//------------------------------// // A Heart a-Flutter // Story: Snippets of Eternity // by asylum1388 //------------------------------// Takes place immediately after the events of Chapter 13 Been wanting to do this one for a while. Also, the last 8 lines were almost completely written by f0x. I had no idea how to end it. Twenty-nine days since the coronation of Princess Twilight Sparkle. Fluttershy looked up from the corner she sat in. The last traces of sunlight had long left the skies outside Twilight's chamber while they had waited for her to return. She trembled as she saw Princess Luna from the corner of her eye, still pacing anxiously against the backdrop of her own midnight sky. “Umm... Princess Luna?” she whispered, breaking the silence. “What?!” the Princess snapped impatiently. “Eep!” Fluttershy gasped, recoiling from the other pony and hiding beneath her hooves. “Oh, I apologize for that, Fluttershy,” Luna murmured, her face and tone softening as she regretted her reaction. “Please excuse me. What is it that you wished to ask?” “It’s, ummm, you’re just pacing,” Fluttershy pointed out quietly. “Are you okay?” “I am fine. Thank you for asking,” Luna replied shortly. “Oh... Okay, I guess.” Luna crossed the room another time and turned around to make her way back, but stopped at the worried expression on Fluttershy’s face. “Oh, very well, I am not fine,” Luna sighed, “but I am sure you’ve figured that out already.” “D-do you want to talk about it?” Luna frowned at Fluttershy, silently considering the canary pegasus. “I mean you no offense, Fluttershy, and I cannot stress that enough, but you were barely able to remain in the same room with me before when Twilight was here. Why is it that you would be willing to speak to me now that we are alone?” She sat down, waiting for Fluttershy to respond, but loud snore from the other side of the room interrupted the silence. “Or more alone than we were,” she grumbled, glaring at the cyan pegasus sleeping in the corner. “I... I just don’t like seeing anypony feel bad,” Fluttershy muttered. “I see...” Luna sighed, standing up and stretching. She took a few steps towards Fluttershy and sat down a short distance away from the mare, ignoring the fact that Fluttershy visibly shook at her approach. “I am just nervous about Twilight.” “...Nervous? B-but why?” “She has been gone for nearly three hours now. I cannot help but fear that something may have gone wrong,” Luna breathed. “What if something went wrong?” “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked, terrified. “Could Twilight be in trouble?” “No! Not physically, at least,” Luna stammered quickly. “Just she just went to make up with Spike. What if he doesn’t accept her apology? Or what if they end up fighting more? I am just afraid that Twilight may be all alone and in desperate need of comfort.” “B-but our friends are there, too!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Pinkie Pie, and Applejack, and Rarity! They wouldn’t let that happen.” “I know, I know!” Luna groaned, hanging her head pathetically. “I am fully aware that she probably has the best support she could ask for right now, but I can’t help but worry.” She sighed and lifted her head to look Fluttershy in the eyes. “I just can’t stand the thought of her feeling hurt. Lately it has felt as if worry about her is all I am able to do.” “Well, you care about her. It’s only natural that you’d worry about her,” Fluttershy murmured. “I suppose. Its just difficult — worrying all the time, that is. It is exhausting, but I cannot find the will to stop.” Fluttershy opened her mouth to reply, but only gasped as she noticed a tear slowly sliding down Luna’s cheek. She frowned at the alicorn, as if seeing the her in a whole new light. With a strength and purpose rarely seen from the timid pony, she spoke slowly and deliberately, “Luna, do you — do you love her?” Luna let out a choked and incomprehensible reply, attempting to sniff back more tears. “I’m sorry, what was that?” Fluttershy asked, silently scooting closer. Luna released a single sob and nodded. “Oh! Oh, wow. Does she know?” “No,” Luna whined. “She’s the smartest pony I’ve ever known, but when it comes to picking up on the emotions of others, she is sorely lacking. Thus, as I have not yet told her, she does not know.” “Well why not? Umm, if you don’t mind me asking?” “I am afraid,” Luna whispered. “I am just too frightened to tell her. I would very much like to, but every time I try, I find myself unable.” She signed and turned to look at the window Twilight had left through earlier that night. “The words get to the tip of my tongue, then I think something like ‘what if I scare her’ or ‘what if she no longer wishes to be friends with me afterwards’, and I stop myself. I am just too much of a coward. I am just afraid that she’ll see me differently afterwards; and not for the better.” She hung her head again and allowed the tears to flow freely, but flinched when she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder. “Luna, you know that wouldn’t happen,” Fluttershy cooed. “Twilight would never do something like that!” “I know, but my fears cripple me,” Luna sobbed. “No matter how often I tell myself to think rationally, I just can’t!” “Oh... I know what that feels like,” Fluttershy said hushedly, gently brushing the tears from Luna’s cheek. “You feel like you’re drowning, and no matter how hard you try to feel better, you only make yourself feel worse.” “Exactly!” Luna groaned, turning to the pegasus. “But what do I do about it?” “You have to swim, I guess,” Fluttershy smiled comfortingly, drying the tears from Luna’s other cheek. When she was confident that Luna had stopped crying for the moment, she stood up and trotted into Twilight’s bathroom, leaving Luna in a contemplative silence. She floated back a moment later with a chalice of water and offered it to Luna. “You need find something to overcome your fear. A feeling that’s even stronger.” “Your compassion aiding you in overcoming your fear of myself, for example,” Luna murmured, drinking deeply. “Err, yeah. Just like that,” Fluttershy stammered sheepishly. “As much as I would like to believe what you are saying, one would think that my desires alone would be strong enough,” Luna said, sniffling melancholily and hanging her head. “Well, maybe it is! Maybe you just need to try harder,” Fluttershy chirped. “Just focus on how nice it’ll be if she feels the same way, instead of now bad you’ll feel if she doesn’t.” “Perhaps,” Luna grumbled. “I have been putting no small amount of effort into it, though I suppose that no amount of effort is too large...” Fluttershy sat down next to Luna again and began to stroke Luna’s shoulder comfortingly. “Luna, I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you’ll tell her.” “I... I cannot make that promise, Fluttershy,” Luna replied anguishedly. “I would very much like to, but I can’t.” “I’m not saying you have to tell her right away, Luna, I just want you to promise me that you’ll tell her eventually. When you’re ready to,” Fluttershy cooed. “Please?” “I-I... Very well, Fluttershy,” Luna sighed. “I promise that I will confess my feelings to Twilight. But only once I have the courage to do it on my own.” “Thank you!” Fluttershy smiled. “Doesn’t that make you feel better?” “Oddly enough, it does,” Luna muttered, the shadow of a smirk crossing her lips. “As if a weight has been lifted.” “That’s good. Ummm, do you think you could smile, maybe? Pinkie Pie always says that smiling makes you feel better,” Fluttershy murmured, offering a smile of her own. “Yes, I can smile, Fluttershy,” Luna snickered, offering a small grin. “See? That’s better. Maybe you can— EEP!” Fluttershy let out a surprised squeal as Luna scooped her up into a hug. “Thank you, Fluttershy,” Luna whispered, squeezing the pegasus tightly. “O-oh, it was nothing,” Fluttershy giggled with a blush. ”I was happy to help.” “I was not nothing, Fluttershy,” Luna exclaimed. “You stared your fears in the face to comfort me. Not only that, but you have given me confidence.” “I-I have?” “Yes, you have,” Luna sighed contently. “I feel as if the prospect of speaking to Twilight about my feelings will be less daunting. I realize that I may feel differently when I am actually confronted with her, but for now, I am enjoying the feeling.” “Well, y-you’re welcome, Luna,” Fluttershy stuttered through a smile. Luna giggled and released Fluttershy from the hug. “You are a good pony, and a good friend, Fluttershy. I simply cannot express how grateful I am.” “I-I’m your friend? Even though I’ve always been afraid of you and made you feel bad?” “Yes. I consider you a dear friend,” Luna smiled. “I won’t lie to you by saying that your... timidness has never hurt me, but I never held it against you. And besides, after tonight, how could I hold anything against you?” “I guess you can’t,” Fluttershy giggled hesitantly. “So... Ummm, what do you want to do until Twilight gets back?” “Well, to be honest, I think I would like to get some much-needed rest,” Luna said, standing up and taking a step towards the door.. “If you don’t mind that is.” “That’s probably a good idea,” Fluttershy nodded, moving to follow Luna out, but bumping into Luna as the night princess stopped and turned in the doorway. "And dear Fluttershy?" "Yes, Luna?" Luna smiled gently at the timid pegasus. "I would like you to know I very much enjoyed your company, tonight." "Oh," Fluttershy whispered in response. "Thank you... I liked talking with you, too..." "Perhaps we may speak again, soon?" Fluttershy averted her eyes, a tiny smile gracing her muzzle behind her bangs. "I...I think I'd like that." The dark alicorn's smile widened the tiniest bit as she turned from the room and strolled towards her own; Fluttershy watched her trot away before turning towards her own room, the late hour doing nothing to chill the warmth the night princess' smile had left in her chest.