Faces of Love

by Scribblestick

First published 8th of April, 2013

Love is dangerous. So why do we want it?

Love has many faces. Parents and children, brothers and sisters, lovers, friends, all of them share unique bonds that hold them together. These bonds may be simple or complicated, and sometimes we find them in unexpected places. The bonds that hold Equestria together are no different.

Takes place sometime between "Sleepless in Ponyville" and "Magical Mystery Cure."

Thanks to my prereader and proofreader, Midnight Spark.

Cover image by TurboSolid.

Featured on Equestria Daily oon June 29, 2013, which happens to be the day after I got married.

Applejack's Orchard

The recording device whirred quietly while the reporter found a blank page in his notepad. “First off, I want to say what an honor it is to be here with you,” he said with a shaky smile.

“The pleasure is ours,” Celestia replied with a smile of her own, and she meant it. His background check had revealed his extensive experience and overall excellent reporting, though she was still puzzled as to why her aides had thought to include his recent divorce in their report. “I think I speak for both of us when I say this is something we want to share with all of Equestria.”

The reporter’s smile widened slightly. His pen hovered over his notepad, held in a blue aura. “The first question is for you,” he said. “For a thousand years, you ruled Equestria alone, filling both your own responsibilities and your sister’s. Was there ever a time when it was too much for you?”

Celestia was used to such questions and had expected this one in particular, though perhaps not so soon. “The hardest part was the uncertainty,” she said. “I spent decades wondering if I’d done the right thing in banishing Luna, and I think that’s what took the greatest toll.”

“So what kept you going?” the reporter asked.

Celestia glanced at the midnight blue alicorn sitting beside her. “I knew, one day, she would return. Until then, I just had to press forward. If there’s one thing those thousand years taught me, it’s that life will go on, and a pony can still find joy in it, even if the pony she cares for the most is gone.”

Dozens of apples fell into the basket with a series of soft thumps and thuds. The orange mare standing beside the tree wiped her forehead while she caught her breath. “Ah think that’s the last one fer today,” she called to her tan-coated, blue-maned helper bucking a tree a few yards away.

Red Delicious glanced at her with a smile. “Ya sure keep yerselves busy, cuz.”

“Hafta to make ends meet ‘round here,” Applejack replied, balancing one of the newly filled baskets on her back and walking toward her cart. “It ain’t easy providin’ food fer all of Ponyville.”

“Ah know what ya mean,” said Red. “Seems everypony has to work twenty-five hours a day back in Dodge Junction to keep up with the cherry harvest.”

“How is Dodge?” Applejack asked. She hadn’t visited since her short stay there after the Equestria Rodeo Competition. “Ah know ya had ta move there on pretty short notice.”

“It’s growin’,” Red answered as he placed his basket beside hers in the cart. “Least we haven’t had any problems with buffalo herds like Braeburn has. Thanks fer gettin’ me the job, by the way.”

“Aw, it was nuthin’. Ah'm just glad you were available,” Applejack said. “Ah’da hated ta leave Miss Jubilee short-hooved.”

The two loaded the rest of the apples and walked toward the cellars. The sun was almost touching the horizon, and the stars would be coming out in a few minutes. In the distance, Applejack saw a rainbow blur zipping through the sky and heard the faint, excited cries of a certain orange pegasus. “So, what brings ya out ta Ponyville?” Applejack asked.

“What d’you mean?”

“Well, it’s a long trip from Dodge, and it’s not like we’re havin’ a reunion any time soon.”

Red shrugged. “Ah just wanted ta visit mah cousins,” he said, pawing at the ground.

“Uh huh. Somethin’ botherin’ you ‘bout Dodge?”

“No.”

“Do somethin’ embarassin’?”

“No.”

Applejack thought for a moment while the cart’s squeaky wheels filled the silence. “Filly caught your eye?” Red’s blush and sheepish smile were just the answer she was hoping for. “Ah see. So, who’s the lucky mare?”

“A-Ah don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Aw, c’mon.” Applejack gave him a playful shove. “Ah'm not gunna tell anypony. Do Ah know her?”

“Yup.”

“Have ya talked to her yet?”

“Ah left her a note earlier.”

Applejack scratched her chin. His answers didn’t narrow the possibilities much. “Well, if yer not gunna tell me her name, could ya at least tell me what she’s like?”

Red’s eyes glazed over, and his gaze drifted skyward. “She’s the most beautiful mare Ah’ve ever seen,” he said with a sigh. “She’s absolutely amazin’.”

Red’s description didn’t help shorten the list, but when Applejack followed his gaze, she couldn’t help but smirk. “Ah don’t suppose she’s also the best flier to come out of Cloudsdale?”

“Huh?” Red blinked and frowned at her. Applejack merely pointed at the rainbow-maned pegasus he’d been staring at a moment before. “No! Ah mean, not that she isn’t pretty or anythin’—Ah mean, for a pegasus, that is—not that Ah have anythin’ against pegasi—”

“Ah'm just pullin’ yer tail.” Applejack chuckled as she opened the apple cellar doors. “Let’s get these apples put away, and we’ll go get some supper.”

It didn’t take long for the two to move the apples from the cart to the cellar. The sun was half-hidden, and the first of the evening stars had appeared. Applejack closed and locked the cellar doors. “You run on ahead,” she told Red. “Tell Granny Ah’ll be there in a minute.”

“‘Kay.” Red took a few steps toward the house. “Hey, AJ, d’ya think you could help me make a pie later?”

“A pie?” Red averted his gaze, and Applejack couldn’t be sure whether the color on his cheeks was due to a blush or the sunset. “Well, look at you bein’ all romantic.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Red kicked a pebble, and the color on his cheeks deepened.

“‘Course Ah’ll help,” Applejack said, unable to repress a grin. “Run along, now. Ah’ll be in in a minute.”

Red’s hoofbeats faded away. Applejack sat alone by the cellar doors, watching the sun sink behind the trees. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, savoring the scent of the orchard. The harvest was almost over, and they’d be setting up the cider stand in a couple weeks. Just another part of the cycle the farm had been following since her great-grandparents had settled here. It was a cycle she expected would continue until she had grandfoals of her own, and despite the occasional emergency, Applejack loved every minute of it.

Applejack glanced at the farmhouse. She knew the others were waiting for her, but the night was warm, and the orchard was calling her name. She took off through the trees, eyes narrowing as she approached the fence that separated the orchard from the corn field. She leapt from the ground and soared over the wooden barrier. The corn stalks were almost as tall as she was, and the ears had been picked several weeks ago. The stalks themselves had grown brown and dry and seemed as though they would collapse in the gentle breeze.

Applejack leapt over the far fence and into a field that had been left unplanted this year. She wasn’t much of a scholar, but she made sure the family stuck to their field rotation schedule, even if it meant smaller harvests. As ponies needed rest at night, so the earth needed time to rejuvenate. The land was their lifeblood, and they couldn’t afford to run it dry.

Another fence, another leap, and Applejack left the family’s land. She slowed to a stop, breathing deeply, and turned to look the way she had come. The farmhouse was hidden behind trees and dying corn stalks, as was the sun. The sky was dotted with stars now, gleaming against the purple sky. Applejack sat for a moment and looked at them, trying to pick out the constellations Granny Smith always talked so much about. The night was beginning to cool, and despite the day’s work, she still felt as though she could run halfway across Equestria without slowing down.

A young voice in the fields brought Applejack back to earth. She heard Apple Bloom calling her name and smiled. Two fences later, she found the filly wandering the orchard. “There you are! We’re all waitin’ fer you ta come to supper!”

“Sorry,” Applejack replied. “Just got distracted.”

“Well, try not to get distracted when the rest of us are starvin’.”

Apple Bloom’s reproving glare brought a chuckle from Applejack’s throat. "Ah love ya too, Apple Bloom.” Applejack took one more look at the orchard, now illuminated by the full moon rising above the treetops. "C’mon. Let’s get home."

Pinkie's Pie

The reporter cleared his throat as his pen came to a stop. “Luna, we’ve all heard the story of Nightmare Moon, but we’ve never had the chance to hear your side of the story—not publicly, anyway.”

“The legend is a fair retelling, as far as I can tell,” Luna replied. “Aside from the story of Nightmare Night, I have not found any significant errors.”

“Why did you become Nightmare Moon?”

Luna took a deep breath and bowed her head to hide her grimace. “I have reflected on this subject since I returned to Equestria, and I have come to the conclusion that youthful ignorance was the main culprit.”

“Could you explain?”

Luna shifted a little on her haunches and glanced at Celestia, who gave her a reassuring smile and a small nod. “I was focused on myself and what I wanted and not on the needs and wants of those around me,” she said. “Most of all, I was unable to see the wisdom in my sister’s counsel. I realize now that the decisions she made were meant to protect me, not harm me. Even the decision to send me away. They were acts of love, and I just didn’t see it.”

Business at Sugarcube Corner was slower than usual, but Pinkie didn’t mind. Mostly because it meant she got to talk to Rarity all she wanted, and what’s better than finding out your friend has a secret admirer?

“He’s absolutely perfect, a real gentlecolt,” Rarity said, staring up at the ceiling with a big smile on her face. “Did you read the part where he says my eyes hold more sparkle than the purest star sapphire?”

“I have no idea!” Pinkie answered, her face glued to the paper that sat on the counter between them. “Does this say ‘heart of gold’ or ‘heated cold’?”

“The first, darling,” Rarity said.

“And what about this?” Pinkie held the paper in front of her and turned it sideways. “It looks like that drawing Pound Cake made on the wall the other day. Boy, did that take a while to clean up.”

“All right, so his penmanship has room for improvement,” Rarity snapped, taking the note in her magic and folding it carefully into her saddle bag. “He’s still the sweetest stallion I’ve ever come in contact with.”

“And you don’t even know who it is!” Pinkie agreed, bouncing up and down behind the counter. “Let’s see. Maybe it’s Caramel. Ooh, or maybe it’s Mr. Breezy.”

“Caramel’s dating somepony, dear, and Mr. Breezy is married,” Rarity said, taking a bite of cupcake.

“Oh yeah.” Pinkie thought about all the ponies she knew, which wasn’t an easy task. “Hey, maybe it’s that prince you met at the Grand Galloping Gala!”

Little bits of cupcake shot out of Rarity’s mouth, followed by a weird choking sound. “Pinkie! Don’t even joke about such things!”

The bell over the door rang, and in walked a pony Pinkie thought she recognized but couldn’t name, which meant he was probably visiting somepony in town. “Uh, howdy,” he said.

“Well, hi there!” Pinkie flashed him a smile. “Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! I’m Pinkie Pie!”

“Red Delicious,” the pony answered as he walked toward the counter. “Ah'm, uh, Applejack’s cousin.”

“Oh, yeah!” Pinkie exclaimed. “That explains everything!”

“It… does?”

“Well, I won’t keep your customers waiting,” Rarity said, dabbing at her lips with a handkerchief. “Have a wonderful day.”

“Oh, y-you don’t hafta leave,” Red said quickly, bowing his head. “Ah didn’t mean ta interrupt.”

“Oh, it’s quite all right, dear,” Rarity replied as she walked past him on the way to the door. “That pie looks quite lovely, by the way.”

“It does?” Red’s ears perked up. “Well, thank you!” He turned around only to run into a grinning pink face. “Gaah! Oh, um, hi, Pinkie.”

“Hi again!” Pinkie started bouncing in a circle around him. “Isn’t saying hi just the best? Especially to somepony you don’t know very well!”

“Um, yeah.” Red cleared his throat. “So, um, did you get the note I left in your mailbox?”

Pinkie came to a screeching halt midair. “You left a note in my mailbox?”

“Yeah,” Red answered. “Ah stopped by yesterday—”

“This is terrible!” She burst out the door in a flash and returned a second later, eyes scanning a piece of paper in her hoof. “How could I not know there was a note in my mailbox?”

“You, um, don’t hafta read it right now,” Red said, tapping a hoof against the floor.

“Of course I do, silly!” Pinkie tousled his mane, which made his cheeks turn red. “Especially since it’s such a nice note! Besides, I love getting mail from my friends!”

“Ah'm, uh, glad you like it.” Red reached a hoof over his shoulder to retrieve the pie balanced on his back. “Ah, uh, made this fer you. Applejack said you really like apple pies, and—”

Before he could finish, Pinkie grabbed the pie out of his hoof and smooshed her face into it, chewing and licking loudly. “Thith ith grea’!” she exclaimed.

Red chuckled softly and pawed at the floor some more while Pinkie devoured the pie. “Say, Pinkie, do ya have any plans fer tonight?”

Pinkie emerged from the pie and thought for a moment as apple juice ran down her face and dripped on the floor. “I don’t think so,” she said at last, tapping a hoof against her chin. “That’s weird. I always have something going on. Maybe I should throw a party tonight. Hey, I could throw you a welcome-to-Ponyville party!”

“Uh, actually, ah was thinkin’… well, since yer not busy, would ya like ta go out ta dinner with me?” Red asked quickly. “I mean, ya know. Go out to dinner. With me.”

“Sure!” Pinkie started bouncing in a circle again, little pieces of crust stuck in her mane. “It’s always fun to spend time with your friends!”

“Eh, yeah.” Red rubbed his foreleg with a hoof. “So, um, Ah’ll see you in a few hours, then.”

“Okey dokey lokey!”

“Okay. Great!” The two stood there for a moment, looking at each other. “Ah’ll, um, let you get back to work then.”

“Great!” Pinkie realized she was covered in pie and licked her face clean. “See you then!”

The night passed as uneventfully as one could expect with Pinkie Pie involved. The two went to a small outdoor café. Red was too nervous to eat much, and Pinkie was too excited to be meeting somepony new, so they spent the better part of the evening talking to each other—or rather, Pinkie talked a lot while Red listened and inserted a comment now and then.

Shortly after sunset, the two left the café and walked around Ponyville. “So after Rarity’s plan failed, I decided to go in there and throw him a party,” Pinkie was saying. “I mean, I know he was a grumpy dragon and all, but who doesn’t like parties? Apparently, he didn’t!”

“That must’ve been scary,” Red commented.

“Naw. One of my best friends is a dragon, so I knew he’d come around eventually,” Pinkie replied. “I just didn’t think Fluttershy would have to give him such a scolding.”

Red’s heart began to race as Sugarcube Corner came into view. “Well, Ah’ve had a great evenin’,” he said.

“Me, too!” Pinkie agreed. “Spending time with friends is the best!”

Red slowed a little. “Um… Pinkie…”

“Yeah, Red?”

“D’ya think…” Red paused to clear his throat. “Ah mean, Ah know we haven’t seen much of each other, but… d’ya think we could be… ya know… more than friends?”

“More than friends?” Pinkie frowned. “Do you mean like Twilight and her brother? He’s her BBBFF—Big Brother Best Friend Forever—but I guess you couldn’t really be my BBBFF. I mean, you’re not even my brother!”

“N-not exactly.”

“Or maybe you mean like Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo,” Pinkie continued. “They’re always doing stuff together. Dashie’s kinda like her big sister, and—”

Pinkie suddenly stopped when she felt something warm pressing against her lips, and it only took her a moment to realize it was Red’s mouth. Her body tensed, and her mind went blank. A second later, Red’s eyes shot open, and he backed away quickly, clearing his throat. “Ah mean… like that.”

Normally, the words would have entered Pinkie’s mind to find a bustling cacophony of thoughts and ideas, but when those reached her brain, they found everything had suddenly fallen still and silent. Pinkie tried to get her thoughts moving again, but as the seconds dragged into a minute, Red’s pawing became more agitated. His eyes widened, his breaths quickened, and still Pinkie stood there. “Ah, uh gotta go.” He turned and ran away, leaving Pinkie, still stunned, on her doorstep.

Pinkie’s brain eventually managed to find her legs again, and she walked into Sugarcube Corner. Mrs. Cake was standing by the counter, shining the glass. “Oh, hello,” she said when she saw Pinkie walking up the stairs. “How’d your evening go?”

“Um… great.” Pinkie put on her best smile and walked the rest of the way to her room. She shut the door behind her and climbed into bed, unable to get Red off her mind.

Rarity's Gem

“What was it like returning to Equestria after so much time?” the reporter asked.

“It was… surprising,” Luna answered, thinking back to that fateful Summer Sun Celebration. “Once Twilight Sparkle and her friends restored me to my proper state of mind, I expected to be locked away. Instead, I was made a guest of honor at the Celebration.”

“It was only right that our subjects become reacquainted with their princess of the night,” Celestia added.

Luna nodded. “My reception in Ponyville was unexpected, to say the least. I do not think they realized I was once the Nightmare Moon of legend, but even so, the way they accepted me that day gave me hope that I could leave my past behind me.”

“And have you?”

“Well,” Luna said, “all I can ask is that Equestria give me a second chance.”

Another week, another day at the spa. That’s how Rarity liked to look at it, anyway. As much as she enjoyed creating fashion masterpieces, it did take a lot out of her over time, and her weekly get-together with Fluttershy helped her get the break she needed to keep her mind sharp.

Being able to talk about her secret admirer was nice, too.

“Would you believe he sent me another note today?” Rarity asked while one of the workers poured water over hot rocks. “Oh, and it’s the best one yet!”

“How nice,” Fluttershy agreed. “I wonder who it could be?”

“Well, I won’t have to wait much longer to find out,” Rarity said. “He asked me to meet him at the café this evening!” Rarity couldn’t help but clap her hooves together at the thought.

“I’m happy for you,” said Fluttershy with a smile.

“Oh, thank you, darling. I do hope he’s as charming in person as he is in his letters,” she added as the two left the sauna toward a worker preparing their mud masks. “You know how some ponies are—dashing and eloquent in writing, but when they have to talk to somepony face-to-face, they just freeze up!”

“Oh, um, yes.”

“But I don’t think he’ll be one of those ponies,” Rarity continued as the worker covered her face in green goop. “What do you think?”

“Well, um, I think whoever your admirer is, they must be feeling a bit nervous,” Fluttershy said.

“Nervous? Whatever do you mean?”

Fluttershy tapped the floor with a hoof. “Well, if I was going to meet somepony I cared about for the first time, I’d be nervous about it.”

“Well, yes, dear, but you’re nervous about just about everything. No offense,” she added quickly.

Fluttershy ducked behind her mane. “No, it’s okay, you’re right.”

Rarity spent the rest of the afternoon speculating about her admirer—what he might look like, what he might wear, and so forth. Fluttershy said little more than “Of course” and “Oh?” until they were leaving the spa. “Um, Rarity?”

“Yes, dear, what is it?”

“Um… well, what if this admirer isn’t everything you’ve imagined?” Fluttershy asked. “What if they’re not that into fashion or a perfect gentlepony?”

“Well, just because he’s not exactly what I’ve imagined doesn’t mean he isn’t a gentlecolt,” Rarity replied. “I can’t imagine a stallion who can write the kind of things he’s written to me being anything less.”

A loud thud brought Rarity to a halt and sent Fluttershy scurrying for cover. A large stack of bricks had just plummeted from the sky and landed in front of them. “Sorry!” a voice called from above. Rarity could see a pony with a rust-colored coat looking at her from a platform thirty feet above.

“Hey, Mason!” another voice called from another platform. Rarity saw a group of three construction ponies watching the scene unfold. “Next time, just whistle when a pretty mare walks by!”

“It wasn’t on purpose!” the pony called Mason shouted back.

“Uh huh.” The construction pony turned his attention from Mason to Rarity. “Hey, sorry about Mason. He’s hopeless when it comes to the ladies, you know what I mean?”

Rarity was too busy coaxing Fluttershy out from under a table to pay them any mind. “Come on, dear. It’s all right.” Fluttershy crawled out on shaky legs. “Looks like you could use another trip to the spa,” Rarity observed.

“Are you two okay?” Rarity turned to see Mason standing beside them, his black mane and tail glistening with sweat.

“We’re fine, no thanks to you,” Rarity said with a glare.

“I swear, it was an accident,” Mason said, his ears flattening against his head.

“Accident or not, you really should be more careful.”

“Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Hey, Mason, don’t you think you’ve done enough flirting for one day?” the ponies called from the platform. Mason’s ears flattened even more, and he returned to the stack of bricks.

“Come along, Fluttershy,” Rarity said. “Let’s get you home.”

Rarity was in the middle of putting together her outfit for the evening when Rainbow Dash walked into the boutique. “Hey, you busy?” the pegasus asked.

“No, not at all,” Rarity replied, setting aside the hats she’d been juggling in her magic. “If you’re looking for Scootaloo, she and Sweetie Belle have gone to Sweet Apple Acres to work on their science project.”

“Actually, I wanted to place an order,” said Rainbow Dash, who seemed to be standing as far away from any of Rarity’s dresses as possible. “Think you can make another flight suit like the one you made me for Nightmare Night?”

“Of course, but why do you need another one?” Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t destroy the last one in some daredevil stunt, did you?”

“Oh, it’s not for me.” Rainbow Dash pulled a sheet of paper out of her saddle bag. “It’s for Scootaloo. I want it to be a surprise.”

“I see. Well, I’ll need some excuse to get her measurements,” said Rarity.

“I got it covered,” Dash answered, giving Rarity the sheet of paper. “Twilight looked up dressmaking measurements in one of her books, and I told Scoots I needed to measure her for aerodynamics or something.”

Rarity looked over the sheet. “Hmm. Well, I must say I’m impressed, Rainbow Dash. That filly isn’t turning you soft, is she?”

“No way!” Dash cried with a lopsided grin and a shake of her head. “If anything, my awesomeness is rubbing off on her more and more every day.”

“Indeed.”

Dash walked across the room and looked at Rarity’s outfit ideas, which were little more than a series of hats. “What’s with all this?”

“It’s for this evening,” Rarity explained. “I have an engagement with a secret admirer tonight at the café, and I want to make sure I look my best.”

“Secret admirer, huh?” Dash drifted across the room and nudged her with an elbow. “Any idea who it is?”

“No,” Rarity said with a sigh, “but whoever it is, he’s sure to be a real gentlecolt.”

“Who said it was a he?”

Rarity frowned as she turned to face her friend. “What do you mean?”

“Well, did they say they were a stallion in any of these notes you keep talking about?” Dash asked.

“Well, no, but I don’t think—”

“Maybe that’s your problem,” Dash suggested as she picked up one of Rarity’s hat’s and looked it over. “Maybe he is actually a she, and maybe she’s been right next to you this whole time. Heck, she could even be Fluttershy, for all we know.”

“Rainbow Dash, stop that this instant!”

“What?” Rainbow Dash put the hat down and shrugged. “You two already have a weekly date at the spa! Not to mention her modeling for you; I mean, everypony knows how much she hates being in the spotlight.”

“That’s beside the point. It’s impolite to speculate on the affections of others,” said Rarity as she turned her attention back to her outfit.

“Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all week?”

Rarity whirled around to give Rainbow Dash a piece of her mind only to find the pegasus fighting to hide a smile. Upon seeing Rarity’s face, Dash burst into laughter and fell to the floor. “Very funny,” Rarity muttered.

“Aw, lighten up. You’re taking this whole admirer thing way too seriously,” Dash said, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Says the pegasus who once let her fan club get to her head,” Rarity shot back.

“Hey, I can’t help it if everypony thinks I’m awesome,” Dash replied as she got to her hooves. “So, you can do the flight suit, right?”

“Of course. It should be ready in a few days.”

“Awesome. Well, I got some stuff to do,” Dash said, walking toward the door. “Good luck on your date!”

Rarity eventually settled on a simple yellow sunhat and made her way to the café. She was a little early and decided to pass the time picking out who could be her admirer. The couples she ruled out immediately, but that still left a few stallions sitting by themselves. None of them looked like likely candidates, but she tried not to be too hasty in her judgment. “A gentlecolt is a gentlecolt at heart, no matter his appearance,” she muttered to herself. After several minutes of observing the single stallions in the café, she decided to relax and wait to see who approached her.

“Hello?”

The voice was soft, but it was right behind her, and it was enough to make her jump. The yellow pegasus who’d spoken jumped as well and scrambled back into a neighboring table, knocking over an older businesspony’s drink. “Ohmigoodness, I’m so sorry!” the pegasus cried, backing away in the opposite direction and into another table. “Oh, m-my fault, I’m so sorry—”

“Fluttershy!” Rarity stopped her friend before she could bump into anypony else.

“O-oh, um, hi Rarity. I hope I’m not interrupting anything—”

“It’s all right, dear,” Rarity said. “Come sit down for a moment. You look completely frazzled.”

Fluttershy took the seat across from Rarity, still hiding behind her mane from the angry glares. “I’m so sorry for startling you,” she said, her voice a little softer than usual. “It’s just, well, I wasn’t sure you’d show up, so when I saw you, I just got so excited, and… well, I couldn’t help myself. I’m such a loudmouth sometimes…”

“Not at all, darling,” Rarity replied. “So, how was your day?”

“Oh, it was fine,” Fluttershy said. “Although, I was worried about whether or not I’d find you here.”

“Oh?” Rainbow Dash’s words echoed in her mind, but she shoved them aside. She knew better than to take the pegasus’ pranks seriously.

“Well, you see… well, I’m not really sure where to start,” Fluttershy said, poking at the fork in front of her. “I mean, we’ve been friends for so long, and, well…”

“If you have something to tell me, darling, go right ahead,” Rarity said. Outwardly she was smiling, but inwardly her stomach was busy tying knots with the rest of her organs.

“O-okay.” Fluttershy took a deep breath before continuing. “Well, there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you for a while now, but… well, I didn’t really know how to ask.”

Rarity felt her smile start to waver as she adjusted her water glass. “And what question might that be?”

Fluttershy took another deep breath and closed her eyes. “Do you think you can bring Opal over a day early next week?”

Rarity’s smile vanished, along with any idea she thought she had about what was going on. “Pardon?”

Fluttershy retreated behind her mane. “Oh, I knew you’d be upset.”

“No! Not at all.” Rarity forced herself to laugh and to stop fidgeting with her soup spoon. “It’s just… is there a reason you need me to bring her a day early?”

“Um, well, Zecora agreed to help me find some healing herbs next week, but she can only do it on Wednesday, which is when you said you’d bring Opal in for her check-up,” Fluttershy explained. “But I know you usually go gem hunting with Spike on Tuesday, and I didn’t want to inconvenience you.”

“Oh, you needn’t worry about that,” Rarity said, her laugh coming more naturally this time. “Of course I’ll bring Opal by on Tuesday.”

“Oh, good.” Fluttershy emerged from her mane with a smile. “Well, I’d better get home. I don’t want you to miss your date.”

“Take care, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy stood and walked away. Rarity sighed and buried her head in her forelegs. “The next time I see Rainbow Dash…”

“Good evening.”

Rarity’s head shot up. Across the table stood the construction pony—Mason, was it?—who’d almost crushed her with a pile of bricks earlier. “Hello,” she answered. “Can I help you?”

“Depends,” Mason replied as he took a seat opposite her. “Do your eyes still hold more sparkle than the purest star sapphire?”

Rarity’s mouth hung open as she stared at the pony across from her. “T-that was you?”

Mason smiled. “It’s cheesy, I know.”

“B-but… how?”

“Well, I took a piece of paper and a pencil—”

“That’s not what I meant!” Rarity snapped before taking a deep breath to regain her composure. “It’s just… I never expected such eloquence from a simple construction pony.”

Mason nodded as he finished taking a drink from the glass in front of him. “It makes sense, I guess. You’re so classy and glamorous, and I’m… well, the pony who drops bricks on unsuspecting mares.”

“What I mean is… that’s not what I meant.” Rarity couldn’t help but blush. It wasn’t like her to get so flustered, but after everything that had happened, how could she avoid it? She took a drink of her own while she organized her thoughts.

“You’re trying to figure out what a construction pony like me sees in a fashionista like you?” Mason guessed before she could finish. Rarity nodded and set her glass back down. “Well, believe it or not, I’m just as much an artist as you are. You design clothes, I design buildings.”

“You’re an architect?” Rarity asked. Mason nodded. “But then why did the others tease you about dropping the bricks?”

“They were teasing me because it was you,” Mason replied. “I don’t mind, it’s all in good fun,” he added before Rarity could express her outrage at their behavior. “I really am sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to put you or your friend in danger.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” Rarity said, dabbing her lips with her napkin. “Accidents happen, after all—though you really should be more careful.”

“Yes, well, can I help it if the most beautiful mare in Ponyville sweeps me off my hooves?”

Rarity giggled at the compliment, but only for a moment. “Well, I appreciate your affection, but I do have one question for you.”

“Fire away.”

“It’s just that I really don’t know anything about you,” Rarity explained. “I’m not sure how much you know about me, either.”

“Not much,” Mason answered, straightening the silverware Fluttershy had left lying askew.

“Then before we go any further, I must ask you this,” said Rarity. “Just what is it you’re expecting out of this encounter?”

Mason nodded and smiled again. Now that she thought about it, he was rather attractive. “To fix the problem you pointed out,” he answered. “I admire your beauty and grace, but I’d like to get to know you better.” He looked down at the table and nudged his fork to the side before glancing back up at her. “I hoped you would like to do the same with me.”

Rarity considered his proposition. In all her daydreaming, she’d never imagined her admirer would be a construction pony, even if he was an architect. Still, a gentlecolt was a gentlecolt, even if he spent his days on scaffolding thirty feet in the air. “I suppose one can never have too many acquaintances,” she said at last. “Besides, I don’t believe I’ve ever talked at length with a construction pony.”

“I’m happy to oblige,” Mason said, leaning on the table. It was only when he relaxed that Rarity suddenly realized how nervous he’d been. “Since I’m the reason you’re here, I think it’s only fair I pay for the meal. Would you like something to eat?”

Rarity returned his smile and nodded. “I would be honored.”

Dash's Rainbow

“Something I have learned since my banishment is that love must be earned,” Luna said. “It takes effort and hard work and does not always come easily.”

“And how do you plan to win the heart of Equestria?”

Luna smiled and looked at the floor. “If I knew that, I would not have been banished in the first place.”

Rainbow Dash had a reputation for finding creative ways to enter buildings, but today, she decided to just use the front door. The library’s interior was strewn with books, as usual, and its keeper was sitting in the center, looking over four at once.

“Hey, Twi,” Dash said, stepping around a large stack of notes.

“Huh?” Twilight blinked and looked around. The books fell to the floor. “Oh, hello, Rainbow. What can I do for you?”

Dash managed to squeeze between two stacks of books without knocking any over. “I was wondering if I could borrow your copy of ‘Daring Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone,’” she said.

“Oh, of course.” Twilight’s horn glowed purple, and a green-covered book floated off one of the shelves. “Re-reading the series again?”

“Actually, I wanted to let Scoots read it,” Dash explained as the book tucked itself into her saddle bag. “She seems like the kind of pony that would like a good adventure book.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you,” said Twilight.

“Yeah, well, she is my number one fan,” Dash said. To be honest, she was pretty proud of the progress Scootaloo had made over the last few months. Rainbow Dash was confident that if the filly ever found herself hanging over the edge of another cliff, she’d at least be able to glide herself to safety. “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you something. How come you called it ‘The Quest for the Sapphire Statue’ that night I broke into the hospital?”

“Oh, that!” Twilight’s eyes lit up. “Well, if you get a copy from the first printing, like mine, you’ll see the cover says ‘Sapphire Stone,’ but the title page says ‘Sapphire Statue.’ Apparently, there was a miscommunication between the cover designer and the printers, so the title got messed up. But here’s the really interesting part,” she continued, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “A few months ago, A. K. Yearling said both titles are wrong, and the real title was supposed to be—”

“Yeah, okay,” Dash said with a wave of her hoof. She’d hoped the explanation would be more interesting than a printing error, but then again, this was Twilight she was talking to.

Twilight scowled, but she dropped the subject. “Anyway, I think Scootaloo will really enjoy it, too. She’s quite the reader, actually. Just the other day, she was in here with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle asking for science books.”

“Must be for their project,” Dash mused.

Twilight nodded as her schedule floated through the air. “Their presentation is this evening,” she confirmed with a glance at the schedule. “Rarity and Applejack will be there, of course, and since I’m their project mentor, I’ll be helping Cheerilee determine their grade.”

“Sounds great,” said Rainbow as she adjusted the straps on her saddle bags. “Tell me all about it, ‘kay?”

“You’re not going?”

Dash stopped near the doorway. “Well, science isn’t really my thing, and I have some stuff to do with the weather team.”

“But this is Scootaloo’s project,” Twilight said, frowning. “She’s worked really hard on it, and it would mean a lot to her if you came to the presentation.”

Rainbow Dash tapped her hoof against the floor. “Well, maybe, but I can’t just bail on the weather team. Besides, I’ll totally make it up to her when we dominate at the Sisterhooves Social this weekend.”

“I’m sure they can get along without you for one evening,” Twilight said, but Dash had already pushed open the door and launched herself into the air. She did a couple lazy loops as the wind whipped her mane across her eyes. One more stop, and then she could catch a quick nap before meeting Scoots for flying practice.

The bell above the boutique’s door jingled when Dash entered. “Hey, Rarity! You in here?”

“One moment!” Rarity’s voice echoed from the back room. A moment later, the unicorn walked into the showroom. “Hello, Rainbow Dash. I assume you’re here to pick up the…” Her voice dropped several decibels. “You-know-what?”

“Um, yeah.” Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure why she was being so secretive, but she decided to let it slide. “So, how’d your date with Flutter—I mean, your secret admirer go?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Rarity said with a roll of her eyes. “If you must know, it went perfectly well. He’s every bit the gentlecolt I imagined he would be.”

“Really?” Dash wanted to gag at the very mention of mushy love notes, but she knew Rarity totally ate that kind of thing up. “So, when do I get to meet him?”

“After the way you teased me, I’m not sure you really deserve to meet him,” Rarity replied, turning away from Dash toward her mannequins.

“What? Come on, Rarity, I was just kidding!” She bounded forward to confront the unicorn directly only to find a smirk on her friend’s face. Dash rolled her eyes. “All right, I deserved that.”

“You most certainly did,” Rarity giggled. Her horn glowed blue, and a filly-sized mannequin moved out from behind a curtain. “What do you think?”

Dash couldn’t help but grin as she examined her friend’s work. “It’s perfect!” Dash reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a bag of bits. “Here, I think this should cover it.”

“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” said Rarity, holding up a hoof as she used her magic to put the flight suit in Dash’s bag. “I know you mean the world to that filly, and getting such a fine gift from you will be worth more to her than all the bits in Equestria.”

“Well, yeah, but that doesn’t help you.” Dash held the bag out to her. “C’mon, you’ve given me more than enough freebies.”

Rarity smiled and enveloped the bag in a magical blue aura. “Well, if you insist.” Rarity placed the bag in a nearby chest. “I don’t mean to cut your visit short, but I simply must get back to work. I have a lot to do before the presentation this evening. I presume I’ll see you there?”

“I, uh, wasn’t planning on going.”

“What?” Rarity froze halfway across the room and stared at Dash with wide eyes. “But Rainbow Dash, you simply must go.”

“Look, I have a lot to do, okay?”

“And I don’t?” Rarity gestured around the showroom with a hoof. “It may look neat out here, but I have four major orders due by the end of the week, and most of them are still lying in pieces in my workroom. Even Applejack is taking time away from the harvest to—”

“Well, I’m not you or AJ, am I?” Dash snapped. Rarity took a couple steps back. “I gotta go take care of some stuff. See you later.”

One restless nap later, Dash found herself gliding over Sweet Apple Acres, scanning the ground for a little orange pegasus with a purple mane. To Dash’s surprise, she found her not on the ground but on a cloud a good fifty feet in the air. “Hey, Scoots!” she said as she landed beside the filly. “Did you get up here yourself?”

“Yep.” Scootaloo lay on the cloud, staring down at the ground.

“Wow, that’s awesome!” said Dash. “I think that’s a new record!” Dash waited a moment for Scootaloo to leap to her hooves, beaming, but the filly merely shrugged. “So, how was your day?” Dash asked after a moment.

“Fine.”

Dash’s head cocked to the side. “Is something wrong?”

Shrug.

“You didn’t strain a wing on your way up, did you?”

“No.”

Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “Well, what’s up?”

Scootaloo got to her hooves and looked up at Rainbow Dash with sad eyes. “I heard what you said to Rarity,” she said. “We were working on our project upstairs when you came by.”

“Oh.” That explained why Rarity was being so secretive about the flight suit. “Look, squirt, it’s not that I don’t want to be there—”

“You just have more important things to do,” Scootaloo finished, vaporizing a bit of the cloud with a dismissive kick.

“I wouldn’t say more important,” Dash started again.

“Then why don’t you come?” Scootaloo asked. “Everypony else is going to have somepony there to cheer them on, and you’re the closest thing to a big sister I have.”

Dash vaguely recalled approving a few time-off requests over the last week. “Look, I’m team leader. I can’t just take time off whenever I want.”

Scootaloo sighed. “I guess I just kinda hoped I’d get to see somepony there for me for once.” Rainbow Dash didn’t know what to say to the filly’s downturned gaze. “I don’t really feel like practicing today. I’ll see you later." Before Dash could reply, Scootaloo spread her wings and leapt off the cloud, glided somewhat unsteadily to the ground, and walked away.

Ponyville had some cloud cover scheduled for that evening, so Dash spent most of the afternoon with her weather team, getting all the clouds into position. What should have been a simple job was made more difficult by several conflicting crosswinds, and as the day wore on, Rainbow Dash found the task growing more and more frustrating.

“Flitter, Silver Speed, get that bank back into position,” Dash barked. The two pegasi took off after the clouds she’d indicated. “That’s the third time they’ve drifted too far south,” she muttered.

“I bet if we set up a few cumulus over there, it’d keep them from drifting so much,” suggested Cloudchaser.

Rainbow Dash looked where she was pointing and nodded. “Get somepony to set it up.”

“You seem a little distracted,” Cloudchaser observed. Rainbow Dash didn’t answer as the two circled around Ponyville, checking the team’s work. “Is something on your mind?”

“It’s… nothing.”

Cloudchaser shrugged. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask for time off. I thought for sure you’d want to be there for Scootaloo’s presentation.”

“Why does everypony keep bringing that up?” Dash didn’t realize she’d shouted until she saw Cloudchaser raise an eyebrow at her. “I mean… I can’t just leave the weather team, especially with all these crazy cross-breezes messing everything up.”

“We can survive an afternoon without our team leader,” said Cloudchaser, flaring her wings to kill her speed. “Besides, you’re not much good to us if you’re not focused.”

Rainbow Dash wanted to snap at her, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. “I know,” she muttered as she landed on a cloud and stuck her face in it, hoping the cloud’s coolness would clear her mind. It didn’t. “I just don’t want to leave anypony hanging.”

“We have plenty of pegasi to manage the weather,” said Cloudchaser as she landed beside her leader. “Scootaloo only has one big sister.”

Dash sighed as she pulled her head out of the cloud and got to her hooves. “I’ll be back in a while to make sure everything’s in place,” she said. She quickly retrieved her saddle bags and flew toward the schoolhouse, hoping she wasn’t too late.

The evening was warm and clear, and Cheerilee had decided to take advantage of the weather while she could. Displays and props stood in a semicircle in the schoolhouse’s playground. Dozens of ponies drifted from one project to another, and every filly and colt was energetically explaining what they’d done to any adult who passed within earshot.

Every filly, that was, except Scootaloo.

Rainbow Dash felt a stab of guilt between her ribs when she found the orange pegasus sitting to the side, head bowed, while Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle presented to Cheerilee and Twilight. Dash took a deep breath and circled lower, trying to figure out what their project was about. To her surprise, she saw a few pictures of the Wonderbolts, a diagram that looked like the wind resistance models she’d learned about in flight camp, and a full-sized mannequin dressed in a flight suit. Dash landed at the back of the crowd without being noticed and listened.

“As you can see here, a pegasus’ coat, mane, and tail catches the wind, creating drag,” Sweetie Belle was saying, pointing to the wind resistance model. “While this isn’t a problem for everyday activities, it can be a big problem when you’re trying to do stunts and tricks.”

“Everypony knows the Wonderbolts are the best fliers in all of Equestria,” Apple Bloom continued while Dash pushed her way through the crowd, ending up just behind Rarity and Applejack. “Ah’ve never been to one o’ their shows, but Ah do know a lot o’ their tricks would be really hard with all that wind resistance.”

“That’s why they always wear these flight suits,” Sweetie Belle said, pointing to a picture of Spitfire in her Wonderbolts uniform. “Some ponies think they’re just for show, but they actually help them fly faster and more accurately.”

Dash didn’t understand all of the numbers and diagrams on display, but she did know from experience the effect a well-made flight suit could have. “How big of a difference does it make?” she asked.

Scootaloo let out a short gasp as her head shot up to find her hero smiling at her. “Sorry I’m late,” Dash added quickly when the rest of the ponies looked at her. “I… got a little sidetracked.”

Scootaloo beamed and leapt to her hooves. “That’s what we’ve been trying to figure out,” she said, joining her partners in front of their display. “Obviously, the flight suits would be more effective if they also covered a pony’s mane and tail, but that would be uncomfortable and impractical. The next best option…”

Rainbow Dash’s smile widened as Scootaloo continued, though it had nothing to do with suddenly finding a love of science. A lot of the numbers went over her head, but Scootaloo’s enthusiasm more than made up for it. “Well, I must say I’m impressed,” Cheerilee said when the fillies had finished. “Are there any other questions?” There were none. “Well, if there’s nothing else—”

“Wait!” Scootaloo cried. “We still have one more thing to show you.” Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle started pulling the flight suit off the mannequin. “We thought we’d give you a demonstration of how the aerodynamics of flight suits work in real life. For that, we’re going to ask for a volunteer.” Rainbow Dash’s heart beat a little faster as Scootaloo walked toward her. “And who better to volunteer than the best flier in all of Equestria?”

Dash’s smile turned sheepish as Scootaloo dragged her in front of the crowd. “You know, you could have asked me earlier,” she muttered. Dash let the fillies slip the flight suit over her body. It was a near-perfect fit. “I just have one condition.”

Scootaloo frowned. “What’s that?”

“I want a wingpony.” Dash reached into her saddle bag and pulled out the filly-sized flight suit. “You up for it, squirt?”

Scootaloo’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. “Is that… for me?”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle helped their friend into the flight suit, and Dash was glad to see it fit her almost perfectly. “Ready?”

“Ready!”

The two pegasi pushed off the ground and shot into the sky. Dash did several loops to keep pace with Scootaloo, whose tiny wings beat the air rapidly. The two reached a low-floating cloud and landed. “Wow!” Scootaloo gasped, looking over her suit. “That was amazing!”

“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Dash said with a smile. She pushed off the cloud and picked up speed, twisting and looping as she went. Her show lasted less than a minute, but when she returned to Scootaloo’s cloud, the filly was watching her with wide-eyed awe, as always.

“Well? How was that?” Dash asked, her breathing a little heavier than usual.

Scootaloo wrapped her forelegs around Dash’s neck. “I’m glad you came, Rainbow Dash.”

Dash returned the filly’s embrace and looked up just in time to see the last of her rainbow trail fade away. “Me too, Scoots. Me too.”

Fluttershy's Angel

“Celestia, you’ve seen the development and evolution of the lore surrounding Nightmare Moon. Did the things ponies said about your sister ever bother you?”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think,” Celestia answered. “Much of what they say is true. What bothered me was that I knew a side of Luna few others did. I suppose you could say I knew the whole truth, not the partial truth everypony could see.”

“Did you ever harbor resentment toward your sister for what she did?”

Celestia was silent for a moment, and her gaze fell to the floor. “No,” she said at last.

“Why not?”

Celestia now looked at Luna. “Because she’s my sister, and I could never remain angry at her for long.”

Going to the market was still somewhat of a scary proposition for Fluttershy. Iron Will’s misguided assertiveness lessons had helped her a little, and she knew most of the ponies there were nice, but there were one or two she dreaded speaking to. That’s why she made sure to bring Angel along when she had to talk to them.

“Hi. Um, I’d like to buy some tomatoes,” Fluttershy said, placing a bit on the counter.

The tomato salespony sighed and rolled her eyes. “Look, how many times do I have to tell you? It’s two bits for tomatoes.”

“Well, um, that’s still not a fair price.” Fluttershy glanced back at Angel, who was giving the salespony one of his trademark glares.

“Oh yeah? And what makes you think you know what ‘fair’ is?” the salespony demanded.

“Well…” Fluttershy hesitated a moment and got a nudge from Angel as a result. “I happen to know that this was a great year for tomatoes.”

“And?”

Fluttershy gulped. “And, um, if you’re going to charge too much, I’ll just take my business somewhere else.”

The salespony let out a slow sigh. “Fine. One bit.”

“Oh, thank you!” Fluttershy remembered too late not to show her relief—Rarity had told her it made it harder to barter in the future—but there was nothing she could do about it now. She scooped the tomatoes into her bags and hurried away. “Oh, Fluttershy, why can’t you ever keep your mouth closed?”

Fluttershy felt a tugging on her ear and looked to see Angel gesturing toward Sugarcube Corner. “No, not today,” Fluttershy said. Angel kept tugging and pointing, so Fluttershy took another look. To her surprise, she spied Pinkie sitting near her mailbox, looking uncharacteristically calm. “Do you think something’s wrong?” she asked Angel. Angel gave her a scowl in response.

A smile came to Pinkie’s face when she saw Fluttershy approach. “Hi there,” said the pink mare. “Heading home from the market?”

Fluttershy nodded. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good,” Pinkie replied. Her even tone and general lack of bounciness suggested otherwise. “I’m just waiting to see if I get a letter from Dodge Junction.”

“Dodge Junction?” Fluttershy frowned. “Who do you know in Dodge Junction?”

“Just… somepony,” Pinkie answered. The frown on her face worried Fluttershy, but she didn’t want to intrude on Pinkie’s business. “Hey, Fluttershy, do you think it’s possible for somepony to forgive you when you’ve hurt them?”

“Um…” Fluttershy looked to Angel for help, but the bunny just shrugged. “I think so. I mean, I think I would if they were really sorry about it.”

Pinkie nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

Fluttershy kicked her hoof against the pavement. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I just have to wait, I guess.”

“Are you sure? Because you seem kind of—” Fluttershy’s offer was cut off by a tug on her ear and a small, white-furred paw gesturing toward the bakery’s door. “Oh, Angel,” she sighed. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I have to go.”

“That’s okay,” Pinkie sighed. “I’ll just keep waiting.”

The cottage was unusually noisy when Fluttershy opened the door. Birds were flitting here and there with strips of bandage in their beaks, and mice were scurrying about with tiny bowls of soup. “Oh my. What’s going on?”

Through a series of gestures and chatters, a ferret managed to tell her that one of the beaver dams had collapsed and that three beavers were injured. Fluttershy dropped her saddle bags by the door and rushed to where the other critters had laid the injured animals. Two of them had some cuts and scrapes, but otherwise looked like they’d be fine. The third, however, clearly had a few fractured bones and a deep gash on his head. “Ohmigoodness,” Fluttershy gasped. “D-don’t worry. I’ll have you fixed up in no time.”

While Fluttershy retrieved her medical kit and asked some badgers to get some water, Angel started hopping up and down and squeaking. “Yes, I know we planned a picnic today, but it’ll have to wait,” Fluttershy answered. Angel’s squeaks got louder and his hopping more agitated. “Angel Bunny, you should know better!”

The bunny shot her a glare and folded his arms. “Well, like it or not, this is more important,” said Fluttershy. “I’m sorry, but until I’ve finished with these patients, the picnic will just have to wait.”

Angel sighed and hopped out the door. Fluttershy thought about going after him, but an insistent tugging at her tail changed her mind. “All right, let’s get to work.”

The rest of the morning was one hectic rush for the caretaker. The third beaver’s injuries were thankfully less severe than she thought, but it still took a lot of time and patience to set his broken bones and bandage the cut on his head, mostly because he kept squirming. “Mr. Beaverteeth, hold still!” Fluttershy finally shouted in frustration. “I mean… please?”

Though she felt bad about raising her voice, her outburst did the trick. A few hours later, all three beavers were ready to go, though Mr. Beaverteeth had to be carried out on a stretcher. “Please take care of yourselves,” she called after them. “Make sure Mr. Beaverteeth gets plenty of rest.”

Fluttershy set to work cleaning up the mess the animals had made in her house. Several tried to apologize, but she reassured them with a smile. “It’s no trouble, really. I’m just glad no one was hurt too seriously.”

The moment the words were out of her mouth, her thoughts immediately turned to Angel. She looked around the cottage to see if her friend had returned, but he was nowhere to be found. “Oh, Angel must be furious,” she muttered, letting her mane drape over her face. “I have to make it up to him somehow.”

The sound of fluttering wings brought her head back up. A pair of birds had retrieved one of her books and opened it to a page with a picture of a blue, leafy plant. “Iceberg lettuce? Yes, I know how much Angel loves it,” she said with a smile. “That’s how I met him. I’d just made myself an iceberg lettuce salad, and he tried to steal a few leaves.” The birds chirped. “You think I should go find some for him? Oh, I-I don’t know. It’s getting late, and it only grows in really cold places…”

The more she thought about it, though, the more she thought it was a good idea. She hadn’t gone looking for iceberg lettuce in months, and what better way was there to show Angel how sorry she was? “O-okay, I’ll go,” she said as she put on her saddle bags. “If Angel comes back, will you tell him that I’m sorry and I’m going to make it up to him?” The birds chirped their agreement. “Okay then. I’ll be back soon.”

The mountain was steeper and colder than Fluttershy remembered, but she couldn’t let that get the best of her. She pushed forward through the wind and snow. The cave she was looking for wasn’t too far up the mountain, and if it meant making Angel happy, she would gladly suffer a little cold.

After several hours of climbing, she started to wonder if she had correctly remembered the location of the cave. She was pretty sure she was getting close, but the snow flying in her face made it difficult to see. She ducked behind a rocky outcropping and stopped to catch her breath. “Oh, Fluttershy, what have you gotten yourself into?”

Her body shook and shivered, and she rubbed her hooves against her forelegs to warm herself up. At least she’d remembered to grab a scarf on her way out, though she now wished she’d put on her boots and found a snow mask as well. She hugged herself for a moment, took a deep breath, stepped out from behind the rock, and immediately slipped.

Fluttershy’s high-pitched scream echoed down the mountain as she half-slid and half-rolled back the way she'd come. The snow cushioned her falls for the most part, but she still felt dizzy and disoriented when she came to a stop. She eventually located her hooves and the direction of the ground and tried to right herself, but doing so only made her sink farther into the snow bank that broke her fall.

“Oh my…” Fluttershy muttered as she tried to push herself out of the snow, but the more she struggled, the deeper she sank. Her legs started to shake, and her teeth began to chatter. “H-hello? I-is anypony out there?”

The only response was the howling wind.

Fluttershy gritted her teeth and pushed forward. The snow reached her chest, and every step was a battle. Her vision became blurry, her steps less certain, until she finally stopped and gasped for air. “Oh, Fluttershy, you’re really in trouble this time.”

The soft crunch of snow somehow reached her ears. She turned her head and saw several blurry shapes coming toward her. Her heart began to race even faster as they drew near. “W-what do you want?”

The shapes spread out around her and started grabbing her mane and tail. Fluttershy forced her eyes to focus for a moment and realized they were snow bunnies. Before she could say anything else, the bunnies began pulling at her mane and tail, slowly but surely lifting her out of the snow bank and onto a sled. Where they’d gotten the sled was anyone’s guess, and Fluttershy was too exhausted to ask. The bunnies wrapped her body in several blankets, and the next thing Fluttershy knew, she was lying on her couch in her cottage, surrounded by familiar faces.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to speak and found a white bunny pressing a warm cup against her lips. She took a drink of the liquid inside, which turned out to be tea, and looked down at her furry friend. “Oh, Angel, I’m so sorry,” she said as her eyes began to sting. “I just felt so bad about missing the picnic, so I went to get you some iceberg lettuce, but then I got stuck and—”

Angel put a paw against her lips, and Fluttershy fell silent. The bunny shook his head and then pointed to himself. “You… you’re sorry?” Angel nodded and slumped his shoulders. “Oh, no, you don’t have to be. It was—”

Angel once again put his paw against her lips to silence her. He then went into a long and rather complicated pantomime that even Fluttershy had difficulty following. “You’re sorry… for not thinking of the beavers,” Fluttershy guessed at last. Angel nodded. “Well, it was a little insensitive…” Angel glowered. “Okay, a lot insensitive,” Fluttershy admitted.

Another lengthy pantomime later, Fluttershy had another guess. “You feel especially bad that I put myself in danger to make it up to you?” Angel gave her a solemn nod. “Oh, Angel, you don’t need to feel bad about that. It wasn’t your fault I went and got myself stuck.”

The bunny glared at her, and Fluttershy decided to stop talking. Angel leapt away and returned with a bowl of blue leaves. “Angel, is that… iceberg lettuce?” The bunny nodded. “But… how did you find it?”

Angel’s next pantomime was shorter than the first two, mostly because Fluttershy’s rescuers were still there. “You got your bunny friends to find it?” she guessed. Angel raised an eyebrow, a sign that there was a little more, and pointed at her. “They got it for me?” Angel nodded. “Angel… I don’t know what to say.”

Angel shook his head and placed a paw over his own lips. Fluttershy smiled. “Thank you, Angel. That was very thoughtful of you.”

Angel blushed and held out the bowl. Fluttershy took it carefully in her hooves and pulled out a single blue leaf. “Here you go,” she said, holding the leaf out to Angel. “For being such a good friend.”

Angel smiled and accepted the leaf. Then he hopped onto the couch and nestled himself between her forelegs. The two ate in silence, and then they drifted off to sleep.

Twilight's Spark

The reporter lifted a fresh notebook from his saddle bag before asking his next question. “Luna, what do you miss the most?”

Luna let out a heavy sigh. “I miss a lot of things. I miss our old home in Everfree. To some extent, I miss the unwavering trust of my subjects. But I think of all the things I have lost, the one I miss the most is friendship.”

The reporter blinked. “Friendship, your highness?”

“Yes. I had many friends before I was banished. They looked up to and trusted me, and I betrayed them.”

“They never blamed you, Luna,” Celestia said. “No more than they blamed themselves.”

“I know.” Luna bowed her head. “That is what bothers me the most. For the rest of their lives, they had to feel guilt for my foolish mistakes.”

“You mustn’t think like that,” Celestia insisted. “They loved you, just as I love you now.”

Flat desert whizzed past the train window, but Twilight wasn’t paying attention to that. Not because it wasn’t interesting—she would have loved to analyze all the rock formations after all the geology books she’d been reading—but because her traveling companion was acting so wrong. She just sat there, staring out the window without saying a single word. An apple pie, just baked that morning, rested on the seat beside her, completely untouched. Finally, Twilight could bear the silence no longer. “Pinkie,” she said, “is something wrong?”

Pinkie’s gaze finally turned away from the landscape. “What do you mean?”

Twilight had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. “You’re just sitting there, perfectly quiet.” Pinkie shrugged and started to turn away. “Will you at least tell me why we’re going to Dodge Junction?”

“There’s somepony I need to find.”

“Why?”

“I just do, okay?”

Pinkie snapping at her like that was almost as strange as Pinkie sitting completely motionless. “I’m just worried about you,” Twilight said, crossing the car to sit beside her friend. “You haven’t been yourself recently. It’s starting to worry us.”

Pinkie’s gaze remained fixed on the floor. “It’s Applejack’s cousin,” she muttered.

“Who, Babs?” Twilight frowned. “Doesn’t she live in Manehattan?”

Pinkie shook her head. “Red Delicious,” she said. “He… we… I just really need to see him.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know!” Pinkie covered her face with her hooves. “I just… I just need to!”

Twilight backed up a little as Pinkie threw herself across the bench. For a while, both ponies were silent. “So… why did you want me to come with you?” Twilight asked.

Pinkie sighed as she sat back up. “I don’t want to do this alone,” she said. “I wanted to invite all our friends, but Applejack’s busy with the harvest and Rarity’s busy with her designs and her new coltfriend and Rainbow Dash is busy taking Scootaloo to see the Best Young Fliers competition and Fluttershy is busy getting over a cold.”

None of this was news to Twilight, but looking at her friend now, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her and whatever was going through her head. “Well, I’m here for you,” she said.

Pinkie nodded, and the hint of a smile came to her lips. “I know. Thanks.”

The train arrived in Dodge mid-afternoon. Pinkie exited first, the pie balanced on her back. Twilight followed, not sure what to expect. “So, how are we going to find Red?”

Pinkie’s solution was to walk up to the nearest pony and ask for help. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Red Delicious,” she said. “I think he works for somepony named—”

“Jubilee’s farmhoof,” the stallion interrupted, looking up at the sky. “Should be over there now. Check the orchard.”

Pinkie thanked him for his help and began making her way through town with Twilight right behind. The unicorn took a moment to take in the scenery. Her last visit had been pretty rushed, and she wanted to learn a little about the frontier life this time around.

However, her sightseeing tour was short-lived. Pinkie suddenly let out a loud gasp and bolted forward, leaving Twilight coughing in a cloud of dust.

“Red! There you are! Oh, I’m so glad I found you!” Pinkie’s voice said. “I was so worried when I went to Sweet Apple Acres the day after our date and Applejack said you already came back to Dodge Junction and so I sent you a bunch of letters but you never wrote any back to me, or at least I never got them, and then I thought if I wasn’t getting any of your letters, maybe you weren’t getting any of mine, and so then I thought it would be so much better if I came here to visit because at least if I got lost I’d be able to find my way anyway like that time Rarity and I got lost out here and so here I am!”

The dust cleared, and Twilight found herself looking at a bouncy-as-ever Pinkie grinning at a completely shell-shocked stallion. “Um… hi, Pinkie.”

“Hi!” Pinkie giggled. “Hey, this is kind of like the time in Sugarcube Corner when you gave me a pie and—” Pinkie stopped bouncing and gasped. “I almost forgot! I brought you a pie!” Somehow, the pie had stayed on her back the whole time, and she held it out to him with the biggest grin Twilight had seen from her in weeks.

“Thanks, but Ah’m not hungry right now.” Red stepped around her and walked toward the building Twilight recognized as the sorting room.

“Oh. Well, that’s okay, we can save it for later!” Pinkie said as she bounced after him. “So where are you going?”

“Work.”

“Oooh. Can I come?”

“Miss Jubilee ain’t hirin’ right now.”

“Well, maybe we can hang out later then.”

“Ah’ll be busy.” Red stopped and turned to face her. “Look, Ah appreciate the visit, but we’re in the middle of the harvest, and Ah don’t have time to talk right now.”

Pinkie stopped bouncing. “But I—”

“Have a nice day.” Red walked into the sorting room, leaving Pinkie outside with her mouth slightly open.

“Um… is that who you were looking for?” Twilight asked. Pinkie’s nod was almost imperceptible. “I take it that’s not how you pictured it going,” Twilight guessed.

Pinkie’s mouth snapped shut, and her eyes narrowed. “Something smells fishy about this, and I’m going to get to the bottom of it!”

“Uh, I’m not sure—” Twilight started. Pinkie ignored her and walked up to the sorting room. “Pinkie, wait!” Twilight followed her friend into the building only to find it empty. “Pinkie? Red?” There was no answer and no indication as to where they might have gone. Twilight sighed. “I have got to figure out how she does that.”

Twilight tried to find Pinkie, but the task soon proved to be as impossible as the unicorn feared it would. She eventually decided to let Pinkie find her—a strategy that had a curiously high success rate—and enjoy the town in the meantime. It reminded her a lot of Appleloosa, only on a smaller scale and specializing in cherries rather than apples.

“Cherries just aren’t in as high demand as apples,” explained the owner of the town’s saloon as he poured her a fourth glass of water. “So even though Dodge is about as old as Appleloosa, we just haven’t seen the growth they have, even though they have the buffalo tribes to worry about.”

“Actually, the Appleloosan ponies made peace with the buffalo tribes not long ago,” Twilight replied, but the owner had gone to serve another customer. Twilight sighed and drained her glass in one gulp. She’d forgotten how thirsty the dry Dodge Junction air made her.

“Well, well, look at who we have here!” Twilight turned to see a familiar pony walking toward her. “You’re one of Applejack’s friends, aren’t you?”

“Hi, Miss Jubilee.” Twilight moved over a little to give the ranch boss room to sit. “How’s the cherry business?”

“Oh, it’s going pretty well, if I do say so myself,” Miss Jubilee answered with a nod toward the owner, who turned to get her a glass. “Say, I saw one of your friends followin’ one of my workers around earlier. Pinkie, was it?”

Twilight sighed. “I’m sorry if she’s distracting Red from his work.”

“Oh, it’s all right,” replied Miss Jubilee as the owner set a drink in front of her. “Although, I do worry about the effect it might have on Red.”

“Effect?” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s no secret that colt’s had a crush on her for as long as he’s been workin’ my orchard,” Miss Jubilee explained in a hushed voice. “He even went all the way to Ponyville a while ago to see her. Not sure what happened, but I tell you, I never saw a more heartbroken soul in my life when he came back.”

“What?” Twilight couldn’t believe Pinkie hadn’t mentioned any of this during the train ride. “Did he say what happened?”

Miss Jubilee took a drink and shook her head. “Never thought it proper to ask him, myself. He’s a good soul, though, and he’s got a strong heart. I hear he’s been seeing a mare here in town. It’ll be better for him anyway, in my opinion. Long-distance relationships can be such a burden.”

Twilight’s mind raced to connect the dots. Red had a crush on Pinkie and went to visit her. Something happened that broke his heart. Was Pinkie trying to make it up to him? But then, why would she be so excited to see him? Maybe it was just Pinkie being Pinkie—but no, that wouldn’t explain why she’d seemed so distracted and sad earlier. The only answer that made sense was—

“She has a crush on him.”

Miss Jubilee coughed a little as she finished off her drink. “Pardon?”

“Pinkie has a crush on Red,” Twilight repeated. “It all makes sense—the nervousness, the pie, and now—” Twilight gasped. If Pinkie saw Red with his new marefriend…

“Something wrong?”

Twilight tossed a few bits on the counter and stood. “I have to find Pinkie.”

Twilight’s new sense of urgency didn’t make tracking down Pinkie any easier, but she eventually succeeded. The sun was beginning to set when she spotted her friend sitting alone in the cherry orchard, the pie still at her side. “Pinkie, thank goodness I found you,” Twilight gasped as she trotted up to the pink mare. “Where have you been?”

“Following Red,” Pinkie answered, and Twilight’s heart sank. Judging by Pinkie’s tone, the day hadn’t gotten any better for her.

“And?”

Pinkie squeezed her eyes shut. “He’s seeing somepony else.”

Twilight bowed her head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Yeah, well, it’s my fault, I guess,” Pinkie said with a slight sniffle.

“No,” said Twilight, taking a seat beside her friend. “Why would it be your fault?”

“Because I broke his heart,” Pinkie replied. Her eyes began to water, and her voice cracked. “He asked me on a date when he was in Ponyville, only I didn’t realize it was a date, and then he asked me if we could be more than friends and I didn’t know what he meant until he kissed me and then I didn’t know what to think and by the time I figured it out he’d already come back here and—”

“Wait.” Twilight held up a hoof. “He kissed you on the first date?”

Pinkie blinked. “Is that bad?”

“Well…” To be honest, Twilight had never been on a date, so she couldn’t really say. “I mean, I’ve heard you’re not supposed to.”

Pinkie buried her face in her forelegs. “No wonder he doesn’t like me anymore. He must think I’m the worst pony ever.”

“Pinkie, nopony could think that,” Twilight said, placing a hoof on Pinkie’s shaking shoulder. “Sure, you might be a little crazy and overbearing sometimes, but we all know your heart’s in the right place.”

“I’m still the one who broke his heart,” Pinkie sobbed. “I bet nopony will ever want to be my friend again.”

“He barely knew you,” Twilight said. “You barely knew him. You don’t even live in the same town.”

“What difference does that make?” Pinkie asked.

“I’m just saying it’s possible you two just weren’t right for each other,” Twilight said. “That doesn’t make you a bad pony, and it certainly doesn’t mean nopony will ever want to be your friend.”

Pinkie peeked out from under her forelegs with a sniffle, and Twilight saw her face was damp with tears. “You think so?”

“I know so,” Twilight said with a smile as she helped her friend sit up. “Pinkie, you’re a wonderful pony and a great friend. You’re the happiest pony I’ve ever seen, and even if I don’t understand you sometimes, I’m proud that I have the chance to know you.”

Pinkie smiled back and wiped the tears from her face. “Thanks, Twi. You’re a pretty good friend, too.”

Twilight looked out across the desert. The sun was half-hidden behind a rock formation, and the air was starting to cool. “We still have some time before the next train leaves for Canterlot,” she said. “What do you say we share this pie?”

Pinkie nodded. “I’d like that.”

The reporter’s pen hovered motionless over the pad. “What is love, your majesty?” he asked, his head cocked slightly to one side.

Celestia pondered the question for a long moment. “Love is the greatest risk a pony can take. It exposes the soul to the gravest of wounds and the most painful of scars, yet ponies all across Equestria still strive to find it and give it a place in their lives.”

“And why do you think that is?”

“We are afraid to be alone,” she answered. “Some ponies may make do with solitude, but most of us would rather take the chance, no matter how painful it may sometimes be.”

Luna smiled. “You have begun to wax poetic, sister.”

Celestia shot her a sideways glare, but she couldn’t keep the smile off her face. “Let us continue.”

“I think I have everything I need,” the reporter replied, tucking his notepad and pen into his saddle bag. His smile now was smaller than his first, but more confident as well. “Thank you both again for your time. This has been… most enlightening.”

“As I said before, the pleasure is ours,” Celestia said. The reporter hadn’t written a single word of that last exchange, but she didn’t think it necessary to remind him. She had a feeling he wouldn’t forget.