A light knock startled Windy Whistles. She had just finished baking some muffins and was cooling them when she heard some pony at the door. She gleamed in joy when she saw who it was. "Fluttershy! Come in!" She closed the door behind her, letting her guest inhale in the amazing smell coming from the kitchen.
"Hi, Miss Dash-"
"Oh, please call me Windy Whistles. I've known you since you were before a filly, after all. I nearly raised you along with Rainbow Dash."
"Alright. Um- Windy Whistles, how are you?"
"I'm doing wonderful, darling. Thank you so much for asking. How about you?"
"I've been doing pretty well. But- uh,"
"What is it dear?"
"I came here to ask you about something,"
"Anything. Is it something my husband needs to know as well? He is off to his old workshop to repair a few things. He should be back in a few hours."
"No, I don't think it's necessary... So, Rainbow has a big performance with the Wonderbolts coming up," WIndy Whistles simply nodded and waited for Fluttershy to continue, "F-For Rainbow Dash, I wanted to work on cheering when I'm in the audience. I just really want her to know that ponies are in-full support of her, always, no matter what. But, I am never loud enough for it to matter."
"That's not what Rainbow told me."
"What do you mean?"
"She told me you cheered louder than she ever heard you when she pulled off the sonic rainboom the second time."
"T-That was years ago. Every pony else were also speechless from her performance that no other noise was made-"
"Give yourself some credit, Fluttershy. You are one of Rainbow Dash's biggest supporter, behind me, my husband and Scootaloo, of course. You stuck beside her for most of her life, encouraged her dreams and was there for her when we couldn't. Something different between us" She gestured to a photo hanged up beside her of her family with Scootaloo hugging joyfully. "is that you are the calmest biggest fan. Though I could never contain my happiness whenever my little Dashie does something so amazing, I think she also appreciates how non-crazy you get. You have a balance between the two."
"Thank you, Miss- uh Windy. I appreciate those kind words, but this event means a lot to her. I think I'm ready to go a little further to show my support."
"Are you sure? It might be... embarrassing to say the least."
"Your daughter is worth it."
"You bet your dime, she is." Windy Whistles couldn't stop beaming, "I am so happy for you two. Seeing Dashie being so happy means the world to me." Fluttershy didn't know how to respond and blushed instead. "Alright, if you're ready to become the best cheerleader ever, come with me. I have limited edition R.D. merchandise I can give to you. Do you have the Rainbow Dash slippers?"
"...I wear them at night." She was already a little embarrassed confessing to this, but Fluttershy needed to brush the feeling away. If she could not tell some pony's mother that she wore certain slippers, she could never shout in a lost crowd. She already used half of her courage spent on asking, she needed to save the rest when the moment comes.
"Me too." She smirked as she grabbed Fluttershy's hoof and brought her into a storage room with countless rainbow-related items. Fluttershy was already starting to worry, but she whispered what she said to Windy Whistles over in her head. Your daughter is worth it. Your daughter is worth it. Your daughter is worth it. And she was. Of course she was, it was Rainbow Dash she was talking about. Rainbow was worth everything. It was herself she was worried about. Would her scared, anxious voice do anything in a roaring crowd full of hard-core fans of the team? She was about to find out.
By the time she left Windy Whistle's and Bow Hothoof's residence, she was exhausted. Her throat started to ache from all the yelling and cheering she had just done. With a small voice like hers, having to talk for more than ten minutes would be the most she has ever spoken. She felt her tongue turning dry and her voice becoming increasingly hoarse. Windy Whistles caught on Fluttershy's desperate need to rest her voice and quickly sent her home. On her flight home, she debated whether to go back to her cottage or stay with Rainbow Dash for the night. For the majority of the week, Rainbow stayed at Wonderbolts headquarters for convenience and not having the trouble of flying back and forth everyday. Tonight was the first where she was back. It would be the first in a while that Fluttershy was able to see her, she thought, so she decided to go and knock on Rainbow's door.
Rainbow Dash's smile immediately appeared when she saw the shy pony standing on her doorstep, "Flutters! You came!" Fluttershy returned the warm smile and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a bearlike hug.
"I missed you." Fluttershy whispered, clearing her throat so that Rainbow could hear. Rainbow Dash closed the door behind her and led her to the fluffy cloud couch. "I missed you too," she replied. She held Fluttershy in her arms whilst laying on her side.
"You'll never believe the tricks we have planned for the performance! It's nothing like you've ever seen before. When you see me and the team fly, I promise it will be an experience you will never forget!"
"Never had a doubt," Fluttershy tried to say, but her voice was worn out. She tried coughing the itch in her throat out, but she was severely unsuccessful. Rainbow was quick to notice.
"You okay?"
"I-I just need to rest my voice." She wanted to say more, however, was unable to. She wanted to just be in Rainbow's arms and nap until her voice regained courage, but her lover was a little too worried.
"Oh no. Um, how do you treat that?"
"I normally drink something to soothe it," Fluttershy was now whispering in Rainbow's ear. Her scratchy throat did not allow her to to be any louder and it began to annoyed her.
"Like tea? Do you want tea?"
Fluttershy didn't want to cause trouble for Rainbow Dash- she was home to rest after weeks of weary work, and she hated the idea of using her time to help her with something that will probably get better the next morning. But still, she thought asking for one cup of tea couldn't hurt. Rainbow let go of Fluttershy and slipped out under her grasp. She didn't notice Fluttershy's small pout with the sudden lost of contact, and instead she went into her pantry.
"Okay, tea... tea, tea, tea." She said whilst scouring the shelves. The only thing remotely similar to what she wanted were protein powders. Those might also be a tad expired, now that she thought about it. "I... don't think I have ever bought tea in my life... Have I really gone two decades without ever buying tea?" Her mind was blank when she tried thinking of a time that she has. It wasn't like she never had tea before- her friends often have tea parties at least once every four months. But, she never bought any tea because the pony hosting the tea party would pay for the group and such. There aren't any other occasions for her to even consider buying boxes of tea.
"Don't worry, Flutters. I'll go get some now. W-Where even is the tea shop? Does Ponyville have one? Is it the one across from the furniture store? You know what, I'll just figure it out. I'll be right back." Before Fluttershy could even mutter out a sound of protest, Rainbow was gone out the door. She sighed, but smiled bashfully under her breath.
"So I caved. I didn't know which one to buy, so I bought the three that the pony working at the cashier recommended to me." On the low-table in front of the couch, she laid out three different boxes of tea. They were in packs of twenty: varied in color, flavor and size. For a pony who had zero tea bags a moment ago, she now had sixty in order to help Fluttershy. She couldn't stop blushing at what Rainbow had just done for her. It frustrated her that she could not even tell her how she feels, and then she felt incredibly guilty. Rainbow broke her thoughts of pure frustration by asking, "Which one?"
Fluttershy pointed to the chamomile package, knowing well that it is the most common treatment used to soothe a sore throat. The others were unfamiliar to her, but was excited to try them out later. Rainbow picked up the middle yellow box and read the instructions on the back.
"Oh sick! I get to finally use the kettle my grandma got me for my 20th birthday." Even with a lost voice, Fluttershy couldn't help giggling. She watched as Rainbow struggled to follow the written instructions and eventually went to help her. For Rainbow's effort, they made two cups of tea, one for each. In complete silence, they both drank their mugs on the cloud couch, being really careful not to spill.
It didn't take long for Rainbow to realize that tea wasn't for her. Even in tea parties, she normally skipped that part and went straight for the muffins. It wasn't something she thought she'd ever willingly have unless she was sick or something. But it was something her girlfriend loved so she knew she didn't have to worry about the consequences of her impulsive purchase this time.
They both were pretty tired by the time they went to bed. Both of their lives would often keep them from a well-rested sleep, Rainbow with her upcoming performance and Fluttershy with her animal sanctuary, so when they could finally rest peacefully, they took full advantage of it. Using Rainbow's last bit of energy, she pulled Fluttershy close, falling asleep to the beat of her heart pounding calmly. Unconsciously, she nuzzled into Fluttershy's neck, light breathing breezed against her skin. Fluttershy was now really frustrated at herself. She felt so miserably pathetic.
She used up all her energy and voice to futile attempts to cheer. Now, she couldn’t even whisper to the pony beside her "I love you" which was something she did every night they slept in the same bed together. She knew Rainbow would have been too tired to hear her, but she was still mad at herself.
As the hours crept up, the big event was moments closer. It wouldn't be long until Fluttershy would be in the audience, watching the Wonderbolts perform their show to thousands. Naturally, fright filled her veins, freezing her in a quiet state of panic. She wanted to scream, but also didn't want to bother the mare in her arms sleeping cutely so she fought against her fear. She kept worrying with all the elaborate ways she could mess up during the Wonderbolts' performance until eventually she got too tired to stay up herself. Ever since she was a filly, she always knew that fear was a great way to exhaust a pony. But fear can always follow anyone anywhere. There is not a moment where fear can't get you. Even in your dreams, you're not safe from it.
The crowd roared as thousands raised from their seats, cheering as the champions entered the stadium. There were a lot more ponies than she imagined. A lot of loud ponies, she noted. There is a feeling of jubilation in the crowd as if every pony were firmly on solid ground and levitating all at once. A speaker that broadcasted to every inch of the place yelled, "Fillies and gentle colts, welcome to the penultimate show brought to you by Equestria's best flyers! Give it up for the Wonderbolts!"
Every pony cheered pridefully as the team came flying in, already performing some intricate and impressive dynamics. It deserved the applause and ponies only got louder. Only when the audience waited as their lungs were filled with fresh air did the noise calm down ever so slightly.
Beside Fluttershy was Scootaloo. She was among the loudest ponies in the stadium, hollering and cheering Rainbow Dash’s name as if she were the same level as Princess Celestia. To her, she probably was. Her friends were there too, but they didn't manage to book a seat all together. Besides, Scootaloo also needed a grown-up to be able to see the show, and Fluttershy was happy to fill that spot.
Eventually, she noticed Fluttershy's nervousness deviating from every ounce of her being. She frowned as she yelled, "Are you okay?" above all the voices surrounding them.
"I just- I don't know if I can do this-"
"Oh, come on, Fluttershy! This is Rainbow Dash we're talking about! She deserves all the praise and awesomeness love she gets!"
"No, I know that-"
"Come on, I'll help you!" She took off her Rainbow Dash merchandise hat and put it on Fluttershy. She already had some items that Windy Whistles had given her for this event. Fluttershy even painted a rainbow heart on her cheek for her.
Immediately, Scootaloo started shouting encouraging words to her all-time favorite pony. She winked at Fluttershy, giving her the chance to do the same thing.
When she tried, she couldn’t hear her own voice. It was useless, she quickly thought. She was never going to be loud enough, and she should've known that weeks ago. Fluttershy felt so stupid and pathetic. She set herself up for disappointment. Being disappointed is an awful feeling in itself. Having the chance not to be, but feel it anyways because of the numerous wrong choices hurts even more because there is no pony else to blame but you, Fluttershy thought to herself.
The performance itself was breathtaking. There were so many tricks and cool effects that made it hard to fathom merely the idea of it. It was truly an outstanding marvel and every pony in the stadium knew it. Some... maybe more than others.
It's never the first time a famous pony or a group of them encounters a fan who is either too young or too in the moment to realize their actions, it's also far from the last time this will ever happen. A filly, maybe a few moons younger than Scootaloo was so in love with the show, that she wanted to be part of it. She threw herself to the performance, living out her lingering dream to fly with the Wonderbolts probably. Fillies like her, though have pure intentions, don't realize how dangerous it can be to just interfere like that. Princesses, singers, dancers, or any pony really with such a positive status and affect on ponies can have a devastating result of that.
Fluttershy quickly looked around and saw why no pony came to get this poor filly. The security on this event was delayed. There would be another minute until the next pony working would have the current shift. It seemed that this fan knew exactly when to come into the spotlight. Never underestimate a young one's mind.
The Wonderbolts were thrown off by the young filly trying to fly by their sides as they pull difficult stunts in order to please the audience. But the crowd wasn't cheering anymore. They were too curious as to why there was a little girl on stage, ultimately confusing the entire performance. This fan seemed to be quite fond of Rainbow Dash, too. She followed her the most, trying to copy every move she made. In the moment, the filly wanted to copy the Wonderbolts and do an air somersault as well. Her clumsy movements led to her crashing to Rainbow Dash, who was in the middle of doing a flip and caught off balance.
The crowd gasped as the flyer fell down a few meters before flying herself back up. This wasn't going great at all and the audience knew it. It was dead silent as they saw the filly's eyes widen as she realized what she had just done.
Rainbow Dash couldn't be mad. She could be mad at the lousy security. She could be mad at the parents. She could even be mad at herself. But, in the long run, she couldn't be mad at the filly. She's a young admirer who took a chance at fulfilling one of her dreams. She needed repercussions, but Rainbow could sympathize in wanting to put oneself in the same light as her idols. Gently, she guided the filly back to where her parents were, who were now extremely worried and mad.
"Hey kid. I appreciate how much you adore me and my team, but now really isn't the time to... lose your inhibitions," Rainbow knew the filly wouldn't understand her words, but she didn't know how else to say it without sounding too harsh. The security ponies now were properly placed and ready if there is another encounter like that.
The stadium was now dead silent and the Wonderbolts all felt discouraged. Well, all except for Spitfire who was keen on keeping the show on as long as there was an audience to leave in awe. So they continued with their performance: they pulled amazing stunts, flew through hoops and fire and even did a pony pyramid mid-air with one-wing. But the crowd wasn't the same. All of the loudest ponies who screamed their hearts out before had gone quiet. Of course Scootaloo was always cheering, but the ratio between ponies in constant admiration and not was too significant to not ignore.
Fluttershy saw Rainbow Dash's expression change. She never saw it often, but she knew her too well to immediately recognize what it meant. She was ashamed. Her team had worked weeks, if not months, and the payoff would not be met unless there is a crowd of ponies screaming their names in glory from start to finish. Fluttershy was utterly scared of what she was about to- but she had to try. If not for Rainbow, then for the entire Wonderbolts.
It startled Scootaloo when Fluttershy cheered, hearing her the loudest she has ever been. Right then, every pony heard her. Even with the grueling gazes, she ignored them and kept shouting encouraging words. Pushing past everyone's eyes, she always kept her sight right on the team. Regardless of the glare of the lights or the expanse of the stadium, Fluttershy looked at Rainbow with the same eyes she would have anywhere else. It was scary what love could do to her- it brought out the strongest yet weakest version of her and shielded her from the nonsense the unthinking casted her way. Scootaloo grinned and quickly joined in with her, comforting Fluttershy who was screaming like a maniac. It didn't take much to realize that this was the loudest she has ever been. This beat the time when Rainbow Dash pulled a sonic rainboom by ten.
Rainbow Dash looked at the stand where Fluttershy and Scootaloo were sitting in awe. The two ponies she cares about infinitely were screaming their lungs out, all in complete-utter support of her. She realized how incredibly hard this must be for Fluttershy. She was shouting the kindest, most encouraging words a pony could think of in an audience with thousands who were staring at her. The shy pony amongst the crowd was doing all of this, despite her constant fear of attention and social anxiety with large groups of ponies, for her and her team. This made Rainbow fall-in-love with her all the more, and she didn't think that was remotely possible. She was admiring Fluttershy's persistent bravery, that she nearly missed the Wonderbolt's signal for the last act.
It was a dangerous stunt, and it required all nine flyers to be able to pull this off. No pony could even describe what they were about to do- it was so intricately complex. The cheering gradually came back in, all of them were hyping up their favorite flying team, and visibly showing it. It took a half-second for Fluttershy's voice to be drowned out with the others, and she was thankful for that. She couldn't scream out another word, even if she desperately wanted to. She had to take a breather. Scootaloo was still always cheering. She couldn't understand how such a young, small body could contain such loud, supportive cheers.
When Rainbow stuck the landing, finalizing the performance, the crowd roared. Fluttershy joined in as well. She heard Pinkie Pie and Applejack cheering in the distance. Her other friends were applauding and celebrating. The speakers peaked as the announcer yelled over the crowd, "And that was another amazing, spectacular show from the Wonderbolts! Give this incredible group one last applause!" Every single pony in the stadium obeyed and yelled like no other. Fluttershy knew that if she was here for any other reason except for Rainbow Dash, she would have bolted out of the place the moment half the place blew up in cheers. But, she was here for her, and she wouldn't have it any other way than having thousands screaming their hearts to the world. The Wonderbolts exited the stage, the audience cheering more than when they came in.
Rainbow Dash caught Scootaloo as she ran up to her. She hugged and spun her around in her arms, making the filly giggle. "Hey Scoot, what did you think of the show?"
"It was AWESOME! All of the amazing tricks and stunts you did were incredible!"
"Oh thanks Celestia, I was worried for a second."
"Why would you be worried?"
"Cause I don't ever want to disappoint my biggest supporter. Whenever I'm practicing, all I think about is how I can impress you and stuff. Disappointing you would be just unbearable."
Scootaloo beamed. "You could never be able to do that. Oh! Have you heard Fluttershy? She was the loudest I think I have ever heard her! That was a compliment." Scootaloo wasn't the biggest fan of Fluttershy before. She was nice and kind, of course, but compared to the others she felt... less? Scootaloo didn't know how else to put it. The sleepover she had over at her cottage was fun, but nothing else really made Fluttershy stand out. So when Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy first got together, Scootaloo was skeptical. How was she supposed to feel knowing that the best, most awesome pony and sister was now with the still awesome, but not as much, shy pony?
Denial was too useless to even consider and Scootaloo could've been blind and still see truly how happier Rainbow has been. There was an evident small change in behavior that showed each time she was around Fluttershy. The constant smile that she gets when she's around her immediately made Scootaloo give Fluttershy a full chance. She was grateful for giving her that chance too. Whenever Rainbow Dash was at Wonderbolts headquarters, her and Fluttershy often get the opportunity to spend time together. Without realizing she needed one, Fluttershy became the best pony to go to when Scootaloo was feeling too strongly about something and just needed to vent to some pony who could listen perfectly. She also realized that Fluttershy's life wasn't as boring as she perceived it to be, because whenever they spend time together, they always do something cool like feed bats or swim with a seal.
"Speaking of Fluttershy, where is she?"
"She said she was feeling lightheaded so she's at the concession,"
"Hey Scoots?" Rainbow said very suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"I love you." This made Scootaloo's whole body breakdown in pure happiness. Sure, they said it before, but it was all implied. This was the most direct her idol has ever been with her feelings and words.
""I love you too!" She squeaked. They shared one last long, warm hug, before Rainbow went out to look for Fluttershy.
She drank the water like it was her lifeline. The liquid trickled down her throat, flowing down. She gasped for air after, waiting patiently for the oxygen to go to her lungs. Ponies were heading out after the show and as the minutes left by, so did the ponies. Applejack and Rarity were in a tight schedule so they had to leave right after, but they all promised to give Rainbow and the other Wonderbolts a small party for their performance. Pinkie and Twilight were also at the concession, ordering some sweets. Or rather, Pinkie was trying her hardest to convince Twilight to buy her one more bag cotton candy floss. She already had two before and during the show.
"Hey! You're Fluttershy, right?" A raspy voice called from behind her. Fluttershy held her breath when she turned around and saw Spitfire. Most ponies had already left, so there were no fan ponies were crowding the captain. "We haven't officially met, but Rainbow Dash talks about you so much, I pratically know you already,"
Fluttershy visibly blushed, "She talks about me?"
"Yeah, it's almost cute, but I find the whole romance thing to be overrated. Anyways, that's not why I'm here. I wanted to thank you for saving the crowd back there. You and the loud kid know how to save a show."
"Thank you, but you shouldn't be thanking me at all. You and the others did the performance, I just screamed loudly."
"I heard from Dash that you're more of the shy and quiet type- and what you did today was quite brave. Don't downplay your actions." Spitfire said it more like a supreme command than anything else. Fluttershy was too scared to deny it so she simply nodded. "A show is nothing without the audience. You can have a good performance, but if there is no pony in the audience amazed, then there is no success in that. Besides, take it from me, screaming and assertiveness leads to success. It's also a great hobby."
Fluttershy didn't know if she should say something, but her body relaxed when behind Spitfire, she saw a rainbow-colored figure. Spitfire noticed her too and backed away with a grin on her stern face.
Fluttershy immediately felt safe in Rainbow's arms. She melted into her coat, already tired from today. Both definitely merited a nap today. Fluttershy lifted her head and passionately brought their lips together. Their tongues, desperately craved for comfort that was only given by the other, making them eagerly deepen the kiss.
"What was that?" Rainbow laughed.
"A sorry kiss."
"For what?
"I-Okay, so. I've been wanting to work on cheering for a while. For you and the rest of the Wonderbolts, but, you know- I'm me, so that was a problem. I even went to your mom's house to get advice, but I just ended up losing my voice, which might also happen later today. Anyways, even after weeks of trying, I was getting absolutely nowhere from being loud enough and energetic enough. I knew how much this performance meant to you, so I really tried to work on cheering, but I failed." Fluttershy was breathless from just saying these swift words, "I failed a lot and I felt really, really pathetic about it. After that, I took some light debating on whether it was worth being here or not. But when I saw how discouraged you got when the crowd died down, I knew I had to do something. I'm sorry if it was embarrassing or anything..."
"Calm down, Flutters! I've gotten way past embarrassing cheering. Have you met my family? But, no I seriously loved your cheering."
"You did?"
"Yeah! It was awesome! The entire team got motivated because of you two."
Just because there were less ponies, didn't mean there weren't any at all. Some were unintentionally staring at the lovers, secretly in a veil of envy for the kind of love they had.
Rainbow bent down and whispered in Fluttershy’s ear, "We should probably get out before we become the main attraction."
Rainbow didn't think a lot of Fluttershy's mini-rant until they were both flying back home. The sun was now setting, creating a breathtaking blend from the hues of the warm solar flares to the beautiful sombre night. It was when they were a few meters away from her house that she thought about her words more carefully and clearly. After all, flying always helped her clear her mind with pretty much everything. That's the entire reason she passed the Wonderbolts' exam. And the entire reason she got the courage to ask Fluttershy on a date first.
"Flutters, can we talk for a moment?" She then laid on the nearest cloud, clearing enough space for both of them to lay on.
"Oh, is something wrong?" She flew towards her girlfriend and sat across from her so that they were face to face.
"It's just- something you said earlier was bothering me."
"...What did I say?"
"From what I understood, you wanted to cheer for my big performance because it was something important to me. But when you weren't able to do at when you were practicing, you felt pathetic and acted like you were a failure. Maybe I misintepreted it or exaggerated some parts, but I got that impression from that." Fluttershy wasn't trying to look at her anymore. She was too ashamed to meet with her lover's eyes. Rainbow sighed then continued, "Flutters, you cheering has definitely made the show awesome. There's no denying that... but you cheering isn't important to me. What's important to me is that you are comfortable and happy. I know cheering isn't something you are entirely comfortable with. I would have been fine during that performance if you cheered or didn't either way. Sure, you saved the team from shame, but it isn't anything we can't handle. I love you, and just seeing you in the crowd makes me beyond motivated to keep going. So please, don't feel pathetic or act like a failure because you weren't able to do something for me. I know you actually did end up cheering, and was the loudest pony in the stadium for a moment, and I am so proud of you for that. But, I need you to know that doing that means nothing to me, if you feel like nothing." Now, Rainbow was breathless.
"Rainbow," she stuttered, didn't know what to say, but after a moment to collect her thoughts, she knew exactly what to do, "it's true that after weeks of helplessly trying to gain confidence and volume in my voice, I felt like I had just given myself false hope. After everything that you've done for me, I just wanted to show you that you are always supported by me, your friends and family. I thought everything would go perfectly because you would be worth all the fear. And, of course, you still are, I just couldn't live up to the expectation I laid out for myself. Surprisingly, when I was up there, I wasn't afraid. I pushed down the eyes, the stares and the fears so much so that when I was doing it, I didn't care about them anymore. I mean- I definitely don't think that was a failure anymore. I learned that I am able to push aside my inhibitions for the ponies I love most. I also learned that I don't have to prove I am able to do something to prove that I am enough."
"You are undoubtedly enough, my favorite cheerleader." She kissed her nose gently, both of them smiling uncontrollably. Fluttershy nuzzled into Rainbow, closing her eyes and breathing in a fresh bit of air under Luna's new moon.