Fine Feathered Friend

Beneath the Surface

Nimbus is fully prepared for some R&R when a deeply shaken Fluttershy shows up to ask him about accompanying her on a trip to Hollow Shades, where a string of mysterious disappearances has led the townsponies to believe there is a little-known creature responsible. When they arrive, Nimbus soon finds, however, that there is more to this case than meets the eye…

Nimbus was happily stuffing his face with a glazed donut after a particularly intense jazz improvisation session at Octavia’s. Octavia had advised him to go home and take a break from the sax for the day, but Vinyl Scratch had shown up with a box of a dozen assorted donuts, claiming that everypony deserved a treat. Nimbus was not one to argue.

Octavia was seated at the kitchen table across from Nimbus, reading the newspaper. Something in the paper seemed to catch her attention, and she slowly slid it across the table to Nimbus. Mid-chew, Nimbus snatched up the paper. There, at the bottom of the page, was an advertisement.

“Musicians of Ponyville,” he read aloud, “Auditions for-“

He lowered the paper and looked up, straight at Octavia. “Auditions? What are you trying to get me into this time?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Octavia said innocently, “I just passed you the paper!”

“Uh huh,” Nimbus said, not convinced in the slightest. He continued reading.

“Auditions for a single saxophonist will be held in the Ponyville town hall in two weeks, to choose a representative of Ponyville to play alongside the-“

Nimbus gasped suddenly. “The… Trans-Equestrian Orchestra?! In their Hearth’s Warming Eve concert?!”

“Oh, was that on the front page?” Octavia asked, trying hard to maintain a straight face, “I can’t imagine why I would have passed you that. You couldn’t possibly be interested in anything like that.”

“Are you kidding?” Nimbus said excitedly, waving the newspaper around, “this is awesome! The Trans-Equestrian Orchestra is… just incredible! Their music is a fusion of rock, orchestra, and jazz, and- and they want a saxophonist from Ponyville!”

“I know all about them,” Octavia said, “I’m their guest cellist.”

“You are?” Nimbus said, “That’s great!”

“But I wanted some company, so… I may or may not have slipped you that newspaper on purpose.”

“I have to audition,” Nimbus said, “there’s just no way I can turn down an opportunity like this!”

“I couldn’t agree more,” said Octavia.

A knock at the door interrupted them. Vinyl Scratch poked her head into the kitchen.

“Don’t get up. I’ll get the door!” she said between mouthfuls of jelly donut. Moments later, she came back with none other than Fluttershy.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Nimbus said, “what’s up?”

“Oh, hi… Nimbus. I just wanted to ask- I mean, if it’s not any trouble- what I’m trying to say is- could you help me with something?”

“Just a sec,” Nimbus said, raising his hoof. He stood and turned to Octavia.

“Thanks for the lesson. I’ll be back about those auditions as soon as I can.”

“Of course,” Octavia said, “take care, Nimbus!”

Nimbus walked out the door with Fluttershy and headed down the street, towards the town square.

“So what do you need?” Nimbus asked Fluttershy.

Fluttershy stared at him with her large, innocent eyes. “Well, you see, the Mayor of Hollow Shades heard how I am with animals, and sent me a letter yesterday. It seems they want my help with a creature problem.”

“What’s going on in Hollow Shades?” Nimbus asked.

“Oh, it’s terrible. Fillies and colts are disappearing near the river, and the townsponies think there’s only one creature to blame- a Kappa.”

“A what?” Nimbus asked. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of a Kappa.”

“It’s a ferocious water-dweller that’s supposed to drown foals.”

“Really?” Nimbus said, skeptical. “How do we know that?”

“Well, nopony knows for sure,” Fluttershy answered, “but foal disappearances usually increase when a Kappa is sighted.”

“And when are Kappas sighted, exactly?”

“The rainy season,” Fluttershy replied, “and in Hollow Shades, that’s the spookiest time of the year, so… would you mind coming with me?”

Nimbus was taken aback. Fluttershy had never asked for his assistance on anything before. “Well, sure, but… have you already tried any of your other friends? Mecha perhaps?”

“They’re all too busy,” Fluttershy said, “and to tell you the truth- I don’t want Mecha to come.”

“Why not?” Nimbus asked, “he’s totally capable of bringing the smackdown on this Kappa.”

“But that’s not what I want!” Fluttershy said, “I don’t want to hurt it. I just want it to stop threatening everypony else.”

“I see,” Nimbus said, scratching his chin. Finally he turned back to Fluttershy. “What time are you leaving?”

“I’m leaving on the train this afternoon,” Fluttershy replied.

“Then I’ll meet you at the train station later,” Nimbus said, turning and heading for home, “I need to get a few things before we leave.”

…

A few hours later, Fluttershy watched as Nimbus waddled up to the train station, laden with two sleeping bags, his EAF sheathes, a tent, several emergency kits, and fire-starting supplies. Fluttershy herself had a simple saddlebag.

“Um, Nimbus-“ she said, “are you sure that’s, um, all really necessary?”

“Of course it is!” Nimbus replied, “there’s no telling how long we’ll be out in the field tracking down this Kappa!”

“Well, yes,” Fluttershy said, “but it’s right next to Hollow Shades. We could just find a room or-“

“And besides,” Nimbus said, not hearing Fluttershy at all, “it’ll be fun to stay in the great outdoors!”

“Well, I guess if you say so-“ Fluttershy said.

The two turned in their tickets and hopped onto the train, heading for the mysterious town of Hollow Shades. It was the start of a new adventure, and neither knew just what to expect.

…

The screeching of the train’s brakes woke Nimbus from his nap. He’d been asleep for nearly the entire ride.

“We must be here!” he said, shaking Fluttershy, who was also napping, awake. Nimbus stood and retrieved his luggage as Fluttershy stretched and yawned.

“I must confess,” Nimbus said as the two made their way towards the exit, “I’ve never been to Hollow Shades before, but I hear it’s quite-“

The ponies stepped off the train and were instantly enveloped in a thick, white fog.

“-beautiful,” Nimbus finished drily. “Well, I suppose it could be beautiful, if there wasn’t so much of this Celestia-forsaken fog.” He turned to Fluttershy. “I guess we’d better get our stuff under the platform. Is there somepony we need to meet?”

“Oh yes,” Fluttershy said, “the Mayor himself is coming to meet us.”

As the two hurried under the platform, a gaunt white Earth Pony stallion trotted up to them. His Cutie Mark was that of a rake.

“Salutations,” he said, “is either of you Fluttershy?”

“That’s me,” Fluttershy squeaked.

The pony turned to her. “So pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Fluttershy.” He turned to Nimbus. “And you are-?”

“I’m Nimbus, from the EAF. I’m Fluttershy’s escort.”

“I see…” the Mayor said, clearly not happy. “This is hardly a matter that needs to be brought to the attention of the Air Force however, Mr. Nimbus.”

Nimbus smiled, ignoring the Mayor’s hostile words. “Then it’s a good thing I’m off-duty. I’m just here to help out a friend.”

“Very well,” the Mayor said, “I’ll show you the river where we believe the Kappa is dwelling. I’ll fill you in on what’s going on here on the way.”

“Sounds great,” said Nimbus.

The ponies picked up their belongings and followed the Mayor into town. Hollow Shades, as they soon discovered, was just as dreary as the fog surrounding it. As they walked down the street, they received several cold, unfeeling stares from the town’s residents, and neither felt welcome. Nimbus attempted to stare back, while Fluttershy simply retreated into her shell of shyness.

“It seems when the wet season came upon Hollow Shades this year,” the Mayor spoke, “it brought with it a Kappa. I trust you are both familiar with the creature?”

Both ponies nodded.

“Good, then you know why this is a serious matter. You see, a Kappa has recently been spotted in the area, and the sightings have correlated with reports of missing foals. The reports all have one thing in common- the foals in question were last seen in the vicinity of the river, which is the only place near town that could support a Kappa.”

“And you’re sure this Kappa is the reason for the disappearances?” Nimbus asked.

The Mayor frowned. “Yes. Can your companion speak for herself?”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said Fluttershy. “I can try to talk more if you want.”

Caught off guard, the Mayor cleared his throat. “Oh, that’s, er, alright. Now, if you two will follow me…”

The Mayor headed out of town on a dirt path, which lead into the woods. Fluttershy was becoming more and more nervous as the dark trees closed in on all sides, and even Nimbus had to admit he was spooked. The fog floated eerily through the trees, creating a surreal, nightmarish environment. Nimbus had to glance back every few steps, believing that something was following him.

“Stay close,” the Mayor said, “the forest can be as dangerous as the river.”

A snarling sound farther away in the woods alerted Nimbus to the presence of some large, predatory animal. Though he couldn’t make out what it was, he knew that the only safe option would be to stay with the group, on the path. Finally, he could hear the sound of trickling water ahead.

“We’re here,” the Mayor said grimly. As they walked through a dense cluster of bushes, Nimbus suddenly found himself face-to-face with a dark, slow-moving river. On the other side, part of it diverted into a shady swamp. Strange shapes seemed to move in the water, and far away, something large splashed up to the surface and dove back down to its cold, dimly-lit dwelling. Nimbus shuddered.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, actually seemed to have calmed a bit. “This is really a wonderful river,” she said to the Mayor, “I didn’t know so many animals lived here.”

The Mayor was taken aback by Fluttershy’s statement. “Wonderful? I don’t think I’ve ever heard it described that way before, but if that’s how you see it…”

“Yes, it’s really very wonderful,” said Fluttershy. “I just love animals, you see.”

“Then perhaps you’d be able to lure this Kappa out of hiding for me?”

Fluttershy paused for a moment. “Well, I could try to after I find out a little more about it. Why do you want me to lure it out?”

“Just wanted to get a good look at the creature that’s caused this town so much grief,” the Mayor said. His story seemed plausible, but Nimbus caught a subtle eye twitch from the pony, and knew that he was holding something back.

“We’ll get right on this,” Nimbus said aloud.

“Excellent,” said the Mayor, “then I’ll show you to the room I’ve reserved for you, and you can begin.”

“Room?” Nimbus said, sounding slightly disappointed. Suddenly it seemed all of the camping gear he was carrying had grown heavier.

“Of course,” the Mayor said. “We can’t just leave you out here in the forest.”

“Well actually-“ Nimbus began.

“We’ll follow you,” Fluttershy said to the Mayor, cutting Nimbus off. The Pegasus was surprised. He’d never known Fluttershy to be one to interrupt. Perhaps this place had given her a newfound courage. Nimbus had to muse at the irony of it all. It seemed that Hollow Shades had turned the tables on himself and Fluttershy. Ever since his arrival, Nimbus had been as jumpy as a frightened colt, but Fluttershy had grown bolder. Obviously wonders never ceased here.

As they walked back into town, Nimbus once again saw the townsponies staring at him. This time, however, there was something different in the stare- something that seemed more like… gratitude? It was hard to tell, but they had undoubtedly seen the ponies head down to the river, where the Kappa resided, and had almost certainly realized the outsiders’ mission here.

The Mayor unlocked the door to a small cottage and slowly opened the door.

“This is where you two will stay until your task is complete,” he said. “I’ve made all the arrangements for comfort that I could. I hope you enjoy your stay here.” As he left, he turned back to Nimbus.

“Oh, and one more thing- the room’s only set for one. I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

Nimbus would have been fine in the statement if not for the slight sneer at the end of it. Clearly this pony did not like the Air Force at all.

“Well thank you for the heads-up, sir,” Nimbus said, purposefully using Air Force lingo in an attempt to frustrate the pony further, “I’ve got my sleeping bag handy, so I’ll just set up for the night. Reckon I might try to get to sleep early, too, so I can get up at zero dark thirty and see if I can get a visual on this Kappa of yours. Good night!”

Nimbus grinned cheesily and shut the door before the Mayor could get another word out.

“Do you really think there’s a Kappa in the river?”

Nimbus turned to Fluttershy, who was organizing her belongings.

“I don’t know,” he said, “the Mayor mentioned sightings, but I saw nothing at the river.”

Nimbus rolled his sleeping bag out on the floor and turned to Fluttershy. “You know, I’m going out tonight to see if I can catch a glimpse of this thing. Care to join me?”

“Oh…” Fluttershy said, “well I don’t know…”

“You didn’t seem afraid when we went down to the river today,” Nimbus observed as he climbed into his sleeping bag for a quick rest, “what makes now any different?”

“I was with you and the Mayor earlier,” Fluttershy replied. “I just felt safer then. But now…”

“I understand,” Nimbus said. “Just let me know if you change your mind.” And with that, he turned over and dozed off, snoring within minutes.

…

When Nimbus awoke, no light was streaming in through the curtains. Night had fallen. Perfect.

He stood and stretched, and was about to call out to Fluttershy when he saw her curled up on the bed.

“Never mind,” he whispered to himself, “she’s better off staying here.”

Nimbus opened the door slowly and headed out. However, instead of heading for the river, he took a turn towards the town hall. He’d had his suspicions about the Mayor, and now he wanted to see just what the mysterious pony was up to. He was relieved to see no other ponies on the streets. The last thing he wanted to do was to have to explain why he’d been spying on the Mayor of Hollow Shades to anypony.

Nimbus found the town hall and opened the front door. To his surprise, the modest, wooden building was unlocked. He slipped inside silently. Inside, the building was dark, save for one office with light streaming out from under the door. That was his ticket. Nimbus crept to the door. He could hear voices inside- one of which he recognized as the Mayor’s.

“I’m glad we can finally rest. Once we’ve dispatched the beast, there’ll be no question.”

“Of course, sir. Your reelection campaign will have just the boost it needs. Just picture it, sir: Mayor saves Hollow Shades by ridding it of a most foul creature.”

“Hmm, yes. I quite like the sound of that.”

“But sir- if I may ask, are you sure our Kappa is responsible for all of these disappearances? What about the riverbanks, for instance? Some of our inspectors have stated that they’ve become quite unsteady with all of the water the town has received since the rainy season started.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Then the Mayor spoke, his voice quiet, but with a dangerous tone.

“You pull your ponies off of that river now.” He paused for a moment, then added “after all, we wouldn’t want the Kappa to get them, now would we? That would be rather unfortunate, don’t you think?”

“Yes sir,” the other pony said. Nimbus pressed his back against the wall, breathing heavily. He’d heard enough. He tiptoed towards the door to leave… just as the Mayor’s door opened, revealing Nimbus in the doorway’s light.

“My word,” said the Mayor. “Looks like we have a visitor from the Air Force.”

“Nice campaign plan, sir,” Nimbus said, slowly edging towards the door, “but I highly doubt your citizens will approve of it once I tell them.”

“What makes you think that’s going to happen?” the Mayor said with a sneer. He began to pace, speaking nonchalantly.

“You know, it’s very difficult to subdue a Pegasus. In fact, it’s very near impossible. But you know what I found out?”

“Do tell,” Nimbus snarled. He was close to the door now. If he could just keep this buffoon talking…

“Pegasi have the same weakness as everpony- distract them, and they fall just as easily.”

With a sudden chill, Nimbus realized that he’d been playing into the Mayor’s hooves all along. He tried to simultaneously sidestep and glance back, but he wasn’t fast enough. Two ponies behind him threw a net over him, and Nimbus was instantly tangled.

The Mayor chuckled. “Well, well. Not so strong now, are you? You going to try and fly away?”

Nimbus growled in response.

“You know what I think?” the Mayor continued, “I think another Kappa victim will be just what Fluttershy needs to hurry her little task up. What do you think?”

He turned to the ponies who had captured Nimbus. “Throw him in the river. If the Kappa doesn’t get him first, he’ll drown. Either way he’s out of the way.

The ponies nodded an affirmative and dragged Nimbus outside, throwing him into the back of a cart roughly and covering him with a few bags of flour. Nimbus hit his head hard on one of the cart’s sides and quickly lost consciousness. The last thing he thought before he blacked out was “it’s all up to Fluttershy now. We’re doomed.

…

When Nimbus came to, the cart had stopped moving. He was still fading in and out of consciousness, and he couldn’t move his wings if he’d wanted to. Nonetheless, he was dragged- net and all- out of the cart and to the riverbank.

“Enjoy your swim,” one of the ponies said, hoisting Nimbus up. Though he was on the verge of losing consciousness again, Nimbus couldn’t resist a jibe.

“Enjoy your swim? Isn’t that phrase just a little bit cliché?”

Growling, the pony and his companion threw Nimbus out over the water. Nimbus landed with a tremendous splash and began trying to tread water. In his semiconscious state, however, the effort only exhausted him. Nimbus began to lose consciousness again, and felt himself slipping under the water. Just before losing consciousness completely, Nimbus felt a pair of cold and clammy claws clutch his midsection and pull him completely under. There was no doubt in his mind now. The Kappa was real after all.

…

Fluttershy woke and almost instantly flew into a panic. Nimbus was gone! He’d told her that he would be out the night before, but she’d expected him to be back by now. Where had he said he was going? Fluttershy racked her brain before the answer came to him.

“He went to find the Kappa,” she said aloud.

And if he still hadn’t returned, that could only mean one thing…

Fluttershy scrambled to the door and was about to open it when she remembered how frightening the forest had been. And this time, she’d be going in alone. If things weren’t scary enough then, they’d be more than scary enough now.

Then Fluttershy shook the thoughts from her mind. Her friend was in there, and he more than likely needed help. She had to do this; there was no other option. Fluttershy opened the door and galloped for the forest path as fast as she could. It was early morning, and none of the citizens of Hollow Shades were out and about. She preferred it that way. With no citizens in the way, there were less distractions from her goal. And besides, Fluttershy knew she was still terrified of pony-to-pony interaction.

She bolted headlong into the forest, following the trail to the riverside and stopping. Nimbus was nowhere in sight.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy mumbled. There was only one thing left to do, and she’d been dreading it ever since she’d arrived in Hollow Shades- call the Kappa.

“Kappa!” Fluttershy squeaked, then tried again, louder this time.

“Kappa!”

A ripple formed out in the middle of the river, slowly moving towards Fluttershy. She was about to step back, but remembered that many animals could take the action as a sign of fear, and she wanted to look confident. The ripple drew closer, picking up speed and leaving a v-shaped wake. As it came closer to shore, Fluttershy could see what looked like bony green knobs sticking up out of the water. She vaguely remembered hearing that Kappas had a shell, and if those rumors were correct, then there was no doubt about what was approaching her. Just before the shore, the knobs submerged again.

“Oh no,” Fluttershy said, “please come back. I just-“

Without warning, a slender, wet figure rose out of the water in front of Fluttershy: the Kappa. Its back was covered in a turtle-like shell, and it stood on two legs. Its hands bore webbed claws. But perhaps the Kappa’s most significant feature was its eyes. They were round, with large, black pupils. Fluttershy’s heart slowed a bit. These were not the eyes of a killer. These were the eyes of a mother.

“Are you the Kappa that lives in this river?” Fluttershy asked hesitantly. The creature responded with some sharp clicks and groans.

“I see. May I ask your help with something?”

The creature nodded once, and clicked again.

“My friend- he was an orange Pegasus- he said he’d come down here last night. Do you know where he is?”

The creature clicked and walked back out into the river, beckoning Fluttershy to follow.

“But I can’t swim very well,” Fluttershy said.

The Kappa persisted, however, and Fluttershy found herself following it into the water. Once the water was up to Fluttershy’s neck, the Kappa quickly submerged the yellow pony without warning. Fluttershy gasped, inhaling water, and for a moment she thought the Kappa had tricked her. But as she opened her eyes, she saw one of the most amazing sights she’d ever experienced around wild creatures. The Kappa opened its mouth and blew a bubble of air around Fluttershy, which solidified into a thin, flexible membrane. Fluttershy found she could breathe again. The Kappa then began to push her down to the bottom of the river, heading for the opposite bank, where Fluttershy had seen a swamp. After a few moments of swimming, the Kappa stopped and glanced around. Then it pushed Fluttershy forward again. As her surroundings came into view, Fluttershy suddenly understood why the Kappa was being blamed for the foal disappearances. All around her were air bubbles like hers, and inside each was a pony- some old and some young. She instantly recognized Nimbus, curled up in his bubble.

“Why did you take them down here?” Fluttershy asked the Kappa.

Through its own form of communication, the Kappa explained itself. Fluttershy listened intently as the Kappa told her about how she was a mother, and how the rainy season had washed her offspring downstream, forcing her to go after them. Passing by Hollow Shades, however, the Kappa had witnessed a young filly fall into the river when the soggy and unstable river bank crumbled beneath her hooves. With her maternal instinct, the Kappa did the only thing she could: seal the child inside one of her air bubbles and care for her as best as possible. As more accidents happened, the Kappa found herself helping more and more ponies. Unfortunately, she had no knowledge of what to do with them once they were well enough to return, so she kept them, waiting for some kind of solution. She loved looking after the ponies, but she was anxious to return to the search for her children, and was seeking a solution.

When the Kappa’s tale was told, Fluttershy paused for a moment. “I know what you can do,” she said finally. “Take the ponies to shore and let Nimbus and I take them into town.”

The Kappa looked back at her collection of ponies, and then back to Fluttershy. Slowly, it nodded and Fluttershy smiled. The Kappa bundled the air bubbles up in a water plant net of sorts, and began to drag them back to the opposite bank.

“Thank you so much for doing this,” Fluttershy said, “the town will be happy to have their children back.”

The Kappa gazed at her with her large, black eyes, and Fluttershy could sense nothing but good in that gaze. As Fluttershy was pushed onto the bank, the membrane surrounding her dissolved. The same happened to Nimbus when he was pushed ashore. Nimbus opened his eyes slowly and coughed a few times.

“Oh, Nimbus!” Fluttershy said, “I’m so glad you’re alright. We were wrong about the Kappa all along!”

“I know,” Nimbus said, “it-“

“She,” Fluttershy corrected him.

“Right, she saved me from drowning last night.”

“Drowning?” Fluttershy said, confused, “but you know how to swim.”

Now the Kappa was curious as well. It stuck its head out of the water and slowly waddled ashore.

“That’s what I wanted to tell you. There’s a lot more to this than we originally thought. See, the Mayor’s-“

“Right here, ponies.”

The two ponies and the Kappa turned to face the voice that had just spoken. The Mayor emerged from the forest with his two assistants- the same ones that had captured Nimbus the night before. In the day’s light, Nimbus could tell that they were Unicorns, and he could see their horns building up a magical charge.

“I knew you wouldn’t disappoint,” the Mayor said to Fluttershy. “Finally, we can rid the town of this creature once and for all.”

“Wait, don’t!” Fluttershy said, “the Kappa isn’t your enemy! Look!”

The Kappa pulled up the first of the air bubbles with a small colt inside. The Mayor looked indifferent.

“It’s an air bubble,” he said, “nothing more.”

“But don’t you see?” Fluttershy asked, “the Kappa’s been saving your foals from drowning!”

“He doesn’t see,” Nimbus growled, “because he’s got a different agenda. Am I right, Mr. Mayor?”

“Quite,” the Mayor said. “You see, I will have this… thing’s hide hanging from the town hall by afternoon. Won’t that look nice for reelection?”

“You really shouldn’t tell us your plan before you enact it,” Nimbus said, “that’s generally a pretty bad idea. Especially if we escape.”

The Mayor chuckled. “What a shame, then, that a rather unfortunate accident will have occurred here on the riverbank this morning. You see, as I recall, the Kappa killed you both when it emerged from the river, and I managed to bring it down. Such a shame.”

“Yeah, about that-“ Nimbus said, “try telling that to them.” Nimbus pointed into the woods behind the Mayor.

“Nice try,” the Mayor said, “but you won’t get me to turn my back on you.”

“Fair enough,” Nimbus said, “but the villagers behind you will want to know why you’ve just made the decision to execute two-“ Nimbus glanced back at the Kappa, “actually, make that three innocents.”

The Mayor finally looked behind him and gasped. Several villagers were already emerging from the forest. They’d heard the commotion and had come to see if the Kappa had been caught. One of them, a muscular Earth Pony came forward, holding a weighted net.

“Mr. Mayor,” he said gruffly, “you are being placed under arrest for attempted homicide.

“I wha-? You can’t do this!”

“I can,” the pony answered, “and if you disagree, I also have the authority to net you.”

The Mayor grumbled.

“Don’t make me use the net,” the pony said. “It’s not fun.”

The Mayor cast a scalding glance back at Nimbus, Fluttershy, and the Kappa. “Fine. You can’t keep me in prison for long anyway.”

“You’re right,” said the pony, “but we can keep you in past the election. Now move!” The pony shunted the Mayor back up the path towards town. Now it was just Nimbus, Fluttershy, the Kappa, and the townsponies.

“Your children-“ Nimbus said as the Kappa dragged the rest of the bubbles onto the shore. As they dissolved, the colts and fillies ran to their happy parents, glad to finally be home. Nimbus and Fluttershy turned to the Kappa.

“We’ll make the riverbank safe again,” Fluttershy said to the Kappa. “You don’t have to stay anymore.”

From behind Fluttershy, a small voice said “thank you.”

Fluttershy turned and saw a very young filly looking up at the Kappa.

“You saved my life,” she said, “I knew you were nice from the start.”

Nimbus smiled at the little filly, then saw the Kappa nod slowly, as if it knew what the filly was saying. Fluttershy looked amazed.

“Can you talk to animals?” she asked the filly. The little filly nodded. “Sometimes I think I can.”

“That’s a gift,” said Fluttershy, “and you should use it whenever you can. You can learn a lot from animals.”

“Thank you,” the little filly said. “I’ll remember that.”

Fluttershy turned back to the Kappa for the last time. “Good luck. I hope you can find your children.”

The Kappa nodded and dove back into the river, swimming away. Nimbus and Fluttershy watched it go. Nopony spoke for a few moments, then Nimbus finally broke the ice.

“Well, we could still go camping!”

…

Later that afternoon, Nimbus arrived in Ponyville, after having spent time discussing safety measures for the riverbank with Hollow Shades’s work ponies. He ran home and shed his gear, then bolted to Octavia’s house, where he was welcomed inside by Octavia herself.

“Hello, Nimbus,” Octavia said, “did you have an interesting trip?”

“You could say that,” Nimbus said. “And now… I’d say it’s time to prepare for those auditions. What do you say?”

Octavia grinned. "Hearth’s Warming Eve will be memorable for you this year, Nimbus. Let’s get you into that concert!"