//------------------------------// // Back to Normal // Story: A Strange Dream // by Durant //------------------------------// Fluttershy woke up to an empty bed, but she could hear sounds coming from down stairs. "Dashie's up early today," Fluttershy said to herself as she got up and combed her mane breifly. Afterwards she gave her reflection a small smile before heading down stairs. As she got to the bottom she saw Rainbow opening the front door. Rainbow turned to see Fluttershy coming down stairs, but didn't say anything. "Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. "What?" Rainbow replied. "What are doing?" "What do you think I’m doing. I'm leaving." "Where are you going?" "Anywhere that's not here." "W-what?" "It's over Fluttershy, I'm finally free of you and the foals," Rainbow said. With that she flew off and disappeared into the clouds. Fluttershy rushed out and got ready to go after her, but she couldn't open her wings at all. She sat outside of cottage for a few seconds crying. She felt like life almost wasn't worth it anymore.She walked back inside with tear flowing down her cheeks until she heard two voices. "Where did mom go?" Fluttershy looked up see Butterfly and Mach looking at her. Fluttershy cried harder and held Butterfly and Mach close. "Mom isn't coming home, but at least I still have you two." "Mommy I'm scared." Mach said near tears. "Don't be, we'll be ok as lo-" Fluttershy cut her sentence short and she noticed her foals seem to be fading away. Fluttershy held them closer. "No, don't leave me too." "Mommy please don't let this happen to us," Butterfly begged "I won't let it happen." Butterfly and Mach slowly faded completely away as their cries and pleads disappeared with them. "NO! COME BACK!" Fluttershy yelled as she curled up into a ball, crying. She closed her eyes and banged her hooves into the floor. “Rainbow, Mach, Butterfly, please come back to me.” Fluttershy opened her eyes and sat up and realized she was in her room. She put a hoof up to her eyes could tell that had been crying in her sleep. Quickly she wiped her tears away and turned to Rainbow, only to find a white rabbit. At first she was confused but after a few seconds she realized it was Angel. She poked Angel until he woke up, he looked at her with an annoyed look. "Weren't you on the Island, Angel?' She asked. Angel gave her another annoyed look and went back to sleep. Fluttershy scanned the room and realized the extra dresser, the cloud, Wonderbolts poster it was all gone. Confused she got out of bed walked down to where Butterfly’s room was but it was just a wall. She shook her head slowly and started to walk down stairs, as she did all her animals came to greet her. She quickly made breakfast for her animals and herself, but she messed up several times ,all she could think about was Rainbow, and the fact a dream could feel so real. After the animals were fed she started to eat her own breakfast, but something tapped on her kitchen window. She turned to see Owlowiscious looking at her and tapped on the window again. Fluttershy opened the window for him "Hello Owlowiscious, what can I do for you today?" Fluttershy said timidly trying to give him a weak smile. He pointed to his leg and and around it was a note. Fluttershy took the note from him and started reading. Dear Fluttershy, I hope you're feeling ok this morning. When you have a chance come by the Library so I can fulfill my promise, no excuses today. My door is always open to you. Twilight Sparkle "I see, I think I'll follow you back if that's ok with you." Owlowiscious let out a small "Hoo" and started flying with Fluttershy close behind. As they flew to the library Fluttershy thought about what Twilight did to her and why, was she finally going to found out the “problem”? Not long after they took off, they landed in front of the library; Fluttershy took a deep breath and walked in. Inside was Spike back to his normal size and Twilight looked up from the book she was reading and smiled at Fluttershy. “Good morning Fluttershy.” Twilight greeted her and motioned for her to take a seat. Fluttershy gave her a small smile took the seat offered. "Ok, I'm ready for everything." Twilight nodded as her horn started to dimly glow. "Well, the first thing I should do is give you back all the memories you gave to me." Twilight's horn start to glow and Fluttershy felt a little heat in her head but she started to see and remember everything. *** Fluttershy flew down and knock on the library door. She looked around hoping no pony would see her as Twilight opened the door and smiled. "Hey Fluttershy what are you doing here it's kind of late you know?" Twilight asked. "I know, but this can't wait. I need to talk to about something." Fluttershy explained. "What is it?" Twilight asked, Fluttershy hesitated. "Lately I've been feeling upset and I wasn't sure why, but i think I'm lonely..." "Lonely? But you have so many friends and animal around." "Yes I do, and you are all great, and I care about my animals too. I feel like I need somepony else, like a special somepony. I wake up without anypony around and I work to help out my animals and spend time with all of you. I just don’t have anypony pony that cares for me the way I want to be cared for. I know it sounds selfish but that’s how I feel.” “It’s not selfish, everypony wants to feel loved. What you want is a coltfirend right?.” "Well,yes, and I came to see you because you seem to know everything, so I thought maybe you could help me." "I don’t know everything, but I do know the first thing we should do is find out who you want to be with." "I don't know," Fluttershy said sheepishly. Twilight looked at Fluttershy and then looked at a nearby shelf. "I have something that might help, but it’s kind of...excessive." "What is it?" "Its called the "Divine Heart" spell. It will search your mind and heart for the pony you care for most and then let you live in a fantasy for three days with them. I have to warn you, it messes with a you a little bit because you will feel everything, and it seems like real life. You have to be careful because if something happens to you in the fantasy, you won't wake up." Fluttershy closed her eyes for a few seconds and thought it through. "Let’s say I decided to do this. What if I just fool myself in loving whomever I wake up next to." "That won't happen, the spell knows who you want to be with even if you don't." "But what if the spell is wrong?" Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes a little and started flipping through the some books. "I could lock your memories of this conversation." "Lock my Memories?" "With the “Locked Memories” spell." "Is it safe?" "Yes, I'll just hold on them until you wake up." “But won’t I still be lonely?” “No, you’ll be with the pony you love.” Fluttershy stayed silent for a few minutes then looked at Twilight.” "Ok, I'll do it, cast the spell." "I can't" Twilight said writing something down on a piece of paper. "But if you put the paper under your pillow before you go to sleep the spell will be cast then. Just in case something goes wrong Spike and I will be there with you, as well as Princess Luna who will come by and check on you every so often." Fluttershy smiled and picked up the paper. "Thank you Twilight...for everything." Fluttershy said before flying off to her cottage. With that the vision ended. *** Fluttershy shook her head and looked at Twilight. She waited for a moment to see if that feeling was still there. After a few second she sigh happily as the feeling didn't return. "How do you feel?" Twilight asked. "I feel fine, that feeling of loneliness is gone." Fluttershy answered. "I'm about ask a personal question, but did you know that you were...into mares?" "Oh, umm no, I didn't." Fluttershy blushed a little. "When you came in the first day I just watched the door waiting for a stallion to walk in." Twilight laughed a little. "Is that why you gave me that worried look before I left?" "Ya, I thought you or I did something wrong. Princess Luna tried to wake you, and I tried to stop the spell, but I couldn't." "That’s a good thing, otherwise I may not had found out that I love Rainbow." "What are you going to do now?" "I have to see Rainbow, bye Twilight...and thank you" Fluttershy said as she walked out the door and started towards Rainbow’s home. “Good Luck!” Twilight called out behind her. Fluttershy practiced what she was going to say as she neared the could house and almost lost her nerve. She gathered all her courage as she landed outside Rainbow’s home. The next five minutes were the hardest as she kept trying to knock on the door, but stopped as her nerves got the best of her. After a while she finally knocked on the door She could hear somepony coming, but every second seemed like an hour. The door opened and a sleepy looking Rainbow stood at the door. "Hey Shy," Rainbow greeted, rubbing her eyes a little bit. "H-hi" Fluttershy replied. Rainbow gave her an odd look as she noticed Fluttershy was shaking. "Something wrong? Do you need to come inside?" "N-no, I need to..tell you s-something." "What is it?" Fluttershy looked at Rainbow choosing her next words carefully. "I-I..." "Just say it Shy, how bad can it be?" "I....love you," Rainbows eyes widen for a moment, but she didn't say anything. "R-Rainbow?" Fluttershy started to worry, maybe she was too forward. After a few moments Rainbow sighed and gave Fluttershy a small smile. "I've never dated a mare before, but if you really do love me I guess we can give it a shot." Fluttershy kissed Rainbow deeply Rainbow heisted at first but started to kissed back. *** Fluttershy laid down looking at the two twin foals in her forehoofs. One was a colt with a rainbow mane, the other was a filly with a pink mane which reminded Fluttershy of her own. Rainbow was beside her looking at them as well with a wide smile. "What do you think Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked. Rainbow looked at the like colt and smiled. "I can tell this one is going to be fast, he'll be flying at mach speeds in no time...hey,that's a good name, what about Mach?" "I like that name," Fluttershy commented. "What about our filly?" "She beautiful, I guess she got that from you, but I can't pick out a name," Rainbow answered. Fluttershy looked at her, she looked like Butterfly from her "dream" two years ago. "What about Butterfly?" "Sounds perfect." Rainbow laughed a little. Rainbow held Fluttershy tight and as they both smiled at their foals. "I do love Rainbow Dash and I love my foals too." Fluttershy thought.