Cheers erupted throughout the ballroom of the Crystal Palace as the most recent dance came to an end. Fluttershy watched from the sidelines with a warm, gentle smile.

Twilight and Rainbow Dash were the source of everypony else's attention, having drawn all eyes to them with their dance. And they weren't even the newlyweds! Even so, the strange sort of awkward grace that had accompanied their dance was more than enough to win the hearts of all those who had been watching.

And Rainbow looked so happy. The joy in her eyes at getting to share such a special moment with Twilight was almost enough to move Fluttershy to tears. Of course, she understood the true weight behind that smile more than most others, even among her close circle of friends.

After all, Fluttershy had been friends with Rainbow long before anypony else here.

Her smile faltered. How long had it been since Twilight lost her memory? How much had Rainbow suffered in silence, waiting for their all-too-brief romance to rekindle? It must have been forever—or, at least, that was how it felt. Fluttershy could only imagine how it felt for Rainbow, being the naturally impatient sort she was. To see the once-broken pegasus holding out for so long, and finally getting even this small moment of catharsis, was gratifying in its own right.

Naturally, Rarity was gushing—in a respectfully low voice, of course.

"Oh my stars! Are they not just the most precious things?" The fashionista cooed, fluttering her lashes in their direction. "And just look at those smiles! Mark my words, those two are well on their way to restoring what they lost!"

Fluttershy offered a demure nod but didn’t say anything. She just didn’t have enough energy to contribute to the conversation anymore. Parties like this were just so draining on her; so many faces she didn’t know, so many voices she didn’t recognize, the loud music. It was pleasant at first, but with time it would drag on and overwhelm her senses. It was only thanks to her familiarity with all present that she could handle Pinkie’s parties.

But here? She was surrounded on all sides by crystal ponies, and all of them looked up to her as a hero. She had labored to help save them back during Chrysalis’ invasion, and they all loved her for it. But even so, they were all strangers. And they were showering her in just too much affection.

She was, frankly, at her limit.

She allowed her eyes to wander. She saw ponies dancing merrily in the heart of the ballroom. She saw Twilight and Rainbow sharing a hug. She saw Cadance and Shining Armor looking down on it all from above with wide smiles.

...And she saw another batch of crystal ponies working through her friends. They had managed to hijack Thorax near the snack bar, their eyes alight with awe and wonder at the changeling that must have been such a strange oddity to them. Fluttershy paled slightly at the thought that, before long, they would make it to her table, and shower her in their praise and attention.

Much as she appreciated it, she decided she had had enough.

"Um, excuse me, Rarity?" She asked, leaning across the table and speaking in a quiet voice.

"Yes, dear?"

"I think I'm going to go get some fresh air if you don't mind?"

Rarity blinked, then smiled in understanding. She raised a hoof in a ‘say no more’ gesture. "Of course, darling. Go and recharge. I shall hold down the fort, as it were."

Fluttershy smiled gratefully as she stood. "Thanks. I'll see you later?"

Rarity gestured for her to get a move on. "So you shall. Ta ta for now!"

With that, Fluttershy quietly excused herself, glad that her friends seemed to always know when she needed a break. Their patience and understanding with her were some of the reasons she loved them all as much as she did. She made a mental note to thank them all for that at a later date.

But for now, she just needed some quiet time.

She slipped away from the hubbub of the ballroom as the next dance started to get underway and aimlessly wandered the halls. With most of the ponies in the castle being in the ballroom for the reception, there were precious few to cross paths with her. Those she did meet either had no time for hero-worshipping or noticed her desire for isolation. None offered her more than a small nod and polite greeting.

It was quiet and peaceful, and it afforded Fluttershy plenty of time to think. To let her mind wander and relax, and to truly appreciate the work of literal art that was the seat of power for the Crystal Empire; every edge was perfectly cut, every face polished and smooth, every shape immaculate and precise. Looking at it all, she couldn’t help but wonder how long it had taken to build.

One archway, in particular, grabbed her attention. She came to a stop in the middle of a four-way intersection, one path being notably larger than the others. To Fluttershy's surprise, it led to a glass door, through which she could see a balcony overlooking the city.

Curious, and with a warm smile growing on her face, she pushed open the doors and released a deep, gratified sigh as she felt a cool northern breeze wash over her face. She briefly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air was crisp and cool, reinvigorating her senses and chasing away the last remnants of her earlier anxiety. The breeze was moderately strong at this altitude, sending her mane drifting in long, graceful waves.

Opening her eyes, she leaned over the edge to take in the view of the city. It was all aglow with decorative string lights and street lamps, almost looking like a forest fire gently glistening in the ripples of a pond. In the streets below, ponies could be seen meandering in a chaotic mass of smiling faces and cheerful voices.

Fluttershy watched them all moving about for a time, reminded of ant farms she had seen in the past before slowly turning her eyes upward. The sky was also resplendent. The northern lights had emerged some time ago when Shining and Cadance gave their vows, and the colorful ribbons of light now traveled through the heavens, raining particles of magic down onto the city.

Fluttershy heard a particularly loud cheer of delight from the crowds below. She didn’t know what had spurred it on, but it didn’t matter. She heard it, and it made her wonder just how deep their joy ran.

After who knows how much time enslaved by King Sombra, forced to endure unfathomable torture, they were finally freed barely even a year ago. And now their new leader, who was dearly beloved by all accounts, was married with the love of her life. And their love would empower the empire, and its ponies, for decades to come. From one extreme to the other.

She sat down, resting her chin on her hooves and closing her eyes. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, listening to the joyous sounds from below, letting the wind toy with her mane. It could have been minutes or hours. She couldn't tell.

In time, she began to do something she only did when all alone, or in the confidence of her animals. She began to hum. It was a quiet, aimless melody, but it didn't need to be anything more than that. It was just her and her peaceful lullaby.

After an indeterminate amount of time, though, as her melody began to wind down, her peace was disturbed.

"That sounded beautiful." Somepony said behind her.

Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat in her chest, and she almost jumped out of her skin with a sharp, shrill squeak. She spun around, dreading the idea that somepony had snuck up on and heard her.

To her surprise, however, there was no pony standing in the doorway.

Thorax immediately flinched guiltily when he saw the look in Fluttershy's eyes. "S-sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," he quickly apologized.

Fluttershy blinked, her dread and surprise rapidly fading away. She took a deep breath, placing a hoof over her heart, and offered Thorax a small smile. “It’s okay,” she said softly.

Thorax walked up to the rail a short distance away from her. He didn’t say anything at first, simply looking out onto the city. After a moment of quiet, he looked back to her with a curious, concerned frown. “So… what’cha doing out here? I thought you’d want to be inside with your friends.”

Fluttershy hummed quietly, returning her attention to the city. “Oh, um, I don’t usually like big parties like this. Especially with so many ponies I don’t know. It gets overwhelming.”

“Ah, right,” Thorax nodded in understanding.

The two shared a quiet moment before Fluttershy raised a brow at him. “Um… What about you? Why are you out here? I mean, if you don’t mind telling me.”

Thorax was quiet for a moment. “Honestly? It’s the same with me.”

Fluttershy tilted her head. “It is?”

Thorax nodded, leaning against the rail. “Yeah. I’m still getting used to living with ponies. There are so many weird social norms that I’m still trying to figure out. Turns of phrase, sayings that I don’t know the meanings of, etiquette… It makes me feel like I’m, um, a fish out of water?”

Fluttershy nodded along quietly, giving the drone her full attention.

Thorax went on. “And these Crystal Ponies are even weirder than the ones in Canterlot.”

“They are a thousand years out of time,” Fluttershy reminded with a small smile.

“I know, I know. But they also like me,” Thorax told her with a more solemn expression. “The ponies in Canterlot don’t.”

Fluttershy winced and looked down. She had forgotten, if only for a moment, how badly Thorax was often treated in the city he now called home, and guilt snapped at her heart for the blunder.

She quickly went to apologize. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, no, don’t apologize,” Thorax gently stopped her, giving her a warm smile when she looked at him again. “It’s okay.”

Fluttershy relaxed again, then tilted her head. “But… if the ponies here like you, why did you leave?”

Thorax laughed incredulously. “Honestly? I think they like me just a little too much. Rainbow Dash gets most of the praise, but a lot of these ponies still look at me and think that I’m some kind of hero or something. I’ve never really been good with crowds, either, so when I keep getting waylaid by ponies wanting to gush at me, it just kinda…”

“Makes you feel like you can’t breathe?” Fluttershy finished for him, knowing the feeling all too well. “Like everypony is looking at you and judging every tiny little thing you say and do?”

“Right! Exactly!” Thorax exclaimed, turning to her with his smile growing into a wide grin.

“And then you start apologizing,” Fluttershy added.

“And they tell you you’re fine, but you’re not sure you believe them.”

“And you start to feel small and weak and you just wanna run away and hide.”

“And then you start snarling.”

Fluttershy blinked. “...What?”

Thorax tilted his head at her. “Er… you know. I get all snarly and stuff if there’s too much love in the air, remember?”

Fluttershy stared blankly at him for a second. Then she gasped as she remembered. “Oh! Right! You didn’t snarl at anypony, did you?!”

Thorax chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, no! No, no no! I’ve gotten a lot better about keeping that instinct in check.”

Fluttershy couldn’t help but let out a little sigh of relief for him. “That’s good. I can only imagine how embarrassing that would have been.”

“No kidding…”

The two were quiet for a moment before Thorax cleared his throat. “So, ah… mind if I just hang out with you out here?” he asked sheepishly.

Fluttershy didn’t even hesitate. “Not at all,” she said with a warm smile.

“Thanks.”

With that, the two fell into a long, companionable silence. Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the night air, and now, the company of the changeling by her side. The two stayed like that for quite a while, neither one saying anything. Time began to pass, and with it, Fluttershy’s mind began to wander. She let it drift where it may, unfettered by her inhibitions.

As her mind wandered, so too did her eyes, eventually coming to a rest on Thorax looking out over the city. She could see the way the northern lights were reflected in his carapace, and how his eyes stood out to her brighter than the full moon with their bright cyan glow. She saw the faint orange glow of the festival below reflected in his chest, and she couldn’t help but smile as a warm, fluttery feeling began to seep into her heart.

It was strange how he always somehow managed to make her feel warm inside in a way her other friends never quite managed. She wondered what it was…

Eventually, Thorax gave off a quiet hum as he looked down onto the city. He spoke in a low, almost inaudible whisper. “Everypony’s so happy…”

Fluttershy hummed quietly. “You can see it, right?”

Thorax nodded. “Uh-huh. The whole city’s glowing pink. It’s like an ocean of mist, almost.”

“I wish I could see it.”

“I wish I could show it to you.” Thorax smiled. “It’s beautiful…”

There was a brief pause before the smile on Thorax’s face faltered and fell, replaced by a distant, thoughtful frown. “I honestly have a hard time believing I had anything to do with it.”

Fluttershy blinked, turning to Thorax in surprised confusion. “Huh? What do you mean?”

Thorax sighed, looking down. “It’s just that… I spent so much of my life doing bad things, you know? Or cowering and running away whenever I had a chance to do something good. I was one of the ones who took down princess Luna during the invasion for hives’ sakes...”

Fluttershy’s eyes slowly went wide at this. “Thorax…”

“I still remember it, you know,” he said quietly, the regret tangible in his weak voice. “I don’t think I could ever forget… I could hear ponies screaming. I could see them running and trying to get away only for my own kind to tackle them in the streets… But… now these ponies here are celebrating their freedom, their joy, and…”

He shook his head with a quiet, humorless chuckle. “They called me a hero, but I’m anything but.”

“That’s not true.”

Fluttershy blinked as Thorax turned to look at her. She had even surprised herself with the conviction in her voice. But before Thorax could speak and question her, she continued, some force she didn’t understand driving her on to take Thorax away from this self-destructive train of thought.

“Maybe you did, um, bad things in the past. Really bad things. But that doesn’t mean you’re a bad guy now.”

Thorax’s smile slowly returned, a hopeful spark in his eye. “You think so?”

“Of course! Honestly, I’m… I’m kind of jealous of you.”

Thorax blinked. “...Jealous?”

Fluttershy turned to look out over the city again, her ears drooping as she let out a long, quiet sigh. “...You were so scared back then. I saw it in everything you did. It made me want to hold you to my chest and keep you safe. But no matter how scared you became, you pushed on. You overcame your fear. You were so brave and so strong… You gave everything you had to the creatures that you loved. Wind Whisper, your brother...”

She looked down, closing her eyes. “...I wish I could be that brave.”

“...What are you talking about?”

“Huh?” Fluttershy turned to him, bewildered.

“When my disguise failed, and everypony saw me for what I really was, you… you weren’t afraid of me. You came right up to me and hugged me. And even before that, when I opened up to you about how scared I was of letting Wind down, you helped me find my way. You were patient, gentle, kind. Even after everything I had done, everything I represented, you found it in yourself to see the good in me, and helped me draw it out…”

Thorax met her gaze, his smile growing wider and wider. “You helped me be the best I could be. You helped me find my new family and my life. Maybe you’re not brave, but in your heart…”

He placed his hoof over her chest, where her heart was now pummeling from the onslaught of praise. She gazed deep into his eyes, her jaw falling slightly open.

Thorax’s smile grew softer. “...In your heart, you’re the bravest, strongest pony I’ve ever met. That’s why I love you.”

The world froze, those last three words reverberating in Fluttershy’s mind over and over again. She stared blankly at Thorax, her face heating up and her jaw falling open in shock. Her heart beat a staccato rhythm against her ribs as her thoughts scrambled helplessly for something to say in response.

It seemed to take Thorax a second to realize what he had said himself. His ears suddenly went flat, a surge of red swelling in his cheeks. “Yipe! Uh, ah, I mean… er, well, uh… I didn’t…”

Fluttershy just stared at him. “...You… love me?”

Thorax flinched as if he had been struck. Suddenly, with a humiliated whine, Thorax took a step back and shot into the air. Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she reached after him as he flew up into the air. Still stunned by the sudden and impassioned revelation, Fluttershy couldn’t do anything except watch as Thorax flew off into the clouds, vanishing from sight.

She just stood there, dumbfounded. Slowly, one of her hooves wandered up to her chest. Her emotions were a swirling vortex, her mind hazy and chaotic all at once. She tried to ground herself by sitting down and taking deep breaths. Slowly, ever so slowly, her tumultuous thoughts began to calm down.

“He loves me? He loves me. HE loves ME.”

No matter how she twisted it, the phrase didn’t register in her mind. Not at first. It felt alien and out of place. Like a pitch-black cloud on an otherwise pristine day, or a mistake in Rarity’s ever-immaculate makeup. But the longer she thought on it, the less alien it felt.

Slowly, her eyes wandered up to look after Thorax. He had looked so upset… A familiar caring instinct welled up in her chest, and she knew what she had to do. She took in a slow, deep breath, unfurled her wings, and flew after him.

“Stupid!” Thorax chastised himself as he came to a landing on a lone cloud high over the empire. He stomped forward several paces, his trembling chest burning with embarrassment, frustration, and a rapidly building sense of dread.

He was still painfully oblivious when it came to pony culture, but he had been around them long enough to know that the phrase ‘I love you’ was not one to be blurted without care, no matter how true it was. But he had just gotten so caught up in telling Fluttershy all of the ways he admired her that it just slipped out.

What would happen to their friendship now? Would it be ruined because of one premature admission?! Would he be able to just play it off as a joke? Could they just agree to ignore it and move on? Or had he alienated her? Made her uncomfortable? Would she even want anything to do with him?!

“Okay, that last one’s probably not gonna happen,” he tried to reassure himself mentally. It didn’t work, though, and his distraught breaths only came out louder and faster until he was all but hyperventilating. He tried to calm down and get his thoughts in order, but nothing seemed to be working. His mind just kept assaulting him, berating him for such an idiotic mistake. Scenario after painful scenario ran through his mind, each one imagining worse repercussions than the last.

Eventually, he crumpled into the clouds and buried his face into the white surface. It was freezing to the touch, no doubt holding some snow for later, and the sudden shock to his system was enough to jar him back to his senses. He took several long, deep breaths, slowly but surely starting to calm down.

He must have been laying like that for several minutes. His awareness of the world around him was muffled by the cloud, leaving him safe in his own little bubble of silence and peace. All he had for company was a gently blowing breeze… until he felt a hoof gingerly rest itself on his shoulder.

With a startled squeak, Thorax pulled his head out of the clouds to see Fluttershy sitting by his side. In a heartbeat, panic set in, and he was about to try and fly away from her again. But then he saw her smile. That warm, tender, caring smile that had calmed his panicking mind so many times before. The same one she had given him every time he doubted himself.

Just like that, his panic faded away, leaving only smoldering anxiety. He swallowed heavily and looked away, his ears drooping. “Um… I…” he mumbled, trying to find the words.

If he had felt small and powerless before when being flooded by all of those adoring crystal ponies, he felt like a gnat next to the moon now. He waited for her to speak, barely even daring to breathe.

“Are you okay?”

Thorax twitched. That was not the question he had been expecting her to ask. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to look at her. She was still smiling. He managed to force on a small smile of his own. “Er… I’m… I’m sorry,” he apologized, looking down. “I didn’t… I just…”

Gah, why was this so hard?!

“Did you mean it?”

Thorax looked up at her, blinking in surprise. “Huh?”

Fluttershy’s smile faded away. She sat down on her haunches and looked away with a blush. Her wings fidgeted anxiously against her sides. “...You, um… you said that you… loved me…”

Thorax swallowed heavily. “...I… I…” he stammered weakly before swallowing the lump in his throat. “Y-yes. I meant it…”

“...When?” she asked quietly.

Thorax looked down, wincing. “I… I dunno. I think I started realizing it when Wind, um… teased me about you. Kept chanting that I ‘had a girlfriend.’ I didn’t know what it meant until they explained it to me. I thought she was crazy at first, but then I started thinking about it… and how much I care about you…”

Fluttershy nodded slowly, her blush growing. “...Um… if you don’t mind… could you… um…” she trailed off into a series of inaudible mumbles.

Thorax leaned forward slightly. “I… I’m sorry? What?”

“Um… Could you… s-say it again?”

Thorax’s brain stalled. He slowly tilted his head, his mouth going dry. “Er… I… huh?”

“I want to hear it,” Fluttershy insisted, though her quiet voice and the way she was hiding her face behind her mane betrayed her own anxiety. “If it’s not too much to ask…”

Thorax swallowed heavily. Well, she wasn’t rejecting him outright or cursing his name, and she had come up here to begin with. And she had been smiling that sweet smile when she had found him…

He had come this far. Might as well go all the way.

Swallowing heavily, Thorax gathered what little bravery he had and spoke. “Okay… I… I love you, Fluttershy. You‘re beautiful, you’re graceful, you’re gentle. You’re so kind and caring. You opened my eyes to who and what I really am, and whenever I’m around you, I just feel safe and happy… like… like I’m being protected by an angel.”

Once Thorax’s outpouring of affection came to an end, he waited for Fluttershy’s response with bated breath. Several seconds passed in near unbearable silence. Slowly, she looked up at him, revealing her face. To his shock, her eyes were shimmering with tears, and there was a soft smile on her face.

And then she laughed. It was a quiet, reserved little giggle, but it was no less able to send Thorax’s heart dancing in his chest.

A moment passed before Fluttershy wiped her eyes and sniffled. “Heh. I… I never thought something like this would happen,” she admitted quietly, holding a hoof to her heart.

Thorax looked away. “I know you probably don’t feel the same way,” he lamented, closing his eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything…”

To his surprise, he heard Fluttershy drawing closer, and her hoof gently grabbing his shoulder. “Don’t be sorry, Thorax. I’m glad you told me.”

Thorax hesitated before looking back to her. Her smile had grown. He tilted his head. “Huh?”

Fluttershy wiped her eyes again before looking up at the moonless night sky, and Thorax could see the stars reflected in them.

“I love a lot of things,” Fluttershy began slowly, her eyes going distant. “My friends. My little cottage by the forest. I love how the birds sing when the sun comes up. I love my little critters. But… I don’t think I’ve ever really loved something quite like that before…”

She then looked up into Thorax’s eyes, hesitating only for a moment. Then her smile grew even wider. “...At least… until you.”

Thorax’s heart skipped a beat, and for a moment he felt the urge to jump for joy. But he restrained himself. He had to be sure. “You… you mean…?”

She nodded without a word, only giving him a quiet ‘mhmm.’

Thorax stammered helplessly for a second. When he found his voice, all his scrambling, emotionally taxed mind could manage was a strangled “why?”

“I told you before,” Fluttershy said. “About how strong you were back when you were helping us save Equestria. You were so brave in defending the empire. You took such good care of Wind Whisper. But… you’re also funny. The way your wings buzz when you get excited is adorable. The way you smile when you’re happy just makes me…”

She shook her head with a quiet sigh. “I don’t know… It just makes me happy. It makes me so happy to know that after everything you went through, all of the bad things you suffered, and the bad things you were forced to do that you were still able to be such a wonderful, caring creature… That you found your joy, and you’re so willing to share it with others… And I just know you’re going to go on and do great things. And I want to be there when you do, to cheer and cheer until I can’t cheer anymore...”

The more she spoke, the more Thorax blushed. But at the same time, the more she seemed to absorb his vision. He swallowed heavily, his mind a scattered mess under the storm of praise. When she looked down at him, her eyes aglow with a type of affection he hadn’t dared dream of seeing from her, his heart swelled in his chest.

Fluttershy blushed adorably, looking down and to one side even as she smiled. “So, um… I think all of that is to say that, um… I… I love you, too.”

Thorax grinned, his wings fluttering on his back, and Fluttershy giggled. Thorax couldn’t repress the laugh of relief that bubbled up from his chest before he threw himself against Fluttershy, squeezing her tight against him in a warm hug as they fell onto the clouds. He felt her hooves nuzzling into his chest as her hooves and wings returned the embrace.

There the two remained, laughing and crying their own little tears of joy into each other as feelings that had been building for so long finally came to light, warming their hearts and their souls in spite of the freezing chill of the northern sky. It was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off of them.

After a moment Thorax pulled back and looked into Fluttershy’s eyes. He had never been this close to her before, and it sent his heart racing. He swallowed heavily, his hooves squeezing her just a little tighter.

For a moment, he thought back on what little he knew of pony courtship rituals—or ‘romance,’ as Rarity typically called it. During his time working at the theater, he had seen several romances put on. He had even had a supporting role in one of them when one of the actors came down with the horsey hives.

He knew they weren’t real, but they were all he had for reference. And in all of those plays, there was one consistent throughline, one recurring motif that usually came at a moment not unlike this one.

Staring into Fluttershy’s eyes, he hesitated for a brief moment, his heart racing even faster in his chest. “So… uh… is this the part where we, um… y’know… kiss?” he asked awkwardly.

Fluttershy’s blush magnified tenfold. After a moment, she shook her head. “Um… no. Not yet, I mean. I’m sorry.”

Thorax was simultaneously disappointed and relieved. He simply smiled and shook his head. “No, no, it’s okay. I’d probably screw it up, anyway.”

“Or I would,” Fluttershy giggled again, a melodious sound that soothed Thorax’s heart and sent his stomach fluttering with butterflies.

Thorax laughed with her. He gave her an affectionate squeeze before looking up at the sky. He felt her adjusting herself so her head was resting on his chest. “So… what happens now?” he asked in a whisper, grinning like a little idiot.

Fluttershy shook her head. “I don’t know. But for now, let’s just enjoy the quiet,” she whispered, her warm breath tickling his carapace.

Thorax closed his eyes. “Right… Just us. Away from the big party.”

“And the praising ponies.”

“And all the eyes looking at you.”

“And all of the apologizing.”

“And the snarling.”

Fluttershy giggled once again before wrapping a wing around him like a blanket to shelter them from the high-altitude cold.

And that was how they remained for the rest of the night, soon falling asleep in one another’s grasp, high above the empire. In the skies above, the northern lights, empowered by the love and joy of those who dwelled beneath, grew just a little brighter that night.