Deeper Than Friendship

by JustaninnocentPony


A Night To Remember(New)

Chapter 1
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The serenity of the forest, the peace of the animals, the quiet chirps of birds in nearby trees as they prepare to head off to a world of sleep; Fluttershy was enveloped with it all. She loved this part of the forest, her own little section, and enjoyed the beauty and fertility of it all. Being a shy and timid pony, she was rarely ever one for excitement among other things to help her relax, sometimes, what she needed was a getaway much like this one to feel at peace. The stars twinkling elegantly above in Luna’s night sky, blending in nearly perfectly with the large moon which casted light down upon her. She usually frequented this activity for herself when she didn't have to manage her animal friends or deal with any other pony; or when she needed to be alone because of problems or needed to see her animal friends for comfort. She wasn't too far into the forest, just inside a small clearing on the outskirts; close enough to her home to run away should danger come rearing its ugly head around the corner. It was elegant, pure relaxation and bliss, very suitable for a pony of her nature.

However, this time was different from the other times, where she relaxed in solitude. This time, the Shy Pegasus had brought along a friend to join her. Not just any friend, but instead her best friend, Rainbow Dash. Rainbow had been acting a tad weird and distant lately and it was very peculiar, especially for someone like her; a very out-going and aggressive sports pony. She was never one to shy away from danger, or rather, anypony else for that matter. But she had been doing just that, and it wasn't normal at all.

But, the reason for her Rainbow-Maned friend to be so distant from her or the other ponies wasn’t a mystery in the slightest. Fluttershy knew exactly why she had been acting this way.

***

About two weeks back, Fluttershy and Rainbow dash had been planning going up to Cloudsdale for a visit. The idea was Rainbow’s and she didn’t want to go alone; Besides, Fluttershy quite liked the idea as well. It would be nice to revisit their home town after so long, say hello to all of their old friends and pay tribute to some of their favorite filly-hood areas. What was odd however was that even though Twilight offered to use her cloud walking spell so they could all go, Rainbow Dash had seem hay-bent on making sure just her and Fluttershy went. Fluttershy couldn’t quite figure Rainbow’s reasoning behind this stubborn decision, not that it was abnormal for her to be that way, seeing as she was a very aggressive pony. But Rainbow usually would have jumped on the opportunity to have more ponies come along with her; she loved to have the company of all of her friends. Regardless of this, Fluttershy went along anyways, she figured it'd be nice, just the two of them, they wouldn't have to explain any of the areas or "show" anypony around, they both already grew up there.

They were to be staying in a nice house they had rented for the occasion for five days. Fluttershy had an amazing time; they went to all of their favorite diners, shops, and even to a Wonder Bolts show. She wasn’t a big fan of the show or the Wonder Bolts, fast sports racing wasn’t quite her thing. But it made her happy none the less to see how excited Rainbow had gotten over going when she had acquired the tickets. But all the while, Rainbow Dash seemed to be acting a bit... off. She would sometimes rush her speech or look like she had something on her mind, stumble around when walking or flying and mess up simple phrases. It seemed as if something had been bothering her the whole time, that she had something wrong with her. Fluttershy didn't want to be rude and intrude on her business, but she had to admit, she was beginning to become a bit worried about her blue-colored friend.

They were nearing the day of their departure when it had happened. Fluttershy was in her room packing here bags for the trip home the next day when Rainbow Dash came in.

“Hey F-Fluttershy, what’s up?” Rainbow asked in a nervous tone as she trotted into the room.

“Oh not much, I’m just getting everything ready for tomorrow, shouldn’t you be packing too?” Fluttershy replied, turning to face Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow seemed to stop in her tracks, looking extremely nervous and antsy. “Yeah, I was just about to start…but I needed to tell you something first,” She said with her voice cracking a tad. She began to look very worked-up, as if she was going to break down in tears at any moment.

The yellow-colored pony had never seen her friend so nervous; she usually had no trouble sharing her thoughts at all, no matter why they were. She was always the first in their group of friends to share her opinion on something, and she always made sure to have the last say in a conversation. Fluttershy was no fool to this; she could tell that something was definitely up.

“What is it? Is something the matter?” Fluttershy asked worriedly, stopping her packing to pay attention to the Pegasus in front of her.

Rainbow Dash hesitated for a moment, looking like she was about to leave the room entirely, wanting to escape from the situation she had just thrown herself into. She could have just dropped it, just waited for some other time when it'd be easier to or just forget it all together. But instead she foolishly got herself into something there was no backing out of, but now there was nowhere to go but forward. “There’s no easy way to say this… so I’ll just come out with it.” She paused for a moment, and then spoke once again “Fluttershy, you may not feel the same way back, but I’ve been...” She trailed off

“You’ve been?” Fluttershy inquired, leaning in to hear her friend better,

“I’ve been starting to…” Rainbow trailed off again, staring at her hooves and the ground instead of Fluttershy. Why was this so hard? She, one of the most fearless and courageous ponies in all of Equestria couldn't muster a simple confession? What was she, a grade-school filly?

“Yes?” Fluttershy leaned in closer, paying more attention than before, readying herself to hear whatever it is Rainbow Dash had to say and to help her through any problems she was having.

Rainbow began to back up, looking around nervously as if there were other ponies in the room, watching and judging her every move like she was on trial for murder. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and easing her mind. ‘It’s no harder than the time you accidentally ripped a page out of one of Twilight's books and had to tell her about it, you can do this Dash' She thought silently to herself as she exhaled slowly. She had already practiced it a good thousand times in her head, imagining all of the possible outcomes, but that made it no easier as she prepared herself to say what was on her mind. “Fall for you; I’ve been starting to fall for you. I have been trying to ignore this feeling for a long time. But it seems every time I’m with you, alone or not, I can’t control these feeling I get. This heart pounding love I feel for you, and even if you don’t feel it back I can’t keep it a secret anymore. It's just been eating me alive these past few weeks, and I don't know how it even came about! It's one of the most... odd things I've ever experienced and I don't even know if it's fully true. But, I... I may love you, Fluttershy; at least, I think I may. It's why I brought you on this trip in the first place, I didn't want to confess to you in Ponyville when you could be around everypony, I wanted to tell you somewhere special, or in a special way. But I've been chickening out all week, and I realized it was now or never.” Rainbow looked away and blushed vibrantly, already feeling ashamed of herself. She couldn't bring herself to look at the yellow pony in front of her. Fear stung her to the very core of what her reaction might be. She just wanted to hide in the corner like a frightened filly, and wait for it all to be over. It was stupid, stupid! She just wanted to kick herself in the gut for even being foolish enough to consider telling Fluttershy in the first place.

Fluttershy had no idea how to respond to this, or how she even felt on the subject. She never had any idea her friend felt this way about her! She began to very nervous being faced with this information so suddenly. She knew she enjoyed every moment she had spent with Rainbow Dash but she had never once thought of them as more then friends. Fluttershy was straight, she always had been. But when she heard about Rainbow Dash’s feelings for her, she could feel herself slipping into a deep bi curious confusion. Even she had at least once felt her heart pound unusually around the rainbow colored Pegasus, but what was she to do now? It wasn't like she could just jump into a relationship with Dash; she didn't feel comfortable dating anypony, male or female. It’s why she had never dated anypony beforehoof, she was too nervous to. But on the other hoof, Dash wasn’t just some pony; she was her best friend and had been so for over a year, nearly two! However, she didn’t feel right dating Dash, she just didn’t! It was one of the hardest decisions in her life, and she couldn’t help but feel that she could regret her choice either way. After what seemed like an eternity, Fluttershy could feel herself break out of shock, which led to her being increasingly shy while Dash stood in front of her, waiting on some sort of response.

The shy pony eventually found the words on how to express herself, even though they weren't the best, it was the most she could muster “I don’t quite know what to say, Dashie. I will admit I have felt something more than friendship towards you on a few occasions… But I don’t know. I don’t know if I even like you that way, or if I could even hold a relationship… I’m so sorry… This is so hard to do…” Fluttershy could feel her voice lowering on the last words as she backed into the corner until she bumped the wall; she then proceeded to cower on the floor. She hated hurting anypony, especially her closest friend, like that. She couldn't bring herself to imagine the world of pain Rainbow Dash must being going through right now, being rejected like that; she must have been so nervous during the whole vacation. Building herself up to lift a big load off of her chest for a hopefully positive response, only to be met with the cool sting of rejection from the one she sought out to love; it must be horrible, and it was all her fault. She could feel herself begin to shake more, in fear of what her techicolored friend must be feeling at the moment.

Rainbow looked to her friend and instantly realized how much she had stress she had put on her with what she had said. Guilt began to take over the initial pain of rejection as she looked upon the cowering pony. Why hadn't she taken this of all things into consideration at first?! Fluttershy was bound to blame herself for the pain she would receive should she be rejected, which she had been. Not only was her heart broken, but she may have hurt her friend more than she had herself, and in her opinion, that was one of the worst things she could do to a friend. 'I have to make this right' Dash thought to herself as she slowly approached her shaking friend, gently laying a hoof on the yellow pony's back and slowly rubbing it.

“Hey, hey now… calm down Fluttershy. I had no right to put you on the spot like that… You don’t have to make a decision now, you don't ever have to make one. If you’re unsure about us being more than friends, then I’d rather have you be happy than make a decision you’d regret. You don't need to worry about it, no hurt feelings, OK?" Rainbow Dash said soothingly as she pulled the pony into a reassuring hug. She had lied about the hurt feelings part, in all honesty, she could feel her heart breaking as she said the words, and a tear streamed down her cheek. But she wiped it away before Fluttershy could see, there would be plenty of time to cry and get over it later, there was no reason to drag Fluttershy down with her, it would just be down right despicable.

Fluttershy could feel herself stop shaking as a warm feeling of joy and relief overtook her. She returned the hug, letting Dash's body heat and gentle hooves calm her as she exhaled slowly. She was glad that she hadn't hurt Dash too badly... hopefully. But, if she had, for some reason Dash wasn't showing; was... was she hiding it? Hiding it so Fluttershy didn't have to bear the weight of her depression? If that was the case, Fluttershy had to admit she was a pretty admirable pony. Not even she could let her own pain go to soothe that of another's. She pulled out of the hug and pulled herself to her hooves, regaining her calm. She shyly looked to Rainbow Dash, who in turn gave a smile back. No tears, no anger, no frown, hate, depression, crying; maybe she hadn't been hurt… maybe.

Fluttershy leaned forward a bit and gave Rainbow a slight nuzzle under the neck. “Thank you...” She whispered quietly

Rainbow Dash blushed as she felt her heart skip a beat “It’s no problem, really,” She said with a soothing voice as she tried to contain her heart's beating, only to be met with little success. The kind pony stepped back and gave another nervous look to her friend.

"Friends?" Fluttershy asked nervously, fearing that all might not be fixed.

"Friends," Rainbow Dash replied with a reassuring smile. Fluttershy gave an audible sigh of relief as she turned back to her packing. The blue pony turned to leave, giving a quiet sigh of defeat. Even though she had been able to prevent her friend from being hurt, she herself still felt pain seeping its way into her heart. Tears began to form in her eyes and make their way down her cheek like raindrops streaming down a window on a rainy day. Maybe days would be rainy from then on, at least until she got over her rejection. She quickly made her way out of the room, so Fluttershy didn't have to see her the way she was, it would just further increase the problem. As she shut the door behind her, she said a thankful prayer to Celestia that she could hide her pain so well…

Fluttershy looked over when her door closed, quickly brushing it off as she got back to the task at hoof. But, for some odd and unknown reason to the pink-maned pony, she couldn't get herself to focus on what she was doing. When she reached for The Wonderbolts T-Shirt she had gotten at the show, she couldn't help but just sit there and stare at it for a good while. It was as if the shirt may somehow contain the answers to all of her problems, but just can't communicate them. Fluttershy sighed, setting the shirt down and going over to the other side of her room. She flicked off the light switch, instantaneously filling the whole room with the darkness of Luna's night. She moved over to her bed, clearing all of the possessions and her suitcase off the top of it; packing would have to wait until morning, right now she just needed to rest. She effortlessly eased herself into the bed, pulling the covers over herself and leaning back into the soft cloud pillow. She turned to her side, holding the pillow close to her body as she sighed once more. No matter how much she tried to think of other things, for some reason her mind kept drifting back to her friend. Something had defiantly happened just then, but she was unsure of what as she held her pillow closer to her like it was some sort of teddy bear.

“Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing at all,” Fluttershy wondered aloud as she turned to face the ceiling, hoping it would give her some sort of advice, some sort of response “I mean… maybe it’s worth a try…” she said lightly, her voice echoing slightly in the large, empty room. She closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like to be in a romantic relationship with Dash. She giggled lightly at her elementary visions, letting them take over her thought process until she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Rainbow Dash went back to her room, despite her success with comforting her shy friend, her real goal was still a complete failure. Tears had soaked her face on the short walk to her room and they were still coming, relentlessly pouring out of her eyes as if they were sprinklers. She was also thoroughly embarrassed, to say the very least, having just made a complete fool of herself in front of the pony whose opinion she respected most. She sighed heavily, closing her eyes as pain swept over her heart in waves, making noticeable pounds in her chest, each one more vigorous than the last. After a brief moment, she opened her eyes once more, making her way to the open window; beyond it she could see the crystal clear night, stars twinkling in the sky, contrasting well with the bright moon.

“Well, I can only hope to Celestia that things don’t start going downhill from here…” She whispered to herself before turning off her light, hopefully tomorrow would be a better day... hopefully.

***

The next day the sun was out bright and the sky was practically clear, save for a few cumulus clouds that were strewn across the sky. The warmth of the sun beamed upon Rainbow Dash’s back as she sat outside, waiting for Fluttershy to gather her things. She had already finished packing, seeing as she hadn't brought much to begin with. But for some reason, it was taking her shy friend twice as long as it usually would have to get ready to leave. Besides, hadn't she already packed last night? What else could she be up to in there? Rainbow Dash sighed in frustration, impatiently tapping her hoof on the soft cloud-floor until a figure suddenly emerged from the house, bearing a black suitcase, traced with brown in her mouth.

“Jeeze, what took you so long?!” Rainbow asked in an annoyed tone as she got to her hooves. Fluttershy spat out the suitcase in her mouth, the object landing safely on the squishy cloud, before turning to face the sports pony

“I’m sorry Dashie; I had t-trouble gathering everything….” The yellow pony spoke shyly. She seemed to be acting shyer than she usually did, which was saying a lot for Fluttershy.

“Is something wrong Fluttershy?” Rainbow carefully asked, hoping not to make her feel threatened in any way.

“N-n-n-n-o…” Fluttershy voice dropped to a shy squeak. She didn't feel like speaking to Dash in fear that what had happened the night before would be brought up. She wasn't sure whether she had hurt Dash or not, and if so, she wasn't sure how much she had hurt her. If she was going to help the situation at all, one of the best ways would be to give her friend some time alone, to get over the initial rejection. But she didn't dare say this, in fear that it would only serve to increase Dash's pain.

“If you say so….” Rainbow sounded half hearted saying it. She was worried about what might become of her and her closest friend’s relationship after what happened. What if they started to drift apart, what if she accidentally messed something up again? Then not only would she have lost a potential love, she would have lost a life-long friend. She quickly shook the thought off though, she couldn't think about it just yet, “Well… How bout we go home now?” She asked lightly, intently waiting on a response from Fluttershy. Sadly ,all she received was a light nod which she took as a yes. Rainbow Dash flexed her wings, stretching before taking off towards Ponyville, Fluttershy following suite. Regardless of the short distance Cloudsdale was from Ponyville, it seemed to take hours upon hours just to arrive at the ground.

On the way into the town proper, there was plenty of awkward tension between the two Pegasi. Neither of them had any idea what to say or do, and they hadn't even decided whether or not to tell the rest of their friends about what had happened yet. In Fluttershy's opinion, she thought she'd keep it a secret; after all, it must have token a great deal of courage for Rainbow Dash to do what she did, and Fluttershy didn't want to ruin it or her more by spreading the word all around Ponyville. Needless to say, both of them knew things weren't going to be the same for the next few days...

***

A few days after their vacation, Fluttershy eventually eased back into wanting to visit and spend time with Rainbow Dash. She figured enough time had passed on for the blue Pegasus to get over any pain she could have been feeling. But her friend seemed to be steadily avoiding her. Whenever she wanted to talk to her, Rainbow would make up some excuse like ‘I got weather jobs to do’ or ‘I need to practice a new trick I made’. After the excuse was made, Dash wouldn't even wait for a response before bolting off in the opposite direction. Fluttershy sensed she was lying due to how off guard and nervous she sounded when she gave the excuses, and how she always seemed in a hurry to go away right after she had made them. Had what happened in Cloudsdale start to break down Rainbow’s self confidence around the sight of her? Or was Rainbow just so heart broken she never wanted to speak to the shy pony ever again? But through all of the questions, Fluttershy knew one thing was for sure, she needed to come up with some sort of solution to this problem, less she loose Dash as a friend forever. Fluttershy shuddered at the thought, she couldn't let that happen, she needed to do something, and fast. She paced around her house for a long while, attempting to think of some sort of plan, anything that would be able to save the friendship she oh so cherished with her friend. Just as Luna's moon began to rise of the peeks of the horizon, it hit her. She could take Dash to her clearing! It was the perfect idea, Dash could relax and unwind there, amongst the tranquility of the forest and animals. Almost as suddenly as the idea came to her head, a scene played out before her mind. She saw herself nuzzling and kissing Rainbow Dash as they held each other closely in the clearing, she could taste her tongue, and she could feel the warmth of her fur brushing against her own as cold sweat poured down it...

Fluttershy quickly shook her head, she couldn't afford to think that way, it's what put their friendship into jeopardy in the first place! She looked out the window again, night was beginning to form outside. She didn't have much time left, she hastily opened the door, stepping outside and making her way towards Ponyville in search of Rainbow Dash. But all the while, her mind kept drifting back to that thought.

***

“Come on Dashie, get up… Please…” Fluttershy said politely and quietly, her voice barely a whisper as she nudged the sleeping Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was busy sleeping upon a cloud when Fluttershy had found her, which had made things all the more easier for the yellow pony. But she felt as if she needed to be careful, she didn’t want to seem rude when awakening her friend, even if it was for a good cause. Eventually, the blue pony came to, rubbing her head in annoyance as she sat up on the cloud. When her eyes fell upon who awoken her, she grunted in frustration.

“What do you want Fluttershy? I’m busy, can’t you see?” Rainbow Dash said in complaint as she flopped back down on the cloud. It was times like these that Fluttershy would usually accept defeat and move on, but she couldn’t let that happen tonight, she needed to fix her relationship with Dash. Even if it meant having to step out of her comfort zone and do something she usually wouldn’t do, it was necessary. She took a deep breath and prepared herself, exhaling slowly before speaking.

“No! I will not take no for an answer this time, you are coming with me!” Fluttershy demanded as she shook her friend some more. Rainbow Dash was thoroughly impressed as she rose from her cloud, looking in shock at the mare; Fluttershy rarely demanded anything at all unless she was serious, otherwise she would just keep on politely asking. Rainbow shrugged, stretching out her body and wings before taking off into the sky; she figured she’d play along with her friend’s plan, only to see what the big deal was. Besides, she hadn’t spoken to Fluttershy in awhile, mainly due to the fear that she would mess something up again coupled with the aching pain she felt in her heart around the mare. It probably would be nice to start anew, so she wouldn’t lose her friend for good.

Fluttershy cheered in glee upon seeing that her friend would actually be joining her. She instantly grabbed the dare devil’s hoof, leading her off into the direction of the Everfree Forest. Rainbow Dash stoically followed along, not showing much care for where she was being taken.

***

“Why’d you bring me here Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked while exploring the area she had been brought to. It was a beautiful clearing, complete with all of the joys and serenities of nature. The land was flat and perfect, no ditches, high hills, or large rocks to get in the way of anypony who wanted to relax. The area reminded Dash of those clearings that ponies sometimes went camping in, the ones that were the ideal condition for sleeping outdoors. The place was amazing, especially considering how rare it was to come upon land this perfect in the Everfree Forest.

“You’ve been acting so distant and stressed lately… I thought you could use a bit of a refresher.” Fluttershy smiled lightly at her. Rainbow Dash felt her heart pounding again, she was here, with the pony she’s in love with, in a secluded forest, under the stars. Regardless of the fact that Fluttershy didn’t even feel the same way, Dash couldn’t help it as she felt her heart rate steadily increasing. She looked away and blushed, attempting to distract herself by focusing her attention on a nearby nest of sleeping birds. She couldn’t let herself try anything, not even in such a perfect setting. For the first time in weeks, things finally seemed to be looking up again in her friendship with Fluttershy, all it would take it one fatal move to mess it all up again.

Fluttershy could sense her friend edging away and feeling embarrassed. She began to panic, trying to think of some way to keep the situation under control before things became too awkward. The timing couldn’t have been worse when her mind drifted back to the vision she had once more. She couldn’t help it, no matter how much it frustrated her that was all she could think off as she looked upon her friend. Maybe… maybe she did feel some sort of ‘love’ towards Rainbow Dash. That was the only logical explanation for why she couldn’t stop picturing being together with her. The caretaker knew that she could only act in two ways right now, and she knew she’d have to make this decision before it was too late. Without a word being said, she gulped before slowly trotting towards the sky-blue Pegasus, burying her head into its neck.

Rainbow Dash nearly screamed out of sheer excitement and shock. Her already fast beating heart and started to go a mile a minute. Was this really happening? She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of Fluttershy’s warm head under her chin. It was blissful… but was it really happening?

Fluttershy continued to lightly nuzzle Rainbow over and over again. It had to be happening; nothing had ever felt this real in the blue pony’s life. ‘Maybe… maybe it’s just friendly’ she tried to convince herself as she continued to feel the heat of her friend’s head under her chin. No matter whether it was real or not, she was enjoying every second of it. Eventually, Fluttershy pulled back, smiling lightly as she looked a still surprised Dash, who was blushing redder than an apple.

Fluttershy lay down on the soft grass and gestured for Rainbow to follow. Rainbow, surprised at how her friend seemed to be running things on this night, carefully lay down close to the yellow pony. Rainbow couldn’t help herself as Fluttershy rubbed her cheek against hers. ‘This is too good to be real, I have to be dreaming’ she thought to herself as she felt the softness of the shy pony’s coat against hers. But she wasn’t, she turned to face Fluttershy who still retained a smile on her face. She could see how bad the yellow Pegasus was blushing too when the two locked gazes and looked into each others’ eyes. She felt herself moving in slowly towards the pink-maned pony, as if she were preparing for a kiss.

Rainbow couldn’t resist herself, she just couldn’t, this was all too much and it all felt too right. She hastily moved in, closing the remaining gap between her and Fluttershy as she kissed the yellow pony deeply, closing her eyes and not letting up. Fluttershy’s eyes popped wide open, she wasn’t expecting a kiss but she didn’t pull back. Instead, she leaned in to return it, slowly closing her eyes as well. No matter what bad could come from this, the moment was perfect. And Fluttershy did not dare end it. She didn’t know exactly why she was doing it, but, for some odd reason it felt right, like she was somehow destined for this exact moment in time. It was just like her vision; she could feel the heat of Rainbow’s breath, she could taste her tongue, it was a wonderful explosion of happiness that flooded her every thought. It was the first time she had ever kissed another pony, and she didn’t think she would forget the feeling anytime soon.

After a long while, both ponies pulled back, looking each other in the eye and blushing furiously. Fluttershy squeaked from embarrassment, once again burying her head in the Pegasus’s neck. Rainbow Dash guessed the kiss had embarrassed her friend some; but she didn’t complain about where the animal lover had chosen to hide her face. She hugged the pony close, lightly nuzzling her once more. It felt as if her heart was about ready to burst out of her chest, and she still couldn’t believe any of this was happening! She thought that Fluttershy hadn’t liked her back, that they would never be in this sort of situation. But it looked as if the world had proven her wrong as she felt the heat of her friend’s body against hers, but she didn’t argue.

Not another word was said that night as both ponies lay close to each other, gazing up upon the stars. No words needed to be said, they both knew what had just happened, and what it could very well mean for their future. Rainbow figured Fluttershy was staying silent for the same reason she was, the reason being that she too needed a moment to comprehend what had just happened and to think about what it could lead to. After several minutes, Fluttershy laid her head down upon the soft grass, closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep. Dash followed suite, resting her chin upon the shy pony’s head and closing her eyes as she fell into the best sleep of her life.

END