Friendship is... painful...?

Unicorn Whispy Flowers and pegasus Dandie Drift have been friends for a large number of ears. Often lost in thought, Whispy can be easily distracted but can be depended on by her friends. Peaceful Dandie can be occasionally klutzy, but will do the right thing in a tight spot.

“Hey, Dandie,” Whispy said outside her house on the outskirts of Ponyville, “I have a question.”

“Yes?” Dandie replied.

“What’s it like to fly?” Whispy asked, as if her mind were in a different place.

Surprised by her friend’s question, Dandie quickly realized that the question did not need answering, as her friend was in one of her trances, in which her thoughts were known only to herself.

For reasons only she knew, Whispy’s horn began to glow and flowers began to grow in her yard in the red and blue of her coat. Dandie wasn’t very surprised by this, as growing and tending to flowers was Whispy’s special talent, made obvious by the lone blue flower on her flank. Perhaps the flower symbolized more, Dandie found herself thinking. The fragileness of a flower matched the fragileness of her friend, she noticed with a feeling close to sadness. Caring sadness, she decided, was what she was feeling.

As Whispy was growing the flowers, a dark blue pony walked into view. Dandie recognized him as Thunder Hooves, the not-so-well-known brother of Derpy Hooves. Despite being Derpy's brother, Thunder is one of the more intelligent ponies, but is generally antisocial and avoids other ponies. "Hey, Thunder, what brings you here?"

"Just wanted to stop by, say hi... stuff like that..." Thunder said awkwardly.

"Well, hi, but Whispy's kinda... distracted right now." Dandie explained.

"Oh... Okay... Bye..." Thunder said, kind of sad. He had wanted to talk to Whispy, as he had feelings for her. But no, he often thought to himself, she would never like him back.

"Bye, take care." Dandie said.

Dandie watched as Thunder walked around the corner, and at the same time Whispy’s horn finished it’s magical glow, and as Whispy stepped back to admire her handiwork, Dandie couldn’t help but smile at her friend. Whispy then turned towards Dandie, and smiled. Dandie continued to smile, and after Whispy didn’t change her expression, tilted her head in curiosity. After thinking for a moment, Dandie looked at the flowers, and Whispy’s smile brightened. Realizing what she should do, Dandie brought her wings up to take off and turned so her side was toward Whispy.

Whispy enjoyed it when Dandie took off. She braced herself for the draft that she knew would come. As Dandie brought her wings down to leave the ground, Whispy closed her eyes and giggled happily as her naturally straight mane was blown about and tickled her neck. As the breeze ended, she shook her head to restraighten her hair.

After flying straight up for a couple seconds, Dandie looked down at the flowers Whispy had grown. She smiled in appreciation when she discovered that Whispy had grown the flowers in a pattern resembling a heart. She knew that her friend had meant that she loved Dandie as if they were sisters, nothing more. Down on the ground, Whispy continued to smile, knowing that she had helped to make her friend’s day even better. “Do you like it?” she asked, just to make sure.

“I love it!” Dandie replied happily. “Thank you!” After seeing her friend’s now beaming expression, she began to look around, particularly towards the various buildings of Ponyville. She looked through the streets, at the ponies travelling from one point to another. She watched Pinkie Pie, whom she identified by her usual bouncing along, as she traveled from Twilight’s library towards what looked like Sweet Apple Acres. As Pinkie passed by the fountain in the middle of town, two very odd things happened at the exact same time.  The first, Pinkie stopped hopping, and started to walk in a way that was very unlike her. The second thing Dandie noticed was that the normally blue fountain was an entirely different color. “That’s strange… that fountain wasn’t purple…” she said to herself.

Just as she was about to tell Whispy about the fountain, Dandie saw a small glimmer on top of the fountain. When she saw the glimmer, the changed fountain was pushed from her thoughts, as was all her normal thoughts. “Hey, Whispy, want to go to the market?”

Surprised by her friend’s impulsive request, Whispy replied, “Sure!” and began walking. As Dandie landed beside her, Whispy thought that she saw a small difference in her friend, but she put her thoughts aside as the two ponies walked along the tree-lined dirt path that led from Whispy’s home to, eventually, the center of Ponyville. However, try as she might, eventually, she became distracted by her thoughts of trees, flowers, and for reasons only she knew, Alicorns.

She became so immersed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice as they passed right by the market and towards the fountain. As the two ponies stopped in front of the beautifully crafted fountain, Whispy came back to reality and the first thing she noticed was Thunder walking across the path on the other side of the fountain. Running across the fountain towards the pony she had begun to admire, she yelled, "Hey, Thunder!"

Glancing her way, Thunder yelled back, "Hi!"

"What are you doing?" Whispy asked, trying to build up the moment.

"Just going to hang out with some of my friends." Thunder replied.

That reply threw Whispy for a loop. That isn't like him... at all, Whispy thought. "Well, have fun..." She said, stunned.

"Thanks!" Thunder said, and trotted off towards the library.

Wanting to follow, Whispy turned towards Dandie, and ended up facing the fountain, when she noticed the fountain was the wrong color. "Hey, Dandie... Why is the fountain purp-"

Her words were cut short as the fountain began to shimmer faintly. As the fountain stopped, there was a glimmer at the top of the fountain. When Whispy saw the glimmer, her vision blacked out and she knew no more.

End Chapter 1