Disclaimer: Check the other chapters for that, I'm lazy!
“So, I’m thinking about going to see that new action movie later tonight!” A nine year old Fluttershy glanced over towards only a few feet away from her position, holding her school bag close in hand as she stood outside her school’s entrance. Her teal eyes softened more then usual and a blush went over her pale cheeks, intently watching the individual of interest as they talked on and on with two other children that she had never spoken to.
That person of interest was her best friend…and her biggest crush.
“Ha! Think you’ll be able to get into the theater without crashing into any walls, Rainbow Crash!?” the school boy laughed hysterically, causing Dash’s eyes to narrow. Fluttershy’s blush increased: she couldn’t help but feel her friend was so much cuter when she was angered a little.
“Heck yeah I can! I’m not who I used to be in Junior Flight Camp! I’m so much better and can fly straight!” she puffed up her chest to show how tough she was, causing the two boys to nearly double over in laughter once again.
“Yeah well, we’ll see about that at the movies, Crash! You’ll probably collide into all of the seats!” the brunette boy had said with a finishing snicker, his friend (or lackey) grinning behind him.
“Y-Yeah! You’ll probably fly….not straight at all!” came his brilliant add on. His friend turned to look over at him with a slight glare, before he caught eyes with the timid pink haired girl.
“Heh, speaking of not straight….what’s up, KlutzerShy!”
Fluttershy could not help but make a soft ‘eep’ in response, starting to back away and even considering running back into the school. But, another voice, a more comforting one caused her to halt in her tracks.
“Hey, back off! Do you enjoy picking on innocent and pretty girls trying to go home!?” Rainbow Dash growled in pure irritation, causing that familiar blush to go over her counterpart’s face. She couldn’t help it…it especially happened when Dash was protecting her, and when her heart was beating as fast as a drum. The two boys only smirked, but also decided to back off.
“Yeah well, we need to be going anyway. Let’s leave the ‘couple of the year’ alone then!”and after stretching out their wings, both boys flew off and away from the two girls.
“Pft, ‘Couple of the Year’…those dweebs are so stupid. Hey, Shy…you okay?” Rainbow Dash let out a slight sigh, walking over to the still blushing girl and gave her a comforting smile. “Don’t listen to those idiots, they’re always blabbing their mouths.”
“Um…I…I…” This is it, she can do this. This was it, this is the right moment. If she could just tell Rainbow Dash, tell her best friend how she feels, then maybe…
“Mm…? What is it, Shy?” Dash blinked, giving a tilt of her head and watching her quieter friend trying to stutter out words.
“I…I…lo…I lo—“
A gust of wind suddenly interrupted Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash looked up with a sarcastic grin.
“Heh, nice entrance Gilda. Always trying to be cool, huh?”she called out to the one who caused the wind, a taller and tan girl with shaggy white hair, the tufts tied up into a short ponytail. Her long lion tail swished as a greeting and her large eagle-like wings folded slowly against her back. A slow smirk curled upon her lips, one filled with confidence and a very strong will.
“I don’t have to try, Dash. I am the embodiment of ‘cool’,” she chided in her slightly raspy tone, causing her friend to snicker a bit and turn back to Fluttershy, who was now looking down at the ground.
“Now, what were you going to say, Shy?”
“Oh? The pipsqueak is going to actually speak? Go ahead then, what WERE you going to say?”
‘You probably already know…’ the pink haired Pegasus thought in a bitter manner, tightening the hold on her bag.
“N-Nothing….I…need to get home. Mama and Papa will be worried,” she quickly muttered and pushed past the two other girls, tensing slightly for a moment. Did…Gilda just say…?
…No.
“S-Shy?” Dash asked with widened, confused eyes as her taller and stronger Griffon friend watched after the young girl, her golden hawk eyes now lidded into slits.
“Don’t get any bright ideas.”
…
“Fluttershyyyyyyy! Fluttershy, hurry uppppp! Hurry up or we’ll be late for the bake saaaaale!!!” a twelve year old Pinkie Pie shouted, calling for her friend who was only a few feet away from her.
Fluttershy glanced back up and gently smiled, watching one of her dear friends call for her. She may have been living in Ponyville for a few years, but she just could not get over how she had friends…friends who were always there and paid attention to her. Rarity, a young unicorn who she had thought was going to be mean to her had actually offered her home to the young Pegasus, her parents not even having to beg the violet haired beauty.
‘Though I don’t really understand why a Pegasus with such gorgeous wings would want to live down here…you seem like someone who FINALLY understands my concepts of fashion and eloquence!” Fluttershy smiled at the thought of Rarity’s words to her years before. Even Pinkie Pie was there right from the beginning, coming every day until she began to warm up and break her shell. Before Fluttershy knew it, the three of them were Inseperable.
…Just like she and Rainbow Dash used to be.
Fluttershy felt ice cold every time the memory came into her head, the thought of Rainbow Dash just disappearing on her with Gilda replaying every night when she was asleep. Even her lingering feelings were beginning to dwindle away, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
After all, how could you still be in love with somebody who you do not trust?
A flash of rainbow suddenly went racing by, and Fluttershy looked up in response, startled by the sudden multi colored stripes.
“Hey, it’s that traveling Pegasus thing that comes by every once in awhile!!!” The curly magenta haired Pinkie began to squeal, definitely not creating exposition or anything silly like that, “I think her name is Rainbow…Rain….D…Da…ummm…”
“…Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy shakily muttered, watching the now older Rainbow Dash soaring through the air, performing tricks for any onlookers looking up at the sky. Her teal orbs could not hold back from staring at Rainbow Dash, who was cheering and bragging about how awesome she was and that there was nobody faster then she was.
It was then that Fluttershy gasped, her heart nearly stopped and she quickly raced towards her bouncing and cheering friend, grabbing her by the hand and racing off towards the bakesale which they had been heading towards in the first place. But now, Fluttershy did not want to stroll slowly down the side walk like she was before.
She and Rainbow Dash made eye contact.
…
“You really have gotten pretty….grown out of your awkward growth spurts, huh?” Gilda mumbled to the teenager in front of her, a dusty pink haired Pegasus who refused to glance towards her.
“…Go back with Rainbow. She…is probably waiting for you both to resume your travels,” the fourteen year old Fluttershy muttered, wincing at the claws that had grasped her waist. She did not dare to look at the Griffon, her eternal tormentor.
“Heh, that eager for her to leave, eh? Wanting me to have her all to myself like I have been all these years?” Fluttershy tensed at that, and Gilda noticed. “Ha…I knew that would tug at a string. Come on now…be a good girl and look at me.”
Fluttershy remained silent, and Gilda growled in frustration, slamming the now frightened Pegasus against the back alley wall, behind the Sugarcube Corner. “You really are a bit of work, you know that? Don’t tell me you still PINING for Dash, right?”
“…I don’t have feelings for Rainbow anymore. She made her choice to leave with you, and I am okay with that.”
“…I knew it. Heh…see, I made a bet with Dash over this. I told her that you probably did not trust even one bit of what she says any more, and she said that was not true. But no…no, I was right…you don’t. Heh…don’t worry, I won’t tell her. However….” The taller Griffon began to lean in close and Fluttershy continued to stare at the ground. She was used to this, after all. There would just be a little more to handle now…
“You will be your usual good self…and keep quiet.”
….
“Darling…? Darling, can you can hear me?”
“EARTH TO FLUTTERSHYYYY~!”
Fluttershy softly gasped out of her thoughts, widening her eyes slightly as she placed a hand over her heart, startled by her friend’s shouting. That’s right, they were meeting in a small café near Rarity’s boutique, and she was telling them her reasons for her estranged friendship with Rainbow Dash (leaving out the gory Gilda details). She glanced her pale sea-green eyes towards the owner of the voices.
“I’m so sorry, girls…I guess I drifted there.”
“It’s alright, dear…it’s understandable, you were lost in memories,” Rarity said with a smile, taking a sip from her tea.
“But I really truly can’t believe that you don’t trust Dashie!!! She’s ONLY the most loyal Pegasus to ever fly through Equestria!!!” Pinkie exclaimed with a pout. The unicorn beside her sighed.
“Pinkie Pie, Rainbow wasn’t exactly the greatest friend to her. She abandoned her, remember? And now I see why you wanted to stay here, aside from the animals...”
“But it was such a long time ago!!!! And what’s super duper worse is that you don’t have that cute and adorable crushy crush on her anymore!!! Whyyyyy!? I can’t plan a perfect wedding if there’s no LOOOOVE!”
“…Pinkie, I don’t think they heard you in MANEHATTAN,” Rarity deadpanned, causing Pinkie Pie to squeak and sit back down, Fluttershy only shaking her head.
“It’s alright, Rarity….I guess, Pinkie, my reason is….” Fluttershy stood up after checking her watch, quickly pulling out a few Bits and placing them on the table to pay for her own order and pulling her purse over her shoulder. “That I just don’t want my heart broken any longer…”
“Oh, Fluttershy…” Rarity and Pinkie Pie mumbled sadly, watching as their shy friend turned to leave the café…and crashed into the last person she wanted to see.
“Oh, hey Shy! Sorry for crashing into ya like that!” Rainbow Dash grinned apologetically, rubbing the back of her head as she pulled Fluttershy back up with her free hand. The pink haired Pegasus blinked for a moment, before shyly smiling.
“It’s okay, there wasn’t any harm done, Rainbow. How’s Tank?”
“Oh, he’s great! He’s uh, gonna need more food though, heh….is it okay if I stop by later?”
“Alright, you can come by. I have to go now though…bye, Rainbow,” she said in her soft and kind tone, flashing Rainbow Dash a happy smile before walking out of the café.
“Oh…dear, I never noticed how anxious Fluttershy gets around Rainbow, even when she seems happy to be near her,” Rarity frowned at the sight of the exchange, “Those two really need to see friendship counseling…”
“Or relationship counseling~” Pinkie giggled, nudging her unicorn friend quickly and pointing towards where Rainbow Dash still stood.
Though instead of a confidently standing Pegasus who would rather die then do one feminine thing, only watched with a blush on her cheeks at the disappearing form of her childhood friend. Rarity and Pinkie Pie watched…before looking at each other and giving a grin.
“And the tables seemed to have turned…” both whispered to the other mischievously.