Eclair, why do you wear that sweater in the middle of summer?"
Eclair was surprised how quickly she asked the question, still smiling and bouncing to the beat of her own drum. "Uh..."
"Oh! I know! How about I introduce you to everypony in town?"
Frosted Eclair hesitated, but anything was better than answering the sweater question. "Sure, no problem."
**************
Meeting everypony in town had actually proved to be only the ones Pinkie knew really well. For Pinkie, that was saying a lot, given she knew the names and birthdates of the several hundred ponies in town. She had met Pinkie's realtors and second family, the Cakes; her good friends aside from Fluttershy, who was clearly busy; and the other entrants into the baking contest, including the very much airheaded Derpy Hooves, whose muffins came in every flavor under the sun except bran. She had even met Princess Twilight Sparkle herself, alongside her dragon assistant, who had only had time to say, "Sorry, I'm kind of busy. But welcome to town!" Eclair got the impression that Pinkie introduced her to lots of her new friends.
After Pinkie had suggested that she wanted to "introduce Eclair to everypony in town....wearing a salmon suit," Eclair had drawn the line, promising to meet Pinkie at the baking competition or sometime before then. It was surprising how much easier it was to make friends that didn't pity her when she was wearing a sweater, even if she got the impression that Pinkie didn't seem to notice things like physical imperfections, which Eclair had to admit was quite a trait, even for such a perpetually perky pink pony.
The town had gotten loud and busy again, so Eclair had excused herself to take a stroll in the wooded area around town, on the outskirts of the Everfree. Over and over she contemplated the idea of moving to a place like Ponyville; it seemed clear to her that they wouldn't be nearly as biased towards her as they were in Cloudsdale, where flying was everything in life and nothing else mattered. In Ponyville, where the three races mixed, life would undoubtedly be easier...
Frosted Eclair shook herself to get rid of those thoughts. She had a sick mother in Cloudsdale that needed her care. Maybe one day, but that day was not today.
She spent a few minutes trying to rid herself of those traitorous thoughts before she noticed voices penetrating her mental barrier. Looking up from where her eyes watched the dirt path, she saw a few splashes of color in the growth up ahead. Hesitant to introduce herself to more ponies, she walked into the tree line, weaving through until she found a spot where she could see the event but stay out of sight.
What she saw was a surprise. Standing there were all ponies she had met that day, plus Fluttershy and those Breezie folk. What were they still doing there? According to Pinkie, the Breezies only had hours to spare before they made it back home. Equestria was too dangerous for such small creatures. Why had they waited so long?
Eclair sighed in relief when she noticed two pegasi gently flying in midair. It would seem Pinkie had been right; they had taken to secluded area to send the stragglers home.
Speaking of Pinkie, she was there- along with Appletree, Rarity, Rainbow Crash, Fluttershy and...even Princess Twilight Sparkle. She couldn't imagine what they were all doing. Peering further, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Princess Twilight's horn lit up with a magenta glow, and that glow touched each of those six ponies, including herself. After pointing the glow at the Breezies, the six ponies began to change. Their limbs turned to stubs, and gossamer wings elongated out of their back for some, and changed from normal feathery wings in others. Finally, they all shrunk- and they were Breezies.
Eclair's jaw dropped.
She was only able to watch as the newly-turned Breezies joined with the regular ones and rode the wind out of sight.
In fact, she stood in that very spot for a long time afterwards, trying to comprehend what she had just seen. What particularly played out in her mind over and over was what she had seen happen to the unicorn and the two earth ponies.
They had grown wings.
They had gained the ability to fly.
After some time, Eclair slowly turned around and headed back towards the inn.
She had to see somepony tomorrow.
********
It was really a rare sight to see a building made from a huge tree. Perhaps it seemed so to Eclair because she rarely saw trees to begin with. Even so, that statement paled in comparison to the fact that a real-life, alicorn princess lived in there.
Frosted Eclair lifted a pale golden hoof, hesitated, then knocked on the door.
After a long, drawn out several moments during which Eclair seriously considered bolting, the door finally opened. She took a deep breath. "Hello, Prince-eh?"
She blinked in confusion at the empty space in front of her, until a very-not-Princess-Twilight voice grumbled, "Down here."
"Hm?" Eclair tilted her gaze downward, then raised an eyebrow. Shouldn't she be more surprised to see a dragon there?....No, wait. She wasn't scared because she had met the dragon the day before. "Ah. Spike, right?"
"Yep. That's me. You don't need to knock, by the way; it's a public library." He swung the door open fully, and Eclair stepped across the boundary.
Having only met Twilight and Spike at the door yesterday, the place seemed to be entirely constructed of wood. Then again, it was made of a tree. Books were crammed into every corner possible aside from the centerpiece table with a wooden pony bust. The books on the table, instead of being crammed onto shelves, were all dog-eared, bookmarked, and filled with post-it notes.
"So, what can I do you for? Need a book? Maybe on the Breezies? Or maybe on..." He looked at Eclair's flank, then shrugged. "I dunno, baking?"
"I'm not here for a book." Eclair looked around, but there was no trace of the pony she had come searching for. "I need to speak with Princess Twilight. It's....it's very important."
The baby dragon picked up on her tone right away, and nodded. "Oh. Oh, no problem. I'll go get her. Just, uh, make yourself comfortable, okay?"
Frosted nodded as the kid ran up the echoing wooden steps as fast as his stubby legs would carry him. After he disappeared at the top, she looked around. Given a moment of deliberation, she carefully sat on a cushion on the side of the room.
Soon enough, steps much heavier than Spike's echoed through the library. Their distinct clip-clop sound betrayed their owner, and Eclair looked up to see Twilight stop at the bottom of the staircase.
"Oh...hello. Um, Frosty Eclair, right?"
"Frosted Eclair, actually. But close enough."
The princess smiled. "My bad. So, you came here to discuss something important, right?" She walked over and sat on a cushion opposite Eclair.
"Yes, I do." Eclair rubbed her leg awkwardly. She hadn't exactly thought of a way to begin this conversation. "Uh...well, yesterday. With the Breezies."
"Oh, are you worried about them?" The princess's purple eyes were full of cheer. "Don't worry! They've all returned home safely!"
Eclair slowly nodded. "Yes, I know. I know because...I sort of saw you all transform into Breezies and guide them home."
"It wasn't supposed to be a secret. We just needed to be secluded where nothing would act up again. Don't be embarrassed."
"R-right. Sorry, Princess."
Twilight shook her head. "Please, call me Twilight."
"Okay... Twilight." Eclair paused, then bowed her head. "Let me get straight to the point. I want to turn into a Breezie."
"Is that so?" Twilight raised an eyebrow. "I'm all for trying new things, but you saw what happened with the Breezies. Such small, fragile creatures shouldn't live in our world. You could get hurt."
"I get that. I do. But it's not being a Breezie that I really want. I want to fly."
"To fly?"
Frosted Eclair nodded. "Yes. I do." She looked around, and after ensuring nopony was around, she slowly pulled the sweater over her head, flexing her wing. Her single wing.
"Oh my." Without looking up, Eclair could hear the shock in Twilight's voice. "Your...your left wing. What happened to it?"
"Born without it. Genetic defect. Luck of the draw."
"A-and, the scar on your chest?"
So she had noticed. "I tried a very, very untested flying device. Needless to say, it didn't go well. Made by some sly unicorn twins. Sued them to pony hell, but that didn't erase the scar."
"Unicorn twins..." Something about this seemed to upset the alicorn, but Twilight merely shook her head. "I-I'm sorry, but...I don't understand. I understand wanting to fly, being born a pegasus, but...so desperately?"
"It's mostly because I grew up in Cloudsdale."
Frosted Eclair cleared her throat at Twilight's blank look. "Let me explain." She began to tug her sweater back on, feeling self-conscious already. "Cloudsdale...well, for starters, it's a city strictly of pegasi. Even worse is that most of their families are strictly pegasi for generations. You rarely see a mixed pegasus coming up to make their home there.
"I mean, sure, I was teased or bullied sometimes. That happens to a good amount of ponies with disabilities. Lots of staring and pity parties, too. But I would probably experience that anywhere.
"No, what sets Cloudsdale apart is that in Cloudsdale, flying in everything. Flying is essential to life. It's as natural to ponies in Cloudsdale as breathing. It's practically impossible to get anywhere in Cloudsdale without being able to fly."
To her surprise, Twilight interjected, "Yes, I know that. I visited with my friends using a cloud-walking spell. The pegasi had to move us from section to section of the city."
Eclair slowly nodded. "So you understand how much of an inconvenience it was, then. Now just imagine that 24/7, and being the only one of your group of friends who had that issue."
Twilight visibly flinched. "Ouch."
"Exactly. That was my problem. As a little filly, I couldn't play simple games like tag, which the others all used their wings for. I couldn't go on class trips unless my aide carried me, or maybe an instructor if they were strong enough. I had that aide all through my school years. But when I wasn't being carried everywhere, to my utter embarrassment, instead I was on my own."
To Eclair's horror, tears began to build up in her eyes, but she couldn't stop now. "When we would go out, my friends struggled to find a way to get me where we were going. Sometimes, to my dismay, I even rode on the back of a friend's dad. Other times we would pay exorbitant money to get a pegasus taxi. But eventually, I gave up. I was tired, I was sick, I had homework- I had excuses.
"Some of my friends were true friends, and they were saddened that I couldn't come out. Others were just trying to be nice to me for obvious reasons, and they were relieved. But they all understood that it wasn't to be."
Silence reigned in the small library for several long moments. Eclair kept her eyes closed and head bowed, having poured out her heart to Twilight. Maybe it was because the Princess was the Princess, and couldn't be mean. Maybe it was because she was so desperate to fly. Maybe, just maybe, it was because she had needed a listening ear for so long.
After the telltale sound of an ignited horn filled the room, Eclair felt the warmth of telekinesis and the softness of a tissue press at her tear-streaked face. Slowly, her face was dried. She opened her eyes, seeing Twilight giving her a small smile.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"It's no problem. And, I don't mean to be pushy, but there's just one question tugging at my mind." Twilight leaned forward. "What about your parents?"
"Hm?" Eclair tilted her head slightly. "I- I'm not sure I follow."
"Your parents. Why did they choose to stay in Cloudsdale? And why didn't they help you in your time of need?"
"Ah." Eclair mulled over the question for a moment before answering. "Well, my father walked out on my mother when she found out she was pregnant. He was, pardon my Prench, a major plothole."
Twilight giggled. "I concur."
"Then Mom had to work two jobs to provide for us, especially with my disability. And that was pretty much that."
"And you didn't leave Cloudsdale because...?"
"Family lived there. Supported our family. And now I live there to support my mother. She's really sick. And so I've been stuck in my own personal little Tartarus since the beginning."
Twilight considered this, then nodded. "Thank you for sating my curiosity. Now, about the Breezie matter..."
Eclair leaned forward in her seat, past woes disappearing in the light of her potential future.
"...I'm sorry, I can't make you a Breezie."
Eclair's shoulders fell. "Oh."
"Allow me to explain!" Twilight said hastily. "You see, that spell was usable because I took the form of the Breezie and applied it to me and my friends. There's no Breezies around now." She suddenly rose out of her seat and started trotting across the room, analyzing the shelves. "However. On that trip to Cloudsdale I mentioned, I actually gave my friend Rarity a pair of butterfly wings. If I could give it to you, it would give you wings temporarily." She rubbed her purple chin, now talking aloud more than anything. "The last time, getting too close to the sun burned the wings, but they were going to run out anyway. Two days, max. If only I could find it..."
Frosted rose from her seat immediately to go help. "What was it called?"
"Magic of the Pegasi, I believe."
It took Eclair only a few seconds to find the tome in question. "Here it is."
Twilight turned around, eyebrow raised. "What? Where?"
Eclair shrugged and hoofed it over. "It was under 'M'."
Twilight took it and started flipping through it with her magic. "I have GOT to stop letting Pinkie help on reshelving day." She slowed the pace to examine the pages. "No, no, no...ah, here!" Eclair moved over to read alongside Twilight. "Yes, it seems the spell will work just fine. Oh, hm...what?" She peered more closely. "Huh. I didn't know it could be only casted on a pony once."
Eclair hesitated, then shook her head. "That's fine. I just want to fly once."
"If you say so." Twilight backed up a few steps. "Go on, take off your sweater."
Eclair obliged, and stepped back several paces. Twilight's horn lit up with a relaxing magenta glow, and Eclair felt it wrap around her body. Her excitement bubbled in her throat as she slowly floated into the air, feeling something happening at her sides. A tingling, at first, then a blossoming warmth, then an extension of her nerves as full multicolored wings emerged from her sides, one just above her lone yellow wing, the other growing from the nub on her side.
The magic slowly dissipated, and Eclair gently dropped to the floor. Turning slowly, she saw the beautiful wings extended at her sides, glittering as they caught the light. She turned, trying to see them from all angles, then turned and turned again, windswept into excitement.
"I...I can't believe it! These wings! They're beautiful!" She turned to Twilight with the first genuine grin of the day, the first genuine one in a long time. "Do they really work?!"
"Of course they do!" Twilight replied. "Go on! Test them out! Fly, Eclair, fly!"
Frosted Eclair waited no longer. She dashed forward, threw open the door, and took a galloping start into the clear blue sky.
There were no words for the elation she felt as she gained height, pressure building around her wings as she soared above the rooftops. There were no words for seeing startled pegasi as she tore past them, confused at the mare's large butterfly wings. There were no words for that feeling of pure weightlessness, the feeling as though she could take on the world.
"I'm flying!" Frosted Eclair screamed to the heavens, the earth and all its creatures. Whooping with delight, she flipped head over hooves, did barrel rolls, and dashed as fast as she could at top speeds. So many classes, so many forgotten exercises, raced through her mind as the rushing air undid her mane and allowed her gently flowing curls to fly freely in the wind. The magically enchanted wings allowed for all sorts of maneuvers, all sorts of dips and dives and corkscrew turns she certainly couldn't have managed as a normal pegasus.
As she flew across the small town again and again, suddenly a small lavender shape approached her. It soon became clear that Twilight Sparkle had decided to join the flight. Eclair stopped as quickly as possible, relishing in the mere ability to hover in midair with slow wingbeats.
"Frosted Eclair! Are you having fun?"
"Are you kidding me?!" Eclair laughed, flipping over twice. "This is exhilarating! It's everything I hoped for and more!"
"I'm so glad!" Twilight looked skyward, then turned back to Eclair. "Do you want to see something Rainbow Dash taught me?"
"Sure! I'll do anything if I can fly!"
Twilight laughed. "Then follow me!" After preparing for a moment, Twilight launched herself skyward.
With the help of the magical wings, Eclair burst after her. The purple pony was shooting straight up into the sky, ignoring any clouds in her path, bursting right through them. Frosted relished the feeling of the soft clouds bursting across her coat, as thin and fragile as cotton candy, dissolving at the touch. Bursting through the layers left drops of moisture on her coat, which evaporated in the wind only to be replaced by newly destroyed clouds.
Eclair couldn't believe her eyes (and her lungs couldn't believe their desperation) when a few scattered stars twinkled above her. Finally, Twilight slowed down before they really began to push their limits.
Eclair slowed down, too, gasping for air in the thin upper reaches of the atmosphere. She felt ready to collapse, and did so gladly when Twilight pushed a stray cloud under her.
"Oh..." Frosted Eclair gasped for breath, but smiled as she did so. "Oh my Celestia. That was amazing. Exhilarating. Oh Celestia..."
Twilight giggled, making herself comfortable on the cloud beside her. "Here. A simple little spell to help us breathe."
A orb of condensed air formed around Eclair's mouth, and suddenly she felt her muscles relaxing as her lungs filled up normally. "Thank you. You don't know what normal air is like till it's gone, huh?"
Twilight nodded. "Yes, I get it. Rainbow Dash had to revive me the first time around. You're doing quite well, considering."
Frosted Eclair replied with a breathless laugh, one filled with more joy than she had never known. Silence replied, but it was a comfortable silence, one of understanding.
"Frosted Eclair?"
"Yes?"
"Are you happy now?"
Eclair rolled over onto her stomach, looking down at the ground, barely visible through the thick clouds. "I...I don't know. For now, I am. Once I get back on the ground, though..."
Eclair mulled it over, then looked Twilight-no, her new friend in the eyes. "You know, I think I'll be alright. I've tried it now. I won't have to always wonder what I'm missing."
"Well, Frosted..." Twilight smiled. "I'm glad I could do this for you."
The pegasus smiled, spreading her temporary magical wings. "Thank you, Twilight. Thank you so, so much."
Author's Note
This pic I drew is old, but here- a ref of Frosted Eclair.
http://www.ezimba.com/work/150120C/ezimba12932718930600.jpg
