Day Three
Upon waking up, Fluttershy found herself alone in the tent. Rarity and Applejack's sleeping bags, which had been positioned to her left and right the previous night, were nowhere to be seen. Harsh morning sunlight glared through the tent, making her squint as she sat up. A mixed up jumble of sounds surrounded her, with similarly mixed up shapes to accompany them. Vague silhouettes paced around the tent, the blazing sun that shined from behind them giving them an almost angelic look.
She slid out from underneath her sleeping bag, and stood. Voices continued to stream from outside, but they were utterly unintelligible to the dazed pegasus standing inside the tent. Slowly, she hobbled outside. The moment her face broke through the flaps of her tent, she heard a curt voice address her.
"Oh, there you are, Fluttershy. We've been waiting for you. Hurry up, we've already lost enough time."
"I'm… sorry…" mumbled Fluttershy, the now uninterrupted sunlight pounding at her eyes with renewed vigor.
"Ugh! Your hair is simply atrocious. Hold still." When she finally worked up the strength to open her eyes, it was to see Rarity walking toward her purposefully, holding a comb.
"No, don't bother. It's okay, really. There's no need…" Fluttershy protested weakly as Rarity tugged the comb through her disheveled mane.
"I refuse to be seen in public with somepony who looks like she's wearing cotton candy on her head," she replied adamantly, her horn glowing mildly with the necessary magic to pull the comb through the air.
"Rarity, we're not exactly in public. This is the middle of the desert," pointed out Applejack, who had been surveying the exchange with some disapproval.
"Actually, the edge of the desert is more accurate," said the ever-helpful Twilight. "We should be getting close to Canterlot."
"As a matter of fact," said Rainbow, who was hovering above the party and peering over a particularly large sand dune, "we're there!"
"Wow!" exclaimed Rarity, her moodiness momentarily forgotten. "Just look at it!"
The grand city of Canterlot sparkled in the distance. Even if the gleaming capital had not been fitted neatly into the rock wall, the mountain on which it was built would have been a sight on its own. It was a jagged spike, nothing more or less, which tore viciously out of the ground around it. Canterlot was built to fit onto a protroding plateau, which, on any other mountain, would have been much too small to support a city of bustling ponies. Almost every time the five friends saw this mountain, it was from miles upon miles away. Now that they were standing at the base of the mountain, staring upwards at the looming tower of rock, they were able to fully appreciate the tremendous size of it.
"Well, why don't we get going?" asked Rainbow Dash. "If we hurry, it should only take us about an hour to walk there."
"How in the name of Celestia are we supposed to climb a mountain that big?" asked Applejack incredulously.
"Well, there is a path, you know," said Rarity, raising a hoof to gesture at the dirt path that wound its way up the mountain side.
"How about we stop wasting time, then?" said Rainbow impatiently. "We need to get moving! We have to find Pinkie within a week, and giving her a head start won't help."
"Alright, we'll go. There's no need for the attitude, Rainbow," said Rarity pointedly.
"My attitude? You've done nothing but complain since we've left!" replied Rainbow, firing up at once.
"Well, maybe I wouldn't if you gave me something to be happy about. We've already wasted enough of our time on this hiking trip."
"This hiking trip was your idea!" said Rainbow, practically shouting now. "And in case you've forgotten, we're doing this to save Pinkie! Or don't you care about that?" Applejack, Twilight and Fluttershy were all shuffling about nervously, trying to decide which of them should intervene.
Ooh, Dashie... please don't shout. I should probably say something, but... but... I can't. I'm just not brave enough... Oh, why do I have to be so useless? Fluttershy was trembling, and tears were brimming in her eyes. She looked down at the ground, hiding her face from the the others behind a wall of streaming pink hair.
Applejack turned to Twilight, biting her lip. When quarrels broke out, as they did surprisingly often, Twilight was usually the peacemaker of the group. At the moment, however, she seemed to be struggling.
Whose side do I take? What do I say? I suppose Rarity has had a pretty bad attitude. But then again, Rainbow... Rainbow...
Twilight blinked, and against the blackness of her eyelids, there was imprinted an image. The image of Rainbow Dash, the strong, athletic, popular pony, silhouetted outside a tent. And the image of Fluttershy, the tall, beautiful, universally loved pegasus, silhouetted next to her. The image of the taller pony bending down, caressing the other's leg with her muzzle. Then, she opened her eyes, and it was gone.
What's wrong with me? I'm not jealous. I don't like mares... but, I suppose they do have it better than I do. After all, the situation is fairly grim; one of my best friends had gone on a potentially murderous rampage. In a situation like this, having somepony to love would certainly be consoling. But that's no reason to be angry. I should be happy for them! And I'm going to make the right decision.
Twilight heard a voice calling her name, and she returned to reality with a few confused blinks.
"Twilight! You comin'?" Looking up, Twilight found that the other four had already begun climbing the mountain path.
"Right," she said distractedly. I must have zoned out for longer than I thought. Twilight ran forward, to rejoin the group of friends ascending the mountain.
The hike up the mountain was made in absolute silence. Rainbow and Rarity were still fuming at each other, and refused to speak for fear of reigniting the argument. Twilight was lost in her own thoughts, and Fluttershy seemed to be avoiding the rest of the group. Applejack knew better than to attempt to start a conversation with any of the distracted ponies, so she simply walked down the middle of the path in lonely silence. As they climbed higher, the dirt path that had wound its way around the craggy mountainside became leveler, and little sprigs of grass began to polka-dot the rock around them. On the ponies' right was a seemingly endless wall of solid mountain; on their left was a sheer drop. Despite all five of them having some mountaineering experience, the sight of their certain death only feet away was cause for some discomfort. Desire to stay away from the cliff edge overpowering their desire to stay away from each other, the three non-pegasi (and Fluttershy) all hugged the rock wall as they walked. The increasingly frigid air was thick with tension.
Depending on who you asked, the hike up the mountainside either went by very quickly or very slowly. After what, in reality, was seventy-one minutes, the five ponie rounded a corner and found themselves staring at their destination.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash, her voice cracking from lack of use. Never having approached the city from this angle, the view inspired awe within the girls. They had stepped onto a protruding ridge, which must have extended at least a mile out of the mountain, and over three miles from one side to the other. While small, Canterlot was truly a magnificent sight. The high, blue walls formed a gleaming oval around the city. Through the small breach in the border which allowed access from the outside world, the ponies could see a glimpse of the bustling capital. Every surface in the city seemed to shine, reflecting the blazing mountain sunlight every which-way.
"Pinkie's somewhere in there," said Applejack quietly.
"Yes, I suppose so," Fluttershy said, eying the towers of the Royal Palace on the other side of the city.
"Celestia's palace," said Twilight Sparkle, following her gaze. "Isn't it wonderful? You know, that place is over a thousand years old. Celestia built it after Nightmare Moon was banished, because she didn't want to live in the castle that she used to share with her sister; too many bad memories. Its construction took only four months, because Celestia had help from..."
"Yeah, thanks for the history lesson, Twilight." Rainbow touched down onto the grassy mountain, and began to walk forward. "Remember the last time we were here? We practically destroyed the castle!"
"Yeah! And Fluttershy scared the life outta the garden animals," grinned Applejack, walking after her.
"Forget the animals, she scared the life out of me!" Rainbow stopped to allow the rest of the group to join her. "I had no idea you could be so... so..." she struggled for a word to describe Fluttershy's outburst. "Awesome!"
The rest of the group (barring Rarity) burst out laughing, and Fluttershy blushed deeply.
"I didn't mean to. It just... flew out of me. It was almost as if... almost as if... it had been building up inside me for a long time." At this, Applejack looked around at her, frowning. The others, however, showed no signs of having noticed anything odd.
"Well, we're just lucky Twilight's such good friends with the princess," said Rainbow Dash, still grinning broadly. "Otherwise, we'd probably have been locked up."
"I'd say it's lucky the princess has a sense of humor," said Twilight.
"Well, I'm not sure the workers who had to rebuild the room you destroyed found it very funny," Rarity said, unsmiling. Rainbow gave her a positively venomous look, and Twilight acted quickly to prevent another fight.
"Well," she said loudly, calling everyone's attention to her, "where in Canterlot do you suppose Pinkie is?"
"I think the better question is, why did she come here?" said Applejack. "She must have had a reason."
"Yes, I'm sure she did," said Rarity coldly. "She may have been delusional, but she's still capable of thinking like a normal pony."
"So, any ideas?" asked Twilight, looking between them.
"Well, her sister does live here."
"What?" Applejack exclaimed, staring at Rarity incredulously.
"Pinkie has a sister?" asked Twilight. Now Fluttershy and Rainbow were both following the discussion, wide-eyed.
"Two sisters, actually. Jane and Octavia."
"But why didn't she tell us? Why didn't you tell us?" Rarity opened her mouth, about to provide an honest answer. However, something then struck her; she couldn't remember why she hadn't told the others. Not wanting to leave them hanging, she forced out the first answer she could think of.
"Well, I didn't think it was important."
"Not important?" exclaimed Twilight. "But of course it's important! What if her family has a history of mental illness? So much could be learned."
"Yes, well," began Rarity, shuffling about uncomfortably. "I think I have some explaining to do."
"So let me get this straight," said Rainbow incredulously. "You knew that Pinkie had a murderous psychopath for a sister this entire time, and you're just telling us now?"
"Well, when you think about it practically," said Rarity defensively, "it really doesn't help us much."
"Actually, it helps us a huge amount. I'll bet anything that she came here to visit Octavia. Or maybe even Jane; she is family, after all. I don't think she'd have any trouble getting into the asylum."
"Getting into the loony bin was never Pinkie's problem," snickered Rainbow.
"Hey, girls!" said Applejack, raising her voice slightly to command the others' attention. "Why don't we focus up? Rainbow, weren't you the one complaining about wasting time just a minute ago?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Now," Applejack plowed onward, ignoring the attitude, "why don't we make a plan? Where are we gonna go first?"
There was a brief silence, while all the ponies took a moment to contemplate the question. They were standing outside the shining, golden Canterlot city gates, which remained invitingly open. Beyond the border, dozens of busy, well-dressed ponies were going about their days. The five ponies standing awkwardly at the edge of the city received some odd looks; after all, they couldn't have been more conspicuous. While the Canterlot ponies were poised and dignified, they were dirty, sweaty and slouching under the weight of their saddlebags. More to end the silence than anything else, Twilight spoke in a lower-than-normal voice.
"Well, I think that we should start by visiting Octavia. Even if Pinkie's not there, she may be able to give us some information."
"That sounds great!" said Applejack encouragingly. "Now, we just need to find out where she lives."
Another brief silence, as nobody knew what to say to this.
"Well..." said Rainbow Dash slowly, displaying uncharacteristic hesitance, "Canterlot is a pretty small city. Maybe if we just go inside and look around, we'll see her."
Nobody answered. They were all comtemplating the prospect of stepping through the looming gates. Despite all its beauty, there was something hostile about the capital. The five tired, small-town ponies had no place here. But we've been here before, thought Twilight. We went to the Gala together half a year ago, and we were perfectly at ease back then. Why doesn't this place look friendly anymore? The answer presented itself at once. But it's obvious, isn't it? This time, we don't have Pinkie. And it doesn't help that we're all sick of each other by now.
"I suppose we'd better get going," said Applejack at last. There was a general nod of agreement from the other four ponies, and they all took a moment to steel themselves. Then, they all stepped forward, into the city.
As they walked down the cobblestone streets, they were surrounded by ponies. It was difficult to avoid bumping into any of the commuters as they scanned the streets, searching for any stray puff of hair. None of them had any idea what Octavia would look like, but she shouldn't be too hard to spot. Rarity jerked to the left to avoid knocking into a passer-by, and slammed into Rainbow Dash. Rainbow gave her an annoyed look, but kept her mouth shut. None of them wanted to talk. After all, she's related to Pinkie Pie. If she's anything like her sister, she'll stand out like a sore thumb. These Canterlot ponies are bland looking, aren't they? Rarity found herself staring at the locals, making a mental list of the colors she saw. Grey, grey, grey, black, grey, black, grey... Ooh! Dark blue! That's nice. Hey, what are you looking at? That's right, buddy. Keep on walking. Uck! Mud! Honestly, why is there mud in the middle of the road?
The ponies walked side by side down the road, blue and gold buildings looming over them from either side. The city was as magnificent on the inside as it looked from the outside, but there was still something oppressive about the unspeaking ponies that were bustling along beside them. I do hope we find her soon. I don't like it here. Not one bit.
"Girls," whispered a voice to Rarity's left. Looking around, she saw that Rainbow Dash had stopped in her tracks. "Look over there." Fluttershy, Twilight, Applejack and Rarity all turned their heads, and stared in the direction of Rainbow's raised hoof. She was gesturing at a house immediately to their left; except it wasn't really a house. It was the largest mansion any of them had ever seen. Even Rainbow Dash, who had seen her fair share of extravagant housing in Cloudsdale, was momentarily awestruck. It, like every other building in the city, was sparkling blue. But unlike the other buildings, it was not simply a box infixed with windows and a door. It was more than twice as wide as any other house, and tall enough to stick out from the rows of flat roofs on either side of it. There was a set of stairs leading up to the front wall, and pillars held up the overhanging stone ceiling. It might have been a town hall, had it not been for the disproportionally small, wooden door, branded with a golden address, that stood at the top of the staircase.
"You don't suppose she lives there, do you?" Rainbow asked, still in a low whisper.
"Why would she? Pinkie's family isn't rich," said Twilight, looking up and down the building.
"Or maybe they are, and they just never bothered sharing with her," suggested Applejack.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." And at that, Rainbow dashed up the set of stairs.
"Rainbow!" hissed Twilight, racing after her. "Wait!" The group of ponies all ascended the stairs at a gallop. "Rainbow!" she said again, panting as she stumbled over the last step and came to rest, leaning against the wall. "You... you can't just knock on some random pony's door! Honestly, why is there any reason to assume this is Octavia's house?"
"I dunno." Rainbow Dash struck the door three times. "I just have a feeling, you know?"
"A feeling?" asked Twilight, outraged.
"Yeah. I mean, it's kinda like Pinkie Sense. And you believe in that, don't you?"
"I... I... UGH!" She stomped her hooves in frustration. "You're impossible, you know that?"
"Well, let's just wait to see if I'm right first." Sighing loudly, Twilight glanced around at the other three, looking for support. They, however, were all staring expectantly at the door.
Fluttershy shuffled her hooves, uncomfortable. First Rainbow and Rarity, and now this. I wish we could just stop fighting. I miss Ponyville. I miss Pinkie. Then, the doorknob began to rattle back and forth. There was a synchronized intake of breath, as the five ponies waited to see what would happen next. Within a few seconds, the door swung open.
There was a pony standing in the doorway. Her coat was a light, glossy shade of grey. Her jet-black mane swung beneath her chin, nearly touching the floor. It too was glossy and neat, the obvious result of daily washing and conditioning. Her face, like the rest of her body, was smooth and refined. She was currently wearing a mild frown below her haughty, upturned nose and her large, purple eyes. One of her eyebrows seemed permanently raised, giving her a perpetual look of either skepticism or pleasant surprise. And at the other end of her body, just above her left leg, was a thin, purple line, tracing out a treble clef. At the sight of the five ponies before her, she gave a little smile.
"Well, hello there." They all squirmed under her gaze, trying to decide what to do. Twilight glanced at Rainbow, and Rainbow glanced at Twilight. Rainbow gave a vigorous nod, and Twilight turned back to the pony at the door.
"Um..." she began nervously. "Hi. We were just wondering... we were just wondering if your name happened to be... Octavia." There was a brief pause, as the pony looked them over. Then, she nodded.
"Told you!" exclaimed Rainbow, grinning at the outraged Twilight.
"Okay, fine," she growled. "You got lucky. Good job."
"So," cut in Octavia. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Pinkie usually doesn't tell her friends about me."
"How do you know we're Pinkie's friends?" asked Twilight, distracted from her irritation.
"Well, I don't know if you're aware, but destroying the royal palace earns you a spot in the Canterlot Inquirer. Your faces were all over the news after last year's gala. Not to mention the fact that I was there myself."
"You were at the gala?" Octavia's eyebrow rose a touch higher.
"I was performing, in fact. It was the first time I'd seen my sister in years."
"But... but..." began Twilight, struggling to organize the information being thrown at her. "But if you were there, why didn't you talk to Pinkie? Why didn't she talk to you?"
"Well, she did talk to me. She gave me a song recommendation." Twilight just stared. Octavia let out a sigh, and looked over her shoulder, back into the house.
"Perhaps you should step inside."
"Whoa! This place is amazing!" Rainbow Dash looked around in awe, her eyes bouncing from one shiny thing to another. The entrance hall alone contained more gold than any of the ponies had ever seen outside the royal palace. It seemed that the bulk of the mansion was contained within this one room; for despite knowing Octavia for all of two minutes, Twilight could tell that this room contained everything she would need to live happily. On the right-hand half, there were two golden chairs with red velvet cushions, standing opposite each other. Between them was a small wooden table, convenient for resting one's beverage during a sophisticated discussion. A sofa, also colored gold and red, sat facing them. On the left-hand side of the room was a larger table, perfectly round and also wooden, with eight chairs positioned around it. There didn't seem to be any type of kitchen; just smooth golden walls, dotted with framed pieces of artwork, or the occasional photograph, generally featuring Octavia herself standing alongside a well-known figure in politics, music, fashion, or whatever else. In the center of this room was a long red carpet, beginning from the doorway, and leading up a flight of stairs directly ahead. At the top of the stairs was a balcony, overlooking the entrance hall. Four doors positioned along the back wall of the balcony led to various rooms.
"So," began Octavia, leading her guests toward the circular table, ignoring their bedazzlement. "You want to know why Pinkie didn't talk to me?" She pulled one of the chairs out from under the table, and sat down. The others followed suit.
"Yes, I do," said Twilight, as soon as she'd taken a seat facing Octavia. "If that was the first time you'd met in years, wouldn't you want to catch up a little?"
"Well, I don't really know why she didn't talk to me. My suspicion, however, is that she didn't recognize me."
"You don't think she's recognize her own sister?" said Twilight, bewildered.
"A lot about me has changed since we lived on that rock farm," said Octavia coldly. "When Pinkie left the farm to start a new life in Ponyville, I was younger, dirtier, and I didn't know a thing about the real world. I can see why she wouldn't guess that I, one of the most successful musicians in Canterlot, used to spend all day pushing rocks across a field."
"So... Pinkie left the farm?" asked Twilight, trying to picture the sequence of events in her head. It wasn't particularly late, but her eyelids were beginning to droop. It has been a long week.
"When she was thirteen. The day she got her cutie mark, she became absolutely useless as a rock farmer. I trust she told you that story?" The ponies all nodded slowly.
"But she never mentioned you," said Fluttershy, who was sitting between Twilight and Rainbow Dash.
"Well," Octavia pressed on, "that day, Pinkie taught us all how to have a good time. And that's all well and good, but having a good time doesn't pay the bills. So, Jane and I continued to work the farm. Pinkie, though, she was gone. Refused to push another rock for as long as she lived. A few years later, she took off." There was a momentary silence, as everybody pondered this development. Then, Octavia resumed her story. "A few weeks after that, Jane left us too. She was fifteen at the time. I stayed on to help our parents with the rock farm for a few more months, but eventually..." Octavia gave a little shrug. "I had to move on." There was another silence.
"So," began Twilight, "You haven't seen Pinkie since the gala?" Octavia studied her for a moment before answering.
"No, I haven't. Why do you ask?"
"Well..." Twilight considered for a moment, wondering how much to say. But she is Pinkie's sister. She deserves to know everything. Besides, the same thing happened to Jane. She'll put two and two together even if I don't tell her. "Pinkie's run away." Octavia stared for a moment.
"Has she attacked anypony yet?" Yep, she knows.
"How d'you think I got these?" asked Applejack, raising a leg to gesture at her many cuts and bruises. Octavia gave a little 'ah' of understanding.
"So, let me guess," she began, looking intently at Twilight, whom she seemed to have decided was the leader of the group. "A few days ago, Pinkie attacked that one for no apparent reason, and took off toward Canterlot. And I suppose you know about Jane." The ponies all turned their heads toward Rarity, who nodded.
"I took a visit to Ponyville Central, and I got the whole story from a desk mare."
"A desk mare told you?" Octavia gave a snort. "She shouldn't have been allowed to do that. There's too much information in this world, and not enough privacy." Nobody knew what to say to this, so there was a brief silence. Eventually, Octavia stood up. "So, you came here, hoping that Pinkie would have stopped by to say hello?"
"Eeyup," said Applejack, in typical Apple family fashion. "So, I suppose you haven't seen her." Octavia shook her head.
"I'm afraid not. And I don't suppose you all have a place to sleep."
Fluttershy looked around at the others, who were all looking around at each other. Twilight took the initiative.
"Well, we packed some tents..."
"But what kind of host would I be if I let you sleep outside the town gates?" asked Octavia, smiling. "You can spend the night here."
"Oh," Twilight said, surprised but grateful. "Thank you. We'd love to, right?" They all nodded, with varying levels of conviction. Rarity was delighted, as sleeping in a real bed was a privilege she had never fully appreciated until it was taken away. Fluttershy, however, was hesitant.
"I'm afraid you'll have to share beds, though. And one of us will need to sleep on the couch." Everybody was silent. Rarity held her nose in the air, and pretended she didn't notice her friends staring at her. "I suppose I should do it," offered Octavia. "After all, you're guests. One of you can sleep in my room."
"Thank you very much, miss," said Fluttershy. Given another moment, she would have volunteered. However, force of habit had glued her mouth shut.
"Now, which of you will share rooms?" It was unclear whether she was thinking aloud or asking their opinion. Either way, nobody answered. Fluttershy shot a furtive glance toward Rainbow, who was in the process of shooting a furtive glance toward her. She blushed, and looked away.
"So, let's have you," she raised a hoof to gesture at Applejack, "sleep alone. My bedroom is on the far right. Don't touch my things." Applejack nodded dutifully.
"And, as for the pairs..." she surveyed the four remaining ponies before her. Perhaps she was just being paranoid, but Fluttershy thought she could feel Octavia's gaze linger on her before moving on to Rainbow. Smiling, she finished her sentence. "Why don't we have the two of you sleep together?"
Fluttershy sighed internally as she saw Octavia gesture to her and Dash. "I hope there are no objections?"
"Nope!" said Rainbow, hopping to her hooves.
"No," said Fluttershy quietly.
"Well then, why don't we get to our rooms? If we're going to find Pinkie, we'll need a good night's rest."
"What do you mean, 'we'?" asked Rainbow, who was already halfway up the stairs. "Are you coming with us?"
"She's my sister," said Octavia testily. "And even if we've never been particularly close, I still care about her wellbeing. I don't want her to go the same way as Jane." Rainbow just shrugged, too eager to get bed to begin an argument, and raced up the stairs.
"What happened to Jane?" asked Twilight, who waited behind as the rest of her friends trooped up to the bedrooms. She was as sleepy as any of them, but curiosity kept her behind.
"She's currently living in Canterlot Asylum. She's really not that bad; not when she's on her medication. But, after what she did, there's no getting out. I visit her every now and again, when I'm in the mood."
"What do you mean, 'she's not that bad'?" she said, wary of getting dragged into another mental-illness induced drama. Octavia just waved a hoof dismissively.
"Oh, nothing really. She's just an odd pony. As a matter of fact..." Octavia paused for a moment, and smiled deviously before continuing. "I could take you along to see her tomorrow, if there would be no objections."
"Sure, that sounds great," said Twilight, resting one hoof on the lowermost step. Having learned what she'd needed to learn, she was eager get to bed.
"Excellent. She'll be delighted to meet you, I'm sure." Twilight began to climb the staircase.
"Well then, goodnight!" She dragged herself upwards, a sudden wave of exhaution weighing pressing down onto her hooves.
"I'll see you in the morning." Octavia strode over to her throne-like couch. After lying down the length of it, resting her head on a velvet pillow, she glanced upwards toward the balcony to ensure that her guest had reached her destination. Her eye caught a glimpse of drooping purple tail, before it slid into the bedroom and out of view.
"There you are, Twilight. Hurry up and shut the door, that light is insufferable!"
Rarity's voice pierced Twilight's ear like an ice pick. Screwing up her face, she pulled the door shut behind her, blocking out the light from the other room. Rarity was lying on her back on one side of the bed, looking distinctly short-fused. Maneuvering as best she could in the darkness, Twilight made her over to the bed. She crawled under the covers delicately, trying her best not to disturb Rarity. She was much too tired to initiate a confrontation. All I need now is a good night's... she stifled a yawn. ...A good night's sleep. Fortunately, her sour bunkmate didn't see fit to speak again, and falling asleep was an easy task.
Rainbow Dash silently watched as Fluttershy settled into the bed. She was reclining on the matress, her muzzle angled toward the ceiling, but she couldn't help but watch her friend out of the corner of her eye. Fluttershy delicately pulled back the covers and slipped underneath them, apparently under the impression that her bunkmate was asleep. Every now and again, her eyes would glance upwards, stealing a glance at Rainbow before forcing themselves back down. After crawling into bed, Fluttershy curled up into a ball, and rolled over.
Rainbow stared at the pitiable huddle of pink and yellow fluff. She's not doing too hot, she thought herself gravely. Something has to be done. I'm not gonna just watch as my friend suffers! She just needs something to cheer her up... a little pick-me-up. Rainbow gave an almost evil grin. If I were Pinkie, I'd throw her a party. But I don't think that's the kind of pick-me-up she needs. I need to lend her a hoof, Rainbow style! As she schemed, Fluttershy's quick, forced, dead-silent breaths slowed. Her body fully relaxed, and she let her legs stretch underneath the covers. Rainbow took much longer to fall asleep.
Nope, I'm not dead. Just a lazy bastard. Well, okay, that's not entirely true. I have an explanation.
For the last few months, I've been revising and re-revising like crazy. And I'm not even close to being finished looking over everything for mistakes. If you think I've given up, or forgotten about the story, nope. I've been working harder than ever. I just haven't been making much forward progress.
The whole story, and this chapter in particular, is in every way a rough draft. There are still typos to fix, plot-holes (teehee) to fill in, at least one sub-plot to add, at least one sub-plot to cut, and plenty smoothing out of rough edges. That said, all criticism is appreciated. There are many problems that I am aware of, but there are definately countless more that I haven't noticed yet.
And finally, to conclude this self-indulgent rant, I'm afraid to say that this is (probably) the last chapter that will be going up on . It is my ambition to get it published on EqD, and when/if I achieve my goal, I'm going to feed it to EqD one chapter at a time. Therefore, spoilers must be kept to a minimum. If you follow EqD, keep an eye out for "Heroes and Villains".
Well, I think that's everything. See ya around, bronies. Peace!