Prom Protector

by Natedogg2006

Thursday: Studying Old Times

The past couple days had been interesting for Rainbow Dash.

Ever since highschool started her world had changed a little more than somewhat, but mostly for the better. But she had to admit there were times when she missed certain things about the way things used to be.

*

"Sorry RD. I think this old clunker has finally given up."

"That's what you said the last time, but you always get it working again."

"Yeah, but it ain't happening any time soon. Gotta cancel for tonight. See y'all in the morning."

"Yeah, see ya' AJ"

Click

*

Fluttershy found herself with lots of time to think about things in the past couple days.

And what she inevitably thought about was the way things used to be. Her world used to be so small and for the longest time she thought that was just the way she wanted it. And while her current life was not something she would want to give up for anything, it was always hard not to think about the things you lost to get there.

*

"Fluttershy darling I'm afraid I've a favour to ask. It would seem Sweetie Belle invited her friends over and mother and father are out."

"Oh no Rarity, I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm afraid not dear, I've just got to stay in and make sure they don't cause too much trouble. Could you please tell Rainbow Dash that I won't be able to make it."

"Oh, yes I could do that for you. Try to have fun at least."

"Thank you dear."

Click

*

Rainbow Dash loved all her friends, but anyone who knew her knew there was one friend that was more special. Although most would just think that was the case because they'd known each other much longer then the rest. That was only partially true.

*

"RAINBOW DASH!!! STUDY! NO TIME! NEED MORE!!!!!"

"Whoa Pinks, calm down. What's going on, you ok?"

"NO!!! DASHIE, SHYSHY, NOTEBOOKS!!!"

"Pinkie, you're not making any sense. Do you need help?"

"NO!!! RAINBOW STAYS, NEED MORE TIME!!!"

"So does that mean you're not coming tonight?"

Click

*

Fluttershy remembered when it seemed like life would never change for her. And she remembered being ok with it. So long as one thing in her life never changed she could be happy. Other things had come along to make her life even more happy over time, but the one thing remained. And now she felt like she had the best of both worlds, and she liked it.

*

"Hey Fluttershy. Could you do me a quick favor?"

"Sure, anything you need Sunset."

"Could you apologize to Rainbow for me? I just got a message from princess Twilight and I need to head to Equestria for a bit."

"Oh my. It's nothing serious I hope."

"Oh no, nothing like that. It's, umm, kinda hard to explain. Let's just say it's pony stuff and leave it at that. Nothing serious, but it has to be handled right away."

"Ok. Sorry you can't make it. We'll see you tomorrow I hope."

"Yup, should be back by then. Thanks Shy, see ya'."

Click

*

For the past two days it seemed like Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been locked away in their own little world. It seemed that at any given moment they could look around and find themselves alone together. Wherever they went it seemed the rest of their friends were either running way late or didn't show up at all.

What was even more odd about it was that any place they went, whoever was there before them always seemed to clear out in a hurry. At first they just thought it was because of nightmare Luna's declaration but none of those doing it seemed to be doing it out of fear or contempt, so it just kept getting filed under weird for the time being.

And all these coincidences seemed to almost logically lead to this moment. Shortly after the girls had decided they were all going to the prom, they also decided they did not want to skip their usual study session despite the prom falling on a Friday. So that led to them all deciding to have it a day early at the scheduled location. And then most of the group began backing out at the last minute. And now Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy found themselves once again alone.

In Rainbows room.

'Keep it together, focus, homework, plutonic.'

'She's so close.'

'I said no.'

Rainbow Dash felt like she was fighting a losing battle. Upon entering the room they had both instinctively gone into the sitting position they had adopted when they were younger together. This involved Rainbow sitting against her headboard, and Fluttershy sitting against her chest. Neither knew why they had done it, but they had, eventually, decided to stay that way. For old times sake. And she also knew her parents were on the opposite side of the house, and probably already going to bed.

'Oh my gosh, her legs are already wrapped around me. It would be so easy to make a move right now.'

'That would be way too much. Even if she was your girlfriend that would be too forward.'

'Maybe that's true, but oh my gosh does this feel right.'

At this point Fluttershy's mental endurance was shot and she honestly didn't know how she hadn't thrown herself at Rainbow by now. Because of their position Rainbow had to lean her head forward to read anything Fluttershy held up for her, in the process brushing against her neck and tickling her ear with her breath. And right now Fluttershy had to reach for everything, allowing her to move against Rainbow's body in whatever way struck her fancy.

The more or less understood reason why they had ended up in this position was because of how much the past couple days had reminded the two of the times before highschool, back when it was just the two of them. At that time they were inseparable, being the only real friends the other had since the day Rainbow had come to Fluttershy's aid and they became friends on the spot. And in many ways they wished they could go back to that time for real.

Barely a word passed between them, they weren't really needed. They used to study like this all the time when they were younger, a clever idea thought up by the shy girl to force her friend to study. At the time it had been because if Rainbow hadn't passed a specific test then she would be held back a grade and they would end up being separated. But they continued to do it afterwards, much to Fluttershy's delight as she had already long since realized her feelings for her friend at that point.

Rainbow Dash remembered the first time Fluttershy had ever done this. Rainbow had been being stubbornly stupid the way kids do, saying athletes didn't need to study. Fluttershy had literally pinned her in place and forced her to study for hours on end. Rainbow had known at the time that she could have freed herself, and indeed she initially tried. But the effort she saw the usually meek girl was putting forth to help her in a way no one else ever would got Rainbow past a particular barrier in her head, or maybe her heart, that had been in her way for some time. Being young and dumb she had also believed that being tough meant never doing wimpy things, wimpy things like having crushes. Thus she had always brushed off any feeling she had for Fluttershy as just being protective of her best friend. Fluttershy smashed that barrier that day without even knowing or trying.

"Hey Shyshy." Fluttershy was still holding up a paper for Dash to read, but it wasn't for a subject she needed help with.

Fluttershy had to tilt to the side to look over her shoulder to see the girl behind her. "What is it Dashie? Did you finish this page?"

"Yeah, but it's not that." Fluttershy set the paper down, then looked back to inquire further. "Do you ever wish we never stopped doing this?"

"Y, you mean studying?" She was almost convincing, but as she looked away Rainbow noticed a telltale blush just barely grace her cheeks.

"No, and you know what I'm talking about," Rainbow said with a playful growl as she began to lightly poke the sides of the girl on top of her. Fluttershy tried in vain to keep the fingers away, but it was too late. She did however refuse to answer or retreat despite the tickle attack so Rainbow finally relented and decided to ask again. "I mean this. The way we used to hang out, back when we were too young to care what people thought."

The laughter quickly left Fluttershy, but she was far from sad at the question. A wistful smile Rainbow wished she could see more of passed her lips. "Yeah I know. I guess on some level, but it's not like we weren't still close even if we weren't... close."

"Yeah I guess that's true. Just, you know, sometimes I think about stuff I've done before and wish I could've been more mature about it back then. I have done a lot of dumb stuff because I don't think it through after all."

Fluttershy smiled slightly. She knew Rainbow couldn't see it, but somehow knew she could tell. Then her expression darkened at another thought. "I... I just wish. I think the only part I really wish we could undo, was that week."

Rainbows expression darkened as well, her hands instinctively joining to wrap Fluttershy in a hug.

They both knew what had happened between them all that time ago. It was later on in junior high, when the majority of the student body suddenly became concerned with relationships. The two had managed to avoid questions about the nature of theirs, due to both not really interacting with any other kids and because Rainbow would usually beat up anyone who made Fluttershy sad. But this had been different. The more Rainbow tried to do to try to protect her from their words the more she only made it worse. Because what they were teasing her about was that they were girlfriends.

The only decision Rainbow could finally come up with to try to fix this was to eliminate what they kept teasing about. That meant doing away with all the ways they were close to each other, so for the first time since they met they stayed away from one another. For a full week they had to be without their other half.

"I don't think I ever apologized for that," Rainbow barely whispered.

"I think you more or less did when you came back."

Both girls remembered that day the same, though they didn't know it. Rainbow showed up at Fluttershy's house and the first thing she did was hug her like she'd never hugged anyone before. It was the closest both girls ever came to telling each other their true feelings up to that point. Neither had known what missing someone they truly cared about was like until then.

"Still, I'm sorry," 'That I didn't tell you how I felt then.' "I shouldn't have let them make our friendship feel weird."

"It's ok Dashie, I'm sorry too," 'That I didn't kiss you when you hugged me.' "I just wish I was strong enough that you didn't need to try to do stuff like that to help me."

"You're plenty strong Shyshy. And I should probably tell you that more often."

'Just do it!!!'

'Just do it!!!'

There was a long pause that neither girls seemed willing or able to break. It was their bodies that finally broke the stalemate.

Rainbow tried to sound nonchalant as she released the hold on the other girl. "All right, as... nostalgic as this has been, it is way too hot in here for all this mushy stuff." While the statement was made to give herself an out before she did something she was sure she'd regret, it was also true. She figured her mom must have wrestled control of the thermostat back at some point because the heat of two bodies was becoming too much to bear at that moment.

Or perhaps it was the heat of the moment. Both girls tried not to think about that as Fluttershy blushed lightly and began to scoot away. Being four people down they knew they weren't going to get much more studying done. So now came the part of the night to decide to either part ways or find something interesting to do.

"So Shyshy, what did you wanna do?"

The question made thoughts come to Fluttershy's mind that threatened to make her blush again. She avoided this by looking away as if trying to think of something.

'This is your chance, she's right in front of you. Just do it. You can do this.'

.....,.....

'No you can't, you need a distraction.'

Fortunately for her at that moment a distraction presented itself. It came in the form of a small picture frame on Rainbows bedside table. Inside was a familiar image.

"I remember this one. I didn't know you still had it."

Rainbow managed to hide the sudden shock that came to her. She had meant to put that away. "Oh yeah, that. I, I literally just found that maybe like two, three weeks ago." She had had to think quickly on that one, trying not to coincide the fake event with either the start of their fake relationship or the last time Fluttershy was in her room. "I honestly thought I had lost it years ago." She only hoped the not quite closed drawer below where it sat wouldn't prompt her to open it and find the perfectly outlined place for it among other things Fluttershy had given to her over the years.

Fluttershy reached over, luckily not seeing Rainbow cringe, and grabbed it. She looked at it and smiled. "It's kinda funny to think about isn't it?"

"What? How you were so excited to make a friend that you invited me over to play that very day? Or that your parents were so excited you brought a friend home that they had to get pictures made and framed?" Rainbow reached out, taking the image in her hand and turning it around so she could see the boldly posing image of her younger self pulling the most adorably embarrassed mini Fluttershy into frame with her.

Fluttershy let out a small giggle. "I thought that was the end of it. You were going to be scared off by my parents and you'd be joining in on the teasing you saved me from the next day."

Rainbow chuckled back. "Yeah. You figured out why I didn't when you met my parents didn't you?" They shared a laugh before Rainbow started reaching over to place the frame back where it had been for most of the last week. "We've been friends for a long time haven't we?"

That word made Fluttershy cringe just a little.

"And you've been my protector that whole time."

That word made Rainbow cringe just a little.

'Just do it Fluttershy, it would be so romantic right now.' Fluttershy felt frustration. It felt like absolutely nothing was holding her back at that moment. And yet she still couldn't take that step.

'You want this more than anything right now, what does it matter that you don't deserve it?' Rainbow was angry. She knew she had been slipping up a lot lately, and that thought was the ultimate proof. Fluttershy was too important to her to let herself think of her like that.

With that resolve now reinstated Rainbow gave a sigh and put on an easy going smile she hoped didn't look too hollow. "Well if we're going to stay with the nostalgic kick, then might I make a suggestion?" She twisted to the side and slid off the bed, going over to an old, small TV and a really old VCR she had been diligently keeping working just barely for years. She held up a bulky old video cassette case with the image of a fox and hound playing upon it. "First sleepover?"

Fluttershy smiled happily but didn't feel it. "That sounds lovely." She slid to the edge of the bed just above the spot she'd be leaning against while watching. It was still early but she knew how this would go. Within half an hour Rainbow would be asleep next to her due to how many times they had seen the movie over the years. She herself would succumb before the end of the movie despite her best efforts. She would eventually wake up in the bed wrapped up tight, Rainbow asleep on the floor next to it. Like they had so many times before.

Rainbow slid the tape in and hit play, previews starting after a moment. "Cool. I'll go get us some snacks."

Rainbow caught herself. Not only that but she caught herself catching herself. She realized that in leaving Fluttershy's side she was acting on recent instincts. And she kept doing it.

Rainbow gave a quick peck on Fluttershy's lips, like a regular girlfriend would. She then drew back quickly and put on a look of fake shock. "I'm so sorry, I totally didn't mean to do that. It was, you know, just a reflex." She drew away further, putting on a sheepish smile that was equally fake. "Hope that doesn't keep happening after this whole thing is over, right?"

Rainbow didn't wait for any kind of response. She was making her way around her bed and out the door quickly.

'That is IT!!! That is ALL you get. And you'd BETTER be happy with it.'

Fluttershy only vaguely heard Rainbow's apologies. She was still sitting stunned on the bed by the time she left the room. She knew that had felt right even if she knew Rainbow didn't feel the same.

'Tomorrow. Tomorrow is your last chance. You are going to do this.'

Author's Note:

This chapter was tried several times. Couldn't put my finger on it but for some reason it sounded so rushed for so long. I've added over five hundred words while editing just to make the flow feel natural. This chapter was never planned but has now become important to what will happen in the next chapter, the final chapter. Hope I straightened up all the dialog and I hope this hasn't gotten to the point where the story feels drug out too much by this point. As always, let me know what you think.

Comments

[MarcosFury16]

Good work can't wait for the final chapter

[London-CMC]

Don’t do this to me.

Don’t end it so quickly whyyyyyyyy!!!! I cannot hate this to end.

But please if it goes out let it go out in a bang that’s totally awesome and amazing and Flutterdash worthy

[Vaguely Demented]

The degree of subtlety amongst their friends is pretty high...with one notable exception.

[Natedogg2006]

9569562
Sorry, but if it's any kind of solace you at least shouldn't have to wait long for the next chapter. I got a long weekend and a con coming up. And btw, last time I wrote at a con I made one of the sappiest chapters I've ever written.

[Natedogg2006]

9569694
Yeah, but that was never really her strong suit. At least she didn't spill the beans, because losing the trust of a friend is the fastest way to lose a friend.

[Doubt]

I think you hit the mark with the pacing. The very end might have wrapped up a bit quick, but otherwise it carries you along at a nice pace. I'll also say that, for an unplanned chapter, this one certainly fleshed out the story in a very welcome way. This is exactly the kind of thing I hoped to see from the beginning, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the finale will wrap everything up.

[Eddy13]

Wow. Thought there would at least be two chapters left: the prom and then the aftermath. Oh, well. Why do I have the feeling the next chapter is going to be the longest?

[Natedogg2006]

9571829
I always like hearing that. I started writing because I couldn't find the kind of stories I wanted to read, so giving people what they want might save them from the same fate kidding, mostly, but thanks for the comment about pacing too. That took a lot of extra work this time around.

[Natedogg2006]

9576985
Not sure about length at this point, but the setup is already bigger then I expected it to be. (And I don't consider epilogues to be final chapters, but keep that between us)

[TecnoSmurf]

This one is reaaaally good again. I love the tender moments between them. I hope the last chapter keeps up to the expectation. I am wishing for it at least. ^^