//------------------------------//
// Chapter 29 
// Story: Friendship isn't just Magic, it can heal hearts too 
// by Raumo 
//------------------------------//

	I walked up to Fluttershy's little area with the weeping willow. Sadness flowed through me seeing her huddled form shaking with tears. I was surprised to see Angel really trying to comfort her. Well, seems he is more than a bratty little guy. Apparently he has his moments.

I hopped onto the island, crouched under the branches, and settled near the yellow pony. "Can you explain to me why it is so hard for you to fly at higher speeds? I want to understand."

She placed her head on my leg and tearfully told me of her time at flight camp as I ran my hand through her mane. "The other kids were all laughing and jeering at me, and they were doing it again when I tried to fly for practice."

"Oh Fluttershy. Kids can be cruel. And unfortunately that memory has made you think everyone was laughing at you, but they weren't."

"Maybe not, but those kids were right, I can hardly fly."

"That is a lie. You can fly perfectly." I gestured to the animal then Fluttershy, "Remind her guys, of all the times you have been in trouble and her swooping in saved the day." They did so. When they were done, I then told her, "You have it in you, Little Shy. You just need believe in yourself and never give up."

"I just can't get past all the laughing faces and taunts, and just being watched in general."

"So, we'll help you. You train separately from the other pegasi. As we train you, they can mimic a crowd watching you." I paused. "We'll help you build up strength and confidence. How does that sound?"

"Are you going to go easy on me?"

"Compared to other ponies, at first, yes. As you build up strength though, I'll up the ante."

"Okay. I'll do it. I'll show every pony that I am a great flyer." We grinned at each other. Oh Little Shy, I don't care about the other ponies. I want you to be able to see that fact for yourself.

She began training. Hiding or crashing whenever the animals put on their masks. She barely tugged my arm as she pulled against me in tug-of-war. Both of us knew she could never move me, but if she could at least get me to put an effort into keeping the rope we knew we were golden. She could barely make a dandelion fluff blow off, but as she got better and more confident she started blowing off that fuzz.

I  pushed her further though. She was doing good, but I wanted her to go a step further. So when she felt she couldn't do another push-up with her wings, I made her to do five more. When she felt she couldn't fly anymore, I pushed her farther. She was soon making my arm tug back and forth as I tried to keep my arm from moving. I grinned proudly at her.

The next day we headed to the track. As Fluttershy flew past, Rainbow grinned happily. I stood next to Twilight. Fluttershy flew by. The only time I've seen her fly faster was in an emergency. Twilight read out the wingpower as Fluttershy landed next to me.

"5 wingpower. That's really good. A huge improvement." Twilight and Rainbow grinned at Fluttershy.

"What? Only 5? There has to be a mistake. I worked so hard."  Fluttershy was about to cry.

"You did awesome Flutters." Rainbow told her.

"No, I didn't. I thought I had gotten over my nerves, but I can't fly with only five, when the others are flying at 10. It's too humiliating. I;m sorry Rainbow Dash, I just can't do it." She ran off her animals following.

Spike reassured Rainbow that she still had enough wingpower to bring enough water to Clousdale. "Yeah, but I just wish I had a way to bring Fluttershy out of the dumps."

"I'll talk to her. I may not be able to get her to fly tomorrow, but I can cheer her up. Hopefully I can make her see that she is a better flyer than she thinks." I told Rainbow.

"Thanks Rider. That'd be great." She looked sadly in the direction Fluttershy had gone then walked off. I went to find my little sis.

I found her under the willow tree again. As soon as I sat down she spoke, "I'm just not a good flyer."

"You went from 2.3 wingpower to 5 in one day. That is good flying." I told her.

"It still wasn't enough though. I just can't fly fast."

"You can when it really counts."

"What do you mean?"

"You saved a baby bird as it fell from a tree. You rescue animals from predators. And you were able to keep up with Rainbow to catch Rarity and Spike as they fell." My hands tightened at mentioning the last one, but I needed her to see. She looked at me in concern and confusion. "Whenever there is someone hurt or in danger, you are able to push yourself to be faster than ever."

Her eyes widened in understanding. "You can't move past your fear right now, but when you really need to, you push past it and fly faster then ever to get the job done"

"I think I get it. I can't fly very fast, because I can't get past my fears completely. I want to help Rainbow, but because I know she has plenty of other pegasi to help, I can't make myself move past my fears and fly faster."

"I could be very wrong, but that's the way I see it. If Rainbow, the other girls, or even Equestria truly needed you to help, I know you'll step up the the plate and show everyone you have what it takes to get the job done. No matter what."

"Thanks Alex, that really helped me feel better. And you're right, if Rainbow really needs me, I'll do what I can."

"That's the spirit. Now, even if you're not flying, go cheer everyone on for morale support tomorrow." She smiled and nodded in agreement.

The next day we arrived at the reservoir as the tornado was building up. We pushed through the wind to cling to Twilight's device for measuring power. As Twilight explained that Rainbow and the rest weren't going to have enough wingpower to get the water up, I looked at Fluttershy. She looked back at me then nodded. "Twilight give Fluttershy some goggles. She needs them to help out." I yelled.

Twilight handed them to her and she stepped up to the tornado after handing me Angel. She then got sucked in.

"It's moving! She's doing it." Twilight yelled excitedly. Ha, I knew she could it. She just needed a moment where it counts. "800 wingpower! She did it!" Twilight and Spike danced. I watched the water spout into the Cloudsdale reservoir.

Spike blew the horn and the pegasi spiraled out of the tornado. I chuckled as I saw Fluttershy still going. Rainbow stopped her with a tuft of cloud. They landed and a couple of other pegasi complimented Fluttershy.

Spitfire walked up. She complimented Rainbow. But Rainbow said the pony who really showed guts was Fluttershy. All the others ponies began cheering out, "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can really fly!" Yes indeed. And finally she believes it herself.

Rainbow Dash walked up to me, "Thank you for talking to her and encouraging her. She said your words helped when she was starting to lose confidence."

"Thank you for still trying to get her to fly with all of you. There are a lot of ponies out there, who would have kicked her out because her contribution seemed small." I answered.

"I would never do that! She may not be the fastest, but she has heart."

"Indeed. I also think that I am finally seeing why the elements chose you girls. You really do seem to embody Loyalty."

She rubbed the back of her head a bit embarrassed. Huh, I thought she would've declared proudly that I got that right. I then noticed a slight blush on her cheeks. "Oh for crying out loud! Why is it you girls blush every time I compliment you? You don't when others do it."

She laughed nervously, "I think that it's because it means more coming from you. You don't dish out compliments very often."

"I don't want my words to ever become empty flattery. So, I give them when I really mean it. I don't think it's just that though. I've complimented others a few time, and they haven't blushed." I tilted my head confused then walked off while declaring, "I will figure this out someday!"



I walked out of the spa with the girls feeling the most relaxed I have ever felt. Wow, didn't know I could feel so relaxed. The massage therapist had been very understanding and had let me keep my shirt on. Ha, even with the hooves they are very good.

"You look relaxed." Commented Twilight amused.

"I actually feel relaxed. I believe my muscles feel the best they have despite my stretching routine." I then commented quietly, "It was also nice I could keep my shirt on." She smiled at me then looked forward a slight furrow between her brow. "On the other hand, you seem to be worried about something." I told her.

She sighed. "Yes, this Gabby Gums. I'm just worried that she seems to have no care for everyone's privacy or feelings."

"Unfortunately the column is so popular. Popularity can sometimes make gossip even worse than it can be. Gossip can seem harmless, but one word misspoken can snowball into something terrible." I thought for a moment, then suggested, "Why don't you talk to Miss Cherilee. She could check on the students to make sure they aren't overstepping their boundaries."

"If this continues or changes into something else, perhaps I will or have Rarity speak to her sister since Sweetie Belle is on the school press." 

I nodded in agreement then left her to go to the market. Browsing the stalls, I noticed a book stand. Thinking of Twilight I headed there. Seeing a book I'd thought she like I reached out picked it up, to look at it further. In doing so, the sleeve of my lightweight jacket slipped up revealing the cuff Luna gave me.

Paying for the book I walked off and headed to the library to give Twilight the book.



The next day I was in Sugar Cube Corner with the other girls except Rainbow. The girls were horrified at the lies printed about them in the paper. Rarity still thought it was harmless gossip. 

I turned the page in my newspaper, and spoke out a swear in Russian. For on this page was a picture of my cuff with Luna'a cutie mark, and the headline, "Our resident human, pining for the Lunar Princess." Dang it! That's why I was getting all those odd looks coming here.

"Oh, Alex. There is no need to swear. It's fine to have a crush on the princess. She is a very amazing pony after all." Rarity tried to console.

"I don't have a crush on the princess. She gave me this cuff so she could send me letters to help with my nightmares and flashbacks. We're pen pals, and I admire her. That is it though. Admiration, not pining." I growled out the last word. "I just hope Celestia doesn't ever see this, she is going to kill me, if she thinks I am going to pursue her sister."

Rainbow then flew in with a stack of newspapers that had the article of her in the spa. "I'm a laughingstock!" she cried

"See Rarity. You're so called harmless gossip can be very hurtful." Twilight spoke insistently.

"Oh you have no sense of humor. So she tweaks a few ponies every now and then." Rarity turned the page in her newspaper. She became furious. "I'll destroy her! She's reprinted my diary! How could Gabby Gums get access to my private diary!?" 

"We have to put a stop to this! Sweetie Belle is on the school press, maybe she knows who Gabby Gums is?" Twilight suggested.

"Well I never! Sweetie Belle would never associate with someone as beastly as Gabby Gums. I resent you even suggested such a thing." Rarity walked out in a huff.

"Well, I am going to the library and hope that while this newspaper has reached Cloudsdale, it hasn't reached Canterlot and a sun princess is going to arrive and fry me to a crisp." I said walking out.

Awhile later, Twilight looked in looking mad and hurt. She looked at me then said, "The Cutie Mark Crusaders. They're Gabby Gums." I flinched a that, for I really like those kids. "I'm putting up a barrier. There is no way those kids are getting near us to write another hurtful column." I felt the barrier starting to surround us. Odd, I'm really in tune to her magic. I am near Rarity quite a bit and I don't feel her magic like Twilight's.

"I'm sure Twilight that they feel bad about what they've done. They're good kids. They'll do the right thing." I tried to assure her.

"You're right. It just hurts what they said about me. I love Ponyville."

"I know what you mean. I had so called friends, who spread false rumors about me when I was a teenager. Nobody wanted to be near me. I wasn't particularly concerned because I still had my best friend who stuck by me, but it still hurt." I gave her a hug.

The next day the girls proved me right, with a new issue. This one containing a letter to Ponyville that had an explanation and apology to all it's citizens. Twilight let down the barrier. Everyone seemed quick to forgive, but the letter was sincere and I could see the kids really did feel guilty for what they did.

The girls walked up to me. "We are sorry for what we wrote and the embarrassment it caused you."

I wanted to hold a grudge, it's was easier to do, even with kids. I sighed and relented though. "I forgive you kids, but if you ever do something like that again, I'm not so sure I'll be able to forgive you, okay?"

"Okay, Rider." They all chimed together.

I turned to Twilight, "Told you they would do the right thing."

"I am glad you were right. And I know they have learned something valuable. As have you." She looked pointedly at me.

"Yes, yes." I said exasperated. "Forgiveness is better than bitterness. I'm still not writing to your teacher. I may be starting to forgive her for tricking me, but I still don't like her." She rolled her eyes as she walked back into the library.

But I might write Princess Luna. She like to hear about the girls and their antics and adventures. And she'll love the CMC.



I watched amused at the procession and protective measures taken to get the cake onto the train. I can see why though. That looks fantastic. Once the train car wall was taken down and the cake safely placed inside, all of us boarded on, and Big Mac closed the wall and hammered it a few times.

Pinkie had named the cake MMMM and declared it would win the competition.

"This is not so!" Declared someone with a French sounding accent. "I declare a duel of your crude cake against my exceptionally, exquisite eclairs." I snickered as the griffon held up a lamp to make them seem to glow. "They will surely win first prize at the competition."

"Not a chance." Doughnut Joe walked in with a cart of doughnuts that made up a city. "My Doughnutopia will give me the win and make my doughnut shop famous, FOREVER!" Whoa. Sounds more like he trying to take over the world the way he is talking.

"Oh your dippy doughnuts will never win against my creation. Behold my mousse moose. It will trample all your treats and win first place." Declared the female mule that had just walked in.

I shook my head amused as all three of them, then Pinkie as well starting arguing who would take first prize.

Twilight stepped up saying, "It'll be a tasty competition tomorrow. How about we all settle in now and get some rest?"

They did so and the girls were about to follow when Pinkie tried to get us to help her stand guard. I was about to volunteer when Twilight looked at me and said, "No, Alex. You need to sleep. We spent all day yesterday practicing teleporting and getting you use to a few other spells. You need to sleep." 

I grumbled, "Fine. Sorry Pinkie."

"It's okay Alex. I understand. Thanks for wanting to help me though." I nodded then followed the girls to our assigned rooms. I lay on my bed and surprisingly fell asleep quickly.



I woke up, did my daily hygiene routine than walked out of room to see Twilight in the hall. We walked to the car with all the sweets. My eyes widened as I saw the bites out of the cakes. Pinkie screamed in horror. The other girls came quickly and sleepily in.

"What's wrong?" asked Applejack.

"The Marzipan, Mascarpone, Meringue, has been...mutilated!" Pinkie cried in despair. "Now I just have to find who dun it."

Twilight then said, "Now I have read a lot of mystery novels, and the only way to find the culprit is to investigate."

"Exactly!" Pinkie then put on a hat.  My eyes widened as I stared at it. Then coughed/laughed at the hat Twilight was forced to wear and her expression. How connected are our two worlds that I could recognize something so popular in my world, here? 

Pinkie then went on to say she already knew who did it and that it was the eclair baker. I blinked as the her explanation played through my head as a silent movie. Twilight proved her theory wrong.

I face-palmed at Pinkie's next explanation of Doughnut Joe being a spy who destroyed the cake. My hands clenched as I saw a clear reference to a popular spy series. I hate those movies. Twilight again disproved that theory. 

I stared at Rarity. What is with her covering up her eye? I idly scanned the room and then noticed the painting by the door. My that painting has quite an interesting new addition. Pinkie tried to place the blame on the mule but thankfully Twilight quickly dashed that idea.

We passed through a tunnel. It wasn't long enough for my eyes to adjust so I missed who it was, but I could hear eating. We exited the tunnel and now all the contest entries had been partially eaten.

Twilight then had everyone return to their rooms while the two looked for clues. I just raised my eyebrow and stayed where I was. She relented and then switched her and Pinkie's hats. After wiping off the pipe she began blowing it and asking Pinkie what happened as she was guarding the cake the night before.

We headed to the caboose. I had learned long ago to look up as well as around, so I spotted a feather. Twilight noticed my gaze and smiled slightly as she realized what I was looking at. Putting the evidence in an envelope she asked Pinkie to continue.

Headed to the coal area, Twilight looked at the conductors hat and declared, "That doesn't make any sense." She took out whatever and returned the hat. Probably a hair that is a different color.

We headed to the cake again and I leaned against the wall near the painting. I stared at the eyelash thing stuck to it, smirking in amusement. Twilight walked over and took it off after Pinkie told of the last person she chased. Pinkie then admitted she had slept the rest of the night.

Twilight gathered everyone. then as she walked in she looked at me. "Want to make your guess at who ate the cake?" She smiled as she obviously knew that I come to the same conclusion as she did.

I shrugged. "Sure." They all looked at me eagerly. "Definitely Rainbow Dash and Rarity. I don't know if the 3rd culprit was Applejack or Fluttershy though." The girls protested. Applejack firmly denying it. "Oh it's Fluttershy. Applejack can't lie convincingly."

"I didn't do it. Besides you can't prove that I did it." Declared Rainbow.

"Oh yeah I can't, but Twilight can." Twilight brought out each piece of evidence and explained them.

Pinkie then declared the cake mystery solved. Twilight agreed, but said that mystery of the others bakers treats hadn't been solved. "I'm going to look for clues!" declared Pinkie. She then did so, climbing over everyone except Twilight. Then declared, "It was the bakers!" She went to each one, somehow rhyming the evidence.

They all admitted it to each other and why. Oh Pinkie. Stop describing everything so tasty. 

We pulled into Canterlot. Pinkie offered a solution to the problem of no one having anything to enter. They combined all their treats into one.

As they put their creation together, I walked up to Twilight, "Nice work with your investigating. Finding details like that is a good skill to have."

She blushed. "Thanks Alex. That means a lot coming from you."

"There it is again. A blush whenever I compliment one of you girls. Why?" She looked like she was about to dash away. The other girls noticed. I scanned them all. "Why do you blush?"

Fluttershy finally blurted out, "It's like my animals. We like your voice. It goes all gentle and warm whenever you compliment us. That combined with the actual compliment makes us blush. Well that's with me at least."

"No, Fluttershy it's that way with me too." Rarity said with the other girls nodding. "You have to admit Rider you have a wonderful voice. That combined with your dashing exotic looks and the compliments. We may be ponies, but we are still girls, darling."

Now I was blushing. "I...uh..well," I coughed nervously. The girls giggled. I groaned. "Oh I never should of asked why. Thank you girls for your compliment. Now excuse me as regain my dignity and get this blush to go away" I left, hearing their giggles.

Now that was something I never saw coming. I have a nice voice? And dashing exotic looks? Huh.

I rejoined the girls as the judges came to judge the treat. I had to admit it looked even better than before. They won first place and Celestia came up with a slightly hypnotized look on her face. I laughed quietly as I realized she had a weakness for cake.

Pinkie then took a giant bite out of the cake. I shook my head amused at her ability to eat sweets the way she did. She was born and raised on a rock farm. How did she develop these talents? We all had a piece of the cake and talked together. The girls had once again friended some more people, as the bakers now wanted to keep in touch.

Celestia walked up to me. "The girls are extremely fond of you. And you look so much better than when I first saw you."

I studied her for a long moment. "I don't like you. I'm not sure I ever will. I will admit though that your plan worked and I'm grateful. I may have softened for the girls and Spike, as well as Ponyville, but I don't care about the rest of you. Except for your sister maybe. I like her.

"And she seems to like you. She is so happy when she gets a letter from you. You and Twilight have become good friends with her."

"She deserves it. She may have made a mistake, but she has genuinely changed and she needs friends, something your nobles and castle don't seem to provide."

"Indeed. Well I hope to see you again soon. I must depart." She walked off.

Perhaps I'm too hard on her...but it's so hard not to be. I only see an authority figure, not the benevolent princess the rest see. And authority figures in my life have never been good news for me. Why is it different with Luna though? She's co-ruler and yet I don't feel antagonistic towards her. 

I thought about it and I came to the conclusion that Luna is straightforward. She doesn't play games, and states her intentions. Celestia on the other hand reminded me too much of the world of spies and politics. Keep your intentions close at hand, say one thing, even though it really means something else. Manipulate those around you into the position you want them to be. I may have been a spy, but I hated those games. Secrets and double-lives had killed my family, eventually killing me as well.

I'm not going to go from dancing to someone else's tune just to dance to your's Celestia. This is my second chance, I'm doing it my way.