//------------------------------// // The Beginnings of Sweet Memories // Story: Her Rainbow, Her Butterfly // by HyperBlossom7 //------------------------------// "I'm Rainbow Dash!" the cyan filly extended a hoof to the timid one. The yellow pegasus hid behind her long pink mane, speaking in a very soft voice. Rainbow Dash didn't hear her, and she tilted her head to the side. Fluttershy spoke a little bit louder the second time. "I'm Fluttershy," she whispered. "Let's be friends!" said the bold pegasus."I'm already going to be the best flyer in Equestria, so you can be the second best flyer!" "O-okay..." Fluttershy murmured. Fluttershy smiled at the memory. It was the day when she had first met the rainbow maned mare she loved so much. Rainbow Dash was her closest friend, and with good reason too. She had stuck by Fluttershy's side all through out Flight school, and defended her from all the bullies there. Even after Rainbow Dash was kicked out, she would still meet Fluttershy every day after classes before any of the bullies got a chance to corner her alone. Rainbow Dash was currently practicing a few of her tricks in the sky above Fluttershy. It was a warm summer afternoon, and Fluttershy laid back on the grass on top of a picnic blanket. Angel was curled up next to her head, sleeping peacefully. Rainbow zig zagged through the clouds and spun one around with full force, then another, and another. Fluttershy cheered her best friend on the best she could, even if her cheering was as loud as the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. Rainbow Dash didn't mind, she was happy enough that Fluttershy was there watching her. She was currently practicing her tricks that she planned to show off at the next "Best Young Fliers" Competition which would be taking place in Canterlot this year. She would of course be finishing off her act with a Sonic Rainboom, but the routine would be different this time. The competiton was in a few weeks, and Rainbow had been practicing ever since three weeks ago when she learned she was eligible to reenter this year. Even Rainbow Dash couldn't practice forever. She needed a break. So she flew downward and landed in front of Fluttershy. The shy pegasus smiled as wind blew through her mane from the blue pegasus's landing, and Angel woke up as well. Seeing his momma beaming brightly at the cyan mare, Angel grumbled angrily, turned around, and went back to sleep. He wasn't about to let the speedy pegasus ruin his afternoon nap. "Wow Rainbow Dash!" said Fluttershy excitedly. "That was amazing!" "I know right?" Rainbow flexed her wings for Fluttershy and said, "I'm definitely winning with these babies! Anyway, I'm starving, you brought lunch right?" Fluttershy smiled and nodded. She turned and went to her picnic basket. Angel helped get the food out. They had lettuce and tomato sandwiches, fruits, and Fluttershy had even packed a few carrots for Angel. The white bunny took all his carrots and went to one corner of the blanket, starting in on his meal. Fluttershy giggled and gave Rainbow Dash a sandwich and an apple. "I hope you like it.." The light yellow mare said. Rainbow Dash smiled reassuringly at her friend. "It looks delicious!" she exclaimed. Fluttershy's cheeks turned pink and she hid behind her mane. Rainbow Dash couldn't help but smirk a little bit, finding Fluttershy adorable when she got all bashful like that. Fluttershy decided to distract herself from further embarrassment by tending to Angel. The rabbit had already eaten one and a half of his carrots, there was one last one left. Fluttershy frowned at her naughty pet and gave him a firm look. "Angel, slow down! You don't want to give yourself a tummy ache, do you?" she scolded her bunny. Angel looked at her and shrugged. He continued eating like he was, as if Fluttershy had never said anything at all. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes at this exchange. She could never understand how Fluttershy could tolerate that white furball. Then again, animals were her specialty. Rainbow looked down at her sandwich and licked her lips, thinking it looked very delectable. She took a bite of her sandwich and smiled as she chewed and swallowed. "Great sandwich!" she said through a full mouth. Fluttershy smiled, blushing again. "Don't choke," she warned her friend. "Take the time to enjoy it." "Yeah yeah, I know," said Rainbow with a wave of a hoof. Fluttershy smiled warmly and started eating her own sandwich. One of the many things she loved about Rainbow Dash was her bold nature and tough demeanor. She saw the blue pegasus as her protector, she only wished Rainbow would be her lover too. Her lover... Fluttershy looked down at her hooves. Rainbow Dash was the first mare she had fallen in love with. She had realized her feelings for her friend on the day they both got their cutie marks. She remembered that day well. "OH YEAH! Did you see that Shy? One moment I was just zooming through the air, and then boom! I did it, I am the first filly in Equestria's history to accomplish a Sonic Rainboom! And not only that, but I got my cutie mark!" Rainbow Dash said excitedly to her shy friend. "Check it out!" She showed Fluttershy her new cutie mark. "Wow Rainbow! it looks lovely!" said Fluttershy. "In fact, I got my Cutie mark too!" Fluttershy smiled and turned so Rainbow Dash could see her new Cutie mark. Rainbow Dash smiled and said, "Wow, that's pretty sweet, Shy! It looks great on you!" "R-really?" Fluttershy stammered, her face turning a bit red again. "You like it?" Rainbow nodded, "Of course. It suits you well. You look so at home here on the ground with all these animals." "Well they're all very adorable," said Fluttershy with a slight blush. "I guess today was our lucky day." "Of course it was, Fluttershy! We got our Cutie marks on the same day!" Fluttershy felt her tiny heart start beating faster inside of her chest. They had both earned their cutie marks, Rainbow Dash after she managed to make a sonic rainboom, and Fluttershy after she landed on a small group of Butterflies. Even now, as she looked up at the sky, she could see the butterflies flying above them. Their bodies were lined up with the rainbow that was now a faint streak of color in the sky, and it seemed like the butterflies were flying over the rainbow. Fluttershy thought it was a beautiful sight. The rays of sunlight made the rainbow shimmer, giving the butterflies an extra shine as they soared through the air. They seemed so at peace, joyfully flying while staying safely close to the ground. Rainbow Dash swallowed the last of her sandwich and looked over to Fluttershy, who was currently lost in thought. She looked at the shy mare for a moment, thinking how pretty her mane looked in this sunlight. It seemed to make her glow a little, therefore enhancing her beauty. Fluttershy realized she was being stared at and her cheeks flushed. Rainbow realized she was staring and her cheeks flushed as well. She looked away and started eating her apple. Could she...? Fluttershy began to think. She shook her head. It was a ridiculous notion, assuming Rainbow Dash returned her affections by staring at her. Besides, Fluttershy wasn't even sure if Rainbow Dash was into mares or not. Honestly, she had never seen Rainbow flirt with another stallion before, much less a mare. Maybe Rainbow Dash just wasn't interested in love at all? It would make sense, considering all the time the rainbow maned pegasus spent in the sky. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy eventually finished eating their lunches. Angel was already done, and was now just lying on his back while watching the clouds. Fluttershy gently nudged the little bunny awake so she could get the picnic blanket folded up. Angel grumpily got up and hopped off the blanket. He watched the two mares in silence as they cleaned up the area. Angel didn't feel like walking back to the cottage with them, he wanted a ride. So he hopped over to the picnic basket with the blanket folded and neatly placed inside. He hopped into the basket and curled up on the blanket, closing his eyes and falling asleep. Fluttershy smiled at her pet and carefully picked up the picnic basket. She flapped her wings, hovering just a few feet above the ground. Rainbow Dash flew back to the cottage with Fluttershy and they put away the picnic basket. Angel had no choice but to just get up and go play with his animal friends. In the meantime, it was time for Rainbow Dash to go. She had weather duty that afternoon, so Fluttershy said farewell and watched her fly off. Rainbow Dash flew back to her cloud home. She went inside and was met by Tank, who was happy to see his mother finally home. Tank knew it was Weather duty day for Rainbow Dash, and she would want to get in a quick nap before then. It was his job to wake her up in time to go. So when Rainbow Dash headed to her room for a quick nap, Tank followed and rested on the spot next to Rainbow. He closed his eyes as well and started napping. An hour later, he woke up to a scream. "TANK!" Rainbow cried. "You were supposed to wake me!" Rainbow Dash groaned in frustration as she flew around trying to get her stuff ready. Tank knew that if he could talk, he would tell her that there wasn't really any 'stuff' she needed. So he just sat and let his owner figure it out for herself. Rainbow Dash did, eventually, but only before she went zooming out the door. Tank sighed, knowing his mother wouldn't be back until later this evening. So he decided he would read one of the Daring Do novels Rainbow had borrowed from Twilight Sparkle while he waited. Rainbow Dash did another good day's work of clearing the skies. She decided to go to Sugarcube Corner to get a snack. She met Pinkie Pie inside, who was thrilled to bits that the pegasus was here now. She had actually just made a fresh batch of cupcakes and wanted to share them with Rainbow. So she led Rainbow to a seat and then hopped into the kitchen. A few minutes later she came back out of the kitchen with a lavender Unicorn in tow. It was Twilight Sparkle and she was using her magic to levitate it to the table. Twilight smiled at Rainbow Dash and said, "Hey Rainbow! Did you come to try some of our cupcakes? Pinkie Pie just taught me how to make them properly." "Well if they're fresh cupcakes, then that's even better!" said Rainbow Dash with a grin. Pinkie Pie grabbed a cupcake and handed it to Rainbow. "Try one then!" "Absolutely!" Rainbow Dash took the cupcake and bit into it. She smiled as it tasted quite good. She swallowed it and asked, "What flavor is it?" Pinkie Pie giggled and replied, "Cotton candy! Twilight picked out the flavor. I haven't made Cotton candy cupcakes in a while so I thought I would make them again!" "Well you guys did a good job," Rainbow Dash praised her friends. "Can I have another one?" "Absolutely!" said Pinkie Pie. Twilight levitated a second cupcake to Rainbow Dash as she asked, "So how was lunch with Fluttershy?" "It was great!" said Rainbow. "I worked up an appetite after practicing some of my best tricks. You know there's that competition in a few weeks." Twilight laughed softly and nodded. "I know Rainbow, you haven't let us forget that. You know we'll be there to cheer you on again!" "Yep, and even better, it's in Canterlot! So you guys won't have to worry about cloud spells or wings or anything like that," Rainbow Dash said. "Last year was a disaster." Twilight nodded in agreement. She glanced upward at the clock and her eyes widened. Twilight turned to her friend Pinkie Pie, who was enjoying a cupcake at the moment. "Pinkie, I need to go back to the Library. I'll see you later okay?" Pinkie Pie looked up at the clock and frowned. "Aw, already?" she whined. "Fine. I'll miss you!" Pinkie Pie went over and gave her friend a huge hug. Twilight blushed as she also received a kiss on the cheek. She was still getting used to having a marefriend, as she had never really dated anypony in the past. Rainbow Dash gave her a wave as she left Sugarcube Corner. She turned her attention back to Pinkie Pie and smirked. "So how are you and her getting along?" Rainbow Dash asked. Pinkie Pie grinned and said, "She's totally funnerific! We have so much fun together. She did have a little bit of trouble making the cupcakes today though, but the last batch was perfect! Not too bad for a newbie." She giggled and gestured to the tray on the table, "That's the one you just ate." "Not bad at all, Pinkie," Rainbow Dash agreed. "Well I should get going too. I promised Tank I would hang out with him tonight." "See you tomorrow?" Pinkie looked at her hopefully. "Sure!" Rainbow Dash grinned and got back on her hooves. "See ya tomorrow!" Rainbow Dash left the shop and headed back home. She found Tank on the pegasus made chair she had gotten for him. Her cloud home was of course, made up of mostly clouds. However, now that Tank was around, Rainbow had to get new furniture for her home. She didn't want her pet to have to constantly be hovering all the time. So she had gone to Cloudsdale and gotten furniture designed by Unicorns and pegasi together that could stay safely on a cloud without falling. Now Tank could safely relax in Rainbow's home, as long as he used the furniture she had gotten for him. "Tank, I'm back!" she greeted her pet tortoise. The two bro-hoofed and Rainbow sat down next to Tank's little chair. She lowered her head to see the title of the book Tank was reading. It was the fourth book in the Daring Do series. Rainbow Dash was impressed, the Tortoise was catching up fast. Rainbow was already on book five of the series, and she was actually just starting it. A few months ago, Rainbow Dash found herself wishing she could have someone to talk to about the book series. Twilight Sparkle was great and all, but she had already read the whole series and Rainbow didn't want any spoilers. So she got Tank hooked on the series, and now she would spend time talking about the endeavors of Daring Do with him in the safety of their cloud home. Thoughts of Tank brought her back to when she had gotten him at Fluttershy's, which in turn brought Rainbow to thinking about the earth-loving pegasus. Today had been really nice. She liked spending time with Fluttershy more than she let on. The shy mare was incredibly kind, hence her element, but there were other things Rainbow liked about her. Fluttershy was great with animals, and was always working hard to make her animals happy. While she was often very jumpy and easily frightened, there were times when Fluttershy had shown true courage. There was the time when Fluttershy had stood up to the dragon who was letting his smoke spread all over Equestria after the dragon had attacked her friends. There was the time when Fluttershy had found the courage to fly into a hurricane so they could get water up to Cloudsdale. She had even managed to truly cheer Rainbow Dash on at the Best Young Fliers competition a year and a half ago. Rainbow Dash realized she was smiling. Thinking about Fluttershy made her really happy, and she even felt her wings slowly extending. Rainbow Dash blushed and folded her wings back in. Did she really have that much love for Fluttershy? Rainbow thought back to earlier that day when she had admired the way Fluttershy glowed in the sunlight. Perhaps Rainbow did have feelings for her, but did Fluttershy return those feelings? Was she even into mares? Rainbow Dash sighed, doubting the shy pegasus would even admit those kinds of feelings. Then again, they had spent a lot of time together back when they were fillies. The coach blew his whistle as Fluttershy's turn came up. They were practicing take offs, and Fluttershy had been dreading her turn. She looked over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash, who would be after her. The bold filly gave Fluttershy an encouraging smile and she swallowed. Fluttershy slowly went to the edge of the cloud and peered over. There was another cloud several feet below that would catch her if she fell. Still, it seemed so far away, and Fluttershy hated flying. Suddenly, before she could even prepare herself, the coach shoved her off the cloud. Fluttershy screamed in terror as her wings immediately folded up against her flank. She fell down and landed on the cloud. All the other fillies started laughing at her. Fluttershy whimpered as she heard them taunting her. "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy can hardly fly!" the fillies all jeered at her. Fluttershy shut her eyes, wanting to cry. Then there was a quick gust of wind as somepony landed in front of her. Fluttershy opened her eyes and saw Rainbow Dash standing there, facing the other fillies. "Leave her alone!" Rainbow Dash snapped at the other pegasi. "It's not her fault if she's nervous about flying!" Rainbow Dash on the other hand, wasn't just angry at the fillies. She was even angrier at the coach. The coach had shoved Fluttershy off the cloud without even giving her a chance. Rainbow Dash had found that very unfair, and she had dived immediately to Fluttershy's aid. Before yelling at the coach though, she wanted to make sure her friend was okay. Rainbow turned towards Fluttershy and held out a hoof. Fluttershy took it and stood up, trembling. Her eyes filled up with tears and Rainbow extended a wing, laying it over the crying filly's back. "Come on Shy, let's leave these jerks," she said giving a glare to the other fillies. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and rose above the ground. Fluttershy followed, knowing it was only a short distance back up. They landed on the first cloud and Rainbow Dash went straight to the coach. "Hey! That was totally not cool, what you did! Fluttershy has a hard time flying, and you should be more aware of that!" Rainbow Dash shouted at the coach. The Coach narrowed his eyes at this brash little filly. He knew this filly was close to the smaller pegasus, and he also knew Rainbow Dash had a tendency to get angry and defensive when it came to Fluttershy. Still, he was her superior, and the little filly had no right to be speaking to him in this tone. He spoke in a cold voice, "Watch your tone, Dash. It's not my fault if the filly can't even get a jump start to flying. I'm only here to teach the best fliers." Rainbow Dash's nostrils flared in anger. She opened her mouth to speak when she heard a small voice behind her. "Rainbow...it's okay, really. He's right, I'm a horrible flier." "But Shy-" Rainbow began. "I'm sorry!" Fluttershy cried softly. She ran past Rainbow Dash and the Coach and away from the training field, tears rolling down her cheeks. Rainbow Dash ran after her, ignoring the coach's calls for her to come back. She chased Fluttershy all the way to the edge of the academy's area. The fleeing mare hopped up onto a cloud that was only a couple of feet above the ground and laid down, crying softly. Rainbow Dash jumped up onto the cloud with her and put a hoof on her back. "Shy, don't let them get to you," Rainbow Dash said gently. "You're a great flier! They just don't know it." Her response was a whimper and more sobbing. Rainbow Dash sighed and tried again. "Listen, Fluttershy, just because you're not the best flier doesn't mean you're the worst flier. You just need some practice. Come on, I know I'm a great flier and all, but there's still stuff I need to practice. You're not alone in this, Fluttershy. We're the best of pals, you and I. We stick together, regardless of our flying skills." She let Fluttershy cry a little more until she managed to calm down. Fluttershy sniffled and pushed herself up to her hooves, sitting on her rear. Rainbow Dash reached out and wiped away Fluttershy's tears for her. She gave her friend a big smile, and Fluttershy smiled weakly in return. "I'm sorry.." she murmured softly. Rainbow Dash scooted closer to Fluttershy and put a hoof on her shoulder. "Don't be sorry, Fluttershy. I'm not mad at you," she said. Fluttershy looked at her friend, her eyes still moist with tears. "Thank you," she whispered. Fluttershy was reflecting on this memory as she headed to the spa the next day. It was time for her weekly spa appointment with Rarity, and she didn't want to miss out on it. She also hoped to ask Rarity for some advice, and help her understand her feelings for Rainbow Dash. She reached the spa and went inside, where Rarity was waiting at the front. Rarity smiled and walked over to her friend. "Hello Fluttershy, I hope your day is going well. It will be made even better after a day at the spa!" she said excitedly. Fluttershy giggled and nodded in agreement. "Actually, I was hoping I could talk to you." "Oh of course, my dear! Let's get into a hot bath first," said Rarity. The two friends went ahead and started their spa day off in the hot tub. Fluttershy smiled as she sank herself into the refreshing water. She felt her muscles relax and let out a sigh of content. Fluttershy looked over to Rarity, the unicorn's smile making her more confident about talking to her. This was Rarity after all, Fluttershy could talk to her about anything. "What did you want to talk to me about, dear?" Rarity asked gently. Fluttershy looked down at the steaming water that warmed up her body. She stretched her legs out as she thought of a way to word this. She looked back to Rarity, who was waiting patiently. "It's about Rainbow Dash," she began. "I was...well I was wondering, do you know if she's into mares?" Rarity looked at her friend for a moment, surprised by the question. She answered the best she could, "I don't really know. I doubt she would even tell anypony if she was, knowing her." "Oh...okay..." Fluttershy wasn't sure if she should be relieved or disappointed. Comprehension dawned on Rarity. "Oh, do you like her, like that?" She emphasized on the word 'that'. Fluttershy blushed deeply, not looking up. "Yes, I know it seems so silly, but I do." Rarity smiled gently at her friend, "Darling, it's nothing to be ashamed about! Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie are marefriends, you know. Besides, I think it's sweet that you have a crush on Rainbow. I'm not really surprised either; you two have known each other since flight school." "Yeah, we have," Fluttershy smiled a little. "I want to tell her how I feel, I just don't know how to do it. I've never done anything like this before. Rarity, what do I do?" Rarity thought for a moment. Then her face brightened up she said, "Idea! You could try asking her to the Gala. It's supposed to be the night after the Best Young Fliers competition. Maybe you'll find out then. I'm sure she would love to go with you!" "You think so?" Fluttershy felt uncertain, but there was still a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Of course. I mean we'll all be going together, but I have a good feeling Rainbow Dash would like to spend time with you at the Gala," said Rarity. "Trust me darling, I have good instinct." "All right," said Fluttershy softly. "If you say so Rarity." "Don't worry darling," Rarity told her with a smile. "For right now, just relax. We're at a spa, time to have fun and forget about your worries for a little while." Fluttershy smiled, feeling better now after talking to Rarity. As she bathed in the hot tub, she thought about Rainbow Dash. She really hoped Rainbow would say yes to going to the Gala with her. Her heart started beating faster just thinking about it. She had the chance to watch her crush win again at the Best Young Fliers Competition and then spend time with her at the Gala. Even though the first time to the Gala had been disastrous for her and her friends, Princess Celestia had promised them that this time it would be much better. Especially since she and her friends would be the ones setting up the Gala. The plan was that the six of them, along with Spike, would go to Canterlot a week prior to the competition and the Gala. They would stay at the castle and make preparations. When the Gala actually started, they would be able to relax and have fun. The Gala this year was meant to be much more casual and easygoing than in previous years. It would be a first for all of Equestria, and Celestia knew that it would make more of her subjects happier. While Fluttershy and Rarity were spending the day at the spa, Rainbow Dash was flying to Sweet Apple Acres. She wanted to talk to Applejack about Fluttershy, because she was the only pony Rainbow trusted to talk about her personal feelings with. Applejack was in the Orchard, bucking apples when Rainbow landed in front of her. "Well hey there RD, what can ah do you for?" Applejack spoke in her cowgirl accent. "You got a moment?" Rainbow Dash asked her hopefully. Apple Jack nodded and turned to her winged friend, sitting down on her hind haunches. "Sure thing sugar cube, what's the matter?" "It's about Fluttershy," said Rainbow Dash. Her cheeks were going a bit red, and she looked down in embarrassment. She didn't normally talk about her feelings with other ponies, but Applejack was a good friend and Rainbow knew she could count on her. "Ah, I see. Everything okay with you two? Did something happen at the picnic yesterday?" Applejack asked, concerned. Rainbow Dash shook her head. "No, the picnic was fine. It's just...I think I have a crush on her," Rainbow Dash whispered the last part of her sentence. She hated how sappy she sounded right now Applejack chuckled a bit, "Well what's wrong with that?" Rainbow Dash sighed and explained, "She's a very sensitive pony, you know. How do I tell her how I feel? What if I scare her, or make her upset? The last thing I want to do is make her cry." "Ah can understand that," said Applejack. "She is really timid, so you don't want to surprise her either." Rainbow Dash nodded and asked, "What do I do, A.J?" "Well, ah think the best thing to do would be to just show her how you feel. Do something fun with her, something she would like," Applejack suggested. "Yesterday she treated you to a picnic and watched you practice flying. Return the favor by doing something nice for her." "That could work," said Rainbow Dash. "But I'm not the best cook, and I'm not an animal expert either..." "That's not important, Rainbow," Applejack said. "What's important is that you spend time with her. Let's see, we'll be going to Canterlot in a couple weeks to help the Princess prepare for the Gala right? Maybe you could ask the Princess if she would you take Fluttershy for a walk through the Royal Gardens. Ah know Fluttershy would like that." "She would!" Rainbow agreed. "Things would be calmer too, so she wouldn't feel so pressured about getting the animals to like her! Oh this is awesome! Thank you Applejack!" Applejack chuckled and tipped her hat to Rainbow Dash. "No problem, sugar cube. Happy to help. Remember though, be gentle about it. You don't want to scare the poor girl." Rainbow Dash nodded, "Right. Thanks again A.J. I'll let you get back to work now. See ya later!" "See ya, and good luck!" Applejack said as Rainbow Dash got back up to her feet. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings and took to the skies. She was so excited at the moment, she found herself flying faster. She knew Fluttershy would be overjoyed at the prospect of taking a walk through the Royal Gardens. During the walk, Rainbow Dash would open up to Fluttershy. She could only hope the shy mare returned her feelings. Rainbow Dash needed to start planning the perfect date. Wait, date? Rainbow Dash slowed down. Would it be considered a date? She guessed it was kind of romantic taking a walk through a garden. Then something occurred to her. What if Fluttershy saw it as a date and freaked out? What if Fluttershy panicked and decided to back out of it? The prospect of a date would probably make the timid pegasus very nervous. Rainbow Dash shook her head. She told herself to stop being so silly. Everything would be fine. Fluttershy was a very close friend of hers, and Rainbow Dash knew they both trusted each other very much. Rainbow Dash knew she needed to stop worrying so much. She also knew Fluttershy trusted Rainbow Dash not to bring any harm to her. They had proved that during flight school. I can do this, Rainbow Dash told herself as she flew back to her cloud home.