//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Pathway to Dawn 
// by amazonessduo 
//------------------------------//


“Moving?!” Fluttershy sits up mid-massage at the spa, almost knocking Aloe over. “Twilight can’t move! This is horrible! If she moves, I can’t… I won’t…” she stammers, flustered, trying to catch her breath even as panic sets in. 
Rarity winces. So much for waiting to tell Fluttershy till she was relaxed. A massage and a hooficure did wonders for her when she heard bad news. Apparently, Fluttershy did not feel the same way. “I saw Spike get in a chariot bound for Canterlot and went to the library to ask Twilight what was going on. She said that she was going back to Canterlot tomorrow and she was packing in a hurry.” She sighs as she sees Fluttershy slump back down. “Fluttershy, darling, I am so sorry. None of us have gotten along anywhere near as fabulously with Twilight as you have, so this news must be simply devastating. Trust me, even I can barely handle the news. Sweetie Belle had to call Applejack to coax me out of the bathroom. My mascara was running and apparently all I could say was ‘why?’ over and over. So if even I can have such an adverse reaction to our friend moving, I can only imagine how absolutely terrible it must be for her marefriend.”
Fluttershy looks away, hiding behind her pink mane. “I’mnothermarefriend…” she gets out in a quiet jumble.
“What? Darling, I can’t hear you when you mumble. Enunciate, dear,” Rarity says helpfully.
Fluttershy takes a deep breath and lets out a scream. Or a very soft sigh. Rarity and Aloe share confused glances. “I’m not her marefriend. I can’t tell her I’m in love with her, Rarity. Every single time I try, I get so nervous and my heart starts pounding in my chest like a bunny is trying to escape and my voice disappears and…” She sighs miserably. “Whenever I even get close to the subject, Twilight doesn’t seem to understand what I’m talking about and the subject always changes to constellations or chemical reactions or the proper way to label different off brands of label makers.”
“Oh. Well, yes. Twilight Sparkle isn’t always the most…” Rarity frowns, trying to find a judicious way of describing their friend’s faults. “Perceptive of ponies. Especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships.” She sits up forcefully, the seaweed wrap in her hair almost coming undone. “But you cannot let that obstacle stand in your way! You must fly to her! Let her know your true feelings before it is too late! Tell her that your love for her will not permit you to be apart!” she gets out dramatically.
Fluttershy tries to sink further into the table. “I don’t know if I can, Rarity. What if Twilight doesn’t want to be friends anymore when she knows? What if she laughs at me? I don’t think I could take that kind of rejection.” She sighs, blowing her mane out of her eyes. “How did you tell Applejack your feelings for her? It must have been so romantic,” she smiles wistfully.
“Remember that party Pinkie threw a few months back at Sweet Apple Acres? I had one too many martinis and ended up telling Applejack she had a wonderful ass and we ended up in the hay in the barn.” Rarity frowns, waving a hoof dismissively. “But that is hardly the point. The point is that you have one last chance before Twilight Sparkle returns to Canterlot. Win or lose, she must know your heart’s desires before the chance is lost to you forever!” 
“Oh, I don’t know… Maybe I can write her a letter when she’s in Canterlot,” Fluttershy says hopefully. 
Rarity shakes her head, Aloe struggling in vain to keep the seaweed wrap from coming out entirely. “Fluttershy, darling, that is a terrible way of thinking. Why, if we all thought like that, ponies would never have designed clothes and we would all be running around naked constantly.”
Fluttershy blinks. “But I run around naked most of the time.”
“Exactly. Try accessorizing more, dear. A nice cashmere sweater would really bring out your mane.”
The pegasus blinks, trying to somehow piece this all together. “So… I should go tell Twilight how I feel because Twilight is the cashmere sweater and my life is my mane, so if I don’t tell her, my life will never be as good?” 
“Hmm? Oh, no, darling, you would just look delicious in a good sweater. Tell Twilight Sparkle you love her because you do. Whatever she chooses to do with that knowledge, at least you will have no regrets,” Rarity says sincerely.
Fluttershy hops off the table, eyes narrowed determinedly. The spa ponies sigh in frustration. “You’re right, Rarity. I’ll go tell Twilight how I feel.  I am going to be brave and I won’t let my fear of rejection stop me. I won’t let Twilight leave without letting her know that she is my special somepony.” She lifts her wings and hurries out the door.
“You can do it, Fluttershy! I believe in you!” Rarity sniffles, rubbing at her eyes with her hooves. “This is the. Most. Romantic. Thing. Ever.” She glances around the spa. “Well, nopony told you to stop, girls. I think I’d like my hooves done, too.” Rarity waves her hooves in the air demonstratively.

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“You can do this, Fluttershy,” Fluttershy talks to herself outside the library’s door, trying to psych herself up. Her heart thunders in her chest. Her ears perk up as she hears someone walking behind her. Eeping, the yellow pegasus leaps into the bushes next to the door, hiding. 
Pinkie bounces up to the door, stopping to knock. She smiles over at the bush. “Hiya, Fluttershy. Are you a bush now, too? I really need to keep up to date with this stuff. Just last week, Gummy was finishing up his doctoral thesis. Now what do I call him? Doctor Gummy? Professor Gummy?”
“Oh, I don’t really think…”
“Yeah, he doesn’t even have tenure yet, so Professor is probably out,” Pinkie tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. 
The door pops open. “Oh, thank goodness. I have so much to pack if I’m going to leave on time. Thank you so much for coming, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight says in relief. “Fluttershy! You’re here, too? That’s great! I was hoping I’d see you before I leave.” Twilight smiles, telekinetically lifting Fluttershy out of the bushes and dragging her inside. 
Pinkie bounces in behind the other two, looking around the library at the different stacks lying about. “Oh, nice, Twilight! You could make some amazing book forts in here!” She skips towards a particularly large pile.
“Pinkie, no book forts,” Twilight sighs warily. “I have to have my stuff packed by tomorrow morning. The chariot will be here to pick me up at dawn. Could you go through that stack of scrolls and alphabetize them? I need to make sure I have all my references handy for when I present my findings on friendship to Princess Celestia. If she asks me to cite my work and I don’t have it with me, that would be the most embarrassing thing I can think of.”
“Okie dokie Loki!” Pinkie says, hopping into the pile of scrolls. 
“Oh, umm, Twilight, if it’s not too much trouble…” Fluttershy begins nervously, still floating upside down in a telekinetic purple sheen beside Twilight. 
“How rude of me! Fluttershy, did you want anything to drink? I have some wonderful earl gray tea that I know you’d just love. Are you hungry? I have half a daffodil sandwich in the ice box if you’d like,” Twilight smiles, turning to the levitated pegasus. 
“Oh, no, that’s all right, thanks,” Fluttershy responds sweetly. “But… umm… maybe you could set me down?”
“Set you what?” Twilight blinks. “Oh! Right! Sorry, Fluttershy,” the purple unicorn quickly sets her friend down next to her. She reaches over with a hoof, dusting her friend off. “All better. You know, you don’t have to help me pack, Fluttershy. I know how busy you are with all your animals. I could never impose on somepony as kind, generous, sensitive, intelligent, facinating, alluring, scintillating, attrac…” she trails off mid word. “I mean, you really don’t have to, Fluttershy. Pinkie and I have it covered.” 
“Argg! You’ll never get me booty out o’ this here book fort, Twibeard the Sparkling!” Pinkie calls from her hastily constructed book fort. 
Twilight sighs long sufferingly, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples with her hooves. “Well, maybe it will just take an all nighter.”
“Umm… Twilight, I have something I need to tell you,” Fluttershy gets out nervously, her wings fidgeting behind her. What if Twilight doesn’t feel the same way? What if she doesn’t understand? What if she hates her? She shouldn’t have come! She should have stayed in bed with the blankets over her head today. There is no way she won’t ruin this.
Twilight turns to Fluttershy with a smile, glad to be ignoring Pinkie for the time being even as the earth pony pretends to sail about the library. “What is it, Fluttershy? You know you can always tell me anything. “
“Yes, but some things are so much harder than others. I want so bad to tell you, but then nothing comes out right or you get distracted or…” Fluttershy tries to catch her breath, feeling dizzy, the walls of the library closing in on her.
“Trust me, Fluttershy, nothing ever distracts me when you’re around,” Twilight promises.
“But there’s always so very much I want to tell you and it sounds so much better in my head and when I try to say it, it all comes out like…” The yellow pony makes a small squeak. 
Twilight wobbles on her haunches as if Fluttershy had made a direct hit. “You are always so incredibly adorable, Fluttershy! I have an entire three chapters in my book on Friendship devoted to how you pull that off. I had to use some fuzzy math in there to help explain some of your more esoteric qualities, and I did have to resort to quantum entanglement as a metaphor at one point, but they were some of my favorite chapters to work on.” 
“Twilight, I… I lo… I mean, you make me feel like… When I’m all alone I think of…” Fluttershy tries to get out desperately. 
Boomf! A pillow slams down on Twilight’s head. “Pinkie!” she yells, turning and flinging it back at the pirate with her magic, picking up whatever else she can that isn’t nailed down.
“Truce! Truce! Pinkbeard demands a cease fire!”
“Oh, I just can’t! I’m so sorry, Twilight!” Fluttershy sobs, racing out the door.
“What the heck was that all about? Some ponies are so confusing.” Twilight sighs as Fluttershy runs out the door. “She has the sweetest, most wonderful voice even when she’s panicking.”
Pinkie looks over the top of her book fort. “Her flank’s not bad, either.” She smiles as Twilight shoots her a glare. “So why doncha just tell Fluttershy you’re in love with her, silly? It’s not that hard. I’ll even do it for you if you want.” Pinkie pushes the window open, leaning out. “FLUTTERSHY! TWILIGHT LOMGMGGFFF…” She mumbles, Twilight’s hoof in her mouth, slamming the windows shut.
“Are you crazy?! I can’t just tell her that! She’s so shy and gentle and fragile! It would probably make her head explode! And then she’d never want to spend time with me. It would ruin our friendship and I’d never get to see Fluttershy again. She would burn down her house and go get a new house out near an active volcano. And then I would send her a letter to try to get her to tell me what was wrong because I’m selfish and can’t just let her go and she would leap out the window of her house to get away from my letter and land right in the lava! Pinkie, I don’t want to kill Fluttershy!” Twilight yells, shaking Pinkie like a ragdoll.

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“Oh, Fluttershy, you are such a failure. You can’t even tell the mare you love how you feel about her,” Fluttershy says despondently, lying on her side and staring at herself in the mirror. She has been lying here for hours now, the sun having gone down a long time ago. “Now what will you do? You know you’re too shy to go visit her in Canterlot. You’ll never see her again. You’ll always be alone.”
Covering her head with a pillow, Fluttershy waves a hoof at the mirror. “Don’t look at me, Fluttershy. You’re a mess.”  Everything just happened so fast. How can she possibly tell Twilight now? Even if she tells her in a letter, it won’t be the same. Will she even have the courage to put it in a letter? Twilight might not even take it seriously that way. Twilight will just send back a letter, telling Fluttershy she appreciates it but that she already has five boyfriends in Canterlot. Or, worse, she will just send it back unopened. Return to sender. Sorry, too late, Fluttershy. You had your chance. Twilight doesn’t need you anymore.
Thump! Fluttershy blinks under the pillow. What was that? Thump! Something hits her pillow again. Thump! And again. Thumpthumpthump! The pillow reverberates around her head, something hitting it fast and repeatedly. She sits up swiftly, her pink hair a mess, looking about for the source of the hitting. A bunny glares up at her, crossing his arms, holding something. “Oh, Angel Bunny, I’m sorry. Did mama forget to feed you?”
The bunny shakes his head, pulling up his paw and holding up a photo.  
Bending down, Fluttershy’s pink mane obscures her vision. She has to hold it out of the way to see what Angel brought her. A picture frame. There she is, sitting with Twilight under the stars at a late night picnic they had with their friends. Fluttershy’s heart lurches. “Angel, I can’t. I tried. Maybe she’s better off without me. Twilight will find her special somepony in Canterlot and she’ll be much happier that way.  Mama’s fine, Angel. Really. This is better for everypony. Twilight doesn’t need a shy, scaredy pony like me.” The pegasus pushes the picture frame away with her hoof. 
Angel glares even harder, hopping back away from Fluttershy’s hoof. He holds the picture up higher, patting it with a paw before pointing to the door. 
“I just couldn’t. I tried, but I couldn’t find the words.” Fluttershy lies on the ground, hooves over her eyes. “I was silly even thinking somepony as smart and wonderful as Twilight would want somepony like me.” A sharp tug on her tail makes her look up, seeing as Angel tries to pull her towards the door.  “I know, I know. I should really tell her while I can. Otherwise, I’ll always regret it. But what if I can’t get the words out? What if I just embarrass myself?“
The bunny stomps his foot, pointing at the door.
“Oh, you’re right, Angel. I need to let her know. I can’t let her leave Ponyville without at least trying. Thank you, sweetie. Mama will be right back.” Bending down, she gives the bunny a quick nuzzle before hurrying out the door.  Angel swiftly slams the door shut before she can change her mind.

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“Rarity, get your diamond covered flank down here! You’ve been gettin’ all gussied up for an hour now. We’re gonna be late to say goodbye to Twilight,” Applejack grouses, pacing back and forth in the Carousel Boutique. 
“Just a moment!” Rarity calls out melodiously from the bathroom upstairs. “I just need to get the right eyeshadow. I don’t want Twilight’s last memory of me to be something garish.”
Applejack sighs, leaning against the wall and staring at the clock. “You have got to be the fussiest pony in all Equestria, Rare. “
“And don’t you just love it?” Rarity teases, sauntering daintily down the stairs in a fashionable indigo saddle and matching scarf. Applejack blushes but can only stare as the white unicorn finally trots in front of her. “There? Worth the wait?” She does a quick turn, wiggling her wavy tail in Applejack’s face.
Sighing, the farm pony bats at Rarity’s tail with a hoof. “Yeah, it’s worth it. Y’all look sweeter than honey, Rare. I’ll tell you how pretty you are for hours, as long as y’all didn’t make us late to say goodbye. Now, c’mon. We better hurry.”
Rarity adjusts her scarf as Applejack opens the door. A streak of yellow grabs her eye as Fluttershy flies towards the library as fast as she can. “WAIT!” Rarity yells. She dive tackles Applejack, driving the earth pony to the floor in the doorway. “Fly, you fool! Go to her on the wings of angels!” 
Applejack looks up at the unicorn on top of her, arching an eyebrow, her hat lying next to her. “Umm… Rare, you mind lettin’ me up?” She wriggles underneath the other pony. 
“Of course I’m not letting you up. Not until Fluttershy has had the chance to tell Twilight she’s in love with her,” Rarity says, pinning the earth pony on her floor.
“That’s just dumb, Rarity. Ain’t they already courtin’?” Applejack asks, giving only a token effort to escape the fluffy unicorn seated on top of her.
Rarity shakes her head wildly. “No, apparently not! I was absolutely shocked. That is why it is our sworn duty to let Fluttershy win Twilight’s heart while she still has the chance!” 
Applejack chuckles, batting at Rarity’s mane with a hoof. “You are such a big softy, you know that?” 
A big smirk crosses Rarity’s muzzle. “I’ll just have to keep you here and distracted. For Fluttershy.” 
“And how do you plan on doin’ that?” Applejack shoots back challengingly.
“I am a devious mastermind. I will certainly think of something,” Rarity teases, leaning down to kiss the earth pony.

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Fluttershy pushes herself to go faster, watching the first rays of dawn starting to spill out into the sky. Why does she have to live so far out of town? She will never reach the library in the center of town at this rate. What if it’s too late? What if Twilight left already? She beats her wings faster, wishing she were as fast as Rainbow Dash. Then she could be there and back already. 
There! Oh, thank Celestia! She can see the huge tree of the library up ahead. Almost there! And there is the royal chariot out front. And… Oh no! Twilight is getting in the chariot! “Twilight!” she calls out, her voice carried away by the rushing wind. 
The chariot, attached to two strong, burly pegasi, lifts into the air, Twilight reading a book in back for the flight to Canterlot. Fluttershy does her best to keep up, pushing her wings harder as she tries to catch the chariot. She can’t lose her now! She is so close! She can see Twilight right here! She has to let her know! But how can she possibly keep up with such strong pegasi? “Twilight!” she calls out again, desperately. But again, the wind robs her words of any strength, sending them back behind her. 
Her last chance and she blew it! She spent so much time worrying about telling Twilight her feelings that she missed every opportunity. And now she is too late. The chariot is already pulling ahead, starting to outdistance Fluttershy. She can’t keep up this pace much longer. “Twilight, please,” she begs, reaching out. But Twilight can’t hear her. Twilight will never hear her. Because she is too quiet, too shy, too afraid. Always too afraid. 
“Fluttershy, you need to be more assertive,” Twilight had said to her more than once. Twilight believed in her. The unicorn thought she could do anything. That is part of why Fluttershy loves her so much. And Twilight is right! She isn’t going to fail her this time. 
“TWILIGHT!!!” Fluttershy cries out with all her might, even as her wings give out on her, her muscles burning from exhaustion. 
Twilight looks up from her book, dropping it in her sudden shock. Looking over the edge, Fluttershy can be seen falling further behind. “Fluttershy? Guards, stop!” She reaches out with her telekinesis, grabbing Fluttershy in a purple haze. She floats Fluttershy up to the chariot, remembering to set her down next to her this time. “Fluttershy are you okay? What’s wrong? Did something…” She gets out before the pegasus kisses her, their muzzles crashing together in a soft, warm, wet combination that sends Twilight reeling. “I… umm… Did you…” The unicorn gets out, her brain for once having no words to ascribe to the situation. This kissing thing requires further study. Again and again. Princess Celestia needed a letter describing its wonderfulness.
Fluttershy takes a deep breath after she pulls away. “IloveyousomuchTwilightandI’msosorryInevertoldyoubutwheneverItrieditcameoutwrongoryouwouldchangethesubjectandIwas-
soscaredyou’dhatemeforever…” She trails off, gasping for breath.
Twilight blinks in confusion. “Umm… Fluttershy, maybe you should catch your breath first. You look like you just flew a marathon. In any marathon, you should really pace yourself. Like Wind Whistler said in the book ‘Flying for Pleasure and Business’, any long distance flying is just as much about pacing yourself as…” 
Fluttershy cuts her off. “No, I need to tell you now before you leave forever. I know I’ll never see you again now that you’re moving back to Canterlot. I know you might hate me, but I have to risk that because I will hate myself forever if I don’t tell you. I love you, Twilight. I love you so much. I know you won’t stay behind in Ponyville just for me, but… But I want you to know that I will always love you.” There. Her heart hadn’t exploded after all. She blushes deeply, turning to the edge of the chariot and spreading her wings. Having told Twilight what she needed to, she steps off to fly away before she has to hear Twilight’s gentle let down. And gets exactly nowhere. She blinks at the purple glow in front of her face. Oh. Twilight grabbed her again with her telekinesis.
Twilight glares as she floats Fluttershy back over to face her. “You told me that and then you were about to run off? Before I could say anything? You were going to kiss and run? Seriously, Fluttershy, you can’t give me a minute to form a three pronged reply?” She clears her throat as the pegasus eeps, hiding behind her wings. “1) How did you get so good at kissing and when and where can we try that again? 2) Of course I love you. How could I not? You’re the single sweetest, most adorable, most attractive pony I’ve ever met. 3) I’m moving? When did that happen? I’m going back to Canterlot for a week so I can do a little friendship seminar Princess Celestia set up for Princess Luna. I get to be the guest speaker,” she says proudly. 
“A… week?” Fluttershy squeaks before fainting dead away.
“Fluttershy? Fluttershy?” Twilight shakes the levitating pegasus. She sighs, setting Fluttershy down next to her, rubbing her back with a hoof. “I guess she’s coming with. To Canterlot, boys,” she orders the guards.