//------------------------------// // Jealousy and Lies // Story: Butterflies and Rainbows // by FlutterDash777 //------------------------------// -Jealousy and Lies Rarity comforted her sweet, yellow friend. Rubbing her mane, and reassuring her everything would be alright. Rarity was starting to feel overwhelmed by all that she had learned in such a short time. 'Rainbow Dash crying over heartache. Loving Fluttershy. Being rejected. Fluttershy's heartbroken as well.' Rarity looked around, Fluttershy still crying on her shoulder. "Rarity?" Fluttershy sniffled, and tried to calm herself. Rarity, not expecting her depressed friend to speak, looked down quickly at her. "Yes my dear, Fluttershy?" Fluttershy pulled away from Rarity's comforting hoofs. She cleaned up her face as best she could before continuing. "Do you think I'm a terrible pony?" Rarity looked surprised by the question she was just asked. She blinked a few times, mouth slightly open. "Why would I think such a thing about the most sweetest pegasus in all of Equestria?" "Because I am! I am terrible!" Rarity tried to place her hoof on Fluttershy's back, but Fluttershy stepped back swiftly. "Fluttershy, why do you think that? You are such a--" "I...I'm a...a liar!" Fluttershy's eyes were starting to fill back up with tears. She closed them tightly, and a stream of tears ran down her cheeks. She clenched her teeth, and started to cry even harder. Applejack had made her way into town. She had no apple bucking to do, or any other chores she could think of. So why not? She was more eager to see Rainbow Dash anyways. She headed towards Sugar Cube Corner. As soon as she was about to step her hoof in the door, Twilight came rushing out and ran smack into Applejack. The two ponies, tangled in each other, found their way out of the mess. "Oh Applejack, I'm so terribly sorry! I've just been looking for Rainbow Dash. I haven't seen her since yesterday. Do you by any chance know where she has gone to?" Applejack looked at her unicorn friend. Looking for RD is exactly what Applejack was up to. "Ah saw her this morning actually...but Ah didn't stop to chat...", Applejack wanted to tell Twilight about RD crying, but she already told Rarity. She felt she would be betraying her close friend by telling anypony else. "Where was she at? I've been looking everywhere! She seemed flustered yesterday, and she was really tired. She told me she couldn't sleep. She also said she was anxious. But before I could find out the reason behind her behavior, she took off in a fit of rage. Or embarrassment rather." Applejack tried to put the pieces together. 'Anxious? Embarrassed? Crying?' This did not sound like Rainbow Dash at all! RD was always so laid back, and cool about everything. What was happening to her friend? "Well this mornin' Ah found her mopin' under a tree, near the forest. She didn't seem like herself. At all." Applejack tried not to mention the whole crying situation. But it was hard not to tell Twilight. 'Ah'm not lying, Ah'm just not telling all the truth!' Applejack tried to reassure herself that she was doing the right thing for Rainbow. 'Wait. Isn't that still considered lying? Darn it!' "Maybe she's still there! I will have to go look for her some more. I'm still worried about her anxiety and restlessness." Twilight started to walk away, but Applejack interrupted her. "Well ya see, Ah sent Rarity to talk to her earlier. To see if she was awright. Ah haven't heard back from Rarity yet though. Ah'm not sure if she found her or not." "Well I will check the forest first! If there is no sight of Rainbow Dash, then i will search for Rarity!" Twilight seemed very confident in herself as she turned back around in the direction of the forest. She started to walk away, but turned back once more. "Maybe you should come with me, Applejack. I might need a helping hoof." Twilight smiled, and motioned Applejack to follow her. Applejack laughed softly, and caught up with Twilight. They started again on their search for Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash walked towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. Her wings were shaky, and she had a shiver down her spine. "What are you waiting for Dash! You're the toughest pony Equestria will ever know! You made the world an awesomer world to live in!" Rainbow Dash proudly raised her hoof in the air. She tried to put on her best smile, and started off into the forest. It was dark, and the air suddenly felt colder to Rainbow. A loud noise filled her ears, and she jumped back. A small owl revealed itself to Rainbow. "God, Dash. Don't be a wimp." Rainbow Dash tried to pull herself together. 'Why am I here anyways? What good will this do? What am I trying to prove?' Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea. If nopony knows where I am...what if I need someponies help?" Rainbow tried to find an excuse to turn around and go back into town; to safety. She wanted to see Fluttershy. She wanted to talk to her, and apologize for all the wrong she has ever done to her. She wanted to hold her closely, and make her her own. With this in mind, Rainbow Dash decided to turn back. She moved in the direction of Ponyville, but something was stopping her from continuing her steps forward. "What the hay is going on?" Rainbow Dash turned her head around to see if she was stuck on something. Nothing was there. "Whoa, what is happening?" Rainbow started to feel fear. She couldn't move. Some sort of force was keeping her hoofs stuck to the ground. She struggled, and tried her hardest to pull away from the mysterious barrier. She pulled, and tugged, but even with all of her strength, the powerful pony could not move. "Rainbow Dash..." A voice, like no other, called to her. Rainbow looked around, but there was nopony there. "Who....who is there?!" Rainbow started to panic. She was frightened, and confused. "What do you want with me?" Rainbow called out. "Rainbow Dash.....don't you recognize me?" The voice answered. Rainbow did know the voice. It's sweet sound, it's loving tone. It was beautiful. Rainbow longed to hear it ever since yesterday. "Fluttershy? Is it you? Where are you? I can't see you!" Rainbow's heart started to speed up. The sound of Fluttershy's voice filled Rainbow's heart with happiness. Forgetting that she was glued to where she stood, she started to become happy. "Rainbow Dash. Don't you love me?" The invisible Fluttershy called out to Rainbow in a very mischievous way. The tone of her voice caused Rainbow to tingle. She liked it. She never heard Fluttershy speak to anypony in that way before. Maybe it's because...Fluttershy likes her! Rainbow Dash started to feel giddy. She grinned more than she ever had before. "Yes, Fluttershy! I do! I do love you! You're the only pony I have ever felt this way towards! You make me so happy, Fluttershy! Please, give me a chance! I promise I will be the be---" "Really Rainbow Dash? Is that how you really feel?" Fluttershy cut her off mid-sentence. Rainbow looked up, and around again. She wanted to see Fluttershy, but there was no sight of her anywhere. "Yes. It's true, Fluttershy! It's all true! Now...where are you? I can't seem to see where you're at." Rainbow Dash tried to move once more, and realized she still couldn't. 'Maybe I'm frozen from fear? But what is there to fear when Fluttershy is so close to me?' Rainbow stopped her struggles to think. "I'm right here, Dashie. Quite being such a silly filly!" Fluttershy snickered in a playful way. Rainbow was starting to worry again. She couldn't move, and she heard Fluttershy speaking to her, but she was no where in sight. What was going on? "Fluttershy, are you teasing with me? Good one! I've never thought of you to be a prankster Fluttershy. You really had me th--" Rainbow's voice trailed off. Everything was turning darker and darker. She was having trouble seeing. What was happening to her? 'I can't see! Whats going on? Where's Fluttershy?!' Rainbow went into complete panic mode. She struggled as hard as she could. Her heart felt like it was going to explode. Her eyes were tearing up. Rainbow screamed. She screamed at the top of her lungs, and didn't stop. She couldn't stop! She was so scared. She'd never been that afraid in her life. So many questions riled up within her, and she knew no way of answering any of them. "Rainbow! Rainbow?" "Rainbow Dash? Are you alright?!" "She's not responding!" "Rainbow Dash!! Can you hear me?!" Rainbow started to open her eyes. The shining sun burned her tired, and crying face. Two ponies were hovering above her. Who was it? Suddenly she got a full look at who they were. There in front of her was Applejack and Twilight. Their faces were flourished with concern, and Applejack was rubbing Rainbow's head. "You guys? What...what happened?" Rainbow looked around. She found that she was laying under the tree she had been crying at earlier. "How....how did I get here? I was in the Everf--" "We were looking for y'all everywhere Dash! Y'all had us all real worried when we saw you there uh screaming." Applejack's voice soothed Rainbow. "It must had been a bad dream, Rainbow Dash. But it's okay. You're fine now." Twilight smiled gently at Rainbow. Her friends were starting to calm her down. "It seemed so real..." Rainbow stopped. "We know. We know." Rarity and Fluttershy were still at the boutique. Fluttershy had long calmed down, and was now resting on Rarity's sofa. Rarity looked at her friend as she slept soundly. She was still thinking about what Rainbow had said. '"Do I...love Fluttershy?"' Rarity looked over at the time. 2:34 pm. "This day has really gone by quickly. I wonder if Rainbow is alright." Rarity whispered to herself with concern. She was wondering about how Fluttershy was coping too. Fluttershy seemed to be taking it hard. Probably worse than Rainbow Dash, from what Rarity had seen anyways. But all Rarity could do was watch over her sad, yellow friend. Hoping for the best for her and Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy started to moan. Her eyes were closed hard, and she whimpered. A bad dream, maybe? Rarity couldn't watch her friend suffer. She walked over to Fluttershy, and rubbed her back. "It's okay, Fluttershy. It's only a dre--" Rarity stopped when she finally noticed that Fluttershy wasn't even asleep. She was just pretending. "Oh, Fluttershy." Rarity sat down next to her friend, still rubbing her back. She tried to comfort Fluttershy as much as she could. "Where's...." Rarity looked over at the pegasus. Fluttershy's mouth was moving, but no words reached Rarity's ears. "What was that, dear?" Rarity moved in closer to Fluttershy. "Where's...Rainbow...Dash?" Fluttershy looked away from Rarity. She wanted to know where Rainbow was. She wanted to see her. She wanted to apologize. Rarity's eyes lit up. Fluttershy was asking about Rainbow Dash? Is that a good thing? Rarity looked for words to say. "She's probably still under some tree. Or maybe Applejack went to go see her." Rarity thought that was probably what happened. It had been a while since Applejack sent Rarity to find Rainbow Dash. She probably got tired of waiting and went searching for herself. Fluttershy sniffled. Then she spoke. "With Applejack?" Fluttershy's short question was filled with...disgust? No, maybe anger? Or......jealousy? "Yes. Well I'm not sure, but I thought that would be a pretty good gue--" "I want to see her. Now." Fluttershy was starting to sound...bold. Rarity stood up as Fluttershy did, and walked in front of her. "Are you sure that's a good idea? It's pretty soon..." Fluttershy walked passed Rarity, and turned back to look at her once again. "I want to see Rainbow Dash. I need to see Rainbow Dash. I have to see Rainbow Dash, because.....I love Rainbow Dash."