“Fair winds and honey skies! What more could you ask for?” Discord exclaimed, siphoning clouds of gelatinous golden goo with a vacuum apparatus of sorts, laughing maniacally as he did like a mad scientist. “Oh, Fluttershy, dear. Would you like some honey to go along with your tea? We’re practically swimming in the stuff!”
Fluttershy, who was stretched out on a deckchair, paused mid read and gave him a smile. “That sounds lovely,” she said as Discord levitated her tea cup over to where he stood.
He flipped the reverse switch on the vacuum before turning it on once more. He jumped back as a gallon of honey crashed into the cup and all over the deck below, the cup now in shambles. “Whoopsie,” he called out innocently, a mop now in hand. “I want to know who could possibly invent a device with such a fatal flaw!” he tutted with a wiggle of his finger. “I mean, how else is one supposed to enjoy such a succulent and delectable golden goo without one!? Honestly, some people.” He mopped with a grumble and a tumble as he slid about, cleaning the mess like he was on an ice-skating rink.
Fluttershy shook her head with a smile, picking back up where she left off.
"Fluttershy, thank you soooooo much for coming with me!" Discord gleamed from ear to ear, prancing back and forth, steering the ship forward, now sporting captain attire. The waves of the water splashed against the bottom haul of the very large, overly comical ship with a gigantic water slide with at least four different twirling slides that another Discord was using while laughing and shouting.
"Woooosh!" One of the Discords hollered.
“Oh, it was no trouble at all,” Fluttershy said, looking up from her book titled: ‘Exotic Wildlife of Dimensions Unknown and You’ “This book is very fascinating, there’s so many creatures in it I couldn’t even dream of!” she squeed. “Oh, this one chapter goes into how so many of them travel between dimensions; I thought only you could create portals to destinations unknown but apparently they can just appear on their own?” She tilted her head towards him.
“Well, my influence has taken over many planes of existence, which may or may not be the reason that they seem to work on their own volition. Also, oh yes, portals are lots of fun!” he cheered, a few clones popping in and out of the few portals opening up occasionally near the ship. Many chose to join in on the splashy goodness.
Fluttershy giggled, putting a hoof over her lips.
It had been some time since the two of them got out to his side of things. The chaos realm was beyond amazing, spectacular and filled her mind with so many questions, so many possibilities. Fluttershy flipped to the next page, the Chapter titled ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about reality shifting.’
“Discord, what exactly is reality shifting?” Fluttershy asked.
“Whooosh!” Discord called out, drying himself off from the water before walking over to where Fluttershy was laying. She was all sprawled out on one of her favorite floral beach towels, but in his realm, the flowers became real, and could even talk to her if she desired a conservation.
“Hmm… Reality shifting is very complicated, not even I with all my powers and abilities understand it all,” Discord mused, his claw stroking his beard. “Perhaps you should ask one of the Twilights,” he teased, a thought bubble appearing above him. He cycled through each and every version of the egghead he had stored, all of them shocked at their sudden appearance before vanishing in an instant.
Fluttershy looked down as she heard gentle murmurs come from below her, Angel Bunny’s tiny muzzle quivering as he slept.
“Ugh, did we really have to bring him along?” Discord pouted, crossing both arms across his chest, and storming off in the other direction.
Fluttershy reached out, and carefully petted Angel bunny’s long ears.
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t mean that.” She nuzzled him affectionately.
“Bah!” He called out from the other side of the cruise ship. “I’m gonna go back to my waterslides, whether you join me or not is your call,” he stated with a grimace, pointing his ever growing snout into the air.
Fluttershy shook her head. She looked up towards the sky, and towards a few of the portals still open around them, and she couldn’t help remembering the last time Discord got jealous of her attention.
“He has come a long way,” she whispered to Angel. “But, he still has a lot to learn about friendship. I’m sure with time and patience anything’s possible, even for him.”
Angel bunny opened one eye as Fluttershy went back to reading her book. He grinned seeing she was distracted, then hopped off away from the spot he’d been laying.
His eyes scanned the Discords strewn about the ship, trying to figure out which was the real one. It wasn’t long before he spotted the one at the helm of the ship: bingo. He rubbed his tiny paws together, a sinister grin spreading across his face.
“Weeeee!” A clone of Discord shouted as he slid down and around a swirly water slide with an opening near the bottom, leading down either into a portal or the interior of the ship.
Two other clones could be seen re-acting one of Fluttershy’s many tea parties.
“Oh yes, darling, I would simply love another cup of tea,” Discord said holding out the tiny frog-shaped cup.
Angel, knowing his target, glanced around the ship, rubbing his chin. His eyes flickered from place to place, noticing several tea cups left behind. A splash of water interrupted his train of thought, soaking him thoroughly. He seethed, shaking his fur with haste. His eyes narrowed at the Discord splashing away without a care in his floaty. He moved left, towards a tea cup, taking big floppy steps over to it and readying a kick. Before he did, he paused, looking over the cup with great interest as he took note of several Discords enjoying their own tea as they chatted away.
A wicked grin took over his features as his eyes darted between the cup, the talking flowers sitting in their pots, and the abundance of water.
The Discord at the helm whistled a tune as he glazed over the latest funnies in the article he was reading, one foot stretched out to occasionally steer the ship. He licked his paw to turn a page, and as he did so, a sudden clunk from below made his eyes pop out through the newspaper. They shifted side to side before going up and down, where they found a cup on a saucer and a note. “Oh?” he asked, tossing his newspaper aside, which flapped away majestically.
He started with the note which read: ‘Dear, Discord—’ “That’s me!” he proudly stated, tapping his chest, before continuing aloud, “Too busy having fun, but thought I’d make you some lovely jasmine tea - Fluttershy.” He nodded, before swallowing it whole. “Perfectly understandable, the note was unnecessary but appreciated nonetheless.” He shrugged and snapped his claw, a pedestal sprouted underneath the saucer and brought it up to his level. He inspected it for a moment, a serene smile overtook his features as he lifted it and took a whiff.
Angel, who was tucked underneath one of the stairs, winced and bit his lip.
Discord scratched his head before shrugging, downing the drink in one go, cup and all.
Angel leaned forward in anticipation, his chin now resting on the top stair.
Discord licked his chops in satisfaction and gave a nod of approval. “Hmm, a bit too earthy for me, but it’s the thought that counts. Thank you, Fluttershy!” he called out, waving enthusiastically to the confused Pegasus who waved back before hesitantly returning to her reading.
Angel facepalmed, his paw sliding down slowly. Of course he would like—
“Oh, what have we here, hmm?”
Angel froze and turned around just in time to be grabbed by the scruff of his neck by a pair of pliers.
“I'm privy to your little schemes, Angel bun bun. After all, who do you think came up with the concept?” He smirked, popping his deflatable self at the helm with a needle, the Discord crumpling to the ground and then unceremoniously floating off with the wind.
He stretched and twisted his neck to face him. “A valiant effort. You tried, I suppose. But it’s going to take a little more the— YOWCH!” Discord cried out as Angel bit his snout, causing him to drop him.
Discord snout throbbed, inflating and deflating in rapid succession as he held it. He snarled.
“Awest dat wabbit!” he shouted, alarms blaring and arrows popping out of the ground everywhere that constantly followed the scampering rabbit, some even shooting out from under him that he had to vault over or duck under.
Discords popped out of their seats, now all sporting blue attire with bright golden badges plastered to them. Some had whistles, some had dogs that resembled uncannily likenesses of himself, barking away.
Angel leapt just in time, sailing over a deckchair as one Discord slid under to try and catch him by surprise, failed, and then barrelled towards the other Discords. They all paused, screamed and turned into pins just as the rolling ball of Discord struck them. Strike!
Fluttershy, long since having dropped her book, was in pursuit, a look of pure panic across her muzzle. “Discord, no! Stop!” she pleaded but was unsuccessful with as the ensuing chaos that drowned her out.
Fluttershy weaved in and out between all the jumble of Discords that tripped over one another, her eyes glued to the scurrying white ball of panic.
Angel found it increasingly more difficult to maneuver as waves of Discords poured out from portals aplenty. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to be very coordinated, much to his relief but the sheer number of them was starting to become overwhelming.
Angel gasped, having almost missed the one sliding right towards him. He almost tripped, but managed to hop onto the Discord’s back with a slight trip, slowing him down just enough for the rest of the Discords to start piling in.
Angel leapt, landing on a random Discord attempting to grab him, the pile growing quickly. Angel panted from the effort as he had no time to rest. The pile grew so large that there started to be an overflow, many Discords sliding and falling off the ship as they attempted to join the pile.
Fluttershy flew as fast as her wings could carry her, climbing the ever increasing steeper and steeper angle. “Discord, please!” she tried, again, to no avail.
Angel was visibly slowing, running low on reserves. His eyes scanned in every direction as he weighed his options. He was certain nothing bad would happen to him had he been caught, not with Fluttershy around. But, he didn’t care, he wasn’t going to back down. So when one portal opened up to his right and a Discord reached out to grab him, he jumped, landing on top of him and blowing a raspberry before hopping through.
Fluttershy gasped. “ANGEL!” she shrieked, before flying through after him.
Zipp had been practicing her moves on the side of the mountain. She came out here everyday just to feel what flight might feel like. Zipp leaped through the sky, doing a few maneuvers as best she could, before gliding down back onto a rock and landing with a thud.
“Ugh…” Zipp groaned, taking a moment to catch her breath. “No matter how many times I do that, it never feels quite right.”
Standing there, breathless, Zipp looked up to the sky, her aqua eyes staring up into the clouds.
The sky quickly shifted, it was like some of the clouds just poofed right out of existence, and in their place was this oddly shaped circle in the sky. It was like a swirling shade of various blues spinning round and round indefinitely.
“Woah!” Zipp exclaimed, admiring it from the ground.
A buttercream Pegasi was blasted out from the portal in the sky with a puff of yellow feathers, and without even hesitating, Zipp sprung into action. She leapt from rock to rock, gaining momentum as she went, and then she hit the end of the ledge, legs spring-loaded for maximum pegasi launching.
“Aaaaaaaa!” Fluttershy screamed, falling helplessly through the sky, she tried to expand her wingspan to full brim, but she couldn’t catch herself at the speed at which she was falling.
Zipp zipped in, hooves outstretched as Fluttershy flopped and flailed. With a final mighty flap, Zipp managed to wrap her hooves around her, wings spreading wide to help them glide down.
First thing that caught Zipp’s eye were the mare’s wings: yellow with no other variations; that was almost unheard of.
Fluttershy tried desperately to look for Angel. Disoriented and dizzy, all she could see in front of her was what appeared to be another pony.
“Hey, don't worry, I got you,” Zipp stated, holding both hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders, waiting.
“Where am I?” Fluttershy asked her, looking around. She took a step back, then a step or two to each side, finally gaining her composure on the ledge of the mountain.
“Zephyr Heights,” Zipp said, looking back up to the sky. That strange blue swirling vortex had just vanished in an instant.
“Zephyr? Fluttershy asked, rubbing her temples. “I haven’t seen my brother in ages.”
Zipp shrugged and assumed she was still disoriented.
“Zephyr Heights is a place, not a pony; it’s kind of a big deal around here, not that I really care,” Zipp explained.
Fluttershy meekly nodded her head, and tapped her hoof onto the ground.
“The ground feels real, you sound genuine but honestly I feel lost,” Fluttershy squeaked. “And I have no idea where Angel is, the poor dear.”
“Angel?” Zipp asked her. “I didn’t see anypony else come out of that strange looking portal. I’ve never seen anything like it, it’s quite fascinating! How does it work?”
“Um, speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out?” Fluttershy shrugged.
Zipp kept ogling her, she was like an angel that had fallen from the sky.
“Can you help me find him?” Fluttershy, her whole body quivering, took a deep breath. “Please.”
“Sure, what does this Angel look like? Are they pegasi like you?” Zipp asked, already going through her head, all the various possibilities. Perhaps that wasn’t the only portal, What if there were more? What if they were near the Palace. “I’ll definitely help you.”
“Awwwh, thank you, but Angel isn’t a pony, he’s a bunny,” Fluttershy said, giggling, as she gestured halfway down her front forelegs. “He’s about this small, white and fluffy adorable fur, and big,round black eyes!”
“Oh, alright,” Zipp said.
“I hope wherever he is right now, that he’s safe and warm,” Fluttershy replied, admiring Zipp’s wings. “Wow, your wings are beautiful, they are so vibrant.”
Zipp spread out her wings to full span, and smirked. “Yeah, they’re pretty epic, right?”
Fluttershy chuckled, hurrying to put her hoof against her mouth. “Oh, sorry, that was rude of me.”
“Nawh, you’re fine,” Zipp began as she walked over to the ledge, and stared wistfully up into the sky, watching the clouds roll by. Her wings sagged as her eyes squeezed shut before Zipp gave a long sigh.
Fluttershy walked over to where Zipp was standing, admiring the sky.
“It is really gorgeous. Oh, what’s that in the distance?”
“Ugh,” Zipp groaned, folding her wings against herself, and turning back the other way to head for the path back down the mountain. It wasn’t going to do either of them any good to stay here.
“Wait,” Fluttershy said.
Zipp stopped in her tracks, turning her head to the side.
“We can’t stay here. We need to go to the Palace.” Zipp blew out a puff of air. “I’m gonna have a lot to explain,” Zipp sighed, rolling her eyes.
Ugh, my head hurts just thinking about what my mom is gonna say, and don’t even get me started on my sister.
“Oh, that building in the distance? That looks like a palace, but it doesn't look familiar to me.” Fluttershy tilted her head, blinking at the structure.
“Well, I know you’re out of this world, but I guess it’s literal, too.” Zipp grinned.
“Yeah, that’s, um, a problem, probably,” Fluttershy said, blushing, running a hoof through her long pink mane. “I’m just so worried about Angel, he could be anywhere, and I have no clue where I am.”
“Just follow me,” Zipp explained, turning back to face the path.
“Can’t we fly?” Fluttershy asked.
Zipp stood completely still, rigid as stone.
Fluttershy recognized that look: it was a sad and longing look. It reminded her of Angel whenever he begged her for anything at all, whether it was carrots or just attention.
“Can you not fly?” Fluttershy asked meekly. Standing there silently, she waited for her response.
“No.” Zipp said, sighing.
“That doesn’t make any sense though, unless…” Fluttershy said, pondering. “Did you not finish flight school?”
“Huh?”
“Flight school, it’s kind of scary, but every pegasi back where I’m from is required to pass that test to prove themselves.”
“Nawh, nothing like that here at all,” Zipp replied.
Fluttershy nodded in understanding. “Then why can’t you fly?”
Zipp fidgeted in place, desperately looking at her wings and forcing her gaze back onto the path back to the palace.
"I don't know, I just can't," Zipp said, biting her bottom lip, sighing.
“That’s awful,” Fluttershy said, walking over beside her, a few paces behind her.
“Yeah, it is.” Zipp said, eyes darting over to Fluttershy, and then back onto the path as she led Fluttershy down the mountain pass, back towards Zephyr Heights. “Best let me do the talking when we get there, and whatever you do, do not, I repeat, do not tell any pony I can’t fly.”
“Why?” Fluttershy asked.
Zipp reminded herself that this pegasi was unique–different than anypony she’s ever met.
She was gorgeous: silky smooth yellow fur; eyes as endless as the sky; her long pink mane and tail looked so floofy that she could run her hooves through it all day
“Um,” Fluttershy mumbled, trying to hide her one eye behind her mane. “Is there a reason you are staring at me like that?”
Zipp shook her head. “Sorry, my head was in the clouds,” Zipp lied.
Fluttershy blinked, tilting her head before nodding.
“Anyways, I’m not the only pegasi that can’t fly–none of us can,” Zipp began explaining. She briefly debated whether or not to tell her everything, but maybe she could summarize.
There was no possible way she could summarize all the anguish, all the hurting of her kind.
She tried.
Fluttershy walked closer to Zipp, the two of them side by side. Fluttershy stared down at the ground, kicking a tiny pebble out of her path.
“I can’t even imagine not flying,” Fluttershy said. “I wasn’t good at it at first. It took me longer than most to actually be good, but not flying at all? That’s just awful.”
Zipp nodded as she saw the palace up ahead. She extended her wing and softly patted the top of Fluttershy’s head, turning her head to look at her sternly.
“Remember, not a word about it,” Zipp said, leading Fluttershy through the streets of Zephyr Heights.
The entire place was bursting full of sights to behold, so many pegasi all gathered in one place. It was a little disconcerting to see them all grounded, not one soaring through the sky. Polished gold and white buildings everywhere, and something else that caught Fluttershy’s attention.
Fluttershy blinked three times and then shielded her eyes with one wing.
“It’s so bright! What are all those moving pictures?” she asked.
“Not important, just follow me,” Zipp called, taking her hoof into her, and hurrying them through the crowd of ponies.
“Princess Zipp!”
“Oh my gosh, it’s one of the Princesses! Can I get your autograph?” A random male pegasi asked.
Zipp ignored their pleads, pulling Fluttershy along. Fluttershy hurried to trot along behind her, holding onto her hoof tightly and not wanting to let go for even a second.
The air was thick with the blinding flashes from cameras.
“Hot off the press! Princess seen holding hooves with a butterscotch pegasi with silky smooth pink mane and tail, cutie-mark of three butterflies on her flank, but on both sides! Who is this exotic beauty and what does Princess Zipp’s mother think?”
Zipp groaned, rolling her eyes. She picked up the pace, running right up the many, many stairs up to the entrance to the royal chambers, Fluttershy struggled to keep up with her and not knock down all the paparazzi. She tried to apologized to every single one before being bodily dragged through the large doors.
“Hey sis. Who’s the cutie pie?” Pipp asked, snapping her own pictures with her smartphone. “It’s all over my Pippsqueak’s tab. Apparently, my sister finally caught her own looooove bird,” she teased, jabbing Zipp in the side.
“Pipp, please.” Zipp smacked her hoof to her head. “This is Fluttershy. Fluttershy, this is Pipp. She’s my little sister,” she huffed, turning her head away as her cheeks burned.
“Welcome back, Zipp, and hello there, Fluttershy. I am Queen Haven, and I am very pleased to meet you,” Queen Haven said, standing up from her throne, briskly jogging down the five steps and extending a hoof in greeting.
“Oh, hi.” Fluttershy replied. She had kept her eyes peeled, but the palace was huge. She didn’t see any signs of a tiny bunny anywhere, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t hiding somewhere, scared and alone. At least she was with Zipp and she was very nice.
“Hey, Mom…” Zipp sighed, patting her mom on the back as she came in for a hug before pushing away.
“And just where have you been, dear? Honestly, I was this close to sending the guard to come check on you,” Queen Haven tutted.
“I was outside, enjoying the fresh air,” Zipp said.
“And when you left, there wasn’t any pony with you, so… Where exactly did you meet this little gem?” Queen Haven asked, raising an eyebrow
Zipp hesitated, her eyes darting to Fluttershy before taking a deep breath.
I can’t just say she fell from the sky, or that she is an angel, neither of those things is gonna be believed, so then what should I say?
“Um, excuse me,” Fluttershy began. “I actually found her, I was walking along this nice path full of animals as far as the eye could see, and there was a bunny I was following and that’s when I saw Zipp up on the ledge.”
“Is that right?” Queen Haven mused, looking Zipp up and down before settling back with a smile and turning back to Fluttershy.
“Mhmm,” Fluttershy said, mostly lying through her teeth.
Zipp turned her head towards Fluttershy. She had just stood up for Zipp without even being asked. Ponies around here didn’t stick their snouts out for anything. Every pony just did their own thing, and went about their own business.
“You should have just told me you were going to the park, dear. Honestly, would a little communication kill you every once in a while?” She shook her head. “Oh, well, it hardly matters at the moment. We have a guest after all,” she stated loudly, stomping a hoof and grabbing the attention of the two nearby guards on station.
“Escort Ms. Fluttershy to—”
“Mom, she can stay in my room. It’s fine,” Zipp said, holding out a hoof in front of Fluttershy.
“So, you do like her,” Pipp chuckled, snapping more pictures and announcing rather loud and proudly. “My sister has a marefriend,” Pipp squeed, taking more photos from every angle and tagging them.
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy said, unsure what to do. She fiddled with her mane with one hoof while staring down at the ground.
“What!? She’s not— I mean, we just met and—”
“You’re blushing~” Pipp sang, snapping another photo for good measure as she danced around them. With a hoof, she edited and posted, focusing mostly on the blushing part.
“Nope—we, we’re not… Oh, forget it! Fluttershy, come with me.” Zipp stormed out of the room without another word.
Fluttershy, still reeling from what had transpired, shifted her hooves on the ground before turning to stare at the door Zipp went had left through.
“You coming or what?” Zipp called, poking her head through the door for a split second and waving her on.
“Well, go on! Don’t keep her waiting! Zipp hates waiting,” Pipp teased, holding a hoof to her mouth to hide her big grin.
Fluttershy didn’t need to be told a third time, mostly just to escape the awkwardness of the situation. She had no idea what to think of any of it.
As she walked out, Zipp reached for her hoof, pulling her into the elevator. Zipp tapped the button repeatedly, side-glancing at the chamber door all the while. “Come on, come on…” she muttered.
Safe in the comforts of her own room, Zipp buried her head into the pillow, and shouted words of incoherent and possibly profane nature.
“Oh my, such language,” Fluttershy said. “I’m sure your sister means well.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Zipp managed, shifting herself around so that she was sitting on her hindquarters on the edge of the bed.
“Make yourself comfortable,” Zipp said, patting the spot.
Fluttershy looked all around the room. Zipp had all the luxuries of a princess; it reminded her a lot of Twilight’s castle, but somehow bigger, more space for all sorts of things.
Zipp laid back onto the bed, allowing herself to sink into the mattress. “It’s okay if you don’t want to sit.”
“I don’t mind sitting with you,” Fluttershy said, a blush rising on her cheeks. “I’m just really tired of being blinded by all the flashes; it’s hard on my eyes.”
“Oh, right. Sorry about that,” Zipp said, scratching the back of her mane with her hoof. She glanced around the room and perked her eartips up for any shuffling of hooves anywhere in the vicinity.
Fluttershy paced around the room, fidgeting in place.
The two just stared at each other, neither one knowing what to each say to the other.
“I’d like to offer you tea,” Fluttershy spoke, her words on a drifting wind that only Zipp would hear.
“You don’t have to offer me anything,” Zipp said looking at her.
“Oh, but I want to!” Fluttershy insisted.
“What about your bunny?” Zipp asked. “I’m sure looking for him is far more important. Though we might want to wait till every pony is asleep or else there might be even more drama.”
“Angel is a smart bunny, wherever he is, I’m sure he is okay,” Fluttershy said, biting her lip, her brows furrowed. “At least… I hope.”
Zipp reached out to lift her chin up with her wingtip. “I promise we’ll look for him together.”
Fluttershy smiled meekly, blushing. Zipp’s wingtip felt so soft to her, warm and reassuring. She thought about Angel. She moved closer to Zipp so that their two bodies were a mere hair’s length apart.
“I have to be honest with you,” Fluttershy began, tilting her head up towards Zipp. “I think you are cute when you’re flustered.”
“What?!?” Zipp replied, blushing, her lips curling downwards into a pout as she attempted to cross her arms across her chest. Fluttershy’s reaction was to push herself closer.
Zipp didn’t move or back away as Fluttershy drew closer. Still, words failed her.
Fluttershy leaned in close, muzzle to muzzle. Zipp’s wings twitched as Fluttershy nuzzled her snout affectionately before tilting her head to the side, and daring to kiss her. A hoof came up to stroke through soft fur, it didn’t matter whose.
Zipp’s cheeks turned as deep red as a ripe tomato. She didn’t even look around the room, instead, she leaned into the kiss. She wrapped her wings around Fluttershy to try to hide this new angel in the safety of her embrace.
Author's Note
Absolute huge thank you to both Nailah and Dreams of Ponies. Seriously, thank you.
