Chapter 7: What We Once Were!
Fluttershy awoke with hooves wrapped around her, her body weighed down by another laying on top of her, and able to see little else but the dreamy face of her friend, a friend whose muzzle lightly brushed against the side of her face. This was normal now.
Fluttershy waking up to find Rainbow Dash had ensnared her into an awkward position—in this case the cyan pegasus was hugging her, hooves wrapped around her body, and the athlete’s toned body sprawled on top of hers—was normal. Before, such an awkward wake up would have caused Fluttershy to blush, fluster, and start trying to worm her way out from underneath her bed mate. Now, she only blushed, the warmth of another mare’s gently pressed body being the cause for it, and chose to slowly usher Rainbow Dash out of slumber.
“R-Rainbow Dash… Rainbow Dash, could you please wake up?” Fluttershy said softly.
Such a voice would usually be too quiet to hear, but in their current position —wake up position number three Fluttershy had decided to term it—their heads were next to one another, and so her words trickled into the rainbow mane pony’s ear.
“Wuh-wha…?” Rainbow mumbled. She raised her head slowly from beside Fluttershy’s, and with half-asleep eyes, looked to her friend.
“R-Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy stuttered out. Though the frequently blushing pegasus had managed to compose herself in waking up to her sleeping friend, having the same mare—whom she could not help but find attractive—looking to and holding her when awake always got her heart thumping. “Y-You’re on… top of me… a-again. Could you please…?”
Fluttershy would have said more—mustered the rest of the words from her brain that was distracted by other, more bodily thoughts—but Rainbow Dash had already complied. Rainbow rolled off of Fluttershy… and off the bed.
“…Ow.”
“I’m pretty sure we shouldn’t be doing this.” Rainbow Dash stated with a clear voice, a deceitful voice that hid her nervousness unlike the beads of sweat running down her forehead.
Since Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s adventure in the Everfree Forest, one week had passed.
Fluttershy slid her hooves gently against Rainbow Dash’s as she whispered into Dash’s ear, “It’s okay, we can do this. Together.”
Within that week the two pegasus had enjoyed many a relaxing day, having grown used to the magical bracelets that had disrupted their former day-to-day activities, and even now had a routine for the day.
“I assure you, you’ll be fine,” Fluttershy continued to encourage her friend, her hoof remaining entangled with Rainbow’s, “You will feel really proud of yourself once you’ve finished.”
Also within that time, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash’s friendship had continued to prosper, and as of the moment they were engaging in their regular morning activity.
“Okay, I’m doing it.” Dash declared as she finally went along with Fluttershy’s suggestion, and did something she never thought she would be doing.
Rainbow Dash poured the milk into the bowl of cereal. Astonishingly, this time it did not catch on fire.
As if retrieving a useful tool from a treasure chest, Rainbow raised the bowl containing her breakfast meal above her head and proclaimed to the world, “I have made cereal!”
“Yay.”
Enjoying their time together, games were played as Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy competed in Battleclouds, chatted with friends, and went about enjoying their fellow connected ponies hobbies as best they could. This of course was much easier for Fluttershy’s interests than Rainbow’s, and as such, spending time with the animals was a more frequent activity than flying about at top speeds.
In turn with spending time with the animals, Fluttershy continued to fulfil her role as an animal caretaker, with Rainbow Dash stuck as her assistant. Luckily for her, she had been given a leave of absence from her weather duties—granted to her when Twilight visited the mayor to explain the duo’s situation and Mayor Mare began screaming hysterically, “Please don’t make me fall in love with a doll again, I’ll do anything!”
Twilight still regrets not asking for more funds to her library.
Like the majority of things the two did though, Rainbow Dash got used to working with the animals, and even enjoyed tending to the birds and flying insects. Other jobs would also arise though, and due to one such recent incident, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were up on the tree house’s roof fixing a hole.
“I can’t believe—nail,” Rainbow Dash asked for another nail, requiring one to fix the wooden board down with the hammer beside her, “that there was another one of those toast monsters.”
Fluttershy positioned a nail right where Dash needed it, and grasping a hammer in her mouth the mare began hammering said nail in.
“I-It was pretty scary, and to think it was right outside Rarity’s boutique. I’m so glad she and Sweetie Belle were at the Sisterhooves Social that day. I don’t want to imagine what it could have done to them,” Fluttershy voiced her concerns amidst Rainbow’s hammer time. “…I’m pretty sure it wasn’t toast though.”
Rainbow Dash spit out the hammer in order to reply, “I know it doesn’t look like toast, but it just reminds me of it, the way it wobbled and all.”
Fluttershy smiled back, quite assured that the two monsters that had been encountered recently were in no way related to toast. What they were was not a huge concern for her though, she was simply glad that they were able to deal with both of them, luring the second one to another, albeit hastily dug, trap-hole.
Speaking of trap-holes, an expert maker of such trickery was at that moment climbing up to the roof with a tray of tea and salad sandwiches balanced on his head.
Dash snickered gleefully, “Oh, is it grub time already?”
Fluttershy beamed at her favourite pet as she relocated the tray with delectable treats off of his head, and then gently onto a flat part of the roof. “Thank you very much, Angel Bunny.”
Angel’s ears picked up on these words of gratitude and he beamed a smug grin in response. Humbly taking the praise, he wasted no further time in handing to his owner a saucer and a tea cup, the latter filled with the calming green tea his owner liked. He then turned to Rainbow Dash, still with a smile on his face. It was with this continued smile that the rabbit went on to serve Rainbow Dash.
“Thank you Angel,” Rainbow replied warmly as she accepted her tea cup of cola.
Since Angel had learnt of the bracelets, understanding that it was not some sinister scheme of Rainbow Dash’s to steal his owner away from him, a vast improvement had been found in the relationship between the two of them.
The moment Fluttershy looks away I'm going to kick you off this roof.
“The moment my owner looks away I’m going to murder you.”
Perhaps it was not quite vast, but an improvement in how they got along was still true. So long as Fluttershy was there though—pleased to see that they were getting along—they were willing to postpone their fight. However, even if at that point they had begun trading blows they would have soon been interrupted by an attention grabbing shout.
“Rainbow Dash! Fluttershy! Down here!” was yelled up to the pegasi, who, along with the white furred pet, looked down from the roof to see Spike by the bridge.
“Hey Spike!” Rainbow Dash yelled back down to the smiling assistant. “How’s it going?”
The smile on the dragon’s face turned to a grin. “Great! In fact, I’ve got some good news from Twilight to tell you about.”
The pegasi’s attention had already been gained, but now their interests had been well—both of them leaning a little further over the edge, “Really, what news?”
“Twilight…” Spike began to say, but paused for dramatic effect, “… has figured out how to remove the bracelets.”
Rainbow’s gasp of excitement was so loud that Fluttershy’s response went unheard. Ecstatically, she then flew down to Spike in order to confirm, “Really, Twilight’s really, really?”
“Really, really.”
“Yes!” The thrilled pony yelled out, hooves shooting out to the air.
Spike watched Rainbow start an airborne dance of glee. He also looked on behind Rainbow Dash to see a dazed Fluttershy, whom had apparently been knocked to the side and stunned when Rainbow took off towards him as quick as she did.
Then Spike put two and two together. “Um, Rainbow, haven’t five seconds—”
Spike received the answer to his half-asked question when the bracelets magic activated, froze both the pegasus, and threw them into one another.
The dragon was unsure whether he should sigh with irony, babble on with concern, or start chuckling in amusement. So he did none of these things, just walked on up to the collapsed pile of ponies.
“Well, I’m not going to be missing this.” Rainbow groaned as she rolled her even more dazed friend off of her, stood up, and addressed her friend, “C’mon Fluttershy, no time to be lazing about, we have to get to Twilight’s.”
“O-okay.” Fluttershy mumbled as she was helped to her hooves.
“Yeah, about that, Twilight says she won’t be removing them today.”
Rainbow Dash did a mental flip at this piece of news, and after stuttering over her own fast paced words, blurted out, “Why not?”
“I dunno.” Spike shrugged, “She said she needed to double-check things, something about it being too simple. The point is she wants to see you tomorrow, once she’s finished checking things over.”
“Awww.”
“Okay then, though, if it’s not too much trouble, would it be okay if we visit first thing in the morning?” Fluttershy queried, having finally got her head steady.
“Should be okay,” Spike answered. Then, with a short bow, he then bid adieu. “Seeya tomorrow.”
“You too Spike!” Rainbow Dash called back to the dragon as he parted back to Ponyville.
As Spike left, voices became mute. That is not to say that sound was lacking—Fluttershy’s various pets made sure of that, birds tweeting and chipmunks munching. Angel was also in the process of hopping down from the roof, with his little bounces rustling the branches and stirred the leaves out of their place. This was also not an awkward form of silence; there were no words that either pony feared to say, only emotions stirring inside.
Rainbow Dash, of course, was the first to let loose her emotions, “Woo-hoo! No more bracelets, no more being stuck together! Isn’t this amazing Fluttershy?”
“O-oh, yes.” Fluttershy replied with a weak smile, her happiness being pushed down by… some other kind of emotion—something which bothered her.
“I don’t see why I should feel… disappointed at this news but… I’m just being silly.” The troubled mare set her mind to pushing away the oddly sombre feelings and focused on the general cheer oozing from Rainbow Dash.
“Yeah, we can finally do things we want to do!”
“R-Rainbow Dash is happy, so I should also be happy. I’m happy.”
“Now we don’t have to continue spending every second of our lives like some blissful lovey-dovey married couple!”
“…I feel sad now.”
The rest of the day was a blur for the two protagonists, albeit for different reasons. Rainbow Dash was filled with excitement, her mind—and in turn, her mouth—buzzed with ideas of what she would be doing once the bracelets were removed. As the two tended to the pets, she talked about how she would be performing every flight trick she knew. As the two went shopping for groceries, she talked about how she would scour the skies for the best clouds and make the cushiest bed in all of Equestria. As the two sorted out the groceries for Angel to cook up dinner, she talked about how she would clean her house—something she had never even done before having the bracelets on.
Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was troubled with conflicting emotions, and ultimately knew not whether she should be happy or sad—relieved or regretful. As the two ate their dinners, she mulled over her jumbled thoughts. As the two cleaned their teeth, she pondered why she was feeling anything negative at all in regards to what should be nothing but joyous news. As the two settled down into bed—accompanied by her pet rabbit—she remained awake with a heavy heart.
Rainbow and Angel slept silently, leaving Fluttershy only with her thoughts to keep her company. It was these thoughts that kept her awake, and within the silence the thoughts echoed, bounding from Fluttershy’s head before fading into the darkness of the night.
"I wonder when my feelings of friendship became something more?"
Fluttershy asked herself this question as she laid in her bed, her body taking comfort in the plush butterfly blanket over her while her mind remained ill at ease.
"I'm sure it couldn't have been immediately. I remember feeling grateful, and admiring her and us becoming friends but..."
Fluttershy's thoughts continued to roam at the forefront of her mind, troubling her, as the more she thought of her initial question the less likely she felt in finding an answer.
"I don't know when I started wishing we were something more, but I started too, and the thought of it was nice."
The yellow mare tugged on the blanket adorned with her cutie mark, though in shades of red and purple rather than her own pink ones, pulling the coverage closer round her.
"But then, before I could act, we went our separate ways."
The blankets began to move away from her but she did not notice as she stared blankly in the direction of the ceiling, overshadowed by pitch black darkness.
"But then we managed to meet again, only a couple of years later, but something had changed."
She raised her right hoof that contrasted with the palette of the night to her forehead, only just now noticing her coverless body.
"I didn't feel quite the same with her as I did back then, the more intense feelings I had...had faded."
If one could have been in the room, gone about unnoticed, and pierced through the darkness they would have seen a look of certainty that was rarely seen on the shy mare's face.
"I was sure then; that back then my feelings was but a crush and one that had disappeared forever."
Fluttershy turned over in the bed, and what she saw to the left of her made her look of certainty be replaced by its exact opposite.
"So why..?"
Fluttershy couldn't help but watch the fellow pegasus beside her, whose coat complimented the night's hues much better than her own, and whose mind was so at ease she was able to whistle a cheery tune in her sleep.
"Why are Rainbow Dash and I in bed together?"
Fluttershy eyes welled up with tears as memories emerged in her head and pain jolted from her racing heart.
“Why now? When I no longer love her, why is all this happening? Why…”
Fluttershy closed her teary eyes and forced her mind and body with every bit of will to succumb to sleep, to allow her an escape from herself.
“...Why am I falling in love with her again?”
This was Fluttershy’s last thought before her wish for sleep was achieved; however, while she was escaping from her thoughts, she was not escaping from her troubles. Fluttershy drifted to sleep, and found herself lost within the memories of her past.
The memories of her, and the best friend she loved.
I remember, treasure that day. That day long ago, when the two of us first became friends. It was when I was just a filly; I had decided to go to flight camp over the summer break. It was there that I had met Rainbow Dash, who appeared before me to defend me from those bullies. It was also the time that both of us got our cutie marks, and when the race was over and I was safely delivered back to flight camp, we got around to talking with one another.
“…and that is all one hundred reasons why I’m awesome.” Okay, it was mostly Rainbow Dash talking. “So, what about you?”
“Oh, uh, me?” I was quite content with listening to my friend talk—content with being able to apply the term ‘friend’ to another pony once again.
“Yes you. So far, all I know is your name and your ability to command a legion of demons.”
“T-there not demons.”
“You know, we could probably take over all of Equestria with your demon army.”
“T-take over Equestria!? ”
I was rather naïve then, and I only realised she was joking when she cheekily grinned and put her hoof a round my shoulder, saying with merriment, “I’m just kidding, we’re the good guys after all.”
I did not know how to respond to any of this. If it was with anypony else I would have assumed I was being picked on, but the comfort of her hoof on my body and the glow of her smile all served to calm me It made me know that she meant no harm and it was all said with a good nature.
“So Fluttershy, tell me more about you. I kind of need to know more about my friend than just her name.” Just her mentioning me as her friend brought a wide smile onto my face, one I could not stop. It felt good to be called someponies friend again.
“I-I’m… shy.”
“I would never have guessed.”
It was so strange how we became friends. We had so little in common and acted nothing like one another. Yet from then on, we were always together. The first thing we would do when we woke up each morning was find each other, talk about random subjects, and spend each day with one another. Rainbow Dash would spend most of it performing flight tricks and giving me pointers. I would spend most of it talking about different animals and trying to convince Rainbow Dash they are not an army of cutthroat demons preparing to lay waste to Equestria upon my command. Regardless of what we did and despite neither of us enjoying the other's hobbies, we enjoyed it simply because we were there together as friends.
Of course a problem was fast approaching, one that threatened our friendship. We had become friends at summer flight camp, and summer did not last forever.
“Say Fluttershy, what school do you go to?” It was only a couple of days until we would part, never to see each other again, and so this question was expected.
“Cloudsdale Public School.” Cloudsdale was well known for having several well-built, well-staffed, and well educated schools. Cloudsdale Public was not one of them. “And you, Rainbow Dash?”
“O-Oh I, uh… go to a different school.” With Rainbow’s stuttering words we both felt a sense of defeat, the chance for us to remain friends quite possibly gone forever. It was the first moment of uneasy silence between us and my thoughts at the time strayed into what it will be like to return once again to friendlessness. Rainbow Dash had by then been fidgeting, her hoof nervously pulling up clumps of cloud out of the current spot, before working up the courage to utter, “B-but I could always transfer there, after the summer break.”
I had looked up to her with moist eyes and asked despondently, “How?”
“I’ll… ask my parents, beg them if I have to,” Rainbow had started off by saying and then rose up to state some of the happiest words I would hear in my life, “You and me, we’re best friends for life! There isn’t anything that’s going to be separating us! So believe me, I’ll talk to my parents and come school time, we’ll be going together.”
I smiled, grinned even, and let out the loudest cheer I could. Rainbow Dash was right next to me, and she couldn’t even hear it.
I remember exiting the carriage not feeling sad. For the first time in a long while, pessimistic thoughts were banished from my mind, to which I had the knowledge of knowing that I would be able to see Rainbow Dash again when school started up to thank. As of that moment though, the only thing on my mind was running home and telling my parents all about my very best friend. Dad always worked late, but I could tell mum all about it, and stay up until dad got back.
I made my way along the bumpy path and arrived to a lone cloud house, lower down than most of the other houses and starting to dilapidate. This was my home. Despite my excitement, I made sure to push open and close the door gently—for fear of breaking it—and only then bounded as fast I could to see mum.
Due to poor fitness though, I was out of breath by the time I had reached her but she waited until I caught my breath.
“Oh mum, I’ve made a friend, I’ve made a friend!” I’m sure I spoke too fast for my mum to hear but she didn’t complain.
“Her-Her-Her name’s Rainbow Dash and she’s cool and heroic and, and…” I droned on and on about my best friend and my mum listened patiently to every word I had to say.
It must have been over an hour, just telling my mum about Rainbow Dash and all the things we had done together at summer flight camp. I made sure to leave out any mention of the bullies though; I did not want to worry her. Besides, with Rainbow Dash around, I never would have to fear bullies ever again.
I only stopped talking in fact when my tummy began to rumble and I realised how hungry I was, “I-I think I should go cook dinner, I’ll be back to tell you more about her mum.”
Then I went off to prepare dinner for myself, as well as for when dad would arrive home later. My mum smiled to this and watched me go without saying a word. It would have been a little scary if she had.
After all, photos don’t talk back.
Days passed, and I returned to Cloudsdale Public School for another new year. I arrived as early in the morning as I could so I could see everypony that arrived. Then I waited—in a corner where nopony could see me of course—until I could re-encounter my best friend.
It was not hard to spot a rainbow mane pegasus within the crowd of students, and I began to approach her. Slowly of course, running and calling out her name risked bringing attention to me, something I dislike even to this day. Unfortunately this was Rainbow Dash I was going to meet, and the moment she spotted me heading towards her, she did the exact thing I had been avoiding: running up and yelling.
“Fluttershy!”
As Dash sped on up to greet me, calling out my name, I froze. I could just feel it, everyponies' eyes briefly flickering towards me. But this was brief—they decided they were not interested in me or my friend—and went back to their own business.
“Hey Fluttershy, you’re zoning out.” Rainbow snapped me out of my worried thoughts, and brought my attention back towards her.
“I-I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash I—”
“Don’t worry about it.” Rainbow cut me off—as per usual—when I tried to apologise, grabbed me by the shoulder and began ruffling my mane.
After being freed from her grip with a now messy mane, Rainbow went on to ask me all the usual questions, and of course, talking about all the flying and racing she’s been doing. I was much happier when she talked about the latter; I preferred to listen than talk about myself. Our conversation was cut short by the ring of the school bell, and Rainbow began leading the way to the door.
“C’mon Fluttershy, I’m new here. You’ve got to show me around the place,” Dash told me while taking the lead to the school.
Her actions weren’t quite matching her words, though when she did reach the doors she did stop and wait for me. Then when I got there she continued to wait. For another few seconds, she continued to watch the doors impatiently, and began to stomp the ground with her hooves.
“Um… Rainbow Dash, we can go in now.” I was starting to worry about how the other ponies, who were just getting to the doors, would react if we were blocking the way.
Rainbow looked at me, clearly confused, and asked, “Are these door’s broken? They aren’t opening.”
I went up and pushed the doors open.
“O-oh, they aren’t… never mind, I knew that,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked with me into the building.
This was the first tip I had that Rainbow Dash went to a very different school before, and the first tip that she was from a quite different area of Cloudsdale than I was. She had never spoken much about her school, her home, or even her family back at flight camp. Instead, conversations were usually about her hobbies, her skills, and what she wanted to do in the future. At the time, I didn’t think much of it—I did not want to think my closest friend was hiding something from me—but as the day went on this became more apparent.
Dashing. Rainbow Prismatic Dashing. I remember distinctly how Rainbow cringed as soon as her full name left the teacher's mouth. When walking through the school corridors Rainbow would comment on the lack of paintings and portraits on the walls. She also found it surprising that the school lacked a swimming pool. The biggest giveaway must have been when Rainbow Dash brought in 30 bits to pay for a school lunch; it only cost her 3 bits here, and lacked hors d’oeuvres.
It became apparent that Rainbow Dash was hiding something, but I kept quiet about this. I was sure she had her reasons. She wasn’t very good at keeping it a secret though, and I eventually found out about it on her birthday when I had to fly over an electrified fence, sneak past security guards, swim across an outdoor swimming pool, and befriend guard falcons just to deliver her a birthday present. On my birthday Rainbow Dash did not have anywhere near as much as I had in delivering a birthday present to me.
As we spent more and more time with each other, we learnt even more about each other, about things we were afraid at first to tell the other like our backgrounds and families. It was truly miraculous how we managed to get along with such contrasting backgrounds, statuses, personalities, hobbies. We had so very little in common, yet we were always together—like magnets.
With Rainbow Dash around, I never would have to worry about bullies for too long. Even if we had been attending different classes, Dash would always—hee-hee—dash to where I was, and protect me. When she would get injured from the fights—scuffles she would always win—I would always help tend to her injuries. We would play games we both enjoyed like Battleclouds and hide and go seek, or ones we knew the other liked and enjoyed only for the company we were in, like bird watching and stunt flights. We really would go everywhere together and I have many fond memories of us together in Cloudsdale, like the time we found a small cloud tunnel where birds would hide in to rest, or when Rainbow Dash took me to a Starsong concert.
With our ups in life came downs, and as to be expected of our opposing personalities we would sometimes argue. Okay, Rainbow Dash would sometimes argue but it was usually my fault. Rainbow Dash would always endure my hobbies, and even if she made no attempt to hide her boredom or displeasure she would always stick with me through it all. When it came to some of her more active or dangerous activities I would be too scared to try, worried about the possibilities of things going wrong. We would always make up in the end, always remain friends, and it was one of these down moments that made me realise that maybe… maybe I did not want Rainbow Dash as a friend.
Rainbow Dash had been trying to get me to do a stunt with her. It was a risky stunt requiring two pegasi, and I knew there was no way I could do it, and so refused. Rainbow Dash got mad as I insisted I couldn’t do it and began to yell. Eventually she turned away from me, fuming, and I remained curled up, trying to stop my sobbing. Minutes passed, and as I would usually think in those times I began to think of how much Rainbow Dash must hate me. I was always so selfish, always holding her back, and I knew that one day even she wouldn’t be able to put with me. As these thoughts grew within the silent moment between us it became harder and harder to mask my sobs.
“Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said quietly, and I looked up to her with teary eyes, her back facing me. “You should take up some sports… and become a Wonderbolt.”
“W-Why?”
“Because,” Rainbow Dash turned around, and pulled me into a hug, "then you'd be my three favourite things combined."
"Three favourite things?"
Rainbow pulled away from me, and after looking into those eyes—those clear, rosy eyes—she smiled. "An athlete, a Wonderbolt," Rainbow lifted a forehoof, and gently placed it upon my chest—upon my heart, "and you."
This compliment made me smile. It made me feel happy, safe, and… warm? Along with my smile and all sorts of happy feelings that arose in me I felt my heart racing. I felt funny, but in a good way, in a way I wanted to be.
Maybe I did not want Rainbow Dash as a friend. Maybe I wanted her as something more.
Over time, I realised that I liked mares… a lot. I would often overhear the mares at school talking about the stallions—their looks mostly—and hear the mares discussing the stallions' looks, their manes, their voices… and mostly their bodies. All I could think about where the sound of the mares' voices, admire their looks, and… think things… about their bodies. When I saw a mare and stallion hanging out together I thought nothing of it. When I saw a stallion and a stallion together I still thought nothing of it. However, a mare and a mare together? Every small touch, every sweet gesture, I misconstrued what were more than likely just friendships, but the thought of two mares together, romantically sharing hugs and kisses and… very special moments made me happy and envious at once. I wished that I could be one of them, to have a special somepony, and for some reason I wished for that special somepony to be a mare.
Over time I realised I liked Rainbow Dash… a lot. Slowly I wanted to hear every word she spoke, not out of courtesy, but simply to hear her voice. I looked at her face to face whenever I could, so that I could gaze into her pearly pink eyes, take in the sight of her firm jaw, and long for her daring smile. I even caught myself studying her body, my eyes would flitter up and down to inspect every curve, and then my heart and wings would both begin fluttering. I wished for a special somepony, I wished for a special somepony that was a mare. I wished for a special somepony that was Rainbow Dash.
I decided I wouldn’t act. What we both had—her and I—as best friends forever, I was comfortable with it and she was comfortable with it. I wanted her as my special somepony, but I didn’t want to be greedy, nor did I want to risk harming our friendship, so I stayed quiet about my feelings and stuck to enjoying our friendship. After all, it had always been just me and Rainbow Dash. Sure she was athletic and well known around school, but as for friends, she told me herself that I was the only one she considered a friend, and this had been true for several years now, so it always was going to be true. It’s not like Rainbow Dash would become really close friends with somepony else… and she didn’t become friends with somepony else
Gilda was a griffon.
When Gilda was introduced to the class, all of the ponies backed away. All except Rainbow Dash, who approached her excitedly. Rainbow saw Gilda—a big, strong griffon—as cool and interesting, and wasted no time in trying to get to know her. As for Gilda, I’m sure this made her really happy. They soon became friends, and as was natural to occur, Rainbow Dash introduced me to Gilda.
“And this is Fluttershy,” Rainbow announced to her feathered friend as she pushed my quivering, shaking body towards said feathered friend.
“H-h-hello Gilda,” I managed to mumble as I continually begged inside for her to not eat me.
Gilda just took one look at me with eagle eyes and huffed. She raised a lion paw towards me, and with loathing shook my unsteady hoof.
“Charmed,” I remember her forcing out of her beak.
Gilda scared me, though really, all ponies scared me a little. I guess I was being a little silly; Gilda had never done anything bad to me. She would sometimes glare at me when I got too close to Rainbow Dash, and sometimes push me out of the way when there wasn’t room for us to both walk alongside Rainbow Dash, but that wasn’t as bad as what the bullies would do. She just liked Rainbow Dash and didn’t like me; simple.
In some ways I was really glad that Rainbow Dash had a friend who was like her. Now she had someone to race against, and talk about sports, and preform stunts together.
Other times… other times I realised what it meant for Rainbow Dash to have a friend who could and would do all the things she wanted to.
“Hey Fluttershy, I don’t suppose you would mind if I hung out with Gilda today.”
I looked to Rainbow, aghast at her suggestion. This was the first time—outside of an argument—she had ever suggested not hanging out together.
“O-oh, are you two going to be racing? I could watch.” I didn’t want to be left out and we had done this many a time before, Rainbow racing and me watching.
“Y-yeah, about that,” my friend started to say sheepishly. “It’s going to be a long race I’m afraid, and there’s just no where for you to be able to sit to see it all. Besides, Gilda brought up a good point, you don’t like racing, and it must be really boring just sitting there and watching me all the time.”
“W-what? But I like watching you race.” This was a half-lie, it was true that I would get bored of it sometimes but I would like it if Rainbow liked it.
“Yeah, Gilda mentioned that you would say that. That is so like you, you’re such a kind friend, Fluttershy,” Dash replied as she ruffled my mane, “Seeya later Fluttershy.”
This was just the beginning. This happened again and again—more and more—the days in which Rainbow Dash would hang out with Gilda become more frequent and the time she spent with Gilda was becoming longer. Even more troubling was how Gilda was starting to influence Rainbow Dash. Now Gilda wasn’t a bad... griffon, and in a lot of ways she was like Dash, just more extreme in those ways.
When insults were thrown at them, while Rainbow Dash would ignore them, Gilda would argue back. When Rainbow Dash planned a prank, while she made sure not to go too far, Gilda had no limit. When Rainbow Dash got angry, while she would take it out on a wall, Gilda would look for a fight. When Dash dealt with a bully, they would come back to school the next day with a black eye, but when Gilda dealt with them, they would be in the hospital for days.
I was beginning to worry, how different would Rainbow Dash be when we finally got married… then I would end up daydreaming about our future together. Rainbow would become a Wonderbolt and I would travel with her, bringing along with me a few pets, maybe even help train birds to perform alongside Rainbow Dash in Wonderbolt shows. Then when Rainbow Dash retires, I would raise lots and lots of pets, all the kinds we couldn’t when travelling for Wonderbolt performances. We would adopt a few foals and when alone Rainbow would gently lay me on the bed and… I was in puberty back then! It was natural to have a few dirty thoughts.
I knew I was losing Rainbow Dash, and I had to do something. I sat by the table closest to the door in class and immediately ran to her class when the bell would ring. I would make my way to where her family’s chauffeur would drop her off for school each and every morning. I even made her lunch when dad had brought in enough money to afford it.
This was going really well until one day, when Rainbow Dash was off from school sick. It was the first time—outside of an injury—that Rainbow Dash had been off of school on sick leave. I later learned that she had caught conjunctivitis, and she was off the entire week. As such she missed out on the school’s week long period of sex education lessons.
Thinking about it now, that actually explains a lot.
“Look what we have here, Klutzershy without her deluded hero to protect her,” Hoops sneered as he and his larger friend approached me.
“What do we have here, a book. Can we have a look?” Dumbbell joined in the sneering, looking to the small book I held to my chest.
“I-I’m sorry but… I don’t want to show anypony… this.” I was sure I would die of embarrassment if anypony read what I had written.
“C’mon, we want to see it!” is what Hoops said as he pushed me over.
Both of them looked ready to pounce, to lunge atop of me and pry my story off of me… but they stopped at the sound of an eagle. Gilda descended before them, and roared, “Back off, dweebs!”
They did. Really, really fast.
“T-thank you Gil—” I stopped talking and merely “eeped” when Gilda’s paw shot out and snatched my book off of me.
She looked at the cover, studying the illustration and reading the title aloud, “The Rainbow Knight and the Shy Princess.”
I needed more subtle titles.
She turned towards me, eyes a blazing with anger. M-maybe she was upset that I hadn’t thanked her yet, so I tried to thank her again, “T-thank you Gil—”
“Look here you spineless puny pony!” Gilda snapped as she grabbed me by the back of my neck, and pulled me right up to her face, “You need to stop hanging out with Rainbow Dash.”
“What!?”
“You heard me, you need to stop hanging out with Rainbow Dash,” Gilda continued to threaten me. “You’re nothing but a weight to her—a shackle—you’re dragging her down.”
I had to admit, these were things I had thought of myself before.
“Actually, as much as I hate to say it, for some bizarre reason Dash likes hanging around you. So maybe you shouldn’t stop hanging around with her.” I shouldn’t have smiled at this because she then yelled out some more, “But as for flicking your little lovey-dovey eyes at her, the next time you swoon at her I’m going to tear your throat out!”
Every day from then on, every day I talked or played with Rainbow Dash, I made sure I was ready to lift my hooves up to my throat very quick.
Days went by, then weeks, then months. I was still able to hang out with Rainbow Dash because Rainbow Dash wanted to be with me, but every time Gilda was watching me. Even a hint of flirtation—not something I would purposely try to do—or affection beyond the realms of friendship, and she would send a glare towards me, or mime how she would gouge my throat.
It was difficult, and I was constantly afraid of the day Gilda would set forth with her threats, but I at least got to be around Rainbow Dash, so it could have been worse. Over time it did get worse, for Gilda was having it so Rainbow Dash was spending even less time with me. Then after that, Rainbow began to act oddly around me. She would try and say something to me, start a subject, but then stop and tell me that it didn’t matter. I was clueless for a couple of weeks until one day, as I quietly walked down the hallway; I heard Rainbow Dash and Gilda talking to one another from around the corner.
“Look Dash, this is a really bad idea.”
“Gilda sorry, but this is something I just have to do.”
It was very rude of me but I stopped just at the end of the corner, and began to listen in on their conversation.
“Dash, Dash, there’s no need. Just forget about it okay, you don’t need to say anything to Fluttershy.”
“I do!”
What, oh what is it that Dash needs to tell me?
“I can’t hold it in any longer; if I do I’m going to explode. Fluttershy means a lot to me, and I won’t be able to forgive myself if I don’t tell her everything. I need to do this.”
W-w-w-Wait! It couldn’t be! Could it?
“Don’t even try it Dash. Anything else would be fine but this; I know you’re going to chicken out of this.”
My heart had started to beat like a hummingbird's wings, every word spoken convincing me more and more that an impossible unrealistic dream was coming true.
“I have to do this Gilda. Tonight I’m going to Fluttershy’s house; I’ll sneak in through her window and tell her everything. Everything and nothing you say is going to stop me from doing this.”
Maybe I was jumping to conclusions, but at this point I was walking on sunshine. The world seemed so happy, so joyous, and life was worth living. I remained within this happy daze throughout the rest of the school day, and every time I saw Rainbow Dash that day, every time she asked me if I was okay, I would just giggle back at her puzzled face. Rainbow Dash was in love with me. She was going to tell me how she felt tonight!
I was able to greet my dad when he got home. He was surprised and pleased, though worried that I was still awake a little after eleven. Of course, that night I couldn’t sleep knowing what was going to happen. Rainbow Dash, crashing through my window, pouring her heart out to me, taking me in her hooves, tonight. I would have to appear natural, pretend I had not overhead her conversation with Gilda, and remain ignorant. Rainbow loved surprising ponies, and especially in this case I’m sure she would be disappointed if she couldn’t surprise me with this.
I was able to enjoy a short conversation with my dad though as he ate. As always, he was exhausted, so he soon went to bed, but being able to converse with him outside of a holiday was really enjoyable. It would probably sadden him but I was sure that what was going to occur was going to be the more enjoyable experience for me.
I sat in my room—on my bed—with my covers wrapped around me, too excited to sleep. My eyes would flicker over to the window, the window she would barge through noisily as always. I waited and waited as the hours ticked away, fully awake every moment of it and my ears keenly listening for any sign of her arrival.
I heard hoof steps outside my house. Soft and delicately pressing against the clouds outside as the pony sneaked around to the back of the house. Sneaked round by my window. I could hear the slow hesitant steps approaching my window, each one slower than the last, and each one making my heart beat harder and harder. It was the longest moment of my life and I could hear everything, including the breathing of the pegasus outside. I remained still, even at the slight rattle of a hoof grasping my window. My mind begged for Rainbow, the usually brash and speedy athlete, to hurry up with her entrance.
The sounds stopped though. The steps, the rattling, even the breathing. It stopped for a long while.
Then I heard them again, a hoof letting go of the window, a pony turning round, and a pegasus shooting off into the sky. I clambered from my position on the bed, pulled myself up to my window and saw her far into the distance. I saw Rainbow Dash flying off into the distance
Without ever saying a word.
I was disappointed but still happy. As I entered school and sat down for the first classes of the day I carried with me a reassuring thought.
“Rainbow Dash may not have confessed to me last night but I know that she loves me. I can be patient, I’ll wait.”
This thought carried me throughout the school day. I was lost in this joyous thought. I was so lost in fact that I did not the notice the lack of Gilda… or the lack of Rainbow Dash. They were absent the next day as well, and the one after that, and the one that followed, and every single day of the school year.
I eventually learnt from Rainbow's parents —questioning if I knew anything as they searched for their lost child—that Rainbow Dash and Gilda had both ran away from home. They had left to go travelling around the world. They—but more importantly, Rainbow Dash—had left me.
Abandoned me.
Without a word of goodbye.
That day, that night, as I tried to sleep away my woes, I stated to myself some of the saddest words I would say in my life "Me and her, we’re best friends for life. There isn’t anything that’s going to be separating us… so what did?