2 - Thicker Than Water
Rainbow Dash was practically prancing around Quicksilver, who hoisted her chin above the iron bar she was hanging from.
“— And then we sat outside the city and stared at the night sky and ate food from the festival. I thought it’d be lame, but it was actually pretty cool.”
With a steady breath, Quicksilver lowered herself back down. “Is that all you did?”
“Well, no.” Dash rubbed the nape of her neck. “We did other stuff too.”
The solar sergeant rolled her eyes as she landed on the ground with a small thud. “I can only imagine what that stuff might be.”
Rainbow giggled as she looked over at the door to the main hall. “We’re meeting up later tonight. So I’m pretty stoked.”
“I’ll say. You're basically bubbling with excitement. I’ve never seen you like this before.”
“What's that supposed to mean?
Quicksilver smirked. “You're like a school filly who's found her first crush. It's a little jarring.”
A blush met the cyan pegasus’ face. “What?! No I’m not!”
“Yes, yes you are.”
“I swear to Celestia I’m not!”
Quicksilver found herself giggling this time. “Look, I get it. You have to defend your pride or whatever. You can lie to yourself,” Quicksilver narrowed her eyes. “But you can't lie to me.”
Rainbow Dash huffed in exasperation. “I’m just… excited to see her. That's all. It's not that big of a deal.”
“Why do you like her so much anyway? You never really told me why.”
She smiled. “There’s just something… different about her. There’s this feeling I get whenever I’m near her, something pulling me toward her. I don’t know how else to describe it.”
Quicksilver waved a nonchalant hoof. “Well, I guess that's a good enough reason as any. You can head out early, we’re pretty much done here.”
Dash, true to her name, was out the door as soon as Quicksilver had finished her sentence. She slammed the door behind her, before she herself turned and slammed into a dark blue mass in front of her.
It was the Princess of the Night.
Fuck.
“Good evening, Night Mother— er, Princess Luna,” Dash quickly corrected, scurrying to stand up.
Princess Luna gave her a glare that could kill a pony. “You’re no daughter of mine, Rainbow Dash. Are we clear?”
“C-crystal.”
“Good. I’ll assume it was an honest mistake, considering you have become the mare of my daughter’s affection.” Princess Luna stepped forward and jabbed Dash in the chest with her hoof. “But make no mistake, Rainbow Dash, if you dare hurt my dear Fluttershy, I’ll make your life indistinguishable from a nightmare.”
Luna turned away from Dash before she was able to respond. It’s not like she could have anyway, as the princess had left the young pegasi’s mouth gaping and slack-jawed.
Dash breathed out a sigh of relief as Princess Luna rounded a corner, disappearing from her view entirely.
Mare, Tartarus had nothing on Princess Luna.
“A mother duck protects her ducklings,” Fluttershy idly said, twirling a lock of Rainbow’s mane. “She cares about you too, considering we’re a couple.”
“Well, she’s got a real funny way of showing it,” Rainbow grumbled, craning her neck to look up at Fluttershy. “What did you want to do, anyway?”
They were sitting in an empty training room. Moonlight poured in from the skylight above them as they lay in the center. It was a cozy little place, when it wasn’t used as a sparring ring, that is.
“I remember how you watched me in the ring.” Fluttershy licked her lips. “And that you had wanted me to beat y— I mean, teach you how to fight.” A small smirk was flashed towards Rainbow. “What do you say?”
Rainbow’s eyes widened, a small grin forming on her face. “You, teach me? I thought you said you didn’t really like fighting all that much. Remember?”
Fluttershy smiled. “You’re right, I don’t. But... I know it’s something you enjoy. And if you’re happy, then I’ll be happy.”
“Are you sure? I’m totally down to just chill and talk for a while. I’m already pretty worn out from training all day.”
Fluttershy’s wing twitched as she draped it over Rainbow’s side. “Our training is often treated as a blood sport, as if the act of violence is something worthy enough to praise. But I know you’re not like that, Dash. You might jump at the chance at something like this, but you’re a good pony through and through.”
Rainbow chuckled as heat rose in her face. “Heh, I guess if you’re offering…”
Without another word, the pegasus gently broke the embrace and stretched as she stood. It only just dawned on her that there weren’t any sparring pads in the training room, and that she just agreed to a traditional sparring match with a thestral guard.
She really should have thought this through.
“Let me know when you’re ready,” Fluttershy said, breaking Dash out of her stupor.
She swallowed her pride with a barely audible gulp. Rainbow Dash never backed down from a challenge, even one stacked against her.
“Ready.”
With one word, the room fell into absolute silence, save for the wind rapping against a nearby window pane. The mood in the room had shifted dramatically, the peaceful serenity transforming into an eerie standstill as the two paced around each other. The moonlight served as a spotlight as the rest of the room faded into the backdrop.
Rainbow Dash was reminded of just how dangerous her marefriend was. Fluttershy focused on her target with rapt intent, wings splayed and fangs glinting in the light. She was like an angel of death, and clemency was not her domain.
With no warning, the thestral lunged forward, colliding with Dash and sending her flying back several feet. Rainbow grunted as she attempted to steady herself with her wings. Then, she spun around and bucked, Fluttershy simply sidestepping to the left.
“Don’t telegraph your attacks, Rainbow. Be as unpredictable as possible.”
Dash clicked her tongue in frustration as she flew back to gain some distance. “It’s not so easy when I can hardly even see you. Seriously, why is everypony almost as fast as I am?”
Fluttershy took a step forward. “Or maybe you’re just not as fast as you think you are?”
Wings flared as Rainbow glared daggers, charging forward as Fluttershy dodged another strike.
“Don’t let me get into your head, Rainbow. Strength comes in more than one form.”
Dash swung a hoof, whizzing over Fluttershy’s mane as she ducked under it. The thestral threw her wing into Rainbow’s face, disorienting her as Fluttershy knocked her back once more.
“Try to think outside the box. You’re never going to win if you keep doing the same thing.”
Don’t telegraph your attacks, Rainbow. Be as unpredictable as possible.
Strength comes in more than one form.
Try to think outside the box. You’re never going to win if you keep doing the same thing.
Rainbow Dash held a hoof to her chest as she gathered her thoughts. A moment of revelation struck her as she stared up at Fluttershy.
“I’ll show you fast, batty.”
She took to the air, spinning around in a circle and rapidly gaining momentum as Fluttershy tracked her movements. Dash’s trail melded into a blur of phantasmic colors as an artificial wind whipped through Fluttershy’s pink mane.
Suddenly, Rainbow dashed forward and slammed into Fluttershy, the two of them rolling several feet before Dash landed on top on her marefriend. The fight was over as soon as it started.
“I… win,” Dash said in between breaths. Her mane hung low over Fluttershy, who sat in silence with a content smile on her face.
“You sure did,” Fluttershy replied a soft giggle, congratulating her with a deep kiss as the two remained in their embrace.
…
For a long while, neither of the two said anything. They sat there, feeling the rising and falling of each other’s chests as they regained their breaths. Rainbow ached all over, but seeing as her head was still attached, Fluttershy had taken it easy on her. But that didn’t really matter a whole lot; she’d learned a lot more in one day than she had the entire week. Still, it left her wondering...
“How did you dodge me so well? Am I really that easy to read? Quicksilver says it all the time.”
“Who?”
“My commanding officer in the Solar Guard, and a friend of mine. She’s also pretty good at fighting, though she doesn’t teach the same way you did.” Rainbow shook her head. “But that’s besides the point. How did you evade me so easily? It’s like you were practically dancing around me.”
A cheeky grin spread across Fluttershy’s face. “Fighting is kind of like dancing, if you think about it.”
“Uh, what do you mean?”
Fluttershy rolled out from under Rainbow, standing up and holding out a hoof. “Here, I’ll show you. Have you ever danced before?”
“Of course I’ve danced before; clubs are my jam!” Dash replied, puffing out her chest.
“No. I meant like, dance dancing.”
Dash raised an eyebrow, hesitantly taking Fluttershy's hoof. “No, I don't really do that kind of dancing.”
Fluttershy’s grin turned mischievous, yanking the pegasus to her hooves.
“Woah!”
With an elegant twirl, Dash spun around in Fluttershy’s hooves, her eyes rattling around comically as the dizziness subsided. “Would you at least give me a warning first?” Rainbow said, giving her a glare.
She giggled. “I’m so terribly sorry, Rainbow. I thought you wanted to be swept off your hooves.”
The two stood on their hind legs, leaning against one another for support. As unnatural as it was to see, it was both elegant and graceful nonetheless. The uncertainty in Dash’s movements faded after several minutes, leaving them in an intimate trance.
Thestral wings sprung open as Fluttershy took to the air, pulling Rainbow along with her as they pirouetted through the night. A cool wind brushed Fluttershy’s mane across her face as they spun, her giggling filling the air.
The two drifted ever higher, the glow of the Night Mother illuminating her daughter with pearlescent light. They hung there for the longest time, simply enjoying each other’s company. Eventually, though, a nagging question crept into the back of Rainbow’s mind. Eventually, she couldn’t keep her curiosity to herself anymore.
“Can… can you tell me how it happened?”
“Hmm?”
“How did you become… a thestral?”
“Oh.” Fluttershy’s ears lowered as she closed her eyes. “An apple farmer in Ponyville, she asked me to help me with an infestation problem. There was a bat that was destroying a portion of the apple orchard.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “My special talent helps me work with animals; I can even coerce them with my stare as a last resort, but not this one. It stared back at me with equal intensity when I tried.”
Dash leaned in further. She was close enough for Fluttershy to feel her breath against her neck. “What happened, Fluttershy?”
The thestral’s eyes began to water. “I… don’t know what happened after that, I must have fainted. It just got worse over the next few days. The symptoms were only minor at first: I’d wake up later in the day, or lights would start to sting if I looked at them too long, things like that.” Fluttershy steadied her breath, wiping the moisture from her eyes. “Then everything started to taste horrible, and my animals started to avoid me, going as far as running away from my cottage if I tried to talk to them. A-and… the nightmares…”
Her composure broke and the floodgates were released, her sobbing becoming muffled as Rainbow Dash hugged her gently. “Hey, you don’t have to keep talking about it if you don’t want to, especially if it bothers you this much.”
Fluttershy shook her head in fervor. “No… I-I think I need to get this off my chest.” She let out a heavy sigh, calming herself before pulling away from Rainbow. “I tried looking for a cure for whatever it was, but not even the town’s librarian could help me, and she’s Princess Celestia’s protege. Eventually, Night Mother found me and rescued me from my nightmares and offered me a place in her ranks. The rest is history.”
They lowered to the ground at an agonizingly slow pace before their hind legs finally touched the decadent marble tile below. Rainbow Dash was at a loss for words. How do you calm somepony who drops a bombshell like that? She sure as Tartarus didn’t know.
“I’m… sorry?”
Smooth as sandpaper, Dash.
Fluttershy smiled softly. “Don’t be. If I hadn’t turned into a thestral, I might have never met you. And I don’t really think I can imagine a world without you in it.”
Rainbow Dash returned her smile, a blush rising to her cheeks. “Me neither, Fluttershy, me neither.”
The responses I recieved for writing another chapter were overwhelming to say the least. So here you go, these are some of the things I intended to include in the first chapter but couldn't find a place to put them.
I'll continue to have this story marked as 'complete.' Mostly because I really can't think of anything else I want to add to this story as it stands. If you can think of anything, please let me know in the comments below.
Sorry it took so long to update this. It's taking me some time to find the drive to write consistently. 
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More of somehting amazing is always nice. Short, sweet and it delivered just what it needed to. With this chapter, the romance between the two is "complete", as I'm gonna call it. Rainbow not knowing Fluttershy's story was he last thing that stood between them, at least in my opinion. Also hearing about Twilight and Applejack does wonders for worldbuilding purposes. Once again, well done!
8546586
Indeed. I loved the small points about Twilight and Applejack, and it makes me curious about Pinkie and Rarity, maybe a chapter with them in it? As it sits, I'll agree with your 'complete' rating. This is good and is a wonderful story.
So, with Fluttershy and RD a couple, does this make Luna the "Night Mother-in-Law?"
8546989
Something like that, though I doubt she'd admit it.
I feel like something more could have been done with Luna than simply having her give the generic 'if you ever do anything to hurt her etc' shtick. Maybe Luna putting Rainbow to some sort of test or something.
Thanks for the extra chapter! Loved it alot!
8547789
Wow there is a lot of, well substance for the lack of a better word here.
8547976
Everything I wanted to put in the first chapter but couldn't find a place to put it.
My stories, albeit condensed, I like to think are pretty rich in content for what there is.
8547978
I can't argue that in this case. It certainly is a lot of heart in one place.
8547998
Hence why it takes forever and a half to write 2k words. My stuff is pretty saturated.
8547022
I feel as though tact and subtlety are much more of Celestia's game. Luna prefers a much more straightforward approach in my opinion.
8546586
I always love the time and effort you spend writing out your comments. I read them all.
8548019
Glad you feel that way^^. Your stories certainly are worth the effort .twilightsmile:
That was a lovely little addition.
And yes, Dash, Fluttershy went easy on you. If she had been serious then you'd be grounded before you could even breathe in.
Then again, it was meant to be a training session, so there's that.
At least Dash learned something new!
That encounter with Luna though... yes, she has a strange way of showing that she cares
8548244
Fluttershy is a good teacher.
8548003
Believe me, I noticed. That much world building and lore is hard to miss. More so when it's this well done. You'd probably have to use a series of stories to continue down this path I'd think.
Nice!
Congratulations! You got second place in the fourth FlutterDash contest! The post can be found here; I sent you a PM with the prize details.
Thank you for participating in the contest, I appreciate it. I'll need to take a peek at some of your other stuff sometime.
8551918
Please tell me that pun was intentional.
8552079
Every story could always be better in their own ways, and the best authors never stop striving to improve.
I'd say this STILL has a lot of potential. There's writing about Fluttershy's experience on becoming a Thestral, explaining how Dash got into the Guard, going into the lore of the Night Mother & Thestrals, and more. Not only that, but when you look at it, Dash & Shy's relationship is just STARTING, they haven't even gotten married, nor have we gotten Celestia's take on things. I feel like this story still has a lot of potential left to tap!
Then again maybe part of that is just because of my selfshness of wanting to read more of this great story you wrote <3
8565381
Damn right
i.pinimg.com/736x/88/86/bf/8886bfce6757f33d27879e16b8cdbb83--fluttershy-my-little-pony.jpg
Cute
Expand upon Luna being protective of Fluttershy, have them go through struggles in their relationship, maybe have them face discrimination of some sort. I think there's enough here for a decently sized story, at least five more chapters perhaps. I'd be delighted to see you pursue it further.
8573314
Perhaps.
https://www.fimfiction.net/group/211585/reviewers-cafe/thread/308771/reviews?page=7#comment/6240412
maybe noted in the future. but i would loved the back story of this world. Did Luna not become Nightmare Moon? just trying to figure out how Dash went Solar Guard over Wonderbolts.
Note a prequel of Fluttershy becoming a Thestral and joining the guard