Twilight and Pinkie Pie have planned a vacation for their best friends in order to clear up all the stress built up from the past few weeks. Fluttershy has had a crush on Rainbow Dash for the longest time ever. She has always thought Rainbow Dash was oblivious to love and wasn't interested in mares too. During the long train ride, it starts to get harder for Fluttershy to hide her feelings for Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy's birthday is right around the corner, and Rainbow Dash wants to get her something extra-special, something to show her what a great friend she thinks she is...but has no idea what that something is. Can her friends give her any helpful insight, or will she be led back to square 1?...

Probably not my best, but an idea that's been sitting on my head for a while, just meant to be a harmless one-shot, close enough to the holiday season. =)

*Update 7/25: After reading through comments, made a few changes to help the flow and mood of the story. Hope you still enjoy!

When your life is as dull a gray as the world that surrounds you, the mundanities can make it all seem meaningless. Sometimes all we need is a little color -- or six -- to reintroduce us to what truly makes life worth living.

*6-16-2017 Edit, added Rainbow Dash tag because it triggered knighty.*

Fluttershy finds a demon from her past, and confronts it head on with the help of Rainbow Dash, who has yet unconfessed feelings for the shy pegasus.

Applejack had long since taken the Hearth’s Warming Eve story for fact. When she and Fluttershy find themselves in an untamed wilderness, they’ll learn that not all history is preserved. In their struggle to find their way home, the two will unearth secrets unknown to any living being, pony or otherwise.

Half a world away, the others have problems of their own. As Rainbow Dash struggles to discover exactly what she is to her oldest friend, Twilight must face the stunning truth about her long-time mentor.

In the end, what is lost, and what is found?

Update: The story is edited into a proper read without many of the horrors I originally put into it. Enjoy the ride!

Deciding he could be given another chance, Luna and Celestia come to an agreement to release the Chaotic God from his rocky imprisonment, locking his powers with a powerful spell. Magicless and with a chance at redemption, Discord's ways seem less chaotic than ever.

He does cause a lot of chaos though, to the faithful student of Celestia, who had eagerly taken over the task of watching over and teaching Discord by giving him a home under her own roof, in the process hoping to learn more about his species, powers and motives but surprisingly learning much more about both himself and her head... Which puts her in pretty amusing situations most of the time.

An adventure of a silly one sided (???) love and a look into the heart of Twilight Sparkle.

Really? Of all the empty spaces in this bar, you choose the stool next to me? I'm not interested, dude. Trust me.

Say wha-? You think I have a story to tell? You're kidding me, right? Yeah, I got stories. Yes, I helped stop Nightmare Moon. Yes, I punched Discord in the face. I've faced a dragon and the queen of the changelings and lived to tell about it, and before you ask, the rainbow mane is natural, and so are the wi- oh, not like that?

Something about me, huh? Something that makes Rainbow Dash Rainbow Dash? Why? Besides the obvious overdose of awesomeness, of course.

Huh. That's a strange special talent. Can't say I've seen story-finder before... Well, as long as you're here, I guess I could talk for a bit. But you’re buying your own drinks, ok?

Third place winner of the May contest in the SFNW

Fluttershy is alone for the day in her cottage. With nopony around to interrupt or eavesdrop, she takes the opportunity to have some fun...

On a stormy, overcast day, a yellow pegasus sings.
She sings for her love.
She sings for her sorrow.
She sings for the one who will never know either.

But when the mare who holds her heart overhears, will she have the strength to continue?

Not all scars are visible. Fluttershy was the object of countless jokes and taunts aimed at her aerial ineptitude and her close relationship with Rainbow Dash during flight school. Even now, years removed from the fillyhood traumas of her past, Ponyville's resident animal expert feels the effects. She tried to build walls to keep all of the memories at bay, but now those walls are a little too close for comfort.