//------------------------------//
// Realization 
// Story: I Wish I Had Soarin's Girl 
// by Ink Rain 
//------------------------------//

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been friends for many years now. In fact, they’ve known each other longer than they’ve known the rest of their group of friends. Even back in Flight Camp when they weren’t as close, Fluttershy considered Rainbow Dash to be her closest- and then- only friend. She was the filly that would stick up for her whenever other foals picked on Fluttershy’s lack of flying skills. Rainbow was the one who would compete against Fluttershy’s bullies to protect her honor. The two of them drifted for some time after Fluttershy fell to the ground and discovered her love for animals, but the two found themselves growing closer after the defeat of Nightmare Moon.

As much as Fluttershy loved all of her friends equally and considered all of them her "sisters", she couldn't deny there was a special place in her heart for Rainbow Dash. There was a connection Fluttershy had with her that she couldn't explain. Rainbow had told her secrets only the two of them would know, like when Rainbow was secretly dating Thunderlane for a while. It started out great, Rainbow Dash was eager to tell her friends about her new coltfriend, but problems ensued and they ended up not working out. From then on, Fluttershy listened as Rainbow ranted and lamented about what went wrong and trying to get over him.  How jealous she was when she found out Thunderlane had rebounded with Blossomforth shortly after their breakup and how much it tore her heart apart. After each rant session, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would go to the spa or the Clover Cafe to spend the rest of the day with one another, the day ending with giggles and smiles. Fluttershy always wanted the best for Rainbow, wanted her to be happy with someone who truly deserves her after what she went through.

But that's when she was struck with a curveball like no other.

Fluttershy had her suspicions when Rainbow started spending more time with her teammates in the Wonderbolts, when she started to spend time with a particular light blue pegasus from the team. 

"Wait, so you and Soarin are... dating?" Fluttershy asked as Rainbow Dash fluttered back into her living room, one hoof holding a bowl of popcorn and the other holding two drinks. The blue pegasus looked at Fluttershy with a blush.

"Dating? What makes you say that?" Rainbow said, placing the snacks onto the coffee table. She fluttered back onto the couch to sit next to Fluttershy. "

"It's just a hunch. And Pinkie Pie keeps making jokes about 'when the wedding will be'." Fluttershy picked up one of the drinks, her favorite soda, and sipped from the straw.

Rainbow Dash, still blushing, picked up the other soda. "Yeah... I suppose you can say Soarin and I are... together. But we aren't 'official' yet." 

Fluttershy paused in her drinking, looking down at her hooves. "Oh... "

Rainbow Dash scooped up a hoofful of popcorn. "We don't want to define ourselves just yet. First, we want to see where it'll go before we start telling everyone. So we don't have to 'undefine' it if it doesn't work out, you know?" She shrugged and shoved the popcorn into her mouth. "Not after what happened with Thunderlane. And I'll probably always have feelings for Thunderlane, but I should at least try to move on. Besides, Soarin is much more sensitive compared to Thunderlane."

Fluttershy sat there, awkwardly drinking her soda as she listened to Rainbow talk all about her new relationship. But then she started to get into the story of her and Soarin's first date, how soft and strong Soarin's hoof was, how much of a good kisser he was...

"Um, I'm sorry Rainbow, but I need to use the restroom." Fluttershy said, placing down her soda and fluttering off the couch.

Closing the bathroom door behind her, Fluttershy caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her soft, teal eyes had started watering after she left the living room. She lifted her hoof to wipe the tears beading down her face before hiding her face into her hooves before letting out a soft, almost silent cry.





After a weekend of misery, Fluttershy flew down to Twilight's castle. Her emotions had been overly confusing, and she needed somepony she could talk to about it. She knocked on the front door of the castle and was greeted by Spike.

"Hey, Fluttershy!" He said gleefully, only for his face to fall into a frown, motioning for the yellow pegasus to come inside. "Fluttershy... what's the matter?" The poor pegasus's eyes were like waterfalls and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

"Rainbow Dash and Soarin are dating?" Twilight Sparkle asked with surprise as she levitated a teapot over to Fluttershy and poured some tea inside of her teacup.

Fluttershy picked up the cup with her hooves before taking a slow sip. "I guess... but she says they aren't 'official' yet. I don't think they're ready to call themselves 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' yet."

"I see... they were pretty close at Rainbow's birthday party yesterday. " Twilight pondered. "And seeing them together... bothers you?"

Fluttershy looked down at her cup. "It seems so. I don't even know why. I never felt like this while she was dating Thunderlane--."

"Wait," Twilight interrupted. "Rainbow Dash dated Thunderlane?"

Fluttershy pressed her lips together. "Oh... yeah... they dated for some time a while back. They wanted to be sure they worked out before telling anyone but it ended up not. Poor Rainbow Dash, it tore her heart apart and it upset me when she told me Thunderlane had been ignoring her after they broke up and rebounded with somepony else."

Twilight noted the information. "Well, did you ever see  Rainbow Dash and Thunderlane together?"

Fluttershy shook her head before gazing back up at Twilight. "No, never. I only heard what Rainbow told me. It's different now, though. Rainbow Dash told me the night I spent at her house before her Wonderbolts performance in Cloudsdale the next day. I hung out with them before and after the show, she was lightly affectionate with Soarin whenever they joked with each other..." Fluttershy paused, looking back down. "And then Rainbow's birthday party the next day... it only felt worse. It got so bad to where I... I..."

"You hurried to the bathroom?" Twilight finished. "Rarity said you were merely overwhelmed by the crowd. Were you crying in the bathroom because of what's been going on with Rainbow Dash?"

Fluttershy hung her head. "I... I don't know why it's been bothering me so much. I think I'm scared Soarin is going to steal her away from me."

Twilight reached out her hoof to place it over her friend's. "Look, Fluttershy. If there's one thing I know about Rainbow Dash, she'd never leave you behind. After all, she is the Element of Loyalty. There's nopony in Equestria that could replace you." She paused for a moment to think. "Have... have you ever thought if the problem lies in something else. I don't know, Fluttershy, but it doesn't make as much sense for you to be so upset by Rainbow Dash possibly gaining a new boyfriend."

"Twilight, what... are you trying to imply?" Fluttershy glanced back up at the unicorn.

"Well, what I'm trying to say is," Twilight said, biting her lip before continuing. "I'm wondering if you're upset because you want to become closer to Rainbow Dash like how Soarin has been. You know... romantically?"