//------------------------------//
// Parted Clouds 
// Story: Uncharted Territory 
// by Cosy Purity 
//------------------------------//

It was impossible to pretend it didn't exist.
Rainbow Dash was beginning to learn that very quickly, like she did everything albeit, but this time - and for the first time - she desired with all her heart that for this particular thing, it wouldn't be the case.
Thank the Sapphire Stone she wasn't at Wonderbolt Academy anymore; she'd flown back home after training had ended, and it had managed go to smoothly enough, but she had sensed that couldn't have gone on for much longer.
Yet, somehow, the position she was currently in felt no better, and that was the worst of all outcomes, for this reason and this reason alone: she was with her friends. On a picnic. In the park.
And she was miserable.
The whole six of them were circled around a picnic blanket - not quite the classic plaid kind - but instead a very plain blue. You could tell Twilight had brought it, and there was no surprise at Rarity's inevitable sigh and disdainful flip of her excessively-styled mane the moment her eyes met the piece of cloth.
Each of them had a cup of tea over a plate and a sandwich rested by their hooves, and were moderately conversing with one another, a small break of laughter surfacing every now and then. It was a pretty chill day, superficially, at least, and realistically for five of the ponies attended. Only Rainbow Dash felt out of place, and that only made her all the worse.
For a while this went unnoticed, and Rainbow Dash lifted her cup of tea (which, ironically, happened not to be her cup of tea. She was a coffee mare.) and set it back on it's plate several times, absent-mindedly, her head more in the clouds than she could normally say.
Then finally it caught the attention of one of her friends, who addressed Rainbow Dash in front of everyone, though quietly, but the abruptness still caused the cyan mare to flinch:
"Oh, um... Rainbow Dash? Are you alright?"
This put the many conversations going on between the five at a halt, and all eyes turned on her.
Rainbow Dash shifted a little, and furrowed her brows, not taking her gaze away from her tea. She wasn't really in the mood to be putting up an act anymore, especially because her bond with her friends caused her to be more vulnerable and authentic, so she didn't put effort into the outwardly mask she normally would set, but still resisted by all means to talk about her... "feelings".
So, she nonchalantly responded (after an unnaturally long pause),
"Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy tipped her head to the side a little, her eyes widening.
"O-oh, u-um, well... are you sure? B-because you seem a little..."
"Nah, nah, it's nothing," Rainbow Dash broke in, waving a hoof dismissively and hiding her face in her mane, "there's nothing to worry about."

Fluttershy ducked her head, pressing a hoof questioningly to her chin, eyes still wide.
Then Rarity covered for her.
"I dont know, Darling, you seem a tad 'nervous' if I must say... did your Wonderbolt training go alright, Dear?"
Heat flashed in Rainbow Dash's chest at the query hitting too close to home.

"Yes, you have been working a lot lately," Twilight added matter-of-factly, "is the stress getting to you? It's totally normal if it is. It's okay to admit it, too. I mean, sometimes my Princess duties become too much for me and I just need to--"
"Twilight's got a point, Sugarcube," Applejack chimed in, cutting off Twilight's rampant speech as she was drawing into a topic that would have gone on for far too long, "Bein' a Wonderbolt is great n' all, an' we're all mighty proud 'a ya, but it has been awful demandin', an' I figure ya probably are feelin' a little toll taken on ya... is that what's goin' on?"

Pinkie pie began to jump up and down, practically screaming:
"Oh! Oh! Oh! I bet it is! Yeah, look at her face! All red on her blue! A little weird-looking, but everypony has their days. Aw, you kinda look like Marble Pie when she met Big Mac! How cute! Have you met a new friend? I bet you've met a new friend. Oh, is it a Wonderbolt? I don't think they've added anyone lately though... But after all that time spent there I bet you've been getting to know everypony pretty we--"

"Gosh, everypony, leave me alone!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, jumping to her hooves and turning away so that they couldn't see her face, embarrassed beyond belief at her lame outburst. She pressed a hoof to her forehead, her heart beating with anxiety.
What a curse.

A couple moments passed. She took in a deep breath, which resulted in an equally deep sigh, and then whirled around to face her friends.
She closed her eyes with defeat.
"I'm gonna go home now,"
She whispered, then after a small apology she flew off in the direction of Cloudsdale, every friend left behind keeping a concerned and surprised gaze on their friend until she finally disappeared from sight.





Rainbow Dash was in the middle of Daring's latest book.
"I looked around myself to find a slot or cranny, but there were none. I was trapped, and it didn't look like I was gonna escape."
Rainbow Dash gave an impromptu roll of her eyes.
"You have it easy," she muttered, "imagine what it would be like in my hooves. Now  that's some action-packed drama."
She heard a knock on her door.

Closing her book with a slight sulk, Rainbow Dash slid out of her bed and plodded reluctantly to her front door, paused a moment to gather herself, then pulled it open to find Fluttershy, equipped with a pint-sized Tank.

"I've brought Tank home for you," Fluttershy said.
"Hey," Rainbow Dash sighed, rubbing her own head with guilt, "sorry about that one thing earlier."
Fluttershy didn't respond; she only placed a hoof on Tank's shell and patted it gently.
"He missed you a lot while you were away,"
Fluttershy breathed, looking at the tortoise with affection. Then she looked up at Rainbow and her expression changed.
"If there's anything you need to talk about, let me know. The academy has kept you busy lately... and it's really your life now... so if you feel stressed, that's normal. If something is bothering you, you can't keep it in forever. It feels so good just to let everything out on those kinds of days."
Rainbow Dash dipped her head like a scolded child and nodded without a word.
"Good," the quiet mare replied, then Rainbow brought Tank into her arms, and turned away, ready to pout on her own about the events of her life.

"That wasn't a suggestion," an assertive voice called behind her, making the cyan mare jump in surprise. She returned facing Fluttershy, who had let herself in and was closing the door firmly, before bringing her gaze to meet Rainbow's, bearing the composure of a stern mother - with the best intentions at heart - in the process of setting her recipient of lecture straight.

She drew to Rainbow's side and offered a small side-hug, then said,
"I want you to tell me what's been going on. I think you need to get it off your chest."
Rainbow Dash stared at the ground, and with frustration, held her tongue, finding that she's been backed into a wall but still too stubborn to turn around.
Fluttershy continued,
"You know you had an outburst earlier... If you keep it in any longer, it'll only get worse."
Rainbow Dash stared at the ground for a moment longer, then sighed, knowing her friend was right.
"Fine," she growled, "I'll tell you."
Fluttershy smiled.
"Alright," the quiet mare said happily, "but let's go to my cottage first. Maybe you'll be more open there, someplace different. If you're here, where you usually keep your thoughts in, it might be harder to open up."
Rainbow Dash ducked her head and groaned.
"But--"
"That wasn't a suggestion," Fluttershy declared.





Once they made it to the cottage Fluttershy seated herself on her simple couch and patted the other side as a gesture for Rainbow to sit down.
The cyan mare, with a face that clearly expressed that she felt she was stepping toward her execution, plodded to the couch and flopped onto it, crossing her hooves and pursing her lips.

Fluttershy smiled at her, though her eyes betrayed a bit of guilt at making her friend come here. Yet, she was doing what she felt was best. A firmness crossed her expression once more.
"Now, Rainbow, what's been going on?"
Fluttershy began, placing a hoof on Rainbow Dash's shoulder in hopes that it would make her more comfortable.
"Hmph," Rainbow Dash uttered after a long period of silence.
"Now, now, Dashie, take your time," Fluttershy murmured more gently.
Rainbow Dash turned her head to the side, her face flushing a little.

Fluttershy looked at her with a bit of surprise, wondering what could have caused such a reaction in her friend. But she didn't pursue the oddity; only waited patiently while Rainbow Dash sat there, uncharacteristically anxious.
Deep down, Rainbow Dash began to experience a glimmer of thought that said that maybe she'd feel better, relieved, if she finally let it all out. The revolutionary thought caused her heart to beat a little quicker, realizing she was beginning to open up to the idea of actually... well...opening up, and that in just a little bit Fluttershy could know of the secret that plagued her.
Suddenly another thought, another terrible, terrible thought, bubbled up.
Would it really be so bad?
Rainbow Dash turned to meet Fluttershy's patient, kind gaze, and became suddenly more aware of the trust that existed between them.
 What's the worst that could happen?

Rainbow Dash's eyes crinkled a moment, and she placed her head in her hooves, struggling with the idea of actually telling somepony that, for the first time in her life, she experienced something for somepony more than just friendly affection.
Suddenly words tumbled out.

"Something's different,"
Rainbow Dash mumbled, her head still in her hooves.
Fluttershy stroked her shoulder for comfort a couple times, then said in a silky, reassuring voice,
"What's different?"
Rainbow Dash's heart beat faster.
This is so dumb.
Still, she felt the urge to give Fluttershy a chance.
"Me,"
Rainbow Dash responded vaguely, lifting her head but staring at the floor.
"You," Fluttershy murmured, then added, "what's different about you?"
The cyan mare folded her hooves.
"Sappy," she responded, knowing how lame she sounded but deciding not to care.
"Is it a stallion?"
Fluttershy whispered, guessing Rainbow Dash's heart, making proof of their long friendship. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and groaned, though inwardly was surprised at how a hint of happiness was in Fluttershy's tone at the idea of her friend having a crush.

"Mmmehhhhh," Rainbow groaned, and at this Fluttershy knew it to be true.
"Someone from the Wonderbolts?" the shy mare pressed.
In response Rainbow Dash only grunted.
Silence hung for a couple heart-beats, then to Rainbow's immense shock Fluttershy assured her,
"There's nothing wrong with liking someone."

In that moment Rainbow Dash realized how much she'd really needed to hear those words.
She looked up with widened eyes to meet the gaze of Fluttershy, who continued,
"These things just happen sometimes."
Suddenly the quiet pony's gaze shifted to the pillow beside her, branding an image of she and Discord, seeming to be having the time of their life just hanging out. Then Fluttershy looked back at her friend, smiled, and hugged Rainbow Dash, saying as she did so,
"I'm proud of you, Dashie. You know it'll be okay. It may be hard at first, a little awkward, but... you'll appreciate the bond that comes out of it. Whether friendship... or something more."