The Walls Came Tumbling Down
Chapter Six
All I Ever Wanted
“R- Rainbow! I- I can explain!” Fluttershy stammered.
Explain what? That you’ve never meant anything more in your life?
No... no no no no. This can’t be happening. Fluttershy’s mind had gone completely blank, she had no idea what to say. How long has Dash been standing there? Time stood still, each second seemed to drag on for eternity. Eventually she ventured to break the deafening silence.
“Dash?” Fluttershy took a tentative step towards the doorway. Rainbow mirrored her, taking one step backwards. “Dash, please. Let... let me explain.” She took another small step towards the door. Without warning, Rainbow turned and leapt into the air, beating her wings and rapidly fading into the distance.
“No! Wait!” Fluttershy ran after her prismatic friend. She jumped into the air, flapping her wings furiously trying to shorten the gap between them. This can’t be happening. She thought to herself. No... no... please don’t let it end like this. Dash continued to pull away, a familiar white corona forming around her. Fluttershy beat her wings harder, straining every muscle trying to catch up.
A blinding flash lit the sky, leaving a halo of rainbow colors spreading from the point where the sound barrier was broken. Dash continued to streak away, leaving a rainbow trail behind her. Fluttershy stopped flapping her wings, slowly gliding to the ground. She knew it was hopeless. Once Rainbow took to the air, nopony could catch her. She landed roughly in the grass near the Everfree Forest, watching the chromatic streak of light fade into the distance. As the trail of prismatic light passed over the horizon, Fluttershy hung her head and let her tears soak the grass.
*
Where am I even going? The ground was a blur below Rainbow Dash. She had no idea where she was going, she was just trying to put as much distance between Fluttershy’s cottage and herself as possible. She had come by the cottage to try and talk to her fillyhood friend again, but she had thought something was wrong when she saw the broken remnants of the door lying on the ground. Dash snuck up to the door, expecting Fluttershy to be in trouble.
What she found was Fluttershy tearfully recounting their time at Flight School to Twilight. Dash decided not to interrupt, knowing that if she did Fluttershy might not be able to start the story again. She simply stood just outside the doorway, peaking around the corner. Something was different about the room, but she could not put her hoof on it. Her eyes drifted around, and she noticed a length of rope attached to a beam on the roof. Looking down, Rainbow saw a second piece of rope on the floor, a noose.
The pieces clicked in place for Rainbow as Twilight and Fluttershy stood up, the latter’s story complete. Dash stepped into the doorway, ready to confront Fluttershy about the meaning of the noose on the floor. She was about to announce her presence when Fluttershy uttered the words that forced her to run.
“I... I’m in love with Rainbow Dash.”
The scene replayed itself in Dash’s head, causing her heart rate to spike above its already hammering pace. Tears were whipped away from her eyes due to the winds created by traveling at supersonic speeds. They’re just from the wind... I’m not crying. She thought to herself. I’m Rainbow Dash. I don’t cry.
A sudden rumble of thunder pulled Dash out of her thoughts. She slowly reduced her speed and eventually came to a halt, hovering in the air. “Where am I?” She wondered aloud. The landscape surrounding her was unfamiliar to her. A thick, black cloud cover blocked the sun, threatening a severe storm and preventing the pegasus from using the sun to figure out which way she had flown from Fluttershy’s cottage.
Dash began flying lazy circles, slowly gliding towards the ground and looking for a place to get out of coming storm. She saw the opening to a small cave below her and quickly angled towards it as the first drops of rain splattered her wings. She alighted on the ground just inside the mouth of the cave as the rain started to fall in earnest.
“Seriously, where am I?” Dash speculated. “A storm this bad couldn’t pop up without us knowing. Think... think...” She tried to picture the most recent map from the weather team’s headquarters. There was only one storm system on the map that could get as bad as the conditions outside the cave were.
“No way... that would mean I’m halfway to Baltimare.” A crash of thunder made Dash jump. “Well, it looks like I’m gonna be here for a while. Too rough to fly out there.” Rainbow slowly settled down to wait out the storm, left with only her thoughts for company. Her mind drifted back to the scene at the cottage. The noose lying on the floor, Fluttershy crying. A sudden pain stabbed through Rainbow’s chest as tears welled in her eyes.
“No. She wouldn’t do that, not ‘Shy.” Dash dabbed at her eyes roughly, wiping away the moisture. “I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding.” She explained to the barren cave.
A misunderstanding, sure. Nooses have so many uses after all. The rational portion of the pegasus’ mind responded. What about the confession of love? Was that a misunderstanding as well?
Rainbow’s heart rate picked up and a deep blush crept into her cheeks. “Oh yea... that. I... I wasn’t prepared for that.” In truth, she had been aching to hear Fluttershy say those exact words for years. Dash could not remember exactly when she had fallen for Fluttershy, just that it was sometime shortly after they left the Flight School. Even while they were in school, she still felt an instinctual, almost primal, need to protect Fluttershy.
“Yea, protect her. That worked out so well.” Rainbow’s head fell to rest on her forehooves. “I’m sure all of those fights I got into with Thunderlane and his buddies that ‘Shy had to patch me up after did wonders for her self-confidence.” She let out an annoyed snort.
To be fair, all the fights were over everypony mocking Fluttershy, not you. Her mind pointed out.
“I know... it just wasn’t fair.” She protested to the empty air. “She worked so hard for so long. She made amazing progress. Heck, she was ranked higher than Fleetfoot at one point, and Fleet’s a bucking Wonderbolt now!” By now Dash was yelling at the wall of the cave, her echo the only response. Suddenly she could not sit still anymore. She got up and paced back and forth, trying to bleed off her anger.
She had seen the signs. Dash was not as self-obsessed as everypony made her out to be. She knew that Fluttershy was being hurt emotionally by all the jeers and taunts of their classmates, but Dash was no good at all that touchy-feely stuff. She was a pony of action, so she did what she knew best. She boasted. She bragged. She provoked anypony who tried to make fun of Fluttershy, trying to make herself a more enticing target. If none of that worked, she was not afraid to get a little physical.
If only a certain somepony had never fueled the rumors to begin with.
“I... I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rainbow muttered, a long-forgotten pain rising to the surface.
Of course, Dash had never known how much her own actions had affected her friend. Not until today. Listening to Fluttershy tell Twilight how she blamed herself for everything, Rainbow had wanted nothing more than to run into the cottage and confess everything. She needed to throw herself at Fluttershy’s mercy and beg for forgiveness. Dash ached to tell Fluttershy that she had heard her friend crying herself to sleep, that she wanted so badly to comfort her, but she was afraid.
Dash was afraid of the feelings she was developing for Fluttershy, especially after seeing how her roommate had responded to accusations that the two of them were... romantically involved. She did not feel like she could comfort her hurt friend without the risk of doing something that Fluttershy might object to, so she resorted to more indirect methods of relieving the pain. She tried to use force to silence their detractors, but that had only made the problem worse.
If you have these feelings for Fluttershy, why did you run away when she finally returned them? The question forced its way into her mind.
“I... I was scared.” Dash muttered. “I made peace with the fact that Fluttershy didn’t like me in... that way a long time ago. Hearing her say it was exhilarating, but terrifying too.” She kicked a rock on the floor of the cave, sending it clattering down the tunnel. “Don’t get me wrong, it was awesome, but I... panicked. I was worried that maybe after all these years of holding back and repressing everything, maybe I don’t feel that way about her anymore.”
Well? Do you?
Rainbow closed her eyes, picturing Fluttershy and herself together, just wandering down a street in Ponyville and enjoying each others company. Her heart sank as she realized she did not feel anything special, nothing beyond platonic friendship. She was about to dismiss the fantasy when Fluttershy turned toward her, leaned in, and whispered in her ear.
“I love you, Rainbow Dash.”
There it was. Dash felt a lump rise in her throat and tears welled in her eyes. She longed to simply reach out, grab Fluttershy, and never let her go. Dash knew she would do anything in her power to make the mare she loved happy. She opened her eyes and looked out of the cave. The rain was still beating down in sheets, but she was prepared to brave the storm if it meant she could reach Fluttershy and tell her how she felt. Rainbow was prepared to brave the wrath of Celestia herself if it meant she could be with Fluttershy. A single jagged bolt of lightning split the sky, lighting up the darkened afternoon like Celestia’s sun. Immediately, a catastrophic peal of thunder sounded, causing Dash to involuntarily take a step back from the mouth of the cave.
“On second thought... maybe I’ll wait out the storm in here.” Dash laid down and curled her tail around herself protectively. She settled her head down and tried to get some sleep.
*
The sun rose the next morning, creeping over the mountains to the east and basking the area around Ponyville in gentle sunlight. The fields around the Everfree Forest glittered with dew in the dawn light, shining like diamonds outside of the lone cottage built near the forest. Inside the small home, the early light was muted by sheets of newspaper still on the windows from the previous day. The shattered door stood magically repaired in the entryway, locked against unwanted visitors.
Silence permeated the house, broken only by the occasional sob coming from the bedroom. Fluttershy lay curled up on her bed, the pillow stained with tears. After she had returned from chasing Rainbow Dash, she had collapsed onto her bed and refused to move. Twilight tried to encourage her, but Fluttershy had snapped at the purple unicorn, saying she needed to be alone.
The others had come by after Twilight left, she had undoubtedly told them about Fluttershy’s suicide attempt, if not about Dash overhearing her confession of love. Fluttershy knew she could not handle facing her friends right now, not so soon after Rainbow had run away from her. Applejack had been the most adamant about seeing Fluttershy, threatening to kick down the recently repaired door before Twilight convinced her to leave in peace. However, the stream of curses flowing from Applejack's mouth as her voice faded suggested that her departure may not have been entirely voluntary.
A knock sounded at the door. “I said go away! I don’t want to see anypony right now.” Fluttershy screamed, as a fresh round of tears formed in her eyes. She reached over to her nightstand and grabbed another tissue from the box.
“Hey, ‘Shy. It’s me.” Rainbow’s voice floated up from the living room, muffled by the closed door. “Can you come down here? I think we need to talk.”
Fluttershy bolted upright. “Dashie?” Her voice cracked as she said the name. She scrambled out of bed and ran from the room. She sprinted down the hallway to the living room, slamming into the wall as she tried to turn the corner too quickly. She nervously skidded to a stop in the entryway, pausing to take a deep breath before unlocking the door.
Fluttershy opened the door and immediately launched into an apology. “Rainbow, I’m so sorry about what happened yesterday. I- I wanted to tell you, just not like-”
Her words were cut off as Dash leaned forward and kissed her. Time lost all meaning. The cottage melted away around her. All that mattered to Fluttershy was the feeling of Dash’s lips pressed against her own. All of her nerves and her fears vanished in that moment of pure bliss. Slowly, Dash pulled back, and Fluttershy unconsciously leaned forward, desperate to prolong the contact. She felt Rainbow smile through the kiss before their lips finally parted.
“Hey.” Dash leaned back, an amused smirk on her face.
“H- Hi.” Fluttershy said breathlessly, she did not realize she had been holding her breath. Heat flooded her face, bringing a slight blush to her cheeks. She stepped aside, motioning for Dash to enter the cottage. “P- Please come in.”
Dash trotted past the stunned Fluttershy, leaning over to give her a quick nuzzle as she passed. She chuckled as a shiver passed through her friend at the contact. Rainbow looked around, the room was exactly as it had been yesterday, complete with the discarded noose on the floor. An icy spike of fear struck her heart when she looked at the noose, but she pushed it down. One thing at a time. She thought to herself.
Fluttershy noticed the rope on the floor as well and tried to discreetly pick it up, storing it under her wing. “So... Twilight was over yesterday. We had a... nice chat.” She did her best to sound nonchalant.
Dash held up a hoof to quiet Fluttershy's nervous chatter. “First things first, ‘Shy. I gotta ask ya, did you mean it?”
“M- Mean it?” Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed crimson as she hid behind her mane. Her heart thundered in her chest. She had admitted to herself that she was in love with Rainbow, but she wasn’t sure she was ready to admit it to Dash herself.
It’s not like she doesn’t already know. Her mind chimed in. Besides, did you already forget that she kissed you not even thirty seconds ago?
Oh... yea. Fluttershy’s blush grew even deeper as memories of the unexpected kiss flooded through her mind.
Dash raised a quizzical eyebrow at her friend’s sudden silence. “Well? Did you mean it when you said...” She swallowed and took a deep breath. “When you said that you... loved me?” Her voice wavered at the end of the question. Fluttershy looked into Rainbow’s eyes, there was something unusual in them. Behind Dash’s typical bravado, there was a hint of fear.
She’s... scared? Fluttershy thought to herself. I’ve never seen Dash scared of anything. Fluttershy took a calming breath, willing her heart rate to slow to normal. She shook her head once, throwing her mane behind her ears so she could see Rainbow with both eyes. She took one step towards Dash, who involuntarily tensed up.
“I’ve never meant anything more in my life, Rainbow. I love you.”
Dash let out a relieved sigh, her whole body relaxing. The fear in her eyes was replaced with a small spark of hope. “Fluttershy, you have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to hear you say that.”
It was Fluttershy’s turn to be scared. “R- Really? You’re not freaked out or anything?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “When you were here yesterday you... you ran away when you heard me say it.” Tears welled up in her eyes, but she rubbed them away with a hoof.
“Yea... Sorry ‘bout that.” Dash gave her frightened friend a forced grin. “It’s just that... I’ve liked ya for a long time ‘Shy, but I figured you would never go for me after everything that happened at school. When I heard ya say it, I panicked. It had been so long since I gave up on being with you, I wasn’t sure I still felt the same way.”
Fluttershy recoiled at the words as though Dash had physically struck her. “You... you aren’t sure?” She gave a small sob as a single tear streaked down her cheek.
“No. I wasn’t sure.” Rainbow stepped over to Fluttershy and wiped away the tear from her face. “I spent last night in a cave halfway to Baltimare... Long story.” She added as Fluttershy arched an eyebrow quizzically. “In that cave, I had a lot of time to think. Not something I normally do.” She smiled as Fluttershy chuckled at her joke. “I realized something in that cave, ‘Shy.” Dash reached down and lifted Fluttershy’s chin to look into her turquoise eyes.
“I love you, Fluttershy.”
Before she could respond, Dash leaned in and kissed her. Fluttershy felt tears stream freely down her face, but for once they were tears of joy rather than fear or embarrassment. After Dash’s admission that she reciprocated her feelings, Fluttershy felt something stir deep inside her. It was a hunger, a deep and primal one. She was hungry for Rainbow Dash. The feeling was unlike anything she had felt before, and it excited her.
Fluttershy reached up and placed a hoof around Dash’s neck, pulling her deeper into the kiss and earning a small moan from the blue pegasus. As their lips continued to move together, Rainbow brought her own hoof up and ran it through Fluttershy’s mane. The feeling sent shivers down the normally reserved pony’s spine, causing her to emit her own moan of pleasure.
At that moment a sharp knock at the door jolted both mares out of their reverie. “Fluttershy, you in there?” A familiar draconic voice asked.
“She’s busy, Spike.” Rainbow volunteered, her hoof still entwined in Fluttershy’s mane. Dash went to pull her into another kiss, but the baby dragon persisted.
“It’s kind of important Rainbow Dash... you should probably come too.” A note of concern filled Spike’s usually untroubled voice.
Fluttershy disentangled herself from Dash, and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before trotting over to the door and opening it. “Where is it we need to go, Spike? Is... is something wrong?” Dozens of possible scenarios involving manticores, cockatrices and dragons played through her mind.
“Kind of...” Spike shuffled his feet in the dirt, unable to meet Fluttershy’s gaze. “Rarity came by the library and Twilight kind of told her about what you two talked about yesterday. Rarity got really angry when she heard about your talk with Applejack, and she went over to Sweet Apple Acres.”
“Wait... what talk with Applejack?” Dash interrupted.
“Um... I’ll tell you later, okay?” Fluttershy hid behind her mane, avoiding Rainbow’s eyes. “So what’s wrong Spike? Is it something with Rarity?”
“Honestly, it would just be easier if you came with me to Sweet Apple Acres. Rarity kind of... lost her temper when she tried to talk to Applejack.” Spike looked off in the direction of the Apple family farm. “We should really hurry.”
Both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. Dash shrugged. “Alright, hop on Spike. It’ll be faster to fly than walk.” She flared her wings and crouched down so Spike could climb on. Once he was aboard, the two pegasi trotted outside and leapt into the air, flapping their wings to gain height and angling for Sweet Apple Acres.
*
“What in Equestria were you thinking Applejack?” Rarity’s shout echoed among the trees of the orchard. “Do you have one shred of common sense under that stupid hat of yours?”
Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash landed a distance away from the other three ponies present. Twilight and Applejack stood on one side, with Rarity facing them a short way away. However, Rarity was far from her usual composed self. She was enveloped in an aura of magic. Not simply her horn, but her entire body. The air surrounding her shimmered with magical power, and the glare she was giving Applejack would have put Fluttershy’s famous Stare to shame.
“Ah already told ya, Rarity. She asked me a question and Ah answered it. Simple as that.” Applejack tried to meet Rarity’s gaze, but frequently found herself staring at the ground. The farm-pony was positioned slightly behind Twilight, as though scared Rarity would attack her at any moment.
“Oh yes, and we saw just how well that worked out!” Rarity grabbed a rock with her magic and flung it towards Applejack, who cowered slightly. As the rock approached her, a force field flared to life, deflecting it harmlessly to the side.
“That’s enough Rarity!” Twilight’s horn glowed as she held the force field in place. “It was an accident. Applejack didn’t know what would happen.” Her horn flared brighter as she concentrated. The air around Rarity calmed slightly and the aura of magic enveloping her dimmed.
“Don’t you dare, Twilight!” Rairty furiously reared up and stomped her hooves. The aura of magic around her flared brighter. “I’m not done with her yet.” A cold venom dripped from Rarity’s words.
“Rarity! Stop this right now!” Fluttershy yelled. Rarity startled, losing her hold on her magic. She looked over to the two pegasi, only now noticing their presence. She ran over and threw her forehooves around Fluttershy's neck.
“Oh Fluttershy, dear. I was so worried about you. Thank the goddesses you’re alright.” Rarity hugged Fluttershy and began crying, any attempt at regaining her normal serenity forgotten. Twilight and Applejack finally recovered from Rarity’s sudden shift in attention and noticed the arrival of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.
“Shh... it’s okay Rarity...” Fluttershy cooed. “It’s OK.” She stroked the fashionista’s mane as the latter regained her composure. “Now... what is this all about?”
“Well, I heard about what Applejack said to you from Twilight.” Rarity pulled away from Fluttershy, wiping a hoof across her nose. “I’m sorry to say that I... lost my temper. I was just so... so... angry that she would say something like that to you and make you...” She could not finish the sentence, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
“Now you listen to me, Rarity.” Fluttershy’s voice was calm, but carried uncharacteristic weight. “What Applejack said hurt,” The farm pony in question cringed. “But it did not in any way make me... do what I did.”
Applejack took a tentative step forward, her hat clutched to her chest. “Really? No offense intended ‘Shy, but it seems a might suspicious that yesterday mornin’ Ah gave ya...” She dropped her gaze to the ground. “Well, Ah said a heap ‘o mean things ‘bout fillyf-” Applejack stopped herself from finishing the slur, but not before earning a glare from Rainbow Dash. “... about two mares bein’ together. Then later that afternoon, Twilight here finds ya...” She trailed off into silence.
Fluttershy pulled away from Rarity, who had finally regained some of her typical demeanor. “I know how it looks everypony, but what Applejack said to me is not the reason for what happened.” She glanced over her shoulder to Dash, who was still staring down the orange earth pony. She turned back to address Rarity and Applejack. “I promise that I’ll explain everything to both of you, but first I think I owe somepony else a private explanation.”
“Huh?” Dash finally snapped out of her glare.
“Come on Rainbow, let’s go back to my house.” Fluttershy walked over to Dash. “I think that it would be best for us to talk about this alone.” She flared her wings to take flight, lightly brushing the tip of one wing across Dash’s muzzle. The prismatic-maned pony shivered at the contact and gave Fluttershy a smirk, flaring her own wings as well. The two pegasi took to the air, angling back towards the reserved mare’s cottage. As they passed beyond the tree tops and out of sight, a new disturbance down the road to Ponyville grabbed the attention of the remaining ponies and Spike.
“Hi-i-i E-e-very-y-y-po-o-ony-y-y!” Pinkie Pie was walking, or rather vibrating, down the road towards the assembled friends. As she reached the group, the vibrations mysteriously stopped.
“Ya doin’ alright there, Pinkie?” Applejack was the first to recover from Pinkie’s sudden and unorthodox arrival. The others simply shook their heads, accepting such an entrance as the chaotic party pony being herself.
“Oh, I’m fine. I was just coming out here to Sweet Apple Acres because my Pinkie Sense was telling me there was a doozie out here.” Pinkie looked around at the assembled group. “Hey, where are Dashie and Flutters?”
“They just left.” Twilight offered. “They went back to Fluttershy’s cottage to talk about... something.” So far, Pinkie was the only one in the group who did not know about Fluttershy’s attempted suicide, mainly because her answer to the situation would have been to throw a party. Twilight attempted to change the subject. “Anyway Pinkie, you just missed a doozie of a fight between Rarity and Applejack.”
“Hmm...” Pinkie put a hoof to her chin in thought while the two ponies in question stared at the ground. “Nah, I don’t think that was it. On my way over here, my front left hoof was itchy for twelve seconds. That means whatever the doozie was had to do with a pegasus.”
Uh oh. Twilight worried to herself. It looks like we’ll have to tell Pinkie now. Wait... Her mind flashed back to just before the two pegasi left, to Fluttershy brushing her wing on Dash and the latter’s reaction. A doozie involving a pegasus...
A revelation struck Twilight. Fluttershy and Dash came here together. After what happened yesterday that can only mean... Twilight had to fight to keep a huge grin from spreading across her face.
Meanwhile, Pinkie Pie startled. “Uh oh... itchy hoof... floppy ears... twitchy tail...” Her expression immediately brightened. “Somepony just had an astonishing epiphany!” The assembled friends all stared at her in abject confusion.
“Well, Ah didn’t have one.” Applejack shrugged.
“Nor did I.” Rarity confirmed.
“How in Equestria do you do that?” All eyes turned to Twilight, who was now glaring at Pinkie Pie. The pink mare simply shrugged.
“Well don’t keep us in the dark, sugarcube.” Applejack pressed. “What’s so astonishin’?”
“Um...” Twilight rubbed the back of her head with a hoof. “I’m not sure, but think about it. Given what happened yesterday between Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, don’t you think it’s a little odd that they showed up here together?” Applejack and Rarity both looked deep in thought, while Pinkie was still blissfully ignorant of the previous day’s events.
Suddenly, the Applejack’s eyes shot open and she turned to Twilight. “Ya don’t mean that those two...?” Twilight nodded, failing to keep a smile from her face. Applejack pulled her hat down over her eyes as her cheeks flushed as red as her cutie mark.
“Oh, ponyfeathers.” She sighed.