Featherfall

It was an icy cold day. Outside, every bit of moisture that had survived since the latest rainfall was now frozen solid, a myriad of tiny glistening crystals that dotted the sight of every meadow, every flower, and every leaf of every tree. A peek through one of the many sealed windows of the Golden Oak Library revealed just enough of the outside world to make Twilight silently thank Celestia that she would not have to leave her home any time soon.

It was early into the evening, and Twilight was looking back onto a day full of studying. Her mind still whirled with the many ideas and concepts and facts and discoveries and streams of magic in patterns to manipulate air and temperature... it all had left her longing for relaxation, making her wholeheartedly look forward to the upcoming slumber party. It would be a break of learning, a nice, simple time with four of her closest friends, exactly what she needed.

When she heard the first knock coming from the door, her heart jumped a beat, and she was quick to answer it so as to not have the pony outside suffer for longer than necessary.

“Come in, quickly.” Twilight gave a smile to the bit of pegasus body that she could see behind a concatenation of various pieces of clothing, shutting the door behind her. “Glad you could make it. Let me take your scarf.”

“Thanks.” Fluttershy returned the smile, stepping out of her boots while Twilight unwrapped the scarf from her neck. When she slipped out of her coat to give Twilight a hug, the librarian almost jerked back, shocked from just how cold her feathers felt to the touch.

“This is crazy,” she murmured as they parted. “Today might be the coldest day I’ve ever seen.”

“Mhhh...” Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “It’s not as bad for pegasi, though. I don’t feel as cold as my feathers do.”

“What about earth ponies?” Twilight carefully floated Fluttershy’s clothes onto a pile in the corner of the room. “They also freeze less than unicorns do, don’t they?”

“Oh, no.” Fluttershy reached upwards, removing her knit cap. “More.”

“Really?”

Fluttershy nodded. “We learned that in flight camp. Earth ponies have the most magic in their bodies, but that magic doesn’t keep them warm. And they have a higher body temperature than unicorns, so they’re quicker to feel cold.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I doubt Applejack will come in this weather,” Fluttershy said, accurately guessing what had been on Twilight’s mind.

“I guess not.” Twilight gave a sigh. “Well... do you notice anything?”

Now naked, Fluttershy curiously turned her head as she followed Twilight into the right half of the room, close to the staircase.

“It’s... warm?”

“Yeah.” Twilight halted in front of where a couple of stones had been assembled into a small pile on the floor. “I enchanted these to give out heat. It was pretty difficult, but for tonight, they should work like a campfire.”

“That’s wonderful.” With a content sigh, Fluttershy dropped down next to them. “Mhh... it feels nice after the walk here. Thank you.”

“I’m glad you like it,” Twilight said, a slight blush on her face. There was nothing quite like a conversation with Fluttershy, although she wasn’t even sure why. It wasn’t as though a simple ‘thank you’ was anything special – most of the other girls would probably have said it too – but coming from Fluttershy, it somehow had a different weight. It was as if others simply said it out of habit, while the pony that now sat opposite to her did it out of... kindness?

Twilight smiled, and she felt a warmth that didn’t come from the artificial fireplace. Going with the momentum, she found herself walking around the contraption, taking the pegasus into another embrace, this one not brief, but long and full of sympathy.

Though visibly confused, Fluttershy returned it, her cold feathers now seeming like a tiny nuisance, irrelevant compared to the weight of the gesture.

“What was that for?” she asked as they parted.

“I just...” Twilight found herself smiling; having no response to the question, she saved herself in a helpless shrug. “I’m... glad you’re my friend. We don’t tell each other that often enough.”

As an answer, Fluttershy simply nodded. “That’s true. Mhh... maybe I have something to learn from you.”

Twilight giggled, sitting back down. “Maybe.” Fluttershy joined her, and as she did, a strand of her mane fell in front of her eyes.

“So, how was your day?”

“It was...” Twilight paused, searching for the right words. “Totally exhausting,” she eventually said, giving a small laugh. “But it’s okay. Back in Canterlot, it used to be like this all the time.”

“Mhhhh...” Fluttershy made, and the sound gradually bled into the silence that followed. There was something special about the moment, and somehow, Twilight couldn’t bother trying to make conversation, not while she herself was so content simply enjoying the absence of learning.

“I’ll get it,” she said when another knock announced the arrival of the second visitor. Lost in her thoughts, it took her a few moments to register the sight of her marefriend standing in the entrance.

“Evening, darling.” Rarity gave her a kiss on the cheek, a gesture much welcomed despite the cold of her lips. “You look happy.”

“Oh.” A giggle. “I guess I am. Fluttershy does that.”

“I see.” Rarity paused, and Twilight could tell by the fact that she hadn’t come in yet that something was on her mind. “Ahem – two things, dear. Firstly, I’m afraid Pinkie Pie will not show up for tonight – according to Mrs Cake, she is a bit sick, although the issue seems mostly psychological. She has been very clear on wanting to be left alone, so there seems to be nothing we can do.”

“That sounds terrible.” Fluttershy had walked over from the fireplace. “I hope it’s nothing permanent.”

It was so cold outside that, by this point, Twilight was already beginning to freeze, and news about Pinkie, worrisome or not, were hardly a reason not to come inside.

“And the second point?”

“I received an unexpected visit from a cousin of mine,” Rarity said with a look over her shoulder. “She has expressed interest in joining our little get-together tonight, but I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate, and I didn’t want to drag her here if you two’d rather keep things in a closed circle. Do you think it would be alright if she accompanied us?”

“Everything... as long as we don’t have to keep the door open for longer,” Twilight remarked. “But... yeah, sure.”

“Of course.”

Rarity gave a thankful nod. “I shall get her, then – just one more thing. My cousin, she is... a very fragile pony, and very shy. More so than Fluttershy, believe it or not.” She gave a slight smile, as if to excuse her remark. Fluttershy giggled. “So... well, just, keep that in mind, if you will.” She lit her horn, and Twilight needed a few seconds to realize that she was giving a signal. If this was because her cousin had been too shy to meet them right away, then that might explain the whole procedure.

Neither Twilight nor Fluttershy could refrain from staring as the pony in question rounded the corner, but she too was covered in a thick layer of clothes that made it impossible to judge her appearance. One thing Twilight did notice, however, and with no shortage of surprise, was that she was a pegasus.

“Come in, please,” Twilight said as soon as she was in talking range, so as to prevent any further prolonging, closing the door at last. By this point, she was openly freezing, and had to prevent her teeth from cluttering. “You can undress here,” she added. “I can take care of your clothes.”

The pony nodded, and while she did as she was told, Twilight got the first real glimpse of what she looked like.

It was a young mare, younger than Twilight, with an inconspicuous, light gray coat and mane of a pale blue with a touch of turquoise, hanging down in strands from her head. She was pretty, but not nearly as pretty as Rarity, and in a much more passive sort of way. It was the kind of look that would never stand out, and yet there was a certain... fragileness to the image, just like Rarity had said, as if her appearance had somehow adapted this asset of her character.

She also did not have a cutie mark, a rare thing for a mare of her age.

“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight introduced herself while putting the clothes of Rarity and her guest next to Fluttershy’s. She refrained from offering a hoofshake, attempting to keep things as casual as possible.

“My name is Fluttershy.”

“Uhm.” The mare, now undressed, had her gaze fixated on the floor, her voice just barely loud enough to be audible. She, too, was shivering. “F... Featherfall.”

The scene brought into memory the first time she had met Fluttershy. As it seemed, everything about the pony that was now standing in front of them seemed eerily similar to how the yellow pegasus had been like a year ago. And yet... somehow, Featherfall seemed even more weak, even more fragile.

“Well...” Trying to prevent an awkward silence, Twilight made a gesture towards her contraption. “I enchanted a group of stones for tonight to work as a fireplace. If any of you are, you know, cold...” That earned a chuckle from Rarity and Fluttershy. “We could sit down there.”

“A fireplace?” Featherfall looked up at that, following Twilight to the spot. “Ohhh... that’s amazing!” With quick steps, she walked towards the stones, crouching down next to them. “Thank you!”

“Uhm...” Twilight instinctively raised an eyebrow at that, a multitude of questions bubbling up against the surface of her mind. But she opted to just smile, asking none of them. “My pleasure.”

Still eyeing the gray pony, Twilight sat down next to her. Fluttershy chose the spot on Twilight’s other side, and Rarity sat down between the two pegasi.

“Well then.” Rarity seemed to try her best to sound casual, but there was a clear sense of nervousness to her tone. “How have you been, Fluttershy?”

“Oh, uhm.” Fluttershy winced a bit, eyeing the stones with a sad glance. “Not that good. But I think it’s getting better.”

“Still the...” Rarity threw a gaze at her cousin. “Ahm – same issue?”

“It’s okay.” Fluttershy gave a shy smile toward Featherfall. “I’ve been having feelings for another pony, but she’s not into mares, and I’m not really over her yet. But that’s okay. I’m, uhm. I think I’m getting better.”

“Oh...”

“It’s okay, really.”

“It is not okay, darling. A rejection of this nature is one of the most demoralizing things a young mare such as yourself can experience, and it has been far too recent for you to be over her already.” Rarity lit her horn, removing the same strand of mane from Fluttershy’s face that Twilight had noticed earlier. “This mare must be a cold-hearted pony, if she is rejecting a soul as kind as yours,” she added, her tone somewhat snide.

“But... it’s not her fault. She’s just not, uhm... interested in other mares.”

Rarity gave an exasperated sigh. “Tell me, Fluttershy, if you... well, let us say that you were to find everything you are looking for in somepony else, and he happened to be a stallion. Would you be able to love him?”

“Uhm... probably?”

“So do you see? During the last few hundred years, while Celestia has lead us into the most tolerant and true-to-life era in recorded history, bisexuality has risen from roughly twenty to an orientation that over fifty percent of our population shares! I’m sorry to tell you, Fluttershy, but if she is hiding behind her romantic label, most likely it is nothing but an excuse. What kind of pony would voluntarily limit her romantic interests to merely a quarter of the available candidates?”

“I don’t know, Rarity.” Fluttershy murmured, a shade of pink on her cheeks. “Don’t you think you might be a bit... uhm, biased?”

Rarity opened her mouth, but closed it without giving an answer. “Well,” she eventually said, “maybe a bit, I suppose. But you know I care about you, Fluttershy. And I know that there are some mares who really do not feel any romantic attraction to ponies of their own gender, but please believe me if I tell you that it is often used out of dishonesty. Celestia knows, I have seen it.”

“Mhh...”

“What do you think, Twilight?”

“I, uh...” Twilight’s eyes had been fixated on Featherfall. There was something odd about her, but she couldn’t pin down what it was... and the suspicion she had was vastly unlikely...

She loosened her gaze, giving a shrug. “Could be both. I’ve never seen the mare. There’s really no way for us to tell.”

“I suppose that is true.”

“Although you have the most experience,” Twilight added. “If you say mares like using that as an excuse, I’m sure that’s true, too.”

“Ah, yes. Quite.”

“That’s, uhm. I think that’s cowardly, though.”

At that, both Twilight and Rarity voiced their agreement, then Rarity sighed.

“One has to be honest in seeking romantic relations. That is, quite frankly, the most important rule to follow.”

“Hmm...” A smile crept onto Twilight’s face at that, harbinger of good memories.

Then, “Who are the better kissers, Rarity? Stallions or mares?”

Fluttershy’s lips escaped a snicker, shortly silenced by her own front limb. Rarity had better control over herself, giving only a sly smirk at the question. Featherfall gave no reaction, not even a smile.

“Mares, by a landslide. More perceptive, and less demanding.”

“Oh?” Twilight smirked. “I recall you saying that being demanding is a good thing.”

Rarity’s eyes shot daggers in her direction. “At the right time and place, yes.”

“Sounds like somepony’s had bad experiences.”

“Ah, well. Twilight quite likes to do that,” Rarity said to Fluttershy. “First she will ask me about something, and when I give an answer that takes sides, one way or another, she thinks I’m being unfair.”

“H-hey!” Twilight protested. “That’s...” But the words did not pass further examination. “... okay, that’s kind of true.”

“Mhh...” Fluttershy seemed to have regained her composure. “I think the real question is, can we trust your answer?”

Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Of course you can.”

“I don’t know, Rarity,” Twilight assisted, having caught on Fluttershy’s line of thinking. “Generosity, remember? Not honesty.”

It was all friendly teasing, but while Twilight was saying it, her eyes flickered back to Featherfall. She had not said a word, not a single word since thanking Twilight for her spell. And she was sitting so close to the fireplace...

“Mh...” Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Yes.”

“And you wouldn’t want to hurt us,” Twilight continued, not taking her eyes off Rarity’s cousin. “If the answer were stallions, would you really be honest?”

“I most certainly would.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Uhm, okay then. I believe you.”

“Do you, now? Why, how kind of you.”

Fluttershy snickered. “I don’t know if Twilight does, though.”

“I think I do. But I think Rarity might be blinded by love. I don’t think we can trust her judgement.”

“Well, I got bad news for you then, darling. You won’t have any opportunity to find out for yourself.”

“Ohhh...” Fluttershy cooed. “That was such a sweet answer.”

Twilight laughed. “Yeah. But... maybe I already did?”

“Well...” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “Did you?”

“...” Twilight blushed. “No.”

“That’s what I thought.” Rarity gave a complacent smile. “What about you, Feather? Did you ever have the fortune of a coltfriend?”

Having forgotten about her entirely, this brought Twilight’s attention right back to the shy pegasus, who seemed to be startled a bit by the question, and kept her gaze at the floor while she answered.

“Uh... uhm. No.”

Rarity doesn’t know her very well, Twilight thought. The fashionista had said nothing about how often she was seeing her cousin, but this interaction didn’t seem to indicate a close relationship. And now, Featherfall moved even closer to the stones, almost touching them, staring unhappily onto the ground.

Twilight had waited for something from the pegasus, anything that would disprove her horrifying premonition, that sinister feeling that was so terrible that she was scared to even consider the possibility of being right. But Featherfall was too distant, too empathetic, too sad, too fragile, and was sitting too close to the fire for her to ignore it any longer. Even now, she looked as though she was about to cry.

She had to do something.

“Uhm, Featherfall?” Twilight said, loud enough to make all heads turn towards her. “Are you... a-are you feeling cold?”

“Huh?”

“Are you feeling cold?” Twilight repeated, holding her breath at the absence of an answer. She couldn’t have been right. Celestia, no. Please no...

“I...”

But Featherfall seemed to struggle with a response. For over ten seconds, she simply looked at Twilight, as if hoping that somepony would change the subject. Rarity threw a confused look, first at Twilight, then at her cousin, but neither her nor Fluttershy said anything.

“Uhm... not... much?”

“So you are feeling a bit cold?”

“Well, only the way you always do. You... y-you always feel a tiny bit cold, r-right?”

Twilight closed her eyes in terror, unable to suppress a tiny sob, but it was Rarity who answered.

“No. You don’t, Featherfall.”

Confusedly, Featherfall moved her gaze over to Fluttershy.

“I don’t,” the pegasus said. “Only if it’s cold outside.”

Twilight let out a small breath, doing her best to stay collected. She had to keep herself together if she wanted to be of help.

“Can I try something on you?” she asked, her voice quiet.

“Uh... okay.”

Twilight bowed her head, a stream of magic erupting from her horn. At first, nothing happened, but then, Featherfall let out a pleasant moan, hugging herself.

“What are you doing?” Rarity asked, her voice spelling out utter confusion.

“Warming her,” Twilight simply said. “She’s cold. She’s always been cold. She probably barely knows what it means not to freeze.”

“Feather. Dear Celestia, is that true?”

Featherfall didn’t seem to have heard the question. Her eyes were closed, her body relaxed in a way that it had not been since she had arrived, and a very quiet moaning kept escaping her lips.

With the intent of preserving the young mare’s dignity, Twilight released the spell, but also moved herself closer to her.

“Feather. Is it true that you are always feeling cold?”

“Uhm... more or less.” With the warming magic gone, Featherfall’s body immediately snapped back into its tensed state. “I thought everypony did. It’s just... normal. It’s always been that way. It’s... n-not that bad. It’s just a bit.”

“But...” Rarity began, but Twilight shook her head, just a bit, signaling her to stop.

“Featherfall.” Twilight’s heart was pounding, and she hoped that she was making the right call by attempting to take matters into her own hooves, rather than reporting the issue momentarily. “Can I ask you for a hug?”

“What?”

“A hug,” Twilight repeated, with not a hint of sarcasm to her voice. “Can you give me a hug, please?”

“I... okay.”

Twilight threw a gaze at Rarity, who gave her a reassuring nod. Slowly, she took the other mare into her arms, pulling her upper body close. At first, everything seemed normal, and for a brief moment, she wondered if, maybe, she’d been wrong after all.

But then, very gradually, the feathers began to feel cold against her fur, and they only felt colder with each passing moment.

And that was the final piece of evidence she had needed.

“Thanks, Twilight...” Featherfall murmured.

Instead of answering, Twilight only held her close, her mind racing. Her gaze was fixated on Rarity, and her lips parted. Her pleading expression earned a confused look from her marefriend, then a raised eyebrow. Twilight bit her lip, hoping to signal just how important this was. Eventually, the fashionista gave a slow nod. Twilight closed her eyes in relief, giving a small sigh of gratitude.

“Do you like me?” she whispered, loud enough for everypony in the room to hear.

“I... I...”

“I don’t mean love,” Twilight said, drawing back so that she could look the pegasus into the eyes. “I mean like. Do you like me?”

“I... yes. Of course.”

Twilight extended a front hoof, gently caressing the other mare’s cheek. Then, gathering all of her courage, she slowly leaned forward. “It’s okay,” she whispered, this time so quiet that only Featherfall would hear it. “You are not betraying Rarity. I swear it.”

Featherfall didn’t answer, and although Twilight knew she was walking on a very tight robe, she nonetheless closed the distance between them, giving Featherfall a gentle kiss, right onto her mouth.

A gentle kiss...

For a few moments, they remained in this position, until Featherfall opened her mouth, just a bit, allowing Twilight to enter. There was a limit on how far she was willing go with this, and so she opted for little more than a careful, gentle coaxing with her tongue, hoping that what she was trying to do would work...

And it did. Suddenly, Featherfall trembled under her grasp, her mouth opened further, and her entire body seemed to relax, not unlike it had done under the spell. Twilight broke the kiss, only to take Featherfall back into a tight, caring embrace. Over her shoulder, she was searching for Rarity’s gaze, receiving a confused, but unquestionably supportive look.

“I feel warm,” Featherfall murmured, confirming what Twilight had guessed already. “I’... I’m warm. I’m warm.”

“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked. “Can you come over, please?”

Giving a nod, Fluttershy walked across the fireplace. At a gesture from Twilight, she sat down beside Featherfall, extending her wing as far around her other side as possible. Twilight smiled, and made a similar gesture for Rarity to come close. There wasn’t much space left, but Twilight moved a bit, so that Rarity could at least sit down next to her cousin, extending a caring front limb. It would be enough; the gesture was what counted, physical contact was only a means to the end.

Twilight felt immensely proud at both of her friends, who were doing so well despite having no idea what she was trying to do.

“Your childhood has been terrible, hasn’t it?” she asked the pony that was now being hugged from three sides. “Your parents have been cruel to you, and no-one has ever shown you love? No siblings, probably?”

“One older brother,” Featherfall stammered. “He left when I was very small.”

“Twilight,” said Rarity. “Explain, please.”

Twilight took a deep breath, but nodded. “Ponies need to be loved,” she whispered. “Not for happiness, not for morality, but for our bodies to function. Everypony has it, it’s what separates us from animals. Biologically, we don’t actually produce enough heat to keep us warm, we’d have to digest about twice as much food for that to even be possible.” She made a pause, watching the pony in her arms. “Your fire was almost out, Featherfall. You... you must not have received a lot of love during your life.”

Featherfall nodded... and then, without warning, she started crying. Twilight bit her lip again, doing her best to not let the sadness take over to her, knowing that her own composure was important for helping the pony in her arms.

“The only.... only pony who’s ever been nice to me is Rarity,” Featherfall said between sobs. “And even she... n-never had a lot of t-time for m-me.”

“I...” Rarity began, but Twilight shook her head again, and Rarity swallowed her response, giving a nod.

“I know... k-know it’s n-not your fault, Rarity. You did... d-did take c-care of me a few times, even t-though I... I...” At this point, her sobbing swallowed her words, and even though she was trying to say more, Twilight couldn’t understand it.

But she knew what to do next.

“We’re not going to send you away,” she said firmly. “This isn’t going to be a one time thing, Featherfall. You’re going to stay here for as long as you like.”

Despite the tears, the body in her grasp was not cold, not anymore. Twilight knew that what they had achieved here was only temporary, but she also knew how important the first step was. And though she couldn’t speak for her friends, she knew that it was the only thing they could do. If they sent Featherfall home, wherever her home was, all the progress they had made would vanquish. It took a close circle of friends, a circle that embodied the elements of kindness and generosity, for Featherfall to be cured. Not taking care of her would be nothing short of cruel.

After many more sobs, and many more tears, Featherfall eventually caught herself enough to give an answer. “You can’t do that. I live with my parents. They won’t let me go.”

“Hah.” Twilight gnashed her teeth, feeling an anger dwelling up inside her that she had rarely felt before. “I have a direct link to the ruler of this world. We will keep you here, and we will keep you here now. Not after you see your parents one last time, not after you talk things out, now. You will not have to go back there ever again. You will get a house here in Ponyville, and we’ll have one of us stay with you if necessary.”

Featherfall looked up at her, and Twilight could see both sorrow and barely suppressed hope in her eyes. “Really?”

“Your parents don’t stand a chance,” Twilight said, in a voice that didn’t allow any doubts. “If I explain the issue to the princess, and I will, she'll dispose of all say your parents have in your upbringing. Which should not be a lot, anyway. How old are you?”

“Seventeen.”

“Seventeen,” Twilight repeated. “So it's none. You could legally move out at any time.”

“I know,” Featherfall murmured. “But I have... no way of taking care of myself.”

“You don’t even have an intact body.” Twilight shook her head. “Of course you cannot take care of yourself. you... argh!” She took a few heavy breaths, regaining her composure. “Look. Frankly, it’s surprising that you’re even still alive. Without the inner fire, you... y-you probably feel cold constantly, and it’s almost impossible to develop passion for anything. That’s why you don’t have a cutie mark, too.”

Featherfall nodded, clutching more tightly onto Twilight’s body. “Will... will you take care of me?” she asked.

Twilight hesitated. She knew that there was a lot associated with this question, even though Featherfall herself probably didn’t intend for any of it. If she gave a promise now, she would have to spend a lot of time with this pony, more time than she really had to give away...

“Always. I promise.”

Featherfall let out a whimper, burying her face in Twilight’s fur.

At that moment, regardless of the consequences, all Twilight wanted to do was to smile.