//------------------------------// // 1 - A Remedial Journey // Story: Never too Shy to Love // by True Blood //------------------------------// Hearth’s Warming. A time for celebration and good cheer. A time to share with your friends, family, and those you love. Or so Fluttershy had been told. She had also been told that, when it came to relationships, she had to take some initiative, be bold, and act on the impulses that the tiny, adventurous part of her mind suggested. A sigh escaped her lips. It was easy to be strong and confident in the secluded confines of her cottage, but when it came to going out and taking action, she seized up. Her voice failed, her limbs locked, and her breathing tried to stop. It was just awful. Lying sprawled on the sofa in her small house at the edge of the woods, the fireplace burning with healthy flames to help ward off the cold, Fluttershy’s mind was racing with thoughts about the upcoming Hearth’s Warming Eve festival. It was a huge event, by Ponyville standards; the entire town was attending, down to the last stallion, mare, and foal. Even wrapped in the safety of her home, she shuddered at the sheer number of ponies that would all be in the one place. She got nervous in a crowd of more than six, let alone the hundreds of ponies in Ponyville. What if they stared at her? What if they judged her? What if they laughed at her? What if… She clamped her mind down on the panicked thoughts before they could spiral further out of control. Keep a hold of yourself girl! she chastised, but as always, things are easier said than done, and she soon found herself worrying again. She couldn’t help it. Ever since she was a foal, she was nervous around other ponies. Flight school had just made it worse: all those ponies laughing at her because she wasn’t such a great flyer. She was no Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was strong, confident, brash, and the best flier in Equestria, short of maybe the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy sighed again, only partly because Rainbow was such a better flier than her. She and Rainbow had done so much together. The Nightmare Moon and Discord ordeals, not to mention the Changeling Attack on Canterlot. True, those had been ordeals that all her friends had been involved in as well, but Rainbow was special. Fluttershy had tried to be there for her during the Best Young Fliers competition, and Rainbow had been there to support her when they sent the reservoir-water to Cloudsdale. The rainbow-maned mare was always so supportive and confident and strong. Always there for her friends, always able to help whenever anything needed doing. No, she was no Rainbow Dash. But she wished she could be. She looked up to Rainbow, admired her even. She wished she could be as strong and confident. She wished her friends could rely on her for anything, but she couldn’t even rely on herself, so how were others meant to put their faith in her? She sighed for a third time. All the other ponies made everything look so easy. She had seen a stallion walk right up to a mare, ask her out, and then simply walk away with her. She knew many couples would be curling up in front of fireplaces together all over Ponyville the night of Hearth’s Warming Eve, as well as every other snowy winter's night. What was a shy Pegasus to do? She liked Rainbow Dash: she had come to terms with that quite some time ago, but she was just too shy to do anything about it, and with Hearth’s Warming coming up… it certainly wasn’t Hearts and Hooves, but it was still a very romantic time of year: couples would feed each other roasted marshmallows and sit by the fireside together to keep off the cold. The thoughts spiralled around and around her head, achieving no end other than to confuse and worry her more. She was too shy to act on her feelings, so she needed help, but she was just too shy to ask for help… What do I do? What do I do? She got to her hooves and paced a circle around the living room as she thought. What would Rainbow Dash do? This thought didn’t help her. Dash was the bravest pony she knew, so asking another pony out surely wouldn’t be a problem for her. Oh, I just don’t know. She slumped to the floor, a wave of depression passing over her. She supposed that the easiest thing would be to try and ignore the feelings completely, but where would that get her? Another Hearth’s Warming alone she thought grimly. It had never overly bothered her that she spent a vast majority of her time with her woodland friends, away from any other ponies, but several weeks ago, Rarity had gone on a date with Applejack, and they had hit it off quite well. She was very happy for the two of them, but it had made her realise that, despite being surrounded by critters that she cared for dearly, she was lonely. Critters didn’t speak. They were very expressive, true, and she often found comfort in talking to them, but this was something they could not help her with. Who could she turn to then? Who would know what to do? Know… know? The word seemed to be trying to unearth something in her mind: it struggled and heaved, several memories flying through her mind almost too quickly to follow. Know… who knows? And then it hit her. Twilight! Twilight knows! Of course, it was so obvious. Rainbow Dash may be the fastest, most confident mare in Ponyville, but Twilight was the smartest. Fluttershy couldn’t think of anything that the librarian didn’t know. Oh, but, what if she laughs at me? The thought came unbidden to her mind, and scores more followed. Worries, concerns, fears, all of them made her more and more nervous. What if she thinks I’m being silly? What if she doesn’t want to help? What if she doesn’t want to be my friend anymore because she thinks I like Rainbow more than her? She forced herself to stop at this last one. Now she was just being silly, and she knew it. Of course Twilight wouldn’t think that, she was one of her best friends, and she wasn’t a petty pony. So how could she bring it up? She was far too nervous to admit her feelings to anypony else. Not that she was worried that Twilight might spread the secret; she just had trouble talking to other ponies about, well, almost everything really, even her best friends. She was just too shy. You are a grown mare Fluttershy! she thought harshly to herself. You can be more confident than this. You were trained by Iron Will! Shuddering, she sighed and forced herself to admit that, whilst her own modified versions of Iron Will’s methods helped her stand up for herself, those were mainly for dealing with ponies who tried to walk over her, and not for building the confidence to ask a friend on a date – or for about asking a friend for help on the subject for that matter – She also didn't want to be using techniques like Iron Will's on Rainbow Dash. She wanted to draw the other mare in, not trample over her. She would simply have to suck it up and do it, as Rainbow Dash said. Only she couldn’t. All this thinking was hurting her head, and she needed some air. Stretching her wings, she fluttered over to the door, opened it, and flew out into the cool winter’s day. ~~~~~~~~~~ Fluttershy didn’t know where she was going. She just flew in the direction she was facing when she left her cottage, and was barely even paying attention to her surroundings, as lost in her thoughts as she was. Due to her deep level of introspection, she was not prepared for the pony that slammed into her at high speed, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a heap of tangled limbs and ruffled manes. She lay there, entwined with the offending pegasus, for several moments as her mind took its time registering what had just happened. It was only when her assailant spoke that she snapped back to the here and now. “Hey, Fluttershy? Are you, like, going to move any time soon?” It was a voice that Fluttershy was intimately familiar with, and as this registered, she realised exactly who it was that had crashed into her. There was no mistaking the cyan coat, the multi-hued mane, the glittering cerise-coloured eyes, and the brazen confidence in her voice. “R-Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy managed to stutter. Thanks to her worried pondering over the past several hours, she was now thoroughly frightened to be in the other mare’s presence. Her eyes widened, her limbs froze, and her breathing grew rapid and shallow. I’m not ready for this yet! her mind screamed. She couldn’t stop the fearful shriek that escaped her lips as she frantically disentangled her limbs from Rainbow’s, and fled behind a nearby snow-covered boulder once she was free. Rainbow was more than a little surprised. “Um, Fluttershy? Are you ok?” the cyan Pegasus queried, only serving to make Fluttershy’s heart pound even faster in her chest. She struggled to reply, but only managed to squeak a “yes” before her throat closed up again. Crouched, shivering behind the boulder, Fluttershy saw Dash poke her head around, and glance at her worriedly. It was more than she could take. Her fragile hold on the situation snapped, and she screamed, before jumping into the air. She flew as fast as she could away from her friend, shrieking out a jumble of words as she took flight. “YesI’mokRainbowDash, don’tworryseeyoulater!” The words left her mouth in a tangled mess, but the only thought in Fluttershy’s mind at that time was that she needed to get away. Being so close to Dash was too much just then, and it was all she could do just to breathe as her unusually powerful wing beats took her soaring across Ponyville proper. She flew up to a large bank of clouds resting above the corner of town, and buried herself into its soft, fluffy centre. Resting in the cloud’s cushioned embrace, her mind raced with so many thoughts, she couldn’t make any of them out. The cloudy cave she had carved for herself eventually cooled her nerves enough that some rational thought began to re-enter her mind. The first thing she did, was yell at herself. In her mind of course. You’re such a coward! she inwardly screamed. All you did was run into Rainbow Dash, and you lock up like that?! Call yourself a grown mare? Her mental tirade continued for several minutes, until she finally burned her anger out, and was left with nothing but sorrowful tears. Discord had been right, she truly was helpless. The sound of the Draconequus’ laughter filled her mind, and taunted her soul. No Discord was a monster who had threatened Ponyville, and threatened the world. But even worse, he had threatened her friends. No Discord was a trickster, a liar, a truly despicable being full of malice and malcontent. NO!!! Discord was wrong! I’m not helpless! I can stand up for myself, I can be confident, I can be strong! I won’t ever let a bully like him push me around, and trick me into thinking I’m weak! I’ll show him! I won’t be afraid! She tore her way out of the fluffy confines of the cloud, and stood atop it with a proud pose and steadfast determination on her face, eyes burning with righteous fire. She glared down at Ponyville, daring it to send its worst against her. The town gave no response, and Fluttershy grinned with victorious satisfaction. She took a moment to think about what she was actually going to do now. She still didn’t know how she was going to ask Rainbow Dash out, and even in her determined state, she wasn’t willing to mess everything up because of needless ignorance. So she turned towards the library on the other side of the town, and took to the sky. She would ask Twilight. She would learn what she needed, and she would go to Rainbow Dash, and not seize up like a chicken caught in the stare of a cockatrice. She soared through the brisk late-morning air, only half watching the ponies going about their daily business below in the snow that had accumulated on the ground the previous night. She had to think of a way to explain all this to Twilight. Her furious burst of determination was fading fast, and the haze of shyness was once again creeping into her mind. What if she… Fluttershy had to forcefully stall her train of thought before she could begin to doubt herself again. What she needed was a way to ask Twilight about this without letting her in on everything. She knew Twilight wouldn’t laugh at her or judge her, but she was still too shy to just say it outright. She wouldn’t even be able to get the words out. After most of the flight’s worth of time spent thinking, she came to a decision. She would just talk to the librarian for a while, as if everything were completely normal. Then she would ask what Twilight knew about relationships, as if she was asking for the time of day. Yes, that was it. Okay Fluttershy. She thought determinedly. You’ve got a plan, you have the desire, now all you need is the confidence. By this time, the rest of her rage-induced bravado had vanished completely, but she was still determined to do this. You’ve spent too long cooped up in your cottage Fluttershy, now it’s time to get out there! Now’s your chance to be outlandish, and have some fun! She continued her self-pep talk for the rest of the short flight, in a vain attempt to bolster some of her earlier courage. When she reached the library door, she couldn’t tell if it had worked or not, which probably meant that it hadn’t. With a sigh, which she quickly turned into a very forced laugh, she landed in front of the door, and raised her hoof to knock. She hesitated. Did she really want to do this? Of course you do! Was it really that important? Yes! Yes it is! What if… No! No ‘what-if’s’, knock on the door! Grimacing at the force of her own mental chastisement, she brought her hoof down onto the door in a barely-audible knock. Immediately, without waiting for a response, she turned around with a “well, nopony is home” and began to walk away. “Is someone there?” came a voice from inside the library. The door opened and Fluttershy grimaced as Twilight poked her head out. “Oh, hello Fluttershy, is there something I can help you with?” The Unicorn’s mane was bedraggled, and she had bags under her eyes. She had clearly stayed up late studying last night, if she had even gone to bed at all. “O-Oh, w-well um…” Fluttershy stuttered, unable to simply come out and say what it was that she was having trouble with. She stood there for a few moments, nothing but nervous squeaks emanating from her mouth. Twilight appeared to understand. “Why don't you come inside?” Not waiting for a response, the librarian motioned with a foreleg, and pulled her head back inside the door, opening it wider in invitation as she did so. Having come this far already, Fluttershy forced herself to turn back around and walk inside the library. She immediately saw that she had been correct. Twilight had been busy studying lately, and the books, notes, charts, loose scrolls and leaves of paper that were scattered across every available surface, including a large majority of the floor, attested to it. Several large beakers of multi-coloured liquid decorated a table in the far corner of the room, surrounded by miscellaneous pieces of alchemic equipment. Several dirty plates were stacked on top of the table in the centre of the room, clearly remnants of a meal or two that Spike had probably made. Twilight had likely been too busy studying to worry about something like food. That baby dragon sure took great care of his big sister. She couldn’t help but describe them as siblings now. Twilight was such a big sister to the little dragon, and he looked up to and took care of her like a brother should. Twilight was busy excavating a space for the two to sit when Fluttershy turned her attention away from the disaster-struck library interior. The Unicorn eventually cleared a small spot near one of the bookshelves by stacking all of the papers into one corner, and throwing several books onto a large heap that was accumulating near the middle of the room. “So” the librarian stated simply. She waited a few moments for Fluttershy to say something, but when she got no response, she sighed, and continued herself. “What is it that you need Fluttershy?” The yellow Pegasus froze. She had prepared herself for this. It wasn’t such a big deal, just talk. What do I talk about? What CAN I talk about? What will Twilight want to talk about? How can I act calm in a situation like this? Fluttershy’s mind spun circles around itself with such manic thinking, and when she finally gained control of herself, Twilight was staring at her inquisitively. “I-I-I, w-well…” She couldn’t get the words out: they just wouldn’t come. Okay Fluttershy, you can do this, just talk about something not-romance related. You can do it, come on! Talk about books, about the mess, about studying, about anything! Fluttershy opened her mouth to comment on Twilight’s excessive study habits, but instead, something else found its way out. “I HAVE A CRUSH ON RAINBOW DASH!” she heard herself shriek. She had time to frantically cover her mouth with a hoof before the sheer mortification and embarrassment of such an outburst toppled her remaining desire to be a part of the waking world, and she passed out. ~~~~~~~~~~ “Oh my, is she alright?” “I have no idea.” “Poor dear, whatever happened?” “Not sure about that either. She just passed out after screaming something.” “Well, that is strange…” The voices drifted across Fluttershy’s awareness as she struggled to pull herself back into the realm of consciousness. The voices were ones she recognised, but in her semi-conscious state, she couldn’t quite place them. “What was it that she screamed?” There were those voices again. Couldn’t they tell she was trying to sleep? Why in Equestria were they being so noisy? “Well... I’m not sure it’s something I should be sharing…” Wait, I shouted something? What happened? Oh, I hope nopony got hurt. “Oh come on darling, we’re all the best of friends here, why-ever would Fluttershy keep something from us?” Keeping something from my friends? Well, I’ve never kept anything from them before. Well, except my crush on Rainbow Dash. “Well, I guess that’s true… well, when she knocked on the door, she was acting a little stranger than usual. When I asked her what was the matter, she stuttered for a bit, and then, sort of, screamed that she had a crush on Rainbow Dash, and then fainted.” That’s right, that did happen, didn’t it? I was trying to be casual, but I was so nervous, and shouted that I… I shouted… Fluttershy bolted upright with a terrified yelp, and dove straight for Twilight’s mouth, as if she could catch the words that the librarian had spoken and force them back into her mouth. The sudden movement elicited a startled “Oh my” from Rarity, and the collision sent both mares sprawling to the ground. What Fluttershy didn't notice, was that Twilight had fallen directly onto her horn. Not familiar with unicorn anatomy, she also didn't know that, when severe enough, trauma to the horn is one of the most painful things a unicorn can experience. Fluttershy's fear-flooded mind paid little attention to anything but the fact that her secret was now open to the world. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you girls” she said quickly, attempting to untangle herself from a friend for the second time that day. “It’s just that I… I… oh, I’m so sorry!” Having finally extricated her last foreleg from Twilight’s mane, she fell to the floor and covered her face with her forehooves. Twilight, still shell-shocked from the surprise tackle, shook her head vigorously, and then placed a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s alright Fluttershy.” The lavender unicorn shook her head again. “Relationships are talk to hard about…” Fluttershy perked her head up, and Twilight gave herself a puzzled look. “Wait, no… hard… talk… hard to… talk about. That’s it! Relationships are hard to talk about!” she clapped her forehooves together, but quickly cringed and gripped her head, pain written all over her expression as she collapsed onto the floor. Fluttershy gasped, and jumped back to her hooves. “Oh Twilight, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you! Please don’t be hurt Twilight, please be ok. Oh, you’re not going to die are you? Don’t die Twilight PLEASE DON’T DIE!!!” “Fluttershy, please!” Rarity’s shout snapped the pegasus back to her senses, and as she stood over her friend, panting, eyes wide, panic written all over her face, Rarity moved over to Twilight. After checking the fallen librarian over, and receiving a flinch and a pained squeak when her hooves touched Twilight’s horn, the fashionista sighed. “Fluttershy darling, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. Twilight is going to be fine, she just hit her horn when you awoke with such, er, violent fervour.” Fluttershy gasped again and threw herself back down beside the injured unicorn. “I’m so sorry Twilight! I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Twilight grimaced, but managed a smile. “That’s alright Fluttershy, it was an accident. The horn is the most sensitive part of a Unicorn: even the slightest bump can be painful, and a hard hit can leave you dizzy for hours.” Twilight made her way shakily to her hooves, and stood on the spot for a time, wobbling a little, before collapsing again. Fluttershy quickly dashed forward and caught the falling mare before she hit the floor. Groaning, Twilight attempted to regain her balance, but Fluttershy quickly wrapped a wing around her before she could lever herself back onto her hooves. Her hurt friend brought out the caring, motherly side that made her the Element of Kindness, and soon she was guiding the injured unicorn through the chaotic study zone towards the stairs leading to the bedroom. “Oh, Twilight, you need to rest. I was the one that got you hurt: the least I can do is take care of you.” In perfect truth, Fluttershy was using this event as a distraction from her Rainbow troubles. She was still concerned for her friend, of course, but she wasn’t sure how much longer her nerves would hold out with all the worrying. Plus, Rarity had said that Twilight would be fine. Twilight winced with every step the pair took up the short staircase, but otherwise, their journey seemed like it would end without a hitch. Until the door slammed open to admit a certain baby dragon carrying a small, non-descript box in his claws. “Rarity!” Spike shouted. “I got that package that you wanted from your…” the small drake froze as he beheld the scene before him: significantly more chaos was evident in the books and papers strewn about the floor from Fluttershy’s tackle. Rarity was watching the stairs nervously, and finally Twilight, clearly in significant pain, being all but carried upstairs by Fluttershy. After the half-second all this took to register in his mind, his panic mode set in. “Oh my gosh, Twilight! Are you okay? What happened? How badly are you hurt?” He sprinted forward, stumbling often on the debris scattered over the library floor, and seemed just about to hurl himself through the air in a collision course with the two mares. Fortunately, Rarity had the foresight to reach out with her telekinesis and grab him before he could worsen the situation further. The last thing Twilight needed was a dragon-induced tumble down the stairs. “Spike darling, there’s nothing to worry about” she reassured the distraught dragon. “An accident, nothing more: Twilight has hit her horn, and needs some bed rest.” This seemed to do little to calm Spike’s nerves, but wrapped in Rarity’s magic as he was, there was nothing he could do but accept the situation, and after a few moments his breathing and heart rate began to slow to a less panicked pace. With a long look that said 'don’t do anything drastic', Rarity set him back on his feet. “What happened anyway?” he asked once he had properly regained his balance. Fluttershy grimaced and, with a pleading glance to Rarity, continued up the stairs. Spike looked expectantly at the object of his affections, who stood with a blank face for a split second, before releasing a slightly nervous giggle, and turning to the little drake. “Well, Fluttershy, the poor dear, came by to talk to Twilight…” Rarity explained the situation as she knew it from what Twilight had told her, leaving out exactly what it was that the pegasus had blurted out. Spike seemed to be content at least with her explanation, but she suspected that was only because she was the one who was saying it. Crushes can be the strangest things. “I was just stopping by to see if Twilight had a book on foreign sewing styles that I needed: I'm making a dress for a foreign dignitary who is visiting Canterlot next week, but when I arrived, I found poor Fluttershy out cold on the floor” Rarity concluded. Spike ran a claw over the spines on the back of his head, and shrugged. “Well, so long as Twilight will be alright. What did you want the box from your boutique for?” He gestured to the small box he had brought with him when he had entered the library, which was now lying on top of a rather large pile of study notes. Rarity sighed. She had intercepted the dragon just as he was about to return from an errand for Twilight, and he had gladly obliged to dash over to her shop and fetch the box for her. Thanks to the excitement of making a dress for a foreigner who was meeting with the Princesses in Canterlot, she had completely forgotten it when she had made her way over to the library. She levitated the small parcel over, and opened the lid. Inside were several pieces of cloth, none of which were of a make Spike had ever seen before, and in all honestly, until she had been given them, Rarity hadn’t seen them before either. All of them had their own distinct sewing pattern embroidered in the middle. They were templates she had been given for the custom dress she was designing, and she had needed them as a reference for the book she was wanting to borrow. Sighing, Rarity shut the lid with a snap. She knew the stitching designs by heart, and now that Twilight was out of action, she would need to find the book herself. Besides, she had Spike to help, how hard could it be? ~~~~~~~~~~ The duo made it up the stairs without further interruption and, after Fluttershy opened the door and guided her injured friend over to the bed, Twilight gratefully lay down on the soft mattress with a sigh of relief. For her part, Fluttershy simply stood there, watching the librarian bask in the comfort of a cozy bed. It was only after a few seconds of staring that she realised she didn’t actually know how to care for a unicorn with an injured horn. “Um, Twilight?” she asked hesitantly, and the Unicorn slanted her eyes in Fluttershy’s direction. “Um, I’m sorry but, well, I don’t know how to heal a hurt horn…” She poked at the floor with a hoof, embarrassment written over her face. Twilight laughed, but quickly stopped with a cringe as the jerking motion sent a stab of pain through her horn. Once she had recovered, she gave the pegasus a smile. “Oh Fluttershy, I wouldn’t expect you to know unicorn anatomy or medical treatment. Other than rest, all I need is an ice pack for my horn…” Fluttershy sighed with relief. She had been worried that it would be an extremely complicated process. Her relief turned out to be premature, however, as Twilight continued. “… but that would take me too long to recover. To speed the process up, there is a remedial poultice that can more than halve the time it would take. I’m sure Zecora would be able to help you out with that.” Fluttershy froze, and it took her several moments in order to stutter her next words. “Y-You mean, Z-Zecora, w-who lives in the Everfree Forest, Zecora?” Twilight nodded an affirmative. “Yep. She’ll be able to whip up a batch of the poultice in no time flat. If she doesn’t already have some pre-made. Although I’d prefer it to be fresh. I’ve heard that it always works better when applied fresh…” The Unicorn continued on a large speel about the pro’s and con’s of fresh poultice versus pre-made and stored poultice, but Fluttershy wasn’t listening. Her mind was gripped in the talons of panic, and they were not being merciful. The Everfree Forest… There’s horrible monsters in that forest: Timber Wolves, Hydras, Ursas! What if something tries to eat me, what will I do? Oh, but if I don’t go, Twilight won’t get better… oh dear, I just don’t know! The two monologues continued for several minutes, Twilight’s verbal soliloquy on herbal remedies, and Fluttershy’s terrified internal tirade which began to spin out of control, until Twilight finally took notice of her companion’s horror. “Um, Fluttershy, are you okay?” Fluttershy didn’t respond. She didn’t even hear the question. Her mind was, at that moment, somewhere between the four mouths and single stomach of a Hydra. “Fluttershy!” The shout brought the pegasus out of yet another panic-fuelled hurricane of worries and fears. She slumped to the floor, exhausted. “Oh, I’m so sorry Twilight, I was just, um… thinking…” Twilight didn’t seem at all convinced, and after a moment of studying Fluttershy’s face, which still had traces of terror from a few moments ago, she flashed an expression of realisation and understanding. “Fluttershy, don’t be scared. Zecora only lives in the very outskirts of the forest, and the path to her house is quite safe. I go there all the time, and I’ve never had any problems.” Fluttershy looked at the injured Unicorn incredulously. “You were turned to stone by a cockatrice one time!” she rebutted, and Twilight winced. “Well, yes, there was that one time. But that was it! Only once, and I go to Zecora’s all the time. Come on Fluttershy, it’s not so bad.” Fluttershy whimpered, but Twilight adopted a wide-eyed, pleading look, and her resolve swiftly shattered. She may be a shy mare, but when she had friends in need, she had to help. She just had to. “Oh, alright Twilight, if you really need it that badly, I’ll go to Zecora’s house and get the poultice for you.” Twilight clapped her hooves, but winced again. Twilight really does need my help, Fluttershy admitted to herself. And if I don’t help her, how can I call myself the Element of Kindness? I won’t let her down! I’ll be here for her, like a friend should! I’m not helpless, I’m not weak! “Um, ok, I’ll go right away.” Yes, go, before your confidence fails you, silly mare. Berating herself did little good, and she was relieved when the pain faded from Twilight’s face, and the Unicorn was able to talk again. “Thanks Fluttershy, I really appreciate it. Ask her for… for… oh darn, what’s that poultice called? Why can’t I think of it? Ugh, why is thinking so hard? I… I…” Swaying, Twilight let out several pained moans. “I don’t quite know what’s… what’s… oh…” She flopped back onto the bed. “Oh, goodnight then.” Eyes closed, her breathing slowed to a pace of fitful sleep. She moved about, and moaned unintelligibly. Fluttershy was terrified. “Oh my gosh, Twilight? Twilight?!?!” She leapt over to the bed, and gently shook her friend’s shoulder. When this elicited no response, she re-entered panic mode, but before her thoughts could spiral out into the realms of implausibility, she wrestled control of her mind back. “No” she said aloud. “No, I won’t panic. Twilight is alive. She’s not going to die, but she needs my help. I need to go to Zecora, she’ll know what to do.” Giving a firm nod to herself, she pulled the blankets over Twilight’s sleeping form, and moved at a brisk trot out the door and down the stairs. She stalked straight through the library, not even noticing the mess or the room’s inhabitants in her determined state. She upheld her exclusive resolve out the door and began down the road, when she was disrupted by a frustrated shriek from the library behind her. She didn’t know who would be screaming so loud in a library, but it wasn’t Twilight, so she didn’t have time to worry about it. She was on a mission. ~~~~~~~~~~ Rarity shrieked with frustration. She had browsed through what seemed like every book in the library, and she just couldn’t find what she was looking for. Not even spike seemed to know where the book was that she sought. Fluttershy and Twilight had been upstairs for some time, and she was cursing the fragility of unicorn horns. Fluttershy just had to incapacitate the librarian right when Rarity needed a book. A book she couldn’t find, and it was frustrating her to no end. With her magic, she floated several books in front of her. Books on basic sewing with magic, books on sewing traditional stitches with machines, books on stitching with no thread (this book actually struck a curiosity chord in Rarity’s fashionista mind, but it was not the book she was looking for, so she ignored it for now), and a large, very worn, and agonizingly familiar book entitled “Sewing: Your basic guide to stitching and sewing for the novice fashionista”. This last book was one she had as a filly, and she had donated it to the library because she was well and truly sick of seeing it. It had taught her how to sew, and use a needle and thread, and many basic stitching techniques. She had read parts of it every day for quite a number of years, and she was through with it. Throwing the books aside, she screamed again in frustration. If Twilight hadn’t been hurt, she would already have the book by now. She was sure it was here. It had to be: Twilight had books on everything. Twilight needed to hurry up and get better. ~~~~~~~~~~ Fluttershy hovered at the edge of the Everfree Forest, testing her nerve against the dark gloom of the woods as the trees hung over her head, threatening to engulf her in their horrific embrace. The trees rustled in the icy wind, blowing clouds of loose snow into her face as the branches swayed, and the very forest itself seemed to shift in unnatural ways. Shadows danced, and dark shapes seemed to move in the blackness behind the trees. Fluttershy shivered. She had to go in there, she knew. There was no escaping it. Twilight needed Zecora’s help, and the only way that was going to happen was if she forced her hooves to move beyond the edge of the trees, and into the abyss beyond. Stop it, Fluttershy! She berated herself. Thoughts like that were only going to loosen her resolve even further, and it was fragile enough as it was. Shivering, she lifted a forehoof, and placed it just in front of her other. “Hi, Fluttershy!” The yellow Pegasus let out a scream of terror at the unexpected intrusion, and she leapt several paces into the air. Her mind froze, her limbs locked, and her momentum rolled her over in the air, so she landed with a thud on her back with a curious bleat. Rainbow Dash, who was just about to ask another question – what Fluttershy was doing so close to the Everfree, to be precise – cocked her head to the side. “Um, Fluttershy?” The cyan Pegasus waved a hoof in front of her fallen friend’s face, but got no response. “Fluttershy, it’s just me. What are you doing?” It took several moments for Fluttershy’s mind to unwrap itself from the confines of fright, and realise that it was just Rainbow Dash, and not some terrifying monster from the forest that had snuck up on her. It was only as she was getting back to her hooves that the reality of that realisation hit her, and she almost locked up again. “R-R-Rainbow D-D-Dash?!?” she squeaked, and the mare in question stared questioningly at her for a moment, before puffing her chest out. “The one and only! Whatcha doing Flutters?” Fluttershy was only just able to hold in another terrified squeak at the pet name that Dash had for her. “U-Um, well, you see, T-Twilight n-needs Zecora’s h-help, s-so, I-I need to go into the f-forest and go get her.” Unpleasant shudders ran the length of Fluttershy’s spine, causing her to stutter profusely, but Rainbow seemed to get the message. “Well, I don’t see why Twilight can’t just go and get Zecora herself, but anyway. You look like you could use some company. Want me to come with you?” This time, Fluttershy wasn’t able to stop her mind from spinning out of control. Rainbow Dash wants to go with me? What should I do? Oh, I don’t know if I’m ready for this! Oh, but the forest won’t seem anywhere near as bad with her there. Oh, but I’m not sure I can stand having her so close! But this is an opportunity to spend time with her, I should be jumping at the chance! Fluttershy’s internal monologue continued for a minute or two, all the while she simply stood, staring at Dash with a blank expression. For her part, Dash just stared right back, not entirely sure what was going on. “Fluttershy?" When no response was forthcoming, she sighed. "Oh for the love of Celestia…” Dash moved up close to the canary mare and, placing both forehooves on her shoulders, shouted directly into Fluttershy’s ear. “FLUTTERSHY!!!” It took Fluttershy some time to comprehend that she had heard her name. And that her ear now hurt. Coming back to the present moment, she looked around with a puzzled look, and was about to comment on the pain in her head, when she noticed just how close Rainbow Dash was suddenly standing. Their muzzles were almost touching. She expected her mind and body to lock up again, for another huge internal stream of fears and doubts to overcome her. Instead, all she felt was a pleasant weight on her shoulders where Dash’s hooves were resting, and the comforting warmth coming from her close proximity. “Um, okay, sure.” She replied after a moment or two of wondering curiously where her shyness had gone. Dash was taken aback by her friend’s sudden calmness, but shrugged it off and turned so that the pair were facing the trees which, to Fluttershy, seemed far less scary and foreboding now that Rainbow was by her side. As they started moving at a slow trot, the blue Pegasus turned to the yellow. “So Flutters, why does Twilight need Zecora’s help anyway?” Fluttershy returned the glance, and began to explain. “Oh, well, um, it’s a long story but, well, Twilight hurt her horn, and it was sort of my fault, and now she needs Zecora to make something to help her get better.” Fluttershy halted her rhythmic trotting when she noticed that Rainbow Dash had stopped as well, and was staring at her with a curious expression on her face. “So, let me get this straight: Twilight is hurt, and she needs our help to get better?” Fluttershy hesitated before answering. She couldn’t tell what the expression in Rainbow’s voice meant, but she wasn’t sure it was anything good. Her doubts returned to claw at her insides. She forced herself to answer. “Um, yes?” Dash breathed in deep, and Fluttershy braced herself for the worst. She was not expecting what came next. Rainbow grabbed her with a shout of “Then what are we waiting for!?” and galloped off into the forest, dragging the terrified Fluttershy behind. ~~~~~~~~~~ The trees stretched their limbs overhead and the wind rustled through the leaves and swayed the branches in eerily rhythmic motions, causing shadows to shift and change everywhere Fluttershy looked. She winced as another stray branch bushed her flank with an alarmingly life-like touch. She had already frozen up three times thanks to similar events, but Rainbow had just dragged her onwards. It was strange to Fluttershy: normally, the concept of being close to Dash, let alone having so much prolonged physical contact, would have terrified her more than the forest. Somehow though, having the rainbow-maned mare there with her made her more comfortable than it had any right to. The jump-scares had only made her lock up, not try to flee home and shut herself inside with as much haste as she could manage. No, with Rainbow Dash by her side, the forest didn’t terrify her anywhere near as much as it normally did. What made it so strange, was that she had been in frightening situations with Dash before, and the other Pegasus’ presence had not abated her fear before. So why now? Was it because she’d finally resolved herself to doing something about her feelings for the mare? Or was it something else? She just didn’t know. The journey was taken mostly in silence, broken only by Fluttershy’s occasional squeaks of terror – even with Rainbow Dash accompanying her, the Everfree Forest was still terrifying – and Rainbow’s exasperated sighs that usually followed. When Zecora’s house-tree finally came into view, Fluttershy quickly cantered up ahead of Dash, and knocked as heavily as she could on the door. She managed three quiet taps, but it was enough to catch the attention of the resident of the peculiar house. Soon the door opened a crack, and Zecora’s head poked through. “Who knocks on my tree-house door? Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, I have rarely seen here before. What brings you to these woods my dears? Important it must be, for you to belay your fears.” Fluttershy winced, knowing that Zecora was talking about her. Rainbow Dash winced as well, but only because she found it almost impossible to understand the zebra’s confusing rhymes, and was still trying to figure out what had just been said when Fluttershy remembered the reason they had come in the first place. “Oh my gosh, Zecora you have to help! I mean, that is, if you don’t mind…” Zecora gave her a pointed look, and she blushed before continuing. “Oh, well, you see, Twilight has hurt her horn, and she said you could help her with a poultice. Please, she really needs your help! I mean, if that’s okay…” the zebra rolled her eyes, and motioned for the pair to come inside. The interior of Zecora’s hut was seemingly styled to be as similar as the exterior as possible. All the furniture, aside from a few chairs that could be moved about, seemed to be carved from the wood of the tree. This, coupled with the broad-leafed plants positioned around the perimeter of the main room, as well as the ever-present masks from Zecora’s homeland, made the house as eerie as the forest. “There is a poultice I can mix, that will give Twilight her much-needed Fix. After only a few days of applying this remedy, she will be right as rain again, you will see.” Fluttershy sighed with relief: she would get this poultice to Twilight, and everything would be alright. Focus on Twilight. Twilight. Not Rainbow Dash, who is standing right next to you. Don’t think about Rainbow Dash, don’t think about Rainbow Dash, don’t think about Rainbow Dash… she repeated this over and over in her head like a mantra, and soon found herself taking sidelong glances at her blue-coated friend. Her mane was tussled, as always, sticking out at odd angles that just seemed to simply work with her rainbow colours. Her lithe, sporty frame was set in a semi-defensive stance which matched the puzzled look on her face. She was clearly no closer to understanding Zecora’s rhymes than she was when they had first met the Zebra. Her flowing tail was lightly wrapped around one of her hind legs, a habit that Rainbow did not seem to be aware that she had. She does that when she gets nervous, or confused Fluttershy mused fondly, before catching herself. Stop that! This situation is already awkward enough without you gawking at her! Zecora was busy rustling about inside one of the cupboards that lined the main room, muttering something under her breath, before she pulled her head out with a triumphant laugh, and turned to face the two pegasi. “Of brews and poultices, I have many, but a horn-healing mix, I do not have ready. My apologies friends, but you will have to wait, for I must begin with a clean slate.” Rainbow Dash was looking as if she had had enough of the zebra’s rhymes, and she stomped a hoof lightly on the wooden floor. “Ok, I didn’t really understand all of that, but what I did get, was that there’s a wait involved. And waiting really isn’t my thing.” Zecora smiled apologetically at the impatient pegasus. “You need not wait around Rainbow Dash. I have always known you to be quite brash. To deliver the mix will only take one, once mixing this poultice is well and truly done.” “Ugh, I can’t take this anymore!” Dash groaned. “See you later Fluttershy, I’ve gotta get out of here!” With a swift hug that left Fluttershy paralysed, the rainbow-maned mare threw the door open, and leapt up into the sky, speeding away until she was well out of sight. Zecora noticed Fluttershy’s reaction, and her smile became one of understanding. “It seems to me, my shy little friend, that of an ear, you would like a lend. Tell me your troubles my dear Fluttershy, I have always been a zebra to pry.” Fluttershy paused. Zecora was an incredibly knowledgeable individual. In fact, the only pony Fluttershy knew who might know as much was Twilight. Sighing, she lay down and rested her muzzle on her forelegs. Starting from the beginning, she told Zecora everything. From her interactions with Rainbow Dash at flight school, to their becoming friends in Ponyville, to their adventures with Twilight and the rest of the gang. She told of how her feelings grew over the time she’d known the fast-paced pegasus. She explained how, when two of her other friends had gotten together, it had made her realise just how lonely she was living so secluded from other ponies. Zecora listened, nodding and making small comments, occasionally asking questions about small details. Finally, Fluttershy shared the events of the day, how she had crashed into Dash in the morning, and her terrified flight into the core of the cloud, and her burst of rage-induced determination to talk to Twilight about it, which faltered the moment she had reached the library. This led to how Twilight’s horn had been hurt. “She was mixing up her words, and when I got her upstairs into bed, she spoke for a while, and then passed out. I didn’t know what else to do, so I came to you. I’m sorry, I hope you don’t mind.” “Oh Fluttershy, have no fear. You and your friends I hold most dear. You helped dispel pony’s fears of me in town. I will do everything I can not to let you down.” Over the previous two hours, as Fluttershy had laid her soul bare for the zebra’s scrutiny – something she did not do very often – Zecora had been grinding and mixing various herbal ingredients. The results of her labour were now being lightly heated over the fire in the middle of the room. “We are very close to completion now. Just take this poultice, and apply it to Twilight’s brow. From what you told me of her condition, it will be several days before she regains her cognition. As for your troubles with romance, it is very much a game of chance. It is not good to keep feelings inside, but it may hurt very much if you are denied.” After such a long time spent with the zebra, the rhyming was beginning to make Fluttershy’s head spin, however she forced the world to stay still, and persevered. It was important that she learned everything she could. Zecora continued. “To win any pony’s heart, you must take things slow. You must allow your friend’s feelings for you to grow. Spend time with her doing things you both like, and eventually, the metaphorical match may strike.” Struggling to comprehend her striped friend’s words, Fluttershy’s mind raced. Take things slow: she understood that. Do things with Dash that they both enjoy: she got that part as well. It all made sense, and she was slightly angry at herself for not seeing it all sooner. “I-I think I understand.” She said slowly. “So I just need to spend time with her doing normal stuff, and she’ll eventually have feelings for me too?” Zecora cocked her head to one side, a thoughtful look on her face. “Spending time together is the best place to start, but you may still not win your way into her heart. In relationships, nothing is set in stone. You are taking a leap into the unknown.” Fluttershy shook her head. So even if she tried her hardest, Rainbow Dash might still not want to be with her. That made sense, really: she had always known that her chances of getting together with Rainbow were slim at best, but to hear Zecora say it made it so much harder to hope for the best. Hope she did though, because she was determined not to give up. Suddenly, a very strong, but not altogether unpleasant, smell permeated the room. “Ah, that smell means that the poultice is done. In returning to Twilight, I suggest you run. Apply this swiftly, while it retains its heat, and soon poor Twilight will be back on her feet.” Hurry? Hurrying was something that Fluttershy was not good at. She took her time doing anything: doing things slowly ensured that nothing went wrong. Her breathing began to grow heavy and ragged. “Oh my gosh, Um, okay… hurry, um…” She continued to encircle herself in worries and fears while Zecora put a large amount of poultice in a clear jar, which she then wrapped in a thick layer of foam, and tied up with a piece of string. Fluttershy was still in the throes of an internal downpour of nerves, when an absolutely impossible smell permeated her nose. It somehow managed to be sweet, sour, spicy, tangy and bland, all at the same time, and it shocked her out of her downward spiral of worrying. The first thing she saw was Zecora holding a very small, clay jar under her nose, which was emitting the absurd smell. The zebra clearly noticed Fluttershy’s half-shocked, half-curious expression, and felt an explanation was needed. “From my homeland comes a most exquisite flower: the boiled leaves of which have this olfactory power. Now you must be on your way, if you hope to reach Twilight within this day.” Looking outside, Fluttershy noticed that the light had dimmed significantly. The sun was setting, and the Everfree Forest was scary enough at high noon, let alone at night. “Oh, thank you so much Zecora, I just don’t know what I would have done without you! I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve caused you.” Zecora flashed a friendly grin as Fluttershy took the small parcel containing the precious poultice and, opening the door, took off into the chilly afternoon air. The sun was approaching the horizon, sending a brilliant display of pink, purple, and golden rays across the sky, which reflected off the sparse cloud coverage, and spread a stunning array of colours across the snow-covered forest. Flying below the tree line, so as not to attract unwanted attention from the creatures in the forest, Fluttershy took off swiftly along the path home. She flinched as another branch brushed her flank – the only thing stopping her from seizing up on the spot was her urgency to return to Twilight – and sighed. The forest had seemed far less intimidating on the way in with Rainbow Dash by her side. Oh Rainbow, I know you’re impatient, but why couldn’t you have stayed with me a while longer? She flew off towards Ponyville, her thoughts only partly focused on the jar of all-important poultice clutched by the string in her teeth. Her mind was far away in the wintry skies above the open fields outside the town, soaring gleefully through the sky with a certain cyan-coloured mare.