//------------------------------// // Chapter 22: Moonlit Walk // Story: The First Steps of the Rest of Your Life // by Rhino //------------------------------// ***Thursday, Day 13, After Sunset*** Fluttershy is starting to freak herself out a bit as we near her house, her pace unconsciously increasing, “Oh, I hope Angel isn’t too cross with me about getting home so late.” I continue to play the role of comforter, “Fluttershy, I’m sure both Angel and Specter will just be happy to see us.” I smile at her to try and calm her as we reach the door. Fluttershy calms down enough to unlock her door and we step inside. The room is dark as we close the door behind us, but as soon as it shuts the lights flick on like one of Pinkie’s parties and we each find ourselves tackle hugged, or as close to tackle hugged as one can be by a small furry animal. I focus on my favorite black squirrel currently attached to my leg gripping it like he never wants to let go again. I pry him off my leg as I lay down on the floor to get on an even level with him, as I do so he switches from hugging to nuzzling my face, “Hey Specs, I missed you too,” I chuckle a little as he backs up a short distance and looks me in the eye with his own, his face making me scoop him up in a hug. We sat there for a second just enjoying being around each other again before I set him down and he immediately climbs up to his favorite spot on my head. I think I missed him more than I realized. Don’t worry buddy, I’m not leaving for a while. I look over at Fluttershy and Angel, the bunny curled up against her while she smiles down at him in a motherly way. She looks up at Specs and I and says, “You know, we really should spend some time with them to make up for being gone so long.” Ok, deep breath Rhino… and… go. I look her in the eyes as I respond, “On that note Fluttershy, I seem to recall saying that I was going to take you somewhere once we got back. Well, what would you say to a moonlit stroll and picnic with our little friends here to accompany us?” Fluttershy’s eyes widen slightly and her face glows with the warmth of a slight blush at my question. She gently breaks into a smile and nods her head, and then the both of us look back at our two smaller companions who gaze at us with curious expressions. Fluttershy answers the unsaid question, sitting down and tapping her front hooves together as she explains, “Well Angel, you see, Rhino and I are,” the blush comes back for a second, “…umm well, dating.” Angel freezes for a moment before adopting a stern expression and marching towards me, motioning me down to his level with a paw. I oblige and find myself fixed with a stare I honestly thought I’d never see coming from a bunny. One of those “I am searching your eyes for any intentions I do not approve of and should I find them you will be very sorry” stares. The tension in the room rose as the moment dragged on, neither of us blinking or looking away. Finally, Angel pats me on the head and jumps onto Fluttershy’s as I shake off the slight zone out I had gone into during that little incident. Fluttershy lets out a quiet giggle as I focus, “Looks like you passed.” Her soft smile graces her face at the result. Admirable effort Angel, but the fact that you are a bunny tends to take away from any intimidation factor you may try to invoke. Still though, message received. I smile back, opening the door and holding it open, “Well then, shall we?” ***Meanwhile, flying towards Fluttershy’s place*** One certainly never expects to see a rainbow at night, whether one is looking for it or not. One also never expects a rainbow to mutter to itself as it streaks across the sky. Yet, both of these unlikely things can be seen due to a certain pegasus making a beeline for her longtime friend’s house. The speed at which she flew causes most of her words to be snatched away, but if anypony was able to keep up with her, what little they would have heard would have convinced them not to, “… only known him for two weeks… must be planning something… after that freak out in Cloudsdale… no way he’s doing anything to MY friend…” Rainbow Dash starts angling downward towards Fluttershy’s house when the door opens and the animal loving pegasus herself walks out the door followed by Rhino. Angling herself back upwards, the cyan pegasus alights on a nearby cloud to watch, the smile on the yellow pony’s face making her not want to deal with the green unicorn in front of her friend, but nothing would make her leave them alone together right now. She resolves to watch them closely, and at the first sign of anything suspicious, she would take him down. ***Rhino*** Fluttershy and I make our way along the path to the lake, the object of Luna’s charge lighting our path. Both Specter and Angel ride along on our heads, making their respective sounds towards each other in what I expect to be a conversation. Seeing as the two were the more vocal of our foursome, in their own ways, most of Fluttershy and I’s conversation ended up being about them. We swapped stories and we walked, Fluttershy telling me about Angel’s actions, and I telling her about Specter’s attachment to me leading to him scaring ponies whenever he pops out of my mane that he blends in so well with. The way she tells it, Angel almost seems to act like a child. Supporting her at times, but being firm on other things, and of course being unreasonable and rebelling at other times. We reach the lake soon enough, and settle down on a blanket Pinkie had packed into the basket, though why she put a blanket into a leftovers basket we could only guess at. We sit and snack lightly on the sweets as our pets indulge themselves on the culinary confections to mirroring states of sugar induced unconsciousness. As I gently pick Specter up with my magic and set him down on my back, Fluttershy does the same for Angel, I comment to her, “You know, despite what caused it, I really am glad we did this,” I motion around us to show that I speak of our entire situation. She still hasn’t lost that beautiful smile on her face, “Yes… I feel the same way. Oh and, umm, thank you again for what you did.” My own smile becomes forced for a moment as that snap in the rundown building comes back to me, but I calm down any gloomy thoughts by trying to focus on what we have right now, “Like I said, I would never let them or any pony else, hurt you.” A cloud moves from in front of the moon, illuminating her silhouette in its silver glow forestalling any other words I might have had for a moment as I stare at her. To me, she looked simply stunning as the moonlight dances off her mane and coat, a picture both gentle and radiant. She looks to the ground nervously and for a moment I worried I weirded her out by with staring before she speaks, “I’m sorry if I’m not very good on this date, I’ve never really had one before.” I let this sink in for a moment before I respond, “The way I see it, if both of us are happy, then what else does there need to be? We’ve hung out before, now we are just acting a little closer,” I take a little risk with my next line, “And I for one, think any stallion would be lucky to know, let alone date you.” She blushes and smiles again, leading me to think no matter how cheesy that line might have been, the intent was received well. ***Up in the night sky*** Rainbow Dash had buried herself in a cloud once she had started following the two ponies, her magenta eyes the only visible part of her. While her protective loyalty to her friend kept her following them, there was one thing she hadn’t counted on: She was bored. She had originally thought it would be as simple as charging off to Fluttershy’s and confronting Rhino about his plans with her, but that had flown out the window when both of them had walked out. Now she’d spent the last unknown amount of time simply watching the two talk! Rhino hadn’t even done anything suspicious yet, even that time when she had moved around all he did was stare at Fluttershy. Her thoughts slowly started to take a less paranoid turn when she snapped back into focus at the movement of the two ponies below packing up and heading back down the path. The rainbow stalker slowly pushed half of each wing outside of the cloud and began smoothly flying after them. ***Rhino*** After we had talked a bit more over at the lake, a glance at my watch and the world’s most adorable yawn from the yellow flyer prompted me to pack up and escort her home. As we reached her residence with our still sleeping pets on our backs, I open the door and she walks inside and turns around as I wait outside of the doorway. I start the traditional goodbyes of relationships, “Well, Fluttershy, thank you for a lovely walk.” She smiles back at me, something I will never tire of, “Thank you for taking me, I had a great time.” “I guess I’ll see you around? Hope we can do this again sometime.” She blushes again, “Oh yes, definitely,” she stops and starts looking like she’s working herself up to something. Just as I’m about to ask her if she okay, she steps forward and I feel the soft sensation of her lips on my cheek accompanied by a small smell of strawberries from her mane. Her cheeks are burning red and I stand their shell shocked with a goofy smile on my face as she whispers goodnight and heads inside. ***Sky*** Rainbow Dash sits up as her prey finally reaches Fluttershy’s house and her friend goes inside. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes to keep herself from falling asleep, and gazes back down at the small sound of the door closing. The speed pegasus launches herself towards her target at breakneck speeds, not planning on anything letting him get away this time. As she nears her target’s back she reaches her hooves out in front of her to grab him- Only to have her hooves grasp thin air as he disappears, leaving her stunned for the split second it took her run into the tree directly on the other side of him. *crash* Shaking her head clear after her brief attempt at the sport of extreme tree hugging, Rainbow Dash pounds her hooves once into the dirt in frustration at the unicorn’s escape. “You may have gotten away this time, but I won’t let it happen again!”