//------------------------------//
// Chapter 1 
// Story: Fillies at Heart 
// by hayleighs 
//------------------------------//

“Fluttershy, no. Come on,” Rainbow demanded, sounding a bit meaner than she intended. 
The yellow Pegasus just stared with those round, big, dumb blue eyes, glossed over with tears. Rainbow Dash didn't dare look into her eyes, finding more interest in the flush green grass that slightly waved in the wind against the shy mare's hooves.
Rainbow knew she messed up, big time, but she couldn't just turn around and lie to Fluttershy about her feelings. Maybe she shouldn't have been quite as harsh, but her words were still true.
Why did this have to happen now?
She wished she could go back in time, but that's impossible. Unless she got Twilight to help, but she would never agree to do that.
Rainbow and Fluttershy seemed to be getting along so well; why did she have to walk in on her and Twilight?

It was this morning, around noon.
Fluttershy was leaving the post office with a large brown sack situated on her back. She hummed a small tune with an accomplished grin on her face as she trotted down the pavement.
Dash flew about the sky, she still had an hour before work, and she was bored. Really, really bored.
She could have napped, but that surprisingly didn't sound very appealing now.

She spotted a familiar pink mane down below, trotting among the Ponyville residents in a flea-market.
She grinned and slowed her wings to lower herself. It's been a few days since she's seen Fluttershy; it was time they got to hanging out.

She landed not-so-gracefully beside the fellow Pegasus, who nearly fell over in surprise. The heavy sack started to slide off her back, and Dash helpfully stretched a hoof out to steady the bag on her back.
“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy gasped, her eyes wide with fear. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” Rainbow giggled as she sped up her pace, beginning to trot backwards in front of Fluttershy, to maintain eye contact. 
“Whatcha' got in the bag? Huh?” She peered over her shoulder in curiosity, although she already knew the answer. The obvious large picture on the sack saying “Rabbit Pellets” in big bold letters sorta gave it away, but it was still a conversation starter.
“Oh,” Fluttershy's reaction loosened and she smiled warmly. 
“I just bought a special new diet food for Angel Bunny. He's getting a bit chubby, and the food was on sale,” she said with a giggle, in that same creamy, soft voice that Rainbow loved. 
She couldn't help but grin back at her. 
“So, that furball's putting on the weight, huh? Don't worry, Flutters, I'll put him on a sweet regime that'll get'im right back on track.”

Fluttershy's cheeks flushed, and she seemed shocked.
“Oh, no, that's okay,” she stuttered, “he just needs the new pellets, and maybe an extra walk once in a while.” She knew an intense exercise program with a pony like Rainbow Dash would be too much for her little bunny. 

Dash shrugged nonchalantly and resumed her place beside Fluttershy's side, flying over the pegasus to land in the right direction.
“So, you're just gonna take that to your cottage?” Rainbow inquired, peering over at her.
“Yes,” Fluttershy nodded with a matter-of-fact smile.
“Then what are you gonna do?”
“Hmm,” Fluttershy put a hoof to her chin in thought. “I'm not sure. I think it might be time to clean my hen house.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “Of course. You know, there's more to life than just caring for animals.”

Fluttershy smiled at her friend and chuckled. “I know, but they can't care for themselves, so I-”
“Hey.” Rainbow interrupted as an amazing idea popped into her mind. “Wanna go to Fillies at Heart? It's in Baltimare this weekend!”
Fillies at Heart was the best amusement park in a five hundred mile radius. Seeing as how it's the only amusement park in a five hundred mile radius, but it was still a fun park. There's rides, games, food- Dash's mouth watered slightly at the thought of shoving a fried cattail into her mouth.

Fluttershy's gaze moved to the pavement. “Oh, that sounds fun and all, but the chickens would be so disappointed if I didn't clean their house today...”
Suddenly, the yellow mare's eyes flickered up to Dash's. “But if you want to hang out, you could help me clean. Then we'd finish quickly and be able to make it to the fair,” she added quickly, grinning at her friend.
Rainbow stared at Fluttershy's hopeful smile, and finally broke down. Cleaning chicken poop didn't sound fun at all, but Fluttershy did say she would go to the carnival with her afterward, so why not?
“What the hay! Sure, Flutters, I'll help you clean your chicken coop.”

Finally arriving at her cottage,(Fluttershy insisted that she preferred walking over flying, which, in Dash's opinion, would've saved them so much time) Dash and Fluttershy trotted to the back of her home. Enclosed in a short white picket fence was a large, boring looking house. A ladder led into an open doorway where various clucks and other noises came from inside.

Fluttershy trotted into her cottage first and arrived with a trash can, the rim secured by her mouth. It wobbled heavily in her grip and she lazily dropped it with a clang. She pulled a bucket out from inside the can as Rainbow looked at it curiously, and she entered the hen house. 
A moment later, a flurry of white, orange, and brown overwhelmed Dash as the chickens flew about their living space, wings flapping and beaks clacking noisily. Dash grimaced at the sight. She never understood how picking up after a bunch of ungrateful, dirty animals was something Fluttershy could enjoy.
“Rainbow?” Fluttershy called out from inside the coop.
“Yeah?” Dash instantly responded, her ears pricked.
Fluttershy poked her head out with the bucket's handle in her mouth. 
Dash instinctively took the bucket from her, which was now full of creamy white eggs. She trotted into her house and set the bucket on Fluttershy's kitchen counter, unsure of where to put it. 
Settling with the spot she originally picked, she trotted back outside where Fluttershy was using her hind legs to kick all the dirty hay out, which flew into the trash can nearby. Dash picked up the hay that didn't make it and threw it into the trash, sneering at the smell of used hay. She didn't get why Fluttershy would use hay just to spoil it. Hay was a tasty snack, not chicken bedding!

Once they were finished putting new hay into the chicken's beds, Dash wiped her forehead with a hoof, feeling accomplished. She then shook her body vigorously, shaking free any rogue hay that was sticking to her fur and mane. Fluttershy, who still had pieces of hay and feathers sticking out of her mane, grinned at Dash. 
“Thank you for helping me, Dash,” she said, “I wouldn't have gotten it done until tonight if it weren't for you.”
Dash felt her cheeks burn slightly, and she waved a hoof nonchalantly. “It was nothing. What are friends for? Now, let's get to that carnival!” she called excitedly as her body pushed off the ground and into the air for emphasis. 
“Wait,” Fluttershy yelled, which was pretty much still an inside voice. “Can you feed Angel Bunny? I have to refill the chicken's water dishes. I mean, if you don't want to, that's okay- I know you only came to help clean the hen house, but-”
“Leave it to me, Shy.” Dash said with a reassuring grin.
“Oh, thank you,” she said, relieved, “the bag of food is over-”
In a flash, Dash was in her cottage with the bag of pellets, leaving Fluttershy alone with a multicolored dust cloud.

Dash halted suddenly once inside Fluttershy's living room. She looked around, squinting some.
“Hey, rabbit! I got some food for you!”
Instantly, the albino bunny poked his head from around the corner, a hopeful expression on his face. His ears lowered when he saw a cyan pegasus rather than a yellow one.
He hopped over and waited for Dash to fill his bowl.

Dash grunted as she lifted the heavy bag upside down over a food bowl. Pellets flew out and overflowed the bowl instantly, leaving a trail of dust as Dash turned the sack right-side up, dropping it with a loud, but peculiarly muffled thud.
“Bon appetit,” Dash said sarcastically.
She looked around when the food went uneaten. “Where'd you go, little guy?”
There was no response. She shrugged and flew out of the house. He''ll eat when he's hungry.
Fluttershy was waiting for Dash outside, ready to go.
“Come on!” Dash said with a grin and took to the sky, Fluttershy following close behind.