Far above fields now pale, far below bright noon Sun,
The high streets of Cloudsdale were full of good fun.
Foals all played in the snow, full of unbridled glee,
But not one of them showed quite as much joy as she.
To be sure, this young mare wasn't acting her age,
For she had no intention of seeming a sage.
She dodged oh so deftly as snowballs rained down,
And in the whole playground, not one frown was found.
She distinguished herself with her grueling defense,
From a yellowy pegasus rather less tense.
As she worked on her sculptures, away from the fray,
Her army of snowbuns drew cooing foal neighs.
An ear tried to perk under fuzzy, warm muffs,
And the pegasus looked to her friend staying tough.
One small colt buzzed up close, asking through huff and puff,
"Could you please hold it steady? We've all had enough."
Her twitchy tail stilled with no further ado;
Pink muzzle bedazzled by what the foals threw.
She shook all the frost off, then, as if on cue,
The school's bell rang out, and they all bid adieu.
Pinkie bounced to a rhythm heard only by her, hooves testing the limits of the cloud walking spell graciously cast by Ponyville's premier purple unicorn. "I wish Twilight and the rest weren't so busy, they'd love it up here."
Fluttershy kept close, trying not to stumble even as the semi-solid surface beneath her deformed in the wake of her friend's frog-like gait. "With your plans, I thought you'd be the busiest."
A sweater-clad foreleg draped over her wings, Pinkie closing the distance in nary a blink. "Don'cha worry, I'll put together the holliest, jolliest Hearth's Warming Eve party ever, with tons of time to spare!" she declared with a boop, though her certainty only lasted until she gave a quick look around. "Which way were we going again?"
Snoot scrunched, Shy consulted a street sign. "It should be just around this corner." Indeed, as the two made their turn, neither could miss the storefront, what with the great candy cane proudly jutting as far out of it as city ordinance would allow.
Pinkie gave an impressed whistle at its sheer length. "Talk about eye candy." Before she could be tempted to give it a lick, Fluttershy gently nudged her through the doorway, bell ringing as they both gave a content sigh at the shop's warmth.
A cream-colored mare emerged from the back, a practiced smile quickly masking her surprise at the earth pony standing before her. "Welcome to Sweetopia, home of all things sacchariferous!"
Pinkie smiled earnestly, committing the word to memory. "I'm looking for the bestest cake topping in Equestria!" she excitedly stated, eyes darting across all the candies on display.
The confectioner mare nodded, fetching a wide metal tin from under the counter. "Certainly, we offer the perfect blend of tasty and tasteful," she quipped, pushing it toward them, opening it with suspenseful slowness. "Sugar snowflakes--as delicate as they are beautiful. A recipe passed through generations of pegasi, stretching back to the founding of Cloudsdale."
While Pinkie marveled at the glittering flakes, Fluttershy looked past the counter, into the kitchen. "Um, is that a weather factory snowmaker?"
The mare looked back in alarm, kicking the door shut to conceal the old machine behind it. "N--No, miss, I'm afraid you're mistaken."
"Oh, I'm sorry; it looked an awful lot like the machines I saw on my school trip," explained Fluttershy, muzzle retreating into her scarf.
Having unglued her eyes from the sticky snow, Pinkie gave her a pat on the back. "Don't sweat it, anypony could've mistaken that noisy old thing for a second-hoof snowmaker."
The seller's ear twitched nervously as she heard the entrance bell chime, announcing more customers. "Tell you what," she forced out, her voice a low whisper, "since you're so very discerning, I'll let you have the flakes for a special price."
Pinkie gasped, dropping her inadvertent inquiry. "Really? Wow, thanks!" As she counted up the bits requested, she couldn't help but notice that they were barely more than what she'd pay for the same amount of plain sugar, but was quick to dismiss that as simple jolly generosity. And so the two friends made out--like bandits.
As they stepped outside, Fluttershy took a deep breath of fresh winter air. She was about to ask where Pinkie wanted to go next, but a bell's jingle drew her attention. She whipped her head back to the store's door, anticipating a pony or three to burst out without any regard for passerby, but it remained closed. An eyebrow quirked as she heard another jangle. And then another.
Pinkie's ears tilted every which way, zeroing in on the sound's source. "It's coming from over there!" she announced, springing into motion, Fluttershy struggling to keep up with the mare's trampoline-trained trot. In mere seconds, Pinkie had found her target: an elderly stallion wearing an unusual uniform, a pair of bells strapped to his upraised foreleg.
The wizened pegasus regarded the duo with a simple smile. To Pinkie's surprise, Fluttershy walked right up to him, reaching into her saddlebags. Coin purse held tenderly in her hoof, she deposited a few silver bits in the red kettle next to him, eliciting a heavily accented "Sun shine on you".
Pinkie sidled up to her. "You really like his bell playing, don'cha? Too bad I left mine in my other manestyle."
Fluttershy sniggered, shaking her head. "No--I mean, it is nice, but he's with Salvation Aviation. They help less fortunate ponies get back on their hooves."
The stallion nodded, jingling all the while. "Every bit helps. If you find ze time, our shtores offer anoder vay to contribute--all proceeds go to charity."
Fluttershy hummed thoughtfully. "It has been a while since my last visit." Turning to Pinkie, the unspoken question was answered with an enthusiastic nod.
"Lead the way," she eagerly instructed, following Fluttershy for a few seconds before stopping herself. "Oh, almost forgot--" She hopped back to the stallion, rooting around her mane for a few moments before pulling out a shiny gold coin. Its edges were clipped, but the bulk of the precious metal remained unscathed. With little ceremony, she plopped it in the collection kettle. "Tazzle mov!"
The stallion blinked, ringing coming to a stop as he looked between his kettle and the retreating mare. "Vas?"
A jingle announced their entrance, Pinkie's curiosity only matched by Fluttershy's nostalgia. "It hasn't changed much," she remarked, taking in the perpetually disorganized decor with slow, measured steps.
"Didja come here often?" asked Pinkie, sifting through a basket of plush toys--finding a stuffed alligator which she delightedly hugged.
Fluttershy nodded, smiling at Pinkie's resemblance to her own younger self. "Whenever I had some spare bits." She reached into a clothing rack, pulling out a vest bearing the signature shield symbol--nothing an officer would wear, but a nice way of showing one's support. "I even asked about enlisting, but they said I was too young."
"Huh, I had somepony tell me the same thing when I went out looking for some special sugar for Inkie's birthday cake. Oh, and speaking of sugar--" she pivoted, grabbing another plush from the pile, offering it to Fluttershy, "--isn't this sweet?"
She took the plush, turning it over in her hoof. This one was a miniature Wonderbolt in full flight gear, and aside from a few popped stitches in the back, was in perfect shape. "Rainbow's not a big fan of plushies, but I think she'd like it. After I fix it up, of course."
"Oh, oh, I should get her a present too! Could you take Plummy to the till while I look for one?"
"Plummy?" asked Fluttershy, before realizing she was referring to the softer sibling of her pet gator. "Sure."
"Thanks, I'll be quick." Passing the second plush to the pegasus, Pinkie zipped off in search of a present, making Fluttershy's pace seem slothlike in comparison. As she reached the register, she saw the uniformed mare behind the counter was snout-deep in a flight magazine. She recognized the name, Rainbow always having an issue or two lying around.
The costumed clerk looked up from her reading, lidded amber eyes taking in the umpteenth customer of the day. "How can I help..." she began, trailing off as a look of recognition passed over both their faces. "You!" cried Lightning, shocked.
Fluttershy flinched at this grade-A customer service, hiding behind the counter. "No help needed."
She heard a shaky breath over her own pounding heartbeat. "You...you're Rainbow's friend, aren't you?"
Recalling the last interaction between the two aspiring Wonderbolts, Fluttershy chose her words carefully. "Um, maybe?"
The sound of two hooves being planted firmly upon somepony's face resounded through the air. "I'm sorry," started Lightning, sounding a little muffled, "I just wasn't expecting...you, of all ponies."
Fluttershy had lowered herself far enough for her hair to act as a pink mop when she felt a pair of hooves grab her from behind. She might've taken off in a panic were it not for her hugger's giggle. "Found ya! You should've tried the other side of the counter if you were gonna play hide and seek." Glancing up, Pinkie locked eyes with the turquoise trooper. "Oh, hi there, Lightning."
Dust simply stared through her. Despite the mare's far more bombastic entrance, the second reminder of her past sins didn't hit nearly as hard as the first. "...Hi, Pinko."
"Close enough." As she helped Fluttershy up, Pinkie pondered aloud. "Actually, I'm kinda surprised you remember me at all."
Dust lowered her gaze, mumbling into her hooves. "Hard not to."
"What was that?" asked Pinkie, placing a replica of Daring Do's iconic hat on the counter.
"Uh, I mean, Rainbow talked a bunch about you girls." Dust tried to distract herself by focusing on ringing up the mares' items as quickly as possible, but the sight of the Wonderbolt plush sent her thoughts right back where she didn't want them.
As she made her payment, Pinkie noticed her downcast expression, peering past the veneer of professionalism. "Are you okay?"
"Just a little tired." The till's bell rang, announcing another satisfied customer. Cracking her neck, Dust picked up her peaked cap, seating it firmly upon her head. "I think I'll take an early lunch," she declared, suddenly making for the exit. "Happy Hearthswarming," she half-heartedly muttered without looking back.
Most ponies would leave it at that. If she wanted to play the lone ranger, that'd be her prerogative. Pinkie Pie was not most ponies. "Can we come with?"
Dust halted in her tracks, slowly turning back, head tilted. "Why would you want to have lunch with me? We barely know each other." She avoided mentioning how she'd put them both--well, at least one of them--in mortal danger.
"So let's get to know each other. Fluttershy hasn't been up here in a while, so it'd be super duper helpful if you showed us a good place to eat. Right, Fluttershy?"
Put on the spot, Fluttershy nodded uncertainly. "The more, the...merrier?"
Pinkie clapped her hooves. "Right! So, what do you say?"
In the face of Pinkie's eagerness, Dust simply couldn't come up with an excuse, and so shrugged her wings in resignation. "Fine. Try to keep up." This was no mere flippancy, as it turned out--Dust moved with remarkable speed for a pony wearing dress pants.
Though Fluttershy was mostly occupied with not falling behind, she noticed Dust avoided other ponies on the street, rather similar to her own behavior a mere year or two in the past. It weighed on her heavily--heavier than even her sweat-soaked sweater--how a mare whose confidence rivaled that of Rainbow Dash could end up this way.
Before she could dwell on it any further, Dust screeched to a stop, destination finally in view. Snazzily swept lettering identified the establishment as the one-and-only Aerodiner, jacketed Wonderbolts chitting the chat out front. One of them looked over Dust in her uniform, giving a mock salute. Frowning, she eschewed the obvious entrance and led the two mares around the side of the building, ending up at a plain door.
Fluttershy looked up at the EMPLOYEES ONLY sign. "Are you sure we can go through here?" she asked, glancing side to side.
Dust waved a hoof. "Don't worry--" she assured, opening the door to reveal a picture of her younger self hanging on the opposite wall, "--they know me."
Fluttershy had barely shut the door before an older pegasus nearly ran into Dust, balancing several empty plates on each wing. She grinned, regaining her balance (and, to Pinkie's eye, her pep) before giving her daughter a nuzzle. "Dusty, great to see you!"
Dust only blushed slightly at her affection, nuzzling her back. "Hey, ma, how's it going?"
"Oh, same old holiday rush. A lot of off-duty...y'know," she recounted, smile faltering for but a moment.
"I know, ma, I've only worked here half my life," joked Dust, sweeping the awkwardness aside. "We'll take a booth."
"We?" asked her mother, a quick look reminding her ponies other than her daughter did indeed exist. "Oh, you brought friends! Go on through, I saved your usual spot." She hurried off to the kitchen, leaving Dust to grab a couple of menus for her plus-two.
As she snuck out of the staff area, Pinkie tried her best to imitate her light steps, while Fluttershy was just her usual self. All together, the three couldn't be heard over the ambient noise, sinking into the corner booth with nary a whisper of air from the soft cushions.
After a few suggestions from Dust, they made their order, her mother jotting it down with gusto. And then...silence. Though, with Pinkie at the table, it was naturally short-lived. "So you used to work here, huh? I work at a bakery."
Internally groaning, Dust felt woefully unprepared for small talk with strangers beyond what was necessary to earn a good tip. "Me and Fluttershy, we're both pegasi. We all have so much in common," she lamely quipped.
"We do! We both like wearing funny hats, Fluttershy's from Cloudsdale, same as you, and all our names have three syllables."
Dust put a hoof to her chin, silently mouthing to confirm. "I guess so," she conceded, and Pinkie could see a hint of a smile on her face. "What're you two doing in Cloudsdale, anyway?"
"Shopping and sightseeing, and boy is there a lot to see; I never even knew it could snow above the clouds."
Dust found something charming about her childish naivety. "That's the thing, it can't. Clouds on top of clouds, filly--it's clouds all the way up." Before she knew it, she found herself drawn into a lecture about Cloudsdale's climate, Fluttershy chiming in every now and then with additional facts from the surface. For a conversation about the weather, it was surprisingly engaging.
The restaurant bell dinged twice to indicate their meal was ready, and Dust had to stop herself from standing up and bringing it herself. Her mother dutifully took care of it, ferrying an absurd amount of food over one single trip. In addition to their rather substantial order (owing to the black hole on pink legs), the mature mare set down a trio of plates, each holding a chocolate chevron. "Here's a little treat, on the house."
Pinkie licked her lips, trying to hold herself back from immediately digging into the thick fudge. "Jee, thanks!" was all she managed before her dessert fork became a blur.
The mare let out a good-natured chuckle, glancing to make sure her own daughter wasn't also starting with dessert. "Anything for Dusty's friends."
"Ma, they're not..." Dust paused, biting her lip. "...not used to so much kindness, is all."
Fluttershy and Pinkie shared a look that went unnoticed by the mature mare, a warm smile plastered on her face. "Shush, now. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."
Fluttershy nodded appreciatively, blowing on her cocoa. "Thank you, Mrs..."
"Just 'Bolt' is fine, dear. Can I get you anything else?"
Fluttershy glanced across the table, the stacks of food forming a miniature skyline, with a jolly pink giant rampaging through it at an alarming rate. "No, we'll be alright." With a nod, Bolt left them to their eating.
Despite Pinkie's lack of table manners, she mostly avoided talking with her mouth full--though that may have simply been due to the sheer amount of food making speech virtually impossible. The three ate in relative silence, Fluttershy taking her time with the ever-generous portions, pausing only to voice one of the many questions she had. "How did you end up enlisting?" Getting a curious look from under Dust's visor, she elaborated. "I tried when I was a filly. I got as far as the interview before they realized I was still in flight school."
Pinkie chuckled, swallowing her serving of strawberry shortcake. "That's what you get for being an early bloomer," she teased, reaching over the table to tussle her mane.
Taking a long sip from her half-empty latte, Dust tried to hide her grimace. By the time she set her mug back down, she succeeded in reducing it to a mere frown. "After my...brief stint at the Academy, I wasn't very glad to be home. My parents now had to dodge all those questions about their little Wonderbolt, but word spread fast anyway. Who wants that kind of association when most of your customers wear the uniform?"
Pinkie and Fluttershy's ears drooped, but they nodded along, prompting her to continue. "I was out walking after dark, trying to clear those rogue clouds in my head, when I came across Officer Rossel." A smirk flickered across her face. "He had his kettle set up right in the middle of my usual path, and I always brought some loose change with me. Now, he might be old, but his mind's as sharp as it ever was. I didn't even notice how routine my trips became until that evening."
Pinkie's tail was completely still, and she leaned forward, confections all but forgotten. "What happened?"
"I reached out to the kettle, bits in hoof, like always, but I was stopped. Officer Rossel put his hoof in the way. He told me I'd made more donations in a few weeks than most ponies make in a year, and he knew I didn't do it out of the goodness of my heart."
Fluttershy took a calming sip of lukewarm cocoa. "How could he know that?"
Dust gave a mirthless chuckle. "Simple: doing good usually makes ponies feel better, not worse. He offered me bed and board at the corps, which suited me--I just about had enough of worrying my parents--but most of all, he lent his ear." Hesitantly, she looked up at the sympathetic faces in front of her. "Kinda like you two. 'Fehler sind pferdlich,' he told me."
"Mistakes are equine," translated Pinkie.
"That's right. I argued, of course, but if there's one thing Salvation excels at, it's getting you to accept help."
Pinkie gave her a long, contemplative look. "Are you sure you're getting all the help you need?"
"Change comes from within, right? All I ever wanted as a filly was to be like the everyday heroes that I saw here, in this diner, and...I changed for the worse. I hurt ponies. Salvation's been good to me, but if I can't prove I'm more than just a lousy washout--" her fetlock landed heavily on the table, "--if I can't help anypony, how could anypony help me?" she asked, misty-eyed.
Fluttershy scooched over, covering Dust's hoof with hers, making the mare back away reflexively. "You need to show yourself the same kindness you offer others."
Pinkie nodded, moving over to join Fluttershy in antenuptial hoofholding, when inspiration struck. "Say, what are you doing for Hearth's Warming Eve?"
Dust raised her head at the non sequitur, but at this point, she was glad to change topics. "Nothing special, really. The diner's open through the whole holiday, so there's no real time for a family get-together. We usually host our Eve the week after."
She could've never anticipated the next words to come out of Pinkie's mouth: "Wanna come down to Ponyville?" she asked, as casually as one would offer a stick of gum.
Dust looked between the two, looking for the slightest hint of insincerity, but she found nothing. "B--But why? I've done nothing to deserve this!"
"Exactly!" cried Pinkie, planting her hooves on the table. "You spent months doing better, being better, but you're still stuck on that one mistake." She lowered herself until she was at eye level with her, and spoke softly. "Frowning at the past is only gonna give you a frowny future."
Fluttershy gave her hoof a delicate squeeze. "You can be a hero when you're all better."
With a trembling hoof, Dust took off her cap, holding it to her chest as her eyes clenched shut and she finally managed a nod. As the two mares embraced her from both sides, the last vestiges of her resistance broke, and like a kick to a stormcloud, on came the waterworks. She quietly let it all out, every lie of omission and deep-buried hurt flowing free in a cleansing rain. Pinkie and Fluttershy simply held her tight, until it was all out.
The three newfound friends would go on to spend the rest of their day seeing all there was to see in Cloudsdale, and every step Dust took filled her with confidence anew...but back at the diner, she was simply grateful nopony could see them in that little corner booth.
Far above fields so frigid, 'neath windy, dark skies,
A formerly prickly mare doffed her disguise.
Not a heartless, cruel braggart, not even "just fine",
For the first time in ages, her self was "all mine".
Author's Note
It's not at all relevant to the fic, but I named Dusty's father and mother Thunderbolt and Lightning Bolt.
