Silence in Equestria

The Sector II: Episode XV

The race

Silence woke up to a strange sound next day morning. It was a... giggle.

"Had good dreams tonight?" Twilight asked between two giggles she made. It wasn't teasing, moreover it was really adorable. An eyeblink later Silence noticed she slept in a pretty strange way, snuggling up to her pillow. As soon as this came to her realization she pushed her dream friend away, making the unicorn laugh even harder, with her hoof in front of her mouth. The pegasus sat up on her and patiently waited for a stop, which didn't came late.

"Oh you, this was adorable beyond words." Twilight said wiping a tear off her cheek.

"Rather embarassing if you ask me." replied Silence.

"Well, it depends on the point of view." said Twilight "You're such a sleepy head. Always waking up so late."

Silence - by reflex looked at the clock that showed 11 AM already. She slept over the breakfast already, but she didn't mind it, she's not the one that's into eating.

"Also, look what I found this morning in front of the door." the unicorn said showing her a piece of paper.

"Meet me in the outskirts at night, I'd like to tell something in private?" read the pegasus loudly with a weird, questioning pronounciation.

"I know, isn't it interesting? A blind date! Somepony noticed me after all..." the unicorn said with her eyes glowing and shining as the doors of a possible dream coming true.

"Twilight stay on the ground... it may be dangerous."

"Yes. You're right. He may be a dealer, or even worse. What if it's a trap? What if they want to-" said Twilight falling to the other side of the horse, but the pegasus stopped her.

"I didn't say you shouldn't go, but be careful, okay?"

Before the unicorn could answer a voice called her. It was Rainbow Dash.

"Hey, Twilight! Don't you know where Fluttershy is? It's time for us to beat the record?" she said.

"What kind of record?" Twilight asked while heading down the stairs to put the mysterious message on the table.

"Cloudsdale needs water again, and last year wasn't a big failure, but this year...." she flew up in the air speaking like a military sergeant who tries to motivate the soldiers "....this year is ours, and nothing can take it away."

"Wow, that was kind of motivating, but I haven't met Fluttershy today. However...." Twilight turned back and winked at Silence. Rainbow got the message too and looked at her, but unlike Twilight, she had doubt in her eyes.

"Meet the others in the town hall in one hour okay?"

"Sure. Anything else?"

"Yeah. Don't even think about doing something stupid." then in a dash, she flew out where she came from.

Even Twilight felt the tension between them, and this made her quite nervous. Anyway, she had no time for this now as she had to look for something important, something mysterious that was close to her. She started to pick down books from the shelves and carefully examine their contents.

"I'm out to look for Fluttershy then. I'd like to know what all this fuss is about." said Silence.

"I can tell you too, no need to search all over Ponyville for that." responed Twilight turning back from her work.

"No thanks, I'll leave you do your work." she answered and left the library to look for her friend.

"Fluttershy! Are you home?" she asked while knocking on her door.

Suddenly a voice sounded from her right "Pst.". It came from the bush. Silence went closer and closer and in a blink of an eye a yellow hoof grabbed hers and dragged her inside. She turned around coughing, but when she opened her eyes, her vision was filled with yellow, that a second later disappeared then came back with a face added to it. It was Fluttershy, whispering the followings in a scared, weak voice "Have you seen Rainbow Dash?"

Silence nodded slowly and quitely on the ground, not making any noise. Her face was all red and not only from the last half second, but the vicinity of her friend. The closeness didn't seem to bother Fluttershy though.

"Please don't tell me I'm here." she whispered as she could start crying. She seemed so weak, desperate and helpless… she was so adorable.

"What is going on?" the grey pony asked.

"Dash wants me to help her bring water to Cloudsdale, but I really, really, really don't wanna go." the yellow pony whispered, getting herself even closer to Silence. Their nose was almost thouching each other's.

"W-why not?" asked Silence with her face all red.

"Because… because-"

"Fluttershy!" shouted Rainbow from behind as she was knocking on the door, making her yell up from surprise. Of course Dash spotted where it came from and came to check out the hiding pony. She didn't expect her to be with Silence, not to mention the… suspicious pose of theirs.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted from confusion.

Both pegasi flew out from the bush.

"Rainbow Dash, please I-"

"Not you Fluttershy. What are YOU doing here?!" said Dash poking Silence's chest.

Silence grabbed her hoof and pushed away "Trying to figure out what all this fuss is about?" she brushed the dirt off herself and continued "Appearently, Fluttershy doesn't want to get in this thing, whatever it may be."

"Um… it's about making a giant, enormous, many-pony-can-get-hurt-dangerous hurricane so we can deliver the water to Cloudsdale." whispered quickly Fluttershy.

"So you was there last time?" asked Silence. The answer was a gentle nod followed by a little squeak and a step backwards.

"And she'll be there this time too, right Fluttershy?" asked Dash.

Fluttershy didn't respond, she wanted to run away but knew she can't escape.

"Rainbow, please give her some time."

"Hey! Don't tell me what to do! I'm the leader of the..." she shouted back, but as she looked at Fluttershy she changed her mind.

"Ah, ten minutes. That's all you have." she said and flew away.

Silence looked at her pegasus friend "Come in! Tell me what the problem is."

Fluttershy nodded silently and did so. Silence made her lay down on her sofa and played the therapist once again "So...."

Fluttershy gave out an adorable sigh then began to confess, while looking at the ceiling.

"I'm a horrible flyer." she said "I'm so slow I feel like I'm useless." her voice became weaker and weaker with every sentence.

"I know last year I did it well, but I… I can't get rid of the thought."

"Of being a laughing stuff, or humiliating yourself?"

"Yes…"

Silence smiled, she leaned towards the pegasus and said "Flushy, it's alright. Who flies too fast can't see the beauty of the scenery around."

"What do you mean?" asked Flushy.

"I mean that you may not be as fast as Dashie, but you are much more elegant. You weren't born for this, but for something else. Let me tell you, I also have a bit strange habit while flying."

Fluttershy's expression was enough to tell the question, so Silence answered.

"I tend to lean left when turning right and vice versa mid-air." she said.

Fluttershy was stuck and confused "How can you even do that?" she asked.

"I don't know, I just learned this way somehow." the friendly pony said, while putting her hoof on her friend's back "See? Nobody's perfect. I bet even-" but the Dash interrupted them again "Time's out Fluttershy."

Fluttershy slowly opened the door, trying to avoid Rainbow's look.

"So...? Will you join or not?" she asked inpatiently.

Fluttershy gently shook her head, her legs shivering meanwhile.

"Oh come on, Fluttershy! You did… great last time, don't you remember?" Dash said.

"Yes…but…no!" she squeaked.

"Look, I bet the briefing will get back your motivation right away." she said while flying behind Fluttershy trying to push her out. However Silence interfered "Rainbow you're too pushy! Let her-"

"Don't tell me what to do! Listen up, I lead the group of Ponyville everytime for a reason, and I won't let someone who brought a traitor back to the town give me orders. Thanks."

"Then.... how about a deal? I heard you like racing."

Dash turned back as it catched her interest "You? Against me? Hah! I'm the best flyer in all of Equestria."

"Um, I actually-" murmured Fluttershy.

"Yes, a race, the winner takes Fluttershy, is something wrong?" Asked Silence in a provoking tone stepping closer to Rainbow.

"Girls I-"

"Tell me where and how. I'll beat you to the ground anywhere, anytime." Replied Dash madly as they pushed their faces to each others'.

"Um, what if I'd-"

"Sure, one hour later, I'll get an idea until then."

"Do you always need time before deciding something? One hour, okay." Dash said and they flew away in the two opposite directions, leaving poor Fluttershy alone.

"Guys, I know how could we...." but as she saw they can't hear her she squeaked and moved back to her cottage.

"I don't think this was a wise decision Silence." told Twilight as the pegasus explained her the situation "Rainbow is fast, extremely fast. She works hard to become a Wonderbolt and so far she proven worthy for that. She might be even better then the Wonderbolts themselves."

"I don't really care, Twilight. The mind always beats the might." replied Silence "She gave me the chance to choose the details. I want to smash that swollen ego of hers to the ground, and I will use this to my advantage to the maximum." she added while pacing up and down in the library as Twilight watched her from the bed.

"What are you planning, then?" the unicorn asked.

"Everybody has a weakness, Twilight. I'll make sure to find out hers first." Silence added. Of course, Twilight knew her plan already. She was to tweak the rules to be as against Rainbow as possible. She turned away and shut her eyes saying "Well I won't help in your cheating. You got to do this on your own.".

"I wasn't asking for help, leave it to me. See you later." Silence said and flew away from the balcony for further planning.

"Bye." the unicorn replied then went back to dig the depths of the mysteries.

"Ohh, it's not here either." she said nervously as she put the book to the giant pile next to her. Then she picked up another one and began to read that.

Silence meanwhile made some circles over Ponyville, being lost in her thoughts. She knew her strenght is in the short-distance races as she reaches her maximum speed easily which is not much. Using this as an advantage was not enough, though.

Suddenly a laugh interrupted her "What is this flying style?" teased her Rainbow Dash. Silence just rolled her eyes.

However Dash followed her "Come on, loose up a bit, you circle here for almost twenty minutes. It's not like your life would depend on it." she said and flew away. Only then did Silence realise how could she beat her. Rainbow is a sensitive machinery, an aerodynamic, sporty being, yet fragile and capable of being easily thrown off her balance. If only one thing goes wrong it could end up as a tragedy. She got an idea but wasn't sure if it works. However there was no time to test it, since as she flew back to the library Rainbow waited for her "Time's up! Made up your mind, yet?".

"Uh, yes." replied the other pegasus "The rules: a straight line race along the main street, from the town hall to the Ponyville sign."

"Pfft, piece of cake. Meet you there in a few minutes." told dash and got lost.

Silence turned to the unicorn "Twilight-"

The purple one however was quite angry at the pegasus. "If you want me to put a speed spell on you, I-"

"No, what are you… listen, I was wondering what's all that thing that made you create such a mess." said Silence. The library was indeed quite a place suffered from an earthquake. Books all around the floor and the shelves were almost empty.

"Uhh, hehe, nothing special, now, uh, go win that race!" Twilight told, and as her friend dissappeared she desperately continued her search.

Silence's arrival was welcomed not only by Rainbow Dash, but a horde of other ponies as well. Seems like she told about the race to them. They looked at each other for a few silent seconds, ten the two racers stood next to each other. A third pony walked to the middle of the road and raised her hoof, while Silence adjusted her wings using her teeth to make her first flap's power hit completely behind her.

"Ready…Steady… GO!" shouted the pony and the pegasi dashed next to her. Even though she didn't know, Silence's tactics worked, she manage to destabilise Dash in the beggining forcing her to slow down for a second. This and the fact that Silence was a faster starter with a weight of a feather gave her the first place…for now. But she had no time for that, she needed to give her best now. However she noticed her competitor from the reflection of the windows she passed by. Dash rapidly closed up to Silence despite her starting conditions. There was not much left, they started to see the crowd at the finish. Dash was still behind Silence but she was much faster then her. Question was if she can take the lead by the finish line. The time slowed down at the lasts seconds as the pegasi broke through the finish line. They were so fast and so close to each other basically nopony was able to decide who won. Silence slowed down and landed wheezing, unlike Rainbow who turned upwards after crossing the finish line, and letting away a giant colorful explosion a few seconds later.

But who won? The answer was given by Twilight who also came with a strange photographic device she claimed to tell the results. As the picture was given Twilight, the winner turned out to be nopony else but Rainbow Dash, with a head in front of Silence. The citizens knowing the results then spreaded out, talking about their bets, or the race, but there was nothing to see here anymore.

"Hah, I told you it's a piece of cake." bragged Dash despite she almost lost.

"You may have won this one, but every power has a different power bigger than it is. And the ones blinded by themselves forgetting to look around are always the first victims." warned her Silence who was about to walk away afterwards.

"Is that a warning?" provoked her Rainbow.

"Now enough!" shouted up Twilight stomping on the ground with all her might "Silence is right, you shouldn't be so pushy sometimes Dash!" chid her the unicorn who turned to the other one afterwards "but Rainbow is also right, you don't need to make a big deal out of this.". The two pegasus felt a bit ashamed from that, but Twilight lowered her temper next time and added "Now shake hooves, it was a fair race and Rainbow won.". Silence and Dash did so and made out after all. There was only one thing left to do: tell the results to Fluttershy. Both the pegasi and Twilight headed to her cottage not far from there.

Fluttershy wasn't too happy about it, but she came up with a nice idea already "Umm, I was thinking meanwhile and had an idea." she told them modestly.

"Yes?" asked Dash.

"How about I'd not fly but, um, cheer you from behind the wingpower counter." she recommended as it was a question.

Rainbow rolled her eyes before replying then smiled at her "But... uh, fine.".

The yellow pony excitedly clapped hearing that "Oh, thank you so much.".

"Now will you come or not? We're already late because of you."

"Oh, yes, um, just give me a second." she said, then ran back, took a pair off googles out from her wardrobe, put them on and added "Yes, I'm ready."

They left the cottage afterwards and Rainbow alongside with Fluttershy went to gather with the other pegasi. However Rainbow had a last word with Silence, pushing her hoof to her chest again

"But don't think we're buddies yet, understood?" and with a fierce look, she left Silence there, who went home afterwards. The sun was still up, refusing to lay down as the time decided to pass somewhat slower that day.