Fluttershy was crying on the bed, huddled under the thin blankets so that only a short tip of her long pink tail peeked out. She’d done it. She’d done what she’d felt she should have done a long time ago, when Rainbow’s visits home started to seem more like chores for the brash pegasus than anything she actually wanted to do. It seemed like the right thing to do, the kind thing to do.
So why did it feel so wrong?
Being kind to others was one of the things that she enjoyed, that made her life feel worthwhile. Her kindness towards her animals had led her to her cutie mark and her wonderful life in Ponyville, and her kindness towards other ponies had led her to the five best friends she had ever had in her life. For the past ten years, her kindness had led her to her greatest joy, her wife and love, the pony that even now she was treating with as much kindness as she could.
Sometimes being kind hurts. It hurts beyond all measure.
She lay there, sobbing into Rainbow’s pillow, the pillow that still smelled like her even after so many months of sleeping alone. It was the smell of warm sunshine on fur, the sharp tang of ozone from all her time spent in the clouds, even the soft scent of a cool breeze. It was Fluttershy’s favorite scent, though if ever asked, she was much too shy to say it out loud. Right now, that scent was tainted with the salty smell of her tears as she hugged the pillow to her, doing her best not to pretend that it was Rainbow herself.
The faster she could forget and move on, the kinder it would be. Though to whom, she wasn’t certain.
A knock at the door caused her to jump in alarm, and she burrowed even further into the blankets than before. She hid, heart pounding, hoping that whoever had decided to show up now, of all times, would just go away and leave her be in her blanket sanctuary. Rarity wasn’t due to stop by with her weekly groceries for another hour, so it couldn’t be her.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be. The knock came again, demanding for her attention, followed by a voice. Her voice.
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow called, her voice muffled by the door, but still very much her endearing rasp. “Fluttershy, we need to talk.”
Talk. That word was anathema to Fluttershy. So many times she wished she was as confident and outspoken as Rainbow Dash, as eloquent as Rarity, or as openly honest as Applejack. She would even take as energetic and oblivious as Pinkie Pie or as technical as Twilight. To be anything other than her shy, anxious self, hard pressed to speak even in the simplest of social situations, let alone a private, emotional situation like the one she was in.
She heard a hollow thump come from the door, and Rainbow spoke again. “C’mon, Fluttershy,” she said. “I gotta talk to you about that article. It’s not what you think it is, really.”
Fluttershy felt the first stirrings of confusion. What was she talking about? This had nothing to do with any article. She listened further, hoping to figure out what Rainbow was referring to.
“I’m not cheating on you, honest. You gotta believe me. It’s all a big mistake.” She paused for a moment before speaking in a softer, wry voice. “Well, and a lotta jealousy. But that’s not the point! And I’m not jealous of you, it’s somepony else that’s jealous of me for something they didn’t get. A-and it’s not that I couldn’t be jealous of you, there’s plenty of things I could be jealous of, and…” She paused once more, and Fluttershy heard Rainbow groan in frustration. “Oh, ponyfeathers, I’m no good at this.” Her voice changed into a pleading tone. “Please, Pinkie Pie believes me. Can you?”
Suddenly it clicked for Fluttershy. That article that had come out a few weeks ago about Rainbow’s supposed affair with Spitfire. The article that had driven Fluttershy into more seclusion than normal, if only to avoid all of the well-wishers or mean-spirited ponies slandering Rainbow’s name. She hadn’t believed a word of the article, knowing Rainbow as well as she did, but no matter how much she tried to explain that to anypony else, including some of their friends, they had all just treated her like she was being too kind.
So she’d simply just stopped coming into town. Rarity had been generous enough to agree to do her shopping for her while understanding her need, which Fluttershy gladly reimbursed her for. Not many ponies made the trek out to her cottage anyway aside from her friends, so she was comfortably alone with her animals.
Well, alone, at least. Comfort was another story.
“Fluttershy, I’m not leaving until you answer me!” Rainbow spoke once more, the desperation plain in her tone. “Please…”
Finally, Fluttershy stirred from her sanctuary. She felt the blanket slowly slide down her back as she pushed herself up, crawling out of bed and plodding over to the door. She reached up, placing her hoof on the door with a soft click. She could feel the sudden tension on the other side of the door, could hear Rainbow’s sudden gasp as she held her breath, waiting for Fluttershy to speak.
“Rainbow…” Fluttershy began softly, voice hoarse from crying. “It was never about the article.”
A shocked silence from the other side. Then finally, Rainbow’s outburst. “What?” she cried. “What was all that about, then? The whole town was ready to write me off the moment I landed! Pinkie Pie said Applejack and Rarity were gonna hunt me down! And then you come out and say I can leave! What does all that have to do with anything but the stupid bucking article?”
Fluttershy was silent for a long while, trying to build up the courage to say what needed to be said. She could feel Rainbow’s frustration building the longer she said nothing, and she didn’t want to anger her wife any more than she already had. “I-I never thought you were cheating on me. I knew you better than that.” She took a deep breath. “B-Besides, I knew you h-had stopped w-wanting to b-be with m-me a long time ago…”
The silence continued, and Fluttershy plowed on, resting her forehead against the door. “I-I was just trying to make it easy for you. To make sure y-you would understand t-that I-I was…” She gulped, trying to master her voice once more as she closed her eyes. It wouldn’t do to make Rainbow feel like she was suffering. That wouldn’t be very kind of her. “…That I was ok. With whatever you wanted to do.”
The silence on the other side of the door was deafening. The only thing that Fluttershy could hear was the thunderous pounding of her heart in her ears as she waited for Rainbow to do something, anything. Finally, Fluttershy heard the creak of the floorboards as Rainbow stepped away from the door, and she prepared herself for the heartbreaking sound of Rainbow’s hoofsteps down the stairs. What she heard next caused her eyes to fly open in surprise, and a fluttering hope began to grow in her heart.
“Fluttershy, please open this door,” Rainbow pleaded. When Fluttershy didn’t respond fast enough, Rainbow’s tone became anxious and determined. “Fluttershy, please, please open the door,” she repeated. “I really don’t want to break it down, but if that’s what it takes to make you see…”
Fluttershy quickly opened the door, stepping back as she looked out at Rainbow. Her wife looked as miserable as she felt, her eyes red-rimmed from fighting back tears. Her head was hung low, and she was holding the butterfly clip outstretched in her hoof. “You forgot something downstairs,” she said softly as she averted her gaze. “It belongs to you. Nopony else is gonna get it, I promise.”
Fluttershy slowly reached out with a shaking hoof to take her clip, the first gift that Rainbow Dash had ever given her as a couple, a gift that she treasured beyond all other. The moment she took the clip from Rainbow’s outstretched hoof, Rainbow looked up with a tiny smile on her face before pouncing on Fluttershy and drawing her into a great hug. Fluttershy let out a squeak at the sudden sign of affection, dropping the clip. Rainbow quickly scooped it up, sliding it back into Fluttershy’s mane with a smile, hugging her close again. “I’m not leaving, Fluttershy. Never. Whatever I did to make you think so, I’m sorry, ok?”
It took a long moment, but Fluttershy eventually relaxed into Rainbow’s embrace, wrapping her forelegs around her. The two of them sat there, holding each other with a sense that if either of them let go at this point, the other would be lost. Finally, in a burst of courage that surprised even her, Fluttershy reached up and grabbed Rainbow’s face, pulling her down into a deep kiss.
Suddenly, the tears were falling again, but no longer were they the hot sting of heartbreak and disappointment. Fluttershy felt the warmth building within her as she kissed her beloved, soothing tears of joy and love trickling down her cheeks and dripping on the floor, where they mingled with the same tears flowing from Rainbow’s eyes. Her head was swimming with emotion, thoughts bouncing every which way in her mind as she slowly began to comprehend just what was going on between them.
Rainbow wasn’t going to leave her. They were still together.
In that moment, it felt like the world suddenly shifted under her. The kisses, the touching, the embrace, it wasn’t enough. She needed more. It had been months since she and Rainbow had been together, and she felt the need building within her. Breaking off the kiss, she looked deep into Rainbow’s eyes, seeing her desire mirrored in those magenta pools. “Come on, you,” she ordered, with a throaty growl so uncharacteristic of her that Rainbow’s eyes widened in shock for a moment before Fluttershy grabbed her, hauling her directly to their bed.
Throwing Rainbow down on her back on the tousled sheets, she stared down at her for a moment with such a predatory smile that Rainbow looked apprehensive. “Umm… I said I was sorry, Flutters,” she said, unused to such aggressiveness in her normally demure wife. “Really, I am. No need to –” Whatever Rainbow was going to say next was driven from her mind as Fluttershy kissed her once more, gracefully sliding up onto her body. When they finally broke apart once more, Rainbow was panting slightly as she looked up at Fluttershy. “I love you, you know that?” she said softly as the two of them embraced tightly on the bed, wings flared wide and brushing their feathers against each other.
Fluttershy smiled brightly, and as the summer sunlight illuminated her face Rainbow knew that they were going to be just fine. “I love you too, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied softly. After that, other sounds began issuing from the bedroom, sounds that caused a certain white unicorn that had just arrived with a grocery delivery to blush profusely and quickly make her way back out of the cottage with all the grace and speed she could muster.
A long while later, the two of them lay intertwined in their bed, drenched in sweat from both the summer heat and their own exertions. Rainbow held Fluttershy tightly against her, joy mixed with hatred for herself flowing through her. She looked down at Fluttershy, admiring the way the sunlight glittered in her aqua eyes. Her gaze shifted to the sparkling butterfly clip that had somehow stayed in her mane despite all of their best efforts, and reached up to gently touch it. “What happened to us, Flutters?” she asked, genuinely regretful that she had caused her love so much pain.
Fluttershy froze in her embrace, and a tinge of fear crept into her eyes. “I don’t know,” Fluttershy replied softly. “It just felt like you didn’t want to come home any more. Like I was a burden to you. I sent you letter after letter while you were away, and you just… stopped replying.” A hitch crept into her voice as she continued. “A-And w-when Angel… Y-You d-didn’t even come h-home…”
Rainbow grimaced. The plucky rabbit had passed away the previous summer, while Rainbow had been in heavy touring mode. With all of the stops they had made across the country, Fluttershy’s letter informing her had missed her by two months. When Rainbow had finally received the news, she’d been too exhausted and drained to completely realize what Fluttershy was going through, figuring that the rest of their friends would be able to help her out, and that she’d be home in another month for a break.
Definitely not her proudest or most loyal moment.
Rainbow let out a big sigh, leaning back and resting her head on Fluttershy’s pillow. “I’m sorry, Flutters,” she said. “I… I don’t really have any excuses for what I did then other than I just wasn’t thinking.” She spread her hooves wide, and Fluttershy took the opportunity to snuggle into her side as Rainbow spoke. “When I came home, I just wanted to fly, you know? Flying around town, without running drills or practicing a routine or putting on a show. Flying for myself, not for anypony else.” She was quiet for a moment, putting a hoof around Fluttershy. “I… guess I lost sight of the fact that you’re not that big on flying. And once I lost that, it just went from there and I lost sight of… well, us.”
Fluttershy was silent in the wake of Rainbow’s confession, her only reply a gentle squeeze. After a time, she felt Rainbow’s lips on her forehead, followed by her voice. “I screwed up and I know it, Flutters. I’ll do better at spending more time on the ground with you from now on.” She could hear the smirk creeping into Rainbow’s voice as she continued to speak. “Hay, you’re the reason I came to the ground in the first place, so you’d think I’d be a little happier about being there.”
Fluttershy felt the blush creeping up her cheeks, and she squeezed Rainbow a little tighter, nuzzling her chest as she drank in the scent of her fur. “I… ” she began, swallowing as she forced the words out, determined to do show the pegasus she loved more than anything that she could be brave. “I… could fly with you more often, too… You… could teach me… I-If you… don’t mind, that is…” Her voice trailed off as her face felt like a furnace and her mouth clamped shut.
She felt a hoof on her chin, slowly lifting her head up to find herself looking into Rainbow’s excited eyes. “Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked slowly, a grin creeping across her face. “You really want me to teach you to fly better?”
Fluttershy, lost in Rainbow’s excitement, could only nod silently. Rainbow’s grin blossomed into a wide smile, and she wrapped Fluttershy in a crushing hug. “Thanks, Flutters,” she whispered. “I won’t let you down.”
Fluttershy smiled as her blush receded, and she playfully punched Rainbow in the chest. “You’d better not,” she said, a twinkle of mischief in her eye. “You owe me for everything you’ve put me through these last couple of years.”
Rainbow’s face fell, and she opened her mouth to apologize once more, but a new, bright voice coming from behind and above them interrupted her. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. Dashie’s gonna take good care of you. She’s already made a really good start of it.”
The two of them stared at each other for a brief moment before turning as one to look at the window behind their bed. There, hanging partway into the room with her forelegs resting on the windowsill and suspended by her middle by a large bunch of balloons, was Pinkie Pie. Rainbow’s mouth dropped open, and Fluttershy’s face immediately flared bright red once more. “P-P-P-P-Pinkie?” stammered Fluttershy. “Umm… W-When did you get here?”
Pinkie grinned brightly at Fluttershy. “Oh, I’ve been here for a while now, waiting to give you this invitation to Rainbow’s party tonight!” She reached into her mane and pulled out a rainbow-decorated envelope, passing it over to the two cuddling pegasi. “I would have given it to you earlier, but once you started in on the third time, I figured it would have to wait a little longer. By the way, Fluttershy, I knew you had a great set of pipes on you, but I didn’t think you could ever get that loud!”
Rainbow happened to be looking at Fluttershy as Pinkie spoke, and thus was able to see when the color of her cheeks passed bright red and went almost to the point of setting her face on fire. As soon as Pinkie reached her last word, Fluttershy’s pupils nearly vanished from her eyes and she immediately dove under the covers with a soft squeak, leaving only a small tuft of her tail visible. Rainbow, her own face slightly pink, giggled at her wife’s reaction and poked at the tuft with her hoof. “You forgot something,” she said with a snicker, and the tuft immediately disappeared into Fluttershy’s blanket sanctuary.
Turning back to Pinkie Pie, who was still grinning obliviously, Rainbow gave her a mock glare. “Pinkie, didn’t anypony ever teach you to knock?”
Pinkie cocked her head slightly. “But I did knock, silly. Fluttershy yelled ‘Yes’ a few times, so I let myself in.” Before Rainbow could even respond to that, Pinkie was pushing herself away from the window and floating off into the afternoon sunlight. “Anyway, I gotta go finish getting ready for the party. See you there!”
Rainbow watched her go, a half-smile on her blushing face. When Pinkie was finally out of sight, she turned to the huddling mass of blankets next to her, gently lifting the edge up to peer into the darkness. “Hey, Flutters, you can come out now. She’s gone.”
A soft voice issued from the blanket sanctuary. “I’m never coming out! I can’t believe she heard me…”
Rainbow let out a snort of laughter. “Well, you were kinda loud. I suppose that’s yet another way I’m so awesome, right?”
The blankets shifted slightly, and Fluttershy’s bright red face came into view, glaring at Rainbow. “Easy for you to say,” she pouted. “You weren’t the one screaming…” A half smile stole over her face at the memory, and she let out a satisfied sigh.
Rainbow grinned at her. “C’mon, Flutters, it’ll be fine. Besides, we got a party to go to.” She flipped the blankets off Fluttershy, causing her to let out a surprised squeak. “And as the guest of honor, I need you there by my side.”
Fluttershy glared at her once more, but Rainbow’s infectious grin slowly brought a smile out on her face. “Fine…” she muttered. “But what if Pinkie says anything? I don’t know if I could live that down…”
Rainbow leaned over and gave her a kiss. “Don’t worry about it. Pinkie’ll be too wrapped up in the party to say anything about it, trust me.”
“If you say so…” Fluttershy replied, biting her lip as she slowly made her way out from under the blankets. “What’s the party for, anyway? She said it was yours…”
Rainbow opened the envelope, which promptly let out a squee and a blast of confetti. Sputtering and shaking the confetti from her face, Rainbow pulled out the invitation, which turned out to be inviting them to ‘Rainbow Dash’s Reconciliation and Promotion Party.’ Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she read the invitation, and she looked up at Rainbow. “Promotion?” she asked hesitantly.
Rainbow brightened. “Yeah!” she said. “Forgot to tell you earlier. The whole deal in that article about me spending so much time with Spitfire? Well, turns out she’s planning on making me the next Captain of the Wonderbolts! She’s been showing me the ropes, and that’s why I’ve been spending my free time hanging with her.”
Fluttershy let out a squeal of happiness, squeezing her tightly and giving her a passionate kiss. “That’s wonderful, Rainbow!” A moment later her mood darkened, and she laid her head down on Rainbow’s chest as a realization hit her. “I-I suppose that means you won’t be able to come home much anymore…”
Rainbow looked uncertain for a moment, before her expression changed to one of determination. “I’ll make it work, Fluttershy,” she said, lifting Fluttershy’s head up to look at her. “Pinkie Promise, ok?”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened, and she smiled, reassured by Rainbow’s promise. She giggled softly. “You’re in trouble now,” she said softly. “You know what happens when you break a Pinkie Promise.”
Rainbow gave her a cocky grin. “Hey, I’ll be in charge now. I can set whatever schedules I want.” She shrugged nonchalantly, her grin still present. “And if those schedules happen to include a few passes over Ponyville, or a few extra days between shows, then…” She left the sentence hanging as the two of them snuggled together happily, a comfortable silence developing between them.
A minute later, Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You know, Rainbow, a promotion like this deserves a little celebration, don’t you think?”
Rainbow glanced down at her, confused. “Yeah, I know. Isn’t that why Pinkie’s throwing a party?”
Fluttershy smiled before kissing her deeply. When they finally broke apart, her voice was husky as she spoke. “That’s not the only celebration I was thinking of…” She kissed her again, hooves making their way across Rainbow’s body as her wings rose into the air. “I was thinking we should clean up for the party, and the shower’s big enough for the two of us. Let’s see how loud you can get, shall we?”
Rainbow just grinned.
A short while later, as Celestia’s sun began its descent behind the horizon, lighting the summer sky up with a beautiful tapestry of colors, Applejack stood in the street outside Sugarcube Corners, a grumpy expression on her face and a bottle of cider in her hoof. She was waiting with the rest of her friends and the majority of Ponyville for the appearance of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. She let out a huff of exasperation as she did her best to ignore the mingling crowd, choosing instead to keep her gaze on the skies for any sign of their pegasus friends while keeping half an eye on her youngest daughter, who was off tagging along with her Auntie Apple Bloom.
Pinkie’s party had brought up no small measure of conflicting emotions within the farm pony. If she was being honest with herself (and she usually was), she was still angry at Rainbow Dash for the pain she had put Fluttershy through, even if that article had turned out to be a load of hogwash. On the other hoof, she was thrilled that they seemed to have reconciled, and according to a somewhat flustered Rarity, ‘were thoroughly enjoying themselves.’
Another huff escaped her as she continued to scan the skies. A moment later, a bubbly voice called to her, diverting her attention from her self-imposed duties. “What’s up, Applejack? Didja spring a leak?” She glanced back at Pinkie Pie, who was standing nearby, a tray of fresh cider balanced on her back and a bright smile on her face.
“Hey there, Pinkie,” she said in a frustrated drawl. “When’re the lovebirds getting here? Ah’m getting a might tired of waiting.”
“Well, they were a little busy when I dropped off their invitation, so it might be a teeny-tiny bit longer,” Pinkie replied brightly. “But don’t worry, I’m sure Dashie won’t miss out on such a super-special-funerrific party, especially since it’s for her!”
“Speaking of which,” Rarity interjected, “what is this promotion that you’re referring to? Rainbow Dash certainly hasn’t mentioned anything about any promotion that I’ve heard.”
Pinkie giggled. “Well, I’m not gonna spoil the surprise, but it’s gonna be a big one!” She suddenly shivered, her back twitching and her ears twisting, and she grinned widely. “Ooh, that’s gonna be one doozy of a noise!” she said, much to the confusion of the others.
A moment later, a loud cry came from the direction of the edge of town, followed by the sight of a flock of birds taking off. Pinkie glanced off in the direction of the sound, a satisfied look on her face. “Well, should be any minute now before they show up!”
Twilight looked confused while Rarity looked slightly embarrassed, a pink tinge plain on her white cheeks. “What do you mean?” Twilight asked, scanning the sky herself. Rarity gently grabbed her ear with her magic, bending it down so she could whisper into it. Twilight immediately flushed pink as well and began fidgeting. “Oh!” she said hesitantly. “I-I get it now…”
Applejack let out a loud guffaw at her friend’s embarrassment, which earned her a dirty look from both of them. “Sounds like they’re still ‘enjoying themselves,’ eh, Rarity?” she said, nudging the blushing unicorn with her shoulder before taking a long pull from her cider.
“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response, Applejack,” Rarity replied haughtily. “A lady never gossips about such things.”
Pinkie looked over at her, confused. “But you were totally talking about it earlier. How else did I know I was going to walk in on them doing that when I went to give them their invitation?”
Applejack promptly sprayed Pinkie with the cider she had just been drinking as Rarity sputtered indignantly. “Y-y’all did what?” she asked, coughing.
Pinkie grinned, unconcerned about her impromptu cider shower. “I got to watch a little. Hey, look, here they come!”
The others, still trying to wrap their thoughts around what Pinkie had just said, found themselves following Pinkie’s outstretched hoof into the sky. Two familiar pegasi were slowly making their way into town, both framed by the gorgeous colors of the sunset. The two of them were flying close together, circling around each other with an obvious joy and affection, touching every time one passed close enough to the other.
A wave went through the waiting crowd of ponies. One by one, all conversations slowly ceased as each pony noticed the approaching pegasi, hooves pointing into the sky towards them. As the two of them came in for a landing in the center of the group, a great cheer went up from the surrounding ponies. Rainbow Dash, relieved at the positive reception this time, smiled widely while waving at everypony. Fluttershy, however, was still unused to such attention, and huddled in close to Rainbow Dash, hiding behind her curtain of a mane, her butterfly clip glittering in the fading sunlight.
Pinkie Pie quickly dashed over to them, her tray of cider forgotten in midair, which Twilight quickly managed to grab with her magic before it crashed to the ground. Sweeping the two lovers up into a big hug, Pinkie squealed with joy. “Ohmigosh you’re here this is so awesome now we can get the party started and you can tell everypony about your promotion and how you two are all happy and cute and lovey together again and I’m so happy happy happy you’re here!”
Caught up in Pinkie’s crushing grip, Fluttershy let out a faint squeak and Rainbow gasped. “P-Pinkie – need – air!” Rainbow managed to get out, causing the party pony to release them. They fell to the ground gasping for air while Pinkie bounced in place excitedly.
“Ugh…” Rainbow muttered, pushing herself up and helping Fluttershy to her hooves. “Pinkie, you gotta watch it with those hugs.” Shaking her head and wrapping her wing around a shaky Fluttershy, she grinned around at the surrounding ponies before making her announcement. “Everypony, guess what? You’re looking at the next Captain of the Wonderbolts! Spitfire was gonna make the announcement in a few weeks once I got back from my break, so you’re the first to hear it!”
A brief silence greeted this announcement, followed by a great roar of approval. For a few minutes, Rainbow basked in the admiration, grinning like a mad fool at anypony that would look her way. After a time, she held up her hoof, motioning for silence, which she eventually got as the crowd quieted down. “There’s something else I gotta say,” she said as her heart began racing, and she felt beads of sweat pop out on her forehead. She was more nervous for this than for any of her shows, but she knew she had to say it ever since she and Fluttershy had talked in the cottage.
“Everypony…” she began, hesitating as she turned her gaze to Fluttershy, who in turn was giving her a confused, slightly fearful look. Rainbow cleared her suddenly dry throat, and pushed on. “Everypony, I know I’ve done some things the past couple of years I’m not very proud of. When I got here this morning, I… realized that I really messed up. Everypony seemed to hate me. My best friends were ready to beat me up. My wife was ready to…” she trailed off a moment as the memory of her arrival at the cottage struck her, and she took a deep breath while mastering herself. “Let’s just say it wasn’t good,” she finished lamely, hanging her head.
“I just wanna say I’m sorry, everypony. But especially, I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I hurt you, and I promise you I’m gonna make it up to you, whatever it takes.”
The silence lengthened as Rainbow continued to stare down at the ground. Finally, she felt a hoof under her chin, and her head was lifted up to see Fluttershy smiling down at her shyly. “Oh, Rainbow,” she said softly, drawing her love into a hug and kissing her deeply. “We said for better or for worse, you silly thing,” she whispered into Rainbow’s ear as the crowd around them erupted into cheers once more. “I love you, Rainbow Dash.”
Rainbow nodded as she gripped her wife tightly while the party began to start around them. “I love you too, Flutters.” The two of them felt rather than saw their friends surrounding them, offering well-wishes and congratulations much like they had long ago at their wedding, but like then, neither had eyes for anything but the other.
As that long summer day came to a close, they both felt a sense of closure on a portion of their lives together, and they grinned at each other. “Wanna start those flying lessons?” Rainbow teased playfully.
Fluttershy simply smiled before launching herself into the air. “You might have to catch me first,” she teased, emboldened by the shocked look on Rainbow’s face.
She quickly flew away, but not quick enough for one of the fastest fliers in Equestria. She felt a rush of air beneath her, and glanced down to see Rainbow flying on her back, a grin on her face. Rainbow darted up to her, wrapping her in a gentle hug as both their wings beat together, keeping them afloat.
“First lesson,” Rainbow said as she tenderly kissed Fluttershy. “Flying with a partner.”