Fanfare For the Fun Times
As the sun began its dreary descent into the mouth of the river, it left a trail of scarlet paint in its wake. I listened to the warbling of the wildlife as they called out to one another, impatiently waiting for their significant others to return home in preparation for the coming darkness. I let the familiar scent of Sugarcube Corner’s warm pastries waft by, knowing from experience that it would be our last batch of baked goods until morning.
I was so focused on the glorious nature around me that I didn’t notice her approach. Her eyes were shielded from me by a veil of pink hair. Whether it was to hide her vision from the bright sun or a subconscious act of shyness, I will never know.
“Um…” was all she said.
A flutter of my eyelashes was enough to make her flinch. I did the same. “Hi there… Fluttershy.”
She shrunk, shivering, though it was a warm midsummer night. “Hello… Pinkie Pie…”
My hoof left my side and thumped on the area to the right of me, though my mind gave no command. “Wanna sit with me? The sunset’s awfully nice tonight.”
After a long silence, she obliged, sliding on the wood until her flank met mine.
“Oh!” A blush as red as the sky leaped onto her cheeks, and she ducked her head and scooted in the opposite direction.
I opened my mouth, yearning to comfort her, to say “it’s alright, it is a little chilly tonight,” but a hesitation I never knew I had blocked the words in my throat. I uttered a strangled gasp.
Stupid filly.
She jumped, dropping a small object onto the wood below her. “Oh my! Did you swallow something? Oh dear, it is mosquito season, and those poor creatures can’t help but fly into a pony’s mouth…”
Feeling warmth rise within me, I blinked away unsavory emotions in exchange for a simple, stoic expression. “I’m fine, really. Cat got my tongue.”
The pegasus’ wings fluttered at her sides, suggesting she didn’t fully believe me, but nonetheless she returned to her seat a fair distance away- both physically and mentally. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught her retrieve whatever she had spit out- all I saw was a flash of white, and nothing more.
“Is something wrong, Flutters?”
She winced. “Nothing. Nothing…” Hesitation, the true sign that whatever was to come was untrue. “…At all.”
“Something is wrong.”
“No.”
“You just don’t want to tell me. Why not?”
“I’ve told you already- nothing is wrong.”
“We used to be so close, Fluttershy. Not just you and I- Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash, too. What happened to us?”
Nothing. I looked over to make sure she hadn't fled. She hadn’t.
“…Time.”
Her response caught me off guard. “Sorry, what?”
“Time.” I saw a single tear roll down her beautiful face, marring her perfect complexion. “Rarity got caught up in the fashion industry and moved to Canterlot. Applejack’s world-renowned recipe for cider won her family a grant large enough to purchase a much more expansive farm, since their number of clients had doubled since the news broke. Rainbow Dash joined the Wonderbolts for a time, which was alright, since their practices take place above out heads, but she got bored and decided to join the ranks of the Day Guard. I haven’t seen her since she was shipped off to training five years ago. Twilight…” Her voice cracked. “…Princess Twilight Sparkle has more important things to do than to visit Ponyville and have adventures with… With…”
Her shoulders went slack, and all at once every shred of happiness drained out of her slim figure. “…Her friends.”
I was dumbfounded when she finished, searching my mind for something meaningful to say. “Aren’t I still here?”
Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. Perhaps it was for the best.
I had no control of the words that were spilling out, which was both terrifying and exhilarating. “I mean, sure, everypony else is gone, but at least neither of us left good ol’ Ponyville. We didn’t want to leave one another, I think. Sugarcube Corner isn’t going anywhere, and neither are all the critters and creatures in the forest.”
As if to accent my point, a miniature swarm of waterfowl crash-landed in the water just of reach of my hoof and, wasting no time, began swiftly gliding to the opposite bank. Ducks and geese of various colors squawked their approval at the front of the pack, while the larger, but not bulkier, pelicans and swans pedaled their way through the river at their own leisure. If I had not seen it every day for the last five years, I would have said the sight was mesmerizing.
“You know what I like to say?” I said.
She wiped the tears away with a hoof. “What?” She choked out the word as if it took all her strength to do so.
“Don’t cry because it’s over- smile because it happened.” I smiled down at her.
Moments passed that felt like hours. After what seemed like an entire day later, the little yellow mare
smiled
back.
It was one of the rare smiles that comes straight from the heart, one that flings open a window to their very soul and shows you just what that pony is feeling, what they’re going through. It was one whose brightness, though subtle, rivaled the sun at the height of its daily cycle. Equestria saw an introverted, tranquil mare with a knack for understanding fauna, but for that split-second smile, I saw an utterly shattered, confused pony who thought she had a special talent for driving her friends further and further away.
Acting on instinct, I pulled Fluttershy in for one of the most tender hugs I’ve ever given. Not the grandest (Those were reserved for group huddles after the Elements vanquished an ancient foe) nor the tightest (That honor belonged to hugs for Rainbow, if only to see her eyes bug out), but the most meaningful by far. After a bit of hesitation, she returned the favor.
“You’re the only one… The only one who hasn’t abandoned me.” she murmured into my shoulder. “I’ve realized that sometimes, you don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have- or weak.”
The way her voice faltered on the word “weak” made my knees wobble. The warm summer had heated the usually freezing water some, but not enough for me to fancy a bath.
“Don’t you dare say that, Fluttershy. You’re the strongest pony I know.”
"I haven't defeated a swarm of Parasprites, or-"
I chuckled, in spite of myself. “Emotionally, not necessarily physically.”
She giggled coyly, her butterscotch face tinted with crimson. “I guess.” she finally obliged.
For the first time in quite awhile, I noticed that the waterfowl had moved on from my field of vision. Making sure I didn’t hit Fluttershy, I tilted my head to look at the opposite bank. The sandy shore had become a sea of tans, browns, and muted whites, occasionally dotted with sharp accents of orange and red. The chaotic squealing had seized, and it seemed as if the hodgepodge of birds were forming a coherent line, with the smallest creatures in the back and the magnificent swans leading the way. In all the years I had seen them parading, I had never seen this type of activity. Through some unspoken form of communication, they checked each and every one of their party, made sure each was accounted for, and set off in an endless line of feathers. But as they waddled into the Everfree Forest, I couldn’t help but notice that they had forgotten a little duckling- her feathers blended in easily with the sand, a soft buttercream, and she was much too small to catch up to the waterfowl at the speed they were going.
My heart screamed to help the abandoned duckling, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. It didn’t seem to want to these days.
Before the last bird, a bright female duck with messy plumage, disappeared into the darkness of the forest, she turned around and scanned the bank, as if it was her calling. The little duckling didn’t make a sound, yet the dirty duck squawked at the goose in front of her, waddled a short distance, then alighted into the air on unsteady, lopsided wings and landed before the duckling. She prodded at the duckling’s feathers, urging it to go on, then followed it waddle towards its kin, who were presumably in the heart of the Everfree.
I smiled.
Fluttershy pulled herself away from our long embrace, and for the first time I realized just how chilly the is, and how nice it was to share heat with another pony.
I hadn’t done that in quite a while, come to think of it.
Although her and myself were now separate entities, she made no move to leave, and only when I saw her fiddle with something in her mouth did I remember the peculiar item she had carried with her.
“Whatcha got there, Flutters?” I asked.
And then she whipped around, sending her beautiful pink mane flying in all directions, and presented the item to me.
In spite of myself, my voice crackled like glass as her deep, intelligent eyes bore into mine. The sole thing I was focused on was the white- not off-white, but the pure white that only comes once in every couple of years- flower she held before me, unmoving, unwavering. A smile formed at the edges of her lips, curling upwards gracefully.
“I…” I sputtered.
Silence prevailed as I fought for words. Sure, our little ragtag group often gave gifts to one another, but this… This simple flower…
It brought tears to my eyes.
Trembling, I watched as she assembled my messy mane around the flower’s stem, intricately weaving it into my unruly locks with a precision that was unrivaled. The glorious sunset, which was drawing to a close, highlighted the curves of her gorgeous face and bounced off her shining cheeks just as they bounced off the water below us.
Not just me.
Us.
I wrapped her in another meaningful hug, feeling her wings momentarily splay to attention and slowly furl themselves once more. The movements of her chest were like the steady beat of a bass drum in my ear, while the occasional sob that wracked her fragile body was like a sharp strike on a snare.
"Thank you, Fluttershy."
"No, thank you."
We sat there for a long time, watching the water ripple and the sunset descend.
"Why should you thank me?" I finally asked.
"Because I really liked being with you tonight, without any grief from the animals about their meals."
I laughed. "Really? Glad you've been enjoying yourself. I hear the sunset's supposed to be even nicer tomorrow. Same time, same place?"
"I'd like that, Pinkie Pie. I really would."
