//------------------------------//
// Prompt #534: Twilight Dooms The World 
// Story: Ponywatching 
// by ThunderTempest 
//------------------------------//

As with a surprising number of things, it was all Twilight Sparkle’s fault. Probably. Rainbow Dash didn’t know, because she was not in Ponyville when the thing, whatever it was, happened. Rainbow sighed as she watched a part of Ponyville explode. And on the one day where she had promised to help Fluttershy out with a census of the various birds around Ponyville. Why Fluttershy needed Rainbow’s help for this, Rainbow didn’t know, but saying no to Fluttershy was like kicking a puppy. A puppy that had giant bear friends.

So Rainbow was stuck counting birds with Fluttershy, while Twilight and the rest were probably fighting off something awesome.

*******

“But why do they have to be green slimes, Pinkie? They’re getting slime everywhere.”

“Silly Twilight! Everypony knows that if you set off on an adventure, you need monsters, and green slimes are the perfect starters!”

“Pinkie, I will never understand you at all.”

“You’re still super in lesbians with me, right?”

*******

Fluttershy hummed as she made another little check mark on her list of birds. She didn’t really need Rainbow Dash here, but having another pair of eyes helped, and Fluttershy didn’t want a repeat of the last time that Applejack had helped her with an animal census. Still, she did have another reason for asking Rainbow to help her, besides the fact that Rainbow also had wings. Fluttershy had always felt close to Rainbow, ever since the fateful day where both of them had received their cutie marks. At first, Fluttershy thought that it was just friendship-after all, Rainbow had stood up for her when no pony else would. But the feeling had persisted, and it had only been at the greatest urging and more than a little meddling from Rarity that Fluttershy had finally admitted that maybe she felt a little more than friendship with regards to Rainbow Dash. And today was going to finally be the day, after many, many false starts and practices with her other friends, that Fluttershy told Rainbow. 

“I’m really happy that you’re helping me out today, Rainbow,” began Fluttershy.

“Yeah, well, you know me,” said Rainbow, “I can never leave a friend hanging.”

*****

“Yes, Pinkie, I am still super in lesbians with you.”

“Yay! That means after we beat all of these slimes and the super-tough boss, we can go and make out! Unless you’re still annoyed at me?”

“We’ll see, Pinkie. But what was that about a super-tough boss?”

********

“A Friend?” asked Fluttershy.

“Well, sure, Flutters. You’re probably my best friend ever,” said Rainbow, as she corralled a few birds that were trying to get away.

“Oh, I see,” said Fluttershy. She was a friend. She couldn’t tell Rainbow now. Not after what Rainbow had just said. Not for the first time in her life, Fluttershy just wished something would happen so that she could not have to deal with the aftermath of a situation.
Fortunately, the world blew up just then, because Twilight and Pinkie Pie couldn’t beat the boss that had spawned.