“Thanks, Luna.” Fluttershy's voice had returned to normal, the tears dried
on her face, “I haven't done something like that in front of
another pony, except my mother.”
“Don't worry,” Luna said, gazing into her eyes, “I needed that too.”
The sun now rose above the treetops, its warm rays lacing the ground
around them. “Let's go for a walk. Even though I don't say it much,
it looks beautiful today.”
-~-
Fluttershy had begun to feel better, as they walked among the deciduous trees
near her house. Her and Luna hadn't barely said a word, both admiring
the scenery.
“Hey Luna,” Fluttershy began, “Do you sleep through the day, or the night? Or
do you even sleep at all?” She'd wondered why the goddess slept the
previous night, when the night was her own creation.
“Well, technically, I don't need sleep,” Luna told her, “But I do enjoy
it... When I was helping Celestia create Equestria, or times when I
got engrossed in painting the night, I wouldn't sleep for years.”
She closed her eyes, memories running through her mind. “But, sleep
is refreshing and it feels nice.” She concluded, opening her
eyes.
“That's not what I meant” Fluttershy said, then realizing she had come off too
assertive for her liking, “Umm, but you don't have to say it... I
mean.”
Luna laughed, “I don't mind. But yes, onto the point,” She glanced up to the sky, as
they continued walking on the forest floor. “I tend to sleep in the
day, so I can enjoy the night... But, since it was a sleepover, I
thought It'd be proper.” She looked back to Fluttershy,
“Besides...”
The alicorn took a deep breath, “Besides, I'd rather not sleep during the day,
if I could spend it with my best friend.” She smiled weakly, not
knowing what to expect for voicing her feelings. It felt so...
foreign to her.
Fluttershy was taken aback for half a second, not expecting such a touching
response. Then, she moved a little closer to her, “Aww, that's
sweet of you. M-Maybe I should stay up for the night more often,
too.” She giggled, as they came out of the trees near the pegasus'
house. “Now, come on. I have to do some shopping today in
Ponyville... Want to tag along?”
Luna let go a sigh of relief, “Sure, that sounds great!” She said
ecstatically, never before going into the town's stores. A rush of
excitement shocked through her body, from her hooves up to the tips
of her wings.
Fluttershy led her friend over to her house, both of them entering. She grabbed the
big gardener's hat from a hanger and gave it to Luna.
“Oh no,” Luna said, “I think I can manage today,”
The quiet mare smiled, “That's the spirit! See, you're getting better.”
She pointed out.
Luna thought for a second, tilting her head. “I... I guess I am.” she claimed,
a bit of confidence rising in her voice. She began to ponder on the
new enlightenment now at her hooves. She began to act- well, weird around
her pegasus companion. She spoke her mind freely,
laughing with snort and all. The goddess felt
welcome and accepted by her, not overtly trying to be nice or polite
because of her royal status. Luna realized that around Fluttershy,
she could be herself without fear or shame. Something... Something
she even didn't do much around her sister.
Before she could go any further in her thoughtful discovery, a voice broke
through her musing, “Luna... Luna, are you okay? Oh dear.”
Luna shook herself back into reality. “I'm fine.” She smiled, “Just
a daydream.”
“Oh good.” Fluttershy exhaled, “Well, I've made sure everything is okay while
we're gone, so let's go on over to Ponyville.” Her saddlebags that
she had on clumsily sat over her wings, restricting her movement.
“Quickly...” She added in quietly, “Don't tell Rarity, but...
um, these saddlebags aren't the most,” The twin bags sagged and
slumped over to one side, “Comfortable...” She ended with a sigh,
before adjusting them again.
Luna giggled, opening the door as the pegasus followed her out. As the
walked along the dirt path, she slowed down to let Fluttershy catch
up to her.
“Hey, you got to ask me a question earlier, so do you mind if I ask you one now?”
Luna asked.
Fluttershy turned her head to face Luna, her pink mane getting in her face before she
moved in with a hoof. “Sure.”
“Well, I've wondered why you treat me like a regular pony.” She started,
“Most ponies in Canterlot are always bowing, calling me 'Princess'
and doing me unnecessary favors. Meanwhile, you listen to me and
respect me like any other pony.”
Fluttershy frowned, thinking that she may have offended her. “Oh no!” Luna
doubled back, “I really like it... a lot. Celestia is the only
other pony who calls me by my name only, and it's nice to be able to
talk with somepony else who doesn't grovel half the time.”
Her friend's ears perked up, “Oh! Well... I mean, I don't like to talk
about it much... But, I am the element of kindness.” She said,
trying to sound as modest as possible. “When you were hurt, I sort
of panicked and forgot my manners. As time went on, I thought you
didn't mind. After hearing about your business here in Ponyville, and
how scared you were, it was only in my nature to try to help you.”
“I appreciate that,” Luna replied quietly. Her emotions taking over her, she bent
over and quickly nuzzled Fluttershy. Her coat was so soft, even
better than the robes she wore at the spa the other day. A sense of
security once again flowed over her.
The timid pegasus eeped in surprise, bringing Luna back to her
senses.
“Oh!” Luna squeaked in shock of her own compulsive action. She blushed hotly,
the heat so intense, she could imagine her whole coat being red. She
looked up the path, realizing Ponyville was at their hooves.
“Err,” She started, looking at the yellow mare. Her cheeks were still
blushing too, but she seemed to have calmed down. “S-Sorry... Well,
I guess we're here.” The awkwardness in the air was as thick as
fog.
“Y-yes...” Fluttershy said quietly. “Well, come on. I'll show you some of the
stores.”
Luna followed farther behind, her tail drooping a little. 'Luna! What did you do there!' She screamed at herself, within the confines of her own mind, 'Will
Fluttershy even like me anymore... I mean, it was just a quick nuzzle.' Guilt chewed at her, making her itch, 'Right, I better go apologize.'
Now in town, Luna could feel the eyes of several ponies boring into her,
even a few gasps and whispers. It made no difference though, her mind
occupied on more pressing matters.
As Fluttershy approached a small market stall, Luna trotted up to catch her. “Fluttershy,” she began.
The pegasus turned to face her, her eyes revealing no secrets. “Yes?” She asked, in her usual, quiet tone.
Luna rubbed a hoof on her neck. “I just wanted to say I'm sorry about
before...” She trailed off, but blurted out again before the mare
could answer, “Friends don't do that, do they?”
“Luna, it's okay.” Understanding now began to show in her expression. Luna
began to feel better, as Fluttershy continued on, “And no...
Friends usually don't do that, but you've been gone so long, I
couldn't blame you for not knowing. It's fine... I was just startled,
that's all.” A faint blush formed on her cheeks.
“Thank you.” Luna said, heaving a sigh of relief, as Fluttershy turned
towards the stall and began browsing through it's products. The
alicorn scanned the vendor in front of her, various burlap bags
positioned on a red cart. “So...” She continued, trying to break
the mood, “What are you buying here?”
“Oh, just some seeds for my birds. The last Winter Wrap-up brought back
more birds than usual, so I'm constantly running low.” Fluttershy
replied, before picking up a small bag of seeds in her mouth and
placed in her saddlebag, while simultaneously placed a few bits on a
ledge of the cart.
“What's the Winter Wrap up?” Luna asked, mystified. The two ponies walked
up to a small store, a green door in front of them, with an image of
a sewing machine on it.
“Oh,” Fluttershy said, opening the door, “It's just an event in which the
whole town clears the snow and ice to make way for spring. We have to
plow the land, plant seeds, clear the sky, and fetch the birds that
flew south.” She explained.
The pegasus browsed through a shelf of spools of thread, before picking
out a gray one. “Can you hold this?” She asked Luna. “I need to
fix a blanket for Angel. I think he had a dream where he ate a
carrot, and ended up biting his own bed,” she chuckled.
“Sure,” Luna replied eagerly, “No problem.” She lifted the spool over her
head with her telekinesis, as she followed Fluttershy around the
store. The small shoppe was full of various clothing repair material,
but it also had a small selection of saddles and dresses.
Fluttershy had noticed it too, as she made her way over to them. She stopped at
a mannequin, upon which rested a cyan dress, with white and light
yellow curves added in as the skirt swept over the tail and onto the
ground. It came with a set of light blue sapphire studs and a white
gold-chained necklace with the same gemstone on it. On the feet of
the mannequin were four cyan boots with white straps that wound up
the leg.
“Oh my,” she muttered.
“Try it on,” Luna said, encouraging her. “I don't know much about fashion,
actually hardly any at all... But I do know when something looks
perfect for somepony.”
Fluttershy took a second look at it, before turning to Luna, “Oh I don't
know...” she sighed, “It is really gorgeous, but I think... I
think it's too much for me.” Her voice was low, but the goddess
could sense the underlying hope in her tone.
“Now, Fluttershy,” Luna's voice became softer, “It can't hurt to try it
on. We both know that you want to.” The pegasus' expression started
to show a smile forming. “Pleeaaseee,” Luna added in with a smile
of her own.
Fluttershy pouted, playfulness glinting in her eyes, “Oh alright, I'll try it
on.”
“Yay!” Luna squeaked, telekinetically taking the dress and it's add-ons, while
simultaneously pushing Fluttershy into the sole changing room before
she could change her mind.
The blue mare laughed as she closed the door behind her friend, “Now,
don't come out until you have put it on.”
After a few minutes, the door clicked open, as a single, cyan boot-clad
hoof poked it's way out. The timid pegasus lowered her head a bit,
feeling out of place in her elegant dress amongst ponies in their
everyday self.
Luna's eyes lit up, “Fluttershy! You look gorgeous in it!” She took a few
steps closer to her, marveling at how well the blue jewelry
accentuated her eyes.
“I know...” Fluttershy said quietly. Turning around, she examined
herself in the mirror hanging on the door. A smile crept up on her
face. “Maybe I will buy it.”
“That's the spirit!” Luna said, walking with the superiorly-clad mare over
to the mannequin.
Fluttershy lifted the price tag and gasped. “Oh no...” She murmured to
herself, “That's much to much for me.” Her face drooped.
“Let me see,” Luna butted in, determined to help her friend out. “Oh,
this?” The mare giggled a bit. “It's only eight hundred bits.”
“Exactly!” Squeaked Fluttershy, lowering her head as she realized she raised her
voice above her normal level. “That's a lot of money, Luna.”
“Well...” Luna began, “You have been such a help to me lately, and here's finally
somewhere in which I can assist you.” Her horn glowed a bit, a dark
light enveloping it. “Hold on, I've got to get a cheque paper from
Canterlot.”
With a poof, a small booklet and a quill appeared in front of Luna. Fluttershy eyed
it curiously, “What's cheque paper?”
“It's a new form of payment. It's a piece of paper which I sign and give to
someone, and when they turn it into a bank, it's basically a note
saying that I gave that pony a certain amount of bits from my own
depository of money.” Luna was glad she remembered it from her
studies. Teleporting a chest of 800 bits wouldn't be so easy.
“But Luna... I can't accept this.” Fluttershy told her quietly.
“Oh, I insist, Fluttershy.” The alicorn looked into her eyes. “You
have been too kind to me... Kinder than anypony I could imagine, and
you've been patient with my inaccuracies because I've been gone for
so long,” Luna blushed a little at the memory of nuzzling the
pegasus.
“Come on, go take it off and we'll bring it up to the counter,” Luna told her,
opening the dressing room's door.
Fluttershy sighed, “Since I know you won't give up," Then her voice raised excitedly, "Thanks so much, Luna!"
-~-
The sun was setting once more as the two burdened mares approached the
small cottage by the woods. Even though Fluttershy's saddlebags were
bulging, and Luna's horn was glowing brightly as a trail of items
followed her, both were laughing as they entered the rustic
house.
“Honestly,” Luna admitted, “I never knew walking around and looking in stores could
be so fun!”
“I usually shop alone, so it was nice to go with somepony else for a change.”
Fluttershy placed her saddlebags on the floor, as Luna followed suit
and dropped off her train of bags nearby.
The goddess looked out the window, gazing at the approaching dusk. “Well,
I have to go raise the night sky soon.” She felt her heart plummet
as she said those words. She'd probably have to go home to Canterlot
soon. “If you want, you can come watch.”
Fluttershy muffled a yawn with one of her forehooves. “Sure... I'm a little
tired, but I'd love to see it.”
“Okay, come on,” Luna said, opening the door. The yellow mare followed her
out, a little drowsy as she went.
The alicorn led her out into the middle of the nearby clearing, which
gave the best view of the darkening sky.
Luna sat down on the grass and closed her eyes, a breeze ruffling her
mane. Channeling her energy from deep within, she made a mental image
of the night sky in her mind. Opening her eyes again, she focused on
the thought that her mental image would appear in front of them both,
in the sky.
Over the course of a few minutes, the sky darkened, stars peeping out. Just above the
horizon, a gibbous moon shone. The sweeping blanket of the Milky Way
splashed along the dark void of space.
Fluttershy gasped, overtaken in admiration. “I tend to think that the night is
myself,” Luna explained to her, “When it was just me and
Celestia, I spent years pouring work into the sky we see now...”
She chuckled a bit, “I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel like I
poured my soul into it.”
“I've never seen a night so clear as this,” Fluttershy replied, her eyes
huge.
“Hold on...” Luna told her, the alicorn's horn now brightening once more with primal
magic, “I think I can reveal the older stuff I created, stars so
far forgotten that they've clustered together and almost vanished
completely.”
Luna gave a grunt of effort, before a shock of energy raced from her and shot up
towards the sky. It kept going farther and farther out, until it was
smaller than a star.
“Watch,” Luna told Fluttershy, a little winded. As if on cue, the night lit up
like it never had in a long time. Distant galaxies erupted into the
seemingly black void, their colors of light orange, dusty blue and
deep red adding a mix into the fray.
The now endless, infinite number of stars twinkled like the finest
jewelery, each a sparkling diamond. The black abyss the night was
previously known for was now replaced by a beautiful display of
colors and light.
“Luna...” Fluttershy said in complete awe. “This is the most...” Her voice
was searching for the correct words. “This is... I can't find what
to say. 'The most beautiful thing I have ever seen' would be an
understatement.”
The goddess was shocked at her reply. She never knew ponies could take
such delight in her creation. “Re-Really?” She sniffed, overtaken
with emotion.
“Yes.” Fluttershy told her firmly, before looking over into Luna's eyes.
“Thank you so much for letting me watch this.” She said, giving
Luna a hug.
If a pony could ever melt into a pool of happiness, Luna was sure she could now.
Waves of strong feelings overcame her... Ones she was unaccustomed
to. Fluttershy's coat brushed on hers, her pink mane mingled with the
Princess' own, the yellow mare's soft breathing tickling her
neck.
Then, much to Luna's internal dismay, Fluttershy let go of her, stifling another yawn. She laid down on the cool grass, resting her head on her forelegs as she
still gazed at the sky. “I could almost... Fall asleep here.”
Luna's eyes remained locked, still rigid in shock over her flood of emotions.
She dared not to move, still trying to make sense of what she felt. Her
analytical mind raced, trying to solve the gigantic mess of puzzle
pieces laid out in front of her.
However, her heart had already figured it out. As much as she tried to tell
herself it wasn't true, she knew deep down it was. Taking a deep
breath, a single thought floated into her mind.
'I've fallen in love with her.'
Like opening a Pandora's box of joy, she felt like she could do anything.
The single act of admitting it to herself caused her heart to flutter
with bliss. All of her worries, her regret and pain had been erased
by a morphine of pure affection for the other mare.
She finally turned her gaze to her. Fluttershy was asleep, her body
rising and falling slowly, her breathing barely audible. Luna's eyes
softened at the adorable sight of the resting pegasus.
“Oh Fluttershy...” She said in a whisper, “How can I ever tell you?”
With her confession, Luna felt much more open with herself. But, even
though she’d finally come to admit she loved the mare, her shy
personality made it seem impossible to tell Fluttershy the truth.
Realizing that she still needed to be taken home, Luna picked her up as daintily and
gently as she could with her magic, making sure not a limb moved the
slightest. A faint glow of blue enveloped around the yellow pony, as
she began her trip back to the cottage.