Ethereal Chaos

The next morning, Steelmind opened his eyes to see Sweetie Belle staring back at him eagerly. He panicked and fell off the bed before putting his glasses on and allowing his sight to readjust.

“Morning, Steelmind,” she chirped. He sighed with frustration and noticed Zephyroak wasn't in her bed. “You remember me from yesterday, right?”

“Hmm,” Steelmind turned his attention back to the little unicorn, meeting his gaze with overwhelming anticipation. “Oh yeah. You're one of Leafwind's little friends.” she nodded. “You didn't happen to see Zephyroak, did you? Teal, big puffy mane, Trossel like me?” Sweetie nodded again.

“She's the one who told me to wake you up,” she said. Fantastic, Steelmind muttered under his breath. “My name’s Sweetie Belle, by the way. My sister says you’re really nice and smart.” Steelmind went downstairs, Sweetie Belle followed close behind. When he got there, he saw his long-time friend sitting and talking with Rarity. He listened to their conversation from atop the stairs, not willing to make his presence known to them yet.

“I must say, Zephyroak,” Rarity said. “I do love what you've done with your mane. I've never been able to pull off something like that.” Zephyroak smirked.

“Oh come on,” she said. “Do you know what I'd do for a mane like yours?  Just a quick question, hope it isn't too personal.”

“Go ahead,” Rarity insisted.

“Are you seeing anypony? You don't really seem the type who wouldn't be.” Rarity suddenly went deadly silent, and Zephyroak moved a bit closer. “I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to offend you if that's what's wrong.”

“No, no, it's quite alright dear,” Rarity assured her, having briefly remembered how quickly downhill the Gala had turned. “I suppose you could say I was at one point, but he really didn't turn out as I thought. If you don't mind me asking, what about you?” Zephyroak shook her head.

“Not really,” she said. “It's not that I wasn't getting looks from here to there, far from it, but it was never really anything serious. I'd just tease them a bit, but there never really seemed to be any cute enough ones, y'know? I did have a few coltfriends, but it never went very far.” Steelmind finally decided to make his presence known, Sweetie still in close proximity of him. “Took you long enough. What, were you in a coma?” Steelmind rolled his eyes at her remark, as he did frequently. Steelmind never really had any sisters, but he'd always imagined having a big sister would've been a bit like Zephyroak, but just with a similar love he had for his little brother Cornelius. “Who's your shadow?” Steelmind looked down at Sweetie Belle, who was clinging to his leg firmly before he finally used his magic to pry her off.

“That's my little sister Sweetie Belle,” Rarity explained. “Sweetie Belle, this is a friend of Steelmind's, Zephyroak.”

“If it means anything, Rare,” the Sky Trossel interjected. “My friends just call me Zeph for short.”

“You never told me you had a sister,” Steelmind said.

“I didn't think you'd be interested in my affairs,” Rarity said. “Compared to the life you've lived, everything I'd have said wouldn't have exactly seemed too remarkable.”

“Seriously,” Zephyroak asked in astonishment. “You’re one of the Elements of Harmony. I could only wish that I could ever be something that great.” Steelmind looked down at the small unicorn filly, knowing how Frostburn felt every time Leafwind wanted to tag along with them.

“Zeph,” Steelmind said, not wanting to seem rude when leaving the unwanted attention of Sweetie Belle. “Rarity, if it’s not too much trouble, we’d like to have a look around town.”

“By all means, Steelmind,” the unicorn said. “Zephyroak, we can always talk later at Pinkie Pie’s party.”

“Who’s Pinkie Pie,” Zephyroak asked.

“Oh, you’ll know soon enough.” Steelmind dragged the Sky Trossel out of the boutique with him, closing the door behind him. Zephyroak glared at him as she brushed her tail back into its normal feathery shape.

“I’m sorry, I just needed to get out of there for a while,” he admitted.

“You could’ve done that without dragging me away from my new friend by my tail. Since when did you become my mother?” Steelmind turned away awkwardly, readjusting his glasses. “C’mon, Steel, I was just kidding. You take things way too seriously sometimes, you know that?” he chuckled a bit, realizing that she wasn’t really mad at him. It was the small quirks of his that made Zephyroak happy to be friends with Steelmind, even if he did get a bit irritating at times.

Infernalo was awakened by the excited shrieks of his baby sister from downstairs, who'd gotten up over an hour earlier than usual, much to her siblings' discontent. The pale blue Trossel rushed into the room excitedly, waving an invitation in the air. Infernalo groaned as she entered the room, forcing him from his dream.

“Stonebolt, wake up,” she urged, unable to contain her happiness.

“What time is it,” her sister grumbled.

“Nine.”

“This had better be important,” Infernalo said, more annoyed than usual. “Somepony had better be bleeding to death or something on fire to wake me up from the dream I was having.”

“Another dream about Aquashine,” Frostburn asked flatly. Infernalo narrowed his eyes.

“What do you want,” he asked. Frostburn shoved the invitation in his face as he scanned over it intently. “You woke me up for an invitation to a party?” Frostburn nodded, not able to hear the frustrated anger in his voice. Leafwind, who'd been asleep through the entire conversation, bolt awake instantly.

“A party,” she said excitedly. “Can I come, Frostburn? Please please please please! I'll be super duper extra good, I swear.” Stonebolt took the letter from Infernalo and read it over.

“Frosty,” she said. “This doesn't start for seven hours.” Leafwind didn't hear it; she was too busy pleading to Frostburn to let her go. Leafwind had never been to a party before.

“Leafwind,” Frostburn said, trying to be the grown-up. She looked down at Leafwind’s big orange eyes. “Alright, you can come with.” Leafwind beamed, tears of joy welling up in the corners of her eyes as she squeezed Frostburn tightly.

“Thank you thank you thank you thank you,” she said eagerly.

“I'm pretty sure there will be a lot of ponies who would like to meet you, and your little friends will be there.”

“This is going to be so much fun,” Leafwind said excitedly. “I'm going to go tell Apple Bloom right now.” the little filly rushed out the door so fast she could've left a trail of fire in her wake.

“Why are we doing this again,” the Darkness Trossel asked.

“It will give us a chance to meet everypony in Ponyville and make lots and lots of friends, just like Pinkie,” Frostburn explained, smiling before finally leaving the room.

“How is it that I've never met this 'Pinkie' and yet I feel as though I don't want to,” he asked, pulling himself out of bed begrudgingly. Stonebolt rolled out of bed with him, the two going out into town.

“Try to keep a bit more open minded, Infernalo,” she said. “After all, you should at least give Frostburn's friends a chance.” Infernalo scoffed.

“I've met Frostburn's friends before,” he said coldly. “The only ones I could stand were Steelmind, Zephyroak, and Climantos, and it was only because he didn't talk much by the end.”

“Try to be nice,” she said. “I know this isn't Seldreinia, but we should at least make a good impression. Do it for me.” She smiled at him, batting her eyes. Infernalo groaned, hating when Stonebolt batted her eyes because she knew she'd get her way with him. Reluctantly, he nodded and she hugged him.

“I hate when you do that,” he said.

“I know.”

Steelmind was sitting outside the boutique with Zephyroak when Frostburn swung by. He jumped slightly when he noticed her.

“Oh, Snowflake,” he sighed. “It's just you.”

“Who else would it be, silly,” she said. Steelmind chuckled a bit, but then cleared his throat. “So, what are you two up to? Did you guys get...?”

“Invited to the party,” Zephyroak finished. They held up their invitations as proof and Frostburn lit up.

“Isn't this exciting,” she said, bouncing up and down happily. “Stone and Infernalo got invited too, and Leafwind's gonna tag along. It's going to the best night ever.” Zephyroak frowned at the mention of her cousin.

“Oh no,” she said bitterly. “There's no way I'm sharing breathing space with that little twerp. I don't even like when she visits, and that's involuntary.”

“C'mon, Zeph,” Steelmind tried to persuade her. “It'll be fun. Everypony'll be there. In fact, between Frostburn and Leafwind’s friends, it's not like Leafwind will ever be within five feet of you.”

“Fine,” she said, crossing her front hooves. “I don't want anything to do with her, got it?” Frostburn nodded. “I don't even want anypony knowing she's my cousin.”

“Consider it done,” Frostburn said.

“Seriously, I want it in writing,” the Sky Trossel insisted. Frostburn pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to her.

“Like this, Zeph,” she asked. Steelmind looked over Zephyroak’s should and read the same paper.

“Snowflake, how did you…?” He looked at Frostburn’s gaze, and sighed in defeat knowing that he would never be able to fully understand his girlfriend. “Never mind.”

Leafwind was walking down the path from Sweet Apple Acres, not seeing Apple Bloom or her friends in the tree house, hoping to tell them about the party when she met a pair of earth ponies, one with a bright silver tiara that matched her cutie mark and the other with glasses. The two stopped when Leafwind walked by.

“Hey,” one of them called. Leafwind looked around, expecting that she meant to call somepony else. “I was calling you.”

“You aren't really from here, are you,” the other pony answered. Leafwind shook her head. The two looked over at her flank, admiring her cutie mark in detail.

“What are you staring at,” Leafwind asked. She glanced down at her flank, and noticed what they were staring at. “Oh yeah, I just got it a few days ago. My name's Leafwind.”

“Diamond Tiara,” the earth pony introduced herself, the name seeming a bit redundant but nonetheless fitting. “This is Silver Spoon. So, like, what are you doing around here?”

“I'm looking for Apple Bloom and her friends,” Leafwind explained excitedly.

“You don’t actually want to hang around those blank flanks, do you,” Diamond Tiara asked in astonishment.

“Blank flanks,” Leafwind asked. “They’re my friends.”

“Yeah, but they’re also total losers,” Silver Spoon said. Diamond Tiara put a hoof on her shoulder.

“You don't want to be a loser, do you,” she asked. Leafwind shook her head. “Then, why not hang out with us?”

“Well, I guess if I don’t want to be a loser,” Leafwind said. “Okay.”

“Do we really need to have her around,” Silver Spoon whispered.

“Of course we do,” Diamond Tiara whispered back. “Besides, we can always teach her how to be cool.”

“You’d really do that for me,” Leafwind said excitedly, the two remembering that Leafwind was still there. The two exchanged winks before Diamond Tiara turned back to her.

“Like, of course we would,” Diamond Tiara said. “What are best friends for?”

“Best friends,” Leafwind asked. They nodded, Silver Spoon more begrudgingly. “Yay! I’ve never had best friends before.” The filly squealed and bounced excitedly before Diamond Tiara put a hoof on her head like Zephyroak would.

“First rule of being cool, don’t do that.” Leafwind stopped and nodded.

“We have a lot more work ahead of us than we thought,” Silver Spoon said.

“I know what I’m doing, Silver Spoon,” Diamond Tiara hissed. She cleared her throat and turned back to Leafwind. “Second rule is not to talk to blank flanks.” Leafwind nodded, mentally noting everything that the pink filly explained in as great detail as she could. “Now, let’s go. We’ve got a lot to teach you about being cool.” Leafwind nodded and followed the two, skipping but then remembered what Diamond Tiara said and just trotted in step with the two.