You both arrive at Fluttershy’s cottage.
When Rainbow Dash landed and let you off her back, you take the time to observe the family statues. Obviously, the statue with “Nymous” was no longer there. Rainbow Dash notices where you’re looking and gets a little worried for you. “Yo, Anon, you alright?”
“Oh, uhm, yeah.” You nod back at her and turn your head to face Fluttershy’s door “Just was remembering a few things.”
“Well you gotta get your head out of the clouds because I kinda want to approach this in a way that won’t make Fluttershy go nuts.” Rainbow Dash goes silent for a moment for a quick pondering before she looks back at you “...And I got nothing right now.”
You shrug “I mean, we can just tell her. I know she’s extra sensitive when it comes to my well being, but come on! After dealing with the Storm King, a dragon should be nothing.”
“Anon, she treats you like you’re her kid. I’ve seen her go nuts over even tiny stuff when it comes to you.” Rainbow Dash informs you
“Like what?”
“Well, yesterday, when I was telling her about your final exam, I kind of mentioned this one part with sandbags swinging left and right. You know, to smack you around if you don’t time your run right, and she nearly cancelled her trip to see the Breezies to try to dismantle the whole obstacle course and try to get me and Spitfire to give you something ‘nicer’.”
Really? Over sandbags? Although… “I mean, you’re right, that’s pretty overprotective of her. But if it meant cancelling her trip…”
Welp, you said it. You really did want her to see you pull off the exam. And you didn’t care if Rainbow Dash knew that.
But she didn’t scold you like you expected. In fact, why would you expect her of all ponies to scold you for saying that? She wasn’t Twilight or the other princesses. “I mean, if it wasn’t so important, I would have maybe found a way to get her not to go. Yeah, I guess that’s why you were looking at the statues. It’s a total bummer that she won’t be here to see you tomorrow, but keeping a whole species from falling apart is kinda a big deal.”
Hm? “You’d do that for me, Rainbow Dash?”
“Sure...erm, y’know, it’s not so bad to have the support of your paren-err, Aunt.” Rainbow Dash says as she turns her head to hide her compassionate expression. You really didn’t expect those words out of her, it was like she had some kind of personal experience with it. Maybe she did, Scootaloo has mentioned to you that RD’s parents are pretty cool. But you knew nothing about that. “So yeah, I guess there could have been something that happens, in which I’d so happened to be involved, to get your Aunt to stay...And...yeah” Rainbow Dash’s expression goes from a cocky one to one of compassion, she felt bad for you. “Sorry, Anon, but hey. Your friends are gonna be there, and that still counts, right?”
You nod “Yeah” You then give Rainbow Dash a quick little hug “Thanks, Rainbow Dash. That really means a lot to me”
“Yeah, yeah...I know” Rainbow Dash doesn’t push you away, instead embracing you in that hug for just a quick moment “I’m pretty great, but let’s not get too mushy, ok? Let’s just get it over with. Ahrm…” Rainbow Dash looks to Fluttershy’s door, and gives it a knock “Yo, Fluttershy! You got a minute?”
The door doesn’t take long to open. Fluttershy opens the door with a cheerful greeting, but she seems a little tuckered out and dirty, what the hell has she been doing? “Oh! Hello, Rainbow Dash. How are you today? And oh, Ano- Oh no…” Fluttershy began to frown “It’s about tomorrow, isn’t it?” Fluttershy began to pout as she looked away in shame “I’m really sorry about that, you know that, right?”
GAH! NOPE! You rush over to Fluttershy and give her the biggest hug you could “Nah! Aunt Fluttershy, it isn’t about that! Nope, not even worried about it anyway! Come on, it’s just a training exam, that’s all. What you’re doing is super important, alright? I get it, I’m mature enough to understand super important duties.”
“Anon…” Fluttershy hugs you close “You’re such a mature colt. You have such a big heart, you know that?” You could hear her nearly stutter on those last words as she hugged you, she must have really felt bad about missing this.
“Aunt Fluttershy… You’re the greatest!” You couldn’t help but nuzzle your head into her. Goddamn it. She never, if barely, ever referenced the fact you used to be human. You were a colt, first and foremost, in her eyes.
“Welp, Fluttershy, I can already see that you’re in a much better mood now...so...erm…” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head with her hoof as she looked around nervously “How do you feel about the fact that Anon had fought off a dragon today from destroying Ponyville?”
“Oh, that’s just wonderfu-WHAT?!” Fluttershy suddenly goes wide eyed as she accidentally squeezes you tight enough to choke you “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!”
Rainbow Dash could see you choking, and points to you to get Fluttershy to notice “Fluttershy, erm…”
“W-what? OH NO!” Fluttershy let you go, but then she started checking over your body in frantic fashion “Did he get hurt?! Are you hurt, Anon!?! Did he claw you?! Did he burn you?!” Fluttershy then looks to Rainbow Dash “How did this even happen?!”
Rainbow Dash leaned her head back with a heavy sigh, she definitely saw this coming. “The dragon just showed up. But Fluttershy, come on, relax! Did you forget who your nephew is? Did you forget who trained him? And do I even have to mention that weapon around his neck? Anon sent that dragon packing! He totally saved Ponyville from becoming a giant barbeque.”
Fluttershy looked to you, her eyes shimmering with worry. “A-Anon, did you really save the town?”
You give her a soft expression as you gently move her shaking hooves away from your person. “Yeah, I stomped that dragon like he was a parasprite.” You give her a cocky grin “You should have seen it, he didn’t stand a chance.”
“Yeah, it was pretty cool. Anon sent that dragon spiraling into the horizon. That guy ain’t coming back after that, that’s for sure. So relax, alright? You already have enough on your plate.” Rainbow Dash reassures her.
Fluttershy takes a moment to take a breath, and calm down to assess the situation. She gave you one more look over, and she could see you hadn’t suffered a single injury. She then gently brushes her hoof over your mane as she takes a moment to relax herself. “I’m so sorry, everypony. I’ve been so busy getting ready for my visit with the breezies and how all that would go that I guess I got a little jumpy.”
“Heh, you’re always a little jumpy, Fluttershy. Just relax, alright? Anon handled it like a pro. You should be proud of him.” Rainbow Dash says, as she looks to you with pride. “I know I am”
“Oh, I am proud of him. Very very proud. I’m proud of him every day, actually.” Fluttershy looks to you with a gentle smile “And I guess I really was acting a little silly. But gosh, beating a mean ole dragon by yourself? And you said he just showed up?”
“Well, Rainbow Dash said that. But yeah, he just showed up. The bowling alley is gonna need to be rebuilt but, everypony got out ok and I made sure that dragon is gonna think twice before he decides to come back to Ponyville again.” You say to Fluttershy with a bit of an arrogant sense of pride.
“Oh, Anon...I’m just glad you and everypony else is ok. Anon…” Fluttershy gently rubs your cheek with her hoof as she looks into your eyes with a deep sense of love and maternal care “Anon...I love you so much. I’m so glad you’re able to take care of yourself better and able to protect everypony too. I really am so so so proud of you. I know it may not look like it, but I really do sleep easier knowing how strong you’ve become.”
“Aww, come on, Aunt Fluttershy. I’ve always been tough! You’re acting like I’ve always been a softie or something. Heh, ever since I came to Equestria and got to know everypony, I always had this feeling I had to protect everypony.”
“I know...I just remember some of the older days. Things like that nasty Queen Chrysalis or that horrible chimera. Seeing you now, I know things would have been different if how you are now was how you were before.” Fluttershy says.
Ugh, come on now...Don’t mention her… “Yeah...Well, erm. You’re right, I am a lot tougher now, if you put it that way. So...erm, are you ok now?”
Fluttershy nods “I am, thank you both for coming to see me, and telling me about the dragon attack.”
“Hey, no problem, figured it’d be better to tell you now before you left. That way you wouldn’t think that something happened to Anon if he wasn’t around to confirm it himself...Or, y’know, you just getting super scared about hearing from somepony else about that stupid dragon coming in and wrecking the place.” Rainbow Dash says.
“Oh dear, I don’t know how I would have reacted if that happened. Hmmm...Oh, well now that everything is alright, would you two like to help me make sure everything is packed? I was just making sure I had everything in order before I leave.” Fluttershy said as she looked to the two of you cheerfully.
Rainbow Dash however, seemed rather hesitant for something that sounded so boring “Uhhhh, aren’t you going to just see the breezies? How much stuff do you actually need?”
“Oh, quite a bit actually. Although I am going to see the breezies, I will be interacting with a few other species too. It’s very exhausting work and I need to make sure everything is in order. See?” Fluttershy points to a bunch of ridiculously small beds, foodstuffs of various kinds, a bag of bits, some musical instruments, and some other shit….What the fuck kind of trip was this?
“Aunt Fluttershy? What’s with the beds and instruments and stuff?” You ask
“Well, some of the animals the breezies accidently made angry are nocturnal. So, the little beds and soothing music will help calm them down during the day time, and then I’ll speak to them at night. Don’t worry, eventually I’ll get everything settled in just a few days and I’ll be back before you know it.” Fluttershy sure seemed confident about that.
“Yeeeeeeahhhh, well, I got stuff to do...Kinda important for tomorrow. So since I’m done here, erm, seeya!” Rainbow Dash said as she quickly made her way out the door.
“Oh!” Fluttershy giggled “It must be really important to make Rainbow Dash run out that fast, although…” She whispers to you “I know she can just be really lazy sometimes when it comes to something she thinks is silly.” Fluttershy then looks to you with her eyes closed, her smile ever warming. “So Anon, do you want to help me make sure everything is set and ready to go?”
How could you say no? “Sure, Aunt Fluttershy. Besides, the more time I get to spend with you before you go, the better.”
“Anon, awww, you make me feel like I’m more important than I am. Thank you, though, for staying to help. Oh, I know! After we’re done, I’ll make us both some delicious smoothies and some chocolate chip cookies! How does that sound?”
Oh baby! That sounded awesome! “Yeah! That sounds great! What flavor will the smoothies be?”
“Do you remember the healthy herbs and food Zecora taught me to make to help you heal?” Fluttershy says.
wait..WHAT?! NOOOPE! “U-uhhh..e-ermmm..”
Fluttershy let out a cute little laugh as she kissed your forehead “Oh Anon, you’re so silly sometimes. I was joking, I was thinking it should be a strawberry smoothie. What do you think?”
O-oh god...Thank christ. Heh..Oh Fluttershy, you can be so adorable sometimes….and yet scary...god, you still remembered how shitty that gruel tasted. “That sounds perfect.”