The Accident

Rainbow Dash

“You know, I think this might be even more boring than last year’s migration.” The rainbow maned pony said with a huff. She knew her friend wasn’t listening. Fluttershy continued to stare into the valley where thousands upon thousands of butterflies created a long line as they migrated south for the winter. The multitude of colour that the butterflies brought was the only appeal for Rainbow Dash, but even that charm lasted only a few minutes before getting old. They’d been there for three hours. Fluttershy barely said anything the entire time, despite Rainbow's attempts at striking up a conversation. She was completely engrossed by the thousands of insects flying past and from their perch on a high up cliff they could see all the “action.” The valley stretched on for miles from the South to the North. Her friend had explained to her with great enthusiasm about why the butterflies liked to travel by the canyon. Something about protection from predators, she wasn’t paying any attention.

The most fun Rainbow Dash had yet that day was eating the picnic they’d packed, when Fluttershy tore herself away from the binoculars for a couple minutes, and they could actually talk. But now they just sat on a crumb covered blanket, one watching intently, the other wanting to leave. But she wouldn’t. Despite being ultra boring, she’d been planning on hanging out with Fluttershy for a long time but they had both been so busy lately. A forest fire had injured and misplaced a ton of animals and Fluttershy had been up to her ears with work. Rainbow had been practicing hard for the next course at the Wonderbolt Academy in a few weeks, and could barely find enough time to sleep. If feigning interest at the butterfly migration was the only way they could hang out than Rainbow Dash could suffer through it. For how long though...

“Fluuuuttershy,” The yellow mare turned upon hearing her name.

“I’m bored.” She said

Fluttershy giggled “Come on Rainbow it shouldn’t be much longer.” She smiled reassuringly. Damn why did she have to use that smile. So Rainbow Dash sat down beside her friend again and waited. For another hour. Still the migration went on and on, with no signs of stopping and Fluttershy remained still, simply watching. Rainbow Dash felt like exploding. Her need to get moving was stifled only by the look of utter contentedness on the yellow mares face. Somehow she was actually being entertained by this. Her eye’s rarely shifted away from the thousands of insects that were causing Rainbow such distress. Her beautiful blue eyes. Why wouldn’t they lock with her own?

No,she violently pushed those thoughts aside. Rainbow figured it was only a matter of time before thoughts about her surfaced; they always did when she spent a lot of time with Fluttershy. She wished she didn’t have to fight off the thoughts, that she could just tell her how she felt, but Dash knew she couldn’t think of her in that way, it could mess up everything. She wasn’t even sure if Fluttershy was into mares. She told Fluttershy that she was a long time ago, and she was surprisingly alright with it. But if she told her about her feelings for her, deep feelings, she might leave her, and that was a thought she couldn’t bear. Best friend is just as good as fillyfriend, she told herself again and again. Fluttershy was a friend that’s it.

Her very good friend.

Her very attractive friend...

Damn it. Vainly, she kept trying to find things to distract herself, the shapes of the clouds, the height of the surrounding hills, but somehow her train of thought always landed on Fluttershy. After running out of things to look at, she found herself just staring at the pegasus. At least she could have that. Her yellow coat, her wavy pink mane, the curves of her body. She was the epitome of beauty in Rainbows eyes. If she leaned just right, she could see the sunlight bounce off her. Maybe I could move in just a bit closer...

Rainbow Dash quickly snapped out of it, and turned away from her. She was loseing control of herself fast. She had to fly; she had to clear her head of her conflicts. Aerial acrobatics weren’t a permanent solution, she knew, but it was the best one. She faced her again, trying to play it cool. “Fluttershy, how much longer?” she asked, her voice breaking on the last word causing her to cringe a little. The other pony blinked, as if coming out of a trance, and Rainbow was gifted with a stare by those eyes. “I’m not sure,” she said, soft as always, “It should have ended a while ago.”

“What!?” Rainbow exclaimed, casting a glance to the end of the valley where the bugs were coming from. From their hilltop perch, they could see for miles, but there was still no end in sight to this parade of butterflies. “Listen, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said slowly. “You know I love hanging out with you, but this is just too much, I think I’m going to have to bail.” The look she got this time seemed almost horrified. “No please don’t go Rainbow,” she pleaded “I’ve been waiting to spend time with you for a while now.”

“Then why don’t we just go back into town and have dinner or something?” The blue mare offered.

“But if we go back our friends will want to join us too, and I was hoping to spend a day with just you.” Rainbow Dash felt her face warm up, and saw her friend’s flush as well after she realised what she’d said. But this just brought up more torturous thoughts in Rainbow’s mind and she knew if they spent anymore alone time, she would say something she’d regret. “We can hang out at the cottage tomorrow I promise. It’s not you, it’s the butterflies,” she said extending her wings. But as she took off she was stopped by a hoof pressed against her own. Fluttershy flew next to her, her saddle bag hung losesly across her back. “Rainbow Dash please. Look over there, i can see the last of them, ten minutes and the migration will be over.” Sure enough, after a glance back the butterflies finally seemed to be thinning out. "Ten minutes Rainbow. Please." She was shocked by how desperately she wanted her there, and she liked it more than she could care to say.

But as the two hovered in the air, gazing into eachothers eyes, Dash could feel the words upon her lips and found herself staring at Fluttershy’s. Her heart raced and she knew she couldn't hold it any longer. she had to go. “I’m sorry.” She said, with as much meaning as she’d ever spoken, but her attempt to get away was foiled yet again by a foreleg interlocked with her own. Still the mare held her, and Rainbow’s compulsion to kiss her yellow friend frightened her to the point of wordlessly trying to flee again. But this time was different.

She beat her wings hard but a down force of wind caused one wing to stop before the other, and the weight of the yellow mare tossed her into a hard spin. Instead of going up she shot down wards into the valley. Fluttershy let out a terrified scream, but Rainbow Dash stayed calm and tried to correct. The spinning continued, but she told herself no matter what, she wasn’t letting go. There was no way Fluttershy could get her balance back before crashing herself. The blue mare fought desperately but without avail, her control was gone, thrown completely off by the weight on her foreleg. no matter how she flapped or turned her wings, the speed of their spin and deceleration increased. Now Fluttershy was grasping her in turn, squeezing her around her chest, still letting out petrified shrieks.

They fell straight through the trail of butterflies, and she knew they were close to the ground. Without any thought but keeping her friend as far from the rocky floor as possible, she gave the hardest flap of her wings that she could manage and the last thing she saw before tumbling into darkness was a cave opening on the cliff face, coming to swallow them. The last thing she heard was the pained screams of her best friend. The last thing she thought; Dear Celestia, let her live.

Confessions

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Rainbow Dash

The impact was harsh but swift. Rainbow had closed her eyes just before she collided with the stony walls of the cave. Her head was the first thing to hit, and it shot a bolt of pain throughout her body. The hit was hard and the momentum of the two mares carried them an extra couple of feet. After they hit what she could only guess was the ground, the grip around her chest was released and she couldn’t feel the weight of Fluttershy under her anymore. She came to a stop after skidding a few more feet. Her vision was blurred and there was an intense ringing in her ears. Even so, she didn’t need these senses to know the cave was collapsing after their collision. She could feel the vibrations of hundreds of tonnes of rock crashing down on top of them. Didn’t have the fight in her to try and run to safety, her head felt like it had shattered. Suddenly missing the tight grip around her chest, she called out “Fluttershy,” weakly, before closing her eyes.

When she eventually awoke, her skull felt like it was made of thousands of bits of shattered glass. Her eyelids felt like they were tied to weights. In the settling dust Rainbow Dash heard a small whimpering, but, coupled with the ringing in her ears it was near impossible to tell whether or not it was real. Rainbow Dash blinked slowly trying to remember what happened. She’d crashed. She sucked in a long breath, drawing in the dust making her cough, which didn’t help the pain in her head. The heavy rumbling had ceased, which she hoped meant the cave was stable now. She stood shakily to her hooves. All her muscles ached, especially her wings. She tried to spread them, but was stopped almost instantly by a sharp pain on her right side. Rainbow hoped that it wasn’t what she thought it was, but as she peered under her wing, she could already see the blood collected on her bottom feathers. Her right side had been raked by the stone walls, a large gash sneered from under her wing. Luckily it wasn’t bleeding too bad so she tucked her wing against it tightly, gasping sharply at the touch. The sound echoed across the cavern, eerily.

The ringing noise began to recede and the whimpering noise she thought she heard earlier grew in volume and clarity and in one horrifying moment she put the pieces together. She wasn’t alone. She’d brought her friend down with her. Fluttershy. “Fluttershy!” she called ignoring the pain it caused in her skull. She swung her head around, searching madly for her friend. As she searched the dark cavern she found her worries had come true. The cave exit had collapsed. They were trapped in a prison of jagged rock. Thin beams of light sneaked through the rocks and danced across the still settling dust, giving her just enough light to navigate and find her bearings.

Piles of fallen stones littered the floor all across the cavern. She couldn’t see the entirety of the cave, the little light they had could only reach so far. There was no sign of her friend. “Fluttershy!” she called again. The whimpering sounds echoed around the cavern so it was difficult to find exactly where it was coming from. In the dim light, shadows loomed around the cave, and in her still swimming vision, some appeared to be moving and for the first time in a long time she felt truly scared. Scared, not only of the things that may have lurked in the dark but for her friend whom was nowhere to be found. Her heart pounded faster. If anything happened to her...

She continued to scan the room, and her eyes eventually landed on a small glimpse of yellow. She refused to let the pounding in her head slow her down as she sprinted towards a rock pile. A few yellow feathers jutted out from between the jagged bits of earth. She was buried. She let out a horrified gasp and, without hesitation, Rainbow Dash attacked the rock pile, tossing stones across the cavern.

None of them were very large, thank Celestia for both herself and Fluttershy, buried underneath them. Slowly she uncovered the whimpering yellow mare; each stone lifted renewing her vigor. She would save her friend. She pushed the last stone off, revealing the trembling mare, eyes shut tight, laying on her right side. Her open mouth let out the sounds that had echoed across the cave. Her chest heaved with quick and heavy breaths. Her bottom lip was split, and a small trail of blood trickled down her cheek and for a moment, relief settled over her for finding the mare relatively unharmed. But then her eyes settled on something that made her stomach churn. Wings were not supposed to bend that way.

Fluttershy’s left wing was bent at a very wrong angle. A very painful angle. Rainbow desperately fought the urge to retch at the sight of it and tried to find a voice. “Fluttershy, are you okay?” she asked stupidly, unable to think of anything else to say. She already knew full well what the answer was. Her eyes flew open and flew about the cavern at the sound of her voice, eventually settling on Rainbow Dash. Rainbow turned so she could only see her right side. She didn’t want her to see her injured as well.

“W-what happened?” she asked, her soft voice quavering.

“We crashed Fluttershy,” she said, her words slightly choked. What had she done to her friend? “It’s all my fault,” she whispered. “It’s all my fault, I’m sorry.” Her eyes stung from the tears trying to force their way out but she fought them. She had to be strong, for her. A small beam of light reflected off Fluttershy’s teary eyes. “My wing,” she groaned and winced. “It hurts.” The statement shook Rainbow dash at her foundations. It was so simple, so soft, so emotional. She was in pain and Dash couldn’t do anything about it. It broke her heart. A single tear rolled down Fluttershy’s face. “Your wing i-it’s broken.” Dash told her. She was quite surprised by her resilience to the pain. Rainbow had cried a lot more than she would like to admit when her wing had broken, and that was only a fracture.

“Is it bad?” the yellow mare whispered. Rainbow Dash could only nod, unable to bring herself to look upon the injury again. Her friend grimaced “Oh it hurts.” She repeated. It was tearing dash apart. She wanted to take the pain away, to stop it, more than she’d ever wanted anything. She would give anything to experience Fluttershy’s pain herself, and be spared having to listen to her suffer. The tears were winning, she forced her eye’s closed to hols them back. Fluttershy gritted her teeth and took several deep breaths before speaking again. “Rainbow Dash,” she said softly. Rainbow looked over to her, at her large green eyes. “I need you to set the bone.” Images of Fluttershy screaming and crying flew into dash’s mind. “No I-I can’t-”

“It’s easy,” she said, her voice losing its quiver and sounding a bit more like the tone she took when speaking to animals. “Like pushing a puzzle piece into place.” Fluttershy was trying desperately to keep her calm she could tell, but her own chest constricted at the thought.

“Fluttershy I-” Rainbow dash stammered trying to get out of it. She couldn’t bring herself to cause her more pain than she already had. But Fluttershy cut her off.

“Dashie,” she stared at her with those eyes another tear slid down her face “Please.”

“I... I...” She already knew she’d been defeated. “I’ll try.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said squeezing her eyes shut and opening them again. “I know how to do this; I can walk you through it. But first I need you to get my saddlebag off.”

Rainbow Dash had never performed a task so carefully in her life. She gently pulled the straps, eventually working the lightly packed bag around her wing, without touching it. “Now I need you to roll me onto my back. Gently please.” Rainbow Dash treated her like thin glass as she rolled her. Despite starting on her side, it took her two minutes to finally get her on her back. She winced as she was finally rolled into position. Her voice had lost most of its quaver, now she was in vet mode, focused and aware. “Good. Now I need you to get on top of me.” Despite the context of the proposition, the suddenness of the statement and the thought of doing such a thing made her heart skip. “Why?” she asked, though certainly not complaining. “Because,” she answered “It’s going to hurt and I’m going to try to get away. I need you to hold me down.” The rainbow mare swallowed loudly and stepped over her friend, so that she was facing her broken wing.

She wondered whether or not it was luck that her angle put her injured side opposite to Fluttershy. No, if she had any luck, they wouldn’t have been there in the first place. For assurance she pressed her own wing against her own wound, she didn’t need Fluttershy to worry about her too. “Okay, now I need you to empty my saddle-bag and tear off the strap. Rainbow did as instructed. Fluttershy watched her patiently. “Give me the bag.” Once it was given to her she grasped it with both her hooves. “You have to tie the strap around the broken area once it’s set. Tightly.”
“Why do you need the bag?”

“I’m going to need something to bite down on.” Rainbow was speechless at this pony’s bravery. Her usually timid friend, who had to be coerced into even talking to another pony, was staring extreme pain in the face, and barely flinching. And it was in that moment she knew she would never forgive herself. Not only for getting them into this mess, but for causing her best friend so much pain she had to be held down against her will and biting down on a saddlebag. What kind of friend was she?

“I’m ready.” The yellow mare said, her voice finally betraying her fear, the quiver returning. Rainbow gave her the best smile she could pull together, though it was more uncomfortable than reassuring, so she stopped. She slowly lowered herself down, pressing her own body against her friend’s. The connection made her breath catch in her throat. She could feel her warmth against her. She felt every breath, every beat of her heart. She still knew where she was, still remembered what she’d done, but for just a moment as she pressed herself against Fluttershy, a sense of home filled her mind. But reality pushed the feelings away as quickly as they came, and she was returned to her cavernous prison. Her own breath felt laboured, and she hoped it was just the prospect of what she was about to do, not the secret she hid under her wing. She was lying diagonally across her so she could reach the break. She stared at the injury. The feathers were askew and the sight of the wing made her lunch want to come up. She couldn’t do this. She was about to say as much, but Fluttershy spoke first. “I know you can do it Rainbow. I trust you.” They locked eyes. Fluttershy’s were watery and Rainbow knew hers probably were to. Under any other circumstance the amount of time they gazed at each other might have been awkward, but not now.

Dash’s resolve was steel. She nodded at her injured friend to let her know she was ready. Fluttershy nodded back and put the saddle bag in her mouth. She closed her eyes and as Rainbow leaned forward she could tell she was scared. It wasn’t her eyes or her breath; she wasn’t even shaking, much to her surprise. But the closer rainbow brought herself to the wing, the faster her heartbeat became. The break was just above the base of the wing, where the feathers began. She placed her hoof at the base of the wing, for leverage, which cause Flutter she to squeak slightly into the saddlebag. It was now or never.

She wanted to say something. Something she’d wanted to say for a very long time, something she wanted her friend to know before she caused her such excruciating pain. But the words came out wrong and stuttering, so she stopped herself. Instead just said, “You’re a very brave pony Fluttershy.” Her voice cracked. Fluttershy nodded, and then shut her eyes tight. She felt her chest against hers, felt her pounding heart, it was what she’d always wanted. And she would’ve given anything to be anywhere else.

She leaned in close to the wing and gently closed her teeth against the other side of the break. The beating on her chest was impossibly quick; she needed to do this now. She could only hope one day her best friend would forgive her. Against every muscle and every instinct she pulled the wing to set it. The scream that erupted from Fluttershy was terrible, and the saddle bag between her teeth did little to muffle it. It was earth shattering, soul shattering. Rainbow heard it in every fiber of her being. Fluttershy’s body forced against her trying to push her off, but Rainbow pushed her back down, feeling the beginnings of tears in the corners of her eyes. Rainbow felt Fluttershy’s hoof beat against her back. At first she thought that she was trying to hurt her back and strike her, but the beats stopped and Dash realised she was pulling her into a crushing embrace, squeezing dashes body tigher against her own. Tears fell from her own eyes as she committed the deed, it was taking too long, but there was still more to go.

Three pulls. Three pulls to set the bone. Three times she caused her best friend unimaginable pain and had to hear her cries. Finally, she felt it snap into place, and she couldn’t have pulled again even if it hadn’t. The final blood curdling scream still bounced across the walls of the cave. And then silence. Rainbow couldn’t stop trembling. What had she done? She turned to see her friends eyes closed and the trails of the many tears that had run down her face. Instantly her mind took to the worst possible thought. Had she just killed her? Had she just killed her best friend? No, her chest was still rising and falling against her own albeit much slower. Her heart still beat faster than she thought possible. No she was just unconscious. She had caused her friend to pass out from pain. What kind of friend was she? Her tears returned with full force, resting her head on Fluttershy’s chest.

She wrapped her wing in the strap and repositioned herself so they could be parallel, while still keeping her chest against her. It was the one comfort she could find in this damn cave. Her body was so warm, so soft. Black shadows loomed around the cave, monsters in the dark, waiting to take her away. They could for all she cared, she deserved it. Just as long as they left Fluttershy. Ponies like her didn’t belong in caves. Fluttershy’s breath was still swift and heavy, dash finally noticed the bag, still lodged deep in her mouth. She leaned forward to pull the bag from her clenched jaw. She locked her own teeth around it and removed it from her friends’ mouth. As she did so, she noticed the amount of spit Fluttershy had put on it. She felt heat rush to her face as the damp saddle bag hung from her mouth and she placed it on the ground. She stared down at the mares face again.

Her mouth hung open slightly sucking in shaky breaths and letting them out. Her mane was messy and covered in dust, large clumps hung over her face. As if on instinct she began running her hoof through her mane, removing the dust and restoring her signature wave. The damp air in the cave wasn’t helping the process. But the action and the feel of her mane on her hoof kept her calm, and distracted. It did nothing to stop her guilty tears. Her hair was so soft. Her eye moved down and lingered on her face, dotted with tears. Rainbow moved her muzzle closer to her face. Each soft breath she let out washed over her face covering her in warmth. Despite having lunch only a few hours ago, her breath smelled sweet, like a tea of some kind.

With tenderness she never knew she had she moved in closer and gently rubbed away her tears with her muzzle, still caressing her mane. She was very soft. Rainbow liked being so close to her. But she wanted her to get up, to give her a sign that she was okay. When she moved her face away, she could feel the wet tears tickling her nose. The sleeping mare's beating heart had slowed and for a few moments, Dash could’ve sworn both of theirs were beating in unison. And she stood there, not moving, hardly breathing, and waiting. Waiting for any sign, any movement. After twenty minutes she was still standing there. The calm that had ensued after everything that had happened earlier gave everything a dreamlike feeling. Except the events that day had felt more like a nightmare.

Suddenly, the yellow mare let out a small, delicate moan. And then almost startlingly Fluttershy’s eyes flew open and struggled to make sense of what was happening. She focused again on Rainbow's eyes and looked at her with a surprised look. “Rainbow Dash?” She said uncertainly. “Fluttershy!” Rainbow squealed, forgetting for a moment where she was and what she’d done, more happy than she could ever recall being. And in that moment, such ecstatic energy coursed through her, consequences no longer held meaning. The cave was gone, Fluttershy was fine, it was just her and her friend. She finally summoned the courage to do what she’d dreamt of doing since she could remember.
She closed her eyes and swiftly leaned in pressing her lips to Fluttershy’s. Her lips were even softer than her face. She’d finally done it. Ever since they were young fillies, Rainbow had wanted this. For a horrifying second as she kept their lips pressed, she felt no return from Fluttershy, her lips remained still. But the second ended and Fluttershy leaned into it and kissed back, and Dash could feel the blush rising to her face. She was new at this, Rainbow could tell. Her lips moved with fervor but clumsily, but that just made it all the more special. Fluttershy wanted it too. Dash's wings extended at her sides.

Finally they pulled away from each other slowly and opened their eyes. Rainbow Dash’s heart pounded as she locked eyes with the yellow mare, and saw her own feelings reflected in them, a warm smile displayed on her soft lips, eyes still a little watery. Before her courage left her, she finally said the words she’d wanted to say for so long, and wanted to say every day for the rest of her life. “I love you, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy's smile lightened the cave. The yellow mare opened her mouth to say somthing, but her face swiftly turned to one of shock. For a moment Rainbow Dash thought she might've done something wrong, that she made a mistake. But she realized Fluttershy wasn't looking at her, but at her right wing. Her right wing, that she'd extended in the heat of the moment. Her right wing with cyan feathers, dripping crimson blood to the dark cave floor.

Pain

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Fluttershy

Just like that the magic ended. The thrill and excitement and happiness that had coursed through her at Rainbows sudden advance disappeared, replaced now by terror.

“Rainbow!” she gasped.

“Fluttershy, I’m fine, relax.” The blue Pegasus replied in a cautious tone. She gentaly placed her hoof on Fluttershys chest, an attempt at a reassuring gesture.

“You’re not fine Dashie, you’re bleeding.” She attempted to get up, forgetting the chest still pressed tightly against her own. The Pain in her wing returned with a sharp bite. “Take it easy,” Rainbow said, the way a mother might say to her foal. “You passed out for a really long time.” The light Rainbow had carried in her eyes since they kissed went away, and a look of guilt came to her face. “Fluttershy, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe I did this to you.”

The yellow mare was shocked by how swift she was to take blame for it. After all, she was the one who grabbed her when she tried to leave. “Dashie,” she began to say but was quickly cut off.

“No Fluttershy, this was all me.” She stared into her eyes with deep intensity. Her magenta eyes were rimmed with red. She was about to cry. “I was in such a rush to get away, over something so stupid, and I wound up hurting you.” Fluttershy could feel each shaking breath against her body. She wanted to say something, she didn’t want to let her take the blame, but like always, she couldn’t find any words. “The way you screamed when I...” she didn’t finish. She shut her magenta eyes tight; a single tear rolled down her cheek and hit Fluttershy on her nose. It tickled.

Still unable to find her voice, to tell her it wasn’t her fault, Fluttershy could only do the easiest thing that came to mind. She pushed her own face up as far as she could and locked lips with her friend once again. She could tell from the way her heavy breaths paused, it was Rainbow’s turn to be surprised. But her recovery was quick, and Fluttershy felt her lips moving with hers. The only lips she had ever been familiar with. Rainbow Dash was her first kiss.

The flurry of emotions that coursed through her was very confusing. Her very first kiss had been shared with a mare. She’d never really given much thought to kissing, let alone which gender, but she’d always wondered what that feeling she got in her chest whenever she saw her rainbow maned friend was. Every time they locked eyes, she felt like somepony was standing on her chest, and she had to fight to keep a blush from creeping into her face.

The kiss held a good distraction from her injury for a while, but slowly the ache returned to Fluttershy’s wing and she became unable to ignore it. She pulled away gently and tried not to give any indication of her pain. She didn’t need Rainbow to feel any worse. She’d done a really good job patching up her wing, but the pain was still definitely there. That however, was a hurt that only time, could heal, unlike the large gash Rainbow was keeping concealed under her wing.
When she opened her eyes again, they found a blushing blue face staring down expectantly at her. With a start, she remembered what Rainbow had said to her after the first kiss. She’d gotten such a shock from Rainbow’s state, she’d completely forgotten. Instantly, she felt racked with guilt, how could she have forgotten that? Luckily the words came much faster to her now, and breathlessly, she blurted out,

“I love you too.”

The smile that came to Rainbow’s lips was extremely gratifying, and she let herself get lost in one more kiss. It made it easy to forget, when their lips connected. Easy to forget the pain in her wing, easy to forget where they were. The world seemed to just fall away in the mare’s embrace. It was like a drug. Heat crept up to her face and the longer their lips lingered, the better the feeling got. But Rainbow was hurt and they couldn’t spend the rest of their day's kissing in the cave... no matter how much she wanted to. So when their lips finally parted for the third time, Fluttershy broke free from her thoughts of romance and dreams, and started thinking like she usually did, like a vet.
“Rainbow Dash,” she said quietly, yet commanding. “I need to take a look at your cut.”

She thought that Rainbow would have fought a little harder to stay and kiss but she seemed far away now, and the happiest Fluttershy had seen her in months. The blue Pegasus slid off her chest and lay down on her uninjured side. She found a large rock jutting from the floor for her to rest against. Only when she was off did Fluttershy realise how cold the cave was. Suddenly she longed for her warm cyan blanket again. No, I have to focus

The pink maned pony was taken aback by how difficult it was to keep her mind straight. It's so cold in here She slowly and shakily got herself up to her hooves. Rainbow had changed her trance-like stare into one of concern, and Fluttershy noticed the blue mare shift slightly. The sudden change in blood flow worsened the throbbing her wing but she ignored it. Then suddenly the throbbing turned into a fire and a small cry escaped her. Quick as a whip, Rainbow Dash was right beside her.

“You alright?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine.” She said, trying not to grit her teeth. She wanted the blue pony to hold her, proect her, cover her once more. But even as they stood there, the slow, pattering sound of blood dripping from the tip of her cyan feather bounced all across the cave.
She had Dash lay down again after a few more assurances that she was ok, and she began her examination. “Rainbow, I need you to lift your wing a bit.”

Rainbow Dash did as she was asked, and stopped when it was about half unfurled.
“It hurts too bad if I lift it any higher.” She said with a grimace. But the height she had lifted it to was more than enough for her to get a good look at the damage. She tried to stifle a gasp but it didn’t work. The wound was gruesome. Half a foot of rent flesh directly under the base of her wings. Luckily, it wasn’t deep enough to see bone, but it cut into the muscle. Somehow the blood was minimal but even as she stared, small trails of blood began to flow down her blue body. The area where she had kept the bleeding at bay with her wing had stained her fur purple.

“Rainbow Dash!” she said “This is much worse than I expected. I-I can’t treat this!” She knew that she had absolutely nothing in the way of medical supplies, but she hadn’t expected the size of the cut. She was surprised by how calm Rainbow Dash was though, still just staring up at her, waiting for her to tell her what to do. “There’s nothing we can do here, you need a hospital, an actual doctor.” The stress of the sight of this injury, coupled with the intense, unwavering pain in her wing made her feel very light headed. She had to sit down. This was serious, a cut like that in this environment would undoubtedly get infected, and that could cause a lot of issues.
Death wasn’t such a farfetched possibility.

No, she couldn’t think like that. And she definitely couldn’t tell her that. She took a few deep breaths to collect her thoughts and calm her racing heart. “Ok,” she breathed, even her small voice echoed across the cave. “There’s nothing we can do aside from keeping pressure on it and covering it from infection, so I need you to keep that wing closed, until we can get you to a hospital.” She put her hoof on Dash’s wing and pushed it gently down, pressing it slightly against her body, to show her how much pressure to put. Rainbow winced slightly as the wing connected with her gash. She brought the same hoof up to her own forehead, trying to organize her thoughts. “You also need to take things easy, any strenuous activities poses a risk of widening the cut. So no running.”

Rainbow continued to stare for a minute before she put the pieces together. “Wait, you’re saying that I can’t fly until we get back to town? We have to walk there like this?” she asked pointing at her injury.

“I guess so.” Fluttershy said meekly. A groan of frustartion escaped the colourful pegasus. For the first time since they had gotten trapped, Rainbow seemed almost aggravated, which was understandable. The idea was very unappealing to her as well.

They had flown to the edge of the Everfree forest. The flight had taken almost two hours at Rainbow’s breakneck speeds. Even if the walk wasn’t through miles of tree and hill covered terrain, it would take several days. Add to that the fact that they would have to take it very slow to avoid worsening their hurts, the trip would be far from short. “Well what are we waiting for?” Rainbow said, rising to her hooves.
“The less time we’re stuck here the better.” Some of her old brashness returned to her voice.

She had expected her to be more concerned with the fact that she couldn’t fly. Flying was her life, wasn’t it? If she didn’t know Rainbow as well as she did, she would have assumed it was just her tendency for speed taking over again, not wanting to be cooped up, not wanting to sit around, but Fluttershy knew better.

She had figured it out a while ago, but Rainbow was terrified of the forest. She was ok with it in large numbers, but she never entered it alone. The one time Fluttershy had talked her into a picnic at a beautiful little clearing a small way into the forest; she had been really antsy, jumping at the smallest noises, she didn’t even finish eating. She never pointed it out to her, knowing it would be a huge slight on her pride. But as terrified as she was, she knew staying was far worse than just getting out as fast as possible. And that was something Fluttershy could definitely agree with.

She had no objections to getting out of this cave. She stared a few feet back, to where Rainbow had nursed her wounds, and shared a kiss. She wanted to remember what it looked like, as much as what it felt like. It was a moment that would never come again, so she wanted to capture it in her mind’s eye, to be able to replay it. Then she lifted herself up to a standing position. Both ponies looked to the entrance. The small beams of light that shone through the cracks, made it very tempting to try and unblock the exit, but it would be a slow process and extremely unsafe.

She looked back to Rainbow Dash, who seemed to have the same idea on her mind. So they turned to the back of the cave. The light didn’t reach far enough back to see, but she could tell the cave continued for at least another ten or fifteen feet. Dash started to walk towards the back of the cave. Fluttershy followed slowly, a little apprehensive to approach the darkness, but if she thought of it like she was just following Dash, it wasn’t so scary.

But soon they were no longer walking towards the darkness, but part of it. When it started to become difficult to see the pony in the lead, Fluttershy moved a little closer. And a little closer. And closer, until they were practically touching. Then soon they were touching, for the darkness had swallowed them completely, and the vibrant colours of the mare to her became practically invisible. Fluttershy’s heart began to thump wildly; her only solace was knowing who was beside her.

Suddenly something warm touched her back and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She sucked in a sharp gasp and she heard a voice beside her. “Relax it’s just me.”

Fluttershy began to recognise the tickle of feathers on her back, and realised the warm thing was Rainbow Dash’s wing. The pain in her own injured wing subsided a bit as she became aware of her side rubbing up against Rainbow’s. The warmth she had felt underneath her, when light existed, returned to her. She felt a flush creep into her cheeks.
She’d never been so close to another pony. She had truly meant what she said, that she loved her, but this was completely foreign to her. She had never acknowledged her feelings before, why would Rainbow feel the same way towards her? She wanted big things, she wanted to be a wonderbolt, for everyone to know her name. All Fluttershy wanted was to live quietly, surrounded by nature, in her little cottage. She just wanted the simple life. They lived on different levels, figuratively and literally.

They were friends, that was as far as it went. But now she knew Rainbow’s true feelings. She loved her. Fluttershy couldn’t imagine why, but this beautiful mare loved her, and she loved her back. What did this mean now though? She felt like she should say something. She was in love now right? Shouldn’t she be swooning, or at least talking to her friend.

There it was again, that word, friend. That’s what she’d always called her, but now the title didn’t seem fitting. Her fillyfriend? Her special somepony? She started to get frustrated, thrown so far out of her comfort zone, not only physically but mentally. But she fought it back because whenever she got frustrated she usually started to cry. Though tears were nothing new to either of them, she felt that there had been enough of them for one day

So instead of focusing on what she didn’t know, she focussed on what she did. She knew without a doubt that she loved Rainbow Dash, the way a mare loves a stallion. She knew that if she had to be trapped and stranded far from civilization, there was nopony she would rather be with. And she knew that she didn’t want Dashie to die. It was hard to get her romantic thoughts out of her head, so she had just stopped trying. But even harder to forget was the sneering gash hidden under Rainbows other wing.

She felt her face warm and thought she was blushing again, before realising that the warmth was only on her right cheek. Fluttershy rubbed her cheek against Rainbow’s affectionately. “Do you really love me?” asked Dash softly, sounding almost afraid of the answer.

“Yes.” The yellow mare whispered back. The sounds of their hoofs echoed around in the darkness, making it sound the cavern was bustling with other ponies. She didn’t know how long they had been walking, it was black and each step was taken slow. Fluttershy closed her eyes, or at least she thought she was closing her eyes, in the darkness it was near impossible to tell.

She heard Rainbow sigh with satisfaction, right before both ponies hit their head on a wall they couldn’t see. As of yet they had met no obstruction, aside from the occasional stray stone to trip them. “Ow!” they both winced, but compared to the injuries they had already sustained, it felt like nothing and they both gave a small chuckle.
She could hear Rainbow tapping the dark wall with her hooves. Then she started moving towards the left, Fluttershy followed closely, partially out of fear of getting lost, and partly because she really wanted to keep their bodies together. The warmth and subtle connection felt almost like home to the yellow mare, and she wasn’t eager to give it up.

But suddenly the task became much less difficult, when the vibrant colours of Dash’s rainbow mane became visible once again. The light was still dim, but no dimmer than the entrance to the cave. Once again the ponies could see the jagged black rock that surrounded there world. As they continued it became brighter, and Fluttershy could see the beaming smile Rainbow Dash was giving her, and she returned it full heartedly. Even though there was no chance of losing each other now, Rainbow Dash still kept Fluttershy close under her wing, and Fluttershy had no intention of moving out from under it.

The narrow passage of the cave suddenly opened up into a very large cavern. Fluttershy became aware of all the plant life surrounding them and looked up to see the source of light. Sunlight spilled in through a wide hole at the top of the large room pressed tightly against a near sheer stony wall. And with that, their brief, hopeful smiles quickly fell, as they saw the roof of the cavern was at least fifty feet from the floor. That was quite a long way, for ponies who can’t fly.

Obstruction

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Rainbow Dash

Chapter 4

The gravity of the situation took a few moments to dawn upon the multicoloured mare as she gazed up at their salvation, the bright light shining not a clouds distance above their heads. This should be easy, she was a Pegasus. If it was above her, or even more than ten feet in front of her, she simply opened her wings and propelled herself into the air. They opened at her sides, it was second nature at this point, sucking in a sharp breath at the instantaneous pain that followed. But the pain just frustrated her. She didn’t furl them back; instead she tried to power through the pain. Finally taking notice of what she was doing, Fluttershy took a gasp of her own.

“Rainbow, what are you doing?”

The cyan mare clenched her teeth dangerously tight. The pain was shocking, she had never experienced anything like it before. She felt the dry blood crack under her wing, and the sudden raw exposure of her wound to the stagnant air caused her extreme agony. Her muscles pulled and tightened, and the rent flesh of her wound rubbed against itself, causing her every nerve to cry out in pain. A high pitched whine resounded in her ears and refused to cease. Her wing was only two-thirds extended and already tears were building in the corners of her eyes.

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy exclaimed. “Rainbow Dash stop!” she shouted so forcefully, Rainbow felt herself take pause. The yellow mare stepped in front of her, placing one hoof on her cheek and the other to her crimson-stained wing, placing just enough pressure to keep her from extending further, but light enough to prevent further agony. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Fluttershy, all I need is one good flap. It's not so high.” She said, scrutinizing the opening above them.

“Even if you could get up there, there's no way I can follow."

“I’ll carry you up with me.” She said like it was obvious.

“Dash, this kind of stunt would be a stretch, even if you were healthy.” Fluttershy said, staring straight into her eyes. Rainbow couldn’t help but feel slightly offended by the remark though. Fluttershy was a very light pony, and Dash had carried her in flight tons of times.

“I can-”

“We’re in this cave because I threw you off in flight,” She said blinking away a tear. “You’re left side won’t be able to hold both our weights.”

As much as it hurt her pride, she knew the yellow mare was right. Even if she could finish the extension, she couldn’t get the two of them up there with one flap, and any more would just be too painful. Slowly and reluctantly, she folded both her wings, which, to her relief, hurt considerably less than opening. She wiped her own eyes of the tears that were forming.

“What do you want to do then?” she asked.

Fluttershy let her hoof slide down from Rainbow’s cheek and looked around. Dash tore her eyes away and immediately began to eyeball the stony walls. There were many places were the rock jutted out. Some were just large enough to support hooves. But the walls were wet in some places and mossy in others, and there was no way in the world that she would be able to get Fluttershy to-

“Climb.” She said, turning back towards Rainbow. “Do you feel strong enough to climb?”

The blue pony stared at her incredulously.

“Yeah I’m up for it.” Dash paused. “Are you?” She seemed so beaten, the days events had just been so much for the little pony. And yet she still defied to give in, and her resilience was becoming increasingly surprising to Rainbow.

The shy mare nodded her head slightly, but her eye’s seemed to scream in terror.

“Are you sure?” the cyan mare asked. “We can find another way if you’re-”

“Rainbow you need serious medical attention. It could take us hours, or maybe days to find another way. I can do this. I have to.”

Rainbow walked over to her and locked her into a tight embrace. This mare was truly amazing. Sometimes Fluttershy could put her fears to the side and stand up tall for the ponies she cared for, but in Dash's eyes, this was even braver than staring down a dragon. She planted a quick kiss on her again. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Every time. Every time she heard those words escape her, Rainbow’s heart skipped. How sweet those words sounded, Fluttershy’s voice seemed to be made for them. Even the way she looked as she said them was so beautiful. The gentle way her lips moved as she spoke, the way her eyes locked with her own, the hint of red that crept into her cheeks, Rainbow noticed it all, and kept the image in her mind. It warmed her even more than the rays of sun that she had been missing.

It took the blue mare a moment to realize her forelegs were still wraped tightly around the back of Fluttershy’s neck. Her flowing pink mane brushed against them as she pulled herself away

“Are you ready?” Rainbow asked. Fluttershy paused but nodded again, only this time without any trace of fear in her eyes.

They chose the wall closest to the opening. Luckily, it was clear of moss, but the stones were visibly wet in some spots, and surely there was more they couldn’t see. Rainbow couldn’t help but take pause. She rarely ever climbed, she never had to, and even when she did, she always had her wings to fall back on.

This time, there were no wings. It was oddly humbling. She had lost the use of her wings before, but it wasn’t such a handicap that it endangered her life. One misstep, one slip up was all it would take to send her crashing back down, and she doubted her luck would last for two falls in one day.

But nothing was going to get better by sitting around, and she couldn’t let Fluttershy see that even she was having second thoughts.

“Okay listen,” she spoke softly. “Stay right under me and do exactly what I do, okay? I’ll warn you when it gets slippery and you need to tell me when you’re having trouble.” She gave the yellow mare a quick peck on the nose, and promised herself to give her another one when the grass was under their hooves again. She stared back to the opening above. By the light shining through, she guessed the sun was just beginning to lower behind the hills. She turned to the wall, placed her hooves and began to pull herself up.

Immediately she was reminded why she didn’t like climbing. She had to place the backs of her hooves against the stones, which aside from being hard on the legs, was a very awkward movement. After about ten seconds of climbing, she heard Fluttershy’s own hooves clacking below her. While it was comfortable to have another pony with her on the wall, it was a bit unsettling to be unable to see her. at any second she could slip, or her muscles could fail her and Dash wouldn’t be able to help her. after only thirty seconds they were only a quarter of the way up, and Fluttershy was huffing below her.

“How you doing, Fluttershy?” she called.

“Not too great.” She wheezed back. “Can we take a break?”

Her own haunches were killing her, but she knew a break wouldn’t be a good idea. She felt it in her early days of flying. She got so tired, a break seemed like a good idea, but once her wings folded, she didn't open them again until the next time she trained. If they stopped and didn't start again, they would be in big trouble.

“Tell you what,” she said pausing to gauge the distance. “Count to twenty with me, than we can take a break okay?”

“Okay.”

Every time she pulled herself to another ledge she counted. “One. Two. Three.”

After she got to eight, she could hear Fluttershy grunting beneath her, unable to keep up with her steps, so she slowed down a bit. Her little noises might have been really cute, had the situation not been so dire, but now, they heralded big trouble. They were just a little past half way to the top. Rainbow was very active; she knew her limits and knew how far she could push them. She didn’t know Fluttershy’s and she doubted the mare knew her own either. “Fifteen. Sixteen,” Fluttershy’s counting became a series of rhythmic grunts rather than numbers. Rainbow was considering an early break, when her right hind leg fell from under causing her to lose the little grip she had. She nearly fell before finding grip again a few feet lower.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy screamed.

“I’m fine! Just be careful on that step.”

“Can we take a break now?” she sounded like a little filly again.

“Yeah, I think I could go for a break now.” Rainbow said.

As hard as she tried, she couldn’t get her head to stop spinning. She had almost fallen to her death. For the first time since she first took to the air, Rainbow Dash truly felt terror towards the ground below her. Only now did she realise how much she owed to her wings. The wind in her mane, the twist in her stomach as she fell through the air, if unicorn or earth ponies ever felt those sensations that she relished so much, they would only feel it once. She looked over to her blood-stained wing and winced. She really hoped the cut would heal up properly. If this grounding was permanent...
She breathed deeply.

“You good Fluttershy?”

“Yes.” Her reply sounded strained.

“Just remember to breathe and watch where I step. No more breaks, we have to push it."

Fluttershy’s breath was still heavy and her grunting continued almost immediately, and Rainbow hoped she could keep up the next fifteen feet. But as she looked up, she noticed yet another problem. The lip of the opening in the ceiling was at least three feet away from the wall, even at its closest. And even if she could reach the opening, there was still another five feet to climb before she could actually touch the surface. Her options were quite limited but she already knew what she would have to do. She didn’t like it though, and she doubted Fluttershy would either, so she kept it to herself. Unfortunately that didn’t last long.

“Rainbow that opening is a lot further than I thought it was.” She breathed

“We’re almost there; you’re doing fantastic, just keep going.”

Finally, there was nothing but rock above her head and their salvation lay just three feet behind her.

“Rainbow,” her yellow love called “I know it’s not a very good time, but I can’t feel my front legs.”

“Yeah it was a pretty good workout huh?” she took a few deep breaths, both from exhaustion and to steady herself for the next task.

“What are we going to do? I don’t think i can climb back down.”

“Hey Fluttershy,”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“What-?”

With a heavy grunt, Rainbow used every ounce of power left in her legs to push herself off the wall, and into the open air, once her best friend, now a dangerous enemy. Her timing had to be perfect, and it was. The instant she felt the warmth of sunlight shining on her again, she threw her hooves above her, looking for any purchase in the hole above. If she missed, nothing was stopping her from plummeting fifty feet to the stony floor. Her left hoof found nothing, but her right locked onto a bit of rock just below the exit.

She swung her free left leg up and felt grass tickle it. She released a powerful yell and used all her strength to pull herself towards the fresh air above her. Her muscles ached, her heart and head were pounding but even without her wings she was beating gravity. The grass brushed against her legs, and the sun was warm on her mane. She wanted more and pushed her muscles. And finally she brought her hind legs up with the rest of her, collapsing to the ground. She was out.

But there was no time for celebration, no time to stop and enjoy it. Her every muscle ached, her breath came in ragged gasps, and her heart felt like it might explode. Yet all these sensations were at the back of her mind, her thoughts fully focus on the friend she just left on the wall. As quickly as she had pulled herself onto the grass, she turned right back around to face her stony imprisonment. Now it looked like a great gaping pit, sucking in her rediscovered sunlight, a danger to any who dared travel this deep into the wood, which Rainbow doubted many ponies had.

She carefully lowered herself down keeping her hind legs planted firmly on the ground. Then, she let the front of her body drop out from under her, an let herself become gravity’s prisoner once more. But she had no reason to mind that, as her eye’s were immediately greeted by her little yellow angel, sill holding tightly to the wall, stareing at the spot where she had watched her friend disappear. The relief in Fluttershy’s eye’s was more than a reward for Dash, but her look quickly changed.
“Rainbow! I think I’m slipping.”
Rainbow knew what she had to do, she steeled herself.

“Fluttershy, you have to jump!”

“What!?” Fluttershy shrieked

“Push off the wall like I did, and I’ll catch you!”

The yellow mare looked the floor of the cave fifty feet below her, then clutched the wall.

“I can’t!”

“Fluttershy trust me, I will not let you fall!”

For just a moment, she was afraid she wasn’t going to listen. She clung to the wall like it was her last salvation, and Rainbow truly couldn’t blame her. But if she didn’t jump, she couldn’t cling there forever.

“Fluttershy, you have to trust me, I will catch you, but you have to jump.”

“What if I fall?”

“Falling isn’t even a possibility.”
The clinging pony stared back towards her meeting her eyes.
“Ok.”

Rainbow released the breath she hadn’t even realised she was holding.

“All right, I’m going to count to three. When I say three, put all your power into your legs and push off, I need you to get as much distance from that wall as possible.”

“Ok.”

Rainbow breathed deep.

“One.”

This was going to work.

“Two.”

It had to.

“Three!”

Rainbow watched as Fluttershy tossed herself back, with a mighty grunt, into the open. Not missing a beat, Rainbow locked her legs with Fluttershy’s and used her remaining momentum to swing her up through the opening. Both ponies landed heavily on the grass and gasped for air. Rainbow moved herself towards her brave little pony and wrapped her hooves around her again, pressing herself into Fluttershy’s back. Rainbow could feel she was trembling violently. Rainbow placed her muzzle against her cheek.

“Shh, it’s over, we’re ok.” She whispered into her ear.

“You did amazing, Fluttershy. You did so great.”

After a few moments she saw Fluttershy’s lips pull back into a delicate smile.

“Can I take a break now?”
Rainbow couldn’t stifle her laugher.

“Yeah, I think we earned a break.”

Within moments, the little yellow pony fell asleep, which came as quite a shock to Dash. Despite the exertion, her adrenalin was up to eleven, she couldn’t sleep if she . She basked in the sunlight, or the little of it that there was. By the looks of things, equestrian was just setting into the evening hours. Like it or not, Dash would have to turn in soon too, and sleeping next to a huge hole in the ground didn’t exactly spell out sweet dreams.

The two ponies were surrounded by thick brush on all sides. The trees were short enough to let the sun hit the forest floor, but tall enough that Rainbow had no idea where they were. Long vines dangle from the branches, some might’ve even reached to the ground, but the dense shrubbery sprawling as far as she could see made it near impossible to tell.

Rainbow hated the forest. Everything about it was just so overwhelming, all the green, the density, even the intoxicating scents entering her nose, it was just too much. And it probably wouldn’t get too much better. Spending a couple days in this hell? It was going to be a nightmare. Fluttershy, mumbled something incoherent and Dash smiled despite herself.

The cyan Pegasus, untangled herself from the pony she loved and stood up. Her the muscles in her legs hurt, but it wasn’t a foreign feeling to the athletic mare. As carefully and gently as she could, she got Fluttershy onto her back. She stood up straight and decided where to go. She knew that town was to the north, and if the sun was setting, she wanted to keep it to her left. She wondered if Fluttershy would be proud that she figured that out. With long and careful strides she began the trek into the woods, feeling the plants tangle around her hooves as she went. But just before it left her sight, Rainbow Dash took one last look at the pit. That cave had caused her a lot of trouble. Fluttershy mumbled and scooted around on her back. It was worth it.

Acceptance

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Fluttershy

Chapter 5

Dreams were always an odd thing for Fluttershy. Usually her memory was quite decent, but she could never recollect her dreams. Distant voices, blurred colours were all that came to her when she tried. But she always remembered how they made her feel, happy, sad, frightened, the emotional repercussions of her night visions always followed her back to the real world.

This dream was almost like the others, but not quite. The colours weren’t distant or dull. Bright and vibrant, every colour in the spectrum surrounded her, flew around her, and carried her. Visual beauty became tangible, she felt it as it held her, cradled her, she felt warm and safe. There was nothing in the world except the light spectrum. But suddenly sound reached her ears, loud and clear. A voice, snickering. The colours broke and shattered around her as she realised it was only a dream. Darkness enveloped her, her vision now limited to the back of her eyelids. Yet the feeling of comfort never left her.

The laughter that had pulled her away was undoubtedly Rainbow’s.

Warm colours.

“Rainbow,” she whined sleepily, keeping her eyes closed.

“You woke me up.”

Her friend just laughed harder upon realising she didn’t have to try to be quiet anymore.

“Sorry,” she said gasping for breath. “I didn’t mean to.”

Fluttershy didn’t need to open her eye’s to know where she was. The memories of yesterday were still very fresh in her mind, and not even in her fillyhood were her dreams so vivid as the events of the day before. The dull throbbing pain at the base of her wing just confirmed to her that she and Rainbow were still stranded. And that they kissed.

“I was dreaming.”

“Oh yeah? What was it about.”

Fluttershy thought, for a moment.

“I’m not sure. It made me feel comfortable.”

Rainbow Dash burst into hysterics.

“What?” Fluttershy demanded, eye’s still shut tight to the bright light of the sun.

“Are you comfortable now?”

Actually she was, quite comfortable. Her body was resting on something rather hard, but her head was supported nicely by a soft warm pillow. She pressed her head into it further, and Rainbow laughed even harder. Pillow?

She opened her eyes slowly; the sun was shining brightly through a canopy of sharp green leaves. She had to squint to let her eyes adjust. The first thing to truly greet her sight was the laughing face of the pony she loved. They were lying close together. Really close together. Oh no, the pillow.

Fluttershy put her hooves under her, and lifted her head up to stare down at her “pillow.”
The many bright colours of Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark stared back at Fluttershy, surrounded by her cyan blue coat. She’d spent the entire night resting her head on Dash’s flank. She looked up in shock, her face hot with embarrassment.

“Rainbow.” She said accusingly.

“What?” Rainbow Dash said still laughing.

“I didn’t put you there, you moved all by yourself. When I set you down I was just laying beside you.”

Fluttershy felt herself blush even more, and she turned away to hide her shame.
Seeing her friend’s distress, Rainbow finally cut back on the laughter.

“Hey come on, it was cute, and a really funny way to wake up in the morning.”

Fluttershy was grateful her friend wasn’t taking it too seriously; she didn’t want to give Rainbow the wrong impression. When she turned to face her, Rainbow was still laying down on the grass. She didn’t recognise the area.

“Where are we?” she asked.

“I’m not sure, I just started walking towards town and I found this clearing. You were getting pretty heavy and I figured it would be a good place to settle down for the night.” Rainbow explained, digging a little circle on the ground with her hoof. Fluttershy looked around. Considering the forest, the spot Rainbow chose to settle down was very nice. The trees and brush were packed tightly all around offering decent protection. The ground was grassy and relatively soft all around for about ten feet before hitting the tree line.

“You carried me all the way here?”

“About five miles yeah.” She said with nonchalance.

“You were smiling in your sleep, so I didn’t want to wake you.”

Fluttershy was touched by her care; it was a side of Rainbow that she didn’t often see. She started feeling it again. That feeling she only got around Rainbow Dash. The feeling she learned yesterday was love. She lay back down next to Rainbow. Fluttershy had no idea how good having a special somepony felt. Just being close to Rainbow felt so natural, like she finally found where she was supposed to be. And the way she looked at her. Every time she met her eyes, she could see that she loved her. It made her feel so important, so happy.

Her eye suddenly drifted to Rainbow’s bloody wing.

How are you feeling?” Fluttershy asked

“Comfortable.” She replied with a cheeky grin.

Fluttershy felt herself go red again, but this time she laughed with Rainbow.

“I meant how is your cut feeling.”

“Oh, about the same as yesterday.” She said looking at the ground.

“Do you mind if I take another look?”

“Um, sure.”

Rainbow Dash was already lying on her side with her uninjured side to the ground. At least she knew enough not to sleep on it. This time Fluttershy lifted Dash’s wing for her, so she wouldn’t put as much strain on the muscle in the area.

“What about you? How is your wing?” Rainbow asked wincing.

“It still hurts a bit, but I’ll be fine. You patched me up good.” She said with a smile, which Rainbow graciously returned.

From the angle of where she was laying, Dash couldn’t see the cut, which Fluttershy figured was probably for the best anyway. She braced herself for what she might see, thought about the possibilities and prepared for the worst. As she looked over the wound for a second time it didn’t take too much time to see that her fears had already come true. The skin all around the cut was red and swollen. Fluttershy gingerly pushed aside some of her fur with her hoof. Small red lines were spreading out around thesplit skin. It had gotten infected.

“Well?” Rainbow asked, acting like she wasn’t worried.

“You were right,” Fluttershy lied. “Looks the same as yesterday.”

The blue Pegasus didn’t even try to hide the relief in her face, and Fluttershy knew she bought the lie. Rainbow needed a hospital, badly. She had never seen a cut get that bad in the span of a day, but she had also never seen a cut that deep. There were plants that could slow infection, but even if she could find them in such a sprawling forest, this type of injury was just too severe. If Rainbow didn’t get to a hospital, she was going to die.

The thought hit Fluttershy like a train. Life without Rainbow Dash. Losing love only days after discovering it. She felt dizzy, she felt sick. Her pessimism began to shine through. What if she dies? What if they can’t help her?

What if I can’t help her?

“Hey Fluttershy?”

“Yeah?” her voice cracked slightly. She turned to see Rainbow up on her hooves and stretching her legs.

“Can we go find some grub? I’m starving and I have no idea what’s even edible in this place.”

“Oh, uh... yeah.” Fluttershy said eager for an excuse to get moving.

“I saw a bush with some berries growing from it, just over there.” The colourful mare pointed to the edge of the clearing. Even from where she was standing she could see the blue hue of the berries. She walked over to get a closer look and Rainbow followed after her. It was odd to be leading Rainbow around. She didn’t know anything about this place. She had to rely on Fluttershy. It was a strange way to see her usually headstrong friend. And while she didn’t mind the more complacent attitude, Fluttershy loathed leading others, it was uncomfortable.

The shy mare didn’t need to look long to identify the berries.

“Oh no, we can’t eat these.”

“Aw why not?” Rainbow whined.

“These are nightshade berries. Very toxic, just two berries could be lethal.”

“Oops.” Rainbow’s voice rang behind her

Fluttershy whirled around in shock.

“Rainbow you didn’t-“

“Whoa hey relax,” she said with a smile. “You should lighten up a bit.” She kissed her on the nose.

“I never touched the berries, I’m not that careless.” She still seemed disappointed that she couldn’t eat though, and the yellow Pegasus felt her own stomach begin to grumble.

“Come on,” she said, beckoning Fluttershy with her hoof. “We’re bound to find something to eat along the way.” Fluttershy hadn’t seen Rainbow this happy in a long time, and even when she was, she was always flying. Taking to the air was what made her happy. Up among the clouds, Rainbow felt at home. And now she was grounded, her escape stripped from her, and even in quite a bit of danger.

Yet there she was, smiling, joking and genuinely happy. Fluttershy knew that she was the cause, but why? Could it be that even when she wasn’t airborne, she had found another home in Fluttershy?
She watched the blue mare turn and start walking, yet she couldn’t bring her hooves to carry her. Was it possible, to be that important to somepony? Especially to Rainbow Dash, so popular, so talented, so beautiful. She could have almost anypony she wanted... yet she chose her.

She felt so confused; all the new emotions were wreaking havoc on her mind. Not to mention that cut...
“Hey come on slow poke!” Rainbow called teasingly. She was about to cross over the tree line and Fluttershy was still standing dumbfounded beside the poison berry bush. She finally got her legs working again and made her way to the pony most special to her. The pony that could quite possibly die in just a few days.

The two crossed over into the forest, and immediately Fluttershy began to feel constricted. The trees rose up like towers, most of them much taller than the buildings in Ponyville. The sunlight came down, filtered through the leaves, casting eerie shadows upon the ground. At least when the ground was visible; most of it was covered by brush and foliage as far as the eye could see.

And yet despite being very uncomfortable, Fluttershy really couldn’t say that she was miserable. She didn’t feel worried or afraid, at least for her own well-being. Rainbow was beside her and for the moment she was fine. A bird sang high above them in the trees, and far away a branch cracked.

“Hey Rainbow.” Fluttershy whispered, wanting to talk, hoping to clear her head a bit.

“What?” she replied gently.

“What are we?” as soon as the question left her mouth she regretted not wording it better, and Rainbow pounced on it instantly.

“Well you see, we are ponies, specifically pegasi, you can tell because we have wings and-”

“No I mean me and you. Like I guess we aren’t friends anymore. So what does that make us?”

Rainbow seemed surprised by the question, but she replied pretty quickly. Maybe she was wondering the same thing.

“I don’t know,” She started. “I guess it’s up to you. We go back to town stop kissing and forget everything.”

“No!” Fluttershy blurted out

Rainbow smiled.

“Good ‘cause I never would’ve let that happen. Well, we could be marefriends, I never liked that term much. We could be friends with benefits,” she gave Fluttershy a playful wink, then stopped walking and looked straight at her with a little smile. Taking her yellow hoof in hers she said softly,

“Or we could say that I love you, and you love me, that I’m your filly forever, and you’re mine.”
Fluttershy couldn’t even respond, she was so swept up. Her mouth hung open, giving her a dumfounded look, which was honestly how the mare was feeling. Rainbow gazed at her patiently and the timid little mare was finally able to force a voice out.

“I think I like that last one.” She squeaked.

Both of them leaned into the kiss this time, taking in each other’s passion. It was the first time Fluttershy had kissed with an open mouth. She wasn’t quite sure how she felt about it. No that was a lie, she knew exactly how she felt, she just didn’t want to admit it. She felt her heart race faster, and all the worries that had weighed on her so heavily just seemed to fall away, like a crumbling wall. She could feel Dash breathing into her, and more than ever she loathed the moment when they had to separate. But the moment passed fast, for after they separated, and her eyes opened, she could see those two magenta wonders staring back at her.

“I think I like that one too.” Her friend whispered. No, her filly now.

Rainbow’s experience in the field of romance was very relieving for Fluttershy. She never had to wonder if she was doing something wrong, never had to question how that beautiful blue mare felt about her. She had never felt this way in her life, and didn’t want it to go away. But suddenly, a high pitched noise resounded from afar, cutting through both the dense forest and Fluttershy’s self generated dreamscape alike. The two mares spun in the direction of the noise.

“No.” Was all the yellow mare could think of.

No, no, no.

The sound continued for a time then stopped.

Rainbow’s cool and easy attitude disappeared.

“That wasn’t...”

Another howl reached their ears.

Fluttershy swallowed deeply.

“Timberwolves.”

Relaxation

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Rainbow Dash

Chapter 6

“They sounded pretty far off.” Rainbow said hopefully, trying to inject some positivity into the situation. Fluttershy remained motionless, save for the heavy rise and fall of her chest. There was nothing that scared Fluttershy more than the Timberwolves. They were ferocious, cruel and savage. An old and dark magic was what fused the wooden bones of the Timberwolves, at least according to the old pony tales. Rainbow was afraid of them just for what they were, scary, and dangerous, but she knew why they scared the little mare who sat beside her. They couldn’t be controlled. Any other animal, she could at least try to reason with, or talk to, but those wooden horrors knew only to hunt and kill, and they would not be dissuaded.

“Hey,” she half shouted, trying to get her attention. The kind mare quickly turned her head.

“Listen, they are nowhere near us, and they probably aren’t even coming our way.”

A sharp howl cut her off. Was it just her imagination, or did it sound closer?

“But just in case, we should keep moving. Alright?”

She just stared back at her for a moment and Dash thought that her words had just gone in one ear and flown out the other, but after a couple of seconds she nodded her head. Rainbow let out a sigh as they began their walk again, this time at a considerably faster pace. It seemed like every time she got close to her, some new disaster would pop up. But she would rather climb a hundred more walls, than have a Timberwolf pack close in on them.

Again the athlete felt a wave of frustration as her crippled wing endangered them both yet again. She felt so useless! If she couldn’t protect the pony she loved, what good was she? She wanted to pick the shy mare up off the ground, carry her away, and never have to give this place another glance. But she couldn’t, she couldn’t even spread her wings, let alone take off. As they walked, she let her frustration boil and fester, until she began to feel hot. Really hot... and dizzy. Suddenly the world began to swim before her eyes, and her head began to pound.

Without warning Dash dropped down to one knee.

“Rainbow!” Fluttershy’s gentle voice screeched from... somewhere, she couldn’t tell. She could hear her say something else, but it sounded distant. It was the cave all over again, she felt like somepony had taken a hammer to her head. The voice was gone now, replaced with a high pitched whine that refused to go away. Something was touching her, but she kept her eyes squeezed shut, for fear that the sunlight would just make it worse. Finally the pain began to subside, and Rainbow could feel herself shaking. The scorching heat didn’t leave her, but slowly the noise in her ear began to wane, and Fluttershy’s voice came in its stead. After nearly a minute, she felt well enough to open her eyes. Her yellow companion was holding her with her hooves. Rainbow rose up, still shaking.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know, you just collapsed and started moaning." Fluttershy said frantically. She pressed a yellow hoof to Dash's forehead and swiftly recoiled.

"Oh my gosh, you're burning up! When was the last time you had something to drink?"
The cyan pegasus closed her eyes and tried to recall, hindered by the remnants of the pain that plagued her head. She pushed her hoof against her temple to try and stop the forest from spinning around her.

"I-I... A bit more than a day?" that sounded about right. She didn't drink at the picnic, and she'd skipped out on breakfast to make sure she wasn't late for the migration. Fluttershy looked slightly appalled.

"Rainbow, oh, I had no idea! We need to find you some water!"
Finally, she stopped shaking. With each passing second her symptoms resigned until she felt nearly normal. Her body still felt ridiculously hot, and the sun bearing down on her wasn't helping at all. The element of kindness was muttering to herself and pointing around in all directions.

"What are you doing?" Rainbow asked, finding the scene almost comical.

"I know there's a lake around this area, I'm trying to remember where." after a bit more muttering she asked.

"How long were you walking last night?"

"About an hour."

"Then we should only be about a half hour away. Are you okay? Can you walk? I could carry you if you need I-"

"Hey relax,” she said lightly “I'll live."

Fluttershy made an odd face at that statement, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Before Rainbow could ask she piped up.

“If I’m not mistaken, the lake is this way.” She pointed towards a chunk of forest that looked no different from the rest of it.

“Lead the way.” Dash said with a shrug. Water sounded almost as good as some food, and if it would keep her from having another “episode” like that, she was totally on board.

As they silently pushed their way through all the green, the lack of noise suddenly occurred to the cyan athlete.

“Hey, I can’t hear the wolves anymore.”

“I sure hope it stays that way.” She seemed lost, worried, even strained.

“Fluttershy, you know I’m fine right? It was just a headache, it’s passed.”

“Ok.” was her only response.

Stupid Timberwolves. Everything had been going so well! She never expected Fluttershy to open up so much, it felt like a dream come true. She’d never seen the affectionate side of her. But now she was getting shut out. Pressuring her would only make it worse, so all Rainbow could do was wait. And wait, and wait. After twenty minutes of nothing but the crunch of leaves and twigs under her hooves, her impatience began to surface.

“Fluttershy, is something bothering you?”

“No.” she said quickly.

“You know, I’m pretty sure we’ve been friends long enough that I know when you’re lying.”

“I’m ok.”

“Please,” she stopped walking, and the yellow pegasus halted as well, without turning. “Please don’t shut me out. There’s something you aren’t telling me, and I want to know what.”

“I’m fine.” She said still refusing to turn around.

“Fluttershy...”

She sighed. “I- I’m just... scared.”

“Of what?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. Why won’t you let me help.”

“I don’t-” she paused and took a shaky breath. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Her voice quivered, and Rainbow immediately stopped her verbal assault. The shy mare sounded so small in that one moment, like a filly being scolded by her parents. She felt shocked and ashamed, why did she pressure her, she knew better. The rainbow maned mare ran to the one she loved, and pulled her close.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “But listen, I promise, you don’t need to be scared, because I’m never gonna leave you. I love you.” Fluttershy managed to keep from crying, and stared gratefully.

“I love you too." she paused to wipe her watery eyes. "But you still need water. Doctors orders.” She said with a smile. Dash smiled too, glad that the mood was finally beginning to lighten.

Fluttershy’s estimate turned out to be pretty spot on. Even with their little moment back in the woods, a half-hour after her splitting headache, the dense green turned into sprawling blue. Compared to other places she’d seen, this lake was quite small, but after so many hours trekking through the forest, it was a brilliant change of scenery. The afternoon sun beamed down on the rippling water. Sandy beaches covered it on all sides, and despite the lake’s small size, the water looked to be crisp and clear.

An elated cry escaped the blue athlete as she ran towards the water, fast as her legs would carry her. She laughed wildly as she neared the edge, and as soon as she felt the warm sands turn to liquid, she bounced into the air, coming down on the water with a huge splash. The cold and wet was a welcome shock to her, her body finally relieved of that heat. She broke the surface with a flourish of her mane, trying to impress the mare still standing on the beach. The water worked through her feathers in no time at all, and her cut began to sting, but it was bliss compared to everything else she’d gone through today.

Fluttershy stood with her hooves buried in the sand watching with a smile. Words could not describe how refreshing it was to see the life and energy return to Rainbow. There were no emergencies, no stony walls to climb, she was just enjoying herself. The whole scene just looked so normal, it was easy to think that it was just another day, just the two of them hanging out. She lowered her head to drink from the water. She gulped it down gratefully, she had no idea how Rainbow could’ve gone that long without drinking. She took a break to look up for a moment. Dash was paddling through the water, lying on her back, hooting and laughing away. Not many ponies knew how good of a swimmer she was. Not nearly as good as she was at flying, but not too shabby. Of course Rainbow had always preferred cloud swimming as opposed to actual water. Fluttershy’s eyes were drawn to the tree line on the far end of the lake. She shivered as a slight chill over took her. The wolves hadn’t howled since Rainbow’s headache, where were they?

“Fluttershy, come for a swim!” the swimming pony called out

“Oh, no thank you.” She replied. “I think I’ll just stay here.”

Rainbow just shrugged and returned to her fun.

Fluttershy lowered her head again. She didn’t want to over hydrate herself, but she was so thirsty. Fluttershy loved the water. It looked so simple, but one look beneath the surface, revealed so much life and diversity.

After her first trip to the ground, she quickly taught herself to swim. Of course swimming was a bit easier, when you could use wings. They could help you propel yourself easier, like big oars. She swallowed another mouthful of water and lifted her head. Rainbow was nowhere to be found. There was no evidence that anything had ever disturbed the water.

“Rainbow?” she said quietly.

“Rainbow!” without hesitation she sprinted into the water. The lake remained quite shallow for several feet, and then took a sharp drop. Fluttershy tried not to move her wings as she paddled her way through the water. The sudden drop in temperature gave her goose bumps but she barely noticed.

“Rainbow!” she called again. This didn’t make sense, the water was calm and even if something happened to Rainbow she would have shouted. And if the worst possible situation came to pass, she would be floating. The realization hit her a second too late, as something gripped her front hooves and dragged her underwater, before she could even utter a squeal.

Her first instinct was to struggle, to push and buck at her captor, but she quickly halted upon feeling a familiar pressure on her lips. She opened her eyes and sure enough, after all the bubbles had risen, Rainbows smiling face appeared before her, a little blurry under the water. Fluttershy wanted to be mad, she wanted to be furious; she’d scared her half to death! Yet as much as she tried, all she could feel was jubilant laugher bubbling up from her body. Without warning, Dash shot straight up towards the surface, and Fluttershy followed.

As she burst from the water, the first sound to greet her ears was the maniacal laughter of the blue pegasus. Fluttershy tried her best to be stern.

“That wasn’t funny.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

It was true. The yellow mare couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so hard. It felt good, it felt great, like a huge weight had just been taken off her shoulders.

“You’re just lucky I was able to catch a breath before you pulled me under!”

“Aw, c’mon, how else was I gonna get you to come swimming? Besides-” she was interrupted the wave of water that Fluttershy tossed at her. “Oh is that how you want to play it?”

Without waiting for an answer, Rainbow splashed her back with as much water as she could. They went back and forth for a while, before the shy Pegasus ducked underwater to avoid her companion’s onslaught. The water was so clean and clear. Stalks of green plants stuck out from the sand below, and small freshwater fish swam about, unhindered by the events above them.

She’d forgotten how much she loved the water. Busy as she was, she never had much spare time to spend down by the lake back in town. She liked the way the water got under her fur, and the way it made her mane float.

Rainbow Dash streaked past like a blue bullet and Fluttershy chased after as best as she could. It surprised her how easy it was to swim with a broken wing. She was sure the doctor wouldn’t recommend it, but as long as she kept it tucked in close, it didn’t even hurt. Before surfacing, she watched the blue pony in her underwater acrobatics. She looped around and spun freely through the water, almost like she was flying again.

Both pegasi came up again to refill their lungs. Fluttershy’s damp mane clung to her face and she giggled. She turned to see Rainbow, just smiling and treading water. Even when wet, the colours in her mane still stayed separate. It was almost difficult to see her, her coat was close in shade to the water.

“Hey,” Rainbow exclaimed suddenly, flipping over to float on her back.

“Look my wing’s clean again!” sure enough, her bloodstained wing had gone from a deep shade of violet, back to blue, although not quite the same cyan as the rest of her body. She plunged back below the surface and Fluttershy followed, thoroughly enjoying the play after such a serious couple of days.

And so the day passed. Hours melted away, shadows lengthened as the sun made its daily shift west, and all the while the two mares swam and played. But finally the sun set and their energy finally failed them as they let themselves float gently back to shore. The sky turned to a splendour of colours, making way for the moon and the stars. The first little twinkles were already appearing. Fluttershy’s muscles ached, but the fun and relief was, without a doubt, worth it.

Eventually the open water turned to sand, and the two left the pool, soaked and smiling. The cool night breeze was intensified by the droplets clinging to their fur, giving a sharp chill to the pair. So they moved closer together, their bodies pressed together as they went. It was odd; such a gesture would’ve sat just fine with any of her other friends. But with Rainbow- the way things were now; it had a totally different meaning. Not so much about comfort, but instead of affection. She could look at anypony and acknowledge their beauty, but she looked at Rainbow, and beautiful took on a whole new meaning. The way her wet coat shone in the moonlight, the way her eyes seemed to sparkle, even in the darkness of night. She was a different kind of beautiful.

They made their way around the sandy beach, there was no point in walking now, they might as well settle in for the evening.

“That doesn’t look too bad.” Rainbow gestured towards a small grassy spot, directly underneath an overhang of rock. She couldn’t see any reason to overlook the spot. They settled down side by side, looking out at the lake, now placid without ponies agitating the glassy surface.

“Do you think we could do this again some time?” Rainbow asked softly. “You know, just spend a day away from it all, go swimming, or whatever you want.”

“Are you asking me on a date?” Fluttershy responded with a blush.

The blue Pegasus chuckled. “It seems like we’re doing this backwards. Start with a kiss, say I love you, and NOW we’re going on a date.”

Even Fluttershy saw the irony in that.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with another pony. You know a ‘special somepony’.” Rainbow said with a little nudge.

“Well, no, I’ve never had a special somepony before.” The shy mare admitted.

“What? Really?” She sounded really surprised.

“Yeah really.”

Rainbow’s cheeks turned a rosy colour.

“What?” Fluttershy said, confused.

“Nothing, just... I get to be your first special somepony. It just feels... nice.” She replied before tucking her head into her folded forelegs. Fluttershy turned her head back to the lake, and the thick trees. Tomorrow, they would have to walk through that. Tomorrow the fun would be over. She hoped dehydration was the cause of Dash’s migraine, not her infection. It really knocked her for a loop, and if it happened when they were in danger...

“Hey Rainbow?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think they’re still out there?”

“What, the Timberwolves? We haven’t heard them since this morning. Like I said, they probably went the other way.”

“Yeah, ok.” Fluttershy said, not entirely convinced. “Here, let me check your cut, before we turn in.”

Rainbow rolled to her healthy side with a grunt, lifting her wing a little. Fluttershy didn’t expect it to be any better; she just wanted to see if it was any worse. It was still red, still inflamed, and still looker very painful.

“What’s the diagnosis?”

“It still looks fine to me.” She replied with a forced smile.

Rainbow gazed out towards the lake.

“You are a terrible liar.”

“What? I’m not lying.” She retorted, a little too quickly.

“Fluttershy, I’ve had enough accidents to know what an Infected cut looks like. Even if I couldn’t see it, I definitely feel it.”

“I’m sorry.” The kind mare said, defeated.

“No, don’t be sorry, I know why you did it just,” she turned to face he “You don’t have to hide anything from me.” She leaned up and gave her a peck on the nose.

“But,” she drew it out “I think you owe me a favor and I could use a bit of help.”

“Alright.” She replied. She would’ve done a hundred favours for what she just saved her from. Fluttershy knew she couldn’t hold on to that secret forever and letting it out might’ve ruined everything.

“Well the water’s done a real number on my feathers, and i can’t reach my right side to preen them.”

“Oh.” She said, expecting a more difficult job. But at the same time she understood, why she would call it a favour. Preening wasn’t exactly inappropriate, but it often made the earth ponies and unicorns uncomfortable, so it was more of a private chore, like brushing your teeth. And with her wing now clean Fluttershy saw no reason to refuse. Straightening out the feathers was easy, but the sheer amount on a Pegasus wing was enough to make it feel like a chore.

As she pulled at the cyan feathers, again she was surprised by just how much the blue mare changed the context of everything she did. It no longer felt like an annoying task, but rather an intimate one. Pegasi couples often helped each other preen, but it was more an act of courtesy, rather than one of lust. But just being so close to her, being trusted with the care of her body, it felt... different.

She carefully set all the feathers perfectly straight, determined to do the best job she could. All the while, Rainbow just lay there and watched her as she worked. Rainbow hated fixing her feathers, the only reason she bothered with it was because unkempt wings weren’t good for flying. As the last feathers were set, Dash offered to do the same for her broken wing, which she promptly agreed to.

Fluttershy for one, never minded preening, the tugging on her feathers felt nice. She worried that Rainbow would pull to hard, but she handled her wing with care and tenderness, the way she always acted around her. Rainbow worked much slower, but the end result looked great.

“Thank you.” She said sleepily. She felt herself drifting off for a while, but she didn’t want to fall asleep with Rainbow working so hard.

“Anytime.” She returned, once again tucking her head into her hooves.

“Goodnight Fluttershy. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Terror (WARNING: Disturbing Content)

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Rainbow Dash

Chapter 7

The morning sunlight shone down on the two loving mares as they worked their way through the tree’s yet again. A cool, steady breeze washed over them, keeping the temperature comfortable. They hardly shared a word as they walked, but every so often Fluttershy would glance back from her leading position, and grace the blue mare with a smile. They moved at a steady pace, having nowhere to go now but home. Rainbow felt good, she felt great, but she couldn’t quite tell why. The pain in her side had diminished substantially since the day before, and Fluttershy finally seemed to have stopped worrying.

With each passing minute she found more and more admiration towards her surroundings. There was so much life, it was almost tangible. Colourful flowers and little animals hid in the shrubbery, peering out with little eyes. The scents, the sounds, even the taste in the air, it all seemed alive. As they moved, the tree trunks changed from a mossy brown, to bone white. The leaves fluttered and rustled above as the wind passed through them. The tall grass and thin shrubbery began to wane, shrinking away with each step, until nothing remained but dry soil. Suddenly she wasn’t enjoying it so much.

The wind picked up hard, from a light breeze to a whistling gale. The sun had ducked behind the clouds, and was blotted out further by the thick canopy of leaves above them. Her new found admiration for the forest was very short lived, replaced by profound discomfort. The life in the air had left them completely.

“Um, Fluttershy do you feel that?” she asked timidly. “I really don’t like it here.”

Her yellow angel turned, a warm smile on her lips, her eyes shining bright.

“Rainbow, relax, everything will be fine.”

Calm overcame Dash like a wave, and while the discomfort didn’t leave, she found it easier to ignore. She stepped forward and planted a kiss on Fluttershy’s cheek. The one thing she loved more than hearing her say “I love you” was the kiss that came afterward. The wind picked up once more and she squeezed her eyes shut as her teeth chattered. When she opened them again, Fluttershy’s beaming face remained but something else drew her eye away.

A pair of green lights. And another. And another. The shaded forest behind the yellow mare suddenly illuminated with eerie light, casting long, distorted shadows upon the ground. The clacking and creaking of wooden joints, once muffled by the wind became all too apparent.

“No.” She turned to bolt, but to her horror, the green eyes of the Timberwolves had surrounded them. She spun back around to face Fluttershy, whose smile had faded completely. In its stead, her mouth just hung open, and her eyes were wide in terror. Rainbow grasped her hoof, locking it tightly with her own. They held each other’s gaze for only a moment, before the cyan athlete felt a pair of jaws clamp down on her hind leg. Then they were on her, too many to fight. Her love was wrenched from her grasp as half a dozen Timberwolves tackled her to the ground.

They snapped and bit. Rainbow tried with all her strength to fight back, but her efforts were futile. A piercing scream reached her ears.

“Fluttershy!” she yelled as loud as she could. The wolves continued to bite and nip, locking their teeth around her limbs. They weren’t trying to kill her. They were forcing her to submit. Each of her legs was being torn at, and one jumped on her back. Finally defeated, Rainbow collapsed to her front, hitting the brown earth hard. The Timberwolves stopped attacking, but they maintained their grip on her. A rough paw pressed hard into her mane, keeping her head up forcing her to watch the horrible spectacle in front of her.

“NO!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. Countless wolves descended upon Fluttershy without mercy. They didn’t bite and nip as they did for the blue mare. They tore at her skin, they sank their teeth and their claws deep. Rainbow cried and pleaded, but both her voice and the growling of the Timberwolves were drowned out by the screams. The tortured screams of the pony she loved. Rainbow tried to fight, but her limbs wouldn’t respond to her commands, all she could do was watch, as the delicate pony was torn at.

Finally a loud howl cut through it all, and the wolves sank away from the pony. Her yellow coat was stained everywhere with blood. Her screams subsided to whimpering , tearful crying. Dash watched helplessly, as Fluttershy tried to stand. Her forelegs, stained red, pushed and trembled as she tried to rise.

The largest of the wolves, the one who had released the commanding howl, stepped up the small, delicate mare.

“No! You stay away from her!” she shouted, exhausting her options. Each step the beast took was slow, and deliberate. Still Fluttershy tried to rise. She had turned to face Rainbow Dash once again.
Her tearful face had been clawed and scratched; her stare conveyed only one thing: Fear. Droplet’s of blood rolled down her body an pattered down to the ground.

The great wolf now stood next to her. It stopped, made sure Rainbow was watching.

“Please,” her delicate voice scratched, pleading to the helpless Rainbow maned pegasus. “Help.”

The massive monster sunk its teeth into her yellow neck. Her eyes widened, and even from a distance, she could see them glaze over. She didn’t even have time to yell.

Rainbow screamed all her pain, all her furry and anguish escaped her as a single cry. She screamed until her throat went raw and dry. The monsters teeth released her and her limp body hit the ground with an earth-shattering thud. When she could no longer scream she cried. She sobbed uncontrollably. What she just witnessed hurt more than any cut. Her tears fell like spring rain upon the dry lifeless ground. Then the pack leader turned his eyes upon Dash. His bloody maw opened releasing a low growl. The wolves relinquished their grip on her legs. Just as he did before, he slowly, deliberately made his way towards her.

Rainbow stood up, cursing and shouting.

“Do it!” she shouted “Kill me! Just Kill me.” It growled, almost like laughter. Rainbow didn’t have it in her to fight. She stood her ground and waited for release. The last thing she saw was the flash of wooden teeth.

Rainbow Dash woke up breathing heavily and soaked with cols sweat. The disorientation made her dizzy. Dark, everything was so dark. The green lights were gone, replaced by a sky full of stars. The floor was grassy and growing, not dead and bloody. She tossed her head around wildly searching. Eventually her gaze fell upon Fluttershy, sleeping soundly, just a few feet away. She’d never seen a sight more beautiful.

The relief that fell over her was unbelievable. Never before had she dreamt so vividly, the sights, the teeth on her flesh, the way her little yellow body just collapsed, it felt so real. Dash stood up, shivering violently, her stomach turned, she wanted to vomit. Her face felt odd, it took her a moment to realize she was crying. Her face was soaked; she wiped the tears away as best she could. She tried to make her way to the sleeping pony, but a sudden heat enveloped her body.

Oh no.

It was even worse than the first migraine; the pain was no longer blunt, but sharp and focused. It was like hot spikes were being driven into her skull. The high pitched whine blared in her ears. She felt herself falling, she couldn’t see, the whole world was a blur. Her head felt like it was falling apart. Every part of her body cried out in pain, and there was nothing she could do but wait. She pressed her hooves against her head, ran them through her mane. Everything burned.

Finally, gradually, all the unpleasant sensations began to ebb away. When she returned to full awareness she was laying down, still shaking. She fought the urge to retch up what little she had left in her stomach. When she felt well enough to stand, she made her way to Fluttershy. She moved carefully, not making a sound. It was Rainbow’s worst night in recent memory, but that didn’t mean she had to disturb the little pony.

Fluttershy lay on her side, her broken wing up to the air. Rainbow laid down behind her, wrapping her forelegs snuggly around her yellow chest, pressing her muzzle into her pink mane. She needed to feel her, to know she was safe. She breathed in the scent of her body. She was safe, she was alive. All the scorching heat from her head ache left her, exposed to the cool night air. That was quite possibly the worst nightmare she had ever experienced, the vision of that beasts maw clamped on her neck, the way her eyes just... She couldn’t get it out of her head.

She would never let it happen. No matter what, she would never let this pony come to harm. The warmth from Fluttershy’s body soothed Rainbow, and the shivering eventually stopped. It happened again. Water was supposed to help with the migraines but that was much worse than the last one. That could only mean her infected cut was the cause.

She watched the moon drift slowly across the starry sky, and after a couple of minutes she allowed her eyes to close. She wouldn’t tell Fluttershy about what happened, it was a miracle she didn’t wake up anyway. It took so much to get her to calm down, and this would just wind her up again. She opened her eyes. Dash desperately needed some sleep, but she fought it, afraid she might dream again.

She used one hoof to brush some loose strands of Fluttershy’s mane back behind her ear. She wanted to hold her, just lay in her warmth forever. The blue pegasus felt the rise and fall of her love’s chest, and matched her breathing in time. The sleeping pony mumbled quietly, bringing a small smile to Dash's face. She felt tears rolling down her cheeks again. She pressed her lips gently to the head of the sleeping pegasus. The forest remained dark, and Rainbow Dash held her yellow angel in a tight embrace until the sun began to rise.

Affection and Decieit

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Rainbow Dash

Chapter 8

When Fluttershy awoke, Rainbow was still awake, still holding her tight. After several hours of stillness and quiet, staring out over the forest and hills, Rainbow nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt something tickle her under her chin. But the pain and fear of the night before melted momentarily when she saw those green eyes.

“Good morning.” Fluttershy whispered softly.

Dash craned her neck down and kissed the waking mare.

“Good morning.” She replied just as soft. “Did you sleep alright?”

Fluttershy nodded sleepily.

“How about you?”

“Slept like a rock.” The blue pegasus lied.

“No more migraines?”

“Not since yesterday.”

“Oh good.” She said with a relieved smile. Luckily, Rainbow wasn’t half bad at lying. Of course, Fluttershy would probably figure it out when she got another migraine, but Dash would deal with that later.

“Make sure you drink some more before we leave. I’m not sure when we’ll come across another water source.” Fluttershy said stretching. Rainbow had to suppress a groan of disappointment as the yellow mare broke free from her grasp and stood up.

“Do you mind if I take another look at your cut before we head out?”

Rainbow had only just realized she’d spent the entire night laying on her bad side. As long as her wing was folded all she felt was an easily ignorable stab of pain that faded in seconds. But Fluttershy seemed less than impressed. Dash rolled over and lifted her newly cleaned and preened wing. It felt like a routine now. Fluttershy used a gentle hoof to lift her wing. Her face was unreadable.

“How does it look? For real.” The blue Pegasus asked, more curious than worried.

Instead of answering, her caretaker pressed a hoof just under her multicoloured mane, then pulled it away and pressed lightly on the center of her chest.

“Rainbow, have you felt sick at all in the past few hours?”

“No.” She lied yet again, recalling her scolding Fluttershy for her dishonesty only hours ago.

She took a few breaths before offering her diagnosis.

“Rainbow, I’m not a doctor, I just know what I need to know in order to help. But your infection is not getting any better; it’s getting worse really fast. All we can do now is get you fed, the only treatment is at the hospital.”

None of this news surprised Rainbow, maybe it should have but it didn’t. Fluttershy seemed far more distressed; she looked about ready to cry.

“

We shouldn’t have stopped yesterday, we should have kept going. I’m such a featherbrain!”

“Fluttershy, calm down, I’m the one who made us stop, and you know we needed a day.”

The sick pony rose to her hooves, ignoring the sudden dizziness.

“Remember yesterday? We were having fun, you were relaxing, I was healthy, nothing has changed. I still feel fine Fluttershy, so please stop worrying.” She knew she was asking the impossible of this pony, but she hoped it would help her settle down. She kissed her once more, and when she pulled away, Fluttershy locked her in a tight embrace.

“There,” she said when she was released. “I’m calm, you’re calm, everything is good. Now, it’s been almost two days since I had something to eat, and I need something before I eat my own hooves.”

After that getting up was quick and easy. Since they weren’t carrying anything with them, getting ready was as easy as stretching, and taking a long lingering drink from the lake. Rainbow didn’t regret spending the day here yesterday, and she hoped Fluttershy wouldn’t either. Wooden teeth. She lost track of how long she stayed up after waking from her night terrors, but still, images plagued her mind, flashing before her eyes like photographs. She knew she should be tired, but she didn’t let herself fear it. From the moment she woke up, she was on edge, watching, listening. She was knew she was being a hypocrite, telling Fluttershy not to lie, then lying right to her face, telling her not to worry when she was wound up so tight. But it was for love, she had to protect the pony she loved in any way possible.

The most difficult part of her morning was entering the woods without flinching. It was so similar to her dream, the green trees, the flowers, the life. She knew her fibs wouldn’t last forever, but she was determined to make them last as long as she could, and part of that was acting like she was fine. She walked right alongside Fluttershy, keeping her out of the lead position. Fluttershy hadn’t said much since they woke up, and now she was focused, scanning their surroundings for food. Rainbow spotted nearly ten berry bushes, but they passed by both of them. Another reason why she was so glad of her company: If Fluttershy wasn’t with her, she would have poisoned herself several times over.

After about twenty minutes of walking silently, the kind mare suddenly piped up.

“There!” She said, taking off a little to the left. Rainbow chased after her a little ways until she stopped before a pear tree. The fruit were almost as green as the leaves, Dash would’ve walked right past it. The sight of edible food made her mouth salivate, and her stomach began to constrict and grumble.

“All right Fluttershy!” she cheered her fillyfriend. Under normal circumstances she might’ve given her another kiss, but the sight of food made her want to faint. The tree wasn’t very large and some branches hung low enough to reach on her hind legs. She grabbed as many fruit as she could, although she was never a big fan of pears. But after she had created a decent pile of fruit, she ate like an exquisite meal had been put before her. After demolishing three pears, she slowed down enough to offer some to Fluttershy, who had just stood there, giggling at the spectacle she was surely making. She took a seat on the opposite side of the feast she’d gathered.

“Rainbow, you should really slow down.” She cautioned as the blue mare sank her teeth into her fifth pear. She made it a point to take her bites a little slower, as Fluttershy picked one up and bit into it. Rainbow tried to figure out what she was thinking, but reading ponies had always been a bit difficult for Rainbow. The yellow Pegasus didn’t seem quite as worried as this morning, but her subtle, gentle smile wasn’t there. Her gaze was directed towards the canopy of leaves above them, as she slowly nibbled at her food.

Rainbow stopped at pear number seven, knowing that in a few minutes she would regret not heeding her companions warning.

“Hey Rainbow Dash,” She said so suddenly Rainbow nearly choked. “What’s going to happen when we get back?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, laying down against the pear tree.

“It used to be me, you, and the girls. But now, you and I are something different, so, we’ll probably hang out differently.”

“You make it sound like relationships have all these rules.” Rainbow said with a snort.

“Don’t they?” Fluttershy asked with a quizzical look.

“No- well... I guess so. Ok, rule number one: no kissing other mares. Rule number two: I’m gonna be expecting, like, at least ten kisses a week. But that’s about it. We’ll go out every now and then, spend a bit more time together, just the two of us. Don’t worry, we’ll still hang out with the girls, just like we do now.”

Fluttershy didn’t say anything, but her smile returned so she must’ve liked her answer. Both ponies looked up to the sky. It was a beautiful day out, not a cloud in the sky. It was a bit warm though. Too warm. Rainbow shot up so fast, the shy mare jumped back.

“Are you alright?”

“Yep.” She said, trying desperately to keep her face from contorting. “I, er, need to use the bathroom.” She said turning around to walk to the thicker tree’s.

“Oh, ok. Don’t get lost!” she shouted worriedly.

The spikes were already in her head and it was getting worse. She had to hide. She stumbled across the trunk of a great tree, more than thick enough to hide behind. The moment she left Fluttershy’s sight she collapsed. The world became pain. Her headache returned, even more ruthless than the last. Her head felt like it was being crushed in a vice. She tried to keep quiet but the ceaseless ringing made it hard to tell what noise she was making. The pressure on hear head increases. Her vision went white, she was blind. She closed her eyes and drove her hooves into the ground, digging it up, tearing at the loose dirt. Her cut felt like it was on fire.

Again it faded tantalizingly slow. Just as her vision returned she began to retch, her breakfast wasted. Her body cooled and her skull was finally relieved of the crushing pressure. Rainbow used the trunk of the massive tree to pull herself off the ground. She spat, trying to get the taste of bile out of her mouth. They were coming faster, her last migraine was only a couple of hours ago. When her body stopped shaking she made her way back to Fluttershy.

“Rainbow! What happened?” the pony exclaimed as she neared the pear tree.

“What?” Dash asked, still trying to clear her head.

“You were gone for over five minutes; I was just coming to find you. Are you ok?”

“Yeah I’m fine, sorry I just... got distracted.”

Fluttershy jumped up and hugged her.

“Don’t scare me like that! I thought something might’ve happened.”

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” She really hoped she was telling the truth. “Are you finished eating?”

“Yes.” She nodded

“Alright, then we better start moving.”

She couldn’t let that happen again. In her pained state, she left Fluttershy completely alone. If anything had happened to her, Rainbow wouldn’t have been able to do anything. And she wasn’t sure if she could survive another migraine. This time the yellow pegasus didn’t get too upset, which she was very grateful for. Trying to keep her spirits up after the last migraine, she continued their previous conversation.

“So, if I were to take you out on a date, where would you want to go?” she asked, knowing full well what her answer would be.

“Wherever you want to go is fine.”

“Well, I want to go where you want to go.” She said, winning a smile from Fluttershy.

“As long as I’m with you I don’t care where we go.” Her reply surprised Dash. She was picking up on this sweet-talking thing fast.

“Ok,” Dash said “How about we go camping?” She tried to keep a straight face but the priceless look she got from Fluttershy broke it completely.

“Or maybe I’ll just take you out for dinner.”

Fluttershy gave a little grin but didn’t say anything. Rainbow didn’t want it to get quiet again, if it did she would start worrying.

“So, I know you said you’ve never had a special somepony before, but I never knew you were into mares.” Rainbow said, hoping she didn’t go too far.

“Neither did I.” She responded flatly.

“What do you mean?”

“You are the only pony who makes me feel the way I do. I thought I had everything figured out, that nothing would ever change, I barely even noticed anything was missing. But when I was around you, I could feel it. It was a weird pressure, a fuzzy feeling in my chest, but I didn’t know what it was so I ignored it. I pushed it away.”

“Do you know what it was?”

“It’s love.” She said with a little blush. Rainbow couldn’t find her words, and when she didn’t speak, Fluttershy offered another question.

“Why do you love me Rainbow?”

Dash had to rattle her head, get her thoughts to focus again. She played the question over and over in her head. She knew exactly why she loved her, but she couldn’t put it into words. But this was the type of question that couldn’t be shrugged off, and Dash wasn’t going to waste this chance.

“I know its cliché, but I fell in love with you the first day I saw you. It was back on the first day of flight school. I remember when my parents flew me there; they could hardly keep up with me. I wanted to get going, I wanted to fly. When we got there, everypony looked just as excited as me, they were all flapping their wings and jumping. But there was one filly who wasn’t excited. She sat away, off to the sides. She didn’t move, she didn’t talk, it almost looked like she just wanted to sink below the clouds and disappear.”

Fluttershy stopped walking, and Rainbow ran up in front of her, got close to her.

“And since that first day I was fascinated by you. After the race, when we got our cutie marks and we started hanging out I knew you were something different. Just being with you, it made me calm, it made me happy. We didn’t have to talk, we didn’t have to fly, it didn’t matter what we did, I always enjoyed myself. I didn’t have to impress you; you didn’t expect anything from me. You’re beautiful, you’re kind, you’re everything I want, everything I want to be. But it’s even more than that. When we’re together, I feel complete, I feel like I don’t need to go anywhere, I feel like I’m-”

“Home.” Fluttershy finished for her, her voice hopeful.

“Home.” Rainbow confirmed before leaning in.

The day was beautiful. The sun shone high above in the sky, farther than any pegasus could ever reach. The tree’s loomed over, tall and silent, their presence always felt. As they shared another amazing kiss Dash was able to forget for just a moment. To forget the dream, forget their situation, forget Ponyville and the Wonderbolts. It was just her and the pony she held most dear. But the moment proved to be fleeting, as multiple loud howls resounded through the air.

The two quickly pulled away.

“That sounded really close.” Fluttershy breathed, swinging her head around, looking for the source. Rainbow felt like she was going to lose her mind.

“Break time’s over, we need to move.” She said, a little rougher than she meant to, but the yellow pegasus had no objections. She kept her cyan wing over Fluttershy’s back, she needed to know she was there, that they were together. The howl came from almost directly behind them. They were being tracked. The two moved at a brisk jog, but moving was getting more difficult. The tree’s were almost constantly in their path, and the brush and tall plants grabbed at their coats.

Dash’s senses worked on overdrive. Listening for the slightest sound, watching the slightest movement. Every time a branch broke, or a squirrel darted across the ground, the swift pegasus jumped. After ten minutes of increasingly fast jogging Fluttershy was wheezing, and asked to slow down. Rainbow hadn’t heard anything since the first howl that signaled danger, and their pace slowed back to a walk. The sun was relentless as ever, the two were drenched in sweat. Despite slowing down, Dash didn’t let her wing drop from her love’s back.

“Were those the same wolves we heard yesterday?” Fluttershy said between breaths.

“I don’t know, but if it is, that means we’re being followed.” Rainbow was angry now. It was horrible, every time she let her guard down, something terrifying endangered not only her, but the pony she loved, and she could do nothing but bolt away. She was sick of feeling helpless, sick of feeling useless. She desperately wished Fluttershy would say something, anything, but all she received was silence. Rainbow couldn’t think of anything to say. She wanted to comfort her, to tell her they would be alright, that was her job, wasn’t it? But Rainbow didn’t believe it herself, and she was sick of lies.

From mid afternoon to sunset, the romancing and fun disappeared. They didn’t speak, they rarely stopped but to drink from the occasional stream. Constantly looking over their shoulders, waiting to see those glowing eyes. Yet, there was nothing, not a single sign since that first howl. But Rainbow wasn’t about to let her guard down again. The forest carried on, everlasting and terribly monotonous. The green, the soil underhoof, the lengthy braches that reached out to grab at their coats, Dash was sick of it. She missed the open blue. Her only solace was the mare who walked with her, a silent beacon of hope in this dreary wood.

The athletic mare felt as though she could carry on through the night. But as the sun dipped on their third day, all the sleep she missed the night before began to catch up with her. They selected another clearing, considerably smaller than the one Rainbow found the first day. Finally Fluttershy spoke up.

“My hooves are killing me.” The statement was simple, enough, but after half a day of silence, Rainbow thought it the most profound thing she’d ever heard.

“Yeah mine too,” she laughed, tossing herself to the ground. “But you’re a pretty tough filly. You should come try the Running of the Leaves with me this year.”

Fluttershy’s face reddened at the praise, and she gave the smallest hint of a smile.

“Thanks, but I’ve had enough time on my hooves for a lifetime.” She lay herself down next to the blue pony, who wrapped her forelegs around her, just like the night before. “I miss my bed.”

“I miss Suger Cube Corner.” Rainbow said. Her stomach felt empty yet again and she would’ve given anything for a sugery treat.

“I don’t think we should both sleep tonight. We can each take watch, every couple of hours.” Rainbow wanted to kick herself for killing the newly lightened mood, but the idea of the two of them both asleep, both helpless, didn’t sit well with her.

“Alright, I’ll take first watch.” Fluttershy said sitting up.

“No it’s alright I’ll just-”

“Rainbow, you’ve fallen asleep after me, and woken up before me every night, you need sleep.” She said, gently brushing Rainbow’s mane. She wanted to protest further, but her eyelids were already sinking, and Fluttershy looked confident about this.

“Ok, but you wake me up if anything happens, and don’t let me sleep for too long.”

She felt a pair lip lips press against her nose as she drifted to sleep.

She prayed it would be dreamless.

Author's Notes:

Why a pear tree? I'm not sure, I just figured apples would have been too uncanny, and a pear tree seemed like the only other thing that made sense. That was probably the biggest question on everyones mind, right?

Here's the next little bit of the tale. Incredibly cheesy, and incredibly cliche, I haven't decided how I feel about this one so I guess I'll leave it to you. This chapter was odd, sometimes it felt really forced, and other times the words just seemed to flow out naturally. As always, I love to hear everybody's thoughts and feelings, it's alway's a big help. Hope you guy's enjoy, and hope your evening/day (Whatever timezone you happen to live on) is great.

P.S. Thank you to my followers and all the people favoriting it means the world to me and it makes this fic even more rewarding. /)

Exposed

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Fluttershy

Chapter 9

Fluttershy kept herself huddled close to the sleeping Rainbow, trying her best to fight off the cool night air. At least the cold helped her to stay awake. The moon was full, and shone brightly across the forest. All was quiet, which she was thankful for, she didn’t want to wake up Dash too early. The shy mare tried to lose herself in thought, but the snores of the sleeping pony distracted her and pulled her back to reality. So instead she looked to Rainbow, sleeping, her body gently rising and falling with every breath. It dawned on Fluttershy that she’d never seen this pony sleep before. She looked so cute, and peaceful. The Timberwolves were really getting to the multicoloured mare, all afternoon she looked stretched, close to the breaking point, and so tired.

But as she lay with her eyes closed, the wear of the day left her; she even had a little smile. Every couple of minutes she would give a loud snore. It made Fluttershy jump a little at first but she quickly got used to it. She wished she could lay down with her, but she knew if she did she would fall asleep almost immediately, so she sat in an upright position beside her. The pony had fallen asleep on her injured side again, so, as gentle as she could, Fluttershy rolled her over. The only response from Rainbow was an absurdly loud snore, causing the yellow pegasus to giggle. She was out cold.

The whole forest seemed to sleep, there was no movement, the only sounds came from the nocturnal birds, leaving their resting places to search for some food. She hoped the Timberwolves weren’t doing the same. Fluttershy had no way to measure the time, but it seemed at least two hours after Rainbow fell asleep, and they hadn’t heard anything since early in the afternoon. That fact didn’t soothe her at all, rather, it seemed to create a thick tension in the air. Dash snored again. Fluttershy moved herself a little closer to her sleeping lover, trying to keep her eyes-and mind-off the forest, and what might lay in the shadows.

So instead she focused on Dash. With each day her mane got more and more ratty. She ran her hoof through it, slowly and gently, brushing all the different colours. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. Warm colours

Her eyes drifted to Rainbow’s slightly stained wing, she wanted to lift it and take a look at the cut, but she refused herself. Every time she looked over her injury both their moods seemed to take a turn for the worse, and it just made her even more afraid than she already was. Besides, it wasn’t going to get better. Only a hospital could grant that relief. And if they couldn't find one... She pulled her attention back to the colourful mane, as another thunderous snore escaped Dash. Fluttershy laughed again despite herself.

It took a while, but after many passes, Dash’s usual unkempt mane-style returned, and Fluttershy leaned down to give her a little peck on her forehead. As she did a strand of her own pink hair fell in front of her eyes. She pulled her forelock in front of her face, expecting her hair to look atrocious, but instead finding it relatively tidy. She looked down to the sleeping pony in surprise. Her smile looked almost smug, and her ear twitched in her sleep. As Fluttershy leaned in to give her another kiss, something caught her eye. Just beyond the tree line, half hidden in the foliage, was a rose bush. The crimson flowers seemed to almost glow in the light of the full moon. Dash snored. Fluttershy had been dreading having to wake her up, she needed sleep and she just looked so peaceful. Maybe if she picked her some flowers it might make her happy.

Fluttershy lifted herself up and stretched her legs. She stepped carefully around Rainbow, trying to keep as quiet as possible. She made her way to the bush. There must have been almost twenty roses, and most of them were in full bloom. She got to work, but trying to pluck the thorny flowers with her teeth was tedious to say the least. She had to bite of the stem, making sure not to cut off to much. More than once she recoiled from the plants with a small squeal. After the third thorn poked her she tasted blood. As she dropped the twelfth and final flower into her bouquet, a sudden realization stole her breath. When was the last time Rainbow snored?

She turned and bolted back to the blue mare, still lying on the ground.

“Rainbow!” she screamed, throwing herself down next to her. She rolled the blue mare on to her back. Fluttershy nearly cried when she heard a small moan escape the blue mare, but held it back as she saw her face contorted with agony, her cyan hooves pressed tightly to her temples. She was having another migraine. Fluttershy tried to keep her on her back, but Dash roughly pushed herself away. She groaned in a pained, incoherent voice. Fluttershy could only watch as she scrambled around, dragging her body through the dirt, driving her hooves into the ground. This was far worse than what she’d seen before. She was going to hurt herself.

She caught up to her and tried to hold her. She wrapped her forelegs firmly around her body. Rainbow fought Fluttershy’s grasp, but it was half hearted and eventually she was able to guide her down to the ground. The kind pegasus had her chest pressed against Dash’s back. Once they were laying down she noticed the tears streaming down her blue face, her magenta eyes were shut tight. She stopped struggling directly against the yellow mare, but her hooves still shot out, searching desperately for somthing to push against. Fluttershy tried to talk to her, speak calm soothing words, but Dash couldn’t hear, she was deafened by the pain.

“Shh you’re going to be ok Rainbow, fight through it.” She said, over and over.

The heat radiating off her body was unbelievable. Fluttershy wrapped her hind legs around Rainbow’s then shifted her forelegs up to Pin Rainbow’s against her own body. Unable to move, Dash began to tremble, and her moans turned to sobs. Fluttershy cried to, but still spoke into rainbow’s ear, trying to calm her.

After several minutes, she stopped shaking and her sobs became small whimpers. Her tears still fell, but eventually her ears twitched again, and she knew her words were finally making it through. As she felt the fight leave Rainbow, Fluttershy quickly moved herself to face her front.

“Shh, it’s ok, you’re ok. I’m here” Rainbow’s magenta eyes shot open. Her pupils were small, but as she focused on Fluttershy they began to dilate. She swiftly wrapped her in a tight embrace, which she gladly returned.

“Ugh, my head.” Rainbow complained, her voice had gone from raspy to ragged.

“How are you feeling?” the other pony asked worriedly, brushing her mane away before feeling her forehead.

“Horrible. But it’s getting better.” She paused. “I’m sorry I lied about the migraines. They haven’t gone away, and it gets worse every time.”

Fluttershy was shocked.

“Rainbow I-”

“I know I told you not to lie, but I didn’t think it would get this bad, and I didn’t want you to worry. I’m sorry.”

“How many times-” she had trouble finding her voice.

“That was the fourth one.”

Again the shy mare wanted to be angry, but she couldn’t. Instead she just continued holding her lover close. Her body temperature had dropped to a normal and comfortable level, and Fluttershy found herself absorbing the warmth into her.

“I could feel you.” Rainbow said suddenly. “Usually I can’t tell what’s happening but I could feel you, holding me. Thank you.”

One more tear rolled down her yellow cheek.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The bouquet of roses lay forgotten in the brush.

Tempestuous

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Rainbow Dash

Chapter 10

Danger.

The word played over and over in Rainbows head, echoing, dancing around the edges of her consciousness. She tried her best to ignore it but it wasn't just a thought, it was a voice, as though somepony far away were whispering.

Danger. You are in danger.

The words took a while to process in Dash's sleepy mind, but once they did, she shot up. Rainbow whirled around to find Fluttershy sleeping soundly on the ground. Rainbow wanted to kick herself, she couldn't believe she fell asleep. But last night had drained her of every ounce of energy she had. That last headache was brutal, at one point she thought she might be dying. The pain was unbelievable, by far the worst yet. The agony had struck her blind and deaf, but somewhere in the ocean of pain, she could feel her lover holding her. When Fluttershy's voice finally made it to her ears, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard.

You are in danger.

The whispering voice was gone, all was silent. Had she imagined it? It sounded almost familiar, but it was so quiet. Still, the ominous message left a bad taste in her mouth, and her worry was only strengthened when the sound of thunder reached her ears. Fluttershy bolted upright, startled out of her sleep much the same way Rainbow was. Both ponies turned their gaze skyward. The glorious blue sky they'd been graced with the past few days was gone, replaced instead by rolling dark clouds. They weren't too far off, close enough to see the thick curtain of rain pouring from its great mass. A bolt of lightning arced across the sky, the thunder followed only five seconds after. Fluttershy released a small squeal.

"Good morning." Rainbow said, trying to sound positive but it fell flat.

“Good morning.” She whispered, humoring her. "How are you feeling now?" the shy mare said raising herself to a standing position.

"Fine." she said, turning to give the other pony a kiss. She'd almost hoped Fluttershy wouldn't remember the events of the night before, but she knew it was too much to hope for. "That storm’s going to reach us in a couple minutes."

The news didn’t seem to bode well with the yellow mare.

“Do you want to keep going?” Rainbow asked. Fluttershy stared back to her.

“I don’t think we have a choice.”

Another bolt of lightning illuminated the sky. Thunder boomed three seconds later.

“It’s moving fast. Maybe that means it will pass fast too.” Rainbow’s wings ached from lack of use. She stretched her right and looked sadly to her left. She gingerly tested, lifting her left wing just a little, until a stab of pain shot through her. She folded it back to her side. She looked back to the darkening sky. If she could get up there, she could clear this storm like it was nothing. Ponyville was probably shining right now, with ponies out and about, carrying on with their daily routines. Maybe their friends were getting worried, asking around. It didn’t matter, nopony knew where they were.

Just another thing to love about the forest: the unpredictable weather. As they got up, Fluttershy stared at Rainbow as if she were made of glass, threatening to crack at any second.

“You ready?” she asked, keeping her voice bold, trying to show she was fine.

“Yes.” Fluttershy nodded.

They made their way into the tress, leaving the tiny clearing behind. You are in danger.

They walked for almost two minutes before a sudden downpour crashed over them. The large droplets came down so fast it stung against her skin. The wind came almost immediately after, washing over them, chilling the ponies to the bone. Rainbow’s right wing shot out, sheltering the other pony from the storm. The rain stung even more on her thin wings, but she held her wing up.

“Rainbow, you don’t have to do that.” Fluttershy said, her voice just loud enough to be heard over the pattering of the water on everything it touched.

“I’m a weather pony; I deal with stuff like this all the time.” She said, with a touch of her old brashness. A shiver passed through her. Maybe if she kept herself cold, the migraines would slow down. It was a lot to hope for, but the rain held such an oppressive atmosphere, she had to think positive.

Despite what she said earlier, there wasn’t a single weather pony in all of Equestria cruel enough to force this misery upon a town. Rainbow looked back to the sky, now completely grey. She shivered again and brought herself closer to Fluttershy to try and find a bit of warmth, but even with her makeshift umbrella she was just as cold. The soil turned to mud and every once in a while one of the mares would get stuck. The first few times it made them giggle but it soon became more of a nuisance than entertainment.

The smell of wet earth wafted into the nose of the blue pegasus. It wasn’t very often she was on the ground in a storm, most of the time she was right next to the action, where all she could smell was ozone. Being at the mercy of the weather made her very uncomfortable, this was something she was supposed to be able to control, and she could if she could only spread her wings. Without the sun, she could only guess how long they were walking; it could have been a whole day for all she knew. The rain and wind eventually slowed, but they didn’t cease, and the lightning and thunder still commanded their attention every couple of minutes.

“I hope my animals are doing alright.” Fluttershy said suddenly. “They can fend for themselves for a little while, but I’ve never left them for this long.”

“I’m sure one of the girls can take care of them for a bit.” Rainbow responded trying to keep the yellow mares spirit up. “You know, after the whole “Cutie mark crisis” I have a lot more respect for what you do.”
Taking care of those animals for a day was one of the most frustrating tasks Dash ever had to perform.
“You weren’t doing too badly.” Fluttershy said kindly. “With a bit of practice it gets easier.”

“They were going to eat me!” She shouted playfully.

“Oh they were just upset.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes with a smile. Her mane had matted and fallen in front of her eyes, she shook her head. Thunder clapped through the air. The droplets of rain wound their way through her feathers, sliding into her cut. She winced at the sting, but she gradually got used to it.

“How much further until we reach town?” Rainbow asked.

“It’s hard to tell. If we don’t stop except to sleep, maybe two days.”

“What do you wanna do when we get back?”

“Get you to a hospital.” She answered, nuzzling her head into Rainbows neck.

“Do you think they’ll let us share a room?” She said nuzzling back

“Even if they don’t, I’m not leaving that hospital without you.”

Rainbow was touched by her words. The affectionate side of the shy mare continued to surprise her.

“I hope we aren’t grounded for too long. I really want to fly with you.”

“But we used to fly together all the time.” Fluttershy said with a confused look.

“Yeah but now we’ll be flying together. We’ve never flown together as a couple.”

Fluttershy blushed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Rainbow froze.

“What’s wrong?” The kind pegasus asked worriedly.

“It’s nothing. Just it seems like whenever we get too close, bad stuff starts to happen.” She continued walking. “I guess I was just preparing myself for the worst.” It was in her head to be on edge, to never let her guard drop.

But as the day wore on, their seemed to be a surprising lack of bad stuff. The Timberwolves that had supposedly stalked them showed no trace of themselves, and for whatever reason, Dash hadn’t gotten a single migraine. The rain poured on and lightning broke the sky, but the two mares basked in the comfort of each other, nearly oblivious to the dreadful weather. Rainbow’s attempt to shelter the other pegasus eventually failed, the rain collected and fell off her outstretched wing so she regretfully let it fold back in, but Fluttershy’s smile never dipped.

They took a few small breaks. They didn’t bother trying to shelter themselves, the trees couldn’t offer such a comfort, and after hours of walking with soaked coats, it became easy to ignore the pattering water on the backs. They ate some purple-ish berries the yellow mare had called Callicarpas and deemed them safe. They were very tart, but it was a better alternative than being hungry in Rainbow’s opinion. Still, she longed for something sweet from the bakery.

The forest was still monotonous, the endless expanses of tree’s and green. But again, she felt like she had nothing to complain about. They talked and laughed and to Dash it felt just like she’d always dreamed. The two sat by a tree, resting their sore legs in the mid afternoon.

“How do you think our friends will feel about us being together?” Fluttershy asked resting her head on Rainbow’s shoulder.

“Why do you ask?” Rainbow said

“I’m just worried that they might not approve.”

“The girls have always been supportive, I can’t imagine them disapproving of us. Besides, I think Rarity sort of suspected how I felt about you. That mare can read ponies like a book. And,” she turned her head to look at her lover. “If they didn’t approve, would you really care how they felt.”

Dash could see Fluttershy imagining the scene in her head.

“No, I wouldn’t. I just hope it doesn’t change anything with all of us.”

“Me too.”

“I love you, Dashie.”

“Love you too.” Rainbow whispered.

She leaned to give her a small kiss on the nose, when the wind picked up. But despite the increase in wind Rainbow didn’t feel any colder. In fact she felt herself getting warmer. Her eyes widened, and Fluttershy sucked in a gasp. But she wasn’t looking at Rainbow, she was looking behind Rainbow. She could feel her cut getting hotter as she turned. Ten feet away, tucked just behind the brush were a pair of glowing green lights. And another. And another. Images of wood and blood flew into Dash`s mind, her dream had suddenly become very real. You are in Danger.

In the noise of the storm the beasts had snuck up on them. Rainbow stared in horror and anger at the hoof prints they had blatantly left in the muddy soil. They had been tracked. The athlete’s heart skipped a beat. Her muscles tensed. The noise of wooden joints creaking, sharp teeth snapping, and ceaseless growling. Green, glowing eyes continued to appear, there had to be dozens. Saliva dripped from their open mouths. This couldn’t be happening, it was too surreal. She turned back to see the terrified face of Fluttershy. She couldn`t let her nightmare come to fruition.

“GO!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. The yellow pegasus turned and bolted away, Rainbow followed after her. The growls behind them turned to snarls and Dash could hear the sound of a dozen wooden paws following them.

She ran alongside the other pegasus, but she felt the spikes in her head. She grunted trying to power through the pain, but it intensified just as before. Everything felt like it was burning, her skull was cracking, and her eyes were being clawed at. Fluttershy breathed beside her, it was a welcome noise, but it soon began to fade. She could no longer hear her pursuers, but instead the high pitched whine. The storm clouds had blotted out the sun, the forest was nigh impossible to navigate.

Yet they did, the two pegasi darted around the trees, leaped over the brush. Fluttershy’s soaked mane and tail flew behind her. Rainbow was proud, she didn’t have to slow down at all for the yellow mare, she was keeping up fine, but so were the wolves. Dash knew she had to think, she had to do something, but there was nothing she could do. Her head was no longer a part of her body, instead just an instrument of torture.

You are in danger. The words rang in her head, alongside the piercing whining.

Her vision blinked in and out, returning and fading, she fought harder than ever before. Fluttershy was beside her, and then she was in front of her. Lightning flashed, but not even the booming thunder could be heard, only the ringing. She felt like she was going to collapse. It took all Rainbow had just to tell her legs not to stop. She felt herself hit a tree, but outside pain was abstract, it didn’t exist, it couldn’t even compare with the agony in her head. She kept running. She felt the vibrations of her legs striking the mud and the pain in her skull, that was all there was. “Fluttershy!” she yelled before her vision failed her completely. Her legs didn’t stop.

After nearly a minute it returned, a welcome sign that the migraine was passing. But her returning vision heralded no comfort.

“No.” She whispered

Fluttershy was nowhere to be found, the forest was dark and empty, lightning and thunder struck frequently.

“No!” she choked out

There was no yellow mare, beside her, and no Timberwolves behind her.

“FLUTTERSHY!”

Vehemence

View Online

Rainbow Dash

Chapter 11

She couldn’t think, she couldn’t breathe. Her head pounded with horrible fury. Thunder and lightning boomed and crashed around her, but that was all. Her only company was the trees, standing tall and sturdy in the winds. Dash knew what she had to do. The Timberwolves would find the mare she loved long before she did, at least on hoof. She tried to spread her wings and cried out in pain, as the thin, newly formed skin on her cut split. She kept trying, pushing stretching. Tears ran down her face, a combination of pain and intense fear. Every moment she wasn’t airborne, was another that Fluttershy was in danger. Unless they already got to her...

The image of wooden teeth locked around her yellow neck flew into her mind. That moment, captured like a photograph, a photograph her mind couldn’t get rid of. It was all she could see. She shook her pounding head, trying to make the image leave, trying to spread her wings, but her left wouldn’t rise above half way, her body wouldn’t let her do it. The torrent of pain from the intense migraine, coupled with the hot stabbing pain in her side, threatened to render the mare unconscious. She wanted to throw up, she growled and yelled and beat her hooves on the ground. The pony she loved was going to die, unless she could take to the air, but all she could do was stand, lifting her wings to a tantalizing height. Why was she so useless?

Her wings refolded, and she took a deep breath. New plan. On the count of three. Just like a Band-Aid. Thunder and lightning tore apart the sky, the relentless rain and wind tore at the unlucky denizens of the ground below, and trapped down were two pegasi. The blue athlete closed her eyes and breathed. One... Two...

Somewhere, close but impossibly far, Fluttershy screamed. Rainbow spread her wings, with all the force and speed she could muster. She released a scream of her own, a howling cry of pure pain. Her cut tore open again, freshly bonded flesh and muscle torn open yet again, and this time the pain would not cease. But both of her wings were raised high, rain sliding down her feathers.

Just as fast as she raised them, she forced them down, propelling herself into the air with speed few pegasi in the world could match. She soared fifty feet up before gravity began to best her and she knew she had to do it again. With a pained cry, her wings opened once more and beat down, granting her another twenty feet of air. It was the roughest flight she’d ever achieved, but she was losing the fight fast. Her left wing was extremely weak; the amount of energy she usually poured into speed had to be used just to keep her aloft.

She was high above the tallest trees, but trying to hover proved the most excruciating maneuver yet. To remain at her fixed height required a constant and rhythmic flapping pattern. She couldn’t stop moving her wings, and each time she opened them brought a fresh wave of intense stabbing pain. Her insides felt hot, and her head still felt like it was being crushed.

She grunted as she held herself up, scanning the forest in the direction she’d heard the cry, looking for any motion, any colour. She couldn’t keep her flight steady and every second she lost a bit of her hard fought height. The tears still rolled down her cheeks blurring her vision, but she couldn’t raise a hoof to wipe them away, she couldn’t let her balance shift with a weak wing. She felt like a fly with a broken wing, awkwardly buzzing about the great expanse of trees below. Her eyes darted frantically about the muddy ground, but she couldn’t spot the mare.

Rainbow poured her power into another great flap of her wings, a gamble, giving her more area to survey but making it more difficult to pinpoint the yellow mare. Dash never imagined she could resent flying so much. All she wanted was to return to the soft mud ridden ground. Lightning arced all around her. She was hundreds of feet below even the lowest cloud, but she wasn’t beyond the reach of the rampant electricity. She used to love flying past lightning.

She cried and made no attempt to stop. Her body was in agony, her vision flickered and blurred, the knife in her side was hot and twisted with every motion of her wings. Adrenaline pumped through her veins, each painful flap gave her a new surge of energy. She swung her head about, searching frantically. Pain had become her world, her accepted reality, but still she fought against it, determined to do whatever possible to keep this from becoming her nightmare. But how could she help a pony she couldn’t find? Her tears of pain were becoming tears of despair, when a flash of movement caught her eye.

Fluttershy ran as fast as she could, frightened, her basic instinct to flee taking over. From the moment Rainbow told her to go, she was gone, off like a bullet, but it was hardly enough. The Timberwolves were on her, so close she could hear their paws strike and tear up the ground, snarling and snapping their jaws; she couldn’t pause for a second, they wouldn’t let her. She sobbed as she ran. Not because of the burning in her lungs, or the strain on her legs. Not even because death followed her only a few feet behind, waiting for her step to falter. She cried because she had left her love behind.

The last time she saw Rainbow, she crashed head first into a tree. Disoriented she took a huge left turn, taking off into darkness, away from the yellow pegasus. And Fluttershy didn’t follow. She wanted to, but her fear riddled mind wouldn’t let her hooves stop moving. She left Rainbow Dash to be torn apart by wolves and now she was alone.

The trees were just a teary blur, a mesh of darkness. She was getting tired. Just breathing was a labour, her legs felt like they would fall out from under her. She hoped Rainbow was somewhere safe, far away from all this chaos that the day had wrought, but at the same time, she wished the blue mare was beside her, telling her to carry on, giving her a reason to take one more step. Fluttershy felt herself slowing and tried to turn away, but suddenly the Timberwolves were running at her from the side. She turned again to see yet more wooden beasts, their eyes glowed maliciously. They were on all sides, surrounding her, tightening like a noose around her, taking her breath away.

And in that moment, she knew she was going to die. It was a sudden somberness, like someone had just told her terrible news, so terrible it was impossible to react. She got herself lower down, to a fighting stance. She didn’t know what she would do, she doubted she could even hold her own against a single wolf, but she knew it was what Dash would’ve done. She hoped her lover would be proud.

As the wolves tightened their trap around her she was struck by how she felt. She wasn’t afraid, not in the slightest. She was ready, ready to fight, and die, alone in the woods. In place of fear she felt only sadness. She wanted to see her one last time, to kiss her, run her hoof through her rainbow mane, to get lost in her eyes just one more time. How long had it been since she told Rainbow she loved her?

She could smell the wolves now, the foul stench of death that followed them. They stopped, a little more than five feet in front of her. The wolf that stood before her bent its forelegs getting ready to pounce. Her muscles tensed, she prepared for pain. She felt the rain drizzle down her coat; she could hear the thunder in the sky above. It was a dark night. But in the midst of the storm and gloom, faster than a pony could blink, a rainbow appeared.

Time seemed to slow as her blue savior slammed into the ground with a fury, all four hooves tossing dirt and mud high into the air. The shocked wolves had been momentarily silenced. Her breathing was heavy, her mane and coat were matted, but she was still the most beautiful mare Fluttershy had ever seen. But her heart stopped at the sight of an all too familiar shade of red dripping from her exposed cut. In a low, raspy voice that challenged the growl of the wolves she said.

“Back off!”

The wolves quickly carried on with their growling, they would not be denied their meal. Rainbow crouched low just like her lover. Fluttershy only heard one word before the insanity broke loose.

“Run.”

When the first wolf lunged at her, Rainbow was ready for it. The timber wolf flew through the air, mouth open, but even in her crippled and pained state, Rainbow Dash was far faster. She drove her hoof into the beast’s wooden skull knocking it to the ground. She brought her hind leg down on its head for good, measure. But that was only one, and even as she incapacitated the first, over a dozen more converged on the two mares.

Rainbow’s cut burned and her head was filled with a ceaseless rhythmic pounding, but all the pain just fueled her fury. Several came at her at a time, but her speed could not be matched, she leapt away from the snapping jaws of the monsters, and when one got to close, she used her hooves, breaking their wooden limbs. But the wolves weren’t only after the blue mare, and after noticing how little of a fight the other mare put up, a smaller group of wolves went after Fluttershy. Despite her warning the shy mare did not move, rooted to her spot, frozen in fear. Rainbow had to keep all the attention on her.
She leapt at the wolves preparing to attack her lover distracting them from the easier meal.

“Fluttershy run!” she shouted before three wolves jumped on her in unison, knocking the athlete to the ground. She felt teeth connect with her skin, but she fought and kicked her way out from under them, breaking two of them apart completely. The yellow mare still refused to leave, and Rainbow shouted to her as several wolves jumped on Fluttershy. Without a second thought, Rainbow’s wings flew open again, and she propelled herself forward, battering the wooden creatures off of her. Fluttershy seemed fine; she hardly had a scrape on her.

Two wolves ran at Rainbow from behind, but the blue pegasus noticed them long before they got to her, and by the time they did Rainbow bucked them, crushing their heads. She turned, to see at least ten more wolves prowling towards the two mares. Before the assault resumed Rainbow turned to the other mare.

“Fluttershy you have to get out of here.”

“What about you?” she asked crying.

“It doesn’t matter you-” one of the beasts leapt at Rainbow from the side, digging it’s wooden claws into her newly opened cut. She nearly blacked out from the sudden shock of pain, and she let out a horrible cry. The wolf and the mare rolled through the mud, one snapping and tearing, the other throwing mad punches. Dash came out on top, lifting herself from her broken opponent, but the wolves knew her weakness now and just as soon as she rose, she was tackled down again from the side by another two.

She fought one on her back, but the other pressed its paw into her cut as it fought. The pain was too much, she couldn’t get either of the animals off her, and her grip on consciousness was failing fast. They fought until all the mare could do was hold back the biting maw of the wolf sitting on her chest. Its mouth came ever closer to her face; all Rainbow could see was snapping wooden teeth. Just as the mare prepared herself for what was to come, the wolf was torn from atop her.

Fluttershy tossed the beast to the ground with a heavy grunt. She rose up on her hind legs, bringing her front hooves up then forcing both of them down on the head of the beast, flattening it’s brittle head. She had an unrecognizable anger in her eyes. Free of her immediate danger Rainbow swung her hoof around connecting with the wolf trying to expose her wounds. The monsters shoulder exploded into thousands of splinters, sending it back. Just as the wolf regained its balance, Rainbow put her hoof through its head. She turned to see the yellow pegasus circling with another wolf, neither taking their eyes off one another. To the surprise of the wolf and Dash alike, Fluttershy jumped on the wolf, literally tearing it apart, twigs and branches were tossed about as Fluttershy hammered down on it with her hooves.

A couple of wolves turned tail and ran back into the darkness, unwilling to fight further. But five wolves remained, unwilling to retreat. Four of them were attempting to box in the yellow mare. Fluttershy became the aggressor yet again, jumping on the wolf closest to her, before the other three piled on top of her. Rainbow sprinted towards her, between the two of them, they might be able to win this. But as she ran, a Timberwolf lunged at her from the side, sinking it’s teeth deep into her left foreleg. She fell to the mud on her cut side. Her vision flickered and distorted as the pain threatened to rob her of consciousness. Even in the mud, the impact stole the breath from the blue mare.

Fluttershy had bested two of the wolves but the others were quickly overtaking her. Rainbow tried again to help her, but her attacker was unrelenting, giving her no time to do anything but defend herself from its razor teeth. “Fluttershy!” she screamed at the sight of the pony she loved under such brutal attack. The yellow mare rolled onto her back and drove her left hind leg into one of the beasts, sending it sprawling away from her, but the other wolf saw its chance and clamped its jaw around her leg. The shy pony was swift to react, free of her other attacker, she used all of her power to beat the animal that bit her. It released her leg, but the bite was savage, long trails of blood poured from the puncture marks.

Fluttershy lifted herself but began to stagger and nearly fell again. The remaining wolf the mare had kicked off of her was back, and began to circle the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy mimicked, but her hind leg could hardly handle her weight. Rainbow fought desperately against her own wolf, rolling to try and gain the advantage. When Rainbow achieved a position atop her opponent, she swiftly dispatched it before spreading her wings again.

Fluttershy’s rage had finally failed her. It was rare that she ever let her anger take control of her, but she never felt it so powerfully before. The sight of Rainbow being overtaken because of her negligence filled her with a violent fury the like of which she had never before experienced. And the surge of power she felt when the first Timberwolf fell before her was... unexpected. She truly wished she hadn’t enjoyed it so much.

But it was all gone now, her anger, her drive, defeated by the sharp pain in her leg. She could hardly push on it at all, making each movement awkward and painful. And now it seemed her green eyed attacker had the edge. She could practically see the beasts hunger. They circled, waiting, anticipating. But after a few moments of circling, she rested too much weight on her hind leg, and she gave a small cry as it buckled. She didn’t fall but the wolf had seen its moment. The beast bent it’s legs and lunged for her throat. But just as the monster was about to connect, a multicoloured blur shot past, faster than anypony could blink, and tore the Timberwolf out of the air. Rainbow and the wolf tumbled across the ground, and before she lost her momentum, she stood up on her hind legs and threw the wolf at a tree. As the final beast struck the trunk it shattered to pieces, wooden splinters covered the ground.

Finally rid of her shock, Fluttershy got up from the mud. They had survived. Two mares had fought back a pack of Timberwolves. She stared at the blue mare, trying to find something to say, but coming up empty. Even ten feet away, she could hear Dash’s heavy breathing, see her legs trembling.

“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked softly.

Dash gave a half-hearted laugh

“Well that was fun.” She said with obvious sarcasm before the cyan pegasus crumpled and fell to the ground.

“Rainbow!” She ran over, hissing as she forgot about her leg. The blue mare lay on her side, her chest was heaving with every breath. Fluttershy lifted Dash’s muddy wing to look at her cut. She’d done a pretty good job keeping the wet earth out of it, but it might not have mattered much. Her cut bled even more profusely than the day she got it, and the strain this night had caused her widened the cut by about an inch.

She had to act fast; Rainbow was losing too much blood. Fluttershy ran around, ripping the branches off trees, then shearing the branches of their leaves. She nearly tripped over the many lifeless wooden husks the two pony’s had left littering the ground. Once she had a decent amount, she ran back to the sleeping pegasus. She bunched up the leaves and pushed them against her wound, trying to staunch the flow. She refolded her blue wing against it for good measure. Then she turned her attention to her hind leg. A massive bite mark scarred her just about her hoof. After a moment of contemplation, she tore the strap she’d been using for a cast off her wing. As it came free she winced at the pain, she carefully folded it back and tried to remember not to move it.

She wrapped the strap around the mares leg. As she worked she noticed Rainbow started to shiver. She finished wrapping then climbed atop the blue mare, much the same way Rainbow had done for her in the cave. She used her own foreleg to ensure the unconscious kept pressure on her wound. Dash was emitting heat like a furnace, Fluttershy tried her best to keep her from shivering. Her breathing finally began to slow, and Fluttershy could feel her heart beating. It was startlingly faint. She touched her neck to check her pulse, and gasped in fear. The cold rain poured down her back, but she hardly noticed, staring intently at the sleeping pegasus, waiting for her to wake.

Fluttershy’s body ached with pain, but she couldn’t imagine what Rainbow had put herself through to keep her safe.

“I love you.” She whispered softly, kissing her slightly parted lips. Rain, thunder and wind raged around them, a dark night in a dark forest, but they had survived. But Rainbow had gotten even worse, and town was still two days away at a brisk walking pace. Rainbow had lived through this night, but how many more could she last?

Reminiscence

View Online

Rainbow Dash

Chapter 12

Cloudsdale was a beautiful city, especially during the summer. Not that Rainbow Dash knew what her favorite season looked like anywhere else in Equestria. The blue filly was laying on her stomach, up high on a small overhang of cloud, right outside the advanced coliseum. It was the same spot she flew herself to every day when the instructor blew his whistle, signaling to them it was time for the twenty minute break. She hated the breaks, so what if the other foals were tired? She wanted to keep flying. But the instructor wouldn’t have it, so Dash flew off in a huff, grumbling in frustration to her own little spot in the sky.

At first she chose that spot so she could watch the advanced flyers perform. The way they shot through the air, looping around and tearing apart the cloud rings. She would watch in awe, hoping and dreaming that she could fly there too. It all seemed so far away. But after a little while Rainbow began to face her back to the coliseum, looking instead back the Flight Schools beginner course, where she’d just come from. Her little tuft of cloud was high above, so she could look out over the entire course, not that it was a very impressive size to begin with. But her interest wasn’t at all in the tiny course itself, but the little yellow filly still flying down there.

She’d been placed under a different instructor than Rainbow, he was a real hard-flank, not giving them too many breaks. She wasn’t sure why she was so interested in that filly, none of the foals even knew her name. But she was just so... different. She was always looking around; her big eyes rarely stopped darting about and unless the instructor called her out, she kept her hooves on the cloud, trying to slink away and make herself as small as possible, like all she wanted was to be invisible. The blue pegasus just couldn’t wrap her mind around it, didn’t she want to learn how to fly? One look at her during drills and it was obvious she was a weak flyer, but that’s what the course was for.

Rainbow wanted to talk to her, try to get to know her, maybe make her a bit less shy. But every time she tried she couldn’t do it, all she could do was stare, her wings, her voice, they wouldn’t work, and she would just give up and walk away with a blush. Rainbow even went so far as to step in her path while she was walking so they would bump into each other, but all she could get out was a quick

“Sorry.” Before walking away, leaving the yellow filly with a horrified expression.
So she had resorted to watching, and she didn’t mind so much. Nopony else paid the filly much attention, and Rainbow just ignored any foals that tried to make friends with her. She was here to fly, not to make friends. But if she had to be friends with anypony, she would’ve chosen the nameless filly in a heartbeat.

That was how she spent the first few weeks of flight school, flying drills, watching the yellow pegasus, more flying. To her surprise she never got bored of it. Even more though, she soon found herself waiting impatiently for the break, wanting to get her exercises over with as fast as possible, so she could take her perch up high and continue to observe. But sometimes it was a little too fast. More than once she lost control of her speed and flew into the many cloud pillars. At first some of the other fillies laughed but a couple of mean stares sorted that out fast. She wondered what the filly’s voice sounded like, what she liked to do if she wasn’t a fan of flying. She thought about what she would say to her if she ever got the courage to properly introduce herself. She wondered where she liked to go on her breaks, and if she ever noticed the odd colourful pony watching her from above. She doubted she would ever find out.

Another day started like most of them did. Rainbow got up from her bed, wolfed down some breakfast, said bye to her parents and flew out the door. It had been a long time since she needed her mom and dad to fly her to flight school. When she got to the course, she joined up with the rest of her group and waited for the instructor to bark out drills for them to perform. He wasn’t the nicest pony, but he wasn’t nearly as hard on Dash as he was on the others, since she could pass every exercise with flying colours. Quite literally. Finally as she flew a corkscrew through the meticulously set up rings of cloud, she heard the high pitched whistle, and took off immediately to her spot. She settled in and watched. The yellow filly was doing a similar drill, flying through rings in a vertical zigzag pattern. But for every one she flew through, the others made it through the whole course, and looped around to start again. Even from her height she could hear some of the colts laughing at her.

When the rest of her class started to outperform the shy filly, they started to tease her, poking fun at her as they passed. The sound of their malicious laughter always made Rainbow grit her teeth.

“What are you doing? Get going!” her instructor bellowed, pointing a hoof at the filly. That always made her mad too. Couldn’t the others see that she needed help? It was the instructor’s job to teach her and help her, but half the time it seemed like he just couldn’t be bothered, instead resorting to threats of punishments if any part of the course was failed. She finally made it through her final ring, just to be told to go for another lap. Rainbow half expected the filly to break down and cry, she always looked so delicate, like a spring flower, but instead she nodded without meeting his eyes and rushed off to begin the exercise again. Her wings beat at the air, the strain was visible on her face. Rainbow stared at the filly in pity.

As she reached her third ring she dropped down on it to rest, only to lose her balance and go tumbling off. Rainbow quickly pushed herself to her hooves. And spread her wings, ready to take flight at a moment’s notice. She landed on an arced platform, which sent her through the air where she got tangled in a flag and fell down to the cloud base. Rainbow let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the yellow pegasus escape unscathed, but immediately tensed again as cruel laughter made it to her ears. She peered out from under the crimson flag, embracement perfectly visible on her face as two bullying colts looked down on her.

“Nice going Klutz’ershy.” Rainbow heard one of them call. “They ought to ground you permanently.”

“My baby brother can fly faster than you.” Rainbow snapped, she couldn’t listen to them make fun of the innocent filly. It wasn’t her fault she wasn’t as strong of a flyer. Of course, her instructor was nowhere to be seen, typical of grown-up’s, so Rainbow took it into her own hooves. She soared through the air as fast as she could flap her wings. She knew that her mane and size didn’t exactly inspire fear, so she had to give it some style. The three foals looked up in shock as Rainbow pulled in for a swift landing.

“Leave her alone!” she shouted taking a defensive stance in front of the filly. The colts were unfazed.

“Ooh, what are you gonna do Rainbow Crash.” The one with the brown coat sneered. Rainbow tried not to flinch at the mention of her many accidents, she absolutely refused to back down.

“Keep makin’ fun of her and find out.” It sounded pretty good in her head.

The colt narrowed his eyes.

“You think you’re such a big-shot? Why don’t you prove it?”

“What do you have in mind?”

They set up the rules and distance for the race in minute, trying to get it done before they ran out of time, classes were nearly over for the day. Since she was still lacking in a supervisor for Celestia-only-knows why, Rainbow dragged the yellow filly along with her. Her breath came up short when she grabbed her yellow hoof. She didn’t say anything to Rainbow, but the blue pegasus could just make out the slightest trace of a smile on her face and that was enough to quench any doubt she had about going through with this charade of a race. Their little spat had gathered quite a crowd; fillies and colts lined the clouds like they were bleachers.

Rainbow and the two colts lined up at the start line that the intermediates used for their races. She watched the filly hop onto the cloud in front of them to take up the starting flag. Dash had never raced anypony, but how hard could it be? Hit the rings, fly as fast as she could, no different from the drills, only she HAD to outperform this time. The filly lifted the flag, and Rainbow swallowed her nervousness. This was quite an odd way to make an introduction. Three pairs of wings spread, and Rainbow licked her lips. She would win this for the filly. She deserved it.

The yellow filly seemed to drop the flag in slow motion, but the action that followed was fast as lightning. All three foals shot off like rockets, straight past the pony with the start flag. The first half of the race was a blur of speed and adrenaline, Rainbow poured every ounce of power she could find into her wings. The wind whipped at her mane and feathers, she sped through the rings with the utmost agility. She never felt such a rush before, the freedom was unbelievable. She felt like she was in her element, her heart was pounding, her muscles ached, but she’d never felt so at home. The darker colt crashed early on in the race, and after a little while she thought she’d left the other in the dust. She thought she had the race in the bag until the unseen pony swooped in from the side, shoving the cyan pegasus aside. She fought to regain her control. She looked back to her opponent with a shocked look.

“Later Rainbow Crash!” He teased before taking off on a downward arc to get the ring.

“Hey!” she shouted, knowing he was far out of earshot by now. But he wouldn’t be for long. She gave all she had, she needed to win this, this was her race. The very air around her resisted her, but she still pushed it aside. It took her exactly three seconds to shoot past the colt like it was nothing. She wanted to push herself as far as she could. The air resistance continued to increase, but she also had gravity on her side. The wind stung her face, tears formed in the corners of her eyes, but she wouldn’t give up.The next ring was just in front of her.

Suddenly, she no longer felt resistance; instead it was like she was gliding. Light flashed around her before a massive ring of colourful fire. She looked back to the ring expanding and pushing outwards, her mane and tail now maintained a uniform stream of colour. She’d done the impossible, something foals could only dream of. She’d done a Sonic Rainboom.
She did multiple flyovers of the city, listening to the cheering and applause of her class, before finally letting go of her speed and coming in for a landing. Almost instantly she was mobbed by pegasi, congratulating her and asking her questions. At first she bathed in the attention, speaking freely about her discovery, though many who hadn’t been there were doubtful of her story. After several minutes though, she got sick of the mob, she felt claustrophobic, there was only one pony she was interested in seeing.

She hoped she was watching the race. She hoped the yellow filly would be smiling. But after searching the flight camp and the spot where she’d been bearing the flag and coming up empty, she got confused. She peered about the empty course, searching for her, but everypony had left for the day. The only pony still hanging around was the brown colt who’d crashed into the pillar and as much as she didn’t want to, she needed to figure out where she went.
“Hey, have you seen that yellow filly around?” she asked, prepared for a sharp answer in light of his shameful disqualification. Instead he just snickered.
“She probably went cryin’ home to mommy after what you did to her.”

“Hey I thought I told you- wait, what I did?” she said with a puzzled look.

“Didn’t you see? You knocked her right off the cloud, it was hilarious!”

“What?!” Rainbow said, scrambling to the edge of the cloud to peer over. The ground lay hundreds of feet below, into acres upon acres of forest land.

“No. No, no, no.” She spun around, her fury and pride all but gone. “Did you tell anypony, are they looking for her?”

“No why would I? Like I said she’s probably at home bawlin’. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?”
All Rainbow could do was stare down over the edge. Nopony could survive a fall from that height.

“She can’t fly you featherbrain!”

“How is that my problem?” he said walking away without looking back.

“Where are you going?!” she called after him. “We have to help her!”

“When are you going to learn to listen Crash. I said it’s not my problem.” He called back, before shooting off into the clouds.

Her jaw dropped, she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Wasn’t there a single pony in this city that cared? The yellow filly could be lost or dead and nopony could bother to lift a hoof to help. It was all her fault, if anything had happened to her, Rainbow would be to blame. She wanted to scream in frustration, but she held it in, instead she leapt right off the cloud. Foals weren’t supposed to leave the city. It wasn’t a law, more an unspoken rule between them and their parents. It was much easier to get injured down below.

But doing anything else would have taken way too long, and the instructors were gone with the kids, so Rainbow streamlined her body and let herself fall to the earth. She had never been on the ground before, her parents never had a reason to take her, and she was too scared to go by herself. She knew it was a safe place to be, many pegasi moved away from Cloudsdale when they grew up to go live in one of the many ground cities, but It all looked so different from what she’d grown up with. Her feelings hadn’t changed but if she was afraid of the ground, the filly must have been terrified down there, all alone in a strange place. Rainbow had to help her.

As she neared the green tree tops she spread her wings and slowed herself down. Rainbow was reluctant to let her hoofs touch the ground so she kept herself in the air. She looked around, but there was no sign of her. She slalomed through the trees. She wanted to call out, but she didn’t know what to call her. As she rounded a boulder, a tiny black and yellow... thing hovered in front of her. It had little wings the beat so fast it created a buzzing sound. It started to fly towards her. Rainbow screamed and fled in the other direction, nearly hitting a tree. She spun out of the way, but she was too low and ended up crashing to the ground with a thud.

She rubbed her head as she got up. The ground was a lot harder than the clouds. Something tickled her legs, long blades of grass rubbed against her. She had always wondered what grass felt like. Her head felt a little sore and the impact had winded her. But she shook it off immediately as her eyes focused in on the yellow filly. She was about to call out but she stopped. She was laughing. The filly was laying down in the grass, small animals crowded around her, she laughed and smiled as they climbed about her, competing for her attention. It was the sweetest sound that had ever graced her ears. The sunlight beamed down on her small yellow body. She no longer looked afraid, like she wanted to disappear. Her smile seemed to illuminate the forest; it was the first time Rainbow had ever seen her look truly happy. She’d never been to the ground in her life, but she felt totally confident in saying that this was where the filly belonged, where she wanted to be.

She sucked in a sudden, involuntary gasp upon sighting the cutie mark that had appeared on her flank. Her laugher ceased immediately and she turned to the blue pony in shock. A couple of the smaller animals skittered away into the more dense areas of forest. Rainbow dared not move, as though she would run away at the slightest motion. The two stared at each other, rather awkwardly, and Rainbow could feel that it was time for her to pony up and say something. So she did.

“Hi.” Her voice cracked, and she coughed to clear her throat. Real smooth Dash. She scolded herself. “Um, hi. My name’s Rainbow Dash.” She lifted her hoof slightly and gave a slight wave. The other filly looked like she was unsure what to think. Oh no, is she mad at me?

“I-I remember. You were the one who h-helped me.” It was the first time she’d ever heard her speak. Her voice was as soft and delicate as her stature and it melted Rainbow’s heart instantly.

“Oh that, it was nothing.” She said trying to play it off, after getting over her initial awe.

“ No, i-it was something. Thank you.”

“Well, if they ever give you any more trouble just give me a call. I’d be glad to put them in their place.”

“How did the race go? Did you win?”

“I- well, it’s not important.” She said, transfixed by the pony laying before her.
She took a small step forward, testing the waters of their newly forming relationship. She just continued to lie on the ground unmoving, her beautiful eyes locked with her own. So she took another step, and another, until she had carried herself all the way to her. Then she lay herself down beside the filly.

“So, what’s your name?” she asked, excited to finally know.

“Um, my name is Fluttershy.” It was no surprise to Rainbow, her name completely echoed her personality, and it was beautiful, just like everything else about her.

“Hi, Fluttershy.” She smiled as the name left her lips. The other pegasus still continued to stare, as though she was still wary of this new filly before her.

“Er, listen, I’m really sorry about knocking you off the cloud.” It sounded pretty feeble for the gravity of her offence, but Fluttershy hardly seemed to mind.

“Oh, it’s ok. Everything turned out alright in the end, right?”

A small furry creature with a bushy tail crawled onto Rainbow’s foreleg. She shivered at the foreign contact, but the pink maned pegasus broke into another smile.

“I think she likes you.” Dash leaned in closer to look at the animal.

“How can you tell?” she asked.

“I’m not sure, but I can.” She said. Rainbow noticed she was talking louder and faster, which meant she was making progress. She wanted to keep her momentum.

“Congratulations on getting your cutie mark.” She said.

“Oh, thank you.” She replied, still smiling. “Congratulations on yours too.”

Dash’s ear twitched. She turned so fast her neck cracked, but the filly wasn’t lying. A cloud with a lightning bolt displaying vibrant blue, yellow, and red beamed up at her. Her eyes widened and she took in a loud gasp. She’d finally gotten her cutie mark.

“Oh my gosh!” she exclaimed “I have a cutie mark! Yes!” She wrapped the rather surprised Fluttershy into a tight hug. Her excitement caused her to act without thought, but this was a big moment for her and she wanted to share it. She pulled back immediately after realizing what she had done. Hugging somepony you just met wasn’t exactly normal social protocol. She tried to stutter out an apology when she looked up to see her new friend smiling, pushing a loose strand of her pink mane aside laughing with a light rose tint on her cheeks. Rainbow laughed along with her, happy that she wasn’t scared anymore.

They didn’t stop talking until sunset. For the rest of the afternoon, she listened to Fluttershy talk about all the animals and what she thought they were called, and Rainbow mostly sat and took in what she had to say. Sometimes Fluttershy would ask her a question and she would answer, but she let her do most of the talking. She had a voice that was easy to listen to. Little animals came and went, and occasionally a couple of butterflies would come and settle on their manes or noses. Their conversation was rarely centered around their cloud home above, which might’ve been how they lost track of time so easily.

Fluttershy was talking about coming back down here to find a place to live.

“Somewhere nice and quiet where animals could have lots of space to play. I think-” she stopped and looked back up to the sky, taking note of the orange hues beginning to come out. “Oh no.”

“What?” she said startled out her relaxed state by the filly’s sudden tension.

“I’m not supposed to be out after sunset, and my parents don’t know where I am. They’re going to be worried.”

Rainbow had a similar curfew, but it was rarely enforced, so she never followed it. Her parents knew she would get home eventually, she always did.

“Oh alright.” She said disappointed to have to say good bye. She got up and stretched. “Come on, I’ll fly you home.”

Fluttershy stayed lying down; her eyes lingered on the ground.

“What’s the matter?” the blue filly asked. “Don’t you want to go home?”

“Yes of course! But,” she wore a very embarrassed expression. “Well, you’ve seen me; I can hardly fly at all. If I go back, it could be weeks, or maybe even months until I’m able to come back here and see the animals again.” Her ears drooped.

She looked so disappointed and Rainbow could hardly blame her, just finding where you belong to have to leave again, it was really unfair. She made her offer before she even had time to think.

“I could take you!” she said quickly. “Back and forth I mean. I’m a pretty good flyer, I can help you, give you some support. Maybe I could even teach you a few things to make you better.”

“Oh it’s a kind offer, but I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” She said. She wasn’t just being polite; she sincerely didn’t want to be a hindrance to her.

“No really, it’s not a problem! Actually, I think I would enjoy it.”

“And what do you want in return?” she asked, her ears beginning to lift.

“Nothing. Well I mean, I hope we can keep hanging out.”

“Yes of course we can! But are you sure? You really don’t have to.”

“Come on, what are friends for?”

Fluttershy looked surprised.

“We’re friends?” she asked, a bit of her shy voice creeping in.

“Yes,” Rainbow said with a laugh. “If you want to be.”

She looked almost ready to cry, for a moment Rainbow thought she’d said something wrong. But then the yellow filly wrapped her in a tight hug sputtering out countless thank you’s. Rainbow smiled, glad to see that she’d made the shy filly so happy. The two were so happy, they didn’t notice the large shadow looming over them.

Rainbow pulled away still grinning like a fool, but her face changed immediately upon spotting the massive figure standing behind Fluttershy. It was covered head to toe in brown shaggy fur, and nearly nine feet tall. It stood up on two legs, with razor sharp claws on all its limbs.

Rainbow screamed in terror, grabbing her friend and forcing her to stand behind her, putting Rainbow between her and the terrible beast.

“Fluttershy, you start flying, I’ll catch up.” She was breathing heavy. She couldn’t pull her eyes from the monsters mouth, lined with sharp white teeth, and dripping saliva.

“What are you going to do?” she asked in a surprisingly flat tone.

“I’m going to teach it a lesson.” She said like it was obvious.

“Nonsense!” she said before running out from behind Dash, too fast for her to stop.

“No Fluttershy get back here!”

She approached the great monster calmly.

“Rainbow, you don’t have to be afraid, she’s adorable!” she lifted a hoof to scratch it’s belly.

“Fluttershy that thing’s massive, don’t touch-” her words faltered as the beast settled down onto the ground, it’s leg shaking happily as the small yellow filly rubbed her large brown belly.

“Aw, you’re a friendly bear, aren’t you?”

Rainbow could only stand there, dumbfounded. She had no intention of approaching the huge animal, but at the same time she knew Fluttershy had it under control. She continued to pet the bear for a couple of minutes, before giving it a kiss on the forehead and bidding it farewell. Further to Rainbows surprise, it got up and lumbered off into the woods, without so much as a glance back.

“How did you do that?”

“I’m not sure; they just seem to understand me. Most animals aren’t so mean, even if they look it.” Fluttershy shrugged it off like it was nothing, but Rainbow had gained a whole new respect for that filly.

After a couple of minutes of preparation, the two fillies took off into the sky. After everything that had happened that day, Rainbow found it very difficult to move at a slow enough pace for Fluttershy. But she made sure to stay right beside her the whole flight.

“Straighten out your wings! Make sure you keep the same rhythm or you might confuse yourself!” Rainbow called out tips to her new friend and within minutes they were moving at a smooth and steady pace, by far the smoothest flight she’d ever seen Fluttershy undertake. Within ten minutes their hooves were back in the cloud, and Fluttershy had improved more in that time than the past three weeks of flight camp. She was breathing heavily, but her face beamed with pride.

“You did fantastic Fluttershy.” Rainbow said with sincerity.

“Thanks.” Was all the other pony could get out between breathes.

Dash walked her rest of the way to her house, which was a shockingly close distance to her own cloud home.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Fluttershy.”

“Have a good night Rainbow.”

Rainbow Dash stood there a moment, watching her walk away. She didn’t leave until the yellow pegasus closed the door behind her.

Every day afterwards, the instant the final whistle was blown the two fillies found each other. They didn’t tell their parents where they were going each, day, but they knew they would be gone for most of the day. With each trip there and back Fluttershy became substantially stronger in flight under Rainbow’s guidance. After a couple of days she was flying at a comfortable speed without even breaking a sweat. In two weeks it was obvious she didn’t need Rainbow’s help anymore, but that never stopped her from waiting for the multicoloured mare before they left. They were inseparable and they were happy. Rainbow kept the bullies away from Fluttershy, often at her own expense but she didn’t mind in the slightest. She had finally found somepony she could let in, somepony who saw past her potential, who didn’t expect greatness from her, but saw her for who she was, when Rainbow could hardly see it herself.
She knew from the moment she laid eyes on the yellow filly that she was different. Her eyes darted, she could hardly fly, and she looked as though the thing she wanted most was to disappear. But she let Rainbow in, and even through the years, and the hardships, she never left her.

It was Rainbow’s favorite dream, only coming to her when she was at her lowest. The memory of meeting the pony she loved brought her warmth and made her feel happy. But no matter how much you try to keep your dreams with you, you always have to wake up.

Wake up Rainbow Dash.

Care and Compassion

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Rainbow Dash

Chapter 13

Rainbow found herself torn from her dream, thrust into a state between consciousness and unconsciousness. She couldn’t see anything, but she felt a dull throbbing pain in her side. The familiar voice called to her once again, and once again she could not put a face to it.

“Rainbow you must wake up.” It said. The voice was feminine.

“I was dreaming.” Rainbow retorted sleepily, hardly able to rationalize her thoughts.

“I know. But the time for dreaming is over. Rainbow you are still in danger, you must wake.”

“I... killed the wolves.” She said, confused.

“That is not what you are in danger of.” She replied ominously.

“Who are you?” Dash asked, feeling herself becoming more and more awake.

“That does not matter,” the voice answered quickly. It was getting quieter. “What matters is that the pony you love needs you. And so do I.” Her last sentence echoed through Rainbow’s mind.

“What do you mean?” she called, but she received no reply. She tumbled through the darkness, feeling her mind awakening.

The first thing the cyan mare was aware of was water slowly trickling down her body. Following soon after was the pain, so sharp that her grogginess vanished instantly. Her side and leg felt like they were on fire, and she felt a familiar pressure in her head, but no where near the magnitude of pain her migraines brought upon her. She opened her eyes to meet those of her lover, whose face turned to shock upon noticing Dash had awoken.

“Oh thank Celestia!” the yellow mare said, barely getting the words out before showering Rainbow with kisses, touching her soft lips all over the blue mare’s face. Even with the pain she felt, she could still think of worse ways to wake up. After getting over her initial disorientation she returned each kiss planted on her lips. Fluttershy nuzzled her cheek against Rainbow’s. She could feel her body trembling against hers.

“You were asleep for so long. I didn’t know...” her voice trailed off.

Rain still poured down from the heavens relentlessly, but the wind and thunder had all but disappeared. She didn’t know how long she was out, the sky offered no hints, it remained dark as ever, black clouds obscuring whatever light that tried to shine down on them.

“Are you ok? Did they hurt you?” Rainbow’s throat felt dry and her head was pounding. She tried to stand, but Fluttershy put a gentle hoof on her chest.

“I’m fine but... I don’t think you are.” Fluttershy looked terrified, and Rainbow didn’t really need that mare to tell her that she was in terrible condition; she could feel it just fine for herself.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been shivering. From the moment you passed out you looked like you were freezing. But your body was radiating heat. You had a huge bite mark on your leg, and your cut...” her voice faltered.

“What is it?” she asked gently. Fluttershy shut her eyes and swallowed deeply. The rain made it difficult to tell, but Rainbow thought she might’ve been crying.

“You lost a lot of blood. I stopped it as fast as I could but... I don’t think you have enough to fight off this infection.” She was distraught, as though she’d been told she was the one about to die. Rainbow couldn’t see the tears on her cheeks, there was too much rain, but she knew they were there, rolling down her soft yellow face, a signature of her sadness. Rainbow wrapped her forelegs around her lover’s body.

“Hey Fluttershy, look at me.” She said with a soft yet commanding tone. She opened her eyes to stare into hers. She wasn’t going to lie, she refused to pedal false hope. The way Rainbow felt; it was just like what she imagined dying to feel like. “You can feel me right now, my breathing, you can see into my eyes. Right now, in this moment, the two of us are both alive and I don’t care what it takes but I’m holding on as long as I can, ok?” She felt her own eyes beginning to water but she fought to keep her voice from choking. Fluttershy nodded, but her body still trembled.

“And as long as I’m still here, we have to keep moving. Do you understand?” she saw her yellow head nod once more, and she relented, slowly rising up off of Rainbow. That is not what you are in danger of, the words echoed painfully in her mind. The cold air the storm had carried in its wake seeped into her very bones, and she nearly regretted telling Fluttershy to get up. Rainbow could feel that she was right; whatever was happening to her it was getting worse. Her headache refused to leave and her cut seared under her wing. She dared not lift it to look. Dash rolled to her front, the task was taxing to her body. As she stood, her legs trembled under her weight, her bitten leg nearly gave out. Fluttershy wordlessly helped her, and Rainbow accepted gratefully. Once she was standing, she was able to keep most of her weight of her leg without assistance. She noticed the strap tied tightly around her bitten leg.

“Fluttershy did you-” she paused upon seeing the mare injured wing bare once again. “No I can’t take this, you need it-”

“Not as much as you do.” She said simply. She began to walk with a noticeable limp. The cyan mare’s eyes shot to her hind leg. The blood had been long rinsed away by the falling rain, but the raw marks of where each wooden tooth had punctured her soft skin were still easy to see.

“You’re hurt!” she called cursing herself for her own stupidity.

“It’s fine Rainbow, it looks worse than it feels.”

“It looks pretty bad Fluttershy, are you sure you’re alright?”

“Please Dashie, you don’t need to worry about me.” Rainbow wanted to argue further but Fluttershy’s tone suggested that her mind was set.

“Thank you for saving me.” She said, trying to change her tone. The shattered remnants of their attackers were strewn all around them. The intensity of the fight, how hard she fought to keep the pony she loved safe, it pushed her further than she’d ever gone before. And yet still she would have been long dead if not for the shy mare. “You could have left me, I told you to but you didn’t.”

“No, I couldn’t have, and I never will.” Her words were solemn, but it still brought a smile to Rainbow’s face. No matter what happened to her, she could know without a doubt the intensity of Fluttershy’s love, and she returned it in kind.

“I love you Fluttershy.”

“I love you too Rainbow.”

The two mares walked silently through the woods, accompanied only by the sound of rain pattering against the leaves and the sloshing of mud around their hooves. Fluttershy carried a determined yet troubled demeanor, and the one thing Rainbow wanted more than anything was just to talk to her, say a few comforting words. But there were none, what could she possibly say? She had no doubts of the severity of her infection, just ten minutes after they began to move, she already felt weaker, her thoughts felt fuzzy and slow, and she was so tired. Her head still hurt, and above all was the cold. The rain only worsened the cool night air and she began to shiver as she walked.

It was an odd feeling to Rainbow, knowing for near certainty her time was running out, knowing that in mere hours she could be leaving her behind.

She stared at Fluttershy as she walked. They both walked with a hobble, but Fluttershy’s was worse, each time she pressed on her injured leg her body went rigid. Rainbow walked beside her.

“Put your wing over my back.” She said.

“I’m alright Dash I-” she tried to say but Rainbow interjected.

“Please, it’ll make me feel better to know I’m helping.”

Fluttershy looked to her, then opened her uninjured wing. Rainbow lowered her own body to get underneath it then stood up. Unable to help herself, the mare with the pink mane rested part of her weight on Rainbows back. She relished in the warmth of her lovers body, although the newly added weight was causing her severe pain, Fluttershy was walking with noticeably less strain, and that made it worthwhile. She knew she couldn’t ease the burden on Fluttershy’s mind, but maybe talking could keep her distracted.

“You know, when I fell asleep, I had a dream.” Rainbow said as casually as she could in this sort of situation.

“Was it a good dream?” she asked, sounding interested. Rainbow nodded

“Yeah it was my favorite,” She grunted as she walked, trying to hold both their weights in her condition. It was strenuous, but she had no intention of giving up. “It was about the day we met, back in flight school. Do you remember?”

“Of course I do, how could I forget? You were my first friend.”

“And now I’m your first fillyfriend.” She said with a playful smile. But Fluttershy looked pained; she flinched as though the words physically slapped her. Rainbow was quizzical about her reaction until it dawned on her: I’m her first filly friend, and I’m going to die.

“Hey come on, let’s try to think positive, ok? We’re still together and we took down an entire pack of Timberwolves, I’d say that’s something to be proud of.”

She continued to stare ahead without response. Rainbow nuzzled her cheek trying to bring her back to the present.

“Do you want to talk about what happened back there?” she asked, prepared for any answer. She resented having to ask, but she needed to make this mare open up again. Fluttershy let out a shaky sigh before speaking.

“I never felt anything like I did then,” she said like she was far away. “When I saw the wolves on you when I heard you screaming, I just... snapped. I killed them all, any that came near me.” She spoke with such a flat tone, Rainbow couldn’t read her feelings.

“I know, but you did it to save me, and you have no idea how grateful I am.” She kept her cheek pressed against the mare, just like the rest of her body. Her body was so warm.

“Yes I do. Because you did the same for me.” Her eyes fell to the ground “you put yourself through so much danger and so much pain to save my life. And now you’re the one paying for it.” Her voice quivered as the words escaped her.

“Hey,” she stopped to make sure her point as heeded “everything I did back there, I would do it again without question. I would put myself through anything for you, you know that.”

“I do know that. And that’s why I can never forgive myself.” Her voice broke and her breath shook.

“Forgive yourself for what Fluttershy?”

“For all of this!” she yelled suddenly, making Rainbow jump a little. “Everything has been my fault, your cut, the wolves, us being stuck here, and now you might not make it home and it’s all because I was so selfish.” Her words shocked the blue mare, for a moment all she could do was stand there open mouthed. Had she been carrying this guilt with her the whole time?

“Fluttershy I don’t blame you for anything.”

“Well you should.” She retorted, completely distraught.

“Well I don’t!” she winced as her voice rose, she tried to lower it. “If I could have been brave enough to tell you how I felt, I would never have tried to fly away. I was going to leave the pony I loved because I couldn’t admit my feelings to her. Do you know how stupid that makes me feel? None of this is on you; please don’t take the blame because I was being a coward.”

“I’m sorry Rainbow, but no matter what you say, I can’t see how I’m not responsible for this.” She whispered, unable to meet her eyes. So Dash helped her put a hoof gentle under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet her own.

“Alright fine, let’s just say for a minute that all of this is your responsibility, my injury, my condition, our whole crappy situation; let’s just say it’s all on your shoulders. If that’s the case I seriously need to thank you because you have done me the biggest favour any pony has ever done for me.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open slightly, but Dash continued.

“Ever since we were fillies, as soon as I knew what love was, I knew that was how I felt about you. Every time I looked at you, every time I heard your voice, just being near you gives me such an amazing feeling Fluttershy. And if it’s your fault that we ended up in that cave, that means it’s also your fault that I could finally tell you how I felt, that I could finally work up the courage to kiss you.” She felt a tear roll down her cheek but she refused to stop.

“I wouldn’t change a thing that happened this week, not a single thing, and I would fight off a thousand wolves to keep you safe. I don’t regret anything that we’ve done and you shouldn’t either. So if you absolutely feel the need to take the blame, know that you take my gratitude right along with it. These past few days, every moment I’ve spent with you in pain and fear, I wouldn’t trade them for anything. And no matter how it ends you need to know that I love you, more than anything on this world, I love you.” Rainbow was crying without remorse at this point, the words just kept falling out of her until she had nothing left to say and when she was done she did the only thing that felt natural, and kissed her.

She was in pain, she was stressed and she was the most tired she’d felt in her life, but as her their lips connected, it all seemed to fall off her, giving brief but sweet relief to her aching body, and for just a moment she felt true comfort. She could tell her lover was still crying, but she hoped her words had done something to soothe her worries, if she really did leave this world, she didn’t want this mare to take the blame, the thought of leaving such a heavy burden on her shoulders was too much to bear.

As they finally pulled apart, Rainbow gazed into her eyes again. The glossy sheen of her tears made it look as though her eyes were sparkling, like soft yet brilliant emeralds. Rainbow loved her eyes.

“Now we’ve made it this far, me and you, against all odds, through some really good times, and some not so good times. Let’s keep going, let’s see how far we can go together.”

Fluttershy nodded her head, and Rainbow’s heart melted at the sight of her smile, it was so wonderful, and it had been far too long since she’d seen it. As they walked, the blue mare couldn’t help but smile. She was dying, but she wasn’t afraid. She couldn’t say she didn’t care, but fear couldn’t enter her heart, because the yellow filly walked beside her, and when it all came down to it, that was all she ever wanted.

Anguish

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Fluttershy

Chapter 14

Fluttershy tried her best to do what she asked, she tried to stay positive, she tried not to blame herself but she just couldn’t. Even as they walked, Rainbow’s breathing became heavier; the mare who spent her life pushing her body to the limits was tiring out from walking. Her body rose to an even higher temperature, which she honestly believed to be impossible, but still Rainbow pressed her body against her own tightly, trying to receive any warmth she could. She was dying, there was no way to ignore it now, no way to force it to the back of her mind, pretend it wasn’t her reality. She needed a hospital now and town was still two days away at a steady pace, which was far from their capabilities. They moved so slowly, and Rainbow trying to support both their bodies did little to help the problem, but she refused to do otherwise.

She wanted to cry. More than she could say, more than she could ever express, she wanted to collapse to the cold, muddy ground and sob forever. But she couldn’t, for what would that solve? If she only had hours left with her love, they shouldn’t be spent crying. Besides, crying would be selfish, unfair to the blue mare beside her, who held her composure so well, who even as her breaths were slowly running out wanted to make sure she was comfortable. So instead of crying, she talked. They both did.

They talked about the girls, and some of the things they’d all done together as friends, and even as far back as their early days in Cloudsdale. Talking about the past carried a dangerous sting, but at the same time it was calming, distracting, talking about the good times they had shared together, and if looking to the past allowed her to turn her back upon the future, the shy mare was all for it. Rainbow smiled and laughed, and when their story was particularly good they kissed and reminisced. It hit her, how valuable each little peck on the lips was, how badly she wanted to savour each of them. Fluttershy loved this, she wanted this for the rest of her life, it wasn’t like they had a shortage of exciting tales, but their current tale was running short.

“...She told me that my stories gave her nightmares, but she didn’t want me to know so I would think still think she was cool and take her under my wing. I told her that they used to scare me too, and that I still thought she was cool. She was so happy.” Rainbow had told her this one at least a dozen times before, but Fluttershy never tired of it.

“I think what you did for that filly was really thoughtful. It meant a lot to her.” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah I know. I really miss her. I was supposed to give her a flying lesson, the day after the migration.” Fluttershy looked down. Great, another thing to feel guilty for.

“Hey Fluttershy if... you know, um, you’ll take care of her right? If I’m not there... she really needs somepony to look out for her, you know?”

“Yes of course.” She meant it honestly, but she doubted Scootaloo would be open to that. What if she blamed her for what happened to Rainbow? She wouldn’t be able to blame her.
Fluttershy spotted another berry bush. The sight round purple fruit made her mouth salivate; she’d forgotten how long it had been since she last ate.

“Would you mind if we took a break?” she asked. Even with Rainbow’s help her legs were burning, especially the one that was bitten. Rainbow nodded. It was an awkward maneuver to get to a laying position, with her wing still over Dash’s back, and their bodies pressed together, but neither of them wanted to separate, and eventually they made it down. The ground was cool and muddy, which made Rainbow rather uncomfortable, but it couldn’t hurt to try and lower her heightened body temperature. All the muck had caked on their coats, she could only imagine Rarity’s reaction if she saw them like this. Fluttershy picked off a couple of the purple fruit and ate them greedily, her hunger momentarily trumping her manners. They tasted watery, but for the first food she’d eaten in days it was a delicacy. She snapped of a branch with her teeth and handed them to Rainbow, who lay against her, shivering but still smiling. She thought Rainbow would be just as eager as she to finally get some food, but to her surprise and disquiet, she gratefully turned them down.

“What’s wrong? They don’t taste too bad.”

“I’m not hungry.” The blue pegasus explained.

“You really should eat, to keep your strength up.” She tried.

“I don’t think forcing myself to scarf down a couple of berries is going to change much.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. This wasn’t good, Rainbow had a bigger appetite than any other pony she knew, she’d seen that mare eat enough food in one sitting to feed a family. Now, even after the attack last night she didn’t want food. Fluttershy stared at her. Her usually bright eyes had become dull, and whether it was her imagination, or the lighting she couldn’t say, but her vibrant mane seemed to have lost some of its colour. But still her lips remained pulled back, in a small grin that seemed almost taunting to Fluttershy.

“How are you doing it?” she asked

“Doing what?”

“How can you sit there and smile with me when... when you...” she couldn’t finish, instead she looked down to the cold ground, unwilling to meet her eyes while she was so close to losing her precarious composure.

“Fluttershy, have I ever told you my biggest fear, what thought scares me the most out of anything?”
She shook her head.

“Getting old.” Fluttershy looked up. For some reason, that actually made a lot of sense to her. A couple of days ago, Fluttershy could have never pictured this mare at a later age. Every feature on her body seemed so timeless, her mane, her athletic frame. But she looked older now, her mane was dulling, she could hardly stand on her own, she looked as though the whole world were weighing down on her.

“Whenever I see the old ponies walking around town, with their walkers, and those ridiculous hearing aids, I always feel so bad for them. Seeing all the young ponies around them, their bodies still in their prime, with nothing but the world ahead of them, while their own times had ended right out from under them, I couldn’t imagine anything worse. But it does get worse, because one day I would be just like them, my wings wouldn’t carry me, I couldn’t do anything on my own, all I could do is sit around and wait for... the inevitable. Maybe that’s part of why I do what I do, the tricks, the feats, always pushing the envelope you know? I mean yeah I do it for the thrills, because it’s fun, the feeling of the wind, the pull in your gut as your body speeds towards the ground, and the way my heart flutters as I save myself and pull up into the air, everything about it is so beautiful. But most ponies don’t do what I do, because they’re scared and I can’t blame them. Because if I screw up, if something goes wrong it’s lights out for me. But the difference between me and those other ponies was that I didn’t care. If the lights did go out, all it meant is that I just saved myself from my greatest fear and I had fun doing it.” She allowed herself a breath. “You’re the first pony I ever told.”

She paused looking for a response. Her smile was gone, and her eyes looked almost wary, afraid.

“What changed?” Fluttershy finally managed. The most important pony in her life had just told her the most personal thing she’d ever heard and as much as it hurt Fluttershy to know she yearned for such an escape, she had to hear more.

“You. I’ve thought about it, since the cave, I thought about going back to town with you and how long we would be together, and I think now I know why all those old ponies can keep going. Because even if their bodies have trapped them, the ponies they love are still there with them.”

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to hold back her tears.

She felt those familiar lips press on her fore head.

“You look tired.” She said warmly.

“I am.” She said.

“Why don’t you get some shut eye?” she offered, but Fluttershy dismissed her without thought.

“No I can’t, I-”

“Fluttershy, a lot has happened and I can see it on you, it’s weighing on your mind.”

“But-”

“I know you’re scared,” She said, and the yellow mare felt her cheeks turn rosy. “But I promise I will still be here when you wake up. You need some rest.” She turned to stare at her.

“Pinkie Promise?” she asked. Rainbow wordlessly pressed a blue hoof to her eye, grinning like a fool.
Fluttershy could already feel her eyes becoming lidded.

“Did you want to sleep too? You look tired as well.”

“No, I’ll be here to wake you up.” She said kindly as Fluttershy laid her head into her folded forelegs.

“Why?” She said sleepily. Rainbow passed her hoof through Fluttershy’s mane, she felt each strand being caressed. As she drifted off she heard her lover mutter softly.

“Because I’m afraid.”

Fluttershy woke from a dreamless sleep, to feel water dripping softly on her muzzle. She shook her head with a start, trying to wake herself. She looked over to see Rainbow still pressed against her. Her eyes were baggy, and her mane had further discoloured. She looked like she may have worn a pondering face before noticing the waking mare, but then immediately broke into a smile.

“Have I ever told you how beautiful you look when you’re asleep?”

“No.” She said still doing her best too wake. Their bodies still pressed together, Fluttershy could feel the heaviness of Rainbow’s breathing.

“You look so peaceful, your mouth hangs open a bit, and sometimes you mumble.”

“Hardly sounds beautiful.”

“Are you kidding? It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” She said gently.

Despite the promised peace sleep had brought her, Fluttershy soon felt the tears threatening to fall once more. Fluttershy tucked her legs in to begin pulling herself up.

“Are you ready to get going?” She said without looking. Dash didn’t answer, and when she looked back, her smile had become rueful. “What’s the matter?” Fluttershy felt her heart quicken with fear, the words she’d been dreading for the longest time were finally spoken.

“This is as far as we go Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy dropped herself down again.

“No.” Was all she could manage. “No this can’t be it, we... we have to keep moving.”

“Fluttershy-” she began solemnly but she was cut off.

“No!” She had hardly noticed it, but even in all her pain, all her despair, seeing the pony she loved, eyes open, still breathing, it gave her hope that maybe things would be okay, that everything would turn out. But hearing Rainbow finally say it, finally giving in, it brought the fairy tale crashing down around her.

“Rainbow please don’t. We can do this, I know we can!” her words were frantic, this couldn’t be the end.

“Fluttershy, I can’t move my legs, I’m not strong enough.”

“Please don’t.” She begged, finally letting herself cry. Her tears ran down alongside the raindrops.

“We gave it as much as we could, but I don’t have any more to give.”

She couldn’t let this happen.

“But I do. I still have more to give.” Fluttershy said, letting her wing slide down from Dash’s blue back. Her gentle, reassuring smile finally faltered as she realized what she wanted to do.

“You can’t, Fluttershy, you’re hurt, you aren’t strong enough.”

But she wasn’t listening; instead she worked her head under Rainbow’s body getting ready to lift.

“Fluttershy you don’t have anything to prove, I know how much you love me, I know you want to save me but I can’t let you do this.”

“Don't worry, you don’t have to let me; I’m doing it either way.” She braced each leg and prepared herself for the strain. With Rainbow’s torso behind her neck, she lifted. She cried out from the pain in her legs, the strain on her body. The days in the forest with improper sleep and nutrition had left her even weaker than before, but still she lifted. Rainbow continued to warn against her actions, upon hearing her cries, but Fluttershy ignored her. Her body’s greatest protest came from her injured leg, which could hardly stand her weight alone. But she was making progress, Rainbow was now slouched over her back, all she had to do was lift herself to a standing position. It felt like hours, but after tremendous effort and strain she stood upright and began to walk. Each step brought a fresh wave of pain, but it was abstract, unimportant.

She sucked in a sharp breath when her front left made contact with the ground.

“Fluttershy, please don’t do this to yourself.” Rainbow pleaded.

“I have to Dashie. You know I have to.”

They moved even slower, but it was movement, and as long as they could keep going there was still hope. Her legs continued to complain, but after a couple of minutes, she hardly noticed. Beads of sweat poured down in unison with the rain, she could taste the salt on her lips. There might have been tears too, but she couldn’t tell. Rainbow still offered some weak protests, but soon those too went away. Instead she felt several kisses behind her ears that tickled her.

“I’m sorry.” The mare on her back whispered repeatedly.

“Don’t. Be. Sorry.” She breathed. “You would. Do it. For me.”

She thought back to the cave and their fight with the Timberwolves, the times she’d put herself through physical torment for the pony she loved. She never minded in the slightest, just like Rainbow didn’t mind the cut that slowly drained the life from her with every second. She felt her muzzle in her pink mane. Her left hoof landed atop a stone, and the sudden change in pressure caused her enough pain to see stars. Her balance was momentarily thrown off, and she moaned in agony as she regained it, but she was back up and moving. Rainbow said nothing, only making intimate contact with her muzzle, pressing it to the back of her neck, burying it in her mane. Her silence worried the yellow pony, but she could still feel her breathing, the impossible temperature her body emitted.

She walked for over an hour, made it half a mile, and endured nearly as much pain as she could handle when Rainbow finally spoke again.

“We have to stop now.” She sounded so weak.

“No, I can keep going.” she said through gritted teeth.

“Fluttershy please.”

“Why? Why now?” she demanded. Her pain had made her irritable, her thought of the future left her distraught.

“Because I don’t have much time left.”

Fluttershy’s legs stopped moving.

“Rainbow, please you have to hold on.”

“I am Fluttershy.” She whimpered. The last time she looked as pitiful was at the Best Young Fliers Competition. It broke her heart. “I’m holding on so tight. But I can still feel myself slipping and... I think I’m going to fall soon.”

“We have to keep going. We can... I can...” she could what? What could she possibly do? She couldn’t stop time, she couldn’t stop death, she could hardly move above a snail’s pace. “It can’t end like this. Please don’t let it.” She pleaded to nopony in particular. She took another step forward, holding desperately onto a vision, a perfect future, where they were back in town, healthy and happy, together, but it was crumpling around her, and it was near too much for her heart to bear.

“Fluttershy, do you know why I’m holding on? It’s not because I think we can make it back, it never was.”

“Because you’re afraid?” she guessed.

“Yes I’m afraid, but not of dying. I’m holding on because every second I can keep my heart beating is another second I can spend with you. I’m afraid, of what will come after, because I won’t have you anymore, I won’t be able to feel your mane, or hear your voice. Now I can feel the seconds running short, and I would really prefer to spend the last of them looking into your eyes, instead of the back of your head. So please, just let go. For me.”

Fluttershy let out a shaky breath. She was defeated. It was going to end this way, and she couldn’t stop it. All she could do was make sure the only pony she ever loved would be comfortable before she passed. She let her legs bend, falling to her knees. She let Rainbow roll gently off her back. Her blue angle lay on her back in the mud, and she climbed on top of her again, just like she had when she collapsed after the attack, just like Dash had done for her in the cave. She could still remember that kiss. She pressed their bodies together trying to give her as much warmth as she could.

“Thank you Fluttershy. I know this is hard.”

“All you’ve done today is worry about me, making sure I was comfortable and well kept, while you were dying beside me.”

“Why do you sound so surprised? I put you above everything, always, because if you’re ok, then I’m ok.” She let her words float there for a moment, letting them sink in. “Why do you love me Fluttershy? I know you do, but why?”
Fluttershy had to fight hard to keep her thoughts focused. She’d been asked a question, she had to give an answer.

“What isn’t there to love about the fastest, most talented, most beautiful mare in Equestria.” She smiled, knowing full well that wasn’t quite what she was looking for.

“That’s not what-”

“I know, but you already answered your own question. Because you always put me first. I-I know how selfish that sounds, but I spent every day, hiding, locking myself away from the world because I was too scared to hear what it had to think about me. But then one day this beautiful blue filly found me, and made me feel so special, so important, and for the first time I realized that maybe I do matter. Because if that amazing filly could find it in her to care about what happened to me, maybe I should start caring too.”

She gazed into her lovers eyes yet another time out of thousands. The dull haze that thicketed them before was gone, and those captivating magenta beauties shone once more.

The rain matted down her mane, her colours had lost their lustre but she was still a paragon to behold in her eyes. She could still feel her heart beat, faint as it was, her breath and warmth too, all of it Fluttershy experienced vicariously.

“Hey Fluttershy, do you think maybe, if things had turned out differently, if we made it back, well... do you think maybe one day we could’ve gotten married? Started a life together?”

Fluttershy nearly lost herself, almost broke down, released her heavily guarded tears, but she restrained herself. What good could crying do now?

“Yes of course.” She said, her voice cracking as she tried to keep her tears in check. “I would marry you in a heartbeat.”

The pony who lay beneath her smiled.

“Where would we have the ceremony?” she asked.

“Wherever you want.”

“Maybe, at your cottage, just in front of the forest. Or that little clearing where we first met, I bet we could find it again. You always look prettiest when you’re in nature.” She coughed. “Tell me more.”

“Well, it would be small, just me and you, the girls could be our brides maids, and maybe Twilight could even get Celestia to come be the minister.”

“Could Scootaloo come too?” she asked.

“Yes of course, and Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle. Nopony can keep those three separated.” She began to cry, building up her own dream in front of her with the pony she loved. A dream that could never come to fruition.

“Rarity would sew the dresses, of course. We’d try to pay her, but she wouldn’t have it, she’d say that her two best friends shouldn’t have to pay to look gorgeous on their wedding night.”

Her tears fell more rapidly, and her voice cracked and squeaked the way everyponies did when they cried, but Rainbow’s smile grew, and she was determined to paint this picture.

“The girls would all help, we wouldn’t even have to ask them, they would just do it. Both of us would have wreaths of flowers on our heads, and we’d say our vows from the heart. Spike could be ring bearer; he did very well the last time. Then we say our I do’s and Celestia would tell us to kiss, and we would. And it would be the second best kiss we ever shared.”

“Second best?” Rainbow asked.

“Second, only to the very first one. The one we shared in the cave.”

Now Rainbow cried, but she couldn’t tell if she was sad, or if she thought the vision to be beautiful.

“What would happen next?” she whispered

“I-I don’t know,” Fluttershy answered. “But I know that whatever came after, whatever life had to throw at us, we would face it together.”

“Fluttershy, I um, I have a favour to ask.”

“Anything.”

She sniffled.

“Do you remember my birthday, the first one I invited you too?”

“Yes, you were so nervous, I was the only pony you invited.” She let her lips pull into a smile at the memory. The first birthday party she’d ever been invited to. She marveled in all the firsts they shared.

“Do- do you remember what you got me?”

She did. A hoof drawn picture of the two of them, where they met, wreathed in flowers, with a smiling sun in a clear blue sky. She was so embarrassed when she got to Rainbow’s house. She was so excited to be invited to such an occasion, so she wanted to get Rainbow a gift to show her appreciation. She wanted so badly to get her the Wonderbolt figurine they saw in the window of a little toy store, on one of their many romps through the streets of Cloudsdale. But her mother didn’t have enough bits to spend on the overpriced doll.

“Just give her something that you think will be special.” Her mother advised. She wanted to argue that the toy was special, but when it came to finances she knew to just let it be. So she stole up to her room. Something special. All she could think of was where she met her very first friend. The memory she held most dear. She remembered it all, clear as day, but she wanted to see it before her. She brought out some very rough looking crayons and put her heart into it. The drawing itself was rather mediocre, even as a filly she knew her skills as an artist were lacking. But when she presented it to Rainbow, her cringe of embarrassment was replaced by shock, Rainbow was elated, jumping around the house, with excitement that could only come from foals. She couldn’t count how many times she thanked her for the picture if she tried.

“Yes I remember, I-I’m sorry it wasn’t something nicer.” She stuttered between sobs as she brought herself back from her memories.

“No, no, you don’t understand. It was perfect.” She was trembling violently. Fluttershy blanketed as much of her body as she could, trying to keep her as warm as possible. “I still have it. In a frame hanging on the wall in my room.”
Fluttershy’s mouth hung open. Had she really kept it all these years?

“It h-helped me sleep, to look over and see you there.” She smiled.

“I’m surprised you can tell it’s me. It was such a terrible drawing.” Her tears began to fall down on the pony underneath her. And even in the rain she could see the trails Rainbow’s tears made on her own face. How would Fluttershy sleep without her?

“I never thought so. It’s always been my most treasured possession. And when... when I’m buried, could you... could you make sure the picture comes with me? It’ll help me sleep better.”

Fluttershy nodded unable to make words anymore. Her heartbeats were far apart and very faint.

“Why did this have to happen? Why you, why couldn’t it be me?”

“Don’t think like that.”

“But you were going to be a Wonderbolt, travel Equestria. I love my animals, but they don’t need me, somepony else could’ve taken care of them.”

“You know, Fluttershy, I haven’t thought about the Wonderbolts in days. It was my life’s dream to fly with them, but sometimes things just don’t quite fall through, you know? But that’s the way it is with dreams, sometimes you just have to settle. And sometimes,” she placed her blue hoof against her yellow. “Sometimes you get something even better. And you know Fluttershy, no other pony has your way with critters, nopony has your care, your kindness, or your patience. You have no idea how lucky it makes me feel to be loved by a pony like you” For just a moment, it all seemed to peel away from her, the hours of pain and hardship. Her mane glowed with light, and her eyes sparkled like the purest of gemstones.

“You have to promise me one thing. No matter what happens you have to be brave. Be brave for me Fluttershy. Do you promise?”

Still sobbing, she brought a yellow hoof up and wordlessly covered her eye, staunching the flow of tears. Rainbow’s smile was weak, but at the same time brilliant to behold.

“I love you Fluttershy.”

“I love you too Rainbow Dash. So much, more than anything on this world, I love you.” She pressed her lips onto her lovers, her fallen angel. All her passion all her sadness, she poured into this one intimate connection, taking in her heat, all the love she felt reciprocated. If she had to say, she would say it was the second best kiss she ever shared. She pulled away, opening her eyes, letting her tears fall like the rain that had just ended. The first rays of light broke through the slowly parting clouds, bathing the two in radiant light. But as she pulled away, she felt it. Before she could comprehend it, she felt it. She looked down on the pony she loved, unable to move, she just stared at the multicoloured mare.

Her eyes didn’t open.

Her chest didn’t rise.

Her heart didn’t beat.

Author's Notes:

... I really didn't like doing that. While I typed out this scene I felt ill again, you have no idea how much it pains me to kill one of my most beloved characters. But this chapter has been on my mind since the first day I started this fic, I hope I could do it justice. Sorry if you guy's were looking for a pick-me-up this week, because this has got to be the most depressing thing I've ever typed. But we aren't quite done yet, so please don't be too mad at me. I also hope this chapter name will do, my proof reader came up with most of them, but I decided to do it this time. More than ever I would love to hear what you guys though. My proof reader has been complaining to me that I don't put enough emotion into my writing, so I hope I did well this time around. Have a good weekend everyone, I'll be back soon.

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Fluttershy

Chapter 15

“No.” Her voice was as faint and quiet as the leaves, rustling in the newly calmed breeze. The sight before her made no sense, her mind couldn’t wrap around the situation, it was impossible. Rainbow was gone.

“No. No! Rainbow please don’t!” she pushed back her left eyelid with a gentle hoof. Her magenta eyes, once full of light, were now lifeless, staring off into a distance far beyond her own world. The sun beamed through the clouds, light began to fill the forest, but Rainbow’s pupils remained dilated. Frantic, Fluttershy lifted herself placing her hooves against her blue chest. She pushed with force, compressing her chest. She couldn’t die, not here, not like this. Not her Dashie. She pushed and pushed, grunting, crying, trying to force life back into the mare, pausing only briefly to check for a pulse. She never found one.

She stopped. The sudden lack of movement or sound jarred her.

“Please don’t leave me.”

Everything was quiet. The blue mare lay beneath her, the most silent and the most still. She lifted her left hoof, and brought it to the beautiful face of her angel. She slid her eye closed. Then she collapsed. Her sobs were uncontrollable, all her pain, all her grief spilled out of her. She lay back down on top of her lover.

She buried her face in her multicoloured mane, the way Rainbow used to do to her as she slept. She wrapped her forelegs around her body, pressing her even closer. She was still warm, but soon that would leave her too, and then she would be gone, any trace that the body below her contained life would disappear. She looked down on the body of the pony she loved, in anguish. It was torture, she could feel her warmth, smell her scent, she could see her below her, plain as day. But she wasn’t there. The pony that loved her so had departed, leaving behind only a vessel, a shadow, a memory sweet as the light she brought to everyponies life, but still so painful. So painful that the recollection left her empty.

Be brave for me Fluttershy. But how? How could she be brave? The sun shone down, the storm had ended, but the world was dark, her light had left her, and how could she be brave in a dark world? How could she go on? She’d gotten a glimpse of love, what life with a lover could be; but it was stripped from her, a tease, leaving her even more empty than her life before. No not empty, this was worse. She was full, full of dreams and memories so grand, but all of it out of her grasp. She cried, her tears soaking into her already matted Rainbow mane. She kissed her lips, again and again. She knew now that it wasn’t going to be a fairytale. She couldn’t wake her departed love, but maybe feeling the touch of her lips could help. It didn’t. Rainbow wasn’t there to reciprocate her love, and she never would be again

What was there to do? She had a life back in Ponyville, she had animals to care for, friends who cared for her, who loved her. But it wasn’t the same, and it could never be the same. How could she go back, go to a home that would always feel empty, being surrounded by friends, and still feeling alone. And what would they think; would they still love her, the pony who killed Rainbow Dash? And how would the animals feel, having a mother, who was never happy? She thought about Dash’s fear; getting old. She’d said she understood now, she knew how the old ponies could stand to stay, because they had somepony to share love with. But what about her? Now she didn’t have love? What was the point in growing old without love?

Maybe she should just stay here, lay down upon the one she had adored, until she too wasted away. That would be brave right? Dying for love. Rainbow did, so why couldn't she? She caressed her mane, each colour. It was ratty, but it still looked so pretty. Be brave for me. No, she couldn’t do it. She didn’t know how to be brave, but letting herself wither away wasn’t the answer. And no matter how much she wanted it, she knew it wasn’t what Rainbow would’ve wanted, and if the pony she loved always put her first, she should do the same for her. But she couldn’t go now not yet. Rainbow’s body was cooler now, a normal temperature after that horrible fever. Even though she wasn’t there, she still looked so beautiful. But in a few days she would be buried, and then every part of her would be out of reach, remaining only in memory and photograph. Fluttershy didn’t think she could bear to look at a photo. She wanted to stay, to feel her, to see her beautiful face in front of her for as long as she could.

She brushed her hoof over her cyan blue feathers, attached to the wings she loved so much. She didn’t want to remember, but at the same time she did, because soon they would be all she had. She remembered the day they met, how happy they were to find friendship, she remembered that first birthday, handing her the hoof-drawn gift, all the times Rainbow had been harassed and bullied, and a few times even beaten up to save her.

“I’m so sorry!” she would always cry, when the bullies had left, and Rainbow sat licking her wounds. Sometimes she looked hurt or angry, but as soon as she saw Fluttershy she would always break into a smile.

And she would always say “Don’t be, I’d rather it this way than see you get hurt.”

She remembered the times in Ponyville, and the Best Young Fliers Competition. Fluttershy stared at the feathers she was caressing so carefully. She remembered how much Rainbow loved to fly, but even that didn’t lessen her spirits being grounded this past week. The yellow pegasus, didn’t claim to know where ponies went when they passed, it was a thought that scared her too much to entertain especaly being a caretaker. But she hoped that wherever she was now, she was flying, soaring without care, free of the burdens that Fluttershy had cast upon her all these years.

“I miss you already Dashie.” She whispered. “But at least now, you don’t have to hurt anymore.” She kissed her forehead.

It felt very final. But she still couldn’t bring herself to stand. She shut her eyes tight, blinking away the tears to clear her vision. She stared down. She studied her face every feature, committing every little thing to memory. She had to make sure she could remember. Fluttershy was scared of a lot of things, and it changed all the time, but now nothing scared her more than the thought of forgetting the face of the pony she loved.

She had to go now, if she didn’t she never would. She would carry her back. It would be long and difficult, but the only thing she wanted less than to be alone, was leaving her alone.

Fluttershy lifted herself up, still crying. She didn’t feel as though she would ever stop but that was ok. Rainbow deserved a lifetime of tears. But as she was about to lift Dash, a bright light exploded a few feet away. Fluttershy rubbed her eyes, trying to get the purple spots out of her eyes. When she opened them, the sight made her gasp. There before her was a purple princess.

“Twilight?” she asked, unsure if it was real, or a hallucination brought on by the grief. It was almost a relief to see her friend, but the moment was tainted. Happiness was just a memory; all her heart held now was sorrow.
Her alicorn friend lifted her head, trying to gain her bearings after the teleportation spell. She carried a look of worry, but upon seeing the mare on the ground a look of shock replaced it.

“No.” She said, her stare locked on the body of the pegasus. Her violet eyes began to water, and she squeezed them shut.

“Twilight, she’s gone.” Fluttershy said between sobs “She’s gone and it’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

She couldn’t tell what she was thinking, Twilight’s face was unreadable. She said nothing, and her face was still, and contemplating. Suddenly it contorted in anger, and her horn illuminated. Fluttershy let out a terrified peep, worried her friend had become angry with her, wanted to hurt her. She didn’t blame her. But Twilight shut her eyes again, and when they opened, the colour was gone, replaced with a glowing white, unsettling and powerful. The yellow pony gasped. Her horn glowed brighter and brighter, until a sudden outburst of energy engulfed the three of them. When Fluttershy could see again, they were no longer in the forest.

Enmity

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Fluttershy

Chapter 16

Her head hurt and her vision swam. She closed her eyes, trying to make the ground stop moving beneath her. She knew Twilight had brought them somewhere; teleportation magic had a very distinct feeling, a slight burning sensation all over the body. But it hadn’t burned away the tears that still flowed rapidly down her cheeks. Where was Rainbow? She opened her eyes. Everything in the room looked so bright, but they were definitely in a room. The sight of building and structure was one Fluttershy never thought she would miss so much. The sight of purple and white walls greeted her, as well as tall windows. She was in the castle. Twilight had teleported them from the middle of sprawling forests to the castle.

The sunlight shone through the windows unhindered, their position on the mountain put the city above the still separating rain clouds. She took a moment to blink the spots out of her eyes, turning around. She knew without a doubt that this was Canterlot Castle, but she wasn’t anywhere she recognized. They were in a hallway that extended in two directions, both ending in sharp corridors that went further into the massive building. On one side of the hallway were windows, tall and unstained, a couple feet between them, letting in ample sunlight. On the other side, the walls were adorned with painting, looking to be from various era’s throughout Equestria’s history. There were a few small wooden doors, all closed tight.

Twilight stood to her left, tearfully examining Rainbow, who lay on the ground before her. She used her magic, to gently lift her blue wing. Be careful with her wing, it hurts her when you’re too rough with it. She slowly steadied herself; it was uncomfortable to be so far from her cyan lover. To her side stood Cadence, standing with a look that Fluttershy couldn’t recognize. Fluttershy walked towards the body, but she had forgotten about her leg, the sudden pressure caused it to buckle and she fell to the floor with a cry. Cadence leapt to her swiftly and gracefully, locking her foreleg around her own to try and lift her.

“Don’t touch her!” both ponies looked to Twilight in shock, who had turned to look at the scene with fiery eyes. Cadence immediately released her grip and backed away with her head low. The element of magic walked towards the pegasus still sprawled on the floor. Fluttershy was still afraid her friend was angry with her, but she didn’t shrink away, she didn’t mind if Twilight hit her. There was nothing she could do to her that would hurt the shy pony more than her loss, so if it would make the purple pony feel better, she was okay with it. But she did nothing of the sort; instead Twilights hard face melted and she lent a gentle hoof which Fluttershy accepted meekly.

She held her close in a tight hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The feeling was so familiar, but at the same time, totally foreign. Her lips didn’t make her heart skip and her mind fog, and for that she was quite grateful. Instead it felt more like a reassurance from a friend, which she was sure was Twilight``s intention. Her violet eyes were now red.

“’I’m glad to see that you’re okay.” She said, her voice breaking.

Fluttershy shook her head.

“I’m not.” She replied simply.

“Fluttershy I know this is difficult for you, but I need you to answer some questions, and I need you to do it fast.” Her tone was very urgent, and Fluttershy was confused. Twilight continued.

“How long has she...” she didn’t finish.

The pegasus didn’t answer, she couldn’t, her mind couldn’t form thoughts. She was numb, lost. She was finally back in civilization, but she couldn’t care less. What was the point of coming home to emptiness?

“Please Twilight, just leave us alone.” She wanted to lay down with her again, if they were in the city that meant they wanted to bury her. And then she would really be gone.

“Fluttershy this is important, if the conditions are right, I might be able to bring her back.”

Fluttershy’s ear twitched. She must’ve heard her wrong.

“She’s gone Twilight; I felt it, her heart stopped.”

“I know, but I can still try, but the conditions need to be right, so I need you to answer me. Fluttershy please, how long?”

She felt a spark of hope. Could this really work? Was Twilight truly capable of this? She looked to the pony on the ground, broken, gone, the love of her life taken. What else could she lose?

“A-about twenty m-minutes.” She said softly

Twilights expression didn’t change.

“Was it blood loss or infection?”

“Both,” she whimpered. “She lost a lot of blood, but she probably would’ve lived, if it weren’t for the infection.” She shut her eyes tight; it pained her to talk about the pony who lay only feet away, as if she weren’t there.

This time Twilight flinched.

“Do you know her blood type?” she asked as though the question were a stretch. “If this works she’s going to need a transfusion immediately.”

“O negative.” She said, both her and Twilight shocked at the recollection. In the various trips she’d taken to the hospital, Fluttershy would always look over her charts. She’d seen the mare’s blood type so many times she’d subliminally memorized it.

“That’s rare,” Twilight said “What’s yours?”

“O negative.” She said quickly. It took her longer to remember her own. “I can give it.”

“Good, thank you Fluttershy.” Twilight turned away. A purple aura surrounded Rainbow’s body and she began to levitate onto Twilight`s back. Once she was laying down on the purple mare, the aura dissipated, Twilight sprinted down the hallway. Fluttershy tried to run after her.

“Twilight, where are you going?” She followed as fast as her legs could carry her, but her pain was great and she couldn’t come close to keeping up with her friend. “Please don’t take her away! I have to be there!”

“Fluttershy, I’m sorry, but I need to concentrate, I’ll bring you in when you’re needed.”

“But I’m needed now!” she called desperately, neither mare slowing. She had to be by Rainbow’s side, she had to. What if this was a ruse, what if she was going to bury her? Fluttershy couldn’t allow it. She needed to find that picture first, Rainbow asked her to make sure she was buried with the picture. She couldn’t control her mind, she was poisoned with fear. Fluttershy’s leg nearly gave out again, but Cadence caught her this time. She held her long enough to ensure she was steadied, then rushed ahead to meet Twilight.

“Twilight, I want to help.” She placed a hoof on her shoulder but Twilight spun around, pushing the pink alicorn away.

“Don’t you dare touch me!” she barked. Cadence recoiled sharply. “Don’t you dare follow me, and don’t you dare come anywhere near this mare! You are going to stay here, and you are going to tell her what you’ve done!” She pointed at Fluttershy as she said “Her” before spinning around, and with a bright violet flash both she and Fluttershy’s beloved were gone, leaving a very confused yellow pegasus, and a very hurt Cadence. She just sat there, on the spot where Twilight had screamed at her. Fluttershy didn’t understand, what did Princess Cadence have to do with any of this? Where were they and why were there no guards? And what could the princess have done to infuriate Twilight like that, she’d never seen her yell like that at her old foal sitter.

The purple alicorn said she wanted Cadence to tell her what she’d done, but she sat there silently, looking down at the floor.

“Cadence please,” Fluttershy begged. She was grieved, she was stressed, she’d lost the pony who meant the most to her, she needed somepony to tell her something. “Please tell me what’s happening, I-I’m so confused.” Her tears had stopped for a moment at the scare Twilight had brought upon her, but they returned yet again, she had no control. The pink princess breathed shakily. Was she crying too?

“I know how hard this is for you Fluttershy. Everypony will tell you something similar, but just know that I truly mean it. I’m no stranger to loss.” She didn’t turn around. “I assume you’re pretty disoriented, huh? You’ve probably guessed that we’re in Canterlot Castle. We’re in the Apprentice wing, where the most gifted students have taken residence over the years, have you ever seen it?” she pointed a hoof down the hallway ahead of her, where Twilight had run. “That used to be Twilight's dorm, none of these rooms have been occupied in years, but they are still fully furnished and clean. And private.” She turned and walked towards the silently sobbing Fluttershy. When she was inches away, she sat down, and bid Fluttershy do the same. She did, and Cadence spoke again.

“I ascended to my current role at a very young age, because, apparently, I had and ‘Unprecedented knowledge of the power of love.’” She gave a rueful chuckle, and Fluttershy felt a twinge of annoyance. She looked closer at the princess. There were dark rims around her eyes, which had turned red from tears. She looked tired, burdened. “I guess in some ways that was true, but after my ascension, it became much more profound. Love is so distinct isn’t it? Such a heavy emotion, yet some ponies don’t even know when they’ve found it. But I do. All over Equestria ponies fall in love every day, and others love gains more gravity, and I feel it all. Every couple, every time they look into each other’s eyes and figure out that they are the one, I know it. And I feel it with them, share the love that they feel. Love, internally and externally, has become a part of me.” She paused. Fluttershy had tried to be patient, but hearing the princess ramble on about herself was only fueling her anxiety and frustration.

“What does this have to do with anything?” she asked with daggers. She might’ve felt regret, Cadence looked hurt; like she’d lost all the ponies around her she could call friends. She breathed a heavy sigh

“I told you that I know how hard it is for you. And it’s true, because from the moment you and Rainbow Dash shared the kiss in that cave, I’ve known exactly where you were.”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the revelation.

“I knew you were both injured, I knew you were stranded in the forest, I knew the Timberwolves were after you. If I focus, I can learn a lot about the ponies who’ve fallen for each other. So when I found that the two of you had finally confessed your affections, I was elated, and decided to see how it had happened. You couldn’t imagine my shock.”

“You knew all of this, and you didn’t try to help us?” Fluttershy was shaking.

“Yes.”

Fluttershy exploded. “WHY!? She was dying right beside me for days! All I could do was watch, as the mare I loved faded, and you, you couldn’t be bothered!? How dare you, how dare you let us suffer? LET HER SUFFER?” Her hoofs wouldn’t stop shaking. She felt volatile, like she was back with the Timberwolves.

Cadence was crying now too.

“I know there’s nothing I can ever say to make this right. But I need you to understand, royalty operates under a strict code. We can’t directly intervene in the lives of a few ponies.”

“What are you talking about!? We’ve been sent on task after task, given to us by Celestia-“

“For the good of Equestria as a whole. But we cannot save the lives of every single pony, it would upset the Harmony Celestia and Luna fought so hard to uphold.” Her eyes went to the floor “When the sisters first took the throne and realized the gift of eternal life had been bestowed upon them, they wanted to share the bounty with the rest of the citizens. They combined their magic and cast a spell over all of them. For over a century ponies grew and then stopped, achieving maturity then granted immortality, from the magic of the princesses. Nopony aged or took ill throughout the land. At first, all was joyous, the ponies relished and multiplied after the many years of oppression. But fear began to take hold. They soon began to worry Celestia and Luna couldn’t keep up the magic forever, and they would begin to age once more. Many began to make trips to the castle, offering gifts, promising to worship them and even uttering threats, all in an attempt to sway the sisters to keep them young. They became troublesome and began to riot in the streets, so the sisters barred the doors of the castle, locking out the rest of Equestria. This act pushed their paranoia over the edge, and the ponies began to war, faction against faction, family against family, and much blood was spilled. Lives that were supposed to last forever were cut short, and the fights raged on. When the sisters saw the destruction this decision had wrought, they swiftly ended the battles, and commanded the attention of all. They announced the spell that gave them life eternal was ending. The ponies that had fought aged and died, and so did their children, and their children after them, until nopony could ever remember this time. And the princesses have kept this knowledge with them, as a reminder of what happens, when the harmony that binds us all is disrupted.” She stopped to look up at Fluttershy, who was still seething.

“Ponies have to perish eventually Fluttershy it is the way it has to be. I’m not saying that this makes my actions right but I was fearful of the consequences. It was difficult; please believe me it was not easy for me to withhold help to two ponies I knew so well, who loved each other so much. I tried to talk to Rainbow, in her sleep I was able to contact her, but there was little I could do aside from urge her to push on.”

Fluttershy understood, but her anger was not quenched in any way.

“Is this why Twilight was angry with you?”

“Yes. Just as I can feel love, I can also feel when the love has left. And when I finally felt Rainbow... I couldn’t sit idly by; I had to do something, so I called Twilight. I told her where you were and explained the situation. She teleported away, and I figured she would bring you here.”

“You called Twilight to do it for you, so you could escape consequence?” she asked, disgusted.

“I didn’t know what else to do!” she paused to take another breath. “She believes it is my fault. You do too, and I cannot blame you. But please know, I’m so sorry, and if I could do it again, I wouldn’t have let it happen. I know how much you loved Rainbow Dash-”

“Don’t say her name!” she barked. “Please, I-I don’t need any more apologies.” Cadence looked down, then back up with teary eyes, and the smallest trace of a smile.

“Her fire rubbed off on you. I know the love you shared was true and powerful. My hopes lie with her now.”
Fluttershy turned around, unable to look at the princess anymore. She knew her words were sincere, and she understood why she made the choice she did. But she couldn’t forgive, not now, maybe not ever. She wasn’t the cause of their pain, but she allowed it to happen. She let Rainbow die.

They sat upon the elegantly tiled floor, backs turned, waiting for something, anything. The hall was deathly silent, and Fluttershy found herself trapped within her own mind. What is Twilight doing? Where is Rainbow? Can Twilight really do what she said? She hoped she could, what her friend proposed sounded impossible. But the thought of having her blue angel back, of having a second chance, it was so sweet, and the only thing keeping her sane.

After several minutes of silence, it became over bearing, and Fluttershy finally blurted out.

“What did you mean? When you said you were no stranger to loss?” She didn’t turn to face the pony she was talking to, but she could hear her sigh. She remained silent for a few seconds, and Fluttershy thought she wasn’t going to answer.

“Shining Armor wasn’t the first.” She paused “I love him so much, more than anything but he wasn’t the first pony to steal my heart.”

“What happened?”

“It wasn’t meant to be.”

“Is he gone too?”

“No. I never got such closure.” It sounded as though just remembering caused her pain.

Fluttershy was going to pry deeper, why shouldn’t she? But Twilight Sparkle came sprinting around the corner.
The pegasus stood up. Her heart felt as though it would burst, her stomach was doing summersaults. Cadence turned too, her eyes hopeful.

“What happened? Where is Rainbow?”

Twilight’s face was neither grim nor happy, only serious.

“I need you to come with me.” She walked to Fluttershy and helped her up to her hooves. She let Fluttershy put at wing over her back for support, the same way Rainbow had. The turned to start their way back. Cadence stood as well, but once again she was shot down.

“No, you stay here. I don’t want you anywhere near us right now.” The princess of love sat back down, then lay on her stomach, lowering her head. Fluttershy wanted to feel sorry for her, but she really couldn’t. The two friends began to walk down the hallway, the kind mare moved as fast as she could.

“What’s happened Twilight?” Fluttershy asked. “Is Rainbow...?”

“I’ve cleansed her body of the infection, and healed her laceration as best as I could. She should be ready for the revival process.”

“Will we need the Elements?” she asked, unsure as to why Twilight had come to get her.

“They would probably help, but sadly they are out of our reach now. I thought Cadence was lying, it sounded impossible, but the Elements are... dead. Each gem has lost its lustre and the Element of Loyalty has turned black. They are powerless, but if this can work, I can do it without.”

“Why do you need me then? Does she need the transfusion now?” They had arrived at the door Cadence had said led into Twilight``s old dorm. Fluttershy tried to push open the door, but Twilight put a gentle hoof on hers.

“ Fluttershy, I could’ve brought her back already, restored the beat to her heart, made the blood she still has flow again.”

“Why didn’t you?” Fluttershy asked, fearing yet another betrayal.

“Because if I did it, wouldn’t be Rainbow. All of the memories and experiences of the friend we knew would be locked away, and there would be a stranger trapped in her body. She would be like a newborn foal, having to relearn everything. We wouldn’t be her friends. And she... she wouldn’t remember you.”

Fluttershy felt her heart break yet again. The small spark of hope her friend had given her was gone. Seeing Rainbow walking and talking, yet a stranger? It would be worse than death. Now Twilight had brought her here to say her final goodbyes.

“So that’s it. She’s gone.” she whimpered.

“No, if I’m right we may still be able to bring Dash back with all her memories, which is why I need you.”

The fire of hope relit.

“Yes anything!” she said quickly not wanting to waste any time.

“All of us have a distinct energy in us, unique for each and every pony, like a snow flake. In the simplest terms, you could call it a soul. Rainbow knew you better than any of us, and she loved you very strongly. If we can get some of your energy to mingle with hers it might be enough to spark her memory.”

“Ok, what do you need me to do?” she said anxiously.

“Well, all you really need to do is lay back while I perform a spell, which will take some of the energy from you. There won’t be any permanent effects on you, but you might feel a little weaker for a few weeks.”

“Then why are we just standing here? Do your spell, I don’t mind.”

“Fluttershy, the process of sapping your energy will be painful. I’m going to be separating an integral part of your being from your body, and the experience should be nothing short of excruciating. And there’s still a chance that I’m wrong, that it won’t fix her, and your pain would be for nothing.”

Fluttershy didn’t even flinch. The thought of pain meant nothing to her, nothing could hurt her more than the thought of Rainbow being lost to her, or worse, the thought of not even trying to help.

“Twilight I don’t care if it kills me, whatever I can to do help bring her back, I’ll do it.”
Her violet eyes became misty, and Fluttershy received yet another kiss on the cheek.

“You’re a very brave pony Fluttershy.”
She opened the door.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure what to expect. She braced herself for seeing various tubes and mechanisms attached to the cyan mare, poking beneath her skin and trying to force the life back into her, as she lay on a hard hospital bed. When she finally saw her though, she was laying on a queen sized feather bed, on her back, with her head resting against a pillow. Her eyes were closed and her forelegs folded over her chest. Only a single I.V. tube stuck into her, providing hydration to her body. It was an image she had seen more than a few times, Rainbow used to be such a baby when it came to hospitals, always begging Fluttershy to stay with her. But back then, whenever the yellow pegasus entered the room she was greeted with a bright smile from the pony she loved.

This time, Rainbow didn’t stir. Her cut, once gaping and gruesome, was a faint pink scar, stitched with utmost accuracy. The room was illuminated by sunlight just like the hall, but a thin gossamer curtain hung over it. It was lightly furnished, a dresser, some drawers, and a soft chair in the corner. It wasn’t difficult for her to imagine Twilight here, a small purple filly reading and practicing her magic.

“Please, lie down.” Twilight said, not unkindly. There was ample space beside Rainbow for her to lie. She could hear Twilight rummaging through some drawers, but her gaze was focused on the multicoloured pegasus. She looked just like she was sleeping, as though at any moment she would roll over with a grin and give Fluttershy a soft kiss. But she wouldn’t, because she was gone now, and only Fluttershy could bring her back the way she was.

It had been a long time since she’d crawled into a bed with Rainbow, not since their frequent slumber parties when they were fillies. At least once a week they would meet at one of their houses, eat snacks and play games, and when they went to sleep, it was usually in the same bed. It meant nothing at that age, just two friends sharing some space, but Fluttershy actually preferred these sleeping arrangements. When she lay alone she always felt cold, but feeling the warmth from her friend always gave her a comfortable sleep. Thinking back on it, she couldn’t imagine how she didn’t notice her affection for the blue pegasus sooner.

Twilight returned with some linen wrappings. She thought she was going to try and patch up her leg, but instead she said.

“I’m really sorry Fluttershy, but you’re probably going to thrash around a lot when I perform the spell, and there’s a risk you could hit Rainbow, so I’m going to have to tie you down.”

Fluttershy just gave her a quick nod, and then she lifted her forelegs up to the bed panel. The linens levitated over her hooves and tied themselves securely, but not too tight. The purple alicorn did the same to her hind legs.

“You are sure about this, right Fluttershy?” Twilight said, her horn beginning to glow. “I would give you more time to prepare, but quite frankly, we don’t have any more time to give.” Without an ounce of fear in her she simply said.

“Yes Twilight. I’m ready.”

Twilight nodded wordlessly, and her horn glowed even brighter. The tied down pony felt a slight tingle as the aura surrounded her body. Then the tingle turned to stinging. And suddenly she let out a cry as her whole body contracted in agony. Her vision was swimming. It felt like she was being set aflame, her skin peeling away. Yet as she looked down, her body was fine, not a physical scar upon it. It was painful, but she could handle it.

She screamed louder as Twilight`s horn brightened once again, and the pain increased tenfold. Every fiber of her being felt as though it were splitting and tearing, her body was being torn apart. Her head felt like it was being crushed in a press. She screamed and cried, but she didn’t beg, not once did she ask to stop. Her vision failed, but she didn’t pass out, the pain was still with her, and it still intensified. Her body thrashed, and she became quite thankful for her hooves being tied. Her head swung wildly, she was no longer in control of her body.

She continued to scream. She thought about Rainbow, about all the times she’d put herself through pain at her expense. The bullies she fought off for her, climbing the wall in the cave with her injury, flying to find her when the Timberwolves had found them. Rainbow was always there; to make sure she was safe, that she was spared from harm. And now it was Fluttershy’s turn to return the favour. And despite the agony, the pure shredding pain that attacked her, she still returned that favour gladly.

How long could this spell last? She could hear nothing aside from the ringing in her own ears, and she honestly thought for a few moments that she was going to die in this agony. But she wasn’t afraid. The pain finally began to wane, but it was slow. Her vision returned to see the aura had left from her body and was now surrounding Rainbow. Her vision was blurred by the tears, but she could’ve sworn she saw Dash arch her back.
Her hearing returned as she began to fade from consciousness.

“Fluttershy,” Twilight called from far away. Hooves were touching her. “Fluttershy, I’m sorry.”

Her world was consumed by darkness.

Solace

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Fluttershy

Chapter 17

Lightning crashed and thunder roared outside the windows of Rainbow Dash’s cloud home. Fluttershy jumped and pulled the covers a little tighter against her body. Storms in Cloudsdale weren’t the same as on the ground, most of the time they were tests by the weather ponies, there wasn’t even any rain. But the sudden bright flashes and loud booming had scared the yellow filly ever since she could remember. She moved a little closer to her sleeping friend. She’d never slept over at Rainbow’s during a storm before, and although her fears were not completely alleviated, having her best friend beside her definitely had a calming effect. Normally her own house was empty at night, with her mother being gone at work, leaving the fearful filly alone. Usually it wasn’t so bad, she’d gotten used to it after a while. Until a storm rolled in. The two lay in a soft bed of cloud, kept warm with a large Wonderbolt comforter. Rainbow had a very nice room; it was big and full of lovely furniture, almost all of which were adorned with some form of Wonderbolt merchandise. Except on the dresser that lay beside Rainbow’s bed, which instead held only the picture Fluttershy had drawn her a few weeks ago.

Another loud boom. The yellow filly tried to make herself smaller. She looked to her friend. She was curled up on the other side of the bed, with her back facing her. She hadn’t snored in a while.

“Hey Rainbow, are you awake?” she asked in her soft timid tone.

“Yep.” She replied sleepily, obviously startled from her rest.

“Oh, I’m sorry; I didn’t want to wake you. You can just go back to sleep.”

“No, no, what’s up? Is everything okay, do you need anything?” she asked, sounding a bit more awake. She turned to face her, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She rolled over to her other side, to face the yellow pegasus.

“Oh it’s nothing,” she said, honestly not knowing what possessed her to wake the sleeping filly in the first place. “Really, just go back-” Another clap of thunder rocked the house, Fluttershy jumped and screamed. She pulled the covers over her head and shivered.

“Hey,” she felt Rainbow’s hoof on her back from the other side of the blanket. “It’s just a storm, we’re fine inside.”
Fluttershy remained hidden.

“What are you scared of? It’s just a bit of thunder; I sleep through storms like this all the time!”

“It’s scary.” Came Fluttershy’s muffled reply. She didn’t fully understand her fear herself. She felt the blanket being softly lifted from her head, then placed back down just below her chin. It was hard to see in the dark, but she thought she could see a gentle smile from Rainbow. Fluttershy could feel the blue pegasus moving, and her breath came up suddenly short when she felt a body pressed against her own. Her cheeks warmed. Rainbow was snuggled up with her.

“There, now you don’t have to worry. I’m here.” She said quietly. She had one foreleg resting over Fluttershy’s body. Once she got over her initial shock, Fluttershy found herself becoming quite comfortable. Her body was so nice and warm. She began to feel and odd tight feeling in her chest at being so close to another filly. The next time the thunder boomed, she didn’t even flinch. She shifted herself a little, getting comfortable. She let her head rest against her friend’s.

“Thanks Rainbow.”

“No problem. Good night Fluttershy.”

“Good night Rainbow Dash.”

Dreams were always a complicated thing for Fluttershy. Most of the time she couldn’t remember them, only bit and pieces of incoherent noises and nonsensical images. But this time she remembered, clear as crystal. It helped me sleep, to look over and see you there.

“Fluttershy?”

Her eyes opened. She was lying down on her back, and Twilight was hovering over her. When she saw her eyes open, the purple pony began to cry.

“Oh thank Celestia!” she lay her head down on her chest. Fluttershy just lay there, trying to remember. She was in pain, Cadence had hurt her, Twilight tried to revive Rainbow. Bits and pieces floated into her still aching head. Her throat was dry, but she managed to croak out.

“What happened?” She tried to sit up, but was met with a wave of dizziness.

“Please, don’t move to fast!” Twilight said worriedly. “Fluttershy, I am so sorry. The spell I performed on you was far more powerful than I had anticipated. For a moment I thought I was going to lose you. You passed out when I completed it, but I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been on you.”

“What about Rainbow?” she said, beginning to clear her head. “Does she need my blood?”

Twilight shook her head.

“No, I had to move fast, so I was forced to take blood from you while you were unconscious. It was risky, but I figured it was what you would’ve wanted.”
Fluttershy nodded.

“She needed the transfusion... does that mean...?”

“She’s alive.” Twilight smiled. Fluttershy felt her chest tighten and the tears beginning to form.

“And is she... Does she remember?”

Twilight looked down.

“I don’t know yet, she hasn’t woken up. But she is breathing unassisted and her heart rate is normal.”

The yellow pegasus broke into a massive smile. She turned her head around looking for her returned lover, but after a few moments she realized she was in a completely different room. Well, it looked nearly identical in decoration, but the bed she lay upon was empty.

“Where is she?”

“Right next door. I understand that you want to see her as soon as possible, and I will let you, but there are a few things I need you to know.”

Fluttershy couldn’t help being annoyed, but she nodded, too weak to fight her friend.

Twilight took a deep breath.

“Fluttershy, I assume Cadence explained to you her reasons for withholding assistance. And while I don’t agree with them they were valid reasons, but I was too grieved to see it. We can’t keep this a secret from Celestia and Luna; in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they already knew. I can’t escape punishment, although I assume they will be rather lenient considering the details of this situation. But nopony else can ever know, not even our friends. I have no idea how they would react. Can I rely on you to keep these events a secret?” she asked.

“Yes of course.” Fluttershy never had any intention of ever divulging this information. “I promise. Can I go see her now?”

“Just one more thing. I’m not really sure how to say this, so I’m just going to say it. Fluttershy, what we-what I did back there... it wasn’t right. I have no regrets about my actions, but at the same time I know I upset a balance that shouldn’t be tampered with. Ponies that have taken their final rest should be left at peace. I’m never performing that spell again, not for anypony, I can’t. Not even for the ponies I care for most. I hope you can understand.”

She nodded. Fluttershy understood completely, but her words worried her a little. Not because she feared her friends wouldn’t be saved in the future, but because she sounded very regretful. What would she think of Rainbow now, whose being on this world was now due to the result of their combined efforts? Would she think her an abomination, a pony who by all definitions shouldn’t be alive? But she didn’t and couldn’t dwell on these questions, because Twilight smiled, and helped her to her hooves. She got her wing over her purple back.

“You probably aren’t feeling the best, so just let me carry you.”

Fluttershy let her weight rest on her friend, sorry that she had to put such a burden on her, but she had little choice. She could hardly move herself at all, every part of her body felt as though it were weighted. Twilight said that she’d taken a part away from her, like a piece of her soul. She didn’t feel much different, although she was even more exhausted than she was the previous day. But sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. Rainbow Dash was alive! The love of her life might not be gone, and she was going to go see her.

“I would just teleport you there, but that spell took a lot out of me, so it’s probably best that I don’t do anything too complicated.”

“Teleport me?” Fluttershy asked. “What about you?”

“I figured you would probably want to spend some time alone with her. You know, be the first one there when she wakes up.”

Fluttershy wanted to argue politely tell her that it was fine; she could come in if she wanted. But she really did want to be alone with Rainbow again, so instead of arguing, she simply whispered.

“Thank you, so much Twilight, for everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

As they stepped out into the hallway, Fluttershy braced herself for the sight of Cadence, but the hall was empty. She didn’t mind. The walk seemed to stretch on forever, Fluttershy wanted to badly to sprint in to the room, to be back by Rainbows side. She noticed a bandage wrapped neatly on her foreleg, and when she looked up there was a real cast on her wing.

“Twilight, did you-”

“Yeah, you were out for a while and I thought it would be best to try and patch you up.” She answered as they reached the door. “Do you want me to carry you in or do you feel well enough to walk?”
Fluttershy glanced down to her unsteady hooves.

“I think I can manage.”

“Alright,” she said softly. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything.” A purple aura surrounded the door knob, and with a click, it opened quietly. Fluttershy took her weight upon her own hooves. She let her wing slide from Twilight’s back. She lifted her uninjured foreleg and placed in front of her. The room seemed to spin; she kept shifting her weight to compensate. She took a step. Never had she thought of walking as being such a task, but she pressed on, refusing to ask for assistance. Be strong for me Fluttershy. Another step.

“Hey Fluttershy,” The yellow mare turned to her friend. Twilight held her gaze. Fluttershy knew there was nothing she could ever do to repay this pony for everything she’d done. “All that you two did, surviving just the two of you out there, it really is incredible. If you need anything, I’ll be right outside. And I know... everything will turn out in the end.” Fluttershy just nodded, touched by her words. She turned wordlessly. The door clicked shut behind her. Another step. She turned the corner to see the bed, and lying upon it was Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy stopped, her heart was beating fast. She stared at the sleeping mare, as she’d done before only nights ago. She stood only six feet from the bed, but she could see the gentle and steady rise and fall of her blue chest. She let out a soft snore and Fluttershy could no longer hold back her tears. Rainbow Dash was alive. The pony she loved had returned to her.

She took another step. But what if she hadn’t? What if Twilight was wrong, and the spell, didn’t work? What if it wasn’t Rainbow? Fluttershy took another step. As long as she was sleeping, she was still Dashie.
With a few more steps, she made it to the bedside. Her legs were shaking violently, but she still summoned enough energy to crawl into the bed. She moved herself close to the multicoloured mare. There were no blankets, but she didn’t mind. Rainbow Dash was there to keep her warm. She looked up at her with wet eyes. Her mouth was open a little, and her mane was a mess, but she always woke up like that.

“Hi Rainbow.” She whispered softly, wanting to talk to her, to let her know she was there. As long as she was asleep, she was Rainbow Dash. So, just in case, she better talk to her now. “I hope you’re feeling better than me.”
She laid a foreleg over her cyan chest, and nuzzled her neck. Even through the smell of days of grit and hardship, she could still single out Rainbow’s scent.

“Do you remember Dashie? Do you remember me?” Soft breathing was her only response. “Do you remember when we were fillies, and we would sleep in the same bed, and sometimes you would hold me? It’s been so long, I’d almost forgotten. But on the nights when we were together I never felt cold, or afraid, or alone. It was always like that when I was with you, but especially on those nights. And I’m glad that I still don’t need to be afraid.” She stopped for a while to listen to the sound of her breathing, so soft and beautiful. She hoped she would never hear it fade again. She could feel her chest rise and fall.

“I guess I’m sort of a part of you now. My blood and my soul, it runs through both of us. I missed you a lot Rainbow. When you were gone, I felt small again, like I was back at flight school, and the bullies were there. But you weren’t. I know you told me to be brave, but I never realized how hard it was to be brave when you’re alone. And the thought of the rest of my life, feeling alone, feeling afraid, it was, well... scary.” She sighed, letting her tears soak into her blue coat. She hoped she wouldn’t mind. Although it wasn’t the first time Rainbow was her shoulder to cry on.

“Do you remember Dashie? Do you remember when we met in the meadow for the first time? Do you remember all the days we spent together, all the hours we spent just being in each other’s company? I remember what you told me about the picture I drew you. It’s funny, all the times I went to your house and saw that picture; I figured you just put it out to be polite. I hardly ever thought anything of it. You told me it helped you sleep, to see me. And now, I can’t imagine going home to an empty bed. To lie down, and not have you there to hold me. You know, all those nights in the woods, sleeping on the ground, I wouldn’t have traded them for any bed, because you were there, and we were together. And all the things we did, the talking, the swimming, all the time we spent together, no matter what, I-I’ll never forget it.”

She wrapped the mare into a full embrace, wanting to feel all of her warmth again. She was so soft. She ran a hoof through her mane

“A week ago I hardly knew what love was, I couldn’t even tell I was feeling it. Now I can’t imagine life without it. You brought light into my life Rainbow Dash, from the first day we met, and it only got brighter as the years went on. And it turned into something beautiful, a relationship the likes of which I never dared hope for. All along you’ve been my world, but I was too blind to see it. And I don’t know what I did to deserve you, because I don’t think I do. Everything about you is just so wonderful and amazing, and I don’t know why you would bother with a pony like me. But, if you’re in there, if you can hear me, I love you so much Rainbow.” She cried silently, her head still buried between Dash’s head and shoulder, feeling her multicoloured mane tickle her face.

“You deserve way more than me Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy’s ears shot up at the sound of the familiar raspy voice. She lifted her head. Rainbow Dash looked at her, her beautiful eyes open, and a bright smile on her face. A tear was rolling down her blue cheek.

“You brought that light to me just as much as I brought it to you, and only you could understand how much I love you for it. And if there’s one thing I will never forget, as long as I live, it’s the filly who changed my life so much. The filly I love.”

Fluttershy couldn’t move, her mouth hung open, her heart felt like it would explode. So Rainbow made the move, pressing her soft, warm lips onto hers. At the familiar and all too missed connection, she snapped out of her trance and returned it with glee. She gave it all of her passion, all of her love. The salty taste of her tears did nothing to dilute the sweet taste of Rainbows lips. The pony she cared for most was with her again, and she could finally feel those beautiful lips against hers. It was her kiss that first woke Fluttershy, introduced her to a world more wonderful than she ever could imagine. It was her kiss that carried her through all their painful trials, comforted her when she was at her worst. It was the memory of her kiss that grieved her so. And it was her kiss now that sparked a new beginning, a new life for both of them. A life they would live together. It was the second best kiss she’d ever had.

New Beginnings

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Chapter 18

“You ready Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked the yellow pegasus beside her. It was a gorgeous day in Ponyville, the bright afternoon sun beamed down upon it’s citizens. The two mares sat perched high upon a cloud, above Fluttershy’s cottage.

Well, not exactly Fluttershy’s cottage anymore. As soon as the two were released from hospital, Rainbow Dash sold her cloud home. She kept the few possessions she actually cared for and moved in with her. They had both discussed moving in with each other, but Rainbow never even considered asking Fluttershy to sell her cottage. At first Fluttershy felt bad about Rainbow making such a sacrifice, but when she told Rainbow she simply shrugged.

“I only ever used the place for sleeping anyway. Besides, how would the animals get along without you?” Having Rainbow Dash live with her was a dream come true, she was an amazing help with the animals, keeping them fed and giving them attention. All of their friends had pitched in at some point to take care of her animals, but even though they had been well fed, when their mother walked through the door for the first time in a week the critters were overjoyed. Rainbow was a little worried about coming into her cottage, worried the animals were still angry with her for her poor skills as a caretaker.
But with Fluttershy around they grew to love her very swiftly.

Even Angel was beginning to warm up to the blue mare, the very bunny who tried to cook her only a year ago. With Fluttershy’s injured leg and inability to fly, Rainbow was actually in charge of the cottage for the first few days. She let the yellow pegasus rest in bed, or upon her couch, while she took care of the house and the animals. Fluttershy gave her some directions on the feeding schedule for the animals, and when she was done with them, the cyan mare took care of Fluttershy. She went out to replenish the groceries that had long since spoiled, and returned to cook and clean. It was obvious Rainbow wasn’t really used to running a household, but she held the role quite well. Whenever Fluttershy tried to get up and help, Rainbow would beg her to sit back down and relax.

It took a long time for Fluttershy be completely calm around the pony she loved. As she watched Rainbow move about the house, performing her chores, Fluttershy began to notice her own muscles were always tense. She worried that Rainbow would suddenly collapse, and she would be left alone again. But Dash seemed better than ever, she hardly stopped smiling. She was just as happy to live with the yellow pegasus, as she was to live with her.

“I have everything taken care of; you just work on getting better.” She would always say whenever Fluttershy asked if she needed help. Fluttershy had to admit, it was nice to have somepony take care of her for once. Her leg felt quite a bit better, but Rainbow didn’t let her help until the cast was off, which took about two weeks. She was grateful to have the blue mare around to help, Twilight’s spell had really weakened her, the tasks that she performed everyday just seemed to drain her. Tank seemed a little worried about moving back to the cottage, but Fluttershy assured him that he was still Rainbow’s pet.

Fluttershy never could’ve imagined before how wonderful it was to have another pony to live with her. They ate together, slept in the same bed with each other, and did... other things in the same bed together. And to be able to sleep warmly, cradled by her lover, and open her eyes to see the cyan pegasus next to her, it was an experience she had missed so. But even though she had the real thing now, Dash still insisted on hanging Fluttershy’s drawing upon the wall, saying it had sentimental value. Often Rainbow would wake up before her, but she never left the bed until Fluttershy was up too. Then she would plant a kiss on her muzzle and whisper good morning, and Fluttershy would smile sleepily and return the greeting. They were both so glad to be home.

The three ponies had stayed in the castle for only a few hours, before getting on the train back to Ponyville. Night had fallen by the time the trio arrived, but even with all that had been drained from Fluttershy, she was too excited to sleep. They were home; their friends were only a few blocks away. Though they didn’t get to see them, the first place they went to was the hospital. Fluttershy hadn’t left her lover’s side since she had awoken. She treated the blue mare as though she were fragile, like her life was holding precariously. But Rainbow seemed completely normal, if not even more affectionate towards the shy pegasus. Her eyes were open and gleaming, she talked the same way she used to, and both Twilight and Fluttershy quizzed her extensively on her personal history, which she aced.
It was truly Rainbow.

Once they arrived at Ponyville’s hospital, Twilight Sparkle had the two pegasi registered then retired to her library.

“Twilight, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done.” Rainbow said, giving the purple pony a hug.

“That’s what friends are for. I’d love to stay and keep you two company, but it’s been a tiring day for all of us, and I’d imagine you would like some time to spend together. I doubt the girls will be leaving you much to yourselves.”

She said her farewells and walked out the door. Nurse Redheart came for Rainbow first, trotting up with a stretcher, which the cyan pony politely refused. Fluttershy wanted to stay with her, but as she began to walk, another nurse asked for Fluttershy to follow her. They weren’t separate for very long though, as Fluttershy’s injuries had been mostly taken care of. The doctor gave her some medication for the pain and informed her of precautions to take for the next few days in order for her injuries to heal properly. She was released from care afterwards and went to go visit Dash. Rainbow got much of the same treatment, however because of the extent of her injury, the doctors asked her to stay for a night or two, to ensure there was no serious damage. She didn’t seem very happy about that news, but before she could say anything Fluttershy thanked them for their help, not wanting Rainbow to argue when her safety could be at risk.

“It’s not a problem; I hear that you two have been through quite an ordeal.” After the doctors had left, Rainbow looked up sleepily from her bed. Fluttershy wrapped her forelegs around the mare.

“Promise me you’ll still be here in the morning.” She whispered trying to hold back her tears.

“I promise Fluttershy. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on leaving you anytime soon.” She returned the hug firmly. She watched Rainbow rest that night, too afraid to let herself drift to sleep.

In the morning their friends all came bursting through the door. All of them hugged and cried, the sight of their friends was one that was long overdue.

“We missed you so, SO MUCH!” Pinkie exclaimed holding everypony in a tight embrace.
Rarity made no attempt to keep from crying, and even Applejack wiped her eyes a couple of times.

“We’re so glad ya’ll are safe.” She said, trying to keep her voice steady.

“Oh, I haven’t been able to sleep a wink the past few nights!” Rarity burst out. “All I could think of was the two of you, lost and cold, or worse!” Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie all apologized profusely for all the two had gone through. They’d sent search parties two days after they’d gotten lost, but nopony even knew which direction to go. It was like looking for a needle in a forest sized haystack. Fluttershy and Rainbow told them it was fine, and shared with them everything that had happened while they had been stranded. Well almost everything. Of course they left out the scare with Rainbow Dash, and the full extent of their agony throughout. The tale made them smile, shiver and cry, but in the end all could agree it was great to finally have them back home.

“I had a feeling about you two.” Rarity announced after she’d calmed down a bit. “You know all Fluttershy ever talked about on our spa day’s was you, Rainbow” Fluttershy blushed as Rainbow looked at her with a playful smile. “Speaking of which, I can’t wait to get together again Fluttershy, the spa isn’t the same without you.”

“Rarity, I’m sure we’re all hankerin’ to spend some time together, but it sounds like they’ve been through quite a lot the past few days.” Applejack said in her usual motherly tone. “I think it’s going to be a while until things get back to normal. The alabaster unicorn made a face at the farm mare before turning back.

“Are you sure you’re alright darling?” Rarity asked the blue mare. “That wound looks gruesome!”

Fluttershy thought about what she’d have thought about the cut when it was open.

“’Course I’m alright, it’ll take a lot more than a cut to keep me down.” She said, holding a straight smile. “Besides, I’ve got Fluttershy here to take care of me.” She nuzzled the yellow mare which she returned.

Rainbow didn’t have to stay in the hospital for very long; only two days, but Fluttershy stayed over both nights, unwilling to leave her lover alone. Twilight had done an excellent job patching them up, and the doctors assure both of them that the damages they received during their ordeal weren’t permanent. But this news was a double edged blade since she wasn’t allowed to stay with Rainbow. It was technically against hospital policy for ponies to stay overnight, but nurse Redheart didn’t enforce it. She would enter the room and announce.

“Visiting hours are over.” With a smile and a wink, before walking away, and the two mares were left undisturbed until morning. It was also probably against policy that two ponies share a single hospital bed, but Rainbow had insisted and Fluttershy had no intention of refusing the offer. It was a little tricky to fit both of their bodies on the bed, but if they held each other close they had ample space to sleep. Even on a hard, sterile hospital bed it was the most comfortable sleep she’d had in a long time.

All their friends returned each day, and Pinkie always snuck in some cupcakes or other sweets so Rainbow could avoid the hospital food.

Scootaloo came too, which was the only time Fluttershy left the room. She knew the filly would want some time to spend with her sister, and honestly, looking at the orange filly always gave her a twinge of guilt. She’d almost cost her a sister, and if Scootaloo knew all that had happened, there was no telling what she would think of her. She would probably hate her. As it was though, Fluttershy was greeted kindly by the filly, with a hug and a smile. Later Rainbow explained to her that she was in a relationship with the yellow mare which seemed to make Scootaloo happy. Then Rainbow whispered something in her ear that made her smile grow larger still. Fluttershy was tempted to ask, but decided it was best to leave the pair alone. Fluttershy was so relieved everypony was taking the news of their relationship so well.

On their last day in the hospital, Fluttershy lay awake, watching her cyan angel sleep. There was a small smile on her face; Fluttershy hoped she was dreaming about her. Every so often she would let out a loud snore. They were so spontaneous, each time Fluttershy had to bite back her laughter. Suddenly another sound met her ears though; a slight brush of air on the door, followed by two knocks. It was still dark out, Fluttershy looked to the clock. It read 2:00 a.m. The sudden unknown noise sent a chill down her spine, but those knocks were rhythmic and obvious. She wanted to call out, but she might’ve woken Rainbow. She swallowed her fear. She was in a hospital, what was the worst that could reside on the other side of the door? A few images of grotesque monsters, dressed in hospital gowns and wrapped in bandages crossed her mind, but she shuddered and forced them out. Rainbow was behind her. She would keep her safe.

She slid softly out of bed, trying hard to make as little noise as she could, which was difficult on the hard floor of the hospital. She finally reached the door and cracked it open. There was nopony there. She opened it a little wider to check the halls, as she did she spotted something on the ground. A bouquet of roses. Twelve red plants lay on the floor before Rainbow’s hospital room, with a card tucked into it. When she opened the small white sheet of paper, it simply read:

“May the love you share never die. Cadence.”

Twelve roses. Cadence’s voice rang in her head. From the moment you and Rainbow shared that kiss in the cave, I’ve known exactly where you were. She looked at the red flowers, and silently mouthed.

“Thank you.” She stared down either side of the long hallway, but there was nopony in sight. She still didn’t know how she felt about the princess of love, but she knew her regret was true, and that was a start. She’d told Rainbow about Cadence, the fact that she had know the whole time, and to her surprise she was quite calm and understanding.

“That doesn’t matter now Fluttershy,” She said quietly. “What’s done is done, and in the end, it all turned out ok, right?” Fluttershy didn’t disagree, but she still didn’t feel ready to forgive. She grabbed the bundle of roses and brought them in to Rainbow. She was still asleep, but it would make a nice surprise when she woke up.

Unfortunately even though she was released from the hospital quite swiftly, the doctor informed her it would be nearly two months until she could use her wings safely, and after that time was up, she would need physiotherapy. Fluttershy expected Dash to get angry; she’d never been grounded for nearly so long before. But instead of becoming infuriated, she just looked really sad.

She maintained a level tone with the doctor, oddly polite for the news she had just received, and after he left she dropped her head.

“I can’t believe I’m going to need physio. My wings are going to be useless.” She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, as though the whole situation gave her a headache. The thought of staying on the ground so long her wings would degrade upset Rainbow greatly. She’d been doing so well being on the ground for so long. The shy pegasus was also grounded, but only for ten days, and she didn’t need therapy. Fluttershy hated to see her so upset, so she got up into the bed beside her.

“Well you helped me learn to fly once. I’d be more than happy to return the favour.”
Rainbow looked up.

“I’ll stay on the ground with you, it’s not like I do much flying anyway. I’ll come with you to all your therapy sessions, and when you’re ready to fly again, I’ll always come with you until you’re back to your old daredevil self again.”

A gentle smile slowly crossed her face.

“That would mean so much to me Fluttershy.” She said, giving her a kiss. “Thank you.”

It had taken nearly three months. The two went to her physiotherapy sessions, twice a week. Rainbow exercised her wings and Fluttershy was always there for support. Sometimes the girls would come too and they would all cheer her on together. It was painful to see the once proud aerial acrobat struggle to even lift and move her wings, but as the sessions continuedshe kept at it, and her feathered extremities grew stronger. Even with all the work she put in, her smile rarely left, and they always returned home happily. After a month of sessions, she’d been cleared to take flight once more. Fluttershy came with her for all her flights, and offered encouragements, much the same way Rainbow had done for her when they had first met. And her skill returned fast. Within two weeks she was diving and doing loops once more.
Then one day she brought Fluttershy outside from her chores with the animals, and asked her to watch. Fluttershy took a seat in the soft grass and gazed at the blue mare.

“Here, watch!” She said, excited as a filly. She shot into the air with her old unrivaled speed, and Fluttershy was immediately back up on her hooves in excitement. Rainbow looped as she rose, circling clouds as though it were nothing, all the while gaining height.
Finally, when she looked little more than a blue speck to the ponies below, she streaked towards the ground, faster than a bullet. Fluttershy, though excited, was suddenly stricken with fear. She knew exactly what she planned to do, but it had been so long since she’d flown, what if she had an accident? When her height had been halved, the sky suddenly illuminated, and a massive multicoloured ring expanded outward from the explosion high above the ground. Fluttershy whooped and cheered as Dash landed panting.
“Yes! I’m back baby!” She tackled the yellow mare in a tight hug.
They laughed and celebrated. It was like everything had gone back to normal. But better.

“Hey Fluttershy?” she heard her lover ask, dragging her back to the present. She’d been standing there, upon the little white cloud, with a small smile displayed on her face, lost in thought. Rainbow looked to her with and arched eyebrow. Dash’s wings were spread out in their full glory, a sight both of them could appreciate. Along her side was a faint white scar, just beneath the base of her wing, a reminder of what they’d been through, and the strength of their feelings for one another. Fluttershy could never stare at the mark for too long without choking up, but at the same time it filled her with a sense of hope. Rainbow had been able to fly with her old skill for nearly a week now.

“I’m still not entirely sure why you dragged me up here.” Fluttershy said with a nervous chuckle.

“I’ve got something to show you, but you have to follow me. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She said finally. Without another word Rainbow tossed herself off the soft cloud, and Fluttershy followed suit. The multicoloured mare wasn’t flying at her full speed, but it wasn’t quite a leisurely pace either.

“Where are we going?” the timid pegasus asked. They were flying in the direction of their old home town, but they were far too low to make a landing in Cloudsdale.

“You’ll see.” With that ominous message she dipped lower. They skimmed the green tree tops, and Fluttershy felt her stomach knot. Ever since their adventures in the forest, she’d been apprehensive to go too far in. Everything, from the tall silent trees to the soil beneath her hooves reminded her of the fate that almost befell her beloved. But after several minutes of flying over the massive green canopy, Rainbow came to a sudden halt.

“Here!” she said excited, lowering herself down to the forest floor. Fluttershy followed despite her fears, trusting in the pony she loved. They landed in a little clearing. It was grassy and covered in hills, and the city of Cloudsdale was visible in the distance. It felt very familiar. Her eyes widened in shock and Rainbow burst into proud laughter.

“Rainbow is this...?”

“You bet it is. It wasn’t that hard to find actually, I remembered the day so well. And I promised myself that when I was able to fly I’d try to bring you back here. Where we first met.”

Now that she knew she could see it, all in her mind’s eye. All the animals, the bright sun, two fillies speaking timidly beside an old tree. All of it was just like she remembered.

“Rainbow this is so wonderful!” Fluttershy said, whirling around to take in all of the images. The flood of memories that came back to her made her heart skip. She felt like she was a filly again.

She turned to the cyan pony.

“Dashie, this is so amazing I-” her words came up short as she saw Rainbow kneeling on the ground in front of her. Her eyes were bright and she wore a shining smile. With one hoof she held out a beautiful corsage, with light green petals surrounded by ornate leaves. She looked between it and the mare she loved sheepishly as she spoke.

“I know I asked you before, but I wanted to do it in a more... traditional fashion. Fluttershy, the day we first met is my most cherished memory, I remember every detail, I even dream of it sometimes. The way your mane hung over your right ear, the way your eyes sparkled when I promised to take you back. On that day, you gave me such a wonderful feeling, I felt warm, like with you was where I was meant to be. And it would mean everything to me, if I could keep feeling that way for the rest of my life. You are the mare of my dreams Fluttershy, the pony I adore more than anything. Will you marry me?”

Fluttershy felt as though she were frozen, her breath came short, her mouth wouldn’t move. Was she dreaming? Rainbow looked up from her kneeling position with rosy cheeks. Everything about her seemed to glow.

“Yes!” the word finally came out “Yes, yes, of course!” she wrapped Rainbow Dash in a massive embrace, pressing her lips upon hers. They fell to the ground, still locked together. Both of them cried as they kissed, but neither of them had ever been happier. Deep in the meadow, under the shining sun of the spot where they had first met, they shared yet another milestone in their lives. They pulled apart, gazing deep into each other’s wet eyes. Rainbow Dash brought the corsage up and pinned it in Fluttershy’s flowing pink mane. Rainbow had never seen a more beautiful mare, and Fluttershy thought likewise.

“I love you Fluttershy.”

“I love you too Rainbow Dash.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That one looks like a bunny!” the yellow filly said, pointing a hoof towards a large cloud in the sky.

“Oh!” the blue filly beside her exclaimed. “That one looks like the Cloudiseum!”

Fluttershy let out a soft giggle.

“You say that about all of them.”

The two friends lay on their backs, atop a small grassy hill, basking in the beautiful day that had been given to them. The sky was bright and blue as the coat on the cyan pony, with clouds drifting lazily across the sky. In the distance they could see their home of Cloudsdale.

“Well, they all look like the Cloudiseum.” She said laughing. “You know I-Oh.” She stopped suddenly.

Fluttershy turned her gaze from the sky to her friend, who lay staring quizzically at her own muzzle, at the end of which, a large butterfly had landed. Both of them giggled at the sight. Rainbow took in a breath and gently blew a stream of air. The startled insect took flight back into the forest. Rainbow used to be terrified of all the creatures on the ground, but after a while she’d grown used to them. She settled back in, happy to be sharing the day with her best friend.

“You know Fluttershy, it’s not so bad here. Maybe I’ll live near the ground someday too.”

“I’m glad you like it down here.” She said kindly, but her friends comment brought a question to her mind. “Hey Rainbow?”

“Yeah?”

“Even when we’re all grown up, and we move into our own houses, we’ll still be friends right?”

“Of course!” she shouted in answer, as though surprised by the very suggestion. “You’re my best friend ever! I love to spend time with you. And even when we’re old that’s not going to change. We’re going to be together forever.”
She stretched out a blue hoof and Fluttershy took it in her own.

Fluttershy looked back to the sky and smiled. Together forever. With Rainbow Dash.

She liked the way that sounded.

Author's Notes:

And with that, this fic comes to its conclusion. I know this last one was pretty short and under-detailed, but that was sort of the point. I just wanted to give you the general idea of what happened after and where the two are headed. And all I can hope is that the ending was up to par. As I finished up this chapter, a sudden unease fell before me as I realized something: It’s actually finished. For the past few weeks I’ve poured ever spare second I had into writing this-I guess that says something about how much spare time I had. And now it’s just over. This is the, by far the longest story I have ever written and the only thing I have ever finished. I’m not even joking. Fan-fics, personal projects, writing assignments for school, not a single time have I written a story through to its proper conclusion, and for that, this story will hold a special place in my heart. And really, I never would have gotten this far if it weren’t for all the amazing people who took time out of their day to read my words. You guys really made this possible, and I’m not just saying that. What started out as a simple project to try and better myself became a passion of mine, because of you. All the like and the favourites, and over a hundred freaking comments, your support is felt, and appreciated tenfold, and it gave me the drive to see this through. I really cannot thank you enough for this gift. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing. Now that this fic is finished, I find myself wondering what I’ll do next. I have an idea, but it’s far less ambitious than this project and will probably take a few weeks to fully plan out. So nothing new for the time being. Special shout-outs to Impurity, Darksonickiller, and HyperBlossom7, each of whom helped me somewhere along the way, and made me look like I’m not a total fool. Seriously, you could fill a book with all the mistakes these guys saved me from, and the support you guys gave me was phenomenal. Hope all of you enjoyed Butterflies, and that you have an awesome day. BUT I do have one question to pose. This is supposed to be the final chapter but someone suggested that I write out a scene for the wedding. It would be kind of nice to give just a little more time to this fic, but at the same time, I don’t want it to seem like I’m beating a dead horse (so to speak). So, I’ll pose it to you fine folks: Do you guys want a wedding?

Epilogue

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Wedding

Rarity’s horn illuminated as she magically adjusted the shoulder of Fluttershy’s gown into place, with a final, “Aha!”

The two mares stood in the bedroom she shared with Rainbow, as they had for the better part of the afternoon, during which the unicorn had been making the final touches on her gown. Both of them had lived together for the better part of a year now, yet the room had hardly changed at all, save for the framed hoof-drawn picture on the wall, and the extra pillow that lay on the bed. The curtains had been drawn over the windows, cutting off much of the bright afternoon light trying to spill in, but even so, Fluttershy couldn’t keep herself from trying to gaze beyond the confines of their cottage. Out there, only fifty feet away stood Rainbow Dash. The pony she would soon wed.

The yellow mare’s heart was racing, her mind was flying, and she couldn’t seem to keep her hooves from shaking, much to the frustration of the alabaster mare attempting to help her. But as she made the final adjustment on Fluttershy’s dress, she stood back with a smile to admire her work. Rarity had “completed” Fluttershy’s gown nearly a month ago, but she had been constantly making adjustments for nearly two weeks. Now, only minutes from the wedding, Rarity finally seemed satisfied.

Fluttershy was startled from her racing thoughts by the mirror that levitated before her. Her mouth hung open. She stared into the mirror at her own reflection, but for a moment she couldn’t believe it was her. The dress was amazing, no beyond amazing, her unicorn friend had really outdone herself this time. The dress was beautiful, traditional, yet one of a kind. A natural green colour, gently lightening into the traditional white of a wedding gown. The train was sleek, and long. Her mane and tail had been expertly styled, eloquent, yet somehow the natural waviness was still there. And all of it pinned up by the beautiful corsage, which she hardly ever removed. She was wearing the gown, she had the flowers in her hair. She was getting married. Fluttershy lifted a hoof up to her mouth, trying to hold back her tears.

“I-I’m...”

“You look magnificent.” Rarity said behind her, smiling half at her work, and half at the reaction of her friend.

The pegasus spun around and brought her friend into a tight hug.

“Oh Rarity, thank you so much!” she exclaimed.

“Oh darling, I’m just grateful you’ve allowed me to take such a large part in the occasion.” From the moment she heard of the proposal, more than two months ago, the unicorn had been working non-stop, designing dresses, planning out hairstyles to go with them. Her trash can had been over flowing with her crumpled plans; it took her a few weeks to even settle on the final design for both of them. It was an added hassle to have to visit both her and Rainbow Dash individually, refusing to let either of them see the other’s dress.

“I really wish you’d let us pay you Rarity.” She said pulling away, but still keeping her hooves on the unicorn. “You’ve done so much work for us. I know that we’re friends, but it just doesn’t feel right.”

“My dear, it was no imposition! In fact, I believe you to have inspired some of my best work. Besides, why should two of my best friends have to pay to look gorgeous on their wedding night?”

“Thank you Rarity.” She said, attempting to compose herself.

“You are quite welcome. Although, I doubt it matters much to your fiancé. You could walk out there in rags, and all she would see is the most beautiful pony in Equestria.”

Fluttershy smiled. She couldn’t argue with that assumption, it was likely true. But every filly dreams about her wedding day, and to look even better than her wildest imaginations, was a priceless gift.

“You have no idea how much this means to me.”

“No I suppose I don’t,” She muttered, using her magic to straighten out both of their dresses after the hug. “But I DO know that corsage suits you better than any mare I’ve ever seen.”

Fluttershy blushed.

“Now, I suppose we shouldn’t keep your bride waiting.” Rarity whispered with a smile. She appeared close to tears herself as Fluttershy let herself be lead out of the room.

Rainbow Dash stood at the altar, surrounded by all the ponies she loved, except for three.

“Oh, where are they?” Rainbow said, more nervous than impatient.

“Just hold your horses Dash, you know how fussy Rarity can get sometimes.” Applejack mumbled into her ear.

The orange pony stood off to her side, best mare to the blue pegasus. Rainbow had agreed full heartedly to taking the position of the groom in the ceremony, and so she stood out on the lawn, waiting impatiently for Rarity to finish up on her dress. The princesses were gathered as well, talking about the occasion. Her sister and the other Crusaders were huddled closely together, talking and laughing in excited tones. Pinkie bounced around just as excited as the fillies, and Twilight was inside the cottage with Rarity and Fluttershy, all of whom would be walking out together. Everypony was dressed in the finest they had to wear; most of it from Rarity’s boutique. Rainbow looked over to their cottage.

“Hey, ya’ll are startin’ to shake ‘gain.” The farm pony observed. Rainbow looked down to her hooves, visibly wobbling.

“Thanks.” She said, trying to stop.

“Are ya alright sugar cube?” she asked.

“Of course I am!” She said, half shouting, half whispering. “I’m about to get married to my foalhood sweetheart. I’ve been dreaming about this day for so long! But...”

“But what?”

“I’ve never been so nervous Applejack. My chest hurts, my heart is beating so fast I’m worried it’ll explode and I can’t stop shaking.”

Her best mare laughed, and she shot her an icy glare.

“Everypony feels so nervous on their wedding day, but ah’ve never understood why.”

“Because A.J., it’s a really big, deal! I’ve been thinking about this day for years, and now it’s finally about to happen! I’m going to officially start a life with the pony I love!”

“So what exactly are ya worried about?”

“I-I don’t know, but I am.” She said with a whine.

“Rainbow, do ya love her?” Applejack asked, in a very hushed tone. Rainbow looked at her in shock. How dare she ask a question like that?

“Yes, Applejack, I do love her, more than anything.”

“And does she love ya?”

Rainbow cast a glance to the cottage she shared with the pony she loved. Fluttershy had put herself through so much pain; she gave her blood and soul to save her.

“Yes. I have no doubt.”

“Then what could ya possibly be nervous about?” She laughed, tossing a foreleg over her back. “I know it’s a big day, but ya should be enjoying it, not freakin’ out about it. Y'all have something that everypony dreams of, and now, y'all are finally gettin' hitched, and y’all are shakin’ worse than Apple Bloom on caffeine.”

The pegasus looked down and blushed, knowing that her friend was right.

“Now, Ah’m not trying to undersell it, you two are taking a big step in your lives. But Ah think we can all agree, it’s a step in the right direction.”

Rainbow Dash noticed a sudden calm that had fallen over her and looked to her friend in gratitude.

“Thanks Applejack, I needed that.”

The farm pony simply tipped her hat and smiled, when suddenly Spike came running from the cottage.

“She’s ready,” he called out to the crowd. “Places everypony!”

Rainbow Dash looked over to the cottage in anticipation. Her legs began to shake again, but she paid no attention. Celestia stood in the center, taking her place as minister, with Luna at her side. Cadence moved further back, standing on the side Dash’s bride would be. The regal sisters had offered her to stand with them, but she politely refused, anticipating a less than welcome stare from Fluttershy. The yellow mare seemed hesitant to invite her, but the blue pony thought it might be a good way to close some old wounds. And despite her lateness, she did play a vital role in saving her life, it wouldn’t have felt right to Rainbow to leave her out.

Pinkie immediately stopped bouncing and rushed over to stand beside Rainbow. She kept tapping her hoof and opening her mouth, then immediately closing it. Twilight had made her promise to stand as silently as she could, foretelling the hyperactive mare’s excitement. The three fillies also stood with Rainbow, giggling as the song birds began their tune.

A white unicorn was the first to exit the cottage, taking long and graceful steps down the lawn, dressed in brilliant attire as always. Following her was Twilight, whom only a few months ago helped save her life. Now she came to help her usher a new chapter into it. The ceremony was taking place in the wide green space behind their humble abode, there were no chairs to mark the path to the altar, instead, a twenty foot-long row of blooming roses. When the two unicorns had made it to the beginning of the path, Twilights horn shimmered, and the space before them lit up with a flare. And suddenly standing there was her bride.

Rainbow couldn’t pull her eyes away, she simply stood, even her legs were motionless. Her mouth hung open slightly, and her eyes were wide as she gazed upon the yellow mare. She stood there for a moment, looking bashful and delicate as all the ponies looked to her. Rainbow’s heart melted. Everything about her bride was so beautiful, not that she was ever anything less, but her entire body seemed to glow as she stood there. Her eyes were sparkling like jewels; the slightest hint of rose complimented her cheeks. Her dress was long and elegant, an unsurpassable work of art from Rarity, capturing the innocent essence of the mare to a tee. Her flowing pink mane had hardly changed, lightly styled while keeping her natural wave. And on top of it all: the corsage, her gift to that beautiful pony. I’m going to marry her. She thought in disbelief. How could she possibly be so lucky? And even as she stared and basked in her presence, Fluttershy returned her awestruck gaze.

Fluttershy’s heart jumped as she looked to the pony she was about to wed. The moment she appeared before everypony, Rainbow was staring right at her. She loved the way Rainbow looked at her, especially now. It made her feel so special, so pretty. Rainbow herself looked nothing short of amazing. The dress Rarity had made for her was beautiful, unlike anything she’d ever produced before. As was a common theme with her designs for the cyan mare, the gown displayed a full spectrum of colour, but it was different now. Instead of each colour staying in its own defined line, they mingled, making breath-taking combinations of colour that almost seemed alive, moving and sparkling, not unlike the mane of Celestia. Rainbow’s own multicoloured mane was styled with precision, keeping each colour in its own place, with a slight wave off to the side. It was beautiful. She smiled, and Fluttershy did too. She was about to get married.

It took everything Rainbow had to keep herself from flying to her bride and throwing her forelegs around her, holding her warm body tightly against hers. Fluttershy looked so amazing, so unbelievably gorgeous; she just wanted to be near her, to hold her and kiss her.

Yet she waited, standing patiently and warmly, as her lover made her way to the altar. The time for kissing and holding would come. Both Rarity and Twilight lifted a corner of her train, letting it hover gently in the air, only mere inches from the light green grass. All three mares smiled, the alabaster unicorn may have even been crying.
She was getting married. It was a pleasure just to watch her walk, every step graceful and timid, the sweet songs of the birds and the soft rustling of leaves, complimenting her very presence. Fluttershy’s head was upright; despite all the attention placed on her, her eyes were foreword, locked with Rainbow’s own.

It felt like a lifetime, one of brilliance and beauty. She felt as though she could just stand there and watch that beautiful mare walk forever, but at the same time she couldn’t because it would be torture to watch her, and never be close to her, never feel her. Finally the three ponies took their place opposite Rainbow, and the yellow mare stood only three feet from her. Her heart was racing, and a smile brightened her face as she held the gaze of the pony she loved. Fluttershy’s face took on a rosy hue, and Rainbow could feel her own cheeks mimicking. All the ponies around them smiled, and with a slight nod from Twilight, Celestia began.

“Welcome dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of these two ponies, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. They have known each other since they were fillies, and since have never separated. They’ve been together through the best of times, and the worst, but when put through an unimaginable hardship were finally able to pronounce their love for one another. The strength of their devotion is unquestionable, as is the strength of the love they both share.” She smiled as she spoke. The princess gestured for the two pegasi to face each other. They did, both of them smiling and blushing as they looked to one another. Rainbow knew she couldn’t hug the mare just yet, but instead lifted her hoof and pressed it against that of her lover’s.

“I solemnly swear to stand by you, through thick and thin, through happiness and misfortune, through health and sickness, through wealth or impoverishment. I will keep you safe. I will share with you everything that is mine. Wherever life takes you, I will stand with you, because you are my world. Through the worst and the best, we will face it as one; even after death do us part.” Rainbow vowed. She changed it a little bit, but she liked it better that way. She stared into Fluttershy’s shimmering emerald eyes, now watery. Fluttershy began her own vows.

“I solemnly swear to stand by you, through thick and thin, through happiness and misfortune, through health and sickness, through wealth or impoverishment. I will keep you safe. I will share with you everything that is mine. You are my light in a world of darkness, you are my greatest source of strength, and happiness. Through the best and the worst, we will face it as one; even after death do us part.” She vowed, adopting Rainbow’s changes.
By the time Fluttershy had finished her vows, both of them were in tears. Rainbow heard some sniffling from her friends as well, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away to look.

“Could you lift your wings please?” The princess requested gently. Now they finally broke their gaze, each stretching a wing out to the regal mare. The scar that lay beneath Rainbow’s wing had all but faded, only ponies who really looked for it could detect the faint white line. Fluttershy still felt a small pang of emotion when she looked upon it, her mind filling with what if’s. But today, she shook it off. What might’ve happened didn’t matter, all that mattered is where she stood now; with the mare she loved before the altar.

The princess’s horn lit up, shinning with a bright yellow hue. An identical aura surrounded a single feather in the tertiary region of their wings. Fluttershy winced a little as the yellow feather was pulled from her wing but her smile didn’t fade. Rainbow and Fluttershy watched as the feathers were magically lifted up into the air for all the attendants to see. They spun around each other three times before stopping, then she crossed them. A third object was lifted into the air; a small piece of silver string. All the ponies smiled as Celestia tied the feathers together with a beautiful bow. She let the symbol of unity levitate for a few moments, before releasing it into the wind. Within a few seconds, the small object flew over the forest, then disappeared beyond the tree tops.

The ponies at the altar looked back to each other, their hooves still pressed against one another. Rarity was definitely crying now, her sobs easily distinguishable from the crowd. Fluttershy was crying too, streams of tears running down her blushing cheeks. Rainbow could feel her tears beginning to spill over, she began to tremble slightly with anticipation. She felt a slight tug on her mane as her own corsage was put in. She knew it was pink and white, Fluttershy had shown her, but she didn’t turn to look. Her eyes were set upon her bride. The flower was set in her mane.

Celestia’s voice sang.

“I now pronounce you mare, and mare. You-”

But Fluttershy didn’t wait to hear the rest, instead pouncing on the blue mare, wrapping her in a tight hug and planting a passionate kiss on her lips. Rainbow immediately returned the embrace, moving her own lips against those of her lover. She could hear her friends stomping, cheering, and whistling. Fluttershy’s song birds rang out their tune, Rarity was still crying, and the fillies laughed excitedly, but it was all so far away. She leaned into the kiss with as much passion as she could muster, and Fluttershy did the same. She feel herself melt, the day’s tension and waiting simply falling from her. She wasn’t just kissing the pony she loved anymore; she was kissing her wife. Both of them took shaky breaths, tears of joy trailing down their faces. Rainbow’s heart leapt, and when they pulled away, Fluttershy laid another quick kiss on her cheek before pulling her in tightly.

“I love you Rainbow.” She said, her delicate voice trembling.

“I love you too Fluttershy.”

They pulled away and looked into each other’s eyes once again. Rainbow ran a hoof through her wife’s pink mane, lingering slightly on the flower pinned in it.

They were married.

Her breath was fast, and her heart was racing. Rainbow Dash couldn’t remember a moment when she was happier, and Fluttershy could remember only one.

It took both of them a moment to notice, but when they did, their ears perked up and they looked to the crowd in surprise. All of their friends stood in a long line, their voices ringing out softly in a slow a capella tune. Most of them had lines of tears down their faces, even princess Luna, but their voices sang sweetly and gently. The blue pegasus caught on and offered Fluttershy a hoof, which she took in her own with a beaming smile. Rainbow pulled her wife in close. Fluttershy leaned her soft body into Rainbow. She was so soft and warm, so stunning and beautiful, like a dream brought to life. Both of them closed their eyes as they danced to the voices of the ponies closest to them.

The two pegasi had danced together before, even when they were fillies. Fluttershy was much better than Rainbow, she was born with a natural grace, but the yellow mare still let her lead. They had been practicing their slow dance for months now, an activity they had both enjoyed. But as they moved to the docile tones of the mares singing around them, it felt much, much different. Before they danced as two ponies, now they danced as one heart, unified by the love they both shared.

“Fluttershy, did I ever thank you? For what you did for me?” Rainbow asked quietly, as they slowly spun together.

“You don’t ever have to thank me Dashie.” She whispered back, sounding surprised. “You’ve saved my life more times than I can count.”

“No, you didn’t just save my life. You ARE my life.”

Fluttershy nuzzled her cheek lightly in response.

“What happens next?” Fluttershy whispered.

“I’m not sure,” she whispered into her ear. “But wherever life takes us, I will stand with you, because you are my world.”

“And you are my light in a world of darkness.” She returned, warmly. “My wife.”

The Fallen Arc

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<This is an alternate ending written by my friend.>

"Ah it's great to be back! I can't believe how much I missed Ponyville. It's been too long." Rainbow remarked.

"Yes it's been more than a week. I wonder if anything big has happened while we were gone?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if a tornado or two came through here."

They continued their walk from the train station. Taking the long route towards Fluttershy's cottage. Since twilight had advised they not try flying for at the very minimum a day, going to Rainbow's house was out of the question. So they went for the next best thing. It's not as if they were going to do anything.

Right..?

"So as I was saying before we were interrupted. What were you dreaming of? You seemed to be really happy. I was tempted to wait there and just watch you." Rainbow questioned.

"I was dreaming of the older days. How we always slept together and how you were always there for me, through thick and thin. Always giving, keeping and making me feel safe, making me feel better. I feel like you deserve better." She said solemnly.

"Trust me Fluttershy. I'm more lucky to have you. You've shone the light on many things that I considered worthless and a waste of time. I doubt that I would be alive if you weren't there to always help me whenever I crashed both physically and mentally or when I used to be Celly. If you weren't there in the alley with me..." Rainbow paused. "Even if I had escaped I doubt I would have learned to protect myself and learn to live life to the fullest. I wouldn't have gotten my cutie mark or find my true colours."

"Can we agree that we both need each other?" Fluttershy said grinning. Rainbow nodded.

While Rainbow wasn't looking Fluttershy planted a soft peck onto the cyan mare's cheek that had instantly turned pink right after.

"Oh you're so cute when your embarrassed."

"H-hey no fair. It's my job to make you embarrassed. Since when did you take my job?"

"Ever since the bear incident when we decided to go to the butterfly migration. You found out and didn't mind so I decided to bring it out once in awhile." Fluttershy was about to continue but was interrupted.

"RAINBOW DASH!" A voice yelled out.

"Hm? Who's calling m-" Rainbow was interrupted with a small but strong bear hug. Rainbow looked downwards to see an purple maned chicken.

She has forgotten about the young filly who saw her as her sister/idol. She felt sort of ashamed that she didn't think about how the filly would react if she suddenly disappeared. "Hey squirt." Full of tears scootaloo responded.

"I missed you so much. Nothing's the same without you." Rainbow wiped the small filly's tears off. Noticing this scootaloo looked down. "You probably think i'm being uncool don't you."

"Of course not. It's like what a brave filly once told me, there's nothing wrong with crying for a good reason."

"Do you really mean that?"

"Yep. Heck even I cried when..." Rainbow shook her head with tears slightly falling. "Nevermind all I mean is that it's okay, nobody should be able to make fun of you for doing so."

"Thanks. I just don't know what came over me." She smiled sheepishly.

"You think of me as an older sister. I disappear for more than a week. I'm pretty sure that more than grants you the right to cry in happiness when I come back." Rainbow remarked.

"It's great ta have ya back Rainbow." Came a voice behind Scootaloo who seemed to be Applejack's younger sister.

"Yeah Scootaloo was so depressed this week. We couldn't do any crusading." Sweetie Belle said. "and of course that your okay." She added quickly. Rainbow sighed.

"Sorry about that. Me and Fluttershy ran into a few problems on our way back." She scratched the back of her head smiling.

"All that matters is that your back! I can't wait to spend time with you again." The chicken squealed.

"Yeah about that... Squirt do you mind postponing that?"

"H-huh? Y-you don't want to spend time with me?" She whimpered.

"No it's not that, it's just that I wanna spend some time with Fluttershy first. I promise we can spend most of tomorrow together."

"Deal!" The young filly squealed once more from excitement. "See you later Rainbow! Fluttershy!" The trio of friends then galloped off to do their regular friendly unintentional terrorizing of the town. Rainbow sighed before looking at Fluttershy.

"Sorry about tomorrow." Rainbow said looking towards her marefriend.

"No no it's fine, real or not, siblings are just as important, and I still have you for all of today." Fluttershy nuzzled her neck.

"That's true and I'll make up tomorrow after tomorrow."

"Oh but that's my spa day with Rarity. I hope she won't be mad."

"There is no way she's going to be mad. She'll go completely nuts when she hears about us." Rainbow laughed.

"I hope she doesn't go too far like before."

"Oh colt. That would be a nightmare." Rainbow chuckled.

"Speaking of nightmares, did you have one last night? You were moving around a lot, shaking and sweating. You were also really hot and I mean burning hot, I thought you would burn through the bed. You were even yelling my name." She then added quickly. "I-if you don't mind me asking of course." Fluttershy asked innocently. Rainbow instantly blew up in embarrassment, her cheeks flaring red.

"Uh um um" She stammered with her head down tapping her hooves. She replied quickly after looking up. "Oh look we're almost there!"

"Is there something the matter Rainbow? We still have a good bit of time before we get there." Still acting as innocent as ever.

"Nothing. Nothing at all I'm just, ya know, tired. Yeah that's it!"

"Is there something your not telling me?"
Fluttershy used her famous 'stare' on Rainbow but on a much less intimidating scale. One like a mother scolding her child after breaking something.

"N-no nothing at all."

"Why are you stammering then." Fluttershy chuckled.

"Um. Um-

"It's okay. You don't have to tell me." Putting extra emphasis on have to.

"I miss old Fluttershy." Rainbow complained. Fluttershy reacting to this, planted a kiss on her cheek once more.

"Old Fluttershy wouldn't do stuff like this."
She remarked.

"I guess you win some you lose some." Rainbow paused then continued once more. "But I think I won more." She nuzzled Fluttershy's neck, then returning the kiss.

They continued their walk for the next few minutes when they finally made it to the cottage. Fluttershy stopped at the door.

"I really hope the animals did okay." Fluttershy said solemnly.

"I bet everything's all right. Angel as much as I hate to admit it, is smart enough to take care of himself and all the other animals."

"Oh I know but what if they didn't have enough food."

"Only one way to find out." Rainbow said as she flung the door open. They were surprised to see the animals all living peacefully. All in proper shape as if nothing had changed. The only problem was that Angel was hanging by a foot to the ceiling. Rainbow burst out laughing.

"Angel! Oh dear. Who did this to you." She said while trying to get him off the ceiling.

As he landed on the floor he immediately pointed towards the kitchen obviously pissed beyond any bunny possibility. As they walked in they were greeted by the sight of a tall draconequus wearing his suit, but this time with a pipe and newspaper.

"Welcome. Make yourselves at home. I'll explain." He said without a care in the world, still interested in the paper.

"Discord!? What do you want!" Rainbow yelled.

"Rainbow. Let himself explain first. Please?" Fluttershy said calmly. Discord continued to read his paper without a care of anything going around him. He stayed in this state for a good minute until he snapped his fingers and his paper folded itself and rested on the table.

"Ah yes Fluttershy. It is nice to see you once again on much less tragic terms." Discord said with no obvious emotion showing. "Oh and Rainbow Dash. It sure is good to see you. I trust you're doing well?"

"Whatever you're up to bub! I'm on to you!"

"Oh please. Even if I did anything you couldn't even stop me no matter how hard you tried."

"Just try saying that again. Then you'll know pain."

"What can you do." Discord flew above her. "You can't even fly, much less reach me."

"Umm Discord? Rainbow?" Fluttershy said fearing where this would go.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

"Oh my flightless and a bad temper. You really haven't changed, miss ungrateful. Here I was extended a welcome."

"Discord please."

"Oh alright, dear fluttershy. Just teasing. I've forgotten how much fun it actually is." Discord chuckled heartily.

"I wish we turned you to stone before!"

"If you did that do you think you would be alive right now?" Discord replied flatly. The room went silent. The only noises where from the small animals scurrying about from the main room.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" She replied confused.

"Did you presume that resurrection is easy business? No it isn't. It's something that has been rarely done because of its risks and complications. You need someone with R status." Discord waved his paw in the air. "Something you should also be aware of is that resurrection is taboo or in other words illegal. I wouldn't be surprised if your friend princess Twilight Sparkle lost her royal status. I would even go as far as permanent banishment."

"What's so wrong about helping a friend?!"
Rainbow defended.

"You won't know."

"Can we please change the topic?" Fluttershy sighed.

"Oh anything for you dear Fluttershy."

"Okay fine. But if he steps out of line, he's getting it." Rainbow waved her hoof into the air as if getting ready to swing. Simultaneously as Rainbow said this Discord created a square made of chalk and proceeded to go in and out of it

"Oh look I'm stepping out of line." The draconequus replied. Smiling evilly.

"Umm Discord. Do you mind giving us some time today? I mean a break. We've been through a lot." Fluttershy whispered.

"Oh woe is me. My only friend is kicking me out after doing her many favours. Oh the life of a lord of chaos is a hard one." Discord said in his most dramatic voice which could rival Rarity. He snapped his fingers once more and there appeared him in a black suit and tie, instead of his original blue, complimented by a briefcase. He then started stuffing it with everything he could find. Dirty dishes, bird feed, he even put angel into his briefcase.

"Well I'll see you later. Ta Ta."

"Discord..."

"Oh fine." With a snap he teleported everything back to their original places.

At the door about to leave he stopped without turning around. Holding one of his digital pads in the air. "Just remember these two things before I leave, dear Fluttershy. Every ending is a new beginning waiting for you to start. Don't dwell on the past for it locks your future potential. Remember. Fallen Arc."

"Wait why?" He was already gone.

"I wonder what was up with him? Knowing him though he's probably trying to get in our heads." Rainbow made motions around her head signifying craziness. "I will admit I'm curious of what it means, it sounded like prance."

"I hope so. I've never seen him this serious."

"Ah no point in getting out heads in a ditch. Do you got anything to eat?" Rainbow said rummaging through her cabinets.

"Oh no. Everything here is spoiled. I have nothing here." She realized.

"No worries. I'll run into town and get us somethings to last us until tomorrow."

"Oh I couldn't ask you for that. Let's both go."

"Fluttershy. I won't be long and I can tell your leg is still hurting. Don't think I didn't notice. I'll just be an hour maximum."

"Oh. Okay." She sounded defeated. "Here let me at least pay for them." Fluttershy went through one of her cupboards and took out a small saddlebag. "Is 10 bits enough?"

"More than enough. I'll be back as fast as possible." She gave a fake salute and started walking to the door.

"I love you Rainbow." She pecked her on her nose.

"I love you too." They shared a short kiss and then Rainbow went off. Fluttershy watched her run. It was nice to see her back on her hooves uninjured.

As Rainbow became smaller and smaller Fluttershy sighed and was about to turn around, but the dot that was Rainbow abruptly stopped. Curiosity took over Fluttershy and she walked outside of her yard and slowly made her way to Rainbow. As she the dot became larger and larger she started to gallop.

"No no no. She's fine. Nothing's wrong." Then Discord's last action and words blew up in her mind. But his last words were the strongest.

Discord put up one of his five digital pad's into the air and said. Remember. Fallen Arc.

When her image was recognizable Fluttershy started to cry. "No no no no. RAINBOW!"

Rainbow didn't respond.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Rainbow's body remained lifeless in a coffin. Surrounded by many, in an open field. Some famous but mostly common folk from the town.

Her funeral was a long one. Filled with many long speeches that would bore her to death. Most of the longer speeches came from her best friends, the princesses and a few members of the wonderbolts. They all gave her praise about what she's done. Many sad remarks were also given.

Everyone from the town came. Everyone put everything down and came to the funeral because she was a pretty big deal when she wasn't annoying.

Some cried, but most just put their heads down ashamed, in their minds they felt as if they were partially responsible. Though one group gossiped about how evil a certain mare was for not coming to her best friend's funeral. Applejack overhead this, full of fury and nearly beat the mare who made the remark to death, before she was pulled away by her brother.

One mare did not come. The one gossiped about. One mare who hadn't left her home for anything since she brought Rainbow's lifeless body to Twilight.

Even after the funeral she stayed in her cottage. Her friends always came and gave their condolences and tried to cheer her up. They were always met by Fluttershy's blank smile.

Her life could never be the same again.

Even princess Luna herself came to try help. Princess Celestia also gave her regards through spike. Princess Cadence however only left a bouquet of 15 roses.

But then slowly they stopped coming.

The animals left. The only one left was Angel.

One day Fluttershy had enough.

"I'm coming." Twilight sighed at the knocking coming from her door. As she walked up to the door she wondered who it was. This was a public library after all.

She slowly opened the door with her magic and gave her usual explanation to those who knocked. "You know you can just come in..." She shivered.

"Hello Twilight. Do you mind if I come in?" Asked Cadence.

"O-of c-course not. Come f-follow me to the back." Twilight said nervously trotting slowly to her kitchen. Luckily Spike was out to Rarity's and nobody came to the library today so they had complete privacy.

Twilight made and offered her some tea and sat down across from her.

"You're probably wondering what I'm doing here. Aren't you." Cadence replied softly.

"Yes. If it's punishment for using an illegal spell then do your worst. Nothing you do will hurt more than what I did to Fluttershy. I betrayed her trust and tore her heart into more pieces than before." She said sadly.

"You are partially right. I am supposed to scold you and deliver punishment in your mentor's place. But I know why you did it. You tried to help two of your best friends." She replied with a smile.

"B-but I-

"But nothing. I knew your intentions. Do not think my powers are limited by love of couples, it's just much more powerful in that area."

"I called you evil. You were just trying to help. But I shot you down without even thinking of looking at the risks or possible outcomes." She started to tear up.

The pink princess got up from her seat and stood in front of the purple princess, a mere foot away.

"From a person who does not yet understand the responsibilities of bearing R status, cannot hope to understand some of our reasonings. We may seem evil or cruel, but harmony is a fickle beast. If things do not go the way that had been written in a secret location, before harmony was even created, harmony will change events to make sure it goes the way it wants but not without punishing someone close."

"I-I'm sorry Cadence." She cried out. The pink princess merely opened her hooves out ready for a hug. Twilight accepted the gesture and fell into the hooves of the princess, crying into her shoulder.

They stayed that way for a minute when Twilight suddenly backed away embarrassed. "Sorry. I shouldn't be crying like a filly."

"Oh no it's fine. I won't tell anyone." Cadence smiled.

"So. What's wrong? I don't think your only reason for coming here was merely to help me." She wiped her tears off.

"Oh you're so cold Twilight." She smirked. "But yes that is true. I noticed that Fluttershy had been slowly losing a lot of love of those around her. But suddenly this morning I felt a sudden surge of love of something that I cannot put my hoof on. Can you take me to Fluttershy? If I'm right she might be doing something drastic. I'm not sure what it is. But I don't think she would take to kindly of me. To be honest I'm a little scared."

"Drastic? How so?" She asked.

"Can I tell you on the way? I'm worried she might try something. That surge is getting stronger." Cadence said quickly.

"Okay. Just a second." Twilight went up to the front and locked the door. "Okay let's go then. Her cottage isn't too far away. If we fly we can make it there in a few minutes."

"Lead the way Princess." The princesses made their way out the backdoor and took flight instantly. With Twilight leading and Cadence following. They were going at their top speeds within ten seconds. (7.8 and 8 wing power respectively.)

"So! What did you mean by drastic?!" The purple mare yelled.

"We have to hurry!" Cadence suddenly looked shocked. "If I'm right she's going to try joining Rainbow!"

"Oh no."

"Yes that's why we need to hurry!" Cadence shouted.

The two princesses had finally made their way over to her home. They were about to barge right through but thought to look through the window first just to make sure they weren't overreacting.

"Snooping as usual I see." Pinkie smiled. "Do you mind leaving them alone. Give them some space."

"B-but Fluttershy. Wait them? A-and why are you here?!" Twilight said whilst looking through the window to see Fluttershy and little Scootaloo in tears.

"How did you know this would happen? If I may ask Pinkie Pie." Cadence asked confused.

"Can't tell you." She smiled slowly walking away. "Remember. Harmony is a fickle pickle. I'm bound by the same rules."

———————————————————

Fluttershy decided that the only way she would be happy is beside Rainbow. She got some rope from her closet that was used only when 100% needed which was rare as she had her stare on hand at all times.

She climbed upstairs into her room and started to make a weak knot with enough space to fit a head.

She then tied the other end to one of the posts holding her ceiling.

About to place her head through and release her wings, she heard some music followed by a knock on the door. Curious she decided to go to the door and the music seemed to be getting louder until she could hear some lyrics.

How could this happen to me?!

Fluttershy stopped. Whomever was at the door knew what she was going to do.

She slowly made her way once more to the door. Slowly opening it. "Wh-who is it?" She whispered.

"Fluttershy! It's me Pinkie! Can I come in?" Said a cheery voice that could never be imitated. Okay Fluttershy just act normal. Let her come in, act friendly, she doesn't know and don't rush anything. It's not like it's leaving. It's just waiting.

"Yes Pinkie come in." Pinkie walked inside of her cottage and glanced around.

"It's so dreary here. Where did all the animals go?"

"They all left when they realized I wasn't able to take care of them anymore." She replied as flat as possible.

"Oh why? Did they know what you would try?" Pinkie said nonchalantly without turning around. Obviously stunned by this Fluttershy recoiled.

"W-what would I try?" She tried to sharpen herself once more but failed miserably. Then said. "Don't try-

"I never said I would stop you. But I'm just going to tell you a few things. If you still decide that it's the only way. I won't stop you."

"Nothing you say can stop me. My mind is set." Fluttershy said slowly. But in her mind she was saying otherwise. PINKIE please help me.

"Just hear me out. Killing yourself isn't the way to go Fluttershy. I know this because even I myself, before, when I was Pinkamena wanted to do this. I never was content, hated everything and wanted out. Everything I wanted to do was either wrong or frowned upon. Our reasons may be different but once you do this you lock your future and throw the key into ghastly gorge." She paused. "Can you tell me something? If you kill a fully capable animal while it's growing, how will you know what it will do or become? If I decided to just leave, would I meet all the amazing ponies of this town-

"I don't know how you think this is going to change my mind." She replied coldly.

"Fine. But you should never break a promise." Pinkie said smiling.

"What promise-" She was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"I'll get that." Pinkie slowly walked over to the door.

Pinkie then proceeded to open the door revealing a small orange filly. Before the filly could talk Pinkie placed her hoof on her lips. "She's in the other room."

"Thank you Pinkie." She replied weakly.

"No problem scoots." She said as Scootaloo started to walk past her into the room where Fluttershy sat on the floor facing the opposite direction.

"Fluttershy?" Scootaloo asked in barely a whisper. Fluttershy instantly shook on the spot, not daring to turn around. But it seemed like her body wanted her to be punished for what she did.

Turning around she saw the orange filly whom she was the last one she thought would visit her. She killed the filly's idol and practically her sister. The only family she knew the filly had. "Fluttershy?" She asked once more.

"Yes Scootaloo." She said softly on the verge of tears.

"A-are you okay?" Fluttershy froze once she heard this. Scootaloo came closer to her. "Fluttershy? Please answer me."

"Why?" Fluttershy said slowly.

"W-why what?"

"Why are you being so nice to me." She said in the same tone before increasing her volume. "I don't deserve your kindness. I killed your idol! Your sister! The only one you could go to when you needed help! I took her away from you! Y-y-you should hate me!" She screamed.

The orange filly came up to her. She expected to be punched, kicked or hit. But was given the unexpected.

A hug.

The orange filly wrapped her hooves as far back as she could. Fluttershy couldn't hold back anymore. She let her eyelids pour out all her reserves.

She whispered once more. "Why? I don't deserve this." Scootaloo backed away only a foot away. She looked as if she would tear up any second.

"Because Fluttershy. You do deserve this. I do admit I was angry but I don't know how you felt or how you took this. While you were trying to save her, knowing she was always on the brink, I was here sulking without trying my hardest to help. I felt ashamed that I could ever be so selfish. Blaming you for this, not wanting to forgive you." She paused before continuing.

"I haven't told anyone this but I sort of always considered you as a second sister. You were always so nice to me. Always listening and offering help. I never felt the need to try and impress you to win your favour. Whenever I had a problem I felt ashamed of talking about, you would always be there to help me through it. " She stopped again once more before starting back again.

"I gave my word to Rainbow that if something were to happen to her, I would be there to help you." Fluttershy broke down again and grabbed the filly back in the hug. She was surprised by the filly's level of maturity and forgiveness. She cried more tears, but for the first time since Rainbow's passing they weren't of sadness but out of happiness.

"Thank you Scootaloo." Her voice cracked.

She noticed Scootaloo holding in her tears. "I'm sorry I know how much it hurts. You don't need to be strong now. Just let go." Scootaloo listened and Fluttershy felt her coat become soaked.

Off in the distance Fluttershy swore she could hear Discord.

"Every ending is a new beginning waiting for you to start. Don't dwell on the past, for it locks your future potential dear Fluttershy."