Deeper Than Friendship

by JustaninnocentPony


Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

Chapter 14
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1 week later
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Rainbow Dash stared solemnly into her mirror, her mane looking neat and tidy for the first time in days along with her fur. Her tail was straightened, her coat washed, and the knots untangled; she almost looked genuinely normal again. It was as if the past seven days of her life and all the emotion that had come with them were washed away like sand on a beach, hidden beneath the powerful ocean tide that was an hour in the bathroom, a bottle of mane conditioner, and lots of patience. She looked presentable, at least on the outside. But on the inside she was still an emotional train wreck. The past seven days of her life had been filled with almost non-stop crying, hollowing depression, an aching heart and plenty of tissues. She had never felt so broken down, so insecure, so empty… Losing the one thing that had completed her for so long was a hit that she took harder than she initially thought she would have. The tears not only rendered her useless as a weather pony, but completely wrecked her sense of security. She had barely eaten, didn’t practice, or didn’t even set a hoof outside her home since the breakup. Every day she’d question herself, what was happening to her, why was crashing down so soon? The morning was no different as she shot more demoralizing questions to her reflection while tiding up her appearance. Every once and awhile, part of her mind would drift back to the yellow mare she longed almost day and night for; to feel her sweet touch again, to hold her close and never, ever, ever, let anything come between them again. The thoughts would only later be swiftly dashed away by the more sensible side of her head; what’s done was done, and undoing it would not only be nearly impossible, but be the worst idea in pony history. They both needed to move on, for nopony would ever accept them the way they were.

Dash sighed heavily; she was never this philosophical with anypony, even herself. The picture of Fluttershy she still kept taped to the bathroom mirror was no help at all either. She had made several attempts before to force herself to tare the photo down for her own sake, but she could never bear to. It was as if the photo was the last link she had left to the yellow pony and the only comfort she could receive from her until such time as they were able to start anew. If such a time would ever come again. Dash began to feel warm tears leave her eyes, but quickly righted herself; she needed to keep her mind off that junk for today, at least for a few hours. She wouldn’t be able to make through the day unless she could remain focused.

As long as she kept her talking to a minimum and only spoke when required to, everything would be just fine. Sighing one last time, the mare tried her best to look convincing. She put her best smile on, grabbed her saddlebags and bits, and headed out the door. The morning air of Ponyville was the first thing that hit her, hard. It had been so long without flying or even feeling the touch of wind that she was almost new to it. Tomorrow was the beginning of the work week, her first work week since…

Shuddering, Rainbow Dash took out her scarf and threw it around her neck; she wasn’t outside to reflect on it. She was outside to get food and groceries for the coming week. With one last look at the morning sun shining brightly overhead, the flier took off, heading straight for town proper.

The first things she saw the same as per usual. The Pegasi who had work that day began clearing out the clouds in the sky, venders were opening up their produce stands, and the early bird ponies were roaming the streets like they always would. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and what’s more she didn’t see any of her other friends. The mare smiled as she landed in the center of the crowded market place; maybe this would be easier than she initially thought. She wouldn’t have to tell anypony how she was doing, nopony would be urging her to do something she was anxious about, and she wouldn’t even really have to talk. She could just make the trip, buy the supplies, and lock herself in her home until work the next day. With this comforting thought in mind, she began a happy trot towards all of her destinations. Everything was going fine, and she was almost done shopping until her eyes fell upon the last thing she wanted to see.

“Why now?” The flier questioned under her breath in anxiety as her eyes darted from left to right in search of a hiding place. Spotting an unattended cart to her left, she quickly dashed behind it and out of plain site. Of all the possible times, why did it have to be right now? Cautiously raising her head up a little, Dash looked over the edge of the cart only to have her suspicions confirmed. Standing in line at the next stop she had to make was the very pony she had risked neck and skin to avoid the past week. Fluttershy still looked as normal as ever; pink mane and tail perfectly combed and stylized, yellow coat nicely washed and the same kind sparkle in her eye. Dash had to give it to her; if the yellow mare was trying to hide any pain or sorrow, she was doing way better than she was at the moment. Seeing the mare forced her heart beat to speed up for more reasons than one, and she could feel each thump in her throat with every passing moment she stared, her eyes fixated on the yellow pony. A single tear found its way forcefully out of the corner of her eye. The rainbow maned Pegasus wanted nothing more than to get up and bolt towards the pony, wrapping her into a close hug and never letting go again. Sadly, she knew she couldn’t, she had to stay strong and let it die, for both of them.

When she checked over the cart again, the yellow mare had disappeared, along with most of the line. Taking a sigh of relief, Dash picked herself up from her hiding place, brushing off dirt and pebbles from her coat. One last check around the area confirmed that Fluttershy was indeed nowhere to be seen. Without wasting a moment of her time, the mare rushed over to the stand, quickly purchasing her items in a way that earned her a confused stare from the vender. She threw the goods in her bag, and ran as far away from the stand as possible. After running for some time she stopped, panting heavily as she rested against a nearby wall. Fluttershy was still not around her area, and the mare thanked every celestial force in the world for it as she took deep, relaxing breaths and wiped the half-worry and half-physical induced sweat from her forehead. She still had many stops left to make before she could leave, and for all she knew, Fluttershy could have just as many, if not more stops to make.

Pushing herself off of the wall, Dash allowed her breathing to slow down again, though her heart rate didn’t die with it. How could she forget that Fluttershy shopped every other weekend?! The mare hit herself on the head in frustration as she pulled out her to do list and counted how many stops she had left. Sighing in relief, she timed in her head how quickly she could make the rest of the trip, provided she didn’t run into Fluttershy again. A moment passed, and she quickly threw the list back into her bag, taking off as fast as her hooves would let her through the crowded streets.

***

Twilight sighed, her purple mane blowing lightly in the morning wind as she slowly trudged down Ponyville’s main street. The buzzing noises of the market hit her left and right, shops with their doors open and stands for various items lined the street. The bits jingling in the pouch where her ink and parchment usually rested reminded the mare why she was making the trip in the first place; although, it didn’t do much to motivate her to be happy about it. The last weeks had seen no reports to be sent to the princess, so the mare hadn’t gone to resupply her stock for quite some time. There was nothing even to send to the princess! At least, nothing related to friendship. Sure, plenty of things deeper than friendship had been taking course, but the only thing of significance to report would be how said romance hadn’t managed to tear her group of friends apart, yet. Twilight would write more, but with the princess as busy as she usually was the purple unicorn thought the last thing she wanted to hear was about her troubles concerning love. But it didn’t matter, the lack of ink and parchment gave the mare an excuse to get out for a little bit, out of the stuffy tree house that she had barely left for almost a week now.

Taking a turn to the left, Twilight entered her usual writing supplies store and walked up to the front counter. A skinny, not so strong looking unicorn stallion sat there, his nose buried within a book as he kicked his hooves back on the top of the desk. Twilight waited a bit for the worker to notice her as she glanced around at the same scenery she had come to know and love. Books and quills and parchment and ink lined the walls, all of varying kinds and brands and the smell of dust hung in the air. A moment passed and the mare became inpatient as she gave a subtle cough, instantly catching the attention of the stallion on duty as he scrambled to close his book and look professional.

“Yes mam, how can I help you today?” The stallion spoke in a soft voice.

“Hello, I would like to purchase some…” Twilight began, drifting off as her eyes glanced out the nearby window. A spec of blue stood out in the crowded market place outside the shop; a spec of blue with rainbow dyed hair…

Twilight shook her head, it couldn’t be. The last time she had seen Rainbow Dash she was so emotionally distraught that it seemed like she’d never leave her house again. Why would she be out in the market? The mare shook the idea away, turning her attention back to the store clerk

“Sorry, as I was saying I would like to purchase…” Twilight drifted off again, her eyes drawn to the blue spec that was now quickly disappearing behind a corner, as if she was running from something…or somepony. Twilight’s eyes shot open with alert, her mind ignoring every other thought than her pressing suspicions. She rushed over to the window, intently staring out at the street packed with ponies of all shapes, colors, and sizes. The spec of bright blue had disappeared now with haste, turning the corner as if her life depended on it. But, something else caught her eye as she peered through the thick glass. Yellow coat, Pink bouncy mane, Butterfly cutie mark; Fluttershy was out too! Twilight’s mind instantly lit up with excited anticipation. If both Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were mere yards away from each other in the market, what if she could bring them together! The unicorn happily clapped her hooves together as a plan started forming in her head almost instantly. The mare disregarded everything she had come out for in the first place as she bolted out of the shop, a very confused store clerk calling after her. She barged out into the fresh air, leaping onto the street and observing it in its full length, searching for the yellow and pink colors again. Just as she looked to the last section of the street, the colors appeared again, calmly walking around the corner. Twilight ran forward, but stopped; should she get the rest of the girls first and formulate a solid strategy? Or should she just go for it now, try the sudden approach? The purple mare began to sweat as she debated both options in her mind, running in one direction and then the other. She couldn’t decide; what if by the time she made a plan with all of her friends that both Fluttershy and Rainbow would be locked in their homes again, each refusing to come out? What if her only chance was now?

As she was running back and forth in circles, surely causing a scene, the mare bumped into an object of some sort, crashing and falling to the ground in a haze of confused and conflicted sweat. She instantly got up, looking for what she bumped into. Her eyes settled on a very elated and smiling pink pony.

“Wow Pinkie, you look much better since I last saw you,” Twilight complimented as she examined the pink mare from head to hoof.

“Yeah, don’t I look super-duper?! I mean, I was all sad and crying and depressed” the pink pony said with a sigh in remembrance “But then I decided that it wasn’t going to help anypony, so I changed my sadness into happiness and dedicated my efforts to finding a way to make all you guys smile again! Well… hopefully all of you,” Pinkie ended with a hint of hopelessness in her voice. Twilight smiled instantly, if anypony could get her friends together in time to make a plan that could possibly save Fluttershy and Dash, it was Pinkie! The mare thought for a moment before speaking again, if she was going to go through with this she needed to do it correctly.

“Pinkie, would you like to do me a favor?” Twilight asked excitedly as she gently grasped the pony’s shoulders. Pinkie Pie met Twilight’s excited behavior with more of her own as she playfully grasped her shoulders as well.

“What favor what that be Twilight? Ooo! Do you want me to make you some cupcakes, like ones with sprinkles all over them? Or! I can make a giant cake with chocolate sprinkles covered all over it! Ooo! What abou-” Twilight quickly put a hoof over the pink mare’s mouth before she became too off tack. In all honesty, it was good to see her happy again, but they needed to focus on the matter at hoof before time ran out!

“Those are all nice Pinkie, but I need you to do something extra important for me,” Twilight waited for the elated party pony to nod in understanding before continuing “Alright, here’s what you need to do. Get Rarity and Applejack as fast as you possibly can, and bring them back to the library ASAP, okay?” Twilight asked in urgency as she stared the mare in the eyes. Pinkie nodded happily, giving a half-joking, half-serious salute before running off in the opposite direction. Twilight clapped her hooves together in joy as she ran in the direction of her tree home, the plan already well on its way in her mind.

***

“Okay, so I assume you all know I brought you here for a reason,” Twilight began formally as she paced back and forth across the main floor of the library, her friends gathered in front of her as they waited patiently on her next words. Spike was gone, Twilight had seen to it so that the small dragon wouldn’t be around to hear a word of what was about to be spoken. He still didn’t have any knowledge of Rainbow Dash’s and Fluttershy’s recent endeavors, and he didn’t need to know. With him gone, that left herself, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie packed into the library’s center room.

“I do hope it was important Twilight, I was in the middle of filling an important order,” Rarity said somewhat anxiously as she kept her eyes on the purple mare who was still pacing around the room.

“And I was busy buckin’ apples,” Applejack complained. Pinkie Pie waited patiently, a smile plastered on her face as she listened for the next words. Twilight still couldn’t put her hoof on how the pink mare had managed to get over her deep depression so quickly, but she brushed the thought aside as she thought of her next words.

“Oh it is important,” Twilight replied “It has to do with Dash and Fluttershy,”

“Not this again,” Rarity moaned in complaint.

“Listen Rarity, I got a plan this time, a good plan,” Twilight argued “Those two are both in the market place as we speak, and I have the perfect idea to help solve this whole problem!”

“And what in tarnation would that be?” Applejack harshly inquired.

“We’re getting them back together, whether they like it or not!” Twilight answered proudly, convinced that the idea was flawless despite the looks she received from her friends.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea Twilight?” Pinkie Pie questioned.

“Of course I am, why wouldn’t it be? That’s the answer to everything right there! If we get them back together, they’ll be able to counter act the hate and help each other. And they won’t be depressed anymore!”

“Well… what if the same thing happens again and history just repeats itself? What if they get so angry at us that everything falls to pieces?”

“I agree darling, you should really take a step back and consider it more thoroughly” Rarity commented in slight worry. Twilight brushed off the comment, sure of the fact that it couldn’t go wrong this time. She knew exactly what to do and how to do it, she just needed her friends’ help.

“That won’t happen guys. We all know they need each other, and if they’re going to survive hate and prejudice then its better if they do it hoof in hoof, am I right?”

“I don’t know Twi, they seem awfully dead set on stayin’ apart,” Applejack retorted worriedly. Twilight groaned in frustration, realizing that convincing the other ponies had already proved to be more of a challenge than she initially thought. They were running out of time, this was there last chance and it was now or never! Why couldn’t they see that! Twilight stopped, staring at the ground as she took a moment to think. She was instantly reminded of before, when she had felt the same exact way about her two friends being together in the first place. Her anger and frustration was one of the things that drove the relationship to an end, or put it closer to it. The purple mare shook her head, sighing deeply as she carefully chose her next words.

“Listen guys, I know you have doubt in this, I do too. But we can all agree that they still love each other. And the only reason they’re still apart is for each other’s own good,” Twilight paused for a moment as she received a few light nods from her friends “See! Don’t you guys agree that it’s for their own good if they stick together?” Twilight paused again, receiving more nods.

“I… I do agree Twilight, but what if it won’t work? What if we fail?” Rarity’s voice became full of worry as she stared patiently at her friend.

“It won’t guys, this time the plan isn’t just talking to them,”

“Then…what is it?” Applejack asked curiously. Twilight smiled brightly as she returned her friends’ worried gazes.

“We won’t be talking to them; they will be talking to each other,”

***

As the hours of the day passed, the rest of the group went to their collective homes and prepared for the plan that was to come soon. Albeit they had their doubts, if everything went according to plan then it might just work. Rarity went home to make sure Sweetie Belle was occupied with the other girls, Applejack to do the same with Applebloom; Pinkie went home to check on the babies, and Twilight stayed at her library, making sure to do everything she could to keep her small assistant busy. As always, the dragon had complaints about the mounds of work she was assigning him, especially the extra amount she was giving at this particular hour as he grudgingly went from place to place in the tree home, rearranging books, sweeping, and tiding the place up.

Twilight ran around, anxiously waiting on her friends to return with themselves readied as she struggled to come up with more trivial things for Spike to do.

“But Twilight, I already found you this book,” Spike moaned as he thrust a copy of ‘Magical Guides for the Advanced Student’ into the mare’s face and set it back down again.

“Umm, what about St-”
“-Arsweld the Bearded, a Tale of Early Equestrian Wizardry,” Spike interrupted in an annoyed tone of voice.

“And Al-”

“-Gebraic Equations for Young Fillies,”

“Ok… But have you found Th-”

“-E Beginner’s Guide to Embroidery,” Spike finished, more annoyed than before as he stared angrily at the purple unicorn. Twilight could feel sweat pouring down her head as she became more nervous, her eyes darting from Spike to the window and back, still no sign from the others. What if they couldn’t make it in time?! What if the whole plan fell to a bust and there was nothing more they could do to salvage it?! What if- “Can I go out and do something please?” Spike’s question interrupted the pressing thoughts in her mind as she snapped back to reality. She struggled to find something more for her assistant to do, anything that would keep him in doors and occupied for a few more hours when a sudden knock on the door pulled them both away from their conversation. Twilight sighed in relief, rushing to the door in a filly-like manner. She nearly squealed with joy as she saw who was at the door.

“Hello Twilight, are we ready to begin?” Rarity asked sweetly as she stood at the door way with the other two mares next to her. Twilight smiled as she turned around to Spike, walking towards him slightly.

“Sorry Spike, I gotta go for a bit,” She said mysteriously, obviously trying to hide her plans.

“Go do what?”

“I’m just… going to go buy more quills!”

“Didn’t you already do that?”

“Nope, totally forgot, the library still needs cleaning, bye!” Twilight quickly wrapped up the conversation, rushing the other three ponies off of the doorstep and slamming the door behind her. She then took off into a fast-paced gallop; the other mares following close behind her.

***

Fluttershy sighed, still rubbing sleep out of her tired eyes as she combed the streets of Ponyville, searching for the right stands to buy from. She checked her list again, which mostly consisted of food for the animals and a few things for herself, and moved forward. Her eyes still felt a touch teary, regardless of the countless hours she’d spent in the morning trying to calm herself down and look orderly for a change. Her whole cottage looked like it had been a victim of some sort of natural disaster at this point, tissues scattered everywhere mixed with pools of tears here and there. It was all the mare could do at this point to pull herself together and survive each day, she hadn’t even set a hoof outside her home until this morning, and she was determined to keep it that way for as long as she could. She was still nervous others in the town might recognize her, especially since regardless of how hard she looked, she couldn’t find her old disguise to dress up in. Was she still in every newspaper’s headline? Were there awful, hate filled ponies waiting for her behind every corner? What if she ran into one of her surely concerned friends?! Or worse, what if she ran into Rainbow Dash?

Fluttershy gulped, trying to imagine how every way the situation could play out. Asking to get back together, yelling at her for the break up, awkwardly avoiding her, running at the sight of her; the options were endless! As much as she tried to, the mare knew she couldn’t lie to herself about her true feelings that had still remained intact for the past week; she was still in love with Rainbow Dash, and as much as she hated to admit it to herself, not a day had yet passed by where she hadn’t wished to Celestia that they would get another chance. Melancholic thoughts in mind, the mare sighed heavily as she approached a carrot vender, dropping a few bits on the counter top and walking away with the produce in her bag. Maybe she should ask to get back together, or at least say something to Rainbow. What could she loose? As far as the mare was convinced, she had already hit rock bottom and there was nowhere but down to go, unless she did something to fix it. The mare shook her head, attempting desperately to shift her focus back to the reason she came out in the first place. But no matter how hard she tried, the temptation continued to linger in the back of her head, periodically bugging her. She continued to stumble around the market place, walking slower, slurring her speech, and every once and awhile skipping a stand without even realizing she had done so. She stopped for a moment, trying to stop her mind from fogging up with all the ridiculous thoughts. She needed to be resilient; she needed to abstain from even going anywhere near the rainbow maned Pegasus.

She leaned more against the wall, thoughts, memories, and images of her and Dash clogged her brain and it seemed the harder she tried to shove them away, the stronger they’d come back. Fluttershy cursed herself silently, knowing fully well that she should’ve stayed indoors today, that she was in no shape to be out in public yet. Tears began to clog up her vision as her hooves became weak; she was losing control! She had to regain her composure, and she had to do it now! If she didn’t do anything soon she’d start breaking down! She could already feel herself begin to crumble against the wall in a feat of self-depression and wallow; it wouldn’t be along until she started to cr-

“Hey Fluttershy! Oh… You don’t look so well,” an elated, yet concerned voice called out next to her. Fluttershy instantly snapped out of her quickly crumbling state, whipping her head around to see who the owner of the voice was. She found herself slightly relieved and slightly more stressed when her eyes fell upon a happy, pink mare staring right back at her with worried eyes.

“I’m fine Pinkie, d-don’t worry,” Fluttershy assured her friend with a cracking voice. Quickly coughing, she hastily wiped any tears she felt coming down from her eyes and repositioned herself to look normal “What, uh… what can I do for you?”

“Oh, nothing really, I just wanted to say hi…” Pinkie’s voice trailed off, her eyes appearing to shift focus rapidly to the sky. It didn’t made to sense to Fluttershy for Pinkie to trail off like that, seeing as the party pony had a seemingly never ending stream of topics to talk about. She followed the mare’s eyes, searching in the clear summer sky for what could have possibly derailed her attention like that.

What happened next was instantaneous; within seconds she looked back down, Pinkie Pie was already yards away on the long-stretched street, running as if her life depended on it. Fluttershy stared in silent shock at the pink pony running further and further down the road… with something bouncing on her back.

Odd, where did Pinkie find those saddle ba-

Fluttershy’s eyes instantly darted to her back, empty; her back was empty! A closer look as the pink mare rounded the corner showed exactly what she suspected; Pinkie stole her saddle bags! But… why would she? What would Pinkie possibly stand to gain by stealing saddle bags filled with vegetables, paper, and a few bits? It didn’t matter, she needed those bags, they were her only set! As quickly as she could the Pegasus took off in hot pursuit of her pink friend, quickly apologizing as she sidestepped other civilians and angry shoppers. She rounded a corner, sweat already beading down her forehead as she saw the pink mare turn quickly to glance at her, and then start running again.

“Pinkie, wait!” Fluttershy frantically called out, galloping as fast as her legs would allow her across the hard concrete surface, already growing weary as her extreme lack of exercise showed. Pinkie didn’t stop, and for as long as Fluttershy could she followed quickly behind. No idea what was happening or why it was even happening, the cream colored Pegasus continued to follow her pink friend around corners, down streets, through bends and hills, and everything in between. Exhausted and wheezing, Fluttershy rounded one more corner into a darkened alley way with a dead end visible in the distance. There was nowhere left for Pinkie to go now, and she slowly walked towards a dim silhouette in the distance. She called out the baker’s name, and received no response. Walking a bit closer she discovered the pile of junk that macerated Pinkie’s appearance so well when seen from a distance. She touched the cold wall carefully, it was
impossible, how could Pinkie have escaped?! There was nowhere to run!

A sudden noise from above drew Fluttershy away from her pending confusion as she turned her attention to the source. Above her, sticking her tongue out and making a very rude noise was the culprit, floating high into the sky, carried gently by a large cluster of balloons. Balloons! Where in Equestria did Pinkie get those balloons from?! Quickly shaking the thought, Fluttershy hastily contemplated her next actions. Sadly, she only had one option left. High-Speed and or High altitude flying wasn’t her talent, and she never felt like learning, especially since the sport-like activity reminded her of the one pony she was trying oh so hard to forget. Gulping once, the Pegasus took off in the sky, flapping her wings forcefully as she began to rise in altitude, slowly but surely catching up to Pinkie. She peaked above the tip of the roof, her eyes fixed on the .slowly floating pink mare. She tried to call out her name once more, but was stopped by her aching throat, flaring with pain from too much exercise and wind. She continued to rise, not allowing herself to stop no matter how much she sweat, no matter how hard it was to breathe, no matter how much her muscles were screaming at her to. She was rising higher and higher, and she nearly caught up with Pinkie when a second voice, distinct and familiar in tone, rang in her ears softly.

“Now Twilight, she’s here!” She heard the voice shout to another pony on the roof, she stopped mid-flight, and stared down at the rooftop she had passed several feet ago. Looking closely at the roof she saw the last two ponies she wanted to see that day looking right back at her, well, one of them was anyhow. Fluttershy locked eyes with Twilight for a brief moment, out of the corner of her eye she saw the other unicorn, bent over the side of the roof adjacent to Twilight’s distracted by something… something with multiple colors…

Before she had time to react or even make the connection of what was happening, she could feel some mystic force grasp her forcefully, and begin to guide her down towards the opposite street at a rapid pace. She glanced at her wings, both extended fully and flapping about dangerously; as they remained enveloped in an eerie purple glow. Gasping as soon as she was aware of what was happening to her wings; Fluttershy began to struggle feverishly, but was ultimately helpless against the magical grip. She could feel herself plummeting downwards a pace even she couldn’t reach if she tried. Panic set into her heart as her height from the ground turned from miles away to yards away to feet away. The yellow mare did everything she could, gritting her teeth together in pure terror as she used as much strength as she could muster to break free from the telekinetic grasp. It was no use though, she wasn’t strong enough to evade the magic and within moments she’d become part of the pavement below. She took one last deep breath, closing her eyes and bracing herself for the worse.

A few seconds passed, and then minutes; shouldn’t she have hit the ground by now? Raising her head in curiosity, she almost instantly brushed up against a soft surface, one that almost felt like fur…

No, it was fur, and she could also feel a pair of warm and protecting legs holding her in a shaky embrace. Accompanied with a soft breathing and a light heartbeat, the smell of clouds and sweat coupled with tears. Could it be…? Does she dare open her eyes to confirm? Does she dare move a muscle? Even if it was the mare she thought it was, what could she say or do? It’d been days since she felt an embrace this loving, this protective…

Forcing an eye open she squinted to the pony beside her. A strong muscular body with a sky blue coat, wings that looked as if they could carry someone twice her size, a cutie mark that seemed to shine against the sun like a lightning bolt shining against the night. Almost all the features matched her suspicion; there was only one thing left to check for. But Fluttershy couldn’t decide if she was too worried or too elated to see if it really was… Taking a short breath, the mare allowed her eyes to drift upwards, heart threatening to burst out of her chest at any moment as her sight slowly locked upon the rainbow colors of a messy but stylish mane…

It was her… Rainbow Dash, she had been saved by Rainbow Dash.

***

Fluttershy didn’t know what to make her first reaction when she saw the rainbow maned mare. So many emotions flooded her mind as she felt her warm hooves embrace her tightly, as if to ensure that nothing hurt her again. Her life… she owed her life to Dash now. Was that Twilight’s plan all along? A last ditch effort to save the crumbling relationship? It didn’t matter, even as they were receiving collective and worried gasps from the crowd concerning her safety it didn’t matter. All that mattered right now was the blue pony’s tight grasp around her, her soft heartbeat and shuttering breath. Instincts taking over, heart beating ferociously, Fluttershy eased herself into the mare’s grasp, clinging to her tightly as she snuggled in.

Rainbow Dash blushed lightly, her shuttering breath calming down as she was assured of Fluttershy’s safety. She squeezed tightly, never wanting to let go again. It was moments, literally moments when she reached the mare. Dash didn’t even have the time to register what was going on before she dived into action; only one thing mattered as she saw the yellow Pegasus plummeting to earth. And now, that same thing was the only thing that mattered. Guilt nagged in the back of her mind, fruitlessly attempting to remind her to restrain herself, to hold back from the enclosing feelings of the sudden romance. She didn’t listen; she never wanted to listen to it again. She felt the yellow pony’s head softly pressed against her chest, and felt her legs tightly wrapped her back. They both closed their eyes tightly, holding the embrace for longer than it should have lasted as the surrounding ponies seemed to fade around them.

Fluttershy drew back, hooves gently resting on Dash’s chest as she stared her in the eyes. Her heartbeat increased, and from the look she was receiving back she knew that Dash’s was just as rampant. She knew she shouldn’t give in, that it would only lead to trouble again; but even though every fiber of her being told her not to, she deliberately ignored the knowledge as she threw herself forward, passionately locking herself into a kiss with the blue mare. Dash gasped in surprise, almost immediately returning the gesture. The two ponies pulled each other closer, locked in a deep and seemingly impenetrable embrace. Neither of them knew where it was going, nor did they care as they held the kiss, refusing to let go. The world around them became nothing; even the shocked gasps of the ponies around them didn’t reach their ears that remained deaf to the world.

After a while, they awkwardly parted, both of them blushing too hard and feeling too confused to look the other in the eye. They still kept their hooves around each other, almost unconscious of the fact that they were.

Dash coughed, catching the yellow mare’s attention as she turned her eyes back to hers.

“So… uh, you okay Shy?” Dash asked with an awkward laugh. Fluttershy couldn’t help but giggle, it felt so good to laugh again, and to see Dash laughing again too. It still was a haze to her, seeing how fast it had happened. One moment she was flying towards the ground, unsure of how or why but ready to accept her death. The next she was in the loving arms of the pony she simultaneously dreaded and longed to see. Her giggle burst out into a hysterical laugh, only growing stronger as Dash joined her “So, I take that as a yes then…?”

Fluttershy silently nodded, smiling more than she had smiled in days as she locked eyes with the mare again. She blushed, feeling her heart beating through her chest as she tightened her grip around Dash, keeping her eyes focused on the blue Pegasus’s. Dash looked back, tightening her grip in response as she lightly nuzzled Fluttershy.

“I missed you… I missed you so much…” Fluttershy began her voice shaking lightly. Dash brushed her hair back, looking into the sea of blue that was her beautiful eyes.

“I know… I missed you too Shy,”

“What… what does this mean? I mean, it just happened so suddenly right now…” Fluttershy paused for a moment, the severity of what she had just done in a public area around all of the same ponies that pelted her with stones in the first place hitting her with full force. She became nervous, afraid of what was to come next, too afraid to even look at the figures around, most likely standing with an air of such disapproval you’d think somepony was just murdered. Dash paused for a moment, looking to the sky as she gave the idea some thought.

“I don’t know, what do you want it to mean?” She asked in a soft tone only meant for the yellow mare. Fluttershy blushed, the emotions in her head seeming to suddenly break out into a full out war. What if’s plagued her mind endlessly as she debated her options. Her mind told her no, to stray away from the temptation; but her heart screamed yes, to give in, to be happy again. After a while it seemed obvious which side had one, and the bloody war came to an end as she prepared to voice her decision.

“I… I think….”

“You think…”

“I….”

“Just say it,” Rainbow urged softly. Fluttershy cursed her shy nature once more, finding herself unable to utter the words she so desperately searched for. Instead, she chose an alternative as she pushed forward again, knocking back the blue Pegasus with another forceful and deep kiss. Dash wasted no time returning it, and held the mare closely as she possibly could. The words didn’t need to be said, they both knew exactly what the kiss meant right then and there. They held the kiss, sealing the deal that threw away the last few weeks of depression and brought forth the renewed feeling of love and happiness. They pulled away one last time, and only then became aware of the crowd that had gathered around them.

They both stood up instantly, slightly distancing themselves from each other as the silently blushed at the crowd watching in awe.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry everypony,” Fluttershy began, her voice quivering slightly.

“Nonsense, My Little Pony,” An omnipotent and kind voice called lightly from behind the crowd. A round of collective gasps was made audible from the circle as they parted slightly, all bowing down as the regal figure calmly walked through to the center.

“Princess… Princess Celes-” Dash started with a weak voice, quickly remembering to bow along with Fluttershy before standing up again to face the ruler.

“Yes Rainbow Dash, it is me,”

“But… How? Why? No offense, but why did you even come here? And why now?” Dash stammered out.

“Twilight wrote me about your current predicament, asking for help. And at first, hearing the situation I almost turned a blind eye to it. Love is not my territory as ruler of Equestria, especially not when it involves some of my most important subjects. Not to mention my disagreement with the type of love it is. But, I came anyhow, to see if there was anything I could do to help Twilight and her friends,” Celestia said, her voice not wavering from its usual tone once. Dash and Fluttershy whirled their heads around, seeing a proud looking Twilight standing at the forefront of the crowd, smiling brightly along with their three other friends standing next to her.

“When Celestia didn’t respond earlier today, I took matters into my own hooves. I knew you two loved each other, and I didn’t want a barrier like what is right and wrong separating it. I knew at first I believed it would destroy us entirely. But when you guys broke up I saw that it was not only the thing keeping us together, but bringing us closer,” Twilight spoke apologetically, stepping forward into the crows with the other mares.

“We all couldn’t stand to see how unhappy you both looked,” Applejack commented

“And we knew you two still had feelings for one another,” Rarity added with a smile

“So… we tried this last plan. Risky, but we thought if it could help you guys, it’d be worth everything,” Pinkie Pie finished happily.

“And help they did. I can see now the love you two share, and the power that surrounds it. A bond that grew from humble beginnings of friendship to a feeling more powerful than magic itself. I may not approve, but I know that it would be very unfair and wrong for me or any other pony to intervene and try to destroy it simply because it’s different.”

Dash and Fluttershy looked around the crowd, the hateful faces now looking to the floor with expressions of shame and regret. Even the princess, as against the love as she was, agreed of how it much affects them. Fluttershy felt a warm fluttering in her heart, seeing now the faces of hate turning into those of either acceptance of indifference. She was free, free from the fear of being hated simply for being different. Dash feeling the same way, turned in circles examining each pony’s face.

“I… I don’t know what to say…” Fluttershy spoke softly.

“Why don’t you start with the pony behind you?” Celestia hinted kindly. Fluttershy turned around, facing Dash and locking eyes with her.

“So…are we?” Dash began, shuffling closer to the pony in front of her. Fluttershy smiled, shuffling closer herself.

“I thought my kiss before confirmed it,” Fluttershy said with a sly smirk, giggling slightly before pausing for a moment, locking eyes with the pony in front of her “I… I love you…” Fluttershy managed to stammer out before looking away with a fierce blush. Dash pulled the mare forward, forcing her to make eye contact.

“I love you too…” Dash replied fondly, pulling herself closer to the pony as she was urged on by hooves applauding the moment. She moved closer to her lover, pressing her forehead against the shy Pegasus’s. They both stared endlessly into each other’s eyes, their hearts beating miraculously as one in the middle of the circle. Fluttershy grabbed Dash’s hoof, and held it tightly. Had the applauding faded? Or was she just too distracted to notice? She didn’t care as she moved in for one last kiss, closing her eyes as she felt a gentle push back.

END (For Realsies this time)

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A/N:

Wow guys, it's done, this whole 8-month+ project of mine is finally complete! I don't know what else to say besides thank you, thank you all for liking, favoriting, watching, commenting, and reading this story.It's not the best, no where near close to it. But it's the first thing I've put this much effort into. I hope reading along was as much as a blast for you guys as it was for me to write it! Don't unfollow me or unwatch me yet though, I'm going to be putting out plenty of more content in the future and hope to surpass this story with the next long one I write. Please, Please leave a comment on this chapter if not any other, because really this chapter is by far my favorite out of all of them; especially since it's the finale.

Anyhow, thanks again for reading, and I love you all! :)