//------------------------------//
// I. What Tomorrow May Bring 
// Story: The Blessing in Our Stars 
// by ashi 
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The thinly-disguised scowl carving lines of irritation into Rainbow Dash's muzzle told Fluttershy everything that she needed to know: stargazing is going to be yet another addition to the list of activities that she considers lame. Despite herself, Fluttershy couldn't help but grin at the look on her fellow pegasus' face. Having the companionship of her oldest friend on a night like this was enough for her, she decided, and while it was a shame that she couldn't get her to appreciate the starlit beauty of the sky – beyond it being a nothing more than a mere backdrop for her awesome stunts, that is – at least Rainbow Dash was here.

Fluttershy let her neck loll slightly, allowing her head to lean into the gentle breeze and enjoying the light caress of the cool wind that flowed through the town in order to take the edge off of the balmy Summer night. Somewhere on the other side of Ponyville, she knew, a flotilla of their fellow pegasi would be beating their mighty wings in unison to create the calming wind that rolled through this idyllic corner of Equestria. She did not envy them this task in the slightest. Fluttershy was well aware that her natural talent for flying was about as strong as Pinkie Pie's ability to go unnoticed.

Returning her attention to the majesty of stars above, Fluttershy couldn't stop an appreciative sigh from escaping her lips. Thank you, Princess Luna, for the beautiful night you have gifted us. My only wish is that my friend could see it as I do.

Whatever thoughts were going through the mind of her cranky companion, Fluttershy thought it best not to ask. She didn't cancel. I could tell that she wanted to, but she didn't. I guess I just have to be grateful for that.

Rainbow Dash's attention was seized by an abrupt gust of wind wrenching provocatively at the leaves of some nearby trees; her expression changed, just for a moment, to a wistful look. It occurred to Fluttershy that Rainbow Dash had a lot in common with the wind: she was a teasing, impish spirit, a force of nature, one that tugged and pulled at everything just because she could. Just to generate a reaction. A pang of guilt stabbed at her as she contemplated her selfishness: she'd much rather be out there, rustling up a storm, than sitting here with me.

This little adventure had been borne out of a conversation Fluttershy had a couple of weeks ago; whilst returning a few books to the library, Twilight Sparkle suggested that Fluttershy should try expanding her horizons beyond animal welfare. After offering her opinion on a few topics that she might be interested in, the excitable unicorn had finally hit upon astronomy. After borrowing some books on the subject, Fluttershy's interest in it had been more than whetted, and Twilight was only too happy to educate her on the finer points of stargazing. “In fact,” she had said while setting up the telescope that habitually sat on her balcony, “there's going to be a meteor shower in a couple of days. It's going to be so bright that it ought to be visible even without a telescope. If the skies stay clear, that is.”

After checking with Rainbow Dash and discovering that today would, indeed, be a cloudless day, Fluttershy had put the notion to her friend that they spend the night on the hills outside Ponyville and watch the meteor shower together. Rainbow Dash had been reticent, to say the least – the prospect of sitting still for a couple of hours was not an appealing one to her – but she'd eventually agreed for the sake of spending some time with her best friend.

On a night as clear as this one, with no pollution – light or otherwise – to form a distracting haze, even the wispy cerise streamers of the Horsehead Nebula itself were visible with nothing more than the naked eye. One set of eyes watched raptly at the mesmerising vista of stars, the other was anything but, but the Element of Loyalty was not one to break a promise, something that Fluttershy was all too aware of.

Fluttershy, stretching her wings out and resettling them into a more comfortable position, gave Rainbow Dash a sidelong glance. Well, at least she's actually looking at the sky now, I suppose. Her memories drifted back to their childhood, to the horrible days of Flight School; Rainbow Dash had become her minder, almost an older sister, after rescuing her from some bullies. Perhaps their friendship endured because of their opposing natures? Maybe the headstrong pegasus appreciated the counsel of the timid one, even if she didn't always (or, indeed, ever) listen to her advice? Fluttershy shook her head slowly, her lustrous pink mane falling over her face. A gesture that was all too typical for her.

Maybe she feels responsible for me in some way? Fluttershy couldn't make her mind up as to whether that idea was sweet or patronising. I'm not exactly a kid any more, after all.

“Rainbow …?” Fluttershy said tentatively, nervously fidgeting with the hooves of her forelegs.

“Huh? What's up, Fluttershy?” replied Rainbow Dash, craning her neck until she was facing her friend. Her thoughts on what apocalyptically-dangerous stunt she could pull next week to make up for the tedium of sitting through this were cut-off abruptly. While she knew that there were doubtless much worse ways to spend an evening, camping out on some random hill in the middle of nowhere was a trifle dull to one so used to mane-raising action. Some ponies – Rarity, for instance – liked to put their hooves up at the end of a difficult day, relax with cocoa and the newspaper, but that had never been Rainbow Dash's style. Tranquillity was a nice place to visit, sure, but she wasn't quite ready to live there yet.

“You're bored, aren't you?” Fluttershy padded at the ground in front of her softly.

“No, of course not,” said Rainbow Dash a little too hurriedly, grateful for two things: that Fluttershy couldn't see the crease of her muzzle in the darkness, and that she wasn't voicing her lie to Applejack who would've picked up on it immediately and made sure that she lived to regret trying to be dishonest in the first place. “I mean, yeah, it's a change of pace for me, sitting still, but I don't mind.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, her hoof reaching out to brush Rainbow Dash's withers. She decided not to press the issue any further; she'd given her the opportunity to leave and she hadn't taken it, so now they were committed to seeing this night through.

“Don't mention it.” Rainbow Dash gave her friend a quick glance before returning her gaze to the sky; yes, it was very pretty to look at it, but it was even better for flying through. To a mind not well-versed in such things, one point of blueish-white light was very much like any other. “We'd have gotten a better view in Cloudsdale, you know.”

“Yes, I suppose,” Fluttershy said slowly, her eyes narrowing slightly as a frown darkened her face.

“But here is good, too,” Rainbow Dash said quickly, smiling bashfully, not realising that their old home town was going to be a source of contention still. That so many bad memories lurked in Fluttershy's mind was, she supposed, not unexpected when one considered how timid she was, but Rainbow Dash had hoped that her friend had finally begun putting that painful past behind her after she'd emerged as a hero from their recent attempts at transporting water to Cloudsdale. The respect and admiration she'd earned that day had given her a bit of confidence, but it seemed that with every step forward that she made there would inevitably come two steps backward.

Rainbow Dash's thoughts quickly turned to the day of the race; once again, she was silently grateful to the darkness for masking her expression from Fluttershy, but this time it was because of a blush reddening her muzzle as she recalled her inept phrasing in terming it a race for Fluttershy's honour. During the relay, Fluttershy had been knocked from her cloud perch, but had somehow made a miraculous landing in Ponyville thanks to some butterflies that just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It sent a shudder through the core of Rainbow Dash's being to contemplate what might've happened otherwise …

After falling in love with the ground, Fluttershy had begged her parents to let her move there permanently; the local veterinarian, having been suitably astonished with her talent for animals, offered to put her up and take her on as his apprentice. Reluctantly, they'd cast aside their own hopes of seeing her join the weather team and supported their daughter in her new goal. Fluttershy had been adamant about maintaining her relationship with Rainbow Dash, however, and so they'd agreed that, for a few hours per week, the two of them would do something together. Each week, they'd alternate on who chose the activity, and the only rule was no backing out. Whether it was a butterfly migration, or cave-diving, or a visit to the Scariest Cave in Equestria, they had to see the day out completely.

Naturally, thought Rainbow Dash with a resigned smile, as they got older that sense of idealism had dissipated somewhat. They still got together once in a while, but more often than not one or the other had been forced to cancel because of the demands of their respective careers. In fact, she recalled, it had been some months since they'd even so much as exchanged a Hi to each other before Twilight Sparkle had brought them together as the Elements of Harmony. “Huh? Did you say something?”

“I said, They're beautiful, aren't they?” said Fluttershy, her tone a mixture of reverence for the sight above and amusement at her friend's inattentiveness, eyes briefly flicking upwards as the first of the meteors burned up in the atmosphere, creating delicate, tapering points of light across the night sky.

It was as close to pure enthusiasm as Fluttershy ever got, and Rainbow Dash felt a sense of shock at hearing her express herself for something other than a cute, fluffy animal. Her beryl eyes were as bright as crystal and they seemed to reflect the dancing starlight above. “Um, I suppose they're all right, if that's what you're into,” Rainbow Dash said, a surge of shame jolting through her for putting such a downer on her friend's obvious delight. “Uh, I mean, how can I enjoy the view up there when the one down here is so much better ...” Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, she wanted to suck them back in and eat them.

Pathetic. Obvious. Crass. That's what they'll carve on my headstone.

Fluttershy looked at her friend oddly for a moment, then her eyes darted back and forth across the landscape in confusion; during the day, when Celestia's sun bathed the town and the surrounding hills in a warm coating of honeydew light, it was certainly a treat for the eyes, but this side of midnight? Like most of Equestria in the dark, it made for a grim spectacle to Fluttershy's way of thinking. Luna's moon, pretty as it was in its own austere way, cast stark, threatening shadows everywhere. Even the most innocuous of objects was rendered sharp-edged, spiky and dangerous in the waxy light. If she'd been out here alone, Fluttershy knew that she'd have been too frightened out of her wits to enjoy the splendour above. “Uh, I guess it's just not my thing.” She could feel her ears flattening against the side of her head, fearing that she'd offended Rainbow Dash with her comment. Just when she was starting to open up to this, I go and put my hoof in it.

Much to her surprise, however, she heard Rainbow Dash trying to stifle a giggle by biting down on her hoof. “You're not still afraid of the dark, are you?” she asked teasingly between fits of laughter. Part of her was relieved that Fluttershy hadn't cottoned on to what she'd actually been implying, however.

“I'm afraid of a lot of things still,” Fluttershy replied, swinging a foreleg back and forth through the air distractedly, wishing that, just for once, she wasn't so transparent. If it had been anypony else teasing her, she might have been offended, but it was okay when it was Rainbow Dash. She meant well, in her own silly, frequently insensitive way. After a long moment of silence, she added, “If you hadn't agreed to come with me out here tonight, I would've sat alone in my cottage. I mean, not alone, the animals are there, of course, but … I'd have missed all this-” her hoof traced the arc of the meteors as they continued to rain down on the atmosphere “-so I'm grateful to you that you did.”

“It might not be a Pinkie Promise,” Rainbow Dash said, miming sticking a hoof in her eye, “but I still keep them all the same. I don't let my friends down when they need me.”

“I know that,” said Fluttershy, feeling a smile tug at the corners of her muzzle. Her friend was serious about loyalty, and it would have to be something pretty big to stop her from fulfilling her obligations to the ponies that she cared about most. “All the same, I know that this isn't very fun for you. I know you'd much rather be zipping through Ghastly Gorge, avoiding quarry eels, or practising the sonic rainboom, or-” her spiel was interrupted suddenly by something hard and cinnamon-tasting colliding gently with her muzzle.

“Stop, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said firmly, not yet removing her hoof from her friend's lips for fear that she would start up again. She narrowed her eyebrows until she found an appropriately serious expression. “Honestly, there's nowhere in Equestria that I'd rather be right now than here. Yes, I'll happily admit that I would never have chosen this for myself, but it's never been about what we do together, but about being together. Right?”

A surge of emotion coursed through Fluttershy and, even with the knowledge that Rainbow Dash wasn't one for public displays of affection, she threw her forelegs around her waist all the same and pulled her in for a tight embrace. “Thank you, Rainbow Dash. You saying that … it means more to me than you could ever imagine.”

Smiling good-naturedly, Rainbow Dash found herself automatically returning the hug; the proximity and warmth of her friend were actually welcome, especially as the night wore on and got gradually cooler. She relaxed into the nuzzle, letting out a breath that she didn't even realise she was holding, shivering slightly. Filling her lungs up slowly, Rainbow Dash felt her nostrils being tickled by a soft, peaty aroma. It was an unusual scent for a pegasus to have, she knew, but the floral, lavender-like odour seemed perfectly in keeping with Fluttershy's more grounded nature.

“Mm,” Fluttershy said dreamily, dimly aware of that fact that Rainbow Dash's neck was rubbing softly against her own. “That feels good.” Almost immediately, she regretted having done so when Rainbow Dash, startled either by the comment itself or the sudden realisation of just how close together they'd gotten, broke out of the clinch and, flustered, scooted on her haunches back along the grass to where she had originally been sitting.

“I'm so sorry,” said Rainbow Dash, unable to prevent her wings from flapping open of their own accord in a fight-or-flight response, a panicked tone making her voice crack even more than it normally did. To Fluttershy, it was so strange to see and hear her friend being so … meek. “I, uh, I just … I guess I spaced-out there for a second.” She was flushing profusely, profoundly embarrassed by the situation that she had allowed to develop.

The nuzzling had been unintentional, Fluttershy knew that, but that hadn't stopped it from being any less pleasant, had it? “Um, I should be the one apologising, I think,” she said forcing a smile. “I didn't mean to make things so awkward with what I said just now. I was just, uh, really enjoying being close to another pony. It's not a normal state of affairs for me, you know?”

“Heh, yeah,” replied Rainbow Dash, folding her wings back into their customary position by her sides; her tension had evaporated somewhat, but her cheeks were still tinged with red. It was no secret amongst their friends that Fluttershy was rather inexperienced when it came to other ponies. Innocence – naivete, if you were being less-kind – coupled with her overwhelming timidity made it difficult for her to get close to anypony else, and even their own close-knit group often had trouble getting through to her at the best of times. “I mean, it sucks for you, but I get it.”

“That's okay,” said Fluttershy a little bit too quickly, not able to make eye-contact with her friend all of a sudden. She found that she was having trouble articulating her thoughts; part of her, most of her, felt shame at what had happened. What was so wrong with enjoying a hug with another pony? What was so wrong about her body being close to yours? Your necks touching, her breath on your skin? Fluttershy bit her lower lip, wanting to forget what had just happened. There was another part of her, however, one long repressed but insistent nonetheless, that was filled with other ideas.

Her wings could only envy the speed at which the thoughts were racing through the mind of Rainbow Dash at that moment, too; she was grateful not to be in the sky for once because she felt as though more and more of her body's resources were being diverted to cope with her adrenaline-fuelled musings, and that was an unusual situation for her to be in. Rainbow Dash exhaled sharply and watched, enthralled, as the breath seemed to crystallise in slow motion in front of her. Part of being a good friend is making them happy, and Fluttershy was so happy just then. Tartarus, I was happy, too.

“Is something on your mind, Rainbow Dash?” asked Fluttershy, studying her friend curiously.

“When is there ever?” Rainbow Dash replied, inwardly cursing herself for defaulting to her usual mechanism of trying to avoid a serious moment by deflecting it with feeble humour. “Only time something's on my mind is when I've crashed into it, right?” It's not like I haven't been thinking about it, about her, in that way, but c'mon. She's so innocent, so naïve, and to be honest I quite like having her that way. Some ponies deserve to keep their innocence intact.

A moment of silence passed between the two friends; whatever spark that might have been forming between them, both were well aware that it was now well and truly grounded. Dissipating into the cold, dark earth before it had a chance to become anything more than a weak jolt of electricity. And maybe it was for the best, Fluttershy thought, her chest feeling heavy with the weight of all the things that she wished she could say. “We, uh, maybe we should think about getting home?” she said, tilting her head in the direction of the welcoming points of  light radiating from the cosy little village far below. The storm had come and gone. Hearth and home, a nice glass of warm milk, and a good night's sleep … and in the morning, we'll have forgotten all about everything that so nearly happened up here.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said, nodding her head in agreement and feigning a yawn. “I'm bushed. Besides, you'll have to check that Angel Bunny hasn't pulled your cottage apart looking for your secret stash of sugar carrots while you've been out.” Despite having barely moved in the past couple of hours, it was with an easy grace that she pulled herself onto all four hooves. Fluttershy could only feel a sense of envy toward that toned, athletic body, forming as it did such a blunt contrast to her own.

Fluttershy knew that her cantankerous rabbit was probably fast asleep now, but it was sweet of Rainbow Dash to provide the excuse all the same. Letting her mane droop over her face as she stood up, she said, “Um, I'm really sorry if I've embarrassed you.”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to respond, but after a moment it was clear that nothing was forthcoming and she let it close again. What was there to say, really? They conducted their uneventful journey back to Ponyville in silence, walking all the way, and she did her best not to show her frustration at this. Fluttershy, for her part, had retreated back into her shell, and she was remaining a couple of paces behind Rainbow Dash which only served to increase her irritation; over and over, she cursed that one indiscreet comment that had, for a moment, threatened to change their entire relationship. “That feels good.”

She didn't want me to stop, Rainbow Dash's mind told her, sneaking a glance at her sluggish friend. I didn't want to stop either. If she hadn't said anything, if she hadn't made me realise who I was getting close to … if it had been anypony else, I wouldn't have had a problem, but I can't do that to her. Not my best friend. “Huh? We're here already?” she suddenly said out loud, blinking in confusion at the fact that they were standing right in front of Fluttershy's cottage. Whoa, just how out of it was I?

“I, um, I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then,” Fluttershy said, a brittle, though sincere, smile on her face as she opened the door. Suddenly remembering her manners, she added, “Uh, unless you'd like to come in for a drink first, that is?”

She's trying, Rainbow Dash realised, to put everything back to normal as soon as possible. Tomorrow, this'll be just another embarrassing memory for her. And that's for the best, isn't it? I should politely decline her offer, head home, and in a couple of weeks everything will be exactly the way it was. “You know, I really could use a drink,” she said, not even waiting for Fluttershy's leave before pushing past her and entering the dark cottage. It was fortunate that ponies were used to her being rude, otherwise she may just have felt a damn sight worse than she already did for just barging in like that.

“What can I get you?” asked Fluttershy, following close behind Rainbow Dash.

“Anything will be fine.”

“Okay,” Fluttershy said, heading toward the kitchen. She gestured to the still-darkened living area with a hoof. “Take a seat, I'll be back in a moment.”

While Fluttershy went to get their drinks, Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to light a couple of lanterns, the flowery aroma of the oil tickling her nostrils as the smoke wafted from the burning wicks; the living room was small and cosy, and the effect was only enhanced with a ruddy bronze glow warming it, with a couple of large sofas centred around the fireplace. She hoped that she wasn't causing any discomfort or annoyance to the menagerie of animals that made their home throughout the cottage, but it would have been even more awkward for them if she was to blunder into their dens whilst stumbling around in the gloom.

True to her word, just as she was settling into place on one of the sofas, Rainbow Dash heard Fluttershy's quiet, echoing hoofsteps on the hardwood floor naught but a moment later. Perched in-between her wingtips, she held a tray with two frothing mugs of amber liquid on it. The sugary sweet scent of the drink was the first thing that hit Rainbow Dash, and that sent her salivary glands into overdrive when she quickly identified the smell. “No way, is that …?”

“Sweet Apple Acres' finest,” said Fluttershy, confirming the suspicion with a happy nod of her head while placing the tray on the table in front of Rainbow Dash. It sent a merry warmth through her heart to see her friend looking so excited, especially after the trying events of the evening thus far.

“How were you able to get hold of this? I thought …” Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide, wondering what sorcery or blackmail Fluttershy had used to get Applejack to part with even one bottle of the secret supply of reserve stock that her family kept at the farm for special events.

“Do you remember when Winona got sick a few weeks ago?” Fluttershy asked, inwardly shuddering at the memory of the poorly collie and the fretful Applejack. In the end, thankfully, it turned out to be nothing too serious, though it had resulted in a lot of sleepless nights for all concerned nonetheless. “To thank me for helping her through it, Applejack offered me anything I wanted in return. When I told her about the night out we had planned, I asked her for a bottle from her reserve knowing how much you'd love it.” Her face turned bright red. “She, uh, she told me that if it had been anypony else asking, she would've said no.”

“Rarity's gonna be so jealous.”

“Why's that?” asked Fluttershy, a look of confusion on her face.

“She's about to have competition as the Element of Generosity. If it were me, I'm not sure I'd be able to part with even a single drop of this stuff.”

Fluttershy could only respond by turning even redder; those long, lonely nights spent caring for the sick dog had been totally worth it just to see that adoring look on Rainbow Dash's face. Hope flooded through her. I don't know what I was so worried about. We'll be able to put this whole sorry business behind us, no problem whatsoever.

Grabbing her mug, Rainbow Dash drank deeply, greedily, from it, letting out a satisfied sigh when she'd finished; as always, the apples were absolutely perfect. While she didn't know much about harvesting, she could say with some confidence that they had been bucked from the trees when they were at their ripest and stored before losing any of their flavour or bite. The cider itself was syrupy, crisp and sweet, and it flowed down her throat without ever once becoming sticky or cloying, nor did it have any of that irritating dryness that tended to linger on the back of the tongue when inferior produce was used. “Best. Cider. Ever!”

Fluttershy giggled around her own glass; she didn't have that same relish for alcoholic products that her friend did, though she certainly enjoyed her drink all the same. It made it all the sweeter to share it with Rainbow Dash, knowing that it made her so happy, especially after what she had gone through to get it in the first place. “Tonight wasn't so bad after all, was it?” she said, taking a small, quick sip, then placing her glass down in front of her.

Placing her mug back on the table, Rainbow Dash scratched the back of her neck with her hoof, a pensive expression creeping onto her muzzle. “D'you remember a few weeks ago when we were trying to get the water from the river up to Cloudsdale and it seemed like everything was going wrong at once?”

“I'm not likely to ever forget,” Fluttershy replied, shivering even though the living room had warmed up significantly thanks to the suffusing heat from the lanterns. Throughout her life, she'd been convinced that Fate was playing a cruel trick on her by giving her wings; an earth pony in the body of a pegasus, living in a world of speed and clouds that she felt no kinship for. The ground was where she knew she belonged, caring for the boundless nature that thrived there … just as she thrived in its company. Her parents, even Rainbow Dash, didn't really understand that, but they didn't need to. They supported her and that was enough. “I'm so sorry that we missed out on the record. If only I'd tried harder ...” Once again, her mane fell over her eyes, this time to hide the tears forming there. “I didn't want to let you down, Rainbow Dash.”

“Fluttershy, sh,” Rainbow Dash said softly, getting up from her seat and padding softly across the short distance between their chairs. She sat in front of her friend and looked deeply into her eyes. “It was not your fault that we missed out on the record. And you did not let me down at all. Don't forget, if it hadn't been for you we wouldn't have got the water up there in the first place!” While some ponies used modesty to deflect any sense of pride that they felt about their achievements, Fluttershy was motivated by the genuine belief that she'd done nothing that was worthy of praise or merit. She felt herself to be … inferior.

“I should've tried harder,” Fluttershy said in a small, fillylike voice. “Not for Cloudsdale, but for you. I wanted to … impress you.” She turned her head away from Rainbow Dash's inquisitive gaze at this remark. “Tartarus, I'm such an idiot. Putting my hoof in it again, saying something stupid.”

“You are not an idiot,” Rainbow Dash said, taking Fluttershy's hooves in her own. She tried to keep her sense of giddy delight at Fluttershy's little revelation dampened. The idea that she'd try to impress her with her flying was too cool. “But this isn't why I brought it up. I just wanted to tell you that … well, I wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“For always being there for me, for us, no matter what. Chasing dragons, battling Discord, trying to force a river of water up into the skies … no matter what your fears, you've never shirked a challenge because of them. No matter how much you might have wanted to. It makes you the bravest pony in Equestria in my book,” said Rainbow Dash. “I love how hard you're willing to push yourself for the sake of your friends.” For me, she added silently.

The urge to cry intensified within Fluttershy at Rainbow Dash's heartfelt speech and she was about to bow her head to let her mane cover her face again, but her friend wasn't going to let her get off so easy this time; she brushed the long pink mane aside, and their eyes met and locked. “You don't have to hide from me, Fluttershy,” she said, tenderly stroking her mane. “Um, there's more that I've been wanting to tell you, and I dunno if now is the right time, but-”

“-It's okay,” said Fluttershy quietly, putting her hoof on Rainbow Dash's, looking down when she found herself unable to meet the intensity of her gaze for very long. Her throat felt dry and her chest heaved, but she managed to say, “Tell me.”

“Um, what I've been trying to tell you is that … in those moments when you conquer your fears ...” Rainbow Dash found it difficult to talk all of a sudden; she felt a lump forming in her throat, one that was threatening to push down all the words that she so desperately wanted, needed, to get off her chest before they made her burst. “When I see you in that split-second after you do something amazing, just before you convince yourself that it's nothing special, that anypony else would've done a much better job, that's when you look the most beautiful to me. Uh, I've had these feelings for you for a while now, but I've never said anything because I didn't want to screw up our friendship.”

“Rainbow Dash-”

Rainbow Dash held up a hoof to cut her off “-sh, just let me finish, okay? I dunno if I'll be able to get all of this out if I have to start over. “When we were hugging earlier, I thought, I hoped, that maybe you felt the same way about me, but that doesn't matter. You deserve somepony better than me, anyway. Somepony who understands that you're special, that will appreciate the wonderful pony you are on the inside and out. Somepony better than an egotistical flygirl with her head in the clouds.”

A long, ghastly moment of silence ensued; for a time, the only sound in the suddenly too-small cottage was their respective laboured breathing. Rainbow Dash chewed nervously on her lip, wishing that Fluttershy would say something, anything, even if it was just to reject her entirely. How would I feel, she couldn't help wondering, if somepony had come on that strongly to me, if they'd been that nakedly vulnerable? If this is what it's like for Fluttershy all the time, so unsure as to what the correct thing to say is, I can see why she prefers the company of animals. Rainbow Dash got the distinct impression that Fluttershy was looking to hide again, either behind her mane or preferably in another room in another house entirely.

When she finally did speak, it was so gingerly that Rainbow Dash had to keep her ears pricked attentively in order to catch everything. “Um, I don't know if you ever suspected it or not, but I've had a crush on you since we were foals.” She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and a took a few calming breaths to steady herself. “I guess, uh, that it was hero worship or something after you fended off those bullies for me. But as I got older … the butterflies I felt in my stomach every time I saw you refused to go away. I thought I was jealous of you at first, your confidence, strength and speed, but it didn't take me too long before I realised that it was something else entirely.”

“No, I never suspected that at all,” said Rainbow Dash, mouth agape, though she was amazed that she could speak at all after the bombshell Fluttershy had just dropped on her. “All this time we've been together, been friends, and you never once mentioned this. That must've sucked. Why didn't you say anything before now?”

“Have you met me?” asked Fluttershy sardonically, waving a hoof fitfully in the air while fending off the ghost of a smile creasing her muzzle. She dabbed at her eyes to wipe away some of the specks forming there. “You're the coolest, bravest pony in all of Equestria. I can barely even speak to ponies that I don't fancy, much less one that I do. Much, much less … well, that pony being you. All these years, I've had to bite my tongue to stop anything from slipping out.” Breathing in, Fluttershy felt lighter than she had done in months. Huh, I guess confession really IS good for the soul. “I just couldn't even conceive of the possibility that you'd be interested in me.”

That soft, lavender scent tickled Rainbow Dash's nostrils again as a few loose strands of Fluttershy's mane brushed against her snout. “Fluttershy, there are a lot of ponies out there that would be interested in you if you would just stop being so darned insecure. But.” She grinned broadly. “It's the fact that you can't see it for yourself that's part of the attraction. You're humble, sweet, brave, smart, loyal, kind and … and, you know, sexy.”

Fluttershy felt her muzzle cycle through every shade of red in the spectrum at that comment. She wanted to laugh at the ridiculous untruthfulness of it. She wanted to cry in happiness at the fact that Rainbow Dash had said it – and apparently meant it sincerely – all the same. “You think I'm s... but why?”

“You'd be hard-pressed to find anypony around here who didn't think so,” Rainbow Dash said, savouring the bewildered look on her friend's face. She looked great in yellow, adorable in red, and doubtless she'd even look amazing with a bit of blue on her. “C'mon, you're not so naïve that you haven't noticed how certain stallions look at you, right? Certain mares, too? Certain awesome pegasus mares?”

Shaking her head, Fluttershy could only look askance at such a notion. “I've never even considered it a possibility, to be perfectly honest with you. I've always figured that, if somepony was looking at me, it was because I'd just made a mistake and they were berating me. Or worse, pitying me.” Opening her eyes, the look she was getting now from her friend … well, she wasn't sure what it was, but it was neither pity nor scorn. It was both frightening and enticing, and she felt the old sense of inadequacy gnawing at her. I don't deserve somepony as perfect as you. “So. Uh, what do we do now that we've admitted our feelings for each other?”

“Now?” said Rainbow Dash, ignoring the thoughts that fought for the limited space contained within her mind; her most primal pegasus urges told her to rush into things with all of her speed and to worry about the consequences later, but through a tremendous effort of will she shunted those yearnings aside. Fluttershy was her oldest, dearest friend. She was special, and she deserved to be treated as such. She shook her head slowly. Too much was going on too soon. They needed time to reflect, to take stock of their feelings, but more importantly they both really, really needed to sleep. “Now we go to bed and we'll see what tomorrow brings, yeah? We go slow, we take things one day at a time.”

“Slow?” Fluttershy asked with a sly grin. “You? Is that word even in your dictionary?”

“For you, I'm willing to learn.”

“Thank you,” Fluttershy said, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow Dash's neck gently, and pulling her into an intimate yet chaste embrace.

Reciprocating the clinch, Rainbow Dash replied, “For what?”

Planting a small kiss on the end of her friend's nose, Fluttershy said, “For coming out with me tonight, for being so understanding, for telling me how you felt.” She placed her lips against the surprised Rainbow Dash's; it was nothing more than a light peck, but it contained so much promise for more. “Most of all, for being my friend.”

Left slightly breathless by the kiss, Rainbow Dash took a moment to reply. “Same to you. You sleep well, okay?”

“And you. Good night.”

After a lingering hug, neither pony wanting to be the one to break the embrace, Rainbow Dash departed the cottage and took to the skies; all of a sudden, flying back to her mansion overlooking Ponyville seemed like too much of a hassle, so she decided to alight on a cloud situated nice and close to Fluttershy's home. Her mind was abuzz with possibilities and sleep was hard in coming so she settled for watching Fluttershy's shadow flit about the cottage, going about her nocturnal routine until the lights were extinguished.

When, finally, exhaustion overtook her a contented smile was locked onto the face of Rainbow Dash.