[DISC.][AiE] Bearing Burdens : Chapter I - PartyShy [19/07]

Continued from: http://pastebin.com/TAP4PJe1

 

>Day party animal in Equestria.

>Beep.

>No, not yet.

>Beep.

>Just a little longer...

>BEEP.

>Fine! Fuck!

>Your arm lifts skywards and with all the strength your sleep-drunk body can muster, you bring it down to annihilate the offender of your peaceful slumber.

>With a minute click your alarm clock shuts off.

>An exaggerated groan serves to announce your return to the world of the waking.

 

>If, throughout the entirety of your live, there'd be one thing that would always remain consistent, it'd be one simple fact.

>You were not a morning person. You never were and you didn't intend on ever becoming one either.

>The most prominent reason behind that would be your undeniable love of sleep.

>Another thing that might be considered an archetype for you would be that you are not a very tolerable person before you had some caffeine injected directly into your arteries.

>Sadly enough, finding syringes suited for that purpose was harder than it seemed, so instead you had to resort to drinking coffee.

>Coffee that a certain bakery used to provide for you.

>Keyword: used.

 

>You are Anonymous — grumpiness incarnate.

>Yesterday had left you in a bad mood.

>Stupid cutiemarks.

>Stupid magic.

>All you wanted were pancakes.

>Was that too much to ask for?

>To simply have one nice, quiet day with a diabetes-inducing breakfast.

>Once again, your desires went unfulfilled.

>A heavy sigh resounds through your bedroom and shortly after, your blanket gets thrown in the air as you make your way to the bathroom to run through the morning routine.

>With emptied bowels, neutralized bodily odors and your facial hair properly removed, you step out of the bathroom.

>Grabbing a small bag of bits from the counter, you leave the relatively safe environment that is your house.

>Perhaps today you would be more successful in acquiring a hearty breakfast.

>A man can dream, can he not?

>Looking upwards, you see that the weather seems to be behaving as you'd come to expect.

>Who knows; maybe today wouldn't be a total disaster...

 

>The walk towards Sugarcube Corner goes a lot more smoothly than it did yesterday.

>After only a few minutes, you march through the door of the bakery again.

>Strange, it seemed like no one was here yet.

"Pinkie!" you yell into the empty room. "Customer in need of breakfast here..."

>At first, you are met with nothing but silence but then you hear rumbling coming from the kitchen.

>The door swings wide open and a frazzled looking Fluttershy steps through.

>"Oh, did I turn the sign to 'open'? I'm sorry, Anon, but we're closed today."

"What? Why? This place has never closed on weekdays before."

"Wait..." You blink, only now noticing the distinct lack of pink color adorning the pony in front of you.

>Already dreadful of the answer that would follow, you ask, "Why are you here, Fluttershy?"

>"I need to prepare for the party, Anon."

>She starts prancing around, though it seemed more out of nervousness rather than excitement.

>A worried look adorned her face.

>"Oh, I've still got so much work to do..."

"I didn't know you were throwing a party today."

>"Neither did I!" she shouts out. "Oh no, I still need to make invitations!"

>She turns around in panic, before turning back to you, before turning back around.

>Panicked, she kept running circles around herself, torn between whether she should be talking to you or rush back to the kitchen.

>You note the three balloons, trademark of Ponyville's premier partypony, still present on a set of vanilla-colored flanks.

"Calm down, alright?"

>You close in the distance between the both of you and crouch down.

>With your index-and middlefinger, you lightly scratch behind Fluttershy's ear.

>Soft cooing noises leave her after just a few moments and she calms down notably.

"Right, so... We are going to make pancakes together and then you are going to tell me exactly what's going on here, okay?"

>Whether she actually knew what you asked, you were not certain, given the fact that she seemed to be lost in bliss at your relaxing ministrations, but she nodded her head in acknowledgment none the less.

"Alright, come on then," you say as you walk behind the counter and into the kitchen with Fluttershy in pursuit.       

 

>You were rather unimpressed as you stepped through the double doors that secluded Sugarcube Corner's kitchen from the rest of the shop.

>Though easily being three times as large as your own kitchen, you can't help but feel sort of underwhelmed.

>It made you wonder how they produced so much confectioneries in such a small workplace.

>Then again, the pink menace that usually roamed the perimeter of this room did not seem to care for any law of logic or rule of reason.

>Its current inhabitant however...

>"Uhm... W-we'll need... uhm..." you hear her mutter behind you.

"Flour, milk, eggs, butter, baking powder, sugar and salt," you decide to fill in.

>You are hungry and those pancakes aren't going to bake themselves.

>Or would they?

>How hard could it be to make self-baking pancakes with magic?

>You'd have to ask Twilight...

>Oh, what a wondrous day it would be.

>Self-baking pancakes.

>You'd never have to leave your house again.

>But for now, you'll make due with what you got.

"I know how to bake pancakes, Fluttershy. You get the flour,the baking powder, the sugar and the salt. I'll check the fridge for the rest."

>She gives a meek nod before trotting to the other end of the room.

>You set to your task with intent and soon find the ingredients you were looking for.

>Stacking the milk, eggs and butter on top of each other, you wobble back to the counter and carefully set them down.

>You note that you still lack over half of your ingredients and turn around to look at Fluttershy who stood staring at the cabinet in front of her.

"Ahem," you scrape your throat, causing her to jump up in surprise. "Waiting for that flour, you know..."

>She turns back towards the cabinet and points to the highest shelf. "I-It's all the way up there."

>An eyebrow lifts skyward to signal your confusion as you stare at her.

"And?" You can't suppress the growing sense of annoyance in your voice. "You've got wings, remember?"

>She glances over her withers and for a moment, she genuinely seems surprised that there were feathery appendages attached to her sides.

>"Oh... I do."

>She blinks and shakes her head, trying to reattain her bearings.

>"I... I kinda forgot," she quietly says, addressing no one in particular.

>Your brow quickly drops and you feel a sense of worry welling withing you.

"Hey, Fluttershy, you sure you're okay?"

>You're already on your way over to her when she turns around and gives you a big grin.

>"Of course I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be just super?"

>Fluttershy beats her wings, fluttering up to the highest shelf where she begins dragging the giant sack of flour towards herself.

"Watch ou—"

>You rush towards her, but already know your efforts to be in vain.

>The sack of flour tilts over and Fluttershy simply lacks the power to keep it aloft.

>It slides out of her hooves and you watch it fall in almost slow-motionesque vision.

>And then white.

>Everything. Everywhere.

>White.

 

>Shaking your head, you blow a raspberry, trying to get as much of the flour off you as possible.

>Immediately, you began coughing as you get a good mouthful of the fine particles of dust by shaking your head like a wet dog.

>As you stand there sputtering, you hear a soft snickering coming from your side.

>It quickly turns into a giggle, before finally becoming a full-blown fit of fervent laughter.

>After having caught your breath a condemning glare is cast on the previously primrose pegasus, though for the moment, a thick layer of white powder covered her from head to... hooves.

>A thousands insults come to mind, but not a single one leaves your lips as you feel your flour-covered brow drop in confusion.

>Fluttershy sat on the ground, rocking back-and-forth as she pointed at you with a hoof, breathlessly and soundlessly laughing at the sight in front of her.

>Had it not been for the difference in their mane styles, you could've sworn Pinkie Pie was sitting there.

>Fluttershy kept swaying back and forth, but in time both her motions as well as her laughter died out, until her giggles went by nearly unheard.

>Slowly, she regained her breath, then looked at you and tilted her head ever so slightly to the side.

>Looking around, she took in her surroundings before feverishly blinking, as if she had fell from the sky mere moments ago.

>"Uhm... I'm... uhm... I'm sorry?" she stutters out an apology.

"Fluttershy?"

>Her head tilts again as she looks at you. "Hmmm?"

"Are you sure you're feeling okay? You're uh... I dunno. You're acting kinda weird, I guess."

>Demurely, she shakes her head. "I-I'm okay. Sorry f-for letting the flour fall on the ground..."

>She paws her hoof around on the ground, sending little tufts of flour in the air. Some of which reach her mouth which brings her to softly cough as well.

 

"That's okay, we can use the bit that fell on the counter. It's still clean."

>Her head sways as a bit as she looks at the floor, hiding behind her mane so she doesn't have to look at you directly.

>You step over to her and crouch down, placing your hand on her withers.

"It's alright, Fluttershy. Don't worry about it, okay?"

>Two teal eyes peak from underneath her ghastly white mane, burying themselves into yours as she looks up at you, trembling in what you assume to be fear.

>"Y-You're not mad at me?"

"No, of course not. It was just an accident." You give a quick shrug. "Accidents happen, no harm done."

>When you look around, you quickly correct yourself, "Well, maybe a little harm done."

"Listen, how about I make us some breakfast and you try to clean this mess up a bit?" you propose.

>A soft nod comes before Fluttershy shakes herself clean.

>Accompanying her reply is a gentle smile, "Okay, I'll go clean this up."

>She trots off back towards the counter in search of cleaning supplies, quickly looking back over her withers before she leaves. "I'm sorry, Anon."

>The double doors swing back and forth as she steps through and a sigh leaves you as you shake your head.

"So much for a 'normal' day, I guess..."

 

>Without any further distractions, breakfast is made rather quickly as Fluttershy swept most of the flour out of the backdoor.

>Something tells you Mrs. Cake would still have a couple of hours worth of clean-up to get her kitchen back in its usual pristine state.

>A shrug follows swiftly. None of your concern.

>With a steaming pile of delicious pancakes on a platter, the two of you go sit in one of the booths in the front of the bakery.

"Awwriwt," you manage to say with a mouth full of exquisite cuisine.

>A big gulp forces down half of a pancake lathered in syrup.

>Pointing at her still somewhat paled flanks, you do the thing you dreaded more than anything in the world...

>You were going to get involved in this whole mess.

"What's with the lack of butterflies?"

>Fluttershy looks down on her own flanks to ascertain that there was indeed an obvious lack of winged animals imprinted on them.

>"I-I-I don't know," she whimpers in panic. "Yesterday, I woke up here and... they just were there."

"Okay..." you acknowledge in between bites of breakfast. "Go on."

>"T-That's it."

>Your brow furrows at her disappointing counter.

"You haven't even begun to question this?" you ask, a mild sense of annoyance laced in your tone of voice.

>"No, I had to bake cupcakes and pies and eclairs and then I had to take care of Pound and Pumpkin and then Gummy needed a bath an—"

"Alright! Alright! I get it!" you interrupt her rambling.

>Fluttershy doesn't seem perturbed in the slightest, and continues to watch you shovel down your breakfast with a smile on her face.

>There was something incredibly off about the entire sight...

 

>Usually, the demure pegasus could be sitting next to you and you wouldn't even notice that she was there.

>But now, it was as if all the attention of the room was drawn to her, even if she didn't do so much as utter a single word.

>It was like that small moment in the kitchen, though it didn't seem to retreat as quick.

>Your countenance bore an expression of absolute bewilderment as you hesitated to ask, "Pinkie?"

>The most adorable combination of a giggle and a snort came as your first reply.

>"No silly, it's me! Fluttershy!" was the second.

>Shoving away the result of your culinary efforts, you sigh as you knew breakfast would have to wait.

>Grasping Fluttershy by the hoof, you drag her along with you as you make way towards the door of the bakery.

>"Ooh! Where are we going, Nonny?" Fluttershy asks in a almost singing tone of voice.

>Slamming the door shut behind you, you set out towards the giant tree looming in the distance.

"We're going to get to the bottom of this."

 

 

                                *       *       *       *       *       *       *      

 

 

>With large strides, the oak looming in the distance quickly grew larger as the distance in between it and yourself diminished rapidly.

>Fluttershy was bouncing by your side, seemingly uncaring for what was going on.

>You shake your head at the sight of the shyest pony you've ever met now merrily hopping alongside you.

>Ninety-nine percent of all cases where Ponyville was facing a disaster of sorts could be led back to a certain student of royalty.

>You doubt this to be an exception to that.

 

>Knocking was something you couldn't be bothered with, so instead you just charged inside the library.

>Only to be met by the sight of Twilight lying atop her desk, softly snoozing with her face planted securely in a large book.

>Looked like it'd been another all-nighter for her.

>Usually you would not intermingle with the holy ritual of sleep, but dire circumstances call for dire measurements.

>Placing a hand on the unicorn's withers, you nudge her softly.

"Twilight..."

>A groan is all you manage to elicit from the purple pony.

>You redouble your efforts and began to shake her sideways.

"Twilight! We kinda need your help here..."

>She smacks her lips, before a sleep-drunk reply comes, "Ugh... Spike, not now..."

>Lazily flopping her hoof around, she slaps your hand away from her.

>Licking her lips, she reverts back into the realm of dreams. "Hmm, Princesssshh..."

>A giggle followed soon and with that, she began snoring like a sawmill.

>Well, you tried being gentle...

"Hey, Fluttershy?"

>The pegasus that had been her usual quiet self again seemed to perk up immediately, catching the mischievous hint in your voice.

"How about some early morning pranking?" you propose.

>A smile spread on her face and a glimmer sparkled in her teal eyes.

>Bouncing up and down on the spot, she chirps, "Oh!Oh! That's a great idea, Nonsy! What's the plan?"

>As unnerving as Pinkie's personality in Fluttershy's body was, for the time being you'd make good use of it.

>Crouching down, you motion her to come closer.

"How about..."

 

 

 

>"Twilight! TWILIGHT! THE KITCHEN'S ON FIRE! YOU GOTTA HELP US!" Fluttershy yelled, standing right next to the dormant unicorn.

>Immediately, a shrill shriek followed after.

>"MYYYY BOOOOOOOKS!"

>She jumped up and took off to the kitchen, only to found that she could not maintain a solid footing on the solid oak floor of her library.

>Instead, she drifted over the wooden underground that seemed to shimmer with a very slippery coating of something before losing her balance and falling on her side, whilst still sliding along.

>Continuously picking up speed, the unicorn could do nothing but brace herself as she slammed against the door that led towards her kitchen.

>Nearly slamming the half-opened door off its hinges, she became soaked in ice-cold water causing her to yell out in a mixture of surprise and discomfort.

>With a soft thud, she skidded to a halt at the end of the kitchen where she was greeted by one of her friends, sitting at the kitchen table.

 

"Morning Twi," you casually greeted her as you took a sip of coffee. "Breakfast?"

>Panting, she lied on the floor, trying to gather her bearings.

>"W-W-WAS THIS YOUR IDEA?!" she yelled, finding herself to have problems to compose her breathing as she shivered all over, her coat soaked to the core with the near ice-like water.

>"Did it work? Did she like it? Did she smile~?" a bubbly voice comes from the door frame.

"Nah, I was just going to dump a bucket of water over your head," you reply.

>Pointing at the pegasus standing in the doorway, you continue, "There's your culprit right there. Oh yeah, we made toast."

>Snapping her head to the side, Twilight's brow raises skywards before turning back to look at you.

>"And you expect me to believe that Fluttershy of all ponies would do this to me?!" she snapped.

>Munching on a piece of crispy bread, you shrug. "I'm just telling it like it is."

>Softly whimpering, you heard Fluttershy carefully stepping into the kitchen. "Y-Y-You didn't... l-like it?"

>Tears began to pool on the brim of her eyes, before she hid behind her mane.

>"I-I'm sorry," she quietly muttered.

>"Wait..." Twilight spoke as she stepped towards her friend. "He's telling the truth? Did you do this?"

>She quietly nods in reply, too ashamed to look the unicorn in the eye.

>"But... But that's nothing like you..."

"Yeah, that's kinda why we're here in the first place, Twilight," you decide to but in, now that you've properly eaten.

>She turns back to look at you, her head almost comically tilted to the side in confusion.

>"What do you mean?"

>Twilight turns around as you point at Fluttershy's flanks.

"Is it just me or are those some really weird butterflies?"

 

>Her eyes widen in surprise as she walks in circles around Fluttershy, noting that both her flanks now were marked with balloons.

>She began shaking her head, before muttering to herself, "No. No. No no no!"

>Dashing off towards the library at speeds Rainbow Dash would envy, Twilight kept repeating those some words over and over again.

>Wincing in advance, you call out after her, "WATCH OUT FOR THE—"

>A loud crash shook the floor of the library and you cringed, looking away from the sight of Twilight covered head to hoof in encyclopedia.

>That was going to sting tomorrow morning...

"...soap."

>Making sure to step over the trail of slippery liquid, you follow Twilight into the library where she was already shifting through books, throwing each one that didn't meet her demands away a little further than the previous one.

>"Ughhh," she groaned, her morning temper raising its ugly head, "Where is that thing?!"

"Which thing specifically?" you ask, taking a step back in precaution, should she decide to go full-on Rapidash again.

>"Princess Celestia sent me a book I was researching and I need it right now! I'm almost certain it's got something to do with Fluttershy's cutiemark!"

"You mean that book you were sleeping on?"

>Snapping her head at her study-desk, her horn becomes coated in a maroon aura before the book floats towards her at a break-neck speed.

>Tucked in between the pages of the book sits a single piece of parchment, soon becoming subject to Twilight's analytic gaze as she reads it over and over again.

>"This thing's been nothing but trouble to me!" she vents, levitating the book and the parchment behind her as she walks into one of the backrooms of the library.

>Following the raging unicorn in her trail, the both of you, as well as Fluttershy who hadn't dared to utter a single word after Twilight's outburst, come to stop in front of a glass display.

"Aren't those—"

>"The Princess told me to keep the Elements nearby, since we're the only ones who can use them," she answers a question she didn't even allow you to ask.

>"And two days ago she sent me this thing," she says, nodding at the book she'd placed on top of the glass case.

 

>"Dear Twilight Sparkle," she began to recite, "The spell contained on the last page of this book is Starswirl the Bearded's secret unfinished masterpiece. He was never able to get it right, and thus abandoned it. I believe you are the only pony who can understand and rewrite it. I trust that you and your friends will see this task to a fruitful end. Be well, and may we meet again soon.

Princess Celestia."

"And this has something to do with Fluttershy how exactly?"

>"Don't you see?" she asks, pointing at the Elements before her gaze meets your own. "It's not just Fluttershy, it's all of them!"

>"When I got that book, I cast the spell so I could find out what it was, but nothing seemed to happen. I felt something when I cast it, but I didn't know what."

>Turning back towards the display, she shakes her head. "But now I know something did happen. The spell has changed the Elements of Harmony!"

>Looking closer, you finally see what she meant.

"Oh yeah, Fluttershy's used to be pink, right?"

>"Exactly! They're all wrong!" she shouts before dread took over. "Oh no, what did I do to them?!"

 

>Ignoring Twilight's little breakdown, you continue your investigation. "Wait... so Fluttershy's used to be pink... but now the pink one is... oh wow..."

>Twilight immediately shut up, snapping her head at you as she heard you. "What? Whose is pink?"

>No matter how hard you try, you can not repress yourself from snickering.

"...Lightning bolt," you manage to speak, having to do your very best not to break out into a fit of laughter.

>"What?"

>Pointing at the display, you can't hold back any longer and you break out into a fit of merriment.

"Rainbow Dash!" you shout in between your hysterics.

>Your sides hurt as your lungs continue to deplete themselves of any air to support your laughing.

>Tears begin to form at the edge of your vision.

>Pinkie's behavior coming from Fluttershy was one thing.

>But the concept of a frail and meek Rainbow Dash was just too much for you to handle.

"Oh... Oh..." you wheeze out, in between your frenetic breathing, "now -that- I have got to see."

 

>"How are you laughing at this?!" Twilight yelled.

>Her anger soon faded away and became replaced with guilt instead.

>"Who knows what I did to them?" she softly muttered.

>You can't help but feel slightly bad for laughing at the entire situation.

>This was sort of Twilight's ill-doing and you know how well she could handle that...

"Hey," you call out, placing your hand on Twilight's back, "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make fun of you, alright?"

>She softly nodded, granting you a wavering smile.

"Can you change them back?" you ask. "I... I don't think they should stay like this for much longer, Twi."

>Looking up at you, her brow furrows in confusion.

>"I don't know how to change them back right away. Why? What's wrong?"

 

"Fluttershy's been acting kinda... off today," you answer, nudging at the pegasus standing quietly in the doorframe.

>Glancing at Fluttershy, she steps a bit closer to you before speaking in barely above a whisper, "'Off' how exactly?"

"Well, like that prank thing. Like I said, that was her idea. And..."

>You quickly look back at the winged pony whom was still hiding behind her mane, causing your brow to furrow as a sense of uneasiness descends on you when the severity of the situation begins to dawn on you.

"... I dunno. One moment she's just herself, the next she's acting all like Pinkie. I don't think it's good for her to keep switching to the polar opposite of herself at random, Twi."

>Silence comes as your reply and looking at Twilight, she seems to be muttering to herself whilst softly shaking her head.

"You okay?" you ask, crouching down to meet her gaze.

>"No! I've never heard of anything like this before, Anon!"

>Her face is riddled with confusion and worry as she continues to shake her head, wracking her mind to come up with a solution.

>"I'd need to retrace the spell to its origin and fragment it down until I've found the leyline that's responsible for this. That's going to take me days! Maybe even weeks!"

>A despondently sigh leaves her. "And then I'd only know what went wrong! Who knows how long it'll take me to reverse it?! And what it'll do to them?"

 

>Tears began to run down her cheeks as her outburst of desperation reaches its end.

>You do the only thing you can think off and let the distraught unicorn cry out on your shoulder.

"It's going to be fine, Twilight," you whisper to her in reassurance, whilst softly stroking her back.

"You've faced a lot worse things and you went through those just fine. I'm sure you'll find a solution to this."

>You feel her shake her head, still laying on your shoulder.

>"I-I don't even kn—"

"Twilight," you speak in a stern voice, "your friends need you right now. Are you going to let them down?"

>She sniffles, before a hesitant "n-no" can be heard.

"What was that?"

"...no," she exclaimed with a wavering voice, still sniffling from her momentary breakdown.

 

>"I'll fix it. The Princess said I was the only pony that could do this and I won't disappoint her, or my friends," she spoke more confidently.

>Standing up straight again, you give her a bright smile of your own.

"I'm sure you'll come up with something soon, Twilight. You're good at these things."

>"Fixing the messes I caused?"

"Well... when you put it like that... Yeah. You're pretty good at that."

>You drive your point home by tussling up her mane.

"You'll fix it. You always do."

>A wavering smile briefly appears on her muzzle before it quickly falters. "B-But—"

"The only 'but' I want to know anything about is yours getting to work."

>The unicorn looks at the floor, scuffing at it with a hoof before nodding to herself, convinced of setting to the task she must fulfill before righting herself.

 

>"Okay. You're right. We have no time to waste."

>The unicorn casts forth her arcane aura again as the book and the parchments become airborne once more.

>The two of you turn around, intent on getting back to the library before you both abruptly halt in your tracks.

>"Where's..."

"...Fluttershy?"

>Looking up at you with pleading eyes, the purple pony gives you an apologetic smile.

>"Anon, I'm going to need your help with this. I really can't do this alone..."

"Uhm, I don't really know anything about magic, Twi. I doubt I'd be much help," you state, oblivious to what she was hinting at.

 

>"I didn't mean 'helping me' like that. Could you keep an eye on the girls and see if they're doing okay?"

>She throws a quick glance at her desk before looking back at you.

>"I'm going to be neck-deep into my books, Anon. This is going to be hectic enough for Spike and me as it is. I really can't find the counter spell AND keep track of the girls all at once."

 

>With a sigh, you nod. After all, they were your friends too.

"Yeah, sure. I'll go check up on them and see how they're dealing with it."

>And on that note, you set out to the door, ready to go visit your second victim of the day.