//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Rainbow Refuge // Story: What She Doesn't See // by Carnelian-Fox //------------------------------// Chapter 5: Rainbow Refuge As the hot air balloon arrived at the air dock, Rainbow Dash secured the balloon to a stone pillar via a rope tied in a series of overly complex knots. Fluttershy flew from the balloon’s basket to the cloud ground, relieved when her hooves made contact. The fog was so thick that walking or flying through it felt like swimming deep under the surface of Ponyville’s watering hole. Scootaloo leapt to the cloud floor, buzzing her tiny wings to slow her descent. Rainbow Dash, straining to see the filly’s silhouette, heard the tiny, rapid flapping and caught Scootaloo on her back. “I’m so excited to see your parents after so long!” Fluttershy exclaimed cheerily. “Wow, this fog is so thick that I can’t even tell what time it is,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “How long did it take us to get here? Either of you know?” “Nope!” Scootaloo replied, nuzzling Rainbow Dash’s surprisingly thick mane. It wasn’t quite as soft as Fluttershy’s, and it clearly wasn’t as frizzy as Pinkie Pie’s, but it was still quite comfortable. “I’m afraid not,” Fluttershy admitted in a meek tone of voice. “Sorry…” “N-no, don’t be! I was just asking…” Rainbow Dash responded quickly. She took a deep breath and asked Fluttershy. “You doing okay?” “Yeah… Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied sincerely and stepped up to her side. She felt Rainbow Dash drape a wing over her back and promptly blushed. “R-Rainbow…?” “Stay close to me. I don’t want to lose you,” Rainbow Dash advised, bucking herself inside for how corny she sounded. It was ironic, really. Many a time had Rainbow Dash pointed out Fluttershy’s fears in the past only to be here now, timid to tell the shy mare how she really felt. If she could look death in the face and laugh, why couldn’t she look Fluttershy in the eyes and ask her out? Fluttershy was a thousand times more approachable than death. Fluttershy replied with a small nod, hoping her mane would conceal her blush in tandem with the fog. She could feel the heat of Rainbow Dash’s body along her side and her back. Even if they were in Cloudsdale to solve a friendship problem, Fluttershy couldn’t help but enjoy spending time with the blue Pegasus. Scootaloo was a fun little filly to have around, too. Scootaloo was paying close attention to the way Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash interacted. She couldn’t quite put a hoof on it, but there was something about the way these two exchanged looks and words with each other that was different from how they were with other ponies. The filly began to wonder what the two mares were like when they were alone together. The shy animal caretaker and the rainbow-maned Wonderbolt with nopony else? What did they talk about? What could they talk about? “Are you sure you can find their house in this?” Fluttershy asked, gazing upon the sea of white wisps obscuring their surroundings. Rainbow Dash used her wing to pull Fluttershy even closer until their bodies were pressed snugly together. Fluttershy let out a soft giggle. “Never mind. I shouldn’t ask things like that. I trust you a lot.” “That makes me happy,” Rainbow Dash said as she and Fluttershy started forward in sync. Scootaloo giggled as she felt the rhythmic movements of her idol’s body beneath her. Rainbow Dash bit her lip for a moment, and then asked, “Would that change if I told you a secret?” “Probably not,” Fluttershy replied after a brief moment of consideration. “Why? Should it?” “I-I don’t know. Do you want to hear it?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly. “Only if you don’t mind.” “I…Well, I like mares,” Rainbow Dash admitted. She was planning on telling Fluttershy that she liked her, but she supposed it was close enough for now. At first, Fluttershy said nothing. Scootaloo was shocked, confused and a bit relieved all at once. She hadn’t been expecting her hero to confess something like that and wasn’t even sure why it needed to be kept a secret anyway. Then, before Scootaloo could muster a question to ask, Fluttershy announced, “What a coincidence. So do I. And I like stallions. And ponies who aren’t exactly a mare or stallion.” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Scootaloo spoke up. Now she was utterly stumped. Fluttershy’s last statement threw her for a loop. “There are ponies like that? It’s possible to like that many ponies?” “Of course! It’s a little hard to explain, but some ponies don’t really feel too attached to the gender associated with the way they were born. Ponies who like two genders, let’s say mares and stallions, are bisexual. Since I’m open to everything, I’m what’s called pansexual,” Fluttershy explained and looked back at Scootaloo. “That’s cool! The whole gender thing is still a little complex,” Scootaloo admitted, scratching her head with a hoof. “Umm… Think of it like a cutie mark. How a pony sees their cutie mark is often a part of how they see themselves. Does that help?” Fluttershy elaborated, figuring an analogy to cutie marks, something Scootaloo poured her heart and soul into, would alleviate some of the confusion. “Yeah, I think I get it now,” Scootaloo confirmed. “Hey, Rainbow, do your parents know that you like mares?” “Yeah. They’ve known since I was fourteen, but my dad will tell you otherwise,” Rainbow Dash responded, rolling her eyes as she thought of her father’s story about her coming out of the closet. Then Scootaloo said the one thing Rainbow Dash was afraid to hear the filly say. “Now this I have to hear!” Scootaloo exclaimed eagerly. “Well, he’ll be more than happy to tell you,” Rainbow Dash said flatly before returning her attention to Fluttershy. “How about you, Fluttershy? Does your family know?” “No…Well, not my blood relative family, anyway. You girls and my animals are like family to me, and you and Scootaloo are the first ponies I’ve told,” Fluttershy divulged. “I don’t like keeping secrets from my parents or Zephyr, but I was never sure how to tell them.” “I’m really glad you told us. I’m honored, even. Trust me, I know it’s not an easy thing to tell the ponies you’re close to,” Rainbow Dash said comfortingly. Fluttershy leaned on her, happy for the support. “Well, it was easier after hearing you say it. Otherwise, I don’t know if I’d have ever told you,” Fluttershy admitted. “You help me find confidence, Rainbow Dash. It’s because of you that I’m not ashamed of who I am or what I believe in. I’ve never been somepony who’s held her head up high, but I can at least move forward. Though, even I get thrown off trying to explain what being pansexual is.” “Just tell ponies that you love in spite of gender,” Rainbow Dash replied, as if it were obvious. Fluttershy gasped lightly. It was so simple, yet so perfect. It was an explanation that made sense without getting into too much detail. It was how Fluttershy felt in a nutshell. “Or that you love the world. After all, you’re the most accepting pony I know.” “Rainbow…!” Fluttershy exclaimed softly, amazed at how nonchalant and open Rainbow Dash was. “Hey, Fluttershy… What’s your favorite flower? To look at, I mean… What catches your eye?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously. Fluttershy gave it a lot of thought. Back when she was a filly, she would talk about flowers and animals a lot with her therapist, Dr. Sunny Skies. Sunny Skies had backpacked across Equestria and catalogued pictures of the flowers she would find before she had opened her office in Cloudsdale. Pictures from photo albums in Dr. Skies’ office suddenly flooded her mind, as did the sensations she felt when she saw them. “Well…my therapist from when I was a filly showed me lots of different kinds of flowers. There were lots of different kinds of magnolia plants that she had taken pictures of. I also remember really liking the flowers of the Verbena genus. Periwinkles are cute flowers with such a calming shade of blue! Some periwinkles, called rosy periwinkles, are a light pink that goes surprisingly well with my mane. Amaryllises have a lot of character and lotuses give me a mystique vibe. Moon orchids and cherry blossoms are vibrant and beautiful in their own unique ways—” “Any particular flower?” Rainbow Dash asked, cutting her off. She had no idea how many flowers Fluttershy had been shown, but she could guess that Fluttershy had been enraptured by the bright, colorful and extensive botany as a filly. “Oh, it’s so hard to choose… Every kind of flower is so unique, just like everypony. Although…” Fluttershy mumbled, thinking harder. If every kind of flower was like a pony, what would Rainbow Dash be? Something proud and bold. Something elegant, yet strong. Something like… “Red amaryllises.” “Red amaryllises, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. With a big grin, she said, “That’s cool! I’ll admit, I don’t know much about flowers, but I think I saw some once when I was helping Pinkie Pie and Rarity for some centerpieces for a party. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but…fancy enough. I was just supposed to pick up the flowers.” “Ooh! You’re so dependable,” Fluttershy commented in admiration. “I-I just did what needed to be done,” Rainbow Dash stuttered, growing a bit flustered. Her head swiveled around a bit, her eyes straining to see her surroundings through the thick fog. Through their conversing and walking, they had entered Rainbow Dash’s old neighborhood. “We’re here!” “We are?” Scootaloo asked. “Yeah! C’mon, let’s go!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, guiding Fluttershy over to the house. Scootaloo was still on her back and squirming excitedly, likely trying to hold down the enthusiasm of meeting her hero’s parents again. Rainbow Dash didn’t need to see all that well to find her way to her childhood home. Even though she hadn’t lived there for many years, she still knew the area like the back of her hoof. That might change in a matter of years, but for now, the nostalgia was potent and dominated her sense of direction. “Can I knock on the door?” Scootaloo asked eagerly. Rainbow Dash gave her a nod and a wink, causing the filly to jump off of her idol’s back and trot to the door. Scootaloo began knocking eagerly. The door swung open and a dark blue stallion with a buzz cut rainbow mane stood before them, his saffron eyes burning with aggression. The aggression cleared instantaneously, however, when he saw the filly and two mares on his doorstep. Rainbow Dash’s father, Bow Hothoof, cried out, “Dash! Scootaloo! And is that…Fluttershy? Wow, you’ve really grown up! Come in, come in!” “Thanks, Dad,” Rainbow Dash thanked her father, hugging him. “How have you been? You looked pretty peeved about somepony knocking on your door.” Bow let out a sigh and welcomed the two mares and the filly inside, letting out a sigh. He informed them, “There have been a lot of big changes here in Cloudsdale. Windy! Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Fluttershy are here!” “Really?!” Rainbow Dash’s mother, Windy Whistles, asked as she flew in. Her reaction was that akin to something being too good to be true. Her eyes lit up and Fluttershy could immediately see where Rainbow Dash got her beautiful cerise eyes from. “Dashie, you’re home! Welcome back, dear! Oh, Scootaloo, how are you? Fluttershy?! You’ve grown up into such a fine mare!” “O-oh, thank you!” Fluttershy stammered, the compliment catching her off her guard. “Y-you have, too. Umm, I-I mean…” “Good to see you again,” Windy said, pulling Fluttershy into a hug. “How are you doing?” Rainbow Dash’s mother’s tone of voice was so calm, kind, gentle and even sympathetic that it made Fluttershy wonder if she knew about her depression issues. “Fine, thank you,” Fluttershy mumbled. “It’s starting to get late. Why don’t you three stay here for the night?” Bow suggested, though something in his voice told the three visiting ponies that he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “The rumors are true, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. “The mayor’s gotten too close to his shady connections?” Bow’s smile faded and Windy looked ready to burst into hysterics. Bow let out a sigh and huffed, “Yes. In gratitude of the support he received from a gang, the new mayor is letting those thugs do as they damn well please! Uh, excuse my Ponish, Scootaloo.” “They have insiders in the weather factory, so when it gets foggy like this, it means that the gang is out collecting debts,” Windy explained the phenomenal weather condition of the cloud city. “The ponies here have become restless… There’s a distrust between the citizens and the police because the police’s hooves are tied. The mayor’s the one who gets to pick the acting police commissioner.” “So what you’re saying is, the mayor’s letting this happen because of some favors he wants to pay back? B-but Twilight said this was a friendship problem,” Fluttershy stammered as Windy Whistles released her from the hug. “She’s right, Fluttershy… It’s just bigger than most of the other friendship problems we’ve faced, if not all of them,” Rainbow Dash interjected grimly. Anger burned inside her. Ponies were suffering and cowering in fear all because the current mayor chose to climb a staircase of sin instead of climbing the political ladder legitimately. “Our objective is to restore the relations between the ponies of Cloudsdale and Cloudsdale itself.” Fluttershy said nothing. What could be said? It was discerned that the friendship problem that she, the amaryllis of her eye and Scootaloo were tasked with was a nightmarish conspiracy that has overtaken one of the most noteworthy cities in all of Equestria, not to mention the weather capital of the nation. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to find it just as terrifying as staring down a dragon. The silence hung over the Pegasi, like the air was growing denser over their haunches. Scootaloo, however, managed to break the tension for all except Rainbow Dash. “So, Mr. Hothoof, can you please tell me about when Rainbow Dash came out of the closet?” “Oh, she came out to you? Wonderful! Oh, I love this story! It all started back when she was five years old…” Bow exclaimed with a hearty chuckle. Rainbow Dash let out a groan. “It was summertime and I was sifting through the mail, including some new issues of a monthly magazine on famous Pegasi…” Flashback… Bow Hothoof and just gotten home from work and had the mail tucked under his wing. Running to greet him at the door was his filly, his beloved daughter, and his whole world. His little Rainbow Dash. Bow chuckled heartily and rubbed her head with his hoof, asking, “How’s my little champion?” “Good. How was work, Daddy?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Business as usual,” Bow replied, not wanting to bore his daughter with the details of his work life. A filly her age wouldn’t care so much about such details anyway. “C’mon, we can look through the mail together.” “Ooh, I hope there’s something for me in there!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she followed her father over to the couch. The two plopped onto it and her dad began sorting through the mail. Rainbow Dash found a monthly issue of the one magazine she absolutely loved, Wings of Fortune Monthly. It was a magazine that featured famous Pegasi in Equestria, which often equated to many articles and pictures of the Wonderbolts. She immediately snatched up the magazine and began to flip through it. “Hehe! Hey, it’s your favorite!” Bow exclaimed, watching his daughter become engrossed in the pictures of the acrobatic Pegasi. Rainbow Dash flipped the page and found a picture of a famous female Wonderbolt with a pink coat and an electric blue mane wearing a swimsuit on the beach. She was lying on a towel, gazing at the camera. The blue filly let out a whistle and exclaimed, “Wow, she’s hot!” End of flashback… “Rainbow Dash has been out to us since she was five years old. I was so proud of her courage!” Bow Hothoof exclaimed, leaking liquid pride. His daughter rolled her cerise eyes and the orange filly was amazed. Fluttershy giggled a bit at the end of the story. “Rainbow always was and is the kind of mare who knows what she wants,” Fluttershy commented pleasantly, the thought of a filly Rainbow Dash commenting on the beauty of a Wonderbolt doing a beach cameo humoring her. She turned to Rainbow Dash and asked, “Is it true?” “Y-yeah, it’s true, but I wouldn’t call that ‘coming out’,” Rainbow Dash muttered, a carnation colored blush blazing on her cheeks. “So you were always okay with Rainbow Dash liking other mares?” Scootaloo asked, grinning ear to ear. “Yeah,” Bow replied, returning the smile. “Her mother was shocked at first when she told us back when she was around fourteen or so, but I had replied, ‘Yeah, I know.’” “Why is coming out such a big deal anyway?” Scootaloo asked. “Fillies liking other fillies and colts liking other colts is totally normal, isn’t it?” “Well…yes and no. It’s…different. Ponies are herd creatures, and something different or unknown could be perceived as a threat to the herd,” Fluttershy explained. “That’s why I never told my parents.” “You like mares, too?” Windy asked, a bit surprised. “I…I…” Fluttershy mumbled and glanced at Rainbow Dash. She recalled her friend’s advice, and, with a sudden burst of confidence, she answered, “I love the world!” “Oh, uh…” Windy hesitantly muttered, confused. “Well, what I mean is that I can potentially love anypony, regardless of their gender,” Fluttershy clarified. Windy Whistles smiled at her. “Oh, good for you, Fluttershy!” “Oh, um… Thank you…” Fluttershy mumbled, blushing. She glanced at Rainbow Dash again and received a wink from her and a supportive smile. “Well, I’d better get started on dinner,” Bow announced, flying into the kitchen. “I should go ready the beds. Rainbow, do you want your old room?” Windy Whistles asked. Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment before glancing at Scootaloo. An idea crossed her mind. “If Scootaloo wants, she can sleep there.” “Really? You’re sure? Can I, can I?” Scootaloo asked, excited at the thought of sleeping in Rainbow Dash’s room, as if being immersed in her hero’s fillihood for a single night. “I don’t see why not,” Windy Whistles replied, beaming proudly at Rainbow Dash and the care she harbored for the filly. “Fluttershy, you and Rainbow Dash can take the guest room if you want.” “Together?” Rainbow Dash asked, cheeks and muzzle blazing crimson. “It’s a queen-sized bed, so I don’t see why not,” Windy answered. “I-I don’t mind if you don’t, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy mumbled. “I don’t mind, either. I just…wasn’t sure if you did,” Rainbow Dash awkwardly replied. Quickly, she faced her mother and said, “Thank you so much, Mom.” “My pleasure, sweetheart!” Windy responded, flashing Rainbow Dash a wink that was lacking subtlety before guiding Scootaloo up the stairs. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were left alone in the living room. Rainbow Dash looked at the door from which she, her crush and her unofficial little sister had entered, thinking about how the city outside was in a state of controlled chaos. If Fluttershy was right and chaos was not inherently evil, it certainly was evil in the wrong hooves. Rainbow Dash loved Ponyville, but nostalgia and pride for Cloudsdale left her in a state of anger and disgust when thinking about the massive assignment that she was tasked with. Fluttershy brushed her body up against Rainbow Dash, the former quelling the contempt of the latter. Rainbow Dash glanced at Fluttershy and flashed her an appreciative smile. “Hey, Fluttershy, I…Well, I’ve been meaning to…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, trying to find the right words to say to Fluttershy. “Rainbow, why don’t you show Fluttershy to the guest room?” Bow suggested from the kitchen. “Okay!” Rainbow Dash yelled, making sure she was heard. Quickly quieting down, she said, “C’mon, Fluttershy, it’s just down this hall.” With that said, the two mares walked into a hallway. Rainbow Dash stopped and turned to the right, gesturing to a doorway. Fluttershy peaked in. The room was simple. There was a nightstand with a lamp on it, a queen-sized bed, a plain wooden dresser and a window on the far wall. A fan hung on the ceiling. “Oh, it’s perfect!” Fluttershy exclaimed quietly. “Really? It’s the plainest room in the whole house. I’m honestly surprised they never put any of my trophies or ribbons in here,” Rainbow Dash informed her, intrigued by Fluttershy’s statement. “No, it’s perfect for a guest room! While it would be more decorative with pictures or trophies, the plainness and simplicity of the room makes it a universal bedroom. Anypony could stay here without being intimidated or distracted,” Fluttershy explained. “Your parents are clever!” Rainbow Dash was amazed. She had never seen the guest room from that particular point of view before. Fluttershy was undeniably smart. She was quiet, but at least twice today had something she said blown Rainbow Dash away. Rainbow Dash found herself wishing that Fluttershy would speak up more often, once more finding the yellow Pegasus to be one of the most interesting and attractive ponies she knew. Fluttershy reached into her pink mane and pulled out a well-worn teddy bear, placing it on one side of the bed. Fluttershy turned to Rainbow Dash and said simply, “I may not have a mane as frizzy and curly as Pinkie’s, but I can store small things in it.” “I’m just a little surprised that you have a teddy bear when you have a live bunny to cuddle with,” Rainbow Dash remarked. “This teddy bear and I have been through a lot together,” Fluttershy replied, gazing lovingly at the bear. “Don’t you remember? I brought her with me to school a couple times…” Rainbow Dash concentrated and dug up memories of an uneasy filly Fluttershy using her forelegs to hold a teddy bear to her chest during class. Gasping in realization, Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “It’s the same bear, Miss Ursa! You used to hug her real tight whenever you stressed or upset. Wow, you’ve really taken good care of her.” “Sewing her up is how I learned so much about stitching,” Fluttershy claimed, smiling proudly. “Hey, Rainbow, I…Well, this won’t shock you, but I’m scared. I guess I’ve always been scared, but I know I’d be worse off if I was with anypony else to face this.” “For real?” Rainbow Dash questioned, tilting her head. “For real. You were the one who was always there for me in my darkest days. You always pulled me through, guiding me out of the darkness. You gave me strength for my weakness. When I couldn’t speak for myself, you became my voice. We’ve been through a lot together and I really feel like I know you better than anypony else. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t been there,” Fluttershy explained, beaming at her friend, her crush and her perseverance. “I…I believe in you, Rainbow Dash, so I know we’ll take back Cloudsdale and return it to the ponies.” “Have I ever told you that you’re one of the nicest ponies alive?” Rainbow Dash asked, making Fluttershy blush. Wanting Fluttershy to be as comfortable as possible, Rainbow Dash questioned, “You sure you don’t mind sharing a bed?” “N-not at all! It’d be more comfortable to have somepony familiar next to me than to not,” Fluttershy assured, the burning redness claiming even more of her face. “That is, if you don’t mind.” “No problem,” Rainbow Dash assured, smirking a bit. “I’d be happy to share the bed with you.” “I-it’ll be like a sleepover,” Fluttershy commented softly, “only different.” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash agreed with a light laugh. “Like a sleepover, but different.” The two stood in silence, smiling at each other and holding a steady stare into the eyes of one another. Fluttershy beamed at Rainbow Dash, imagining spending tomorrow and every tomorrow afterwards with her. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, imagined freezing time on this moment and spending an oxytocin-intoxicated forever gazing at the beautiful mare before her. Their inner swooning was cut to an abrupt halt when Bow Hothoof called out, “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, dinner’s ready! I hope my little girl still likes her oat burgers!” “Coming, Dad!” Rainbow Dash called out. Meanwhile, Rarity, Twilight and Starlight were having tea in Twilight’s castle. Twilight was excitedly informing Rarity about the trip to the hardware store’s grand opening that she and Applejack were planning. Rarity took a sip of her tea and said, “Not that I’m not happy for you, darling, but I don’t exactly see what’s so special about the hardware store…” “Hardware stores have some of the best organizational structure in all of Equestria! Not to mention, the twenty-seventh customer at the grand opening gets a free hammer,” Twilight informed Rarity. “That sounds like something Scootaloo would like,” Starlight commented. “I wonder how she, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are doing.” “What do you mean? Where are they?” Rarity questioned, intrigued and preparing herself to be worried. “They were called by the Cutie Map to Cloudsdale,” Starlight replied. Rarity’s eyes widened, causing Starlight to ask, “So you’ve heard the rumors, too?” “I’ll be praying for their safety,” Rarity responded, her voice steeped with concern. Out of nowhere for the second time that day, Discord appeared in the throne room. Immediately, Twilight, barely batting an eye to the sudden appearance, hoped he would have a better pun in store for her. Discord was holding a frying pan, frying an egg with some invisible heat source. When the three unicorns each raised a brow at him, he asked, “Is this not what pansexual means?” “Rarity, can you please take this one?” Twilight flatly requested. “Sure, darling. I do have a niche in the romance department, after all,” Rarity replied and cleared her throat. “You see, Discord, pansexuality is like bisexuality in the sense that a pony likes more than one gender. However, unlike bisexuality, pansexuality means that a pony can be attracted to other ponies in complete disregard to a pony’s gender. Did Fluttershy come out to you?” “How did you know I was thinking of Fluttershy?” Discord asked. “And how did you know about this?” “The first time we went to the spa together, she had gotten a bit loopy—at the time, I had no idea she’d never had a steam bath before—and she started mumbling about how she’d have no problem if Rainbow Dash was non-binary. Then she complimented me on my complexion and I was even more confused, though boundlessly grateful. I asked her what she meant and that’s when she told me. But she has very little recollection of our excursion from the steam bath on. Honestly, though, I think it suits her,” Rarity explained. Then, a though crossed her mind. “Wait…if Fluttershy’s been gone half the day and you’re only asking this now, how is it that you know?” “Well, you see, I had just gotten back from my meeting with the College of Chaotic Cardinals when I noticed that her cottage was absent of pony life. It was getting late, so I took it upon myself to take up her duties. I was tending to her animals when I stumbled upon an open book. It was only after reading several pages that I realized it was a diary,” Discord sheepishly said, a halo appearing over his head. “Honest, I had no idea.” Rarity’s jaw dropped, and Twilight crossed her forelegs in disapproval. Starlight decided to take it upon herself to break the tension, so she asked, “So, who’s excited for the new hardware store? Hehe…” “Besides, something good has come out of me reading Fluttershy’s diary!” Discord insisted. “Several entries talk about how much Rainbow Dash means to her, and I want Fluttershy to be happy. And so, I’ve decided that I simply must move on, whatever it takes, because Rainbow Dash likes her, too. I could see it in her eyes during our little tea party earlier.” Twilight smiled and commented, “That’s very admirable of you, Discord.” “My most humble apologies for interrupting your quality time,” Discord apologized and teleported out of the castle, leaving behind the frying pan and the eggs. Back in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash, Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles, Fluttershy and Scootaloo were gathered around the dinner table, each of them having a medium rare oat burger on the plate in front of them. Each of them had a mug in front of them. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had hot chocolate in theirs, while Fluttershy had chamomile tea. Bow had water and Windy had cherry soda. Dinner was a chatty time, filled mostly by banter of new tricks Rainbow Dash was trying to implement into Wonderbolts routines and scooter stunts that Scootaloo had been trying to perfect with Rainbow Dash as her inspiration. Fluttershy remained silent for the most part, taking in the experiences of the other Pegasi. When Rainbow Dash realized that Fluttershy hadn’t uttered a peep and was just quietly eating, she worried that the yellow Pegasus didn’t feel included and asked, “So, Fluttershy, is Angel still doing parkour?” “Oh, um, y-yes. When he’s not looking, I place an arrangement of pillows on the floor. He has so much energy and I think it’s a good outlet for him. It’s just dangerous, though… I need to see if they have parkour classes for rabbits,” Fluttershy answered softly. Rainbow Dash smiled politely, hiding the fact that she was straining her ears to listen. Fluttershy squeaked and said, “Thank you for asking.” “Your bunny does parkour?” Windy Whistles asked, impressed at the prospect of a rabbit performing such acrobatics. “Oh, yes! He’s an ambitious little fellow,” Fluttershy claimed pleasantly. Rainbow Dash felt a wave of relief inside her as Fluttershy was becoming more integrated into the conversation. “And cute, too!” Scootaloo added. “Aww!” Windy cooed. “He worries me sometimes, but the resilience he has is incredible! It actually reminds me a lot of Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy declared, smiling brightly. “Daring to push the envelope on what’s possible and always with a smile. They both can be a bit stubborn, too, and they’re always there for me when I need somepony to lean on.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up. Had she really been that important to Fluttershy? Just how important was she to her? Could it be? Was it possible that Fluttershy cared for Rainbow Dash in the same loving and infatuated way that Rainbow Dash cared for Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash silently wished for somepony to pinch her just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, wanting to make sure that she actually awoke to this possibly that was hiding under her nose. How hadn’t she guessed it before? Though, Rainbow Dash did have to admit to herself that she didn’t actually have any evidence that Fluttershy liked her back. Fluttershy become much more vocal through the rest of dinner, much to Rainbow Dash’s relief. Rainbow Dash had admired Fluttershy’s progress with socializing but feared that she would revert to her old tendencies or worse. It pained her to have been so oblivious to the weight Fluttershy’s psyche had been burdened with and the extent of the consequences of it. Fluttershy asked, “Rainbow, are you okay?” “What? Me? Yeah, more than okay! I’m awesome!” Rainbow Dash boasted. She hadn’t realized that she was staring off into space. How long had she been doing that? “Oh, uh, okay. I just…I wanted to make sure,” Fluttershy informed. “Thanks for asking, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash appreciatively spoke before taking a big bite into her oat burger. “You’re an amazing friend.” “I just do and say what I can to make my friends’ lives better,” Fluttershy replied modestly. “There’s nothing special about that.” “But that’s just it. Not a lot of ponies care about everypony the way you do, and I honestly wish more ponies did care the way you do—myself included. I’ll admit I don’t really how you’re not always willing to stand up for yourself, but you’d give the coat off your back for anypony and the fact that you’re a nice pony automatically makes you twenty percent cooler!” Rainbow Dash explained excitedly. Fluttershy’s face lit up at Rainbow Dash’s iconic phrase being used to describe her. “Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy sniffled, eyes watery. “Hearing that makes me feel like I’ve been doing the right thing all along.” Once the oat burgers had vanished from their plates, Fluttershy and Windy Whistles took to doing the dishes while Bow Hothoof, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo got out ice cream for desert. While they were placing bowls on the table, Bow asked, “So, does my little filly have the hots for a certain sompony?” Blushing, Rainbow Dash groaned, “Dad…” Then her face softened and she beamed at him. “Yeah. Think who you who it is?” “Ooh, ooh, I bet I know! It’s—” Scootaloo spoke up, only to be cut off by a cyan hoof being put in her mouth. “Never thought you’d fall for her, but I’m glad you’ve found a nice filly,” Bow said to Rainbow Dash. “I still have to ask her out, but the more time I spend with her, the cooler she gets,” Rainbow Dash explained, earning a chuckle from Bow. “What’s so funny?” “Not much. That’s just exactly how I felt when I first realized I was falling for your mother,” Bow informed his daughter with a wide, toothy grin. “You’ll get her.” “I just hope she’ll be okay up here.” “What do you mean? She’s a Pegasus!” “I know, but…she’s gone through a lot of emotional stuff as a filly and being in Ponyville is so good for her… I’m afraid something will happen to her,” Rainbow Dash stated worriedly, gazing into the kitchen. “I know she’s stronger than she looks, but…” “If something happens, you’ll be there to help her, right?” Bow asked, receiving a quick nod. “Good. It’s the support in the tough times that will mean the most to her.”