05 Butterflies [Audio]

[strengthinkindness]

Guys...I-I think...I think Rarity's gone...a-at least...one of them is, anyway...

I-I...I can't find her...a-and when I tried calling her scroll, I...I-I didn't get anything...

She's gone...

[But please, someone tell her that she's wrong.]

Comments

[humanesqueheartstrings]

Want me to go look at her store? I'm nearby.

[strengthinkindness]

If...you wouldn't mind...

[She's been there a few times already, but maybe Rarity's been back since then.]

[humanesqueheartstrings]

All right. I'll go check. Be right back.

[And a few minutes pass and Lyra returns.] Sorry, she's not here.

[strengthinkindness]

Mm...yeah...

[She thought as much. She just hoped it wasn't true.]

[humanesqueheartstrings]

I'll see if she left anything for her friends though, that okay?

[strengthinkindness]

...Mm...

[Sorry if she's a little despondent. No matter how many times this happens, it's always hard for her.]

[humanesqueheartstrings]

All right. Sorry... it's hard for a lot of ponies too... I knew Rarity for years too y'know?

[mostloyalpony]

Aw, geez...you sure about that, Fluttershy? You know how she gets when it comes to her designs.

[strengthinkindness]

Y-Yeah...I-I know...I-I don't mean to be selfish, i-it's just...hard...

[strengthinkindness]

M-Mm...I-I tried...calling her scroll a few times...Sh-She...She would have picked up eventually...

A-And I-I checked her store...a-and Lyra did too...sh-she's not there...

[vis]

[stormbroken]

Flanks and fetlocks... right at the turn of the month...

[Sorry, Fluttershy, feel free to ignore the mare cursing to herself under a facehoof.]

Did you happen to know which Rarity?

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

[It's all right, she's not paying too much attention to it.]

N...N-No...I'm sorry, I'm...I-I'm not sure which one...

[vis]

[stormbroken]

...Great. So it could be the one that already disappeared once before...

[...Or it could be the one that is actually useful in a fight. Flare keeps that second sentiment to herself.

Then again, having overheard the gossip... she can deduce this pretty easily.]

Where was she staying last you knew?

[Because only one of them wasn't dating Zettahelping Zetta recover from the attack on Cálice.]

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

A-At...her shop...at the Carousel Boutique...

[vis]

[stormbroken]

[Despite herself, Flare lets out a slight sigh of relief. She wasn't as close to the native Rarity as she was the Dame. In fact, they never really talked at all.

That was actually probably a bad thing on its own. Hn, something else to put up on her speculation list.]

...Well, looking on the bright side, she's been through this before. She vanished once, and came back... so there's no saying she won't come back again. You just gotta hold out faith, yeah?

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

[She sniffles a little.] R-Really...? Th-That's...happened here too...?

[How many times could Rarity put her through something like this?]

[vis]

[stormbroken]

You're...

[Oh, flanks and fetlocks. This is a new Fluttershy.]

...You haven't been here long, have you.

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

I-I've...been here a couple of months now...I think...

B-But yes, I...I guess I'm still newer than the...other Fluttershys...

I...I've been to another world, though...a-and this kind of thing happened there...too...

[Doesn't make it any easier, though.]

[vis]

[stormbroken]

It's...

[Sun and moon, nobody had told her about Cálice, had they...]

...It's different here from the other places, from everything I've heard.

I mean, it's the same idea, but the... rhyme and reason is different.

[Flare takes a deep breath, and drops bombshell #1. Hopefully she won't be forced to drop #2.]

For starters, the Rarity that just vanished was the one that has always lived here. Not an offworlder like you and me.

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

I-I...I know... [Unfortunately, they had.

The news about Rarity surprises her though.]

R...R-Really...? Th-That was...That was the Rarity that...lived here...?

[The one that was supposed to be here...that belonged here.

And she was gone.]

[vis]

[stormbroken]

[Flare nods solemnly.]

She's not the only one of the element bearers to've been taken like that, either.

[She's not going to name names unless it's asked. Fluttershy really won't like the answer.]

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

[Honestly, she really really doesn't want to ask.

But she has to know.]

Wh-Who...Who else has...?

[vis]

[stormbroken]

Status is unknown on the native Dash and Pinkie Pie; they both went traveling abroad, but nopony's heard from them in months. Pretty sure the AJ that's here isn't the one that grew up here, though, and...

[She trails off.

Fluttershy, she really doesn't want to tell you this.]

[vis]

[strengthinkindness]

[Unfortunately, she already knows about that too.]

Fluttershy...this world's Fluttershy...sh-she's gone too...

[vis]

[stormbroken]

[In some ways, it's... well, it takes pressure off of her to hear Fluttershy say that. Regardless, she nods hesitantly.]

Rarity came back, though. Which means any of them can come back. Even her, a second time.