The night ran on and the sun set behind the trees. The land mellowed around us as fireflies dappled the sky in their vibrant colors. We laid together as the blue grass hugged our backsides and watched them dance. It was peaceful, an amiable display of both love and understanding as we shared our warmth under the moonlight. I sat up, Fluttershy did the same and she scooted closer to me, grabbing my foreleg and gently putting her head on my shoulder. I welcomed the feeling of her delicate pink mane on my coat and I rested my head onto hers as we watched the stars. It was a wonderful time for me and Fluttershy. We both shared something unique and terrible, we were forced to raise ourselves. Left to fend off the monster under our beds alone and find our own answers to life. It's been hard for me with my parents death. But Fluttershy, poor poor Fluttershy, left alone, rejected and forlorn in a sea of clouds.
I was watching as the fireflies danced happily around us, they looked to be having as much fun as me. "Hey Fluttershy?" I asked, turning attention to the mare beside me.
"Yes Ripcord?" She replied, raising her head.
I looked away from her for moment and something sparked in my head. I remembered from earlier today what I said to myself, the question left unanswered. Looking at her and clearing my throat I began to speak, but not as confidently as I hoped. "I... I want to t-tell you, um, something important," I mumbled, she brought her head closer and placed it next to mine.
"Well...what is it?" She asked quietly. I wanted to speak but my words were caught in my throat as my mouth moved without sound. They didn't want to come out. They fought every attempt I put forth to unveil them. I began to sweat and my legs grew weak. I wanted to collapse but she hugged me, embracing me in her hooves. It was as if she already knew what I was wanted to say, as if she always knew what I wanted to say.
"I-I really care for you Fluttershy, I want to be more than friends and just....just be with you," I said, feeling a great weight lift from my soul even as I awaited her response.
"I-I......kind of, want to be......more then, more then friends too Ripcord," A sense of bliss overcame me as the words sunk in, the lock was slipping and setting me free. I could feel it, every beat of my heart was like a tumbler falling into place until it finally clicked and fell away. It echoed throughout my chest and I suddenly I was alive again.
She pulled herself closer, squeezing against me and using me as protection from the cold. Burying her face in my chest she shivered and I wrapped a wing around her, shielding her from the cold night air. She shook a little more and I felt a tear hit me on the hoof. The joy fled from me and was quickly replaced with worry. The smile I had was stripped away as I continued to rub her back. I knew I should have never told her how I felt, I thought to myself as I brought Fluttershy into a tighter embrace.
A cool breeze rushed by whispering a familiar song in my ears. I listened closely and began to hum the melody. Fluttershy's ears perked up at the sound. I looked down as she picked up the melody and hummed it with me. She rose slowly, letting her hair fall down in front of her face. Our two voices mingled in the night air as our eyes me. A single tear hid in the corner of her eye as if you accentuate the look at joy that overwhelmed her face as she looked into my eyes.
She tilted her head down and I started rocking gently back and forth, swaying with the wind as it ran around us. Fluttershy began to shiver again and I pulled her in closer. My coat was warmer than hers and she nuzzled my chest. We continued to hum together in the deepening night. She wasn’t humming, I realized, she was singing so softly that the words were lost to my ears. I strained to listen, hoping to hear her song.
Her voice rose as she lost herself in the song. At the sound a smile returned to my face and I listened to Fluttershy's song. It was a long, despondent melody, but alleviated the mood all the same. The melody warmed my soul and stopped Fluttershy from shivering. For some reason I began to feel tired. I became relaxed, almost to the point of sleep. Fluttershy must have felt the same way because she let out a soft yawn. We fell back together, softly hitting the ground. The grass was cool and a bit wet but still comfortable. Fluttershy wrapped a wing around my chest and nuzzled my neck as she continued to sing. I listened closely to the almost inaudible words and felt their spell. My eyes became heavy and I drifted off to sleep.
It was early in the morning when I awoke, the sun was low in the east and morning dew was settling on me. The birds were singing and clouds drifting meaninglessly across the sky. I wanted to get up and greet the day, but I couldn't move. My muscles refused every order sent to them. I couldn't figure out why and I began to struggle. A small groan filled the quiet air and I stopped. I tilted my head down only to be met by a wall of pink mane. I felt the warmth pressed against me shift. I twisted my head and tried to blow the hairs out of my face. Something moved across my chest and squeezed ever so softly. The confusion of sleep faded away and understanding set in.
I relaxed and a pleasant smile split my face. Taking a deep breath I savored the scent of her mane, the soft aroma of spring filled my world. I let my head drop back to the ground. I wanted to get up but I couldn’t bare the thought of disturbing her. She was so peaceful. I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed her presence. The slow rise and fall of her chest and the beating of her heart lulled me back to sleep.
I was woken up again, but this time it was Fluttershy. She was shaking me and trying in vain to get me up. Still caught in the fog of sleep I couldn't fully focus yet, but I heard her talking to me. She seemed faint, startled almost.
"R-Ripcord,...oh my, Ripcord wake up, please," she pleaded. My eyes focused on her and I could tell by the look on her face that she was frightened by something. I felt a surge of adrenaline power through me, clearing away my confusion.
"W-what's wrong flutter *groan* shy?" I asked, doing my best to ignore the cramps. She was breathing heavy, I couldn't understand what she was trying to say. I cast out, unsure what to expect. When I spotted the drake through the window of the cottage I shook my head. There are no drakes around Ponyville. I disregarded it as my imagination, some image left over from my dreams.
"Th-th-there is a d-drake...d-dra." She said too scared to finish her sentence.
"No, there can't be, they live deep in the Dragon Mountains," I said to trying to reassure her . I hugged her, kissed her on the head and lead her inside.
I stopped as soon as I opened the door, there was a drake standing in the middle of the room with its muzzle buried in my fathers coat. Unbridled rage rushed through me and I charged the beast without a seconds thought.
The drake spotted me and reared up and I barrelled into its chest. We tumbled across the room in a fury of limbs. It snapped at me with its powerful jaws as I kicked and stompped at its thick hide. It let out an earsplitting cry I let loose a wordless scream filled with all the pain and anger of old wounds that had all too recently been reopened. The beast caught my neck in a clawed limb, with a mighty heave it launched me across the room into the cushioned back of the couch.
My head spun as I tried to regain my hooves. I strained against the weight pushing against my back, but it wouldn’t budge. My vision began to settle in time to see the drake making its way over to where I lay. It carried a look of what can only be described as smug confidence in its eyes. I struggled in vain to free myself from the weight of the couch. The beast stood above me, savoring its impending victory. Orange tongues of fire danced around its mouth as it drew back it serpentine neck and filled its lungs. I closed my eyes awaiting the fiery death that was only moments away.
The sound of her voice echoed around the small cottage. My eyes shot open. There she was standing nose to nose with the dragonling. Its jaw scraping the floor as it backed away in fear. The small yellow pegasus stood over it, staring down the creature easily twice her sizes. Its eyes darted around the room looking for an escape route as it scampered backwards. It spotted the a window and with a flap of its wing the beast fled in terror.
I stared at her in silent awe unable to tear my eyes away. Never in my life and I ever conceived of the scene that had played out before me. Fluttershy watched the window for a moment, ensuring the beast was well and truly gone. She turned toward me with not but worry in her eyes, “Oh my, are you okay?”