Rain cascaded from the skies, creating a mesmerising melody of noise as the droplets hit the ground. The skies over Ponyville and the fields beyond were completely blocked by grey clouds. There was no thunder to split the air, but the downpour was mighty nonetheless. Hours into the storm now, and the land was soaked.
Birds were taking shelter in the trees but then they suddenly took to the skies, frightened by the shrill whistle. Over the din of the falling rain, the sounds of the Equestria Express putting on its brakes could be heard. Another loud whistle signalled its approach, until it eventually came to a complete stop at the station. What followed was the loud hiss that accompanied the release of steam.
A soaking wet conductor stood on the platform as the doors to the train opened. There was a near-stampede as ponies thundered off of the passenger cars and hurried to get somewhere dry. Nopony had the time to stop and talk in this kind of weather besides the very select few who enjoyed being in the rain.
As soon as the cacophony had started, it was soon over once everypony was under the roof of the train station. A few unicorns, visiting from Canterlot, calmly trotted out with their aquaphobic spells active. They chattered to each other about the uncouth behaviour of the other passengers and headed into town as if the rain didn't exist at all.
Finally, a quartet of yellow hooves slowly exited the train and stepped onto the rain-soaked platform.
…
Waffles.
Rudolph's eyes slowly inched open, the bleary world of wakefulness assaulting his senses. It smelled like waffles.
The reindeer felt well rested but incredibly sluggish. His muscles were begging for him to just go back to sleep and never move again. The hunger-inducing smell of waffles, however, was drawing him out of his comatose state. It was a slow process, but he managed to sit himself up.
"W'ffles…?" was the word that came out instead of something logical.
"Welcome back to the realm of the living, Rudolph. It's noon."
Rudolph, his eyes still adjusting to the brightness, glanced to his left. There, he saw Twilight setting a plate of warm, delectable waffles on a nearby table. They looked to be blueberry flavoured and slathered in butter.
He yawned loudly. "Ahhh, gosh…" He took a moment to stretch a few of his joints and roll his neck. "Issat breakfast…?"
"No, Rudolph," she said with the voice of a patient teacher, "It's lunch."
"Oh…Right…" He yawned again and took a glance around. "Hey…" he murmured and furrowed his brow, "Did you make me…sleep on the couch?"
Twilight chuckled. "No, you slept with us in the bed. I just teleported you down here to make it easier to wake you up. Spike never could sleep long whenever he was on the library's couch because the kitchen was right next door…"
Rudolph blushed at the mention of Twilight's bed, not to mention the use of the word 'us'. He chuckled. "Last night, huh?"
"Why yes, 'last night' certainly is a noun," she replied with a smirk and a wink.
Rudolph's loudly growling stomach interrupted him, so he decided to get at least one waffle down his throat before he said anything else. As he moved forward towards them, he found that he really didn't feel achy or stiff. He just felt sluggish, and food would probably help that.
The waffle was superb. The sweet taste of the blueberries mixed in just perfectly, abundant but not so much that it overwhelmed the taste of the waffle itself. It was warm, delicious and filling. He felt a lot more alert after he had finished it.
"Twilight, did you make these?"
"Yeah!" she called back from inside of the kitchen, "It's nothing special."
"They're great!"
"Really? Thank you!" She reappeared in the doorway. "How do you feel? I know it's kinda hard to get up after drinking that potion."
Rudolph felt fully awake at this point. He remembered that Twilight had said it was noon, so he must have slept for a very long time and he felt appropriately rested. "I feel pretty good!" he replied, "Thanks for letting me stay here, and thanks for the waffles!"
She gave him a pleasant smile. "It's no problem! It's the least I could do for our town's special guest!"
"Can, uh…Can I have more of these?" he asked, pointing to the remaining stack of waffles.
"Yeah, dig in. They're all for you. I already ate."
He flashed her a grin of thanks, and then leaned forward to pick up another one. When he sat back down, he landed a little too far forward on the couch and ended up resting on the stiffer edge as opposed to the soft cushions. A sudden, aching jolt stabbed through him.
"Ngah!" he exclaimed, getting to his hooves entirely. He glanced back to see if he had sat on anything, but saw nothing. He heard Twilight giggling like a schoolgirl, so he turned to look at her.
"Yeah, uh…" she said, trying to hold back her laughter, "You might wanna be careful how you sit down for a while…"
For a moment he was confused at what she meant. Then, as he thought about where on his body he had felt the ache, memories of last night flooded his mind in higher clarity. His face grew red. "Oh…"
"Yup. He's a big boy…"
Rudolph gave her an awkward glance and chuckled softly. "Where, ah…Where is he?"
"He had to go to work, so he was gone before I got up. He works on the weather team, and you can thank him for that." She punctuated her statement with a point of her hoof. Rudolph followed it to a fairly large window on the opposite wall. Even from a distance, he could see that it was raining tremendously, though the walls of the castle blocked out the sounds of the storm.
"Oh gosh…"
"I'm gonna get back to working on your ticket home in a few minutes, but if you don't wanna go out in the rain you can stay here if you want. I just might not be very talkative."
"Heh…I've been in much worse. Thanks, though. I just might do that."
"You've flown with your team through heavy rain like this?"
"Heavy snowstorm, with fog and wind and the whole works. Felt like the world was coming down. Freezing cold, super dangerous conditions. That was also my first day on the job."
Twilight stood there blinking. "…Wow, really?"
"Oh yeah! That's why Santa needed me that night. So I could light up the way!" He lit up his nose to punctuate his statement.
"I see. Sounds like it was a big responsibility. I hope everything went smoothly."
"Sure did! We made our Christmas deliveries right on time!"
"That's great!"
Rudolph grinned. "And then all the reindeer loved me!"
"Heh heh..."
His smile morphed into a suave one. "Well, that feels silly saying that now. 'Cus now, all the ponies looove me."
Twilight rolled her eyes as she smiled. "All right, Casanova. Settle down."
Rudolph chuckled and picked up another waffle to devour. His hungry stomach was very appreciative.
"By the way," Twilight said as she trotted back into the kitchen, "If you do wanna go out today let me know and I can give you an umbrella spell."
"Won't that not work on me?" he asked after swallowing the last of the waffle.
"No, it's like a magically-conjured barrier. It'll just float above you."
"Oh…Gee, the magic here sure is complicated…"
"Well, I almost wish I could go back with you to study your world's magic."
Rudolph got to his hooves, feeling great and ready to conquer the day, and trotted over to the window. He gazed out past the streams of water running down the outside of the glass and out into the rain-soaked town that lay in the distance. He stood there for a moment, just watching.
Even under the dreary cloud cover, the small village still seemed to have a vibrant life to it. Things still seemed colourful amidst the grey overcast. Rudolph lived in a place where there was scarcely any rain at all, but those few times he ventured beyond the North Pole and was caught in the rain, he always enjoyed just watching it fall. Twilight's offer of an umbrella spell was sounding appealing. He decided it might be nice to walk through the town and experience the sounds, sights and smells of the downpour.
"I hope Fluttershy's not caught in this rain…" he murmured.
"There's no rain in Caterlot," Twilight cut in, having returned to the room, "It was only scheduled for Ponyville."
He turned and gave her an odd look. "'Scheduled'?"
Something seemed to suddenly occur to Twilight. "Oh! What am I thinking? Fluttershy sent me a letter this morning and told me that she's on her way home today."
His eyes shot open wide and he stared at her. "What??"
"Actually, she might already be here."
Rudolph just stood there staring at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. A sudden wave of panic washed over him. A thousand thoughts entered his mind that were all difficult to keep track of. "But…But I-" he muttered, "She's back already?"
"If she took the early train, then probably."
"I was just…and we were…" A heavy frown appeared on his face. "Oh gosh…!"
…
A very tired pony, with only a raincoat to protect her from the elements, pushed open the door to Sugarcube Corner.
"Heeeeyyyy! You're back!"
"Hi Pinkie…Can I please have something to eat?"
"You look like you need a big tasty meal! One big tasty meal comin' up!"
"Thanks," she said as she took a seat.
"Everything go okay up in Canterlot? Everything all peachy?"
"Yes." She yawned. "It's fine."
Pinkie trotted over with an assortment of baked goods. "Well, we're glad you're back home with us! We all missed ya lots and lots!"
"Um…" She paused.
"What is it?"
"…Do you know where Rudolph is?"
…
It was hard to hear one's own hoofsteps over the din of the heavy rain. Rudolph trotted down the streets near the outskirts of town as quickly as he could, scanning his surroundings. His scarf whipped in the wind, offering only the tiniest respite from the rain in such a way that it hardly even mattered.
The sound was a calm sort of droning, and the whole place smelled wonderful as the rain mixed with the plants and the grass to create a fresh aroma. Rudolph didn't really care, however. He was looking high and low. He was even considering using his nose to help him look, despite all the attention it would grab from others.
Rudolph's heart hammered in his chest as he ran, and it was hardly from exertion. As soon as Twilight had mentioned that Fluttershy was coming home, the yellow mare was the only thing on his mind. There was a great worry clouding his head.
"Ugh…" he muttered as he ran, "I really screwed this up…"
There were no ponies around. All of them seemed to be hiding inside from the rain. The only ones he could see were a group of pegasus ponies flying about near the clouds, a few of them pushing them around.
Rudolph gasped. "Ah! There you are! Hey!!"
He galloped forward another block and then came to a stop. The pegasus was there to meet him, giving him a look as he tried to catch his breath.
"Aah…Hah…" he tried to speak while panting.
The pegasus didn't say anything and gave him an impatient look.
Rudolph finally caught his breath and looked her right in the eye.
"Rainbow Dash…I need your help."
…
Finally, after getting a meal into her and trudging through the heavy rain once more, Fluttershy finally made it back to her house. She moved rather slowly, caught somewhere between enjoying the sights and simply being tired. A few of her animal friends scurried out to say hello, but most of them were hiding from the weather.
She fished out her key and opened the door. She hardly looked around as she stepped inside, focusing mostly on taking off her raincoat and drying off so as to get as little of the floor wet as possible. She set it on a hook to dry, took a quick peek into the kitchen to make sure everything was in order there, and let out a sigh. When she turned and trotted towards her living area, that's when she finally saw him.
Rudolph gave her a warm smile when she locked eyes with him and squeaked in surprise.
"R-Rudolph?"
"Hi, Fluttershy! Welcome back."
A smile of her own soon appeared. "You frightened me."
Rudolph was sitting on one end of the couch, completely dried off and wearing his new scarf. His nose was glowing just the tiniest bit, offering a warm and gentle glow to the dismal lighting offered by the grim weather outside. His forehooves were holding onto a box, wrapped in green paper and tied up with a red ribbon.
Fluttershy trotted over, giving him a genuine warm smile. "I missed you, Rudolph. I'm glad to see you again."
Rudolph frowned. "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "Oh, I'm fine. I'm just…tired."
"Did everything go okay with…um…whatever you had to do?"
"Oh yes. There were some visiting royals in Canterlot and they didn't like each other at all. Celestia didn't want to get between them for political reasons, which is why the map called me I guess. But, the two also brought their sons, and those two hated each other just because their dads hated each other."
"Oh gosh…"
"Mhm," she said with a firm nod, "But I got to know them and showed them how to be kind to one another and to have fun. They became best friends."
"Well, that's good!"
"…Their parents didn't like that."
"Oh dear…"
"At least not at first. I think everything worked out in the end, but…" Instead of finishing her sentence, she yawned.
"Why don't you come and lay down?" he said, indicating the couch, "Heh…That sounds silly, 'cus this is your house and all…"
Fluttershy offered a wordless thanks and fluttered up onto the couch next to him, where she laid down. "Um, what's that?" she asked, pointing to the box.
Rudolph glanced down and fiddled with it for a moment. "Ah, um…Well, I know it's spring…and that you don't have it here…but in my world it's Christmastime. It's a time of loving and caring and…Well, I want you to have this."
Her eyes opened wider. "For me…?"
"Yeah. On Christmas, you give presents to those that you care about so…here."
She gingerly took it in her hooves. "Rudolph, I…Y-you didn't have to get me a gift…"
"Of course I did! After everything you've done for me? You rescued me, you carried me back to the city, you got Twilight's help, you gave me a place to stay and…Well, you're you. And I really like you."
Fluttershy was blushing already. "I…don't know what to say."
He smiled. "Just open it, then."
"O…okay…"
Fluttershy undid the ribbon and took the lid off of the box. She gazed inside, and carefully reached in with her hoof to pull the contents out. "Oh my gosh…"
It was a small pendant with a chain long enough to go around her neck. It was a shiny yellow colour, not quite the colour of gold, with a pair of stylized wings adorning it that didn't look like those of a pegasus.
"It opens up," Rudolph said, pointing to a small latch, "and I was hoping someone could take my picture while I'm here and you can put it in there…"
Fluttershy gazed at him with a look of disbelief. "Rudolph, how did you get this?"
"Rarity paid me some money for modeling scarves for her. She insisted." He chuckled, casually not mentioning that it had cost all of the money Rarity had given him.
"Rudolph, I…This is wonderful…" Her concerned look finally, slowly turned into a smile. "I really like it, Rudolph, I…" She gazed up at him and said in a soft voice, "Thank you."
He shook his head. "No, thank you Fluttershy. Thanks for all you've done."
Fluttershy quickly leaned forward and wrapped her hooves around his neck, pulling him into a hug. Rudolph was briefly surprised, but smiled and hugged her back with one of his hooves.
"Rudolph, you're…you're wonderful," she whispered.
"Aww, gee…" he murmured.
When she moved back from the hug, Fluttershy was giving him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry for leaving suddenly like that. I was halfway to Canterlot when I suddenly remembered I hadn't even left you with a place to stay. I was so upset with myself…"
"Naw, it's okay Fluttershy. Your friends gave me places to sleep…" His voice trailed off.
"I should have given you a key."
"It's fine, Fluttershy. Don't beat yourself up over it."
"…"
There was a moment of silence as the two looked at one another. After a moment, her smile returned and she giggled softly. "Um…How did you get in here, anyway?"
"Pinkie let me in," he replied. That was hardly the whole story. He had been planning to get her a Christmas gift since the first night he had spent there, and he had been so afraid that he was going to miss her homecoming before getting her something. It was only Rainbow Dash's speed and Pinkie's strange ability to do things to her whim that got him the present and into her house on time. He had been worried for nothing, though, as it had all worked out.
Fluttershy giggled. "I should have guessed."
He gave her a soft grin. "I'm glad you're back home."
"Me too." She shuffled forward slightly and started nuzzling him. "I'm so happy we get to spend more time together."
Rudolph glanced down at her, blushing as she nuzzled him affectionately. More thoughts ran through his head. There had been a lot to think about over these past few days. There had been lots that he had been worried about, but a lot of that worry seemed to fade away as Fluttershy gently nuzzled him. There was the warmest smile on her face. She looked like the most content creature in the world.
He did not hesitate to lean back into a comfortable position that would allow him to nuzzle her back. Besides that it felt nice, he truly did enjoy her company. He found her charming, sweet and easy to talk to. She wasn't quite like anyone he had ever met before.
Rudolph jumped slightly when she raised one of her hooves and started gently rubbing his chest. His face flushed even more from the gesture. She had seemed miserable and tired, but after only a few minutes in his presence she was smiling and glowing. It was wonderful to see her so relaxed, especially after what had probably been a rather difficult experience.
He realized that by now, the two of them were outright cuddling. Just like a couple would do.
"I really missed talking to you," Fluttershy said softly, breaking the long silence.
"Yeah…I did too."
"I hope your leg didn't get any worse…"
"No, it's been totally fine the whole time."
Fluttershy looked up at him with a blissfully relaxed smile. "That's a really nice scarf," she said as she raised a hoof to gently touch it.
"It was a gift from Rarity…" He blinked in surprise when Fluttershy gently tapped the tip of his nose.
"It makes you look…" she trailed off.
Rudolph glanced away. "Please don't say 'cute'…Everyone's been calling me cute…"
Fluttershy's melodic giggle met his ears. "No…I think it makes you look handsome."
He was blushing again. "I-it does…?"
"Mhm… I really like it."
"Heh…I like it too…I've always liked scarves…"
There was a brief lull in the conversation. Rudolph realized that at some point he had started gently stroking Fluttershy's back with one of his hooves. His mind started to fill up with thoughts once more. Everything felt perfect and nice right now, but there were still things being unsaid.
Rudolph definitely did care about Fluttershy, and had been looking forward eagerly to her return ever since she had left. He had developed a fondness for her despite the relatively short time they had known each other. Now that he was with her again, he was happy. Yet, his mind was still unsettled.
"…Fluttershy?"
She turned and looked up at him, her teal eyes reflecting in the glow of his nose. There was still that warm smile on her face. "Yes, Rudolph?"
"Um…Do you…I, uh…" He glanced away for a moment, and then back at her. It would be better to just get everything into the open.
"Are you falling in love with me?"
Fluttershy blinked once, her smile faltering just slightly. "U-um…" she stuttered, and then possibly the biggest rosy blush appeared on her cheeks. She shrunk back, curling herself up slightly and hiding half of her face behind her mane.
"I…I think so…" she whispered, almost inaudibly, "I…Um…I know it's kinda silly. I've only spent time with you for a little more than a day…" Fluttershy then came out of her cocoon a little, but still looked rather shy. "B-but, Rudolph, in that time I learned a lot about you and I found out that I, well, really, really like you…When I was in Canterlot, I couldn't stop thinking about going back home and seeing you…"
Rudolph listened patiently.
"So, um…I think- I'm pretty sure the ans- No. No, I know the answer is yes, Rudolph. I'm…I know it's silly…"
"No, it's not silly at all." Rudolph gently pet her back. "I've seen how happy you are when I'm around, heh…" He paused and reflected on this. In talking to others, he had inferred this to them but now he knew it was true. Perhaps it was just 'puppy love', but maybe it didn't matter. Then, Rudolph frowned slightly. Maybe he had been right to-
"Um…R-Rudolph?"
He glanced down at her again. Suddenly, she seemed very worried. There was a nervous twinkle in her eye, though she stared up at him unflinchingly.
"Are…" She gulped. "Are you in love with me?"
There it was. Though he probably wouldn't have admitted it to himself, he had been considering this question ever since she had left. He had been thinking a lot about her and looking forward to when she eventually came home. She had been on his mind and was a strong influence towards certain decisions he had made.
But he considered the question carefully, taking a close look at exactly what feelings he had. It was hard to draw reference, since he hadn't even had a crush on anyone before. Eventually, though, he found an answer that he felt rather sure of.
"I…I don't know if I can answer, Fluttershy."
The mare's expression hardly changed. She almost looked a little confused.
"Fluttershy, if you wanted me to answer that question right now, well…The answer would be 'no'. But-!"
Rudolph had interjected that last word quickly. For a brief moment it looked like Fluttershy had been stabbed through her heart, but thankfully that extra word managed to abate it.
"But, Fluttershy…" he continued, "I…Well, I think there is definitely something about you that I like more than a friend. Even in this short time, you keep growing on me. I guess what I'm trying to say is that…I don't love you right now…yet. But, honestly? I could see myself, well…falling for you after some time."
Fluttershy's face was neutral for a moment.
"Does…that make sense?" he asked in an unsure voice.
Then, after another tense moment, Fluttershy smiled and nodded. "It does, Rudolph," she said in a soft voice, "I understand. Not everybody is the same, after all…"
Rudolph smiled as well and leaned in to pull her into a warm hug. "I really like you, Fluttershy. You're the nicest, kindest, sweetest creature I've ever met. If nothing else, I can definitely say that I do care about you."
"I care about you too…"
The two snuggled into the warm embrace for a moment, feeling each other's warmth. It was nice and cozy, and Rudolph couldn't find a single complaint in the world. That is, until his brain reminded him of one.
"It's just that…I don't know how much time there is…" he muttered sadly.
Fluttershy was still. "Y-you're right…And even if, well…Even if we do fall in love together, then you'll just…go home. Right…?"
Rudolph was silent for a moment. "Fluttershy, I love it here. I love everything about this place. From the people here, to the beautiful landscapes, to…well, just about everything. It's like a paradise, and I've enjoyed every moment I've spent here."
Fluttershy turned to look up at him and he looked back down with a sad smile. "But it isn't home."
She nodded. "I know…"
"Yeah…But that's why I got you the locket. That way you'll always remember me."
A small smile appeared on her face. "I don't think I'll ever forget you, Rudolph…"
"And you never know. Twilight's clearly smarter than anyone I've ever met…maybe one day later she'll find a way to let us cross dimensions safely…or at the very least communicate with one another."
"You're right, Rudolph. That does sound like something she's capable of." She then gave him a calming smile. "But it's okay. Even if we only have so long with each other, that's okay. If it's out of our control, then there's no use getting upset about it."
"Yeah…I suppose you're right."
"I... A lot of my animal friends…Well, they don't tend to live very…long. So I've learned that, even if time together is short, to make every moment count. So let's just…spend however much time we have together…o-okay? No regrets?"
He nuzzled her again. "That sounds perfect Fluttershy. No…" He paused. "No regrets…"
Rudolph chewed his lip at that particular thought. It seemed like the time had finally come in this conversation to bring up what had been gnawing at him for the past few days. The words of all the ponies he had met ran through his head, but somehow they sounded distant. It was almost like a dream that he had awoken from, and still wasn't sure if it had been a dream or not.
"Um…Fluttershy?" he said, trying to feel confident in what he was saying, "There's something I want to…um…share with you."
"Hm?" she replied, looking up at him with those beautiful, sparkling eyes.
"I guess you kind of figured out that I met all of your best friends these past few days, right? I got to know all of them pretty well, and they're all very nice."
Fluttershy nodded.
"The thing is that we…" He glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to choose his words. "When I met each one of them…After we did some stuff and got to know each other and whatever…It was sort of a different, um…'encounter' each time, but I…we…"
"Rudolph?" Fluttershy cut in, "I already know."
The reindeer felt his brain shut down for a few seconds. He turned and stared at her, flabbergasted. "You…What? You know that I…We…um…" He lowered his voice to a whisper, despite no-one else being around. "…fooled around?"
A rosy glow appeared on her cheeks, hidden by his nose's own glow, but she simply nodded.
"…How?"
"Pinkie Pie t-"
"Of course it was Pinkie Pie…Urgh…Has anypony ever tried supergluing that mare's mouth shut?"
Thankfully, as if to ease his troubled mind, Fluttershy giggled softly at that remark.
"Oh gosh. Well, I…It just sort of happened, and then it just sort of kept on happening. I didn't want to keep it a secret from you or anything. It was just sort of…We all…" He was momentarily flummoxed by a massive blush. "I…Just, uh…What do you think?" He winced at the stupid-sounding question he had just asked.
"Well, Rudolph…" Fluttershy replied in a calm voice, "Do you l- Um…Do you have…feelings for any of them?"
Rudolph tried to study her expression. She definitely didn't look mad, but then again his father had always told him that one could never tell when a female was angry. Rather, she just looked mildly concerned with a hint of determination in her eyes to hear the answer to her question. Maybe she also looked a little nervous. He was pretty sure he knew the answer to the question, but this was really important.
"…No," he replied after a moment's thought, "No, I don't. They're all just…really great friends. Yeah, heh…I guess I can call them friends now, can't I?"
Fluttershy just listened patiently as he talked.
"Rainbow Dash is cool and fun to hang around, and she seems like the perfect partner to play games with. Pinkie Pie, well she's just crazy, but she's really friendly and she makes everyone smile. Even beneath that wild attitude, I can see that she has a pure heart and she cares about those around her, and I really respect that. Applejack, just like her whole family, is a strong worker with great family values. I enjoyed her company because of just how selfless she was.
"I'm not sure Rarity and I connect as much as with your other friends, but she seems very personable. I have her to thank for this scarf, and for giving me the money to get your gift, and I did enjoy talking with her over tea. Derpy just seems like a lot of fun and I could easily see the two of us becoming 'buddies'. I want to get to know her better and meet her daughter. Thunderlane I barely spent much time with and would like to get to know him better as well.
"And finally Twilight. Above anything else, I'm eternally thankful to her for all the hard work she's doing trying to get me home. If it weren't for her, I might never see my own friends and family again. I'm just super grateful for how much she's helping me, and I'm glad that the two of us get along great as well."
Finally, Rudolph gazed intently at Fluttershy and rubbed her back once again. "But…None of them are like you. They're nice, they're funny, and they're very friendly…but they're not Fluttershy. I don't think about any of them the way I think about you. When I've finally gone home, it's you I'm going to miss the most. Regardless of…whatever I did."
Fluttershy gazed up at him for a few silent moments, her wide eyes dancing in the glow of his nose. Then, finally, a huge smile broke out on her face and she leaned in to give him a warm hug. "That's all I needed to hear…" she said as she nuzzled him, "I just had to make sure."
"Huh…?" Rudolph muttered as he hugged her back.
She moved back so she could look at him while remaining in the embrace. "It's fine, Rudolph. You don't have to apologize for anything."
He gave her a disbelieving smile. "So y-you're not mad?"
She shook her head. "I'm not going to get mad at you for having fun, Rudolph," she said, her blush returning, "Like you're saying, it's just…just sex, right?" Her voice lowered to a whisper on the last few words.
"Right!" he affirmed, "Yeah, with all of them it was…it was just…Yeah!"
She giggled softly. "As long as you're not in love with one of my friends, then there's no problem. Right? I'm just happy that, well…nothing's changed between…us." She blushed furiously.
Rudolph gazed down at her, considering her words. He thought way back to what Rainbow Dash had said after they'd had sex. Dash had been right on the money with what she had said. It had made sense to him, and it seemed that it made sense to Fluttershy too. Throughout his experiences, he had learned just how much fun sex was. This, however, was more than just sex. This was something more.
Fluttershy squeaked in surprise when Rudolph leaned in unexpectedly and kissed her. It was not a deep, sensual kiss. Rather, it was just a simple meeting of the lips accompanied by some gentle caressing. It was so much simpler, yet it felt like so much more. Rudolph's heart was fluttering. It had drawn him to kiss her like this, almost out of his own control. This girl was something special. He wanted to spend more time with her, and he wanted to learn more about her. He felt like he was at the beginning of something and wanted to keep moving forward.
When the kiss broke, the two stared into each other's eyes. There was a small, bashful smile on Fluttershy's face. Rudolph couldn't help but find it absolutely adorable. After a moment, however, her smile started to falter until it was almost a frown and her eyes glanced off to the side.
Rudolph felt his heart sink. "Aww…" he bemoaned, "You are mad at me, aren't you?"
Her eyes shot open wide. "What? Oh, no! No, no, no…" She shook her head to emphasize her point.
"But you look upset…"
"I'm not upset, Rudolph. I'm just…Well…" She glanced to the side, her cheeks burning red once again.
"You're just what?" Rudolph prompted her.
"…Jealous."
Rudolph blinked, trying and failing to process that statement. "Huh? Jealous of what?"
She glanced back at him, but bashfulness was all over her face. "I'm just sort of, kind of…jealous of all the…" She dropped to a whisper. "…fun you had."
"Um…" Rudolph was still confused.
"Well, it's just…" she mumbled, "Rudolph, you know just how shy I am around others… Sometimes it's hard enough just to make a new friend. I'm even shy around my best friends… But I don't want to be like that."
She leaned in closer to him. "And I get a little jealous when I look at you, someone who's brave enough to just go ahead and have…have sex with someone like it's nothing!"
Rudolph blinked, starting to blush himself. "I…Wow. I mean, y'know, I can't really take all the credit…Most of them asked me."
She shook her head. "Still, you had the courage to say yes…a-and do it…I…I just…Um…"
Rudolph was starting to catch on. "You'd like to have a day of 'fun' like I had? Is that it?"
She hid behind her mane slightly and offered a shy nod.
"…With your friends?"
Fluttershy winced slightly. "I, um…M-m-m-m-maybe…"
Rudolph found himself grinning, and leaned in to give her another warm hug. "Aww, Fluttershy. I really had nothing to worry about, did I? You're so sweet…"
She giggled. "You're sweet too, Rudolph…"
"Hey, lemme tell you. From what I've seen? I'm pretty sure your friends would be pretty approachable for something like that."
"And, um…You'd be okay with that?"
Rudolph laughed. "If you can be okay with me doing six mares and a stallion in two days, I'm fine with you doing whatever!"
The two of them shared a laugh.
"As long as we're both open and truthful about everything," Fluttershy spoke.
"Exactly," he concurred.
"Aw, Rudolph…You're so wonderful…"
Rudolph sighed happily into the embrace, sitting in silence with the pegasus for a few moments. Truth be told, it felt really nice to just be in her presence. There was something about this moment that had been absent while she had been away, and he realized now just how much he had missed it.
"Hey…" he said softly, "Maybe you and I could go out and have casual sex with someone together. Would that make it easier?"
He couldn't see her face, but he could swear that he could feel her blushing. "U-um…Maybe?"
Rudolph chuckled.
She shuffled herself until she was looking at him again. "I think for now, at least…I'll just stick with you." She punctuated herself by pressing her nose up against his.
"Heh heh…Is that an invitation, you beautiful thing?" With his newfound boldness, he didn't hesitate to rub his forehooves down her flanks and against the base of her tail. It made her shiver.
She also yawned. "I'd love to, Rudolph…but I'm so tired."
Rudolph dropped his suave grin and just gave her a warm smile. "Okay. Lay down, then. Have a nap."
She gave him a tired, loving smile and then laid her head onto his chest. She adjusted herself so that she was in a comfortable laying position, and then let out a content sigh.
"I'll be here," Rudolph whispered to her as he gently stroked her with one of his hooves.
"Mmm…" Fluttershy smiled as her eyes drifted closed, "I missed you…"
"I missed you too, Fluttershy."
Rudolph leaned down and gave her one last kiss on the cheek before she fell asleep. After his own long sleep, Rudolph wasn't tired in the least. That didn't bother him, though. Right now his job was to be a pillow, and that's exactly what he intended to be. It was raining outside anyway.
As he promised her, he would be there when she woke up.
…
Fluttershy cried out in ecstasy, hugging her hooves tighter around the reindeer that lay atop her.
Rudolph panted from exertion as he thrust his hips as fast as he could, plunging his rock-hard buckhood into Fluttershy's awaiting pussy. He had reached full speed by this point. The two of them were in full swing and approaching the grand finale of the event.
"Yes…! Rudolph, yes! Aaaahhh…!"
Rudolph gazed down at the pegasus below him, lying on her back as he thrust deep inside of her. All traces of inhibition were gone from her visage. She'd had a peaceful two-hour nap, and things had quickly gotten frisky once she had woken up. Now her tongue was hanging out as she panted with lust.
"Oohhhhh, Rudolph…! It's so…good…!"
Rudolph leaned down and kissed her deeply, his nose shining like a beacon in the night. He moaned into her mouth as he felt his cock plunge inside of her and his balls slap against her taint. The mare's whole body was shivering with pleasure, and her pussy was like a tight, warm embrace around his buckhood.
He felt really close to Fluttershy, hugging her while they had sex like this. It was like an added bonus to have sex with someone he felt this way about. Even though he wasn't doing crazy things like he had done with some of the others, this simple act was just as good.
"You're cute when you make those noises…" Rudolph spoke softly.
"Ngaahh…I…I'm close…!"
Rudolph started slamming home harder. "Ah…Me too…!"
Her forehooves gripped at nothing while her head rolled on the pillow, as if unable to contain the amazing sensations erupting from within her. "Aaah…Rudolph…! It's so…!"
Rudolph thrust himself deep inside of her soaking pussy, reaching her absolute depths. He was only a few thrusts away from his climax.
"Aaah…! Rudolph!!!" Fluttershy screamed suddenly as her body convulsed. Her pussy squeezed and clenched around him, spraying juices everywhere and signalling the arrival of Fluttershy's orgasm.
"Fluttershy…I…Aah…!"
The mare gripped him harder and held him close. "Cum in me! Please, Rudolph! Get it all in me! Fill me up! Aaaaah!!!"
Rudolph held his hips right up against hers, his cock buried to the hilt, as a familiar wonderful sensation overcame him. His seed erupted from his cock, quickly filling up Fluttershy's insides and spilling out of her tight pussy. Rudolph moaned in satisfaction as he pumped more and more of his cum inside of the mare.
The two moaned for another minute or so, and then both collapsed onto the couch in a panting mess. Rudolph lay atop Fluttershy, still sort of hugging her, as the two tried to catch their breaths.
"Mmmmm…" Fluttershy moaned happily, "That feels so nice…"
When his panting finally died down, Rudolph lifted his head slightly to look down at her. The two smiled warmly as they made eye contact.
"That was…amazing…" Rudolph whispered.
She closed her eyes in bliss for a moment. "It's so warm inside of me…I'm so full…"
Rudolph chuckled and leaned in to give her another gentle kiss. As the kiss went on, the two started caressing each other with their hooves.
"Mmm, Rudolph you're just so wonderful…" Fluttershy said as she nuzzled him affectionately.
Rudolph responded by leaning in and nibbling on one of her ears, making Fluttershy giggle.
"Th-that tickles…!"
He let go and laughed, then moved in for another kiss. "I love being here with you…" he spoke afterwards, "Lying with you on this couch…in your warm home. It's kinda perfect."
Fluttershy smiled lovingly at him and gave him a quick lick on the nose. "I'm so glad I met you, Rudolph."
"I'm glad I met you too."
The two nuzzled noses and hugged each other tightly. Rudolph leaned in to nibble one of her ears again.
"Stop it!" Fluttershy squealed while laughing, "That really tickles!!"
He stopped again. "Really? Some of your friends really liked it."
She blushed heavily. "O-oh yeah…?"
Rudolph gave her a sensual smirk.
"Gosh, Rudolph…I…" She paused and glanced away for a moment. "That is, if you don't mind me asking…What did you do with…with my friends?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You wanna hear about the sex?"
Fluttershy's face basically turned into a tomato and she brought her forehooves up to her muzzle. "K-kinda…I'm just curious."
He chuckled. "Well, it all started with Rainbow Dash. After we raced, she wanted to, um…'try me out' or whatever. When she got, well…bored, I switched over to her tailhole. Haha, you should've heard the noises she made."
Fluttershy perked up suddenly. "You, um…Y-you had s-sex…" Her voice lowered to an almost inaudible whisper. "…i-in her butt?"
Rudolph laughed bashfully and replied, "Yeah. With three of them, actually. I, uh…kinda really like it."
Fluttershy was just staring at him silently.
He gave her an odd look. "…What?"
"I, um…" She shivered as her intense blush threatened to consume her entirely. "It's just that, well…I…" She gulped and whispered. "I sort of want to try it in the a-"
The two were startled by the sudden loud knocking on the front door.
"Eeep! Aah! Oh goodness!" Fluttershy started to panic.
"Calm down," he said to her with a reassuring smile, "I'll get the door. You can go somewhere and clean up."
She smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Rudolph."
Rudolph slowly sat up and got off of her, letting his softening cock slip out of her pussy. Excess cum dribbled out after it, making Fluttershy shiver and moan softly. Fluttershy's movements were a little stiff from the rough carnal acts, but she quickly got herself up off of the couch and retreated to one of the back rooms.
Rudolph calmly trotted over to the front door. His hindquarters were still a little damp with fluids, and he certainly smelled like sex, but he honestly didn't care anymore. If somepony at the door was going to complain about his lewdness, then they would be the first. The denizens of this world seemed so open about sex that he didn't care about letting others know he had just gotten laid.
The reindeer opened the front door and found Rainbow Dash on the other side, avoiding the rain under the house's natural awning.
"Hey, kid!"
Rudolph gave her a look.
"Uh, I mean 'Rudy'!"
Rudolph rolled his eyes but grinned good-naturedly. "Hi, Dash."
"Are y-" She stopped, and that's when the scent seemed to reach her. She took a cursory glance behind him and into the house, then gave him a knowing look. "Ringin' her bell again?"
Rudolph smirked. "Be nice, Dash. You know how Fluttershy is."
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I know." She then dropped her voice to a whisper. "Sweet score, though Rudy!"
Rudolph gave her a playful sigh of exasperation. "What do you want, Dash?"
"You ready to race me again?" she said excitedly, dancing on her hooves, "I promise you I'm not gonna lose this time! No matter what freaky alien magic you have!! We can go out to the south fields where there's no rain!"
He grinned in excitement for a moment, but then turned thoughtful and glanced back inside of the house. "Uhh…" he said as he turned to face her again, giving her an apologetic look, "Why don't we race tomorrow? I know we said today, but…" He blushed slightly. "I want to spend the rest of the day with Fluttershy."
Dash chuckled and gave him a playful shove.
"Not like that…"
"Oh. Well, all right. You two lovebirds have fun then," she said. Rudolph was going to chide her again, but Dash's smile seemed entirely genuine.
"Heh…Thanks for understanding, Dash."
She then frowned. "Tomorrow? Uh…Are you still gonna be here tomorrow?"
His own smile fell, but he didn't frown. "Yeah, I'll still be here. At the rate Twilight's going, it doesn't look like I'll be going home any time soon."
"Aw, dude…Don't worry, Rudy. You'll get home!"
He brightened up. "Oh, I know I will. Twilight will figure something out. It's just that, well, it's not gonna happen overnight."
Dash gave her a grin. "All right, bud. I'll see ya tomorrow then!"
He waved as the pegasus turned and took to the skies. "See you, Dash!"
Rudolph stood there for a moment, watching Rainbow Dash disappear into the clouds. He stood and stared, watching the endless cascade of rain pouring down on the village. It was a village that was not his home, nor was it even from his own world. He was as far from home as he could possibly be, amongst a population of what were basically alien species.
He had found a warm welcome in this town, in more ways than one, and for that he was eternally grateful. Rudolph honestly did not know when he would get to go home. He didn't understand the kind of work that Twilight was doing. Perhaps it would take weeks, or even months. He might end up being here for a long time. Whatever the length, though, he knew that Twilight would find a way for him to get home.
He found himself looking on the brighter side of the storm cloud, anyway. Of all the other worlds and strange dimensions he could have found himself in, he was glad that he had landed here. Even if he did have to spend months here, he honestly wouldn't mind. The people were nice, he had made lots of friends, and he had Fluttershy. The more he looked at it, the less he thought of this whole escapade as a problem.
Rudolph knew that when he got back home, whenever that would be, he would have plenty of amazing stories to tell. Smiling, he walked back into the house and closed the door.