“Not there, Angel,” said Fluttershy. “Twilight’s trying sorting her books by date, so I thought we’d try it too.”
Angel stood on Fluttershy’s bookcase and in his paws held a comic book volume. The cover featured a pony with a yellow mane split into two long pigtails, and garbed in a mare’s sailor-style school uniform. With an irritated look at Fluttershy, the bunny thumped his foot impatiently as he waited for instructions.
Before Fluttershy could say anything further, there was a knock on the door.
“Oh! I wonder who that could be?” Anxiously, Fluttershy ran her hooves through her mane. “I’m not expecting anypony right now…”
“Fluttershy!” The voice belonged to Apple Bloom, and she sounded like she was in a chipper mood. “I’ve got two ponies here who want to meet you!”
“Oh! Just a minute!” Fluttershy cried out. Pale as a ghost, she turned to Angel. “Apple Bloom’s brought someponies here who want to meet me? What am I going to do, Angel? Do I look alright? Oh, I don’t know, this is so much of a surprise, and I don’t like surprises…”
With an exasperated look, Angel slapped his paw against his face. He pushed the comic into a random place on the shelf, then, without a word, he hopped away.
“Oh, you’re right, Angel! I have nothing to worry about!” Fluttershy watched the bunny until he disappeared into the next room. She looked to the door. “You can do this, Fluttershy. Definitely nothing to be nervous about.”
Taking a deep breath and holding it, she headed over to the door and threw it open. Outside were three ponies. In front stood Apple Bloom, beaming brightly like a thousand rays of sunshine. In contrast, behind her were two mares with downcast gazes, shifting on their hooves and inching away from Fluttershy’s gaze. One was a gray earth pony. She wore a nervous grimace and kept rubbing her hoof against her shoulder. Her mane drooped over one of her eyes. The other mare was a white-coated pegasus with a curly blue mane. She seemed a little jittery, but she kept smiling at Fluttershy, then looking away. Fluttershy exhaled her held breath and stared at the two.
“Hey, Fluttershy! You won’t believe it! But these two came all the way here just to meet ya!” declared Apple Bloom. “They were too scared to even come, but I told ‘em that I’d introduce you, and that you wouldn’t mind!”
Fluttershy didn’t say anything, but just kept on staring at the two, a look of wonder and confusion frozen on her face.
“Well, let me introduce ya!” Apple Bloom pointed at the two, starting with the gray earth pony. “This here is my cousin Marble Pie!” Apple Bloom paused a moment to tap her hoof against her chin thoughtfully. “Well, we still don’t actually know if we’re related, but we’ve been writing and hanging out a lot, and she’s awesome, so I just call her my cousin.”
Marble gave an awkward smile and waved at Fluttershy.
“Oh, you’re Pinkie’s sister, aren’t you? It’s so nice to make your acquaintance.” Fluttershy gave her warmest smile.
Lowering her gaze, Marble nodded.
“She’s a little shy. Actually, they both are,” Apple Bloom whispered. Clearing her throat, Apple Bloom next pointed to the white pegasus. “And this here is my cousin’s friend, White Lightning.”
White Lightning stepped forward. Without meeting Fluttershy’s gaze, she extended her hoof. She spoke in a quiet voice. “I, um… I don’t know if you remember me, but I was in Cloudsdale, and… now I’m in Ponyville, and… um… sometimes I run a fruit and vegetable stand… We talked a little at Gilda’s party, but…”
Fluttershy blinked. “I remember you.” She smiled as she shook White Lightning’s hoof.
White Lightning smiled widely at Fluttershy. “Really?! You do?! Totally awesome!” In her excitement, she shook Fluttershy violently, making her clench her teeth and putting her into a daze.
After a moment, Fluttershy recovered from being shaken. With a nervous look, she asked, “So, uh… What brings you two here?”
Fluttershy’s query was greeted by silence as the two mares fiddled with their hair and hooves, so Apple Bloom elbowed White Lightning in the side and hissed, “Go on, tell her!”
White Lightning rubbed her hooves together. “Well, um… We both read your journal entries in the Book of Friendship, and… and we really…” She winced and closed her eyes. “We really loved them! We’re both such huge fans of yours!”
Fluttershy blinked. “You’re fans?”
“Yeah! Actually, I wanted to talk to you and show my support when you first released the journal, but it didn’t really work out… There was this angry mob, and… Um, never mind about that. Anyway, even though I never got to talk to you, I still really liked your journal entries. And it’s because of your journal that Marble and I met and became friends! We relate to all the things you went through and stuff! Right, Marble?”
Marble looked up and gave a sheepish smile. “Um… Yeah.”
“Well… Do you girls want to come in and talk about it? I can get some tea ready.”
Looking frightened and worried, Marble grimaced and shook her head, but White Lightning hopped in front of her and excitedly stomped hooves against the ground.
“That would be totally awesome!”
Marble smiled. “I-If it’s not too much trouble.”
“It’s no trouble,” Fluttershy assured them. “Apple Bloom, will you be joining us?”
“Nah, I’m meeting up with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo for some Crusader business! But I’ll be back to pick up my cous’ in a bit! Have fun, Marble! And remember, Fluttershy’s super nice, so you don’t have to worry so much!”
Marble waved as Apple Bloom dashed off, and with a forlorn look she stared in the direction her cousin had gone for a long while after she’d disappeared from sight.
After a moment, Fluttershy ushered her two guests inside and asked Angel to lead them to the table while she went to prepare a pot of chamomile tea. White Lightning waited patiently with a smile, but Marble still seemed nervous, staring off to the side and jumping anytime a critter came near. Fluttershy hoped she could do something to make her feel at ease.
Once the tea was ready, Fluttershy poured a cup for everypony, then settled in at the table with her guests. “So, was there anything you two wanted to talk about?”
“You mean, like, how amazing you are?” White Lightning asked.
“O-Oh, I’m not that amazing…”
“Yes you are!” White Lightning declared. “You were shy like us, but in spite of that, you’re so brave and you’re always overcoming your fears! Like when you helped us make that tornado to get the water to Cloudsdale, even though you were embarrassed! That was so awesome, and I was so glad to see you succeed, because I’d been worrying about you the whole time! Or when you stood up to that dragon who was polluting Ponyville! I could never have done something like that! You’re really inspiring! Hey, you tell her too, Marble!” She gave Marble a playful slap on the shoulder.
“O-Oh! Y-Yes, in the journal, I could see how you were improving, getting braver and more assertive. There was that time with the bats, when everypony except you thought they should get rid of them… And when you took those lessons from Iron Will and got too assertive, but you made everything right in the end.”
Fluttershy blushed. “Gosh, I’m just not used to having anypony look up to me so much…”
Marble gave a wan smile. “A-Actually, sometimes… I sort of wish… that I were more like you…”
“Me too!” said White Lightning.
Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Really? More like me?”
“Yeah, totally!”
Marble nodded. “It’s always really scary talking to anypony new… I lived my whole life hiding on a rock farm. We don’t get many visitors, so I never really talked to anypony other than my sisters… I wasn’t sure I ever would be able to, or even if I wanted to, not until I read your journal and saw how similar we are… and how brave you could be.”
“Hmm…” Fluttershy pondered her situation for a moment. She had never considered herself brave before. But she supposed it wasn’t a bad thing, having been able to inspire similarly shy ponies. Though she wondered what she might be able to do for these two girls here and now.
“Hey…” White Lightning leaned in to whisper. As she did, her eyes darted to Fluttershy’s tail. “I’ve been wondering about this, but… Do you really have tail extensions?”
“Oh… Heh… Hee hee…”Fluttershy turned beet red. “Um…”
Donning an apologetic look, White Lightning retreated. She felt embarrassed herself, and it showed on her face. “Sorry. Too personal of a question, I guess. Just forget I asked!”
“It’s alright. Don’t worry about it.”
Fluttershy chatted with the two mares for a long time. White Lightning chattered on and on about the journal. Having come out of her shell at last, Marble stopped acting so nervous, and spoke plenty too. Fluttershy found the two very endearing and sweet. She did feel a little flustered talking about herself so much, but she felt comfortable around the two mares, so she answered what questions she could.
White Lightning laughed. “Hey, remember when you were scared to give that speech and were hiding in your shed, so your friends just moved your shed to the town square, and you were able to give the speech from inside it?”
Fluttershy smiled. “Yes. I have such wonderful friends. Friends who always support me, and push me to improve. Without them, I never would have been able to get to where I am today.” She paused a moment. “Do you two have any friends?”
Marble and White Lightning donned sheepish looks.
“Not really… Not unless you count my sisters…” Marble answered.
White Lightning shrugged. “I mean, I guess I there are some ponies I talk to sometimes, but they’re not really as awesome as your friends… and sometimes I wonder if they really are my friends.”
“Hmm…” Looking thoughtful, Fluttershy pursed her lips and tapped her hoof against her chin. “You know, girls, we’ve been talking an awful lot about me. I know you did come here to meet me and talk about the journal, but why don’t you tell me more about yourselves?”
“Us? But we’re not that interesting…” Marble looked sad, and a little frightened as she said this. She didn’t much like talking about herself.
“Yeah, we’re not as awesomely brave as you, Fluttershy…”
With a serene look, Fluttershy took a sip of her tea before saying, “Nonsense. Everypony is special and interesting in their own way, and I’d love to hear more about you two.”
“Well, alright…” White Lightning said. She exchanged a look with Marble. “I guess I’ll go first.”
White Lightning spoke kindly of her friends and her time in Ponyville, and Marble had a great deal of kind things to say of her family. Fluttershy had a lovely time listening to the two of them, and as they told her more about themselves, she found that they had had similar experiences. It was no wonder they’d liked her journal entries so much, and been inspired enough to want to meet her. But that wasn’t enough. The journal hadn’t been published to bring its authors fame. It had been published in the hopes of helping ponies. And seeing how shy White Lightning and Marble were, how similar they were to how she’d used to be, made Fluttershy want to help them. But them putting her on a pedestal wasn’t helping. If they thought she was special, then they wouldn’t be able to see that they could get a little braver too, a little at a time. They needed to see that there was hope for them too. But Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to let them know that. She wasn’t the most articulate pony herself. Even so, she had to try, for their sake.
“Um… Well, you know…” Fluttershy was nervous and averted her gaze, but for some reason she still found herself smiling. “You both remind me a lot of myself. And I think…” She shook her head. “No, I know… I know you two can improve and overcome your shyness a little, just the same as I did.”
White Lightning frowned. “Gosh, really? Be like you?” She cast a worried look at Marble. “I think you’ve inspired us to change a little, but I don’t know about getting to your level…”
Marble poked her hooves together. “I don’t know… Maybe White Lightning can, but I don’t think I could…”
“Girls, I know you can. You’ve got to believe in yourselves. And you need some help from your friends. I certainly couldn’t have gotten to where I am now without help from all my friends. And to be honest, I’m not really over my shyness, and I might never be, but thanks to my friends, I’m still struggling to improve.”
White Lightning’s eyes shone sadly. “But how can we possibly get any better? If you’re still struggling, then it seems hopeless for us…”
“By believing in yourself, and by asking me for help. I can’t promise I’ll have the right answer, but I’ll do my best to share my experiences with you, and hopefully I can help you. So please tell me anything that’s been bothering you.”
“Well…” White Lightning glanced at Marble, and saw she was chewing her lip, looking as though she wanted to say something. “You have anything you want to ask?”
“Um… Well…” Marble took a deep breath and looked right at Fluttershy. Tears welled up in her eyes. “Have you ever… Have you ever been a little… jealous of somepony? And really angry? So much so that you wished they’d just disappear? What… What are you supposed to do when you feel like that?”
Fluttershy closed her eyes and drew a short breath. “Twilight says that anger and jealousy are normal emotions. It’s healthy to have them. It’s how we react to them that matters. But for us, girls, they can be really bad because we bottle everything up until it all comes out in an outburst of emotion. We have to find healthy ways to let off steam. I can show you some ways, if you want.”
Lip quivering, Marble nodded. “Yes. Thanks…”
Fluttershy smiled and put a hoof around Marble. Marble leaned her head against Fluttershy’s shoulder.
White Lightning laughed. “Yeah, I totally know what you mean about that bottling up stuff! I get so scared somepony will make fun of me for the way I talk, that sometimes I just… don’t.”
“What about you, White Lightning? Do you have any troubles you want to share?”
“Well… It’s just… Your friends are like, totally awesome and stuff, but mine…” White Lightning grimaced. “I don’t know how to say this… It’s just that your friends are always there for you when you need them. But I know… I know that you’re lucky for that. Because whenever I get so scared, and I hole up at home for weeks, nopony ever comes to help me. Nopony comes to help you when you’re like that… They just ignore you, forget you, pretend like you don’t exist… And they stop being your friend. Because it’s easier that way.”
“The next time you’re feeling like that, why don’t you come here? I’d be more than happy to listen to you. Or just to lend a shoulder to lean on.”
White Lightning wiped away a tear. “Really? You’re so awesome and kind, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy nodded. “And you’re right, White Lightning. I have been blessed with exceptional friends, who always come and help me when I’m feeling down. Oftentimes, even when I just want to be alone. And I’m the better for it.” Fluttershy nodded. “But you know, just because your friends don’t come to help you doesn’t mean they’re not still your friends. They might not know what to do, especially if you don’t tell them. Give them a chance. Let them know how you feel about everything. And remember to help them out too when they need help. Because that’s what friendship is all about.”
“I guess you’ve got a point there…” White Lightning said. “I might be a lousy friend… Always caught up in my own problems… I mean, I probably could have helped you out a lot more when were fillies… But I was scared, and anyway, I always figured Rainbow Dash had it covered and stuff… I really only think about myself… Like when you got such a low wingpower score, I was just happy nopony would notice how low mine was anymore…”
Fluttershy patted White Lightning’s shoulder. “I’m sure you’re not a lousy friend. And I’m sure your friends understand that sometimes you just can’t be there for them. Though with my help, I know you’re going to improve.”
“I just don’t know, Fluttershy,” White Lightning said. “Are you sure? Are you sure we can really be as brave as you?”
As she’d been speaking to the two mares, she’d been thinking, and she’d come to a conclusion. “You don’t have to be as brave as me. And honestly, maybe you shouldn’t try to be. You shouldn’t have to jump in and face your fears head-on. Girls, it’s hard for us, and while I do believe we should try to overcome our weaknesses, we should also focus on our strengths. I mean, you don’t see me aiming to be mayor of Ponyville.” She shuddered just thinking about giving all those speeches. “But we also shouldn’t let our fears keep us from doing what we love. And I love taking care of animals, so sometimes I need to be able to be brave, and give a speech promoting animal shelters, and I need to be able to teach my classes at Twilight’s school, so I can’t be afraid there either. But even if your fears are getting in your way, you can’t rush it. You’ve just got to try something new every week, working your way up to the level you want to be at. And you can’t let anypony else decide what that level is.”
Marble and White Lighning could only gape and stare at Fluttershy with wide eyes.
Fluttershy blushed. “Oh my… I’m afraid I may have rambled a little bit. That probably didn’t make any sense at all!”
White Lightning grinned at Marble, and the two shared a laugh.
“No, no,” White Lightning said. “It was kind of awesome. And I think we’ve got it.”
“Oh, thank goodness…” Fluttershy exhaled. She looked out the window and noted the sun was setting. “Hmm… I wonder why Apple Bloom hasn’t gotten back yet? It’s getting late… Well, if you girls need any help, then don’t hesitate to come to me.”
“That’s nice of you, but… Is it really alright?” White Lightning smiled sadly. “I mean, we’re not really your friends, and we wouldn’t want to take up too much of your time…”
“Don’t be silly. We are friends now. And that means you can ask me anything, and it’s not a bother! In fact, I’d really love it if we could hang out some more!”
Moved to tears, Marble and White Lightning both hugged Fluttershy.
“You’re even more totally awesome than in the journal!” White Lightning said.
“And you’re way better than Pinkie Pie made you seem!” Marble added.
Fluttershy smiled. “Thanks, girls. I’m just glad to be able to help.”
After their moment of warmth passed, White Lightning and Marble packed up and got ready to leave, but Fluttershy stopped them for a moment.
“One more thing before you go, girls,” Fluttershy said. “Don’t forget that you have each other. You’re already such good friends, and you’re already helping each other. I can tell. After all, White Lightning, when Marble wasn’t saying anything, weren’t you trying to help her become part of the conversation? You kept prompting her to join in, and eventually she did, right?”
Looking embarrassed, White Lighting rubbed the back of her head. Marble smiled at her.
“And I’m sure Marble helps you out a lot too.”
“You bet she does!” White Lightning wrapped her hoof around Marble and pulled her close. Marble gave a meek smile and blushed a little.
“If you keep helping each other, I know you can do it! So don’t give up!”
“Thank you,” Marble said, bowing her head.
“Yeah! Well, guess we’ll see you later!”
“Uh huh.” Fluttershy grinned. “Hey, remember how I said you should try new things? Well, I’m having a tea party with Discord later this week, and I think you both should come. I think meeting him will be just the sort of new experience that I was talking about: one that’ll get you out of your comfort zone and really help you.”
“Sounds totally awesome! We’ll be there! Right?”
White Lightning bumped her shoulder against Marble’s, prompting the other mare to smile and nod, and say, “Yep! You really are the best, Fluttershy…”
“But gee, we’d better get going for today…”
Fluttershy waved the two off as they departed from her cottage.
“Gee, where is Apple Bloom?” White Lightning asked as she cast a worried glance at Marble. “She was supposed to be back to pick you up, wasn’t she?”
“I’m not sure what could be taking her so long…” Marble held her hoof over her mouth. Her eyes were filled with worry.
“Hey, y’all!”
Huffing, Apple Bloom, ran down the road. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were with her. All three were sweating from their exertions and their coats were covered in sticks and mud. “Sorry it took so long! But that python in the Everfree Forest was a real doozy! On the bright side, somepony’s got their cutie mark in snake wrangling!”
Marble gaped. “Oh… Oh my… You were doing… what?”
“Nothing to worry about, Cous’! Now, let’s get you settled in at Sweet Apple Acres! We’re bunking together!”
White Lightning waved at her friend as the Cutie Mark Crusaders escorted her off. “See you tomorrow, Marble!”
Meanwhile, Fluttershy returned to her cottage with a warm feeling in her chest. “I just know I can help those girls. I don’t know if I did much today, but if I keep it up, then…”
Fluttershy stopped when Angel popped up on a table beside her, wearing a fierce scowl.
“Oh, Angel! Did you finish sorting all those books and comics?”
Angel slapped his paw against his face, then through a series of squeaks, he proceeded to remind Fluttershy that he’d been promised some tail fluffing for all his troubles.
“Oh. Right! In all the excitement, I guess I forgot… But wait, ‘your troubles’? Did you even sort the books like I asked? What have you been doing all this time?”
Exasperated, Angel sighed.
Fluttershy yawned. “Sorry, Angel. It’s kind of late, and I’m pretty tired. But tomorrow for sure. I promise.”
As Fluttershy headed off to bed, she passed by something pink.
“Heeeeey, Fluttershy!”
“Eeek!”
A pink pony with a cotton candy mane bounced up beside Fluttershy. Grinning from ear-to-ear, she pressed her cheek against Fluttershy’s.
Fluttershy was still shaking from the shock she’d gotten. “P-Pinkie Pie?! H-How’d you get in here without…” In turn, Fluttershy glanced at the door and each of her windows, all of which were shut tight and bolted. “H-How long have you…”
Pinkie stuck out her tongue. “Pft! That’s not important, silly!” She wrapped her hoof around Fluttershy and pulled her closer. “What is important, is that I heard my sister Marble is a huge fan of yours!”
Fluttershy turned her gaze downward. “Well, um… I guess so… I just met her, and…”
“Hoohoo!” Pinkie donned a sly grin. “I think I know just what to get Marble for our next sister gift exchange! Now, where are some scissors?” Pinkie poked around Fluttershy’s cottage.
“Pinkie, what are you…”
“Found some!” Pulling a pair of scissors from her tangled mane, Pinkie Pie advanced towards Fluttershy and snipped the end of her tail.
“Eeeh!” Fluttershy let out a horrified shriek.
Pinkie examined the clipped hair for a moment. “Oopsie… That’s from your tail extension. Guess I’d better get another… Um, Fluttershy?”
Tears ebbing down her cheeks, Fluttershy puffed up her lips. Soft sobs echoed through her cottage.
Pinkie donned an apologetic look. “Gee, I’m so sorry, Fluttershy…” She gave her friend a hug and stroked her back. “There there. It’s okay. What’s wrong, old pal?”
“Maybe I’m improving, but I still have some insecurities!” Fluttershy wailed.
“Oh, I know! You want me to throw you a tail extension party? We can invite all your animal friends, and Twilight and Rarity, and- Ooh! I can invite my sister and White Lightning too!”
“NO!”
***
“I hope you don’t mind, that I invited them to our tea party, Discord. I thought meeting you would be good for them.” Fluttershy grinned widely at Discord, who sat at her table, drinking tea.
“Hmm…” Discord narrowed his eyes and appraised White Lightning and Marble, both of whom trembled nervously under his gaze. Deeming the two ponies acceptable, he returned his attention to the cucumber sandwiches, and took a bite. “These two seem alright. At least they won’t monopolize the conversation like that Tree Hugger. Yes, I think we can get along.”
“Awesome!” White Lightning said in a quiet voice. “I’ve always wanted to meet Discord! But I was always too afraid to say anything to him.”
“The pleasure’s all yours,” Discord said. He detached his claw so he could shake White Lightning’s hoof.
Marble leaned in to whisper to Fluttershy. “I’m, um, sorry… I heard my sister caused you some grief… You know Pinkie. I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it…”
Fluttershy waved her hoof dismissively. “Oh no, don’t worry. I had a long talk with Twilight, and now I feel fine about everything. That’s the great thing about friendship: your friends are always there for you when you’re upset.”
Marble smiled. “I’m glad.”
“Ahem.” Discord cleared his throat to get Fluttershy’s attention. “Say, why don’t I spin this place around, for old times’ sake? I’m sure that’ll be an experience that’ll help these two.”
“Oh, I don’t know… That might be a little much for them…”
“Oh, nonsense! I’m certain it helped make you the pony you are today.” Discord snapped his fingers, and with a burst of light, the whole cottage started rotating. Fluttershy had to lift the terrified Marble off the ground to keep her from rolling around with the tables and chairs.
“Totally awesome!” White Lightning cheered.
Author's Note
I wrote this a while ago and never published it. At the time, I wondered if it was good enough, and whether I might work on it some more. It's pretty obvious now I just don't have the time to put in any sort of major edits (grammar ones though, if anyone spots any errors), since I've moved on to working on other things. So, I thought, what the heck. I'll just put it up here and if no one likes it, well that's fine.