//------------------------------// // Part 2: The Journey // Story: Above All Else // by Phantom Shadow //------------------------------// The next day, at around 11:30 or so, Fluttershy found herself preparing to meet up with Rainbow Dash, just as they agreed. Since she didn’t know where the two of them were going or how long they were going to be gone, she had asked for Twilight and Spike to come over and watch over her animal friends while the two of them were away. When the two of them had arrived at her cottage, Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel guilty; she felt that she was pulling Twilight away from her studies to help her at the last minute. “I’m really sorry to ask you to help me on such short notice,” said the yellow Pegasus, lowering her head in shame, “I didn’t know we would be leaving town so soon and...” “It’s no trouble at all, Fluttershy,” said Twilight as she gave her a reassuring smile, “That’s what friends are for, right?” “I know,” said Fluttershy, her voice barely above a whisper, “I just feel really bad that I’m pulling you away from your studies to help me, that’s all.” “No, no, it’s fine,” said the lavender unicorn, “I can always do my studying here. Besides, it’d be good for me to get out of the library every now and then. And with Spike helping me, it’s really no trouble at all, right Spike?” The baby dragon nodded and gave the timid Pegasus a smile. “You can count on us,” he said proudly. “Oh...okay then...I guess I should be on my way, then,” said Fluttershy as she slowly made her way to the door of her cottage. “Have fun!” said Twilight from behind her, “I can’t wait to hear all about it when the two of you come back!” Fluttershy only nodded and waved at her friend as she opened the cottage door and closed it behind her. She figured she should be happy that the two of them were going out of town for a while but the idea of not knowing where they were going and what Rainbow Dash had planned when they got there prevented the feeling from entering her mind. Knowing that the answers would come in time, Fluttershy spread her delicate yellow wings and began to fly towards the cloud establishment that was Rainbow’s home. As she took to the sky, her thoughts raced through her mind. I wonder where she is taking us, she thought as continued to fly. I’m pretty sure it’s somewhere nice, but why would she only want me to go and nopony else. Fluttershy continued to allow her thoughts to scramble in her mind as she flew over the dirt path that lead to the main part of town. All the while, the yellow Pegasus tapped a hoof on her chin, continuing to think about the situation to herself; a part of her had a bad feeling about all of this, but she tried her best to not bode ill and keep a positive outlook on it. Still, she couldn’t help but feel very suspicious about the whole thing. After several moments of letting her thoughts cross her mind, she let out a small sigh. Oh, Fluttershy, you think too much, she thought. Whatever it is that Rainbow has planned, she’ll tell you when she feels ready to let you know. With that said (or rather, unsaid), she focused her mind on just getting to Rainbow’s home, knowing that the answers would come in time. Some time had passed when Fluttershy was near Rainbow Dash’s home. As she approached, she saw that the cyan Pegasus in question was already waiting for her outside, sitting on the white clouds that her home was made out of. However, the closer she got to her, the more she began to notice something different about her. Rainbow sat on her haunches, looking like she was lost in some kind of deep thought. She was staring at the sky above her home, watching as some blue jays flew past. Her mane was frazzled and a bit out of place; granted, her rainbow-streaked mane was always like that, but by the looks of it, one would think she had just rolled out of bed only five minutes ago. On her back rested a saddlebag with a rainbow lightning bolt lock on it. The moment Fluttershy’s eyes rested on the bag, she began to wonder even more about their unknown destination; were they going somewhere that required them to bring things along? When the yellow Pegasus reached her friend, Rainbow looked over at her and smiled. When she did, it was clear to Fluttershy that Rainbow hadn’t gotten much sleep the night prior; the deep circles under her rose-colored eyes was clear evidence of this. “Hey, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow Dash, flashing a toothy smile at her, “Ready to go?” “Yeah...I...I guess...” she said, her voice low and soft. Truth be told, a part of her wanted to ask Rainbow where they were going right then and there. Furthermore, she wanted to know what was in the saddlebags she wore and why it looked like she hadn’t gotten any sleep. However, not wanting to feel like she was sticking her nose where it didn’t belong, she decided to keep all of these questions and thoughts to herself until the time was right, if it was ever right. “Great,” said the cyan Pegasus, snapping her out of her train of thought, “We better get going. We just need to make a small stop along the way before we reach our destination.” Even more suspicion aroused in Fluttershy’s mind the moment she said this. “Don’t worry,” said Rainbow, noticing the look on her face, “I promise we’ll be back in time for you to tend to your animals.” “Oh...um...it’s quite alright, actually,” she said, hanging her head slightly, “I...I asked Twilight to watch over them while we were gone, since I didn’t know how long we were going to be gone for.” “Not to worry,” said the cyan Pegasus, “We’ll only be gone for a while, nightfall at the latest.” A wave of relief overcame the timid yellow Pegasus; at least she knew how long they were going to be gone for. Now, the only question that remained was where they were going. Hoping that the answer would present itself like this one had, Fluttershy simply nodded at her best friend. After several seconds of awkward silence, Rainbow said, “Okay, let’s get going.” Then, she spread her vibrant blue wings and began heading towards the sky. Fluttershy could only look up at her friend for a second before she unfurled her own wings and began to follow. As she headed up towards the sky, she saw that Rainbow was already several feet away from her; she was the fastest flyer to come out of Cloudsdale, after all. Knowing that it was only a matter of seconds before she would scold her for being too slow, Fluttershy tried her best to fly harder so she could keep up with her. It wasn’t long before the two of them were high above Ponyville, the town looking like a small foal’s play set than an actual town. They saw that the residence of the town were busy minding their own business, not even noticing the two of them watching from high above. Fluttershy had looked down at the small town for only a few moments before directing her attention back to the sky; she was used to flying high, but looking down and realizing just how high they actually were made her feel very uncomfortable, scared even. She looked up at Rainbow Dash, her rainbow mane and tail blowing freely in the breeze as she focused her attention on the skies. However, she also noticed that the saddlebags on her back were also blowing freely, much like her mane and tail. It was clearly evident that there was nothing in the saddlebag at all. Why does she have a saddlebag with nothing in it? Fluttershy asked herself. Immediately, she shook her head as if clearing her thoughts was that easy. Maybe we’re going to pick something up. The moment that thought passed her mind, she immediately regretted thinking about it; now she began wondering what they were going to pick up. I really need to stop thinking to myself, she thought as she tried her best to clear her thoughts of all the questions she kept presenting to herself. The two of them kept flying in silence, heading towards the large mountain that Canterlot resided on. “Are we going to Canterlot?” she asked herself, watching the castle slowly getting closer and closer. “Only for a moment,” said Rainbow, causing the yellow Pegasus to let out a small eep of surprise; she hadn’t expected Rainbow to hear her question, let alone answer it. “We just need to pick up something there first.” “What?” she asked, her voice barely audible from where she was. “I said we just need to pick something up there first,” said Rainbow, turning her head to look at Fluttershy. The pink-mane Pegasus said, “No...um...I meant...uh...what are we picking up...if you don’t mind me asking, that is...?” If she didn’t know any better, Fluttershy could have sworn she saw Rainbow’s cyan-colored cheeks turn an interesting shade of red. Immediately, she turned her head away from her and said, “You’ll see.” Fluttershy took the hint that Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to tell her what they were picking up in Canterlot. However, given the way she answered, she would find out what it was in time. With that, the two of them flew in silence as they slowly approached Canterlot. What felt like an hour had passed before the two of them arrived in the ritzy town known as Canterlot. High-class ponies walked the streets in their fancy clothing while others sat at the local cafés, drinking their upper-class beverages and munching on high-end delectable delights. When the two of them arrived, they began making their way down the cobble streets, Rainbow leading the way with Fluttershy following close behind. The two of them walked in silence as they made their way through the busy streets. After several moments, Rainbow Dash turned and looked at Fluttershy, her cheeks still the interesting shade of red as before. “Hey, Fluttershy,” she said, feigning the best smile she could, “I just need to get what we came here for. Why don’t you wait for me over there and I’ll be right back.” She pointed a hoof down the cobble street that was before them. Fluttershy looked in the direction Rainbow had pointed to and raised an eyebrow. “Um...Rainbow Dash...that’s an alley...” was all she had time to say before she felt a strong force practically knock her off her hooves. Slightly disoriented, she looked around to see that Rainbow was already gone; no doubt she took off so fast that it managed to blow everything, including herself, away. However, only a split second had passed before the realization of the situation became clear to Fluttershy: Rainbow had taken off...and left her all alone. Immediately, she began to panic; where did she go now? Exactly what was Rainbow Dash up to that she needed to be so secretive? Her heart racing and her thoughts spinning out of control, Fluttershy began looking around, her breathing beginning to intensify with every passing second. She began galloping down the road, hoping to find her friend. Anxiety began coursing through her body as she made her way down the streets, not finding her anywhere. Soon, she did the only thing she could do: she spread her wings and began flying over the capitol city. “Rainbow Dash?” she called out in a voice that only she could hear. She flew for a few feet before she stopped and swiveled her head back and forth, keeping an eye out for her friend. “Rainbow?” she called out again. This time, it was a little more forced than before; the panic attack she was having was preventing her from speaking properly. Knowing that she wasn’t going to see her from where she was, she decided to ask some of the residence if they had seen where she had gone. So, she flew back down to the streets and got ready to ask if they had seen her. However, the anxiety of losing Rainbow, mixed with her natural anxiety of talking to ponies that she didn’t know, prevented her from asking anypony around if they had seen the missing cyan Pegasus. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as she started galloping down the cobble streets again. She kept her eyes on a swivel, even though the tears that were there prevented her from seeing straight. Fluttershy closed her eyes so she could wipe them with a hoof for a split second when she accidently collided with somepony. Again disoriented, she shook her head to clear her vision. When her dizziness cleared, she was surprised and relieved, excited even, to see that it was Rainbow Dash that she had collided into. “There you are!” she said, as she used her wings to steady herself. Then, she wrapped her arms around her friend in a tight embrace, the tears in her eyes slightly running down her cheeks. “Don’t leave me like that again!” “Geez, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow, raising an eyebrow at her, “I was only gone for a few minutes. No need to get all worked up about it.” “I know...sorry,” said Fluttershy as she released her from their one-sided embrace, “Why did you do that...trick me and leave me, that is...if...if you don’t mind me asking...?” Rainbow had a nervous look on her face, her cheeks turning a dark crimson as she fidgeted with her mane with a hoof. She stammered a bit, clearing her throat a few times before she could find the right words to say to her. “Oh...um...you see, I...” she began. Then, she flashed the yellow Pegasus a smile and said, “Oh, I was just playing around, Fluttershy! I...uh...wanted to see how fast I could get this thing before you noticed I was gone...and stuff...” The moment the words left Rainbow’s mouth, Fluttershy looked at the saddlebags on her back. Immediately, she noticed that one of them wasn’t as empty as it was before, but instead, had what looked like a small box inside of it, weighing it down. “What is it?” asked Fluttershy, her voice still as low as it was before. “Like I said, you’ll see,” said Rainbow as she began trotting down the road. “Now, we have to get going to our destination before it gets too late.” “‘Too late?’” Fluttershy whispered, watching her friend slowly trotting away. Then, Rainbow spread her wings and took to the sky once again. Even more confused now than before, Fluttershy spread her wings and began following her again. As they flew away from Canterlot, Fluttershy continued to try her best to keep up with the best flyer in Equestria. Unlike before, she found that keeping up with her was harder than ever. If Fluttershy didn’t know any better, she could have sworn that Rainbow Dash was deliberately flying faster than before, trying her best to keep some distance between them. As the two of them left the city, Fluttershy kept up as best as she could, all the while, her eyes fixated on the saddlebag and the box-like item inside of it. What felt like a couple of hours had passed and the two of them had yet to reach their destination. They rested on top of clouds and in whatever cities they passed along the way, but Rainbow hadn’t confirmed anything when they did. In fact, Rainbow hardly said two words to Fluttershy since they left Canterlot. The most she had said was that they were “almost there” and nothing more. Worry and panic began taking its toll on Fluttershy as the two of them continued to fly. Had she said or did something that offended Rainbow Dash, causing her to ignore her completely? Was where they were going so secretive that she didn’t want to talk to her about where it was or anything? She had agreed to herself to let the answer come when Rainbow felt the time was right, but that didn’t prevent the anxiety from coursing through her timid body. As she began to wonder if doing this in the first place was a good idea, she noticed that Rainbow Dash began to raise her altitude, going higher than before. A worried look still plastered on her face, Fluttershy followed suit, trying to keep up with the rainbow-mane Pegasus. When she looked up, she saw that there was a blanket of clouds up ahead. The first thing that came to mind was that they were simply going to rest on the cloud for a little while and then move on. However, the mood completely changed when Rainbow said, “Okay, Fluttershy, we’re here!” Eyes widened with surprise, Fluttershy felt her heart beginning to skip several beats. It was finally time for the moment of truth; she was about to find out where Rainbow had taken them and, more importantly, what she had planned for the two of them. A few moments had passed when the two of them reached the small blanket of clouds. The first thing Fluttershy had realized was that this cloud in particular was a lot higher than most clouds usually were. The second thing she realized was that her wings were really sore from all the flying they had done. Upon seeing the cloud, and knowing that they had reached the end of their journey, her delicate wings began to really ache more than ever. Therefore, when the two of them landed on the cloud, Fluttershy practically collapsed on the cloud, her breathing heavy and labored. “Are you alright?” asked Rainbow, as she sat on her haunches next to Fluttershy. “Yeah...I...I think so...” she panted, not even finding the energy to stand herself up, “I...I guess I’m...not used to...flying so far...for so long...” “Yeah, sorry about that,” said the cyan Pegasus, “I thought the brakes in between would be helpful, but I guess they weren’t. Well, we’re here now and that’s what’s important, right?” “Rainbow…” said Fluttershy, using what little strength she had to raise her head. Although she was still exhausted, her breathing was steady enough for her to talk without gasping for air every two words. “I’m sorry, but why did you bring us all the way up here? Why couldn’t you tell me where we were going before?” The moment she finished asking her questions, she lowered her head in shame and squeezed her eyes tightly, trying her best to hide herself in her pink mane. She didn’t want Rainbow to think that she was demanding an answer out of her, but she just needed to know. “Well...” said Rainbow, her voice softer than it usually was, “You see, Fluttershy...I didn’t tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise. More importantly, I brought you here because I wanted to show you something.” Slowly opening her eyes, Fluttershy looked at Rainbow Dash, who wore a soft smile on her face and had red in her cheeks. “Show me what?” she asked innocently, her voice barely above a whisper. Fluttershy watched as the cyan Pegasus moved over a few paces. Then, she pointed a hoof towards the ground and said, “This.” They sat there in awkward silence for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes. Fluttershy knew that Rainbow was hinting for her to go over to the ledge of the cloud and look down, but the anxiety of what she would see when she did prevented her from moving. She tried to move towards the edge, but her legs wouldn’t respond, keeping her in the same place as she was. Rolling her eyes, Rainbow did the only thing she could do. She spread her wings and began moving the cloud so that Fluttershy could see without her having to move. The timid Pegasus looked up at her, smiled nervously and softly said, “Thank you.” Rainbow simply shrugged her shoulders. She had a feeling something like this would happen, so she wasn’t too annoyed with it. All she did was sit down next to Fluttershy and pointed in the direction she wanted her to look, her cheeks the same color crimson as before. Slowly, Fluttershy looked over the edge of the cloud at what Rainbow had pointed at. When she did, she slowly sat up straight, her heart beating a mile a minute. She let out a soft, audible gasp and her eyes widened when her eyes locked on what she saw there.