A Catalyst in Time

Chapter 6

Rainbow Dash had an idea. AJ's fake cultured accent was getting on her last nerve. So...she was going to scare the orange earth pony into talking in her "country" voice.
But the thing was, it was hard to sneak up on a pony in the Orange Family's penthouse. The building was a restored historic home, so all of the floors creaked. Dash didn't really trust herself to fly without breaking something, so that was probably out of the question.
She was contemplating what to do when she noticed a closet sitting across from the bed. Perfect! I'll hide in there and scare Applejack when she comes to bed. She'll probably wonder where I am, but not long enough to keep her from getting herself ready for bed. This was going to be so awesome!

Well, maybe scaring Applejack after AJ had been so nice to her wasn't very, well, nice, but Dash had to make sure that Applejack's accent wasn't just a one time slip. She had a feeling that Applejack had been lying to herself for a while. Rainbow Dash had decided that it was her duty, as a good friend, to get Applejack to admit the truth to herself, even if it meant a harmless prank or two.

Stepping into the closet, Dash closed the door behind her, laughing to herself. Living the last couple of days with Applejack had renewed a little of her old spirit, though she still didn't think of herself as a good flier. But a prankster? Though she hadn't pulled one in years, pulling one on Applejack was going to be fun.

Dash had been waiting in the closet about five minutes when she heard Applejack's voice from the hall.
"Goodnight Aunt Orange, I shall see you in the morning."

Rainbow Dash waited a little longer, hearing Applejack getting into bed, getting comfortable, reading a little, then turning off her light. Suddenly, Rainbow Dash began to feel a little guilty. Was it really fair to pull a prank to get AJ to use an accent she'd worked so hard to get rid of? Thinking Applejack was asleep, Rainbow Dash started to change her mind, and opened the closet door slowly, so she could get out unnoticed.

Unfortunately, or perhaps it was karma for intending to scare Applejack, the earth pony was not asleep.

When Dash stepped out of the closet. Applejack shrieked, leaped out of bed and said, loudly, "Holy Celestia Almighty! What in Pete's sake is that? Hoo doggie, if that's a ghost like ah think it is, I swear to Celestia I ain't gonna be happy!"

Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself. She giggled. Applejack clapped her hooves over her mouth, realizing what she'd just let slip.
"Rainbow Dash, that was quite uncalled for!" she said, giving her best impression of being dignified, though she was shaking.
"You have to admit, that was pretty hilarious, Miss "I don't talk like that anymore"!" Rainbow said, chuckling that her idea had been confirmed.

"I don't talk like that!" Applejack protested. "The fact that you've made me slip up twice in just a few days doesn't mean anything!"

"Uh-huh. You probably have to concentrate really hard not to talk like that!"
"Do not!" Applejack said, a slight country lilt creeping into her voice.
"You did it again!" Rainbow Dash said. "You've probably been struggling to keep from talking in that accent ever since you got here!"

"Well, yes, but..."
"No buts! I noticed that you're a really bad liar, Applejack, and the biggest lie you've been telling is the one you're telling yourself."
To Rainbow Dash's astonishment, Applejack broke down and began to cry.
"Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry!" Rainbow Dash said, hurrying over to her friend to comfort her.
"It's not, ain't, isn't your fault," Applejack sobbed. "You're right, I have been lying to myself. I don't know if I can stop. I just want to go home!"
"Maybe you should go home then," Rainbow Dash said softly.
"Only if you come with me, I cain't, can't, do it alone," Applejack said, equally soft.
Rainbow Dash felt a rush of guilt. Going home with Applejack would mean going to Ponyville, the place she had been trying to avoid. But then, she'd been feeling pretty guilty about avoiding Ponyville as it was.
"I'll go with you," she agreed.

***

Twilight couldn't shake the feeling that they were being followed. She was jumpy and nervous and it didn't help that Ditsy kept wandering off to "look at things". The pegasus was supposed to be her guide, but no. The brainless filly wandered all over the place. Now that they were actually on the road, going who knows where, Spike wasn't making it any better. Every little broken twig was someone trying to attack them, every frog croaking was a unicorn trying to cast a spell on them. It was beginning to get on Twilight's last nerve.
"Can everypony just please RELAX!" She yelled, her frustration getting the better of her. "Spike, every little noise is not somepony trying to kill us. Ditsy, please either explain WHY you're wandering off or stop doing it! It's driving me CRAZY!"
Spike looked embarrassed, Ditsy was unfazed.
"Twilight, you're not ready to know what I'm doing. I will tell you that it's important, and that Celestia trusts me," the pegasus said.
Slightly taken aback, Twilight dropped it. I guess if the Princess trusts her I should too, Twilight thought.
"Um, then...where are we going?" Twilight asked.
"Well, our ultimate destination is Ponyville, but we might not be going directly there," Ditsy said.
"Ponyville? We're walking to Ponyville? Can't we at least catch a stage coach or something?"
"Not yet...you have to...nevermind."
"Well, I think we've been walking enough for today," said Spike from Twilight's back.
"Spike, you haven't done any walking! You've been riding on my back this whole time!" Twilight protested.
"I know, and my backside is killing me! Can't we set up camp?"
Twilight sighed, but she supposed Spike was right.
"Ok, let's set up camp," Twilight said.

From a distance Twilight suddenly heard a voice.
"Pinkamena, this is outrageous and driving me crazy! If you do not explain to me NOW why were are following them, I am going to shout and give us away!"

Twilight and Spike looked at each other. Wasn't Pinkamena the pink earth pony who had randomly stopped them in the streets in Canterlot the day before they left?
Twilight motioned for Spike to keep quiet and began sneaking up the hill toward the voice. Fortunately, the voice, Twilight guessed that it belonged to Pinkamena's white unicorn companion, kept talking.
"We have been following them aimlessly for days and where are they going? PONYVILLE! The exact place we left from! I would have thought that you would not want to go back!"
Now that they were closer, Twilight could see them, and hear Pinkamena's quieter responses.
"Rarity, I'm not running away from Ponyville, I'm getting away from the Rock Farm, you're the one who's afraid to go back to Ponyville," Pinkamena said.
The white unicorn, Rarity, didn't seem to have an answer for that, so she settled for stomping off...right toward Twilight and Spike. Panicking, Twilight didn't have time to react. Rarity nearly walked straight into Twilight.

The white unicorn turned almost as pink as her traveling companion.
"Pinkamena, we have a problem!" Rarity called.
Twilight suddenly regained her senses.
"So you two have been following us?!" Twilight exclaimed.
"No, Pinkamena has been following you, I've been following Pinkamena," Rarity clarified, glaring at Twilight.
"WHAT? She's been following us? WHY?"
"Celestia's horn, I don't know. She just says she feels like she 'has' to!"
Twilight pondered this. Another pony or two to slow her down more? It seemed absolutely preposterous, especially since Pinkamena had basically been stalking her.
"That's ridiculous, there's no reason for her to just 'know' she has to follow me!" Twilight said, rolling her eyes.
"She has something she calls her 'Pinkamena sense'. She gets twitches and they tell her things. I think this may have been one of her twitches," Rarity explained.
At this Twilight outright laughed
"A supernatural sense that tells her when things are going to happen? Are you serious? That's ridiculous!"
"It sounds strange, I know, but it really seems to work," Rarity countered.
"Oh please! Twitches that predict the future? It's just a bunch of mumbo jumbo!"
"Well, I know it seems that way, but I'll use whatever tools I happen across, and Pinkamena's sense just happens to be a tool I can use. If she thinks you can be of use, well, I'll go with it."
Twilight rolled her eyes. Mumbo jumbo could never replace careful study and scientific method! But it seemed she didn't really have a choice. Pinkamena and Rarity had followed her since they'd left Canterlot. It was a lot less creepy if they traveled with her group instead of behind.
"Fine, you two can join us, but don't expect it easy. This is a quest for the Princess. Not a party!"
Rarity nodded, then went back to her own camp to collect Pinkamena.
Twilight sighed. This was going to be a long journey.

***

Fluttershy swallowed nervously. She couldn't believe she was doing this. It went against everything she'd ever done for her entire life. Not that she didn't like kids. But this might be a bit much, diving into this so soon. She'd met the teacher, Cheerilee, yesterday, and she seemed really nice, and it helped that she was going to be in Apple Bloom's class. But the class had about nine fillies and colts, and Fluttershy wasn't really used to dealing with more than two or three ponies at a time. She stood at the front of the classroom, behind Cheerilee, and tried really hard not to panic. Apple Bloom came in first, having arrived at the school with Fluttershy when Big Macintosh had dropped them both off that morning. Following Apple Bloom and chattering happily was a cutie mark-less pony with a cream colored coat and a poofy red mane. She had a slightly overlarge nose and purple-framed glasses. Behind them came two earth ponies who held themselves with arrogance, a gray pony with blue glasses, her light gray mane done up in a braid and a pink pony with a lavender and white striped slightly curly mane.
As the rest of the class filtered in Cheerilee called for order
"Ok class, today I have a very important announcement to make!" the magenta colored pony said, her voice just barely above normal volume. The class quieted down instantly. Fluttershy was impressed.
"Today we have a guest who is going to be helping me in class for the next couple of weeks. This is Miss Fluttershy and I would like you all to be respectful and kind to her," Cheerilee explained. "Fluttershy, why don't you tell us a little about yourself?"
Fluttershy gulped. "Um...Miss Cheerilee? I don't really want to..."
"Just tell us one thing so we can remember who you are," Cheerilee said, softly encouraging.
"Um..ok. My name...is Fluttershy...and I...." What can I say? "I am...um...good with animals," she finished lamely.
"Wow, what a weirdo, whispered the pink pony with the lavender and white mane to her friend. "I mean, like, look at her totally weird wings and cutie mark."
Fluttershy looked down. She was afraid of this.
Fortunately, Cheerilee heard the filly's remark.
"Diamond Tiara, is there something you'd like to share with the class?" the school teacher asked.
"No, Miss Cheerilee," Diamond Tiara said, rolling her eyes.
"Then I expect an essay on why you should respect others on my desk tomorrow," Cheerilee said.
"Thank you Miss Fluttershy," Cheerilee said. "Your desk is the smaller one near mine."
Fluttershy took a seat and set about learning the names of the fillies in the class. This class was currently all fillies, though Fluttershy saw in Cheerilee's grade book that two colts by the names of Snips and Snails were absent. The yellow-orange filly with the orange mane was Noi. The blue filly with the archery cutie mark was Archer Crossbow, Diamond Tiara was the arrogant filly who had called her out. The only non earth pony in the class was a unicorn named Sun Glimmer, who had a yellow mane and a blue coat. The pale pink filly with the cupcake cutie mark was Cupcake. Diamond Tiara's friend was Silver Spoon, Apple Bloom's friend was Twist. The blue filly that looked similar to Cupcake was Tootsie Flute. A small class, to be sure. She could do this. Good with animals, good with kids.
For most of the morning, Cheerilee handled the students and Fluttershy handled paperwork. When recess rolled around, Cheerilee turned the class over to her.
"I'm so glad you're willing to take the class for lunch and recess. I need time to plan, and lately I just haven't had any," the teacher told her, smiling. "Just be firm and let them know who's the boss and it'll be fine."
So Fluttershy took the kids outside for their recess and lunch period. At first it went pretty well. Most of the class were decent kids and because Apple Bloom knew Fluttershy, they listened to her. Trouble came when Diamond Tiara decided she was bored of playing hopscotch with Silver Spoon and decided it was time to exercise her bullying skills; on Fluttershy.
"So what does your cutie mark even mean? That you're good at ripping apart butterflies?" Diamond Tiara asked, the picture of innocence. "And what happened to your wings? Did they just...not grow with the rest of you?"
"Um...well... I don't really know what my cutie mark means. It's sort of artificial..." Fluttershy tried to explain. Diamond took the answer and used it as fuel for her ridicule. "So...you're, like, a fake flank?"
"Um...not exactly...no.." Fluttershy tried to say.
"Like, that's SOOO totally weird! Hey Silver! Like, Miss Fluttershy has a fake cutie mark!"
"Like, no way!" the gray pony responded. Soon both fillies were hurling barbs at Fluttershy, trying to make her lose her cool. Fortunately, Apple Bloom saw what was going on.
"Y'all two need to back off! Fluttershy is an adult and deserves yer respect! Why don't y'all pick on somepony yer own size!" the fiery apple filly challenged.
"Like...I dunno...you?" Diamond Tiara said, turning to Apple Bloom.
At this Fluttershy felt a small surge of rage.
"Now wait just one minute young lady!" she said in an uncharacteristically confident voice. Diamond Tiara appeared taken aback by this sudden display of assertiveness.
"You have no right to go around picking on other ponies. I have half a mind to talk to your mother after school and tell her what you've been up to. Now, you and Silver Spoon are going to go back to your hopscotch game and leave the other fillies alone. Do you understand me, young lady?" Fluttershy's eyes grew wider and more intense. Diamond Tiara appeared almost frozen to the spot, then she fled.
"Wow, Fluttershy! That was amazin'!" Apple Bloom said. "Y'all just stared at her and Diamond Tiara just ran away like a scaredy filly!"
Fluttershy wasn't entirely sure what had just happened. One minute she'd been cowering, afraid of what a little girl was going to say to her next, the next she was defending Apple Bloom. As scared as she was of, well, almost everything, it seemed that when somepony she cared about was threatened , something awakened inside her that prompted her to defend them. If that was the case...then maybe she wasn't such a scaredy pony after all.

Recess and lunch passed without anymore incident. Cheerilee called the ponies in for one last lesson before their parents picked them up. After the lesson, Fluttershy waited outside for Big Macintosh. He was delivering apples in town today and had promised to walk them home. At last, he showed up.
"Sorry, ladies, got tied up at the Cakes'. Seems they checked the wrong box on the order form and wanted 3 dozen of EACH kind of apple, not 3 dozen mixed. How was your first day Fluttershy?"
That was Big Macintosh, always kind and considerate. Fluttershy smiled up at him. "I had a little trouble with a filly named Diamond Tiara, but I got her to see I was right. Other than that, I actually really enjoyed it. Cheerilee is super nice and most of the fillies are sweethearts," Fluttershy said.
"Fluttershy stared down Diamond Tiara! Diamond Tiara was makin' fun of Fluttershy so I told her ta stop because Fluttershy is an adult and should be treated with respect, but then Diamond Tiara decided she was gonna pick on me instead, but then Fluttershy got mad, and started lecturing Diamond Tiara and tellin' her she was gonna talk to her mother, and all that, and then she STARED and it made Diamond back off! It was amazin'!" Apple Bloom cut in.
Fluttershy blushed. "It wasn't that cool, Apple Bloom," she said modestly.
"Yeah it was! You really showed her who was boss!"
"It sounds like ya both had a pretty good day," Big Macintosh said. Fluttershy and Apple Bloom nodded.
When they arrived at Sweet Apple Acres, Apple Bloom ran off to do her homework, leaving Fluttershy and Big Macintosh alone.
"Thanks for setting this up for me, and convincing me to do it, I was so scared but you really believed in me and that helped," Fluttershy told the big stallion.
"Y'all needed it. And yer good at it. Sugarcube, you're an amazin' pony, ya know that?" he replied.
"I...am?"
"Eeyup. You're kind, talented; don't think I haven't heard y'all singin'; and beautiful," Big Macintosh told her.
"Beautiful? I'm not beautiful. I have freaky wings and a weird cutie mark..."
"Those things don't matter. You're beautiful, and that's that."
Fluttershy was certain her face was a lovely shade of pink. No pony had ever said anything like that to her. Granted, she'd been in hiding for twelve years, but even before, nopony had even thought to tell her she was pretty, let alone beautiful.
"That's...so sweet, Big Macintosh," she said at last.
"I ain't saying anythin' that isn't true," he said. Then he kissed her check and went into the barn. Fluttershy kept her hoof on her cheek where he had kissed her for a very long time afterwards.

***