On Friday morning, Fluttershy arrived at the library. Just to see on the progress of where things were going in terms of the experiment. This was her intention, but she, of course, walked in on a more intimate scene. Pinkamena and Twilight were sitting together on a sofa, cuddled up and reading a book together. Or rather, Pinkamena was reading out loud, while Twilight snuggled and listened attentively.
They both looked up upon her entrance, stopping.
“O-Oh... sorry... I-I hope I’m not interrupting anything...” Fluttershy said, backing away toward the door.
Pinkamena smiled warmly, placing a bookmark on the page she was reading and looked up. “Fluttershy, it’s all right. You may come in.”
“Hello, Flutters!” Twilight greeted cheerfully. “We missed you guys the rest of yesterday!”
“...Yes...” Fluttershy murmured, shaking her head. “Um, I wanted to ask... about any... progress made? N-Not that I’m trying to be pushy! I-I’m just curious...”
“Of course, no need for you to fret. After all, you are entitled to know.” Pinkamena nodded, placing a foreleg over Twilight. “We still have not heard anything from Princess Luna as of yet, but I’m quite sure she’ll have copies of the manuscripts I requested. As far as my personal studies on the matter, I’ve made a bit of progress. I’m beginning to grasp this theorem quickly, and I should have most of the basic understanding of how the ninth tier of the multiverse works. If I can just piece together all the factors, I can begin to figure how the spell switched the two of you and work on a reverse spell.”
“Yep! What she said!” Twilight nodded.
“...I see... well, at least there’s that, then...” Fluttershy shifted a bit on her hooves. “I guess, I just want to know where this all could go and if it would be possible. If not... well, I suppose I would just have to make the best of things.”
Pinkamena chuckled slightly, moving the book over to a nearby table. “That’s a very positive way of looking at this. I’m amazed at how quickly you adjusted to all of this. I’m quite glad to see that.” She tilted her head a bit, placing a hoof on her chin. “Have you done something with your mane, Fluttershy? You look slightly different today.”
“Huh? No, not really... I just... brushed my mane and used a different shampoo, that’s all,” Fluttershy said, shrugging a bit. “I didn’t really do anything to it. Why do you ask? You think I look different? How so?”
“It could merely be a trick of the lighting and angle, I suppose.” Pinkamena shook it off, smiling once more. “Never mind me. It just appeared that you styled your mane in a different way, covering one of your eyes. Not a bad look for you, if I may say so, just very similar to our Fluttershy’s back when she had long hair.”
Twilight studied Fluttershy for a moment, thinking, and then smiled. “Yep! I agree, Flutters! You do look like her when she had long hair!”
“Ah, I see...” The creamy yellow pegasus nodded. “That’s nice, then. So... um... I just uh... wanted to ask something...”
Pinkamena, gestured for Fluttershy to move closer. “Of course, you may ask us whatever you may.”
Doing so, Fluttershy approached them and sat down. She felt uncertain about revealing this subject, but it was a part of why she came here. Everything at the moment was up in the air, including the very thing on her mind. Nervous, her hooves trembled slightly against the floor, she swallowed a bit, and tried to gather her nerves. She exhaled, calming herself.
“Yesterday... I.... I asked Rainbow to marry me.”
Pinkamena looked over at Fluttershy with wide eyes, then to Twilight before returning her gaze. “You... asked Rainbow Dash to marry you? Not that I’m opposing this, but do you not think that was a bit hasty? After all, you’ve only been here three days and we are not sure how long you will be in our reality.”
“It... was in the heat... of the moment...” Fluttershy said bashfully, shaking her head. “And to be fair... she did say maybe, and only if I was staying here forever. By default or otherwise.”
“Or otherwise?” Pinkamena questioned, but shook her head. “Well, regardless, I don’t see a problem here if both of you have come to an agreement on this.”
“What do you mean otherwise? You might... choose to stay here, even if you can go backers?” Twilight asked, wide-eyed.
Biting her lip, Fluttershy nodded slowly. “...Yes.”
“No.” Pinkamena flatly said. “If it’s possible to send you back, we must. This is non-negotiable, Fluttershy. We have no idea what effect you remaining here or our Fluttershy remaining there could cause to yourself...”
“I-I understand... but I can’t just leave her! I-I can’t!”
Pinkamena sighed, looking away. “I can understand your concern for Rainbow Dash, but you must understand that it’s possible something terrible might happen to you. I will not allow any deaths if I can prevent them.”
“I’m not leaving unless I know that she’s safe!” Fluttershy said indignantly, slapping a hoof down. “...And loved...”
“Fair enough.” Pinkamena nodded, not looking up. “I can allow that.”
“Oooooh, you’re worried about our Flutters not loving her!” Twilight realized, and smiled. “Silly, she does love Dashie!”
“...I know,” Fluttershy murmured. “I know she does, now.”
Pinkamena looked over at Fluttershy, her eyes looked as though they could see through her into her soul. “...This has to do with your Rainbow Dash in a way, does it not?”
“...W-Why would you say that?” Fluttershy squeaked, looking at her with surprise.
Pinkamena looked at her seriously, not blinking. “You stated before that when the event occurred, you were thinking about how your own Rainbow Dash behaved. You wanted her to be gentler, emotional open, and kind. Tell me, does this Rainbow Dash sound like this to you?”
“...Yes... v-very much... This Rainbow is much like mine, without being brash or aggressive,” Fluttershy looked down at the floor with shame. “She is a bit more like me, especially in how she cares for animals, but isn’t a clone.”
“I’ve already deduced that this is why you were switched with this reality’s Fluttershy. You wanted your Rainbow Dash to be more like this one.” Pinkamena said with her tone softening. “You don’t have to feel ashamed, I know that this world’s Rainbow Dash had wanted to see a gentler Fluttershy as well, but you must know that there are forces at work we cannot control. I only want what is best for both of you, this I swear.”
Twilight gave a solemn nod in agreement. “Mm-hmm!”
“Y-Yes... She has appealed to me because of how much she’s Rainbow in a more... gentle way, but I swear I’m not replacing her! I do truly love her, you have to believe me! I-I’d be good to her, I really would! I would do all I could to make her happy.... I-I just... don’t want to leave knowing she’ll be alone...” Fluttershy said, still not looking at them. “I know your Fluttershy does love her... we discovered that... But what if she still won’t? I-I can’t just leave her like that...”
Pinkamena exhaled, gathering her thoughts before speaking. “I never said that, Fluttershy. I know you would be a kind and wonderful lover for her to have, and I am aware that our Fluttershy may not love her back, but allow me ask you a hypothetical question.” The pink earth pony pointed at her. “If I told you that this universe, this reality would either try to make you become like our Fluttershy or simply erase you from existence, would you still stay?”
“....I.....” Fluttershy squeaked, taken aback by the question. She looked around nervously, biting her lip. Waves of uncertainty washed over her, leaving her heart swelling and her stomach churning. Her hooves felt sweaty, as did her forehead, and her breathing quickened. Not a single answer came to mind to help her in this. “....I don’t know. Probably... Probably not. Especially if the latter happened...”
Pinkamena simply gave nod. “Again, this is just hypothetical, and there is no known proof that this could happen, but it is a possibility. You see, this is why I am trying so hard. I don’t want to lose another life.” Her mane seemed to slightly curl, to which she quickly grabbed the strand of hair and forced it straight.
“We gotta get you back, Flutters! We don’t want anything bad to happen to you or to our Fluttershy!” Twilight pouted, looking worried. “If you’re worried about Dashie... don’t be. If it makes you feel better, we’re going to give our Fluttershy a kick in the flank so she’ll come forth with her feelings! Promise!”
“...Okay...” Fluttershy murmured, looking at them, then. “All right.”
“Of course, we have to figure out how to do so first, and this may take some time,” Pinkamena smiled a bit, her tone more kind. “So, until then, you should make the best of your time here. Enjoy yourself and let us know if anything odd begins to happen.”
“...All right, thank you...” Fluttershy smiled a bit more, but it was a bit sad. “I’ll go now, then... Thank you for your time.”
Pinkamena grinned, pulling Twilight closer. “If you must, Fluttershy, but don’t be afraid to speak with us about anything.”
“...I won’t. Thank you for that, and thank you for being honest with me.”
Fluttershy bid them farewell, and left the library without another word.
Twilight watched her go, smiling a bit, then exhaled. “...I hope she’ll be okay. She does seem to like it here, at least... and she does care about Dashie.”
“That’s true. I wish I knew more about this so I could give her an option.” Pinkamena muttered, looking back at her lover. “We’ll see what fate has in store for us.”
“You’re right...” Twilight kissed her cheek and snuggled more into her. “You’re absolutely right, Pinkie-Winkie!”
Pinkamena cuddled close to her lover, and picked up the book once more, smiling. “Shall we continue with our story?”
The alicorn nodded. “Yes, pwease!”
With a giggled, Pinkamena opened the book to the bookmark. “Very well then... Chapter Six: Of Wings of Love... that’s where we left off, correct?”
“Uh-huh! That’s where we left off!” Twilight nodded, snuggling her lover. “Read on, my fair Pinkamena!”
Flying back home, Fluttershy’s mind reeled with the information she’d taken in. It was apparent that Pinkamena, with the help of Twilight’s magic, surely would find a way to get her back home. The consequences of mixing their two realities so far had unforeseen consequences, but the risks did indeed sound terrifying, if there were any.
Choosing to remain here was, more than likely, not an option. At least until Pinkamena was able to prove it would be fine. But even so, the very factor that it wasn’t going to work that way felt a little too real. Too possible. Fluttershy could feel her heart wrenching at this prospect, knowing that her time here was truly limited.
It wasn’t a horrible factor, she did miss her home and her friends. But it still stung, knowing she was leaving her lover behind. Something she had tried to promise she would not do if she could help it. But now, it was looking like she had to do that.
She sighed, hoping that it would all work out in some way. The last thing she wanted was for any of them, especially Rainbow Dash, to suffer. She also knew that forcing her counterpart to stay behind in her world just because she herself wouldn’t go back was ridiculous. For all she knew, the other Fluttershy was more than likely determined to get back home.
Eventually, she finally arrived back home. After greeting all of the animals, singing to them and keeping them company for a few minutes, Fluttershy went inside the cloud home.
“I’m back, Rainbow...” She said, not as enthusiastically as she’d hoped.
“O-Oh! Hold on, Fluttershy... I got something for you.” Rainbow called to her from the kitchen.
‘I can’t make this harder for her, or for me... but I can’t leave her alone, either... I’ll just have to... tell her what we’re up against. We’ll have to make the best of it... I just hope she’ll be okay...’ Fluttershy thought.
She went to the kitchen, pausing in the doorway.
“What is it?” Fluttershy asked.
Rainbow Dash turned about to face her, holding a large cake of some kind. “I know it’s a little silly and all... but I wanted buy you something for lunch today. The Cakes gave me this to commemorate us moving in together.” She placed it up on the table. “I think they called it a ‘chocolate cheese cake’. I’ve never had one before, but they said it was really good, a-and I thought it might be nice to share.”
Touched, all Fluttershy could do was look at the smiling cyan mare. Her heart melted in happiness, yet sorrow. “It... It looks... delicious, Rainbow... that was so sweet of you...”
Walking over to Fluttershy, Rainbow looked at her with concern. “Are you okay, Flutters? W-What’s wrong?”
“... I...” Fluttershy looked to her with sadness, her heart falling to the floor.
Every moment she spent gazing at this sweet, lovely pony, the more it broke her heart. One day she would leave her, one day it would likely be all over. Even with her hopes and trust that she would be okay, especially when it came to the other Fluttershy... It didn’t make it any easier to know that they would part ways someday.
“...Rainbow...” Fluttershy muttered, bringing her lover into her hooves and cuddling her.
“F-Fluttershy, did something happen?” Rainbow asked even more worried.
“... No...” The creamy yellow pegasus said tearfully, shaking her head. She leaned in, gently nuzzling her mane, and then kissed Rainbow’s face. “I went to see Pinkamena and Twilight... just to see if they made progress on the spell... So far, no, but Pinkamena had found some information and such... Either way, though.... It looks like I will... have to go eventually... I might not even be able to remain here even if I was able to choose... Oh, Dashie, I’m sorry! I was hoping with all my heart that I would never leave you!” She began to cry softly, holding her mare tighter. “I don’t want to leave you! I love you!”
Rainbow Dash felt her heart give out, her chest reveled in pain. She felt like crying, but she could not shed any tears. Her legs trembled slightly, yet the cyan mare managed to return the embrace. She nuzzled against Fluttershy gently, closing her eyes tightly.
“It’s... okay.” Rainbow muttered. “It’s all right. I-I know you don’t want to leave and I d-don’t want you to either... But, if you really don’t have a choice, I-I understand. I love you, too. I really do.” She tried to tighten her hug, but did not seem to have the strength to do so.
“R-Rainbow…” Fluttershy whispered to her ear, tears falling down her face. “Promise me something, please...”
Rainbow sniffled, feeling somewhat weak. “Of course, anything.”
Pulling her head back to look into her eyes, Fluttershy gently caressed her cheek, “Promise me... you’ll be happy. Promise me you’ll go for it, you’ll try all you can.... and to tell your Fluttershy you love her... Please... I don’t want to leave this world unless I know you’re going to be all right. Please? Please promise me...”
“I-I promise.” Rainbow’s voice faded a bit. “... I promise I’ll try.”
Sniffling, Fluttershy pulled her in for a gentle, tender kiss. She lingered, savouring the soft, sweet feel of her lover’s luscious lips.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash... I love you so much.... I promise you, we’re going to make the best of the time we have. I promise you that. We don’t know for sure what will happen, but we have to be prepared, no matter what. Until then... may I still live with you?”
Rainbow’s eyes finally began to tear up as she almost tackled Fluttershy to the floor crying into her mane. “Of course you can! I don’t want you going anywhere! Please stay! Please...”
Managing a sad smile, Fluttershy held her closer and nuzzled her. “Then I’ll stay. I will, my lovely Rainbow... I’ll stay. I won’t leave you.”
“Please don’t go...” Rainbow Dash cried quietly, clutching Fluttershy tightly.
“I won’t go, I won’t...” Crying quietly as well, the creamy yellow pony opened her wings, closing them around her lover. “...Rainbow... there was the possibility, though not proven... That if I stay in this realm... I’ll turn into the Fluttershy of this reality.”
Rainbow Dash pulled away slightly, looking up at Fluttershy, confused. “W-What? What do you mean?”
“Believe me, I have no idea...” Fluttershy admitted, wiping her tears a bit. “But Pinkamena was giving me a hypothetical. Of what would happen if I... remained in this world, and turned back into the Fluttershy of this reality. As I said, it isn’t proven... But it’s almost a scary possibility, if there are any consequences to... mmm... interdimensional travel... I mean...it had to switch us out, in order to put me in here.... What if it changes me?”
Rainbow looked at her, considering what was said, despite how confusing it was, but pulled Fluttershy back into a tight embrace. “Even if that’s true... I’ll still love you! I swear I would...”
Smiling through her tears, Fluttershy kissed her forehead. “Oh, I don’t doubt that, Rainbow. I suppose I’m just... curious, and wondering how I would feel... would I... inherit the memories and feelings of your Fluttershy? Or would I still remember me, and yet I’d still be her? ...I have to admit, it’s kind of scary... it’s as if I’d be gone forever, if I forget who I was...”
“I don’t know how something like that would work.” Rainbow admitted, giving Fluttershy a shy little kiss to the cheek, “but I don’t think... anything can take away your memories... could it?”
“...I wouldn’t know,” Fluttershy murmured, and kissed her cheek as well. “Well... it’s been three days, and I’m still me... perhaps we have nothing to fear in that regard.”
Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, cuddling close to her. “I think everything will be fine. Maybe... Maybe you will have a choice after all, a-and you can stay.” Her voice was still weak, but held optimistic tone.
“You’re right.... It’s not absolute if my staying in this world would be a bad thing, and we certainly don’t know how our counterparts in my world feel.” Fluttershy agreed, a tinge of optimism entering her tone. “Even Pinkamena knows that... She will still find a way, but we also can’t prove anything yet, either. So I think... As long as we know what we may be in for, we can still hope for the best.”
“I agree.” Rainbow lifted her up, smiling just a bit. “That’s really... all anyone can do, right?”
Nodding, Fluttershy smiled and kissed her sweetly, stroking her mane. “Yes. It’s all we can do. Oh, I’m so sorry for bringing such bad news... especially when we were going to enjoy some cake... which I’d still love to do, if you want...”
Rainbow Dash started to pick herself off of Fluttershy with a weak giggle. “O-Of course I would like to. That is, if you still want some?”
“Of course I want some... And then after...” Fluttershy’s smile grew, her voice suggestive. “I’ll take you to bed.”
“Isn’t it a little early for-” Rainbow started to say, before catching her meaning and blushing a bright red. “Ooh...”
“I never said we were going to sleep, my love...” Fluttershy cooed, nuzzling her cheek and kissing her face.
Rainbow Dash returned the nuzzle with a quiet giggle, trying not to blush further. “I guess if you really want to, we can. It’s sounds... awesome.”
“Oooh... will you say it again, Dashie?” Fluttershy nuzzled their noses, giggling. “Please? Just for me?”
Rainbow giggled, knowing what she meant by this. “That sounds awesome, Flutters.”
‘Oh goodness, I miss her...’ “Thank you, my pretty Rainbow...” Fluttershy hugged her warmly.
“Anytime you want me to do something, Fluttershy... just ask me and I will. I promise.” Rainbow returned the embrace, cuddling close.
“Me too, Rainbow. I promise,” whispered the creamy yellow mare.
Rainbow giggled a bit, pulling away. “So... did you wanna eat up here or in the bedroom?”
“Let’s eat here, so we don’t make a mess,” Fluttershy smiled, indicating to the cake. “Then we’ll... work it from there...”
“Okay then.” Rainbow Dash nodded, pulling up a chair for Fluttershy. “Let’s eat.”
Giggling at how sweetly chivalrous she was, Fluttershy sat upon the chair and beamed. “Thank you, Rainbow...”
Taking a seat beside Fluttershy, Rainbow began to cut the cake up and placed a slice on a plate. “You’ll have to tell me how it tastes. I’ve never had a cheese cake before.” Placing a fork near both plates, she sat up, waiting for Fluttershy to taste the dessert first.
“No? Aww, you’re missing out!” Fluttershy giggled, and took a bite of her slice. She let the taste sink in, and then smiled brightly. “Delicious, so decadent! Why don’t you try it?”
“O-Oh, all right then.” Rainbow blushed lightly as she took a bite. “Wow, this is really different! I like it.” She began to cut up the slice and eat yet another piece.
With a warm smile, Fluttershy continued to eat her slice as well. At least now, they could enjoy their time together, and hope for the best. Whatever may have been in store for their future, nothing was certain, nor set in stone, so maybe there wasn’t cause for worry. Optimistic caution, maybe, but nothing worrisome. At least not now.
Fluttershy tossed a bit, trying to get comfortable under the blankets, but her legs felt restless. It was an odd feeling for her to feel pent up energy, wanting to get up and move. She tried to fight off the feeling, but it was becoming clear that this would not be a battle she could win. With a weak exhale, she started to open her eyes.
‘Well... there goes that nap...’ Fluttershy thought. She looked over at the clock, groggily, seeing that it was a little late in the afternoon. ‘I should go feed the animals... Rainbow is probably still tired...’
Looking to her right, she found her assumption correct. Rainbow Dash lay fast asleep next to her, her mane spilled out over her pillow, snoring softly. Fluttershy smiled, and leaned over to kiss her gently on the forehead.
Making sure not to disturb her lover, Fluttershy rose out of bed by flying, and then quietly flew to the dressing table. She brushed out her mane, then flew out the room without making much of a sound. Deciding to get some air, she opened the front door and stepped outside. The beautiful afternoon radiated all around, with a cooling breeze refreshing her, and with the sounds of nature all around her.
Closing her eyes, Fluttershy breathed in the fresh air, then exhaled. Hearing the birds singing, she giggled, and sang along with them.
Looking across the field, Fluttershy saw a rather large figure stand around with the animals. It looked as though it might have been playing with them, teasing the smaller critters slightly while playing with an odd ball shaped toy. It took Fluttershy a moment to tell who this lone figure was, before coming to the conclusion that it must have been none other than the Spirit of Chaos, Discord.
As she descended to the ground, she could see that she was right. With a big smile, she rushed over into the pen to see him.
“Oh my gosh, Discord! I can’t believe it’s you! You’re here!” Fluttershy greeted fondly, a wide smile on her face. “It’s so good to see you!”
Discord looked a bit confused by the reaction of the yellow pegasus. “You’re glad to see me?! Last I checked, you weren’t too fond of me.” He said wagging a claw at here.
“No, I’m-” Fluttershy paused, realizing something else. This had to be the very Discord of this reality. It seemed completely preposterous, all things considered, but there was no denying it. “Oh... Um... actually... it’s a very long story...”
Discord placed a claw on her chin. “Let me guess... you’re not this reality's Fluttershy and you happen to be all sweet, kind and nice like this reality’s Rainbow Dash, being switched by a failed spell cast by friend, and now you’re stuck here until someone can figure out how to send you home. Until then, you’re trying to make the best of this and have fallen in love this Rainbow Dash.” He pointed at her, flatly asking, “Is that about right?”
This of course, caused Fluttershy’s jaw to drop in a very unceremonious manner. “...W-What?! H-How did you-? Where did... how-what? You knew?!”
“Wait, I was right?” Discord said, a bit surprised, but quickly waved it off. “I mean, of course I’m right! I am the Spirit of Chaos after all! So, I know when something chaotic is happening, even if I didn’t cause it! Oh, and believe me, breaking reality is very chaotic!” He chuckled wildly, then slid up beside her, placing an arm over her. “Good for you! You’re well on your way to taking my job! Uh, don’t do that, please... I get horribly bored as it is!”
“N-No! No! Of course not, I wouldn’t do that... Besides, it wasn’t even my doing.... It was a spell casted by my friend, Twilight Sparkle...” Fluttershy explained.
Discord laughed, now floating above her head. “You let Twilight cast a spell on you?! No wonder you’re stuck here. That is one alicorn that is truly frightening! All that power! And no control! I can see why Princess Luna assigned Pinkamena to watch over her.” He crossed his arms, looking at her eye to eye, upside down. “When you go back, swear off the magic. Next time, she might turn you into me! Not that being me is a bad thing, but I’m not sure if you got the heart for it... or do you? Eh, I can’t tell with you.”
Fluttershy shook her head, gathering some feed so that she could feed the animals. “No! Not this Twilight. I meant my Twilight, the one from my reality. She’s....well, she’s not exactly that crazy like she is here.”
“Wait, you mean there’s a Twilight that’s not as nuts as a nut pie?! Now that’s scary!” Discord follower her, picking some of the feed as well. “Does that means there’s another me?! Wow, I’d loved meet me! Or hate it. Depends, really.”
“Yes, there is another you in my world. I... um, I don’t know... I don’t see much difference between you both... Um, you were reformed too, right?”
Discord looked at her, oddly. “Reformed? For what? Did I do something when I wasn’t looking again?! I swear, I’m such a hoof-full!”
Giggling a bit, Fluttershy shook her head. “No, no.... Well, backstory aside... You were released from your stone prison, and you reigned chaos on Equestria... Then with the Elements of Harmony, we sealed you away again. Then Princess Celestia tasked us with reforming you, which we managed to do... Or rather, I did... at least, back in my world... Who was in charge of helping reform you, here?”
“Wow, you’re world sounds freaky.” Discord rolled his eyes, and held up the feed, “I gotta see it now! Well, I guess something like that happened here, although I can’t recall being trapped in stone or old Sun-Butt tasking something like that to the Elements of Harmony. Then again, I don’t remember a lot of things that happened to me. Must be the whole 'Spirit of Chaos' thing. I guess you can say Rainbow Dash helped me get settled into life around Ponyville.” He picked up a small piece of feed in his claws and licked it. “...This ain’t half bad.”
“I see...” Fluttershy said thoughtfully, nodding. “I suppose that makes sense, it’s no wonder you’re around here. I take it you and Rainbow get along well?”
Discord grinned wildly, nodding a bit as he ate some of the feed. “You bet! She’s a sweet little mare, if a bit too passive. She needs to learn to step up and speak what she wants. For instances, with that crush she had on this reality's Fluttershy. I offered to make her a love potion once, but she turned it down. Can you believe that? Eh, not the point, but get it, right?” He looked back to Fluttershy, offering her some of the feed. “Ever tried it?”
Fluttershy nodded, tasting it to humour him. “A love potion?” The creamy yellow mare tilted her head curiously.
Discord, chuckled, giving her a sly look. “I still got it! You want it for something?”
Shaking her head, Fluttershy blushed a bit. “No, no... that’s all right. I was just curious. I mean... I suppose that would be interesting to use it on my Rainbow Dash... but that wouldn’t be the same a-anyway! Um, you’d said I wasn’t fond of you... meaning the other me doesn’t like you. Why is that?”
“Well, I normally only answer one question at a time, but since I like you better than the old Fluttershy, I’ll do it!” Discord pointed at the air, materialising a vile of pink fluid. “The way love potions work is it makes some creature fall in love with you, but it doesn’t really work if they already love you. To be Frank, and yes I go by Frank at times, I dumped at least two gallons of the stuff into this Fluttershy’s cider a year ago and it didn’t do a thing! Zilch, zero, nada! So, she was either in love with her back then, or she has no heart!” He snapped his talons, causing the vile to vanish. “Now as for why this Fluttershy doesn’t like me, oh, now that’s a tale to tell! So, wanna hear it!?”
‘Well, so the love potion also proves that this Fluttershy loves her...’ Fluttershy thought. She nodded then, still feeding the animals. “Yes, of course. You can tell me the tale.”
“Oh, you’ll love this! Since, in a way, you’re her, but not her!” He snapped his talons, causing a small sofa to appear under Fluttershy, making her squeal a bit in surprise. A second snap cause a large tub of popcorn to appear beside her. Clearing his voice, he took a dramatic pose, before dropping it and floating just a few feet in front of her.
“It was back when I was first trying to get adjusted to this whole ‘normal’ life bit. I wasn’t exactly having an easy time dealing with all this, so Rainbow Dash stepped up to help me!” Discord began, partially beaming. “So, she let me move in with her for a while. That tortoise was a pain though.... So, anyway, it was nice and all, but Fluttershy seemed to think I was gonna eat her or something. I can’t remember her exact words. It was some gibberish about babies or something. Then, she got all worked up when Rainbow Dash started calling me her friend. Fluttershy showed up saying I was trying to steal her best friend and she just went crazy! Ever seen anything break the light barrier with a kick? Note: avoid being hit by it. Well, after that, she calmed down and chilled out a bit, but she still thinks I’m up to something, which is silly. I’m the Spirit of Chaos! I can’t do something that’s expected!”
“...Oh... I see...” Fluttershy murmured, sampling some of the popcorn. She thought for a few moments, taking in his story. It almost sounded like something her Rainbow Dash would do, and even had done at first. Not in the same way, but somewhat. “I think... it sounds like the other Fluttershy might have been jealous.”
Turning upside down, Discord nodded with chuckle. “You think?! I still have the bruise from the kick! Two years I had it! Two! And it still hurts. Again, never be hit by an object that breaks an anything barrier!”
Fluttershy shuddered at the thought, unable to imagine how painful that might have been. “Oh my... I’m sorry to hear that...”
“Eh, don’t worry about it!” Discord waved it off. “So, are you gonna stay or leave?”
“....Well, I don’t know... Pinkamena has been telling me that it’s uncertain about what could happen. If there is a way to get me back, if something will happen if I stay here for an extended period of time... everything is up in the air at the moment. So, I don’t know...” Fluttershy admitted, leaning back a bit on the couch.
Discord floated over to the other side of the couch, laughing. “Well, as the Spirit of Chaos, I might happen to know a bit about what will happen if you do stay. After all, I know what happens when you break the rules.”
“...Really?” Fluttershy looked up at him with wide eyes. “What is it? Can you... tell me?”
“Well, I know what might happen, I can’t tell you for sure since I haven’t broken reality before; this is what I think I know.” Discord said, snapping his talons. A small mirror appeared in front of Fluttershy, floating in the air. “Well, you’re you. But here, you’re still you, but not you at the same time. And judging by your aura, you’re also the Element of Kindness, right? Well, the universe ain’t gonna like that. So, what does it do? It’ll make you change Elements! Now, I’m not sure about how this works, but...” Discord snapped again, causing the image to change, showing a Fluttershy with short hair, “It’ll either make you look like this or...” he snapped again, making the image vanish completely, “It will just ignore you and change somepony else into the new Element of Loyalty. Hard to tell. Heck, you might even be able to choose if you’re changed or not!” He snapped and the mirror vanished. “So, what cha think?”
“...Oh goodness....” Fluttershy raised her hooves to her face, wide-eyed. “Pinkamena said something along those lines! What if that’s true? What if the universe does try to fix things somehow? I’m a different Fluttershy than who was born here, and also replacing the Element of Loyalty with a second Kindness... oh dear... This isn’t good... I wonder what could happen...”
Discord looked at her questioningly. “What? At worst, you get a new snazzy haircut, some earrings, and act tough. At best, nothing happens! What’s the problem?”
“I... don’t know, I guess I was scared of the possibility of becoming this world’s Fluttershy. To the point that all of my memories would be erased...”
“So what if you do?” Discord asked bluntly. “You seem to like it here just fine. If you lost your memories and became her, you’ll not remember you forgot anything and just carry on! Sure, I doubt we’d chat like this, but hey, you still got the girl, right?!” He flashed toothy grin, elbowing her a bit. “So, what’s the problem?”
She managed a small smile in return, then looked off into the horizon. Sighing, her ears drooped ever so slightly.
“I don’t know... I just, in a way, I still miss my home... my friends, my pet bunny... And I... well, I still love my Rainbow...”
Discord nodded, placing a talon on his chin. “I see. But if you forgot them, you wouldn’t remember them and thus, not miss them, right? But, I guess I get what you mean. First home, first love and all that.”
“Mm-hmm...” Fluttershy nodded, exhaling once more. “I don’t want to forget it all... I mean, I know I won’t know that I forgot, but the prospect of it is kind of... sad.”
“Well, why not write it all down?” Discord spoke up, trying to sound charming. “You know, write it all down somewhere so if you ever forget, you can read it and remember!”
“....That’s a great idea!” Fluttershy smiled widely, and hugged him around his torso. “I’ll do that! I’ll write down everything I can remember! That way, if something does happen to me, I’ll be able to look back somehow!”
Discord pulled away, hiding a weak blush. “Hey, hey, hey, now! I’m just trying to make a suggestion. For all I know, I could be wrong!” He chuckled a bit, now floating in the air.
“Maybe... but it was still a good idea,” Fluttershy smiled warmly.
Discord turned away, laughing. “Not often I hear that!”
“Well... then it’s about time you did,” giggled the timid pony. “Really, I just... well, I’ll have to make the best of whatever happens. I just hope Rainbow will be okay when I’m gone...”
“Well, if she’s anything like the Fluttershy from this reality, which is what I assume by the way, she’ll be fine!” Discord chuckled, turning to face her.
“...Are you sure? I mean, we did find out that this world’s Fluttershy does love her... But I just hope it’s enough, that she’ll go through with it and won’t... hold back... I just... I want her to be happy, and to be loved...”
Discord waved a claw at her, still smiling. “You’re not giving them enough credit. Our Fluttershy may be a pain and stubborn, but she can do better, plus Rainbow Dash is a lot stronger than she looks!”
“...I know she is, I just hope they’ll move forward, you, know?” Fluttershy looked up at him, pouting a bit.
Discord looked down at her and cringed, looking away dramatically. “Oh, not the face! Rainbow Dash gives that look whenever she wants me to make a promise.”
“Well, I want you guys to.... give them a push, make them stop avoiding each other,” Fluttershy pouted still, but was beginning to smile.
Discord gave a sigh of utter defeat, drooping his head. “Fine, I promise. If they don’t act, I’ll personally lock the two in a chapel until they agree to marry!” He looked back to her, grinning. “Deal?”
The thought of that made Fluttershy laugh at how adorably silly that would be. She giggled, grinning widely. “Yay! Thank you, Discord! You’re a pal!”
Discord chuckled, rolling in the air. “Yeah, I like you better than the other Fluttershy! But be mindful of your vocabulary!”
“Hee!” Fluttershy laughed, smiling widely. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, nothing, Fluttershy!” Discord dismissed it, waving a talon.
Shrugging a bit, Fluttershy leaned back into the couch, smiling as she gazed out into the horizon. Her worries were slowly melting away, like a snowflake in a fiery grip. Life felt good, if not more reassured now.
“F-Fluttershy? Are you out here?” A voice called over to her a bit away. Rainbow Dash had come out to see where she had went after waking up.
“Over here, Rainbow!” Fluttershy waved to her, smiling. “Come join us!”
Rainbow looked over to see a Fluttershy sitting on a sofa in the middle of the opening. Before she could question it, she spotted Discord floating nearby. With a bright smile, she trotted over to them, giggling. She sat down beside Fluttershy, cuddling up beside her.
“You c-could have woken me, if you wanted help with feeding the critters, Fluttershy.” Rainbow spoke up happily, yawning a bit. “And Discord! I didn’t know you were coming by today.”
“What can I say? I just love surprises!” Discord snickered, grinning widely at the two.
Fluttershy cuddled Rainbow in return, kissing her forehead. “You were still asleep, and you’ve had a busy morning. You looked so sweet and peaceful, I couldn’t bear to wake you.”
“I know, but still... I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this for me. After all, we should be able to feed the animals together. It would be faster.” Rainbow giggled a bit, covering her mouth as not to do so loudly.
“You’re right,” Fluttershy agreed, nuzzling noses with her. “That’s true! But it’s okay if I have to do it myself, sometimes. I’m used to this kind of thing, so it’s nothing new. But it is nice if we do it together, of course.”
Discord hovered overhead, placing an arm over them both. “And let’s not forget yours truly! With all three of us, this will be done quickly. Then, you two can go on that date Fluttershy was telling me about!” He winked over at yellow mare.
“I was?” Fluttershy blinked, caught a little off guard. But when she saw the brightened smile on Rainbow’s face, she retracted. “Uh... I mean, yes! I was! A nice little date, tonight!”
Rainbow started to giggle wildly as she hugged Fluttershy tightly. “Oh, that sounds so nice! I’ve never been on a real date before...”
“Neither have I...” Fluttershy hugged her back. “Then we’ll have a nice date together! Our first date, and it’ll be wonderfully special!”
Discord snapped his talons, causing the couch to vanish and quickly grabbed the two pegasi, gently setting them to the ground. “Well then, we better get to work!”
“Right!” Said the creamy yellow mare, kissing her lover’s nose. “Let’s get to it, shall we?”
“Of course!” Rainbow replied, blushing brightly.
The pegasi came to a halt outside a large, rectangular building. It had a fairly basic color scheme being mostly red, with green windows and shutters, frame, and roof. The windows were tinted a shade of blue, mostly for privacy of the window seat occupants. The roof was also open, allowing guests to eat outside if they so wished. Just over head was a sign that read the name of the restaurant, along with the design of a crescent moon.
Cheshire’s Moon
The name was very befitting the restaurant, seeing as it did not open until six in the evening. Rainbow Dash had wanted to come here a few times for different occasions, but had never gone in. It was given several high marks and was popular among most of her friends.
“Oh, t-this place.” Rainbow stated with a smile, pointing up at the sign. Despite the short amount of time she had to get ready, Rainbow Dash had put on a cute pink dress. The sleeves were short, and a simple white trim, and the skirt was of a ruffle design. The white sash tied into a bow in the back at her waist completed the outfit well. “I hope you don’t mind us coming here, Fluttershy. I’ve just... really wanted to go here for a while.”
“I don’t believe there’s one like this back home...” Fluttershy said thoughtfully. But she smiled brightly and nuzzled her lover. “But it looks lovely! I’d love to try it.” She too was wearing a dress, taken from her counterpart’s wardrobe. It was a simple green dress, though a lot more casual in comparison to Rainbow’s cuter and more stylistic dress.
“Yay!” Rainbow giggled a bit, leading the way to the entrance. “All right then. We should be able to get a nice seating since we’re pretty early.”
“That’s good, then,” Fluttershy followed after her. “You know... Rainbow and I had this little tradition when we were kids. We’d have pizza on Fridays... homemade, frozen or take-out... We sometimes still do it to this day, if we’re getting together on a Friday and we don’t feel like cooking.”
Rainbow turned back at the door, smiling sweetly. “Really? My Fluttershy and I did that too, when we were younger... I’d almost forgotten. Wow, I guess that’s something that won’t have to change for you.”
“Wow...” Giggled the creamy yellow mare, nuzzling her. “You don’t have to have any if you don’t want to, of course. It’s just something I remembered.”
Rainbow cuddled against her a bit, blushing. “No, I would really like to do that. It would be nice.”
“...Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked, biting her lip. “Well, if you are, then we’ll see if they have some on the menu.”
Rainbow Dash nodded, looking at the door feeling a bit nervous. “O-Okay then. Could you... lead?” She asked quietly, hoping that she was not asking too much.
“Why?” Fluttershy asked, opening the door for her. “Oh.... Because your Fluttershy led?”
“A-Actually, we never went here together before...” Rainbow spoke up sadly, trying to dismiss it. “But it’s okay, I never asked her to take me either, a-and now we’re going.”
“...Oh...” Fluttershy let her inside first, then let go of the door as she came in herself. “Well, tonight, I’ll give you that opportunity you missed.”
They went to the hostess standing at the podium, to which Fluttershy requested a table. The hostess led into the place, which very much reflected the outside, with low lighting that gave a dark and dim atmosphere; but it was meant to be intimate and soft. The tables all had candles on them, making for a romantic, candlelit dinner look.
“Oh, my...” Rainbow softly spoke, “It looks lovely inside.”
Fluttershy took in the place, whistling a bit. “It does...”
Brought to a table for two, the pair sat down across from each other. Sure enough, the soft, romantic atmosphere played up perfectly. Fluttershy found herself admiring just how beautiful Rainbow looked in the soft candlelight. She felt giddy, along with her wings rising a bit.
“Oh, Rainbow... you look beautiful...” Fluttershy cooed, batting her eyelashes at her.
Rainbow blushed, shying away a bit. “T-Thank you, but you look wonderful all the time.”
“Noooo... that would be you,” Fluttershy giggled, winking. “But um, anyway... I have a question to ask you. It’s... well, more of a curious question than anything.”
“Of course, Flutters, you can ask me anything.” Rainbow said, slightly cooing at her name.
“Aww...” Fluttershy cooed, then regained herself. “Well... Remember back when we first met? And we... had that misunderstanding? You’d said that you kissed me-or rather, your Fluttershy. How did it happen? And... have you kissed her before?”
Rainbow blushed and quickly looked away, unsure of how to answer. “W-Well... it was earlier that day. Fluttershy was relaxing o-on a hill with me. She, um... fell asleep and I...” She started fidget in her seat a bit.
“...You gave in to temptation and kissed her while she was asleep?” Fluttershy concluded for her. “... Rainbow... come on now. You don’t do something like that when they’re sleeping,” she admonished gently.
“I know...” Rainbow sighed, trying not to look up. “That was wrong of me and I know better. I just... I wanted to so badly, just once... I’m sorry.”
“...I’m not the one you should be apologizing to, but that’s not the point,” Fluttershy softened then, reaching her hooves across the table. “At least you’re taking responsibility for it. And I can understand that you were tempted... I take it you never kissed her before?”
Rainbow nodded sadly. “Not to my knowledge... or at least not a real kiss. Then again, that didn’t count as one either.” She shook her head, blushing slightly. “I know I have to apologize to her one day. I hope I get the chance to...”
“Well, I hope you get a chance to do so,” Fluttershy leaned over and kissed her nose. “You two have so much to talk about, and so much unfinished emotional business. And I... hope you get a chance to give her a real kiss...” She giggled at the thought. “I guess I was lucky in that department...”
“If it means anything, I’m glad it was you that I gave my first kiss to... among other things” Rainbow Dash giggled a bit, covering her mouth to hold in the outburst.
Blushing a bit herself, Fluttershy smiled, “I’m glad to have been your first. I’d love to say that you were... but... I’ve already kissed my Rainbow before... But that doesn’t make our kisses any less wonderful or meaningful.”
Rainbow shook her head, still giggling. “It’s okay, I know it was important to you. And it means something else, too.” she leaned over the table and nuzzled Fluttershy’s nose. “You’re braver than I ever was...”
“Actually... it’s.... a bit of an embarrassing story... but I’ll tell you if you want to know...” Fluttershy’s ears drooped as she smiled sheepishly.
“Only if you want to tell me.” Rainbow cooed gently.
“Okay, I’ll tell you. It was back-”
“Helloooo, ladies!” A pegasus stallion waiter breezed to their table. “Can I get you two a drink?” His eyes fell on Rainbow Dash, his smile growing wider. “How about you, Miss?”
Rainbow giggled a bit, shaking her head looking over at Fluttershy. “Oh no, I couldn’t order before you.”
“Rainbow, if you know what you want, I don’t mind if you order before me. It doesn’t matter who does,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head.
“O-Oh, okay then.” Rainbow Dash nodded sheepishly. “Um, just some water would be nice.”
“And I’ll-” Fluttershy began.
“Excellent!” Said the waiter. “Would you like to order, or do you need more time?”
“Um, sir?” Fluttershy spoke up. “I’d like a drink too, please...”
“Huh?” The waiter looked at her, then laughed nervously. “Ah, sorry! What do you want, miss?”
“Fruit juice, please.” Fluttershy then overlooked the menu for a brief moment. “And to order, we’ll have a deep dish pizza, to share.”
“T-The four cheese, if that’s okay.” Rainbow blushed a bit, smiling up at Fluttershy.
“Absolutely! I’ll return with your orders momentarily!” The waiter took their menus, before walking off.
Fluttershy relaxed, turning back to Rainbow, “Anyway, so as I was saying... Sometime back, my friend Pinkie was throwing a fun party between the six of us. Applejack brought us some cider, and we decided to partake. Unfortunately… Rainbow had too much to drink, and so did I... Despite that, we were still aware and remembered the night before.... but it was still a bit crazy. I will say this, my Rainbow Dash is a very affectionate drunk. She was saying all kinds of nice things to all of us, giggling and laughing... And she was all over me. Flirting, kissing my face, saying sweet things to me...”
Rainbow blushed, staring at her. “Oh my... it sounds like she had my tolerance for cider. I can’t drink it, as I get easily, um... intoxicated. So... what happen after that?”
“Well.... nothing else happened aside from us making out gratuitously...” Fluttershy blushed immensely nonetheless. “But we... well, kind of brushed it off as us reacting to the alcohol and feeling... comfortable about making out together. I... well, knew better, but I suppose she really didn’t feel that way...”
“I see. Well, maybe there was something there?” Rainbow Dash placed a hoof over Fluttershy’s. “After all, cider might make some ponies affectionate, but it can’t make you think you like somepony for no reason...”
“...Well, that’s true...” Fluttershy murmured, looking at their joined hooves. “We just never talked about it since then... Rainbow especially denies it whenever any of our friends bring it up. I think she probably wouldn’t want me to dig too deep into it... How can I, when one of the things she said was ‘Marry me, Flutters’...”
Rainbow giggled a bit, looking up at her. “That... actually sounds really cute.”
“...She didn’t mean it,” Fluttershy mumbled, staring down at the table.
“Oh...” Rainbow drew back, understanding how sad this was. “I-I’m sorry... That must have hurt you really bad... She really should have talked about it with you...”
“...Yeah...” Fluttershy smiled a bit, glad she could understand. “I wish we had... I really should have, too. And I, oh speaking of that ... I wanted to say that I’m sorry.”
Rainbow was a little taken back this, somewhat confused. “F-For what?”
“When I made that... impromptu little... proposal...” Fluttershy looked away with shame. “It wasn’t just... because I wanted you to be happy and assured that I was committing to you, and all of that... It was.... f-for my own selfish reasons, too. And stupid reasons, on top of that! Like I’m a desperate little harpy who wants to get married... But I also had done it because... I was just tired of it. Tired of not knowing where I stood with her, tired of having mixed signals and tired of... just tired of it all! And I tried to take advantage of you like that. So we’d be married, have the security, and not... not have to play guessing games anymore... Because I love you and you’re also Rainbow Dash... It was me trying to... to live out my own fantasies... I am so sorry... I’m glad you said no... It’s better that way...” She began to cry softly.
Rainbow Dash gave a weak a smile, shaking her head. “It’s okay, Fluttershy. I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about it... I know that it was a little soon, but if you really are here to stay, forever... I really would love to be with you. I just...” She reached over the table, wiping a few of Fluttershy’s tears away, “I don’t want to keep you here if you don’t want to stay. You deserve to have a choice. So, don’t think that I was mad or upset or anything like that. I thought it was sweet of you. I really did.”
“I-I know.... thank you....” Fluttershy sniffled, shaking her head. “But I just... Didn’t want you to have to do that just because of my own... desires...”
“I know, Flutters. But you have the right to choose how you want to live, and no matter what, you know I would love you.” Rainbow leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss on the nose. “But let’s not worry about all this right now... This is our first date, so let’s try to enjoy it. Together.”
Sniffling a bit, the pink-maned pegasus managed a small smile. “....All right, Rainbow... Thank you. You’re right... Let’s just enjoy our date. That’s why we’re here, to have fun.”
“Ladies!” The waiter breezed by again, placing their drinks down, along with a deep dish pan pizza. “Your drinks, and a four-cheese deep dish pizza! Will there be anything else, miss?” He looked right at Rainbow Dash fondly.
Rainbow giggled a bit, looking over to Fluttershy. “Did you want to order anything else? Like an appetizer or dessert?”
“Um... sure, I’ll have a cheesecake for dessert, please,” Fluttershy said.
The waiter nodded, turning to Rainbow, “And what will you have, miss?”
Rainbow thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No, no, we’ll share.”
“An excellent choice! Very sweet of you, miss!” The waiter praised, and then walked off.
Staring after him for a moment, Fluttershy bit her lip, “What’s up with him? It sounds as if everything you say is wonderful to him...”
“Excellent choice?” Rainbow repeated, somewhat confused. “I didn’t order anything... I think he might just be a little... funny in head, like Thunderlane.”
“Well, that’s what I meant. He praised your choice when you didn’t order anything...” Fluttershy frowned. “I think he’s flirting with you.”
Rainbow frowned a bit as well. “No, I’m not worth flirting with... Besides, we should try to just ignore it and enjoy our food!” She brighten up a bit, smiling once more.
“Not worth flirting with?” Fluttershy pouted, leaning over toward her. “Well, I think you’re worth flirting with, you gorgeous pony...”
“Oh, you!” Rainbow blushed a bright shade of red, leaning in to meet Fluttershy for a brief kiss. “So, let’s eat.” She giggled a bit, taking two slices and placing them on plates for them. “Here you go... I hope this is as good as I’ve heard it was.”
“It looks and smells delicious!” Fluttershy blew on her slice, before taking a bite. She chewed, allowing the warm, cheesy flavour to fill her mouth, and then swallowed. “Mmm! Oh my, this is delicious! And fresh from the oven! You can’t get better than that!”
Rainbow Dash did the same, amazed at how wonderful the taste was. “Oh my goodness! This is wonderful. Oh, now I wished I had come here sooner...” She soon took a second bite, humming slightly.
“I hope there’s a Cheshire Moon back home!” Fluttershy remarked, taking another bite of her food. “Mm, we’ll have to come back here!”
“Well, if there’s not... you could just stay here?” Rainbow teased a bit, taking another bite.
This made Fluttershy laugh a bit. “You’re right! I can’t go back now, I have to stay here and enjoy this place!”
“Yay!” Rainbow let out weak little cry of joy.
“Well, if I do...” Fluttershy leaned over a bit, finishing another bite. “We’ll certainly have to come to this place... as an anniversary sort of occasion...”
Rainbow nodded, chewing another bit and swallowing. “I agree. I think that-”
“And how is everything, miss?” The waiter appeared again, grinning widely at Rainbow.
Rainbow recoiled a bit, looking up at the waiter. “Oh, um... yes, e-everything is wonderful.” She gave weak smile, hoping that he would leave soon.
“Awesome! So....” The waiter rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat. “I was uh, wondering something... You’re really nice, and I wondered if you wanted to... I don’t know, get coffee sometime?”
Before Rainbow could answer, Fluttershy loudly tapped the table. Something within her was snapping, and she wasn’t sure why. But this was just infuriating, enough for her to have no fear in speaking up against this.
“Excuse me, buddy. You’re trying to ask my fiancée on a date?” Fluttershy cut in, her voice hard. “We’re your customers, not your next date options. Do your job!”
Rainbow was taken aback by this sudden outburst from Fluttershy. ‘Oh my gosh! She sounds just like my Fluttershy right now! Is that even possible?! I’m not sure what I should do.’ She tried to intervene a bit.
“Yes, we were going out on a date here a-and we just wanted a quiet evening. I-I know you didn’t know that before, but if y-you just apologize... I’m sure we’ll forgive you.” Rainbow pleaded a bit.
The waiter, looking embarrassed, sighed and nodded. “Right. Sorry, girls... enjoy your meal,” he said, and walked off, sadly.
“F-Fluttershy, are you okay?” Rainbow called over to her, looked at her and almost gasped. Just for a moment, she could see the sharpness in her eyes.
For a few moments, Fluttershy remained quiet as she regained herself. Whatever that had just been felt so foreign to her. It almost reminded her of when she had been wrapped up in Iron Will’s misguided lessons in assertiveness. She couldn’t believe what she’d said! Not only was she too rude to somepony who didn’t know any better, but had even referred to Rainbow in a more possessive way. Going further into saying they were engaged when that was barely the truth at all. Tentative, at best.
‘What was that? It made me... angrier than I should have been... And I don’t know why... I mean, I don’t like seeing other ponies flirting with her, but this was ridiculous... I don’t get it...’ Fluttershy thought, shaking her head.
“...I’m fine, I’m fine. I don’t know what came over me,” Fluttershy said, shaking her head.
Rainbow exhaled a bit, relaxing now. “All right, then, as long as you’re okay. Um, we should try to just enjoy the rest of the evening. I don’t think he’ll be bothering us anymore.” She gave a small smile, trying to look happy. ‘Oh my... What was that just now? She was acting so... aggressive. It was very similar to my Fluttershy. I wonder... was what Pinkamena said true? No, it’s just my imagination. She just didn’t like the idea of others flirting with me, that’s all.’
“...Yeah, sure...” The creamy yellow pegasus said absently, not quite looking at her. “Let’s um... let’s finish eating, yeah...”
Rainbow, not completely believing that Fluttershy was truly feeling better, decided to speak up. “I-I know this may sound strange, but, um... I thought it was very sweet of you to call me your fiancée. I really do mean it.”
“...Really? I-I don’t know why I said that... I could just as easily have said you were my girlfriend...” Fluttershy mumbled, shaking her head. She smiled ever so slightly. “But um... if you think it was sweet, that’s good... It felt... nice to say it.”
“Yes, I did think so, and yes, it was... nice to hear it. “ Rainbow Dash blushed a bit, shying away a bit. “A-And it was a little... exhilarating to hear you like that too.”
“Awww....” Giggled Fluttershy, feeling a bit better. “You would make such a beautiful bride, Rainbow... I’d be a lucky pony to be your bride, too...”
Rainbow giggled a bit as well, “No, no, I’d be the lucky one.”
“Dashie, stop selling yourself short....” Fluttershy pouted. “You’re a lovely mare, and you know it.”
“I-I know I can be pretty sometimes, but I’m nothing special! I’m just plain little old Rainbow Dash.” Rainbow giggled, shying away a bit. “You’re the beautiful one, Fluttershy.”
‘If not for her choice of words... she’d sound so much like Rainbow...’ Fluttershy thought, shaking her head. “I think you’re special. Not just in how beautiful you are, but who you are as a pony. I’m so fortunate to be here with you, I really am... I’m glad you’re here with me, Rainbow. I love you...” She smiled warmly, finishing her slice of pizza.
“And I love you too.” Rainbow giggled, finishing hers as well.
The rest of their little date went off without much problem from there on. Despite the little moments of tension in regards to a few factors, it didn’t do much to ruin their evening. At least that counted for something.