Dirt Road Leadin' to Nowhere
The sun was out, the wind was periodic, but cooling, and five friends trudged along a dirt road leading to nowhere. But to them, it was leading to another friendship mission.
Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity had just got off the train, where it met the end of the line. Taking as far as the train could go south, the group of friends settled with their current position in their journey.
With four of them on hoof, and the other continuously flying, the group of friends made their way down the road that lead away from the final train station near Appleoosa.
To keep themselves entertained, Twilight and the others would toss around conversations here and there but their trip stayed mostly mute.
After some more time walking, Rarity and Fluttershy were becoming sore in the hooves, so they stopped to take a break on the side of the road. Every so often, seeing a farmpony pass by with a cart full of miscellaneous vegetables and fruits, that were somehow grown in the middle of the desert.
After taking a few minutes to catch their breaths, they began their walking down the path. Following the coordinates the map gave them.
After some time passed, the group of ponies became worried. Not seeing anypony for miles, let alone a town began to discourage them. It was getting sundown, Twilight and the gang all settled on making a camp for the night, knowing that it’d be too dangerous to keep going during nightfall.
“Goodnight everyone!” Twilight called out from within her tent. The others responded with tired “Goodnights” and soon after, everypony was asleep. All except for Fluttershy who was as stiff as a board. She tried oh so hard to fall asleep but couldn't. It’s been awhile since she’s actually been camping. As a matter of fact, she probably hasn't ever been camping.
All she could think about was, what could be awaiting them on their journey? Monsters? Demons from another dimension? Celestia only knows.
She shivered in her tent, so scared that she was making the tent shake along with her. Gaining the attention of one rainbow maned pony.
“What the hay?” Rainbow whispered as she got up from her stranded desert cloud. She looked down to see Fluttershy’s tent vibrantly shaking.
She hopped off her cloud and began to gently float down to Fluttershy’s tent.
Once in front of it, she tapped on the tent’s zipped up flap that substituted for a door.
The tapping elected an “Eeep” from Fluttershy who frantically crawled into a corner of the tent.
“Fluttershy, it’s me! Rainbow! What’re you doing in there?” She asked.
Fluttershy, realizing that it was only her technicolor friend, rushed to the zipped up flap and opened it.
“Oh, hello Rainbow…” Fluttershy greeted.
“Fluttershy, why was your tent shaking like that?” Rainbow asked.
“Oh, no reason. Don’t worry about me Rainbow, it’s fine. Just, go back to bed please.” Fluttershy insisted but was rejected by Rainbow.
“No, no something’s wrong. C’mon Flutters tell me.” Rainbow said in a stern voice.
“Well… It’s just, I haven’t been camping in the longest time, and I’m just worried of what’s out there in the desert. I’m also worried about what’ll happen on this friendship mission. I’m worried if something like last time will happen.” Fluttershy answered, sounding as if she was choking back tears.
Feeling bad for her timid friend, Rainbow entered the tent and sat down next to Fluttershy. As she nestled into her spot, she began to get into a sleeping position.
“W-What are you doing Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked, sounding confused as to why Rainbow was looking like she was about to sleep in Fluttershy’s tent.
“You’re scared aren't ya? I have to be with you now. So that way you won’t be scared. Simple as that.” Rainbow answered, turning over to face Fluttershy.
“Oh, you don’t need to do that Rainbow. I said I’m fine.” Fluttershy said, her assertiveness returning slightly.
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, making Fluttershy falter and agree to let her stay with her in the tent. Fluttershy then began to lie down next to Rainbow. It only took five minutes tops for Fluttershy and Rainbow to fall asleep. With Rainbow around, she was able to sleep blissfully. With no care in the world.
~***~
“Everypony wake up! We have go while it’s early!” Twilight shouted, Pinkie Pie already awake with her. They had just finished up cleaning up their tents, now it was just a matter of waking Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. However, the two had no idea where Rainbow was, they just assumed she was sleeping on a moving cloud that didn't stray too far away.
Twilight went to Fluttershy’s while Pinkie went to Rarity’s. Twilight tapped on the zipped up flap on Fluttershy’s tent. While waiting for a response, she heard Pinkie Pie yell to wake Rarity who was so surprised by her sudden jolt out of slumber, nearly jumped out of the top of her tent.
Rolling her eyes jokingly, she turned her attention back to the tent. She tapped the flap again.
No response.
Getting annoyed by the failed attempts to wake Fluttershy, she used her magic to unzip the flap. As she unzipped the flap, she gasped at the sight she found.
Fluttershy was holding onto Rainbow, her head nestled into the crook of Rainbow’s neck as the two slept peacefully.
Twilight chuckled to herself. She found it funny how intimate the two looked together.
“Rainbow, Fluttershy! Time to wake up! We have to keep moving!” She called out.
Rainbow and Fluttershy both shot up in surprise as they began to clean up the tent, as if nothing happened. Both ponies looking wide eyed and surprised, not wanting to say anything.
“You two love birds better hurry, we’re all cleaned up and ready to go.” Twilight called out as she walked away.
“So… We don’t talk about last night right?” Fluttershy asked, as she began to fold the blankets.
“Right!” Rainbow quickly answered as she began wrapping up the sleeping bags. It took only five minutes for the two pegasi to have the tent and sleeping bags packed away and ready to go.
As soon as everypony was ready and packed up, they began to walk down the dirt road that seemed to lead to nowhere.
~***~
Unlike yesterday, the group of friends were more talkative. Most of them being in good moods, surprising that most of them were either very rudely woken up or hardly got any sleep at all.
However, conversations between Fluttershy and Rainbow were short lived or didn't exist at all. The two were too busy thinking about the night before. Every time Rainbow looked over at Fluttershy, she would always blush and look away with a sheepish smile across her muzzle.
No matter how much prodding or dissecting the other three friends would do, neither Rainbow or Fluttershy would tell what happened the night before.
~*Night Before*~
Fluttershy stirred awake, feeling slightly more warm and comfy than before. On account that she first started out sleeping on the floor of a tent, that felt more like sleeping on the desert ground itself.
She turned her head to find Rainbow mane blocking her sight. Wondering why there was technicolor mane tickling the top of her muzzle, she tried to sit up before noticing Rainbow Dash holding on tight to Fluttershy.
Blushing, Fluttershy said,
“Rainbow… Rainbow, why are you cuddling me?”
Rainbow, who was only half awake answered,
“Hmm… Because you feel nice. You’re soft, and warm…”
Fluttershy’s face turned a deep shade of crimson
“Oh, well, I… Rainbow, I-”
“Shh” Rainbow hushed Fluttershy as she rose to sit up with Fluttershy. Rainbow laid her hoof on Fluttershy’s muzzle, making her stop talking.
“Let’s not ruin this moment Flutters… I want to be straight with ya, I… I think I like you… I, like you a lot. And, I came down here because yeah I was wanting to care for you, but I also wanted to be with you… So, yeah.”
Rainbow was too busy looking down to notice Fluttershy’s deeply blushed face. She had tears in the corners of her eyes, tears of happiness. Without warning, Rainbow felt Fluttershy hug her tight. After she received the hug from Fluttershy, Rainbow was met with Fluttershy’s face, they looked eye to eye before locking lips.
Rainbow went wide eyed, never thinking that her simple confession would bring this much affection from Fluttershy, but she took it anyway.
The two fell to the tent floor, still continuing their loving embrace with no interruptions.
~*Current Time*~
As the five made their way down the road, Rarity began to complain.
“Oh, when are we going to get there! It’s hotter than ever, and my hooves hurt from walking so much.”
“How about I fly up and see if I can’t spot any town or something. I’ll look for a Buffalo settlement if possible.”
“Good call Rainbow!” Twilight said while watching Rainbow fly higher and higher into the humid blue sky.
After some time, Rainbow began to call out,
“Hey! Hey, I see a town! I see a railroad in the town!” She sounded excited, this had to be good.
“Really? Let me see!” Twilight flew up with Rainbow to see for herself. And it was no fib, there was a small town, bigger than the town from their equality mission, but smaller than Ponyville. This town possibly had a train station, on account that a railroad system could be seen trailing out of the town.
“I see it too! We have to get there! Maybe that’s the location the map told us to go to!” Twilight exclaimed. Her and Rainbow flew back down to tell the others that they've spotted a town.
All of them getting a new sense of excitement from this news, began to rush down the dirt road. Hoping that this would be the last bit of walking they would need to do.