Appledashery

by Just Essay

Good Catch

An hour later, after the group had split up to go their separate ways, Rainbow Dash sat perched in a tree, flexing her forelimbs. She winced slightly, sensing the numbness come and go with each movement of her muscles. It especially tingled at the ends of her hooves, spreading up across her fetlocks. With a sigh, she leaned back against the trunk of the tree and stared out across the windsept green plains surrounding Ponyville.

The sun gleamed overhead, casting a shine on every leaf and blade of grass. Lakes in the distance rippled with crystalline quality. Even the clouds shone with an extra alabaster polish.

“Hard to think...” Rainbow's brow furrowed as she murmured to the rustling branches around her. “...chaos would have any sort of hold whatsoever in all this... this schnazziness...”

Wind kicked at her colorful bangs. She straightened her mane and felt as it flounced back to its unkempt glory.

“Gnnngh...” Her nostrils flared. “What would I have even asked him to do, anyways? Made it so that Sapphire Shores showed up at the Sisterhooves Social?” She stared down at her dangling tail. “She wouldn't have liked that anyways.”

Silence.

“Sisters...” Her face frowned. “Ugh. I need a bath.”

She kicked off the tree, spread her wings, and glided towards her home. She bumped into a soft yellow splotch in the air instead.

“Eeeep!” Fluttershy reeled a good twenty feet from the featherlight impact. “Owie...”

“Flutters?” Rainbow squinted at the other pegasus as she hovered in place. “Sorry, girl, but I totally didn't see you there!” She chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head. “Wow, I must really be off my A-Game if I'm getting distracted that easy.”

“It's quite alright, Rainbow,” Fluttershy said with a nervous shudder. “That was my fault.”

“Why are you always so dang quick to blame yourself?” Rainbow sighed as she drifted ahead. “I shudder to think what'll happen the day you get framed for a murder.”

“Oh goodness!” Fluttershy's eyes widened. “How would th-that ever happen?”

“Heh...” Rainbow smirked. “Just being hypothetical, girl.” She glanced behind her as she slowly glided ahead. “What's up? I thought you were headed home to feed Angel and the rest of your... d'uhm... furries.”

“I just wanted to check on you, Rainbow Dash.”

“Fluttershy, for crying out loud.” Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Since when were you my friggin' babysitter.”

“Well, it's not exactly like that. But...”

“But what?”

“Well, I happen to know you in more ways than the other girls do.” A beat, and Fluttershy blushed. “I mean... that is true, right? I-I figured we could both agree on that, at least...”

“Don't sweat it, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, smirking over her shoulder. “You and I go waaaaaaay waaaaaaaay back.”

“Right. And... uhm...” Fluttershy avoided Rainbow's gaze, fidgeting with her forelimbs. “I-I happen to know that when you go away for whole days at a time, there's... uh... usually some super special reason for it.” She gulped. “And when I say 'special,' what I really mean is sc-scary...”

“Hah! Scary, huh?”

“Rainbow Dash...”

“Really, Fluttershy.” Rainbow spun around and flew backwards with a grin. “Don't we have this backwards?”

“Uhm... backwards?”

“You've always been the pensive and dainty one. If anything, I should be worrying about you.”

“But I'm not going off on random flights without so much as a warning—”

“Pffft. And you don't call dating a stallion the size of a double-decker bus adventurous?”

Fluttershy actually frowned. “It is nothing of the sort! Besides, Big Macintosh is a perfect gentlecolt who would never take advantage of me!”

“Easy, easy, Fluttershy! I was only teasing. Sheesh... the two of you together is like a Chineigh Syndrome of bashfulness. What sort of mess could possibly come of that?”

“If you must know... uhm... Big Mac is worried about you too.”

“Ah jeez...” Rainbow Dash squinted. “What the hay have you told him?”

“N-nothing! I swear!” Fluttershy smiled awkwardly. “But... oh Rainbow Dash...” Her cheeks went red a bit as she struggled with a smile. “He knows me so well and can read my emotions like they were written in stone. He can tell when I'm worried about my best friend.”

“Oh yeah...?”

“In fact, he can hardly sleep well when he knows I'm stressing over something.”

Rainbow Dash folded her forelimbs as she flew backwards. “So... you're really just talking to me because you're worried about Big Macintosh's sleep schedule?”

“Uhhhhh...”

“What if I came down with the flu? Would you come and take care of me so that Angel would stop chewing on his paws?”

“Rainbow Dash, you're being silly.”

“Takes one to know one, girl.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “The key thing here is you having to chillax.”

“But—”

“I'm fine! I just had... y'know... some business to take care of outside of Ponyville the other day. It's all gravy!”

“Rainbow Dash, I know you. There's more to this.”

“Fluttershy—”

“And I understand that you like to keep a lot of things to yourself, but I don't want you to feel like you have to be alone in whatever it is you're doing.”

“I'm perfectly capable of—”

“Especially with your condition as of late.”

“Hey! I'm fine, darn it!” Rainbow Dash raised her forelimbs. “See?! Never been better—OOF!” She flew backwards into a tree trunk and jolted forward.

Fluttershy gasped and dove down, catching the pegasus in mid-fall.

Rainbow blinked. She looked at herself in Fluttershy's dainty grip, then at the pegasus' face.

Fluttershy blushed, trying to smile it off.

“Gnnngh...” Rainbow Dash writhed, shook, and finally wrangled her way out of Fluttershy's arms. “I-I meant to do that...”

“Rainbow Dash, it's okay. I was just at the right place and at the right time—”

“And I totally would have done the same for you. So...” Rainbow Dash spun about. “Let's not dwell on it.”

“But still...” Fluttershy rubbed her forelimbs together, fidgeting. “Do you... actually know just how light you feel?”

“I said let's not dwell on it!”

“You've been eating well, haven't you?”

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow spun with a snarl. She paused, took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. After a few seconds, she spoke, “It's totally a cool thing that you care so much, and I'm super lucky to have you and the rest of the girls watching my back. But believe me, if things were going south, I'd totally tell you... ya dig?”

Fluttershy bit her lip. “Are you sure?”

Rainbow Dash stared at her, blinking. “For real. I'm good, okay?” She flexed her forelimbs. “I've been... feeling stronger and doing stronger things.” Her lips curved. “It's seriously the best things have been in a while.”

“Then why don't we see more of you, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy's eyes were sad and glossy. “If you're in a good place, you should share it with your friends?”

Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, lingered, and gazed aside. “Someday, okay? I just... g-gotta work out a few kinks, ya feel me?”

“Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy flew over and rested a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder. “I know what your heart desires. But even with things the way they are, it's no reason for you to remain so distant.”

“I don't even know what you're talking about...”

Fluttershy smiled into her face. “She's still your friend, Rainbow Dash. Treat her as such. Don't make her miss you more than she already does.”

Rainbow Dash did a double-take. Her lips pursed. “She... m-misses me?”

Fluttershy continued smiling.

Rainbow Dash squinted. “Just how much do you glean off of Big Mac anyways?”

“Hmmmm...” Fluttershy flew backwards, winking. “Somethings are best kept between ponies who love each other.”

“Uhhhhh... you sure?”

“You want my advice, Rainbow Dash? Stop by Sweet Apple Acres during the Sisterhooves Social,” Fluttershy said. “It'll be fun, and I know there'll be ponies who would be happy to have you around.”

“Yeah, well, have you considered the fact that I'm nopony's sister?!”

It was too late. Fluttershy was already past the treetops, humming to herself.

Rainbow sighed. Clenching her jaw, she continued her swift path towards home. “Seriously. I'd rather be somepony's friggin' godmother...”

Comments

[Lightning Bearer]

derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/9/19/430621__safe_solo_animated_scootaloo_jumping_pronking_owl%27s+well+that+ends+well_excited_hopping.gif

[Jay_Baker]

Time for some scootaloo and dash time :)

[Aatxe360]

“What's up? I thought you were headed home to feed Angel and the rest of your... d'uhm... furries.”

Oh, to be one of Fluttershy's furries.

[Tchernobog]

Oooh, spending time together at the farm? Yes, yes!

[zaponator]

Firstly, we'd best get some Scootaloo up in here.

And secondly,

“I shudder to think what'll happen the day you get framed for a murder.”

I would read the crap out of this as a fic!

[Metal Aura]

4476736 I think that, your secondly, falls under the category "times that saying 'I'm sorry' is not an acceptable response to a sad situation."

[arancaytar]

Fluttershy gasped and dove down, catching the pegasus in mid-fall.

When you're so petite that you can get carried by someone who literally got carried by a swarm of butterflies.

But believe me, if things were going south, I'd totally tell you... ya dig?

Yeah, they're more going... East, ifyouknowwhatimean.

“Yeah, well, have you considered the fact that I'm nopony's sister ?!”

Enter our fuzzy narrator chicken.

[Boop-Happy Lass]

“Why are you always so dang quick to blame yourself?” Rainbow sighed as she drifted ahead. “I shudder to think what'll happen the day you get framed for a murder.”

Foreshadowing?

[ThePonyWriterThing]

“Heh...” Rainbow smirked. “Just being hypothetical, girl.” She glanced behind her as she slowly glided ahead. “What's up? I thought you were headed home to feed Angel and the rest of your... d'uhm... furries.”

CLAP