The Solace of the Solstice
"Hurry up now, little ones, you want to make sure you're safe and snug before the snow arrives," Fluttershy instructed to a group of chipmunks she led towards a small burrow situated snugly under a shrub. The creatures yawned sleepily as they pursued their roost and made way into the shadowy comfort of a long winter's rest.
"Have a nice sleep now, I'll see you again in the spring," Fluttershy cooed soothingly with the faintest hint of a sigh. She then looked up to see four songbirds still hovering curiously over her head. She gave them a warm smile.
"I'll miss you guys while you're gone, but you need to fly south pretty soon, it's going to be way too chilly for all of you here." She cocked her head to the northern horizon, where three Pegasus ponies approached with moderate speed. Fluttershy looked back to her avian friends. "These nice Pegasi are going to take you to your winter home. Just follow them and you'll be snug and warm for the next three months."
The birds nodded in comprehension. One swooped down to give the yellow Pegasus one last nuzzle of her mane before taking off with the other to follow the Pegasi to their winter destination.
"So long, I'll miss you!" Fluttershy called after them as they slowly faded into the distance. She took a few glances around. "Well, that's everyone," she said to herself with a sad smile as she made her way back home. As much as she liked winter, she didn't like parting with the animal companions that made her days that much more fulfilling.
--
Fluttershy sat quietly on her couch, sipping a cup of tea when a knock arrived at her door. She flinched in surprise before getting up to greet her visitor. The oaken door revealed a familiar orange earth pony with a signature hat and a warm, down-to-earth demeanor.
"Hi Applejack," Fluttershy said smiling, "what brings you around here?"
"Hey Fluttershy, I was just wonderin' if you'd be willin' to help me move some of the ol' dead sticks that I have lyin' around the orchid".
"I'd love to help out," Fluttershy agreed, "where are we taking them?"
"I reckoned I'd use them for all of the bonfires that are going to be lit up tonight. You know, for the solstice celebration."
"Ooh, I love the solstice celebration. It's always really pretty. I'd love to contribute to it in any way I can!"
"Well, that's great then!" Applejack said happily, "just go get a knapsack and follow me over there. Twilight and Pinkie are already there gatherin' some stuff up."
"Sure thing," Fluttershy nodded as she went to her day table to retrieve her saddlebag. She then followed Applejack out the door and hovered slowly next to her as they made their way to Sweet Apple Orchards.
A quick thought perturbed her mind. "Where are Rarity and Rainbow Dash?"
"Oh, I think Rarity's fixin' up some winter clothes for the new season, and I hear Dash has got a special role with the weather pony team this year."
"Oh, ok." Both of these things made sense. She knew Rarity well enough to know that she'd always take advantage a shift in scenery to bring about a shift in fashion. And, well, Rainbow Dash was always off doing something dazzling, things she could never dream of doing.
Fluttershy still had some things on her mind during the short travel. "Um, Applejack?"
"Yeah, sugarcube?"
"Oh, I was just wondering… you don't grow anything during the winter, right? I don't think the weather would allow for it."
Applejack nodded. "Yeah, we just grow more than usual just before winter sets in. The last few weeks sure are crazy, but we need to store three months of food every year, so it's a necessary hassle."
"That's what I thought," Fluttershy said, scratching her chin in contemplation of how she would phrase the next question. "So… do you ever miss applebucking this time of year?"
Applejack chuckled. "Well, as much as I love workin' the farm, it's mighty nice to get a break from nine months of solid work and just relax for a little bit."
"Oh," Fluttershy murmured, a bit disheartened. "So you never feel a little… bored in the winter?"
"Well, sometimes it can get a bit tedious, I suppose," Applejack admitted, furrowing her brow. "But when I get a little bit restless I usually go over to Pinkie Pie's and help her out with some of the bakin'. That girls got a few screws loose, but she sure is fun company."
"Oh, well, that makes sense," Fluttershy commented as the neatly plotted trees of Sweet Apple Orchards came into view.
Two ponies scurried about the grounds, picking up a few fallen branches and scattered twigs every few seconds.
"Hey Pinkie, Twilight, I've got Fluttershy to help us out!" Applejack shouted over to the two figures. The orange and yellow ponies swiftly approached the other two to greet their welcoming faces.
"Oh, good," Twilight let out a sigh of relief, "you're a welcome sight, Fluttershy. Any spare hooves helps out a lot."
"Yeah, nice to see you Fluttershy!" Pinkie grinned. "Are you also super excited about the winter?! It's one of my favorite times of the year! Three months of galloping though the snow and going sledding and doing a little bit of skating and staying snug and warm with my friends!" The pink pony galloped about in a circle around the other three.
Fluttershy allowed a slightly forced grin. "Yeah, the winter is really nice."
"It's also a really good time of year for me," Twilight commented, picking up a few more spare twigs with her magic and hovering them above her head, "the chilly weather makes for good studying opportunities. Sometimes there's nothing better than snuggling under a warm blanket next to the window with a cup of cocoa and a good book."
"That's sounds great, Twilight, but you have to come out of your library sometime and hang out with us! I mean you can't just be a smarty study pants ALL day!"
Twilight smiled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Pinkie, I'm sure I'll find some time to hang out with all of you. I'm sure I wouldn't have a choice anyway!"
"Yeah, Twi, the more you let yourself loose this season, the better," Applejack agreed. "And I'm sure we can expect to see you around, too, right Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Well, all of my animal friends are asleep, or have flown south, so I'll have a lot of time!"
"Yay, Fluttershy!" Pinkie exclaimed, rushing the yellow pegasus and place an arm around her shoulder. "We're gonna make this the best winter ever!"
"Yay," Fluttershy stated, nodding.
"Well, that's enough dilly-dallyin' for now," Applejack interrupted, looking at the sky. "The sun's fixin' to set on us and we still need to get all these sticks over to town square."
The four set off to gather the wood necessary for the bonfires. Fluttershy zoned out of the world, deep in thought as she gripped stick after stick in her mouth and placed them in her saddlebag. She loved her friends, and she enjoyed spending time with them. But she still felt that something was missing. Who needs a vacation, anyway? She never considered what she did to be work – she loved every second of her job, up to and including sick animals vomiting in her face.
She giggled quietly to herself reflecting on all the mishaps she had had over the years working with her creatures, and then let out a sigh.
With her thoughts, her saddlebag seemed to fill up without even a blink of an eye to spare, and all the others had finished their collections as well.
"Welp, looks like this'll be enough," Applejack stated, taking a glance at the piles she, Pinkie and Fluttershy had stuffed into their bags, as well as the huge mass of branches that hovered over Twilight's head. "Let's get these to town square, I reckon the celebrations are about to start."
The four headed off excitedly into town, chattering about the prospects of the evening. Fluttershy temporarily put to rest the thoughts of her animals to allow herself to become immersed in the scenes of the celebration that greeted her as they arrived in town. Some music sounded from a band playing on the steps of town hall, and the sweet aroma of pastries and hot cocoa emanated from Sugarcube Corner, where Mr. and Mrs. Cake were finalizing their catered buffet. Colorful and fancy banners were hung on all the buildings, and brightly colored green, blue and yellow lights were hung across the pathways weaving in and about the town.
"Oh wow, it just gets better every year!" Pinkie exclaimed enthusiastically as the mayor approached the four of them.
"Oh, thank goodness you're here," she spoke with just a hint of nervousness in her voice, "the snow is sure to start soon and you've come just in time. Thanks for all the fire wood!"
"Oh, I was happy to help, mayor," Applejack grinned, "I really needed to clear out the grounds in the orchard anyway, so it's even better that all the rubble can be put to good use."
In the middle of Town Square lay several large, open circular pits in which bonfires could be held. Fluttershy hopped over to one pit after another, distributing the firewood as evenly as possible between each circle. The other three did the same as Fluttershy noticed an elegant white unicorn waving in her direction from the most distant pit.
"Hello girls! When you're all through, gather around over here, I have a surprise for all of you!" she announced proudly. The girls quickly finished removing their payload and hurried over to where Rarity sat, forming an incomplete circle around her. Rarity appeared like she was waiting for something.
"So, what's the surprise Rarity? I love surprises, especially when they're surprising!" Pinkie quipped.
Rarity nodded over in the direction of her carousel boutique, from which a small purple dragon emerged bearing a load of two dozen knitted artifacts. He stumbled awkwardly down the path towards his five pony brethren before finally arriving and plopping the pile of knitting down beside his prized unicorn crush.
"Thanks for all your help today, Spike. You really didn't have to assist all day, though!" Rarity said.
"Oh, believe me, it was nothing," Spike said aloofly as he pulled out a gemstone out of nowhere to munch on.
"Well, girls, they're all yours! Well, ours. I designed each one to match everypony for the next three months," Rarity explained happily as she began to hand out her specialized stockings. Each group of four bore every respective pony's cutie mark, emblazoned against a simple color scheme, which offset the color of their fur just so.
"Wow, thanks, Rarity!" Twilight exclaimed as she took her blueish-purple pair.
"Oh, Rarity, you didn't have to do this for us," Fluttershy commented appreciatively as she put on her light orange stockings.
"It was really the least I could do," Rarity said waving a hoof, "this season always presents a new opportunity for me to refine some of my winter fashions. I get more business this time of year than any other, as a matter of fact."
"Well, yeah, it means we actually regularly wear somethin' for once," Applejack said.
"And this night is one of the best nights all year!" Pinkie shouted with a wide toothy smile. "The music and the lights and the bonfires and the treats and the partying oh it's just so amazing!"
This interjection prompted the others to look around at their surroundings. Indeed, the sense of festivity was palpable. The strung up lights now shone brighter with the darkening sky. The band played louder as several of the town's citizens danced cheerfully just off the stage. Off towards Sugarcube Corner, Mr. and Mrs. Cake carted out the food for the evening, much to the delight of the nearby ponies, who swiftly swarmed the offering.
"Ooh, ooh, ooh! All the cakes are ready! Be right back!" Pinkie spat before she was gone in a vague pink blur.
Fluttershy glanced over to the cart. "Should we all go over there too?"
"Nah, I think Pinkie's got us covered," Twlight responded while looking up towards the sky. The weather Pegasi were in the process of obscuring the deep cerulean blue that lingered in the depths of the remaining day. One by one, gray but friendly looking clouds were piled up to prepare for the oncoming snow.
While the five watched this proceeding, Pinkie returned with what seemed like two tons of treats. "I got something for everyone!" she announced happily as she proceeded to swallow two cakes whole.
"Thanks, Pinkie, provided that you don't gobble all of 'em up before we get a chance to pass 'em around," Applejack joked as they all took a few pastries for the evening.
Rarity took a small bite into a cupcake and looked back up at the sky. "I presume that Rainbow Dash is up there somewhere."
"Ooh, yes! In fact this year she's the Snow Caster!" Pinkie excitedly replied as she polished off a half dozen cupcakes.
"The Snow Caster?" Twilight said, puzzled that she had never heard of this.
"Oh Twilight, were you shut in on last winter? The Snow Caster is the Pegasus pony who makes the clouds super cold and heavy so that it can snow!" Pinkie explained.
Fluttershy gasped to herself. Usually, only professional fliers like the Wonder Bolts could manage to cast the snow. In another way, she wasn't surprised. Rainbow Dash was such an amazing flier. Fluttershy really didn't know where all of her strength and vigor came from.
The conversation around her continued. "Yeah, and all that snow on the ground makes the air nice and cold, so that Ponyville can stay chilly all winter," Applejack added.
"Yeah, which makes the lakes all freeze and the ground all snowy," Pinkie continued dreamily. "Which reminds me, Fluttershy, you did tuck away all of your animal friends, right?"
This question snapped Fluttershy out of the dreamy trance the atmosphere put on her. She once again dwelled on the fact her critter companions weren't to be seen for another three months.
"Yes, I did… I think I mentioned that earlier, but I could be wrong…"
"Fillies and gentlecolts," a commanding female voice boomed, interrupting Fluttershy's train of thought. The mayor stepped out into the middle of the proceedings with a megaphone in hand. "The clouds have now been cast over Ponyville, and now it is time for this year's honorary Snow Caster – Ponyville's own Rainbow Dash!"
Out from above the clouds appeared the familiar blue Pegasus with the rainbow mane, greeting her scores of applause from below with unbridled pride.
After the cheers had died down, Dash wasted no time in beginning her routine. She darted swiftly over to the western edge of Ponyville, where the last glimpses of red and orange still clung low to the horizon. Only barely visible, Dash began to fly in a giant circle around Ponyville, quickly gaining speed until she circumnavigated the town at an astonishing rate. The clouds above began to rotate in unison, also slowly gaining speed until they were, amazingly, lifted up far above Ponyville as Rainbow Dash spun higher into the atmosphere. The sheer magnitude of the size of the lift was surreal to take in. It was as if the earth was being sunk below their feet.
The cloud cover brisked the colder air aloft and hovered for a while, taking in the chilliness and allowing to grow with the increase in condensation.
After a few dizzying moments, Rainbow Dash suddenly flew swiftly out of the way of the cloud, which slowly stopped spinning and descended closer to Ponyville. The cloud appeared darker and fuller than before, casting to town into night. A few Pegasus ponies quickly flew up to stop the cloud from falling further down below its normal level, and then all was calm.
After a few suspenseful moments, snowflakes were felt by all.
"Winter's here!" A marine green unicorn exclaimed with a wide grin, and the Town Square burst into cheering.
"Twilight Sparkle, if you will," the Mayor commanded. Twilight nodded and lifted her horn, which emanated a bright green aura. All at once, all of the fires in the pits roared to life.
"Wow, Twilight, I didn't know you could do that," Spike commented in awe. "You could potentially do some damage there!"
Twilight quickly cast another spell that briefly made a semi-hemisphere of blue film appear over each of the fires. The film disappeared quickly.
"What was that?" Rarity asked curiously, trying to make sense of the seemingly gratuitous magic.
"Well, it's an invisible film that protects the fire from being hit with snow," Twilight explained, "you wouldn't want things to get too damp around a fire."
Suddenly, applause appeared again from all around them. The six around the fire looked over to see Rainbow Dash trotting back into town, exchanging high fives and hoof-bumps with citizens she ran into as she trot over towards her friends.
"Wow, that went better than even I could have imagined!" Rainbow Dash squeaked excitedly.
"That was really, really amazing, Dash!" Twilight gaped, "I had no idea you could even lift an entire town's worth of clouds!"
"Well, usually they have the Wonderbolts do it, but as much as I would have loved to see them in action, I was more than happy to do the part," Dash explained proudly.
"I think that was even better than your Sonic Rainboom, Dashie!" Pinkie squealed as she ran over to assault the Pegasus with a pounce.
"Hey, watch it! Hahaha!" Dash spat as the pink blur mussed Dash's mane with noogies.
Fluttershy captured the scene in her mind. Almost nothing could have been more perfect. All of her friends around a fire during a beautiful winter's night, the snowflakes reflecting in hues of orange, green, blue and yellow all around them, complete with delicious snacks, uplifting music and an overwhelming sense of good will.
She felt a twang of guilt as she realized, in spite of all this, something in the back of her mind was bothering her. Soon, the celebrations would be over, and she would once again return to her home, now devoid of the life that heeded her comfort. She wanted so much to just enjoy the moment, but all she could dwell on was the inevitable arrival of tomorrow.
She once again looked at over her friends. They were still rightfully in awe over Rainbow Dash's stunts of the night. Being a Pegasus pony herself, she knew just how amazing her stunts were – she could never dream of being as close to the flier Rainbow Dash was. She had no idea how the two of them could have turned out so blatantly different from one another, and she often wished she had a shred of her courage. Maybe then she could face tomorrow with strength and just enjoy the evening.
As if fulfilling a prophecy, the Pegasus companion suddenly plopped down next to her, completing the circle. She quickly shot a smug look at her more timid friend.
"Filled to the brim with enthusiasm as usual, I see," Dash chortled.
Fluttershy gasped with fear. "Oh, no, no, no, all those stunts were amazing! I had no idea that was even possible! And, I mean, I'm a Pegasus, sort of…"
Dash smiled and rolled her eyes. "Maybe you need to spend more time off the ground for once. But seriously, you just looked like you were in outer space back there. I know you don't exactly have the encouragement of a motivational speaker, but usually you at least try. I've known you long enough to know that something's up."
At this point, Fluttershy became aware of her surroundings. The other five present were talking amongst themselves, and Dash was speaking only to her, one on one.
"Oh, um, I'm sorry about that. I guess I just had a few things on my mind…"
"Oh," Rainbow Dash replied insecurely, grimacing somewhat. She was clearly not used to serious conversation, especially at a moment like this, but she gave in. "What's going on?"
"Oh, it's not much," Fluttershy said with a soft smile, "I just… sometimes miss my animal friends this time of year. But it's ok. Tonight is your night! Don't let me spoil it!"
"No, it's cool," Dash said rather quickly, looking for a way to casually resolve the situation. "Hey, since I guess that means you're not doing anything tomorrow, do you want to, I don't know, hang out a little tomorrow? Maybe go for a quick flight?"
Fluttershy was rather taken aback at this suggestion. "Really? Hang out… with me?"
Dash simply shrugged. "Why not? The air above Ponyville is just the same as it always was, and it's a good way to spend an afternoon."
As tempted as Fluttershy was, she quickly resigned herself. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, I really appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but I don't think you'd… want to do that. I'm a really weak flier, compared to you anyway... and, well, I'd probably just annoy you."
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. "Fluttershy, your weak flying isn't why I get annoyed with you."
Fluttershy's ears folded back. "W-what does?"
"It's this," Dash shouted, throwing her hooves out at Fluttershy, "you shying away from everything! Afraid to go on a little flight because you think you might get yelled at!"
Fluttershy hadn't expected the conversation to take such an ugly turn. She wanted to apologize, but figured it might just further annoy Dash. "I… I… I-"
Dash quickly noticed how distraught Fluttershy was. "Oh, I'm sorry, Shy. It's just that… I look at you and see a lot of… unused potential."
Fluttershy perked an ear up. "Potential?"
"Well, yeah," Rainbow Dash explained, "I mean, you handled that Manticore without even a second thought. You ended up telling off that dragon that was two million times your size! And, if I've heard things right, you've also stared down a Cockatrice while in the process of being turned to stone! I mean, that's just awesome!"
Fluttershy blushed. "Well, I did all of those things because they were threatening my friends…"
"That doesn't mean your bravery isn't there! It just means you keep it hidden away. You really need to stop shying away from everything that scares you all the time".
Fluttershy thought about this statement. It seemed very true. But she could only sigh once again. "Oh, I know, Dash, and I really wish I could, but-"
"No buts," Dash interrupted. "Well, if any pony in this town is going to toughen you up, I guess it's me. So you're going on that flight tomorrow."
Fluttershy was once again taken about, but overall seemed surprisingly OK with this rather forward demand. "Well, if you say so."
"In fact, make plans to have a lot afternoons open, because I think I should give you a flight training regimen. Maybe if you become a stronger flier, it'll bring you more confidence."
Fluttershy had no idea how this could be true, but she nodded in agreement regardless. She had never taken an overt interest in flying, but somehow, something seemed right about this.
"Then it's settled. At one o clock, meet me at my house, and prepare for an exhausting afternoon."
And that was that. Rainbow Dash turned away from Fluttershy and once again began talking to the group at large. The conversation was relatively short, but Fluttershy could only sit and reflect. Somehow, she felt like she had just faced another monster, and conquered it. But she hadn't actually done anything. What could that mean?
She only knew that she suddenly felt much better about the oncoming winter. Whether or not her hunch would come true, she suddenly didn't seem too concerned about it. All she knew that she was with her best friends, celebrating around a fire in the midst of a beautiful winter's snow. Life couldn't get any better.
She quickly rejoined the festivities, passing around roasted marshmallows as laughter tickled the air, which seemed to carry with it a renewed sense of fulfillment.
The Dreaded Author's Notes: This story is more of a set up for future stories I'm planning than anything. I actually wrote this a while ago, but I wanted to bring it over here to FiMFiction to start this whole fan fiction business anew.
Anyway, I really like the weird, awkward and sometimes fuzzy dynamic that Dash and Fluttershy have in the show. I'm not really into the shipping game myself, but I feel that fluffy moments between two good friends can be just as heart-warming and d'awwwwww. So that's what I want to try to do with my future fics. 'Friendshipping', if you will. I mean, that's why we all like the show, right?
