//------------------------------// // Into the Night // Story: Shy Words // by Ryuler //------------------------------// As Twilight ventured off towards the washroom, Fluttershy followed directly behind her. The two of them walked, and Fluttershy was given a clear view of the unicorn's flank. However, she never gave much thought to things of that manner. They came to stop in front of a door, which Twilight proceeded to open. "Not to bad is it?" Twilight asked Fluttershy, who was still staring at her flank. "Uh.... Huh? what?" the pegasus stuttered in shock. "Washroom isn't too dirty is it?" Twilight asked again "Oh! No not at all." "Are you ok Fluttershy?" "Of course I am." she replied with a smile "Uh.. ok. Well, come on in." Twilight entered the room, and approached the bathtub. She used her magic to turn the handles on the faucet, mixing the cold and hot water to create a relaxing warm result. After filling the tub, Twilight placed her hoof in the water, testing the temperature. Unsatisfied, she began twisting the knobs again. Fluttershy waited patiently. As she waited, she glanced around the room. The room was mostly made up of tile. The counter, floor, and walls were all tile, with a large mirror on one wall mounted above a sink. As Fluttershy's eyes scanned the room, her gaze came to rest on Twilight. Once again, her flank was in perfect view. Twilight was leaning forward slightly over the tub, still adjusting the water temperature. "Ah! Finally!" she excalimed. Twilight stepped into the tub, and nearly submerged herself into the warm soothing water. The flour and other cooking ingredients began to wash off her purple coat. "Come on Fluttershy." Twilight invited as she leaned against one side of the tub, patting the water gently for her winged friend to join her. Fluttershy simply stood motionless, with a stoic expression on her face. "Fluttershy?" Twilight called "...Fluttershy?" Still no answer. Twilight let out a small groan before splashing some of the water in Fluttershy's direction. The water landed on her face, wetting her hair a bit. She jumped slightly and squealed. She looked at Twilight, then at the floor where the water had ended up. "That.... that...." she began "Sorry Fluttershy... But you were just standing there. You didn't say anything, and you weren't doing anything at all. Were you daydreaming?" "Um... well sort of." she explained. "Well, quit daydreaming and get in, you're still at messy," Twilight teased a bit with a smile Fluttershy stepped into the tub on the opposite side of Twilight, and positioned herself in a comfortable spot. All of the dirt was being washed away from her yellow coat and pink mane. She leaned against the side, and glanced at the ceiling. They remained tranquil for a few moments, until Twilight grabbed a small green shampoo bottle perched on the corner of the tub in her hoof. she untwisted the cap, and poured some of the bottles' contents in one hoof, and applied it to her hair. Fluttershy watched as Twilight scrubbed her mane, creating thousands of bubbles and suds. After lathering, she submerged her head into the water, washing all the soap and dirt away. Then she pulled her head from the water, flicking some of the particles into the air. She gently wiped her eyes with her hooves, then turned to look at Fluttershy, who was still closely monitoring Twilight. "Want some?" Twilight offered "Don't mean to be rude but... your mane still looks really messy." Without any words, Fluttershy simply nodded. Twilight gave her a smile, then grabbed the bottle and took some shampoo in her hoof. She moved closer to the pegasus, and ran her hooves through her mane, applying the shampoo. "Well actually I meant uh..." Fluttershy tried to explain, but gave up as Twilight washed her mane She hummed a gentle tune as she gently scrubbed her friend's long, silky, pink hair. She stroked her mane tenderly, careful not to pull her hair too hard. Fluttershy closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of her mane being stroked and cleaned. Twilight couldn't see it, but her friend was smiling. Once Twilight had her all lathered up, she gently assisted her head below the water, then brought it back up. Twilight rubbed some of the water from Fluttershy's eyes, and simply smiled when she opened them. "There, all better." she proclaimed. "Th...thanks Twilight." Twilight nodded her head, and moved back to her side of the tub. She closed her eyes and relaxed for a few moments, letting out a deep sigh. She didn't realize her friend was staring directly at her. "Twilight?" Twilight opened her eyes and turned to look at the pegasus. "Yes?" "Um... you. Didn't have to do that you know. I could have done it myself." "Oh don't worry, I'm always happy to help." Twilight smiled "Well it's just that. Well, I uh..." Fluttershy turned away, and hid behind her mane. "Hm? What's wrong?" "Nothing Twilight. Don't worry about it..." "ok?" Twilight gave a look of worry and confusion. "Well I'm ready to get out," she said, and stepped out of the tub. Fluttershy watched her open a small cabinet on the wall near the sink, her mane soaking wet and dripping water all over the floor. Twilight grabbed two towels from the cabinet. "Here this one's for you." she raised one towel in the air. Fluttershy stepped out of the tub, letting her own mane drip across the floor. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her body. Twilight and Fluttershy dried themselves off with the towels, and set them down in a corner of the room. Twilight opened a drawer connected to the sink, and with her magic, she lifted a brush into the air. She brushed her now ruffled mane, humming quietly as she did. Fluttershy noticed how cheerful Twilight seemed to be. The entire night Twilight had a smile on her face, constantly asking Fluttershy if she needed anything, and constantly trying her best for the two of them to have fun. After brushing her mane, and returning it to it's scholar-like style, she looked at Fluttershy, who's mane was disheveled from the towel drying. "Here, let me help," she said. She took the brush in her hoof and, instead of using her magic, she brushed Fluttershy's mane the Earth pony way. She would take a small bundle of her hair and glide the brush across, straightening and smoothing her mane. Fluttershy was once again speechless, all she could do was glance around the room as Twilight tended to her mane. "Your hair is really pretty Fluttershy," she complimented. Although Twilight couldn't see, Fluttershy was blushing at her words. "It's just so smooth, long, silky, and beautiful." Fluttershy was blushing madly, her cheeks turning a bright red. "There we go, aaaaaand done." Twilight stated, satisfied with her work. Fluttershy's mane was restored to its usual style. Twilight returned the brush to its drawer, then looked at Fluttershy, who was still blushing. Twilight looked at her red cheeks, then to her eyes. This didn't exactly help the situation, as Fluttershy began to shiver slightly and continue to blush. The two stared at each other for a few more moments before a loud 'ding' was heard. "Oh that's the timer" Twilight pointed out. She exited the washroom and headed for the kitchen. Fluttershy followed close behind. This time when she saw Twilight's flank, her usual aloof focus on manners such as these was absent. She actually looked at Twilight's flank, for the first time. They entered the kitchen, and twilight used her magic to open the oven door, and retrieve the tray of fresh baked cookies. The smell of chocolate filled the air, and she placed the tray on the counter. Using her magic, she turned off the stove, and then she grabbed two plates and glasses and placed them on the table. She took four of the 12 cookies and placed two on each plate, then filled each glass with an equal amount of milk. "All set," she said. When Fluttershy reached for the chair, she was stopped by Twilight who grabbed the chair for her, patting the seat slightly for Fluttershy to sit. She smiled at the pegasus, and Fluttershy sat down. After Twilight had pushed Fluttershy's chair in, she took a seat of her own. As the two of them ate, Twilight tried to keep a steady conversation. "Are they ok?" she asked "Oh yes, they're very good Twilight. Thanks again." "You know," Twilight began "This kind of reminds me of when I was a young filly, and I would eat cookies with my mother. We would bake them together and them eat while she read me a story. Kind of miss those days." she said and then took another bite. Fluttershy simply nodded, and continued to eat. "What about you Fluttershy? You ever do anything fun with your mother?" "Well, we did used to sing together. We would sing happy songs and clean up the house." Twilight smiled and took a sip of her milk. Fluttershy had finished her last cookie, and looked up to meet the gaze of Twilight. "Um... is it alright if I have another?" This made her friend giggle "Of course," she replied and telepathically placed another cookie on Fluttershy's plate. "I love how polite you always are Fluttershy. I really like that about you. More ponies should be as kind as you are." "Th....Thanks," she blushed "I like how you brushed my mane." Fluttershy's eyes went wide at her statement. She froze and entered panic mode "I I... mean um." She hid behind her mane and slumped down into her chair. Twilight approached her, and placed a hoof on her shoulder. "Are you ok? This entire night you've seemed more nervous than usual" Fluttershy glanced up into Twilight's eyes, tears forming in her own. "I just...." She struggled to get her words out, but couldn't. She shivered and look at the floor. Twilight wrapped her forehooves around Fluttershy, and pulled her off the chair into a warm hug. Twilight held her in her arms, gently rubbing her back and stroking her mane. She hummed a soft melody, and hugged her friend for a long while, until Fluttershy finally pulled away. "You feel better?" Twilight asked "No..." was her response. "Hey," she said "Fluttershy, I understand if things get stressful, but that's what friends are for. I'm here to help, I wanted you to come here tonight so I could cheer you up. You seemed really stressed earlier today, I just had to do something. What is it that's bothering you? Whatever it is, I can assist you through it." Twilight gave her friend a large warm smile. Fluttershy simply looked back down at the floor. They both stood there, silent and still. It was just like earlier that night. There were both quiet with nothing to do or say. "Look... I'll be on the couch if you need me." Twilight left the kitchen. She did feel a little guilty about leaving Fluttershy standing there in the state she was in, but Twilight truly did not know how to help her. She didn't even know what was bothering her. She sat on the couch, and grabbed and book, which she opened to read. Fluttershy remained standing, all alone, in the kitchen. Thousands of questions raced through her mind Why do I feel like this? What do I do? Why am I so nervous? Why am I shivering? Why can't I just feel like my normal self again She remained in the kitchen for a while longer, before walking towards the main room. Twilight was still relaxing, sitting upright on the couch, occupied by her book. Although, she wasn't really paying much attention to what she was reading. She was trying to figure out what was wrong with her friend, and how she could get the answer. Then she saw Fluttershy approaching the couch. Twilight closed her book and placed it on the folded curtain she had used in their previous games. She was preparing to say something, but was interrupted. Fluttershy climbed on the couch, and placed her head in Twilight's lap. Twilight simply stared in complete confusion at Fluttershy's actions. She was left speechless and completely perplexed. Fluttershy was shivering again, her head face down in Twilight's lap, and her hooves traversed across Twilight's legs. Twilight almost instinctively began rubbing Fluttershy's head in a motherly fashion. She stroked her mane and neck very softly, and whispered comforting words. Twilight was still trying to process the events in her mind, but her attempt at analyzing the situation began fading away. She wanted to help her friend relax, and this seemed to be the most effective way at the moment. They remained on the couch for at least half an hour. Twilight continued to stroke Fluttershy, and using her magic, she quietly lit a fire in the fireplace. She turned off the lights, leaving the fire as the only light source in the dark room. The flames of the fire provided steady warmth and a peaceful flickering light source accompanied by the calm crackling of the wood. Twilight was comforting her friend, hoping that what she did tonight had truly helped her. But her thoughts were interrupted by Fluttershy. "Twilight... I have to tell you something." She said and gracefully shifted to her back to stare up at the purple unicorn. "Yes? what is it?" Twilight answered with a calming tone and the most adorable smile. "I... I know I've been acting a bit strange tonight." she continued "and I want to let you know why..." There was a long pause "Yes, go on," Twilight encouraged "It's well... this isn't exactly easy for me Twilight..." "It's ok," she responded "You can tell me anything Fluttershy. I'm here for you. I promise you, whatever it is that's bothering you I will do my very best to help." "Well... Twilight... I uh." Fluttershy was shivering vigorously, and she turned away from Twilight's gaze. "Well. You've done nothing but help me tonight... You invited me over, and made tea and cookies. You really cheered me up with that game we were playing... Then you washed and brushed my mane for me. No one has ever been this nice to me. But the thing is... you're like this all the time Twilight. Not just tonight, you're always there to help me at any time..." Fluttershy took a moment to collect her thoughts "I guess what I'm trying to say is... that I..." She bit her lip and turned her head away "I... think I...like you." she whispered. But unfortunately, Twilight didn't hear. "Huh? What was that?" she said. "I said I think I...like you." Fluttershy repeated. "Fluttershy... I don't mean to sound rude but.. you keep mumbling, and I can't hear..." She looked Twilight in the eyes "I said I like you!" she eclaimed. Twilight leaned her head backwards slightly, a bit surprised at the sudden outburst of boldness Fluttershy was displaying. "Well I like you too Fluttershy, that's why I try to help." "No... you don't understand Twilight..." Fluttershy leaned forward off of Twilight's lap. She turned to look at Twilight, then placed her forehooves on each of her shoulders. At first it was a firm grasp, and she looked Twilight directly in the eyes, but then her grip loosened and she turned her head to the side. "I... love you Twilight." she confessed, and let her hooves fall from Twilights shoulders. She turned her entire body away completely, her back now to Twilight. Twilight's eyes widened, and her mouth fell open slightly. Her brain seemed to go into super computer mode. It was running thousands of thoughts, actions, and words simultaneously. It was scanning every single storage of memory Twilight had ever accumulated over the years, desperately searching for ANY morsel of informational to use to react to this situation. But nothing came, she had nothing to apply to this. She had enough knowledge to cast any spell, to escape any beast, to rationalize the irrational, but nothing to deal with the phrase "I love you". After her thought process had failed her, she simply relied on her emotions to decide what to do. For the first time that night, she looked at Fluttershy in a different way. She examined her closely, her bright yellow coat and long beautiful pink hair. Her adorable personality, her shy demeanor and pretty eyes. Twilight then recalled everything that happened that night, everything that was said and done. She realized the things that happened between them were rather "close." She kept replaying those words in her mind like a record, vividly remembering exactly how they were said and what was said in that cute adorable voice. Fluttershy was always a calm, peaceful, kind and adorable pony. Even though her specialty was given care to animals, if a pony ever needed emotional support, Fluttershy was the one to help them. Sure there were moments where fear would leave Fluttershy cowering, but she was always concerned about her friends and would never intentionally abandon them. The fire flickered away and Fluttershy was on the verge of tears. Her entire body was shaking madly, and her eyes were full of sadness. But then, she felt the familiar embrace that she had enjoyed so much. Twilight hugged her from behind, wrapping her hooves around Fluttershy, and pulling her close to her chest. Fluttershy almost immediately spun around and stared deeply into Twilight's eyes. "I love you too Fluttershy," Twilight smiled madly, and placed her hooves gently around Fluttershy's neck. Twilight leaned forward, and pulled Fluttershy close. Twilight pressed her lips against her friend's. she pulled Fluttershy into a passionate hug and kiss, enjoying the sensation and feeling. They were both filled with joy and warmth. Fluttershy couldn't believe she was really kissing Twilight, and she opened her eyes for a brief moment to assure this wasn't a dream. They held each other for was seemed like hours. Twilight parted her own lips very slightly, testing for a response. Fluttershy accepted, and opened her mouth, allowing Twilight's tongue to enter. Their tongues danced and swirled together, bringing a rush of pleasure heat through the two lovers. Their hearts beat rapidly, and their bodies felt lighter than air. They continued going at it, sucking and curling each other's tongues until Twilight hesitantly broke the kiss and gasped for air. A small stream of saliva snapped between their lips as they parted, the two of them panting heavily, still holding each other. Moments passed while they stared into each other's eyes, smiling and breathing. "That... wow." Twilight expressed, looking for the right words. "It was like... like." Fluttershy placed her hoof on Twilight's lips, and then kissed her again. Twilight gently lowered Fluttershy to her back, and lied on top of her, still kissing. Their excitement and passion increasing, their love burning for each other. Their tongues connected once more, Twilight's horn radiated a dim purple, and the fire mysteriously went out.