A Pegasus Promise

by Waterwindearthfire

Chapter 8 - Sonic Rainboom

Conquering any difficulty always gives one a secret joy, for it means
pushing back a boundary-line and adding to one's liberty.
- Henri-Frédéric Amiel, earth pony -

It was the big day, the long-awaited finale.

A shiver of excitement ran across Fluttershy’s body. Everything was finally ready, she and Rarity had seen to it in the short amount of remaining time.

Since Rarity had a lot of experience managing fashion shows, she had overseen the assembly of the impressive wooden platform on which Fluttershy was now standing.

An enormous golden metal rod was holding up large sky-blue curtains on which the unicorn had embroidered Rainbow's cutie mark. For now, the closed drapes hid Fluttershy from the eyes of the crowd, just as she wanted.

Fluttershy had asked a personal favor to Rarity, begging her to create a special costume and make-up, just for this last time. For Rainbow’s tribute.

Fluttershy was now admiring Rarity’s effort.

Rarity...

Rarity had moved heaven and earth to create all the little details that Fluttershy wanted to find in her costume and choreography. The white unicorn had spent long hours in front of her sewing machine in her workshop to provide Fluttershy with nothing less than perfection.

And perfection it was, just like the unicorn who had worked so hard to help Fluttershy in any way she could. For all this, Fluttershy loved her all the more.

Oh Rarity, if you only knew how much I appreciate your generosity and your charming little caring acts, I love you much more than you think, Fluttershy whispered behind the curtain, her cheeks on fire afterward. If you only knew…

There, she said it.

She had only recently realized it. She loved Rarity, yet she didn't have the guts to tell her.

She felt the thrill of pleasure with every touch of the unicorn. She loved to cuddle her at night. She loved watching Rarity get beautiful every morning, just before she went to work in the workshop or the garden, even. Not to mention all their pleasant spa outings...

But most of all, Fluttershy still remembered the emotion that overwhelmed her when Rarity kissed her on the cheek. The resulting wave of pleasure had allowed Fluttershy to discover her true feelings about the unicorn.

You've done so much for me, Rarity. And I love you even more, thought Fluttershy.

But Rarity has not been the only one hard at work. Fluttershy had been working non-stop for a month and a half perfecting her tribute to Rainbow, all for this special day.

She had worked very hard for a whole year, overcoming more difficulty in that short time than some ponies do in a lifetime, and she was now looking forward to performing her act one last time.

Just one more time.

She wasn’t nervous, she felt serene.

In the outfit that Rarity made for her, Fluttershy felt like a new mare. The exact opposite of the shy pegasus she was.

While waiting for the moment of her performance, she took another look at the crowd, well hidden behind the curtains. She soon spotted her beautiful Rarity in the front row, alongside Princesses Celestia and Luna, in the VIP section. The unicorn was chatting animatedly to Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie.

_________________________

“Rarity, not ta doubt your honesty or anythin' but are ya sure that Fluttershy can do a sonic rainboom? Everypony's talkin' bout it. Ya swear that's possible?”

“Oh yes, my dear Applejack. She can, and she will!” confirmed Rarity with pride, drawing the curiosity of the ponies within earshot of her voice, Princess Celestia and Luna included. “I saw her working on her tribute. At first, although magnificent, the execution was a little bit confusing, some would say chaotic, even, but now it’s precise and marvelous. Unique, just like our beloved Fluttershy.”

The ponies who had heard Rarity's words looked at the scene with renewed impatience, looking for Fluttershy, but the gigantic blue curtains remained resolutely closed, veiling the pegasus.

Pinkie started bouncing all around.

“SO COOL! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE, I’M SO NERVOUSCITED! I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HER SONIC RAINBOOM! THIS IS GONNA BE SO SUPER DUPER AWESOMELY AWESOME!”

She suddenly stopped in mid-air, between two leaps, in perfect suspension a few meters above the ground, while another thought sprang up in her head.

“OH! I hope I have enough balloons for my "Congratulations for your awesome sonic rainboom, Fluttershy! You’re the best and you really deserve all those balloons and Oh. My Gosh! This is such a long title for a name in progress" party! Mmm yeah, I'm sure I have enough.”

She shrugged her shoulders, visibly satisfied, and gravity finally brought her down to the ground, to her friends who preferred not to wonder too much about the impossible phenomenon they had just witnessed. After all, it was a typical Pinkie Pie thing.

After a few seconds of silence, Twilight cleared her throat to get Rarity's attention. She had that puzzled look. Skeptical yet really intrigued.

“Rarity, I still don't understand how she could manage to do it. Both you and the nurses told us that she wouldn't be able to increase her flight speed. Thus, at least theoretically, she shouldn't be capable to create a sonic rainboom.”

Rarity replied with a melodious chuckle.

“Dear Twilight, Fluttershy was ingenious in her approach, she used her very own special talents to remedy this problem. Therefore, speed has nothing to do with her sonic rainboom. And the result is worth the wait, I promise you.”

Rarity couldn't help but feel a touch of pride at the thought of being the only pony to have witnessed Fluttershy's miracle. She considered it a supreme honor, although she knew that at the end of the day, this honor would no longer be exclusive to her.

Fluttershy had kindly shown her the fruits of her efforts. To her alone, her best friend... after Rainbow, of course. This was of great value to the unicorn, who loved Fluttershy more than ever.

Fluttershy, my darling, you don't know how much I appreciate your kindness and unique charm, I love you to an extent you don't even suspect, sighed Rarity inwardly. If you only knew...

It had been a few months since Rarity had faced reality. She loved Fluttershy.

Rarity hadn't told her because she didn't want to embarrass her friend, but Fluttershy had probably won her heart the night she had tenderly kissed her on her cheek, stirring up feelings in her heart that had never ceased to evolve until that evening. And without the help of Sweetie Belle, Rarity might still be ignoring those feelings.

Fluttershy had become Rarity’s inspiration, she was her muse. She designed her clothes with the love she felt for the pegasus, much to the delight of her clients, who were always amazed.

The unicorn loved waking up next to Fluttershy. She loved to snuggle and pamper her. She loved to spend her free time with the pegasus may it be at the spa, the workshop or even in the garden. Fluttershy was so beautiful, a pure diamond.

I love you so much, Fluttershy, Rarity declared silently.

“… also begin to look forward to seeing this marvel,” Twilight concluded, stretching her neck towards the wooden stage.

“Oh… Right! It should not be very long anymore,” Rarity warned them, suddenly coming out of her reverie.

After another two minutes, Pinkie started jumping on the spot. She started shouting.

“FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY!”

Soon, everypony joined in and began to trample the ground to the rhythm of Fluttershy’s name.

Amidst all the noise, Rarity managed to whisper in Twilight's ear.

“Twilight! Look at the scene. The show is starting!”

_________________________

On stage, the drapes moved apart. The lightning bolts embroidered on them started moving supernaturally.

Fluttershy was ready.

The wooden stage on which she was standing had been built at the foot of the hill leading to Rainbow's grave, at her request.

In the darkness that still hid her from everypony’s eyes, Fluttershy was looking at the crowd massed in the clearing.

Bordered by trees on almost all sides, the place was big enough to accommodate the hundreds of ponies that were trampling the ground, eager to see the spectacle.

She had her reason for choosing this place. She wanted to do her sonic rainboom as close as possible to her friend, who had watched over her progress for a full year, up there among the stars.

“FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY! FLUTTERSHY!” was eagerly shouting the crowd. “FLUTTERSH...OOOOOOOOOHHH!”

Fluttershy stepped to the front of the stage, leaving the darkness behind to let the light of Celestia's sun reveal her to all eyes.

The rhythmic trampling suddenly stopped.

Seeing the expression of the spectators in the front row and hearing the many exclamations of surprise in the crowd, Fluttershy had the confirmation that her illusion, perfected by Rarity’s talent, had surprised everyone.

Rarity had spent much of her time designing the costume Fluttershy proudly wore. The hardest part was applying make-up to Fluttershy’s body. But, as Rarity had assured her, the wig held in place and the makeup had not faded.

On the stage, in front of everyone, stood Rainbow Dash, a reincarnation of flesh, feather and bone.

With a proud look on her face, her feet firmly planted and sporting the cocky smile that everypony knew her for, Rainbow was more alive than ever, looking at all of them. Her short, rainbow-colored mane, dancing to the rhythm of the wind.

She wore her light yellow wonderbolt rookie outfit cut in a lightning bolt shape on the front and dark blue on the sides and back. The yellow collar of the suit touched the bottom of her ears and she had her aviator glasses on top of her head. Not covering her legs, the garment showed Rainbow's cutie mark, the famous rainbow lightning bolt and the white cloud.

_________________________

Rarity was at the front row seats to the show and was delighted to see the effect her hard work had achieved.

As several guests exclaimed their surprise, including Twilight Applejack and Pinkie, Rarity smiled.

Only Fluttershy could so accurately mimic Rainbow Dash's character.

I must admit, You are very convincing. I could almost fall for the illusion. Your great acting just brought Rainbow back to life. Well done, Fluttershy dear! You're wonderful! So much success already and the rest will be memorable.

_________________________

The choreography could begin.

Fluttershy took flight, before the stunned eyes of the crowd still under the charm of her illusion.

Performing some of the easy but impressive maneuvers that Rainbow used to do to warm up, she heard the cheers of the crowd as they watched her twirl. She gained altitude and continued with the show.

She finally reached the desired height that would allow her to perform her tribute safely without being too high for the eyes of the spectators below. She wasn't worried, she had been performing this number over and over for over a month.

Everything would be fine this time.

She raised both arms to the sky towards the sun and whispered a short prayer.

“Please Rainbow, give me the strength to succeed, one last time”

Fluttershy performed three impressive loops in the sky. The crowd cheered in thunderous applause.

After seeing it several times, Rarity easily recognised this important sign of Fluttershy's choreography. An elegant way to tell she was ready to move on to the next phase.

The music was about to start.

Any minute now...

And, just as Rarity had predicted, a sweet melody sung by thousands of voices rose softly in the clearing, enveloping the audience in a complex symphony.

The music came from all directions, undetectable but omnipresent.

All kinds of voices mixed together to form the melodious song, from the lowest to the highest pitch. The melody was hypnotic and, one by one, the spectators fell under the spell of the voices that composed it.

It was bewitching, full of melancholy. Tears ran down the face of the most sensitive ponies while others tried to catch a glimpse of the authors of this mysterious melody.

Even the foliage of all the trees surrounding the clearing began to dance softly to the rhythm of the music as if they heard the song.

_________________________

High in the sky, Fluttershy could hear every chant, in perfect harmony.

Hidden among the trees, they sang the melody that Fluttershy had taught them in anticipation of this day.

Fluttershy let herself be carried away by this melody which gave her strength and courage, savoring this lullaby’s secret. The music was the same song Rarity used to sing her during her dark nights at the hospital, when awful nightmares continually woke her up.

Then she began the second phase of her tribute by performing a giant figure-eight-shaped whirlwind.

At the sight of her signal, they answered her call in tens, hundreds, thousands.

_________________________

The trees surrounding the clearing began to shake more and more intensely in a wild, rhythmic dance.

A veritable flock of thousands of birds of different sizes and shapes came out, their bright plumage coloring the plain below them.

They rose into the sky, forming six colossal spirals of distinct colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

Each of the columns bent dynamically towards Fluttershy. Without ceasing to sing, they flew straight towards the pegasus, then, at the last moment, they whirled all around her in a complex choreography and broke off to fly even higher in the air to form up a gigantic image in the blue sky: Rainbow's cutie mark.

The crowd loudly burst into awe at the image that occupied most of the sky, a magnificent reminder of the cutie mark that was Rainbow’s pride.

_________________________

Fluttershy, heart pounding, stood in the middle of the action, at equal distance from the crowd below and her birds above.

She could feel the same emotion that Rainbow had when she was entertaining a crowd. While impersonating her friend, Fluttershy was able to forget her shyness. It felt like Rainbow's spirit had taken possession of her body to help her fulfill her promise.

Just like Rainbow, Fluttershy raised her arms in a victorious sign, drawing the cheers of the captivated crowd. Then she rose a little higher to reduce the distance between her and the birds, a crucial step for the rest of the events.

It was time to keep her promise to Rainbow.

“Now Rainbow, look at me! This is my tribute to you! My sonic rainboom!”

_________________________

Halfway down the distance between Fluttershy and the birds, Fluttershy performed a final aerobatic trick, which Rainbow would have been proud of as it was one of her favorites.

She closed her eyes and let herself fall to the ground, accompanied on her descent by the bird’s melody.

The crowd held its breath, everypony had understood that the final moment had arrived.

The sonic rainboom.

At last.

The birds, without ceasing their melody, had broken their formation and swooped down a few meters behind Fluttershy. They had grouped themselves into their color groups so that, for the crowd below, the picture was perfect.

Fluttershy, disguised as Rainbow, was diving closer and closer to the ground followed by a real, live, melodic rainbow of thousands of birds. Fluttershy spun around as she descended and the six columns of birds skillfully followed the movement. Their song became louder and louder as they dived towards the crowd, following Fluttershy's trail.

_________________________

For Fluttershy, time seemed to stand still... like every time she performed her sonic rainboom.

She felt that gravity was pulling her to the ground at high speed, yet she felt like she was falling in slow motion. The music itself seemed to have adopted a slower tempo. She could see the thousands of birds following her, so slowly that they seemed frozen in time, separated into six colorful columns. They were obviously making intense efforts to follow her.

Fluttershy also allowed herself a glance at the crowd below. Her eyes fell on Rarity. Tears of joy were running down her cheeks and a beautiful smile was growing on her beautiful face.

Fluttershy smiled at her.

It was time to finish her sonic rainboom.

Time suddenly returned to normal.

Fluttershy was ready.

She lifted her paw in front of her and immediately the air around her seemed to thicken as she punctured it to begin the final stage of the sonic rainboom.

Fluttershy straightened her wings at the last moment, immediately changing her course direction. The pain in her wing suddenly woke up, but it was bearable and would not make her lose consciousness.

Then the world around her exploded in colors.

As Fluttershy rose towards the sky accompanied by half of the thousands of birds, just above the astonished crowd, the rest of the birds separated from the rainbow columns with a powerful cry, melodious, but deafening like a thunderclap. They flew over the crowd and moved away, forming a gigantic rainbow circle just like the circle of light that occurred every time Rainbow made her sonic rainboom.

_________________________

A sonic rainboom, lively, powerful and melodious. Her tribute to Rainbow.

As the crowd loudly cheered the breathtaking finale of this show, vigorously trampling the ground and joyfully shouting, Fluttershy flew over the stage a few times, still followed by the lively, colorful columns of the remaining birds.

She finally landed on the wooden planks facing the crowd. With a smile on her lips, she greeted the ponies who were cheering her vehemently.

The birds quickly flew off in all directions, leaving the pegasus to face, alone, the wave of ponies rushing towards the stage to congratulate her on the success of her sonic rainboom and thus the fulfillment of her promise.

_________________________

Princesses Celestia and Luna were the first to congratulate Fluttershy on her wonderful idea. They politely complimented Fluttershy's performance while she was blushing at the praises.

Luna sketched a mysterious smile.

“Thank you for your invitation, Kind One. Your tribute was a splendid sight to behold! This day is yours but so will this night. For dreams can bring many gifts,”

Fluttershy took a bow, a little bit confused by princess Luna’s strange message.

“Thank you... princess Luna… Oh! And thank you as well, princess Celestia ... Oh my, I... I didn't want to...”

“No need for excuses, Fluttershy,” Celestia reassured her, amused by the obvious embarrassment of the pegasus. “You did nothing wrong.”

Then she sighed.

“Now you’ll have to excuse us but our royal duties require that we take our leave. Such a shame for my sister and I would have loved to hear about the event that led to your magnificent tribute. Goodbye Fluttershy, it has been a pleasure to see you.”

In a final greeting, Princesses Celestia and Luna left Fluttershy on the stage, puzzled and surrounded by a lot of ponies.

She had worked very hard for a full year and deserved every one of the congratulations she received. And as Fluttershy patiently endured the embarrassing amount of compliments, the words of Princesses Luna came back to haunt her.

What was in store for her that night to come? No matter how hard she tried to imagine what might happen, she had to resign herself to wait until the next night to receive an answer.

No matter what would happen to her, she would know soon enough...

_________________________

The sun was high and hot.

Fluttershy had taken off her wig a long time ago, letting her pink hair fall freely over her shoulders. The make-up had run off, due to the high spring heat and her sweat, allowing the other ponies to see her coat, streaked with sticky blue make-up.

Twilight, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie were the last to get up on the stage.

Fluttershy was relieved to see them.

All the stress of the last hour of being the center of attention for all of Ponyville’s residents went away upon seeing them. The ponies warmly congratulated Fluttershy who, despite the state of her disguise, still gave that strong aura of Rainbow's pride and power. An astonishing contrast compared to Fluttershy's usual shyness.

“Congratulation sugarcube!” Applejack began with a wink. “T'was a darn good sonic rainboom ya did there, partner. T'was the most beautiful thing ah've ever seen, ah swear.”

“It was marvelous Fluttershy darling,” continued Rarity. “It was even more gorgeous than I remembered. You were spectacular!”

“It was fantastic, extra, with an awesome final, Pinkie Pie style!” Pinkie added, hopping on the spot and throwing confetti on the pegasus. “I must do a party as wonderful as your sonic rainboom. Oh, this will be so cool!”

“I must admit, Rarity was right,” said Twilight, impressed. “You have been simply ingenious Fluttershy. You manage to do a sonic rainboom without the required speed. Using birds to do it. I can’t believe it! How did you come up with this idea.?”

“Thank you so much girls... As for this idea Twilight, it is rather Rarity you should congratulate,” said Fluttershy, somewhat embarrassed. “She gave me this idea, after one of our discussions... When she told me that I was flying like a bird. It gave me the idea for my sonic rainboom. After that night, I only had to convince my little friend to join me in my project. But without Rarity... I might never have come up with this.”

“Me?” said Rarity in shock. “Oh pfft! Fluttershy darling, it is very kind of you, but I would never take the credit in your place. All of this is your doing. Your tribute to Rainbow, and it was perfect.”

She affectionately nuzzled Fluttershy, who nuzzled her back with a little laugh.

“Still, there's something I still don’t understand,” Twilight said. “I saw you tore the air, even without half the speed Rainbow needed to make it. How did you manage that?”

Fluttershy and Rarity smiled in complicity. Rarity took the lead on that one.

“What you saw, dear, was only diamond dust. Fluttershy’s costume had two secret pouches full of that exquisite powder. With just the right touch of magic, the illusion of Fluttershy tearing the air came to life.”

While she spoke, Rarity used her magic to pick the powder and create a halo around Fluttershy, emphasizing her point.

“Simply incredible...” Twilight muttered.

“That’s some darn good thinking! Ya got me there!” Applejack added.

“And that was so pretty!” Pinkie exclaimed.

“Well, that was the intention. But enough of that! Fluttershy, Rainbow would have been so proud of you! We all are, am I right, ladies?”

Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie shook their heads in agreement.

Fluttershy threw herself into the arms of her friends, moved but happy because her soul was finally at peace. She had endured so much in the past year. But in the end, by performing the sonic rainboom, she had finally been able to fulfill her promise.

She would always miss Rainbow, but now she was able to fully appreciate every moment of her life, to move away from the pain. She was cured.

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, soon eclipsed when Rarity whispered in her ear to remind her of their discussion less than three months earlier.

“Fluttershy darling, I think there will never be a better time to let our friends know about your concern about Rainbow's death. But knowing the girls, you have nothing to fear from them. Don't be shy, I will stay right next to you.”

“O... Okay... Thanks, Rarity,”

“Anytime darling”

Fluttershy leaned lightly against Rarity's flank, drawing courage from her support. Then, after a shy squeak to attract the attention of her friends, she began her story.

“Hum... Girls, I... I have something to tell you... it's about Rainbow...”

_________________________

“...I... I can't tell how sorry I am, girls, and if... if you don't want us to be friends anymore, I... I will understand,” finished Fluttershy, watching her friend’s reaction.

Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie had listened attentively to Fluttershy’s confession.

At the end of her speech, while Fluttershy waited anxiously for their judgment, in Rarity’s shadow, big smiles bloomed on their faces.

“Oh sugarcube... Ya shouldn't have worried that much. T'was not your fault. Of course we'll stay friends, Fluttershy. We can't be mad at you for Rainbow's death. Ya could never have predicted what would happen that day.”

“Yeah, you silly little pony,” Pinkie joyfully added. “How could we be mad at you for an accident? I can't believe that you'd think that we would stop being friends. That's just silly.”

“Fluttershy, I can't believe you kept that secret to yourself all that time, you shouldn't have feared to talk to us. We're your friends and that sad unpredictable circumstance will never change that fact. We will never hold it against you,” Twilight concluded.

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of gratitude, visibly relieved.

“Thank you so much girls. It… it means a lot to me.”

“You see, darling?” Rarity beamed. “I told you there was nothing to be afraid of. What happened to Rainbow is tragic, but it never was your fault. Now girls, with this unpleasant secret out of the way, we should celebrate Fluttershy's magnificent sonic rainboom and, if I am not mistaken, I seem to recall Applejack mentioning, a little earlier, that she had a box of Shy rainbow cider to give you.”

“Eyyup. Ah’ve kept a whole box just for ya. Ah think we should open a few bottles later.”

“May I suggest my home then,” invited them Rarity. “Are you all free tonight?”

They all agreed happily, pleased at the thought of tasting once again Applejack’s delicious cider.

“Then it's settled, Fluttershy and I will see you tonight, ladies.”

They then dispersed to go and perform some tasks before the nice evening that awaited them a few hours later.

Twilight had to fill out a stack of documents for Princess Celestia. Applejack had to take care of some fields adjacent to Sweet Apple Acre's farm and Pinkie had to go and bake an incredible cake in order to celebrate Fluttershy's wonderful sonic rainboom.

Only Fluttershy and Rarity remained much to the unicorn’s delight.

“Fluttershy darling, with this heat, I'm sorry to say this but your make-up is a mess. What do you say we go to the spa to clean ourselves up before our little soirée? My treat!”

Fluttershy gladly accepted Rarity's invitation, too happy to wash her body of the sticky make-up that was covering her.

_________________________

Having attended Fluttershy's performance, Lotus and Aloe were happy to receive the two friends and even offered them the royal treatment. Today would be a very intimate session since nopony had booked an appointment at the spa.

Fluttershy and Rarity had the whole spa for themselves.

In the large central pool, Fluttershy let the warm water gradually loosen her muscles and then began to rid her body of all the blue make-up.

Rarity quickly came by to wash Fluttershy’s long, pink silky mane. She loved that activity, which had allowed them to spend so much quality time together and build a strong bond of friendship.

“Oh darling, I love these little moments we have, just the two of us. Your mane is so pretty, I will never get tired of taking care of it. I think I'm in love,” Rarity whispered, gently playing with Fluttershy’s hair.

“Hum, Rarity? I... I need to talk to you about something too... ”

Her sorry tone instantly filled Rarity's heart with grief.

“Please, speak your mind Fluttershy, I... I think I know what you are about to say but I must hear it from you,” Rarity encouraged her, trying to hold back the sobs she felt coming up.

“I... I'm really grateful for all you have done for me Rarity, really I am, but... it's been a year now... and since I'm finally at peace, I... I think it's time I return to my cottage. My animals, they need me, Rarity. I… I think I should get back to my home... tonight.”

“Fluttershy, please, if you are so minded to return to your cottage, which is a perfectly reasonable demand, at least spend this one last night at my boutique,” pleaded Rarity, tears in her eyes.

“O... Okay,” agreed Fluttershy.

An awkward silence fell in the air.

Rarity was infinitely sad. She somehow had that hope that they would keep living together, but Fluttershy was right, she was now cured and she needed to go back to her cottage to take care of her animals.

A normal feeling, Rarity thought, despite the pain it was causing her.

However, she promised herself that she would always be there for Fluttershy. They still had plans, the garden, the studio, right?

She continued to wash Fluttershy’s hair, savoring that last intimate moment between them. She secretly hoped there would be more.

“So... one last night...” Rarity murmured, letting her tears rush down her face.

“Rarity...” Fluttershy apologized, also tearing up, turning toward her friend and taking her hooves in hers. “Please don't cry, this will never change the way I feel about you! We will still see each other regularly, to make dresses and tend the garden.”

“I... I know darling,” Rarity said, wiping away her tears in an apologetic gesture. “But this whole situation is so sad. The boutique will feel so empty without you. I love having you around, you bring sunshine into my life.”

“Rarity, I will always stay around, I promise,” Fluttershy quickly reassured her. “Don't worry, I will keep visiting you as much as I can. And maybe... if you’d really like to... maybe I could stay over some nights. What do you think?”

“Oh! Of course, darling, I would be more than happy! My house is always open for you, my beautiful lovely Fluttershy!”

With a sudden impulse of her heart, Rarity closed her eyes and leaned over to kiss Fluttershy’s lips. A sweet, gentle and passionate kiss.

There was no thought behind that action, she was simply following a compelling and spontaneous desire.

Then she abruptly ended the kiss when she realized what she was doing... and with whom.

“Ra...Rariiiity?” Fluttershy stammered, cheeks wine-red, letting go of Rarity's hooves as her wings opened wide from the shock.

“Oh! Oh my...” Rarity began with a tight, uneasy laugh. “Fluttershy darling, I... I am so sorry. I didn't think before... Please pardon me, dear, I don't know what came to my mi...”

The rest of her sentence died on her lips as Fluttershy, as red as ever, placed a shy kiss on Rarity’s lips.

“Fluttershy!” Rarity exclaimed. “You don’t need to do this... I assure you... You don’t have to feel guilty or indebted for a fault which is completely min...”

Fluttershy cut her off again with a slightly longer, firmer kiss. She leaned towards Rarity, delicately putting one hoof on the fashionista's chest.

“It's fine Rarity... I'm not doing this because I feel obligated to,” Fluttershy whispered in Rarity's ear, causing waves of pleasure in the unicorn's body. “I... I do it because I’ve really wanted it.... for a little while.”

She gave Rarity a beautiful smile, enhanced by the red of her cheeks after such an embarrassing declaration.

Rarity's heart began to melt.

Fluttershy, sweetheart, you're so very forward, but let me show you just how much I can be as well, Rarity thought, smiling in turn at Fluttershy.

“In that case, darling, allow me to take advantage of it,” Rarity whispered back, releasing one strand of Fluttershy’s hair to caress her cheek. “I also wanted it for quite some time actually.”

They kissed again, at first shyly and then more and more passionately.

Each of them wanted to prove to the other the feelings they had been secretly nurturing for the past few months. The seconds passed and they broke their embrace, panting, to catch their breath.

Everything had happened so fast, but they were happy.

“Rarity?”

“Yes Fluttershy?”

“What… what does this mean for us? Are we… are we marefriends now? Everything happened so quickly, I feel a little bit confused. Happy but confused.”

Rarity looked at Fluttershy, her natural grace, her kindness, her long silky hair, her flanks, so soft to caress. And her beautiful sparkling cyan-blue eyes. The unicorn could only thank her lucky star for bringing Fluttershy into her life.

Through her contact, Rarity had learned the value of Fluttershy’s infinite kindness. Not wanting to be a burden to the unicorn, Fluttershy had deployed an arsenal of small, affectionate actions to relieve the fashionista's overworked daily routine.

This kindness had made its way into Rarity's heart, and it was now being felt in her daily life and work.

Seeing Fluttershy, her muse, Rarity had hundreds of different clothing ideas to showcase Fluttershy. With pleasure, the unicorn thought of some clothes that would be designed just for her private eyes.

Fluttershy, meanwhile, was drowning in Rarity's deep azure blue eyes. The unicorn was her most precious jewel, her beautiful maiden. Fluttershy admired the seductive unicorn. The perfection of her appearance, her perfect curves, her generosity and charming attention that had gradually won Fluttershy's heart. Fluttershy considered herself to be the luckiest of all ponies. And she intended to prove it to the unicorn.

At her side, Fluttershy had discovered the boundless generosity of the unicorn.

Rarity had redefined, in Fluttershy’s eyes at least, the term generosity. Not only had the unicorn willingly offered her every little minute of her free time, but she also illuminated Fluttershy’s every day with charming attention. An encouraging word, a gentle caress on her wounds, an evening of relaxation, and her sacrifice to work in their garden.

And unbeknownst to Rarity, Fluttershy had acquired some of that element that had finally made her realise her feelings. She then generously gave her heart to Rarity.

“I’m a little bit lost as well Fluttershy. But I know I have strong feelings for you.”

“I do too, Rarity.”

Rarity gave Fluttershy a beautiful smile.

“I’m so happy to hear that darling. And here’s what I think. We’ve been living together for one year and been friends for longer than that. I never felt any regrets about our friendship and I think I would very much like to try this new adventure with you. As a marefriend. How does that sound Fluttershy dear, should we give this romance a try?”

“I would really much like that, Rarity.”

“Then let’s move forward... together.”

Gently, Rarity drew Fluttershy to her. Fluttershy obediently allowed herself to do so by wrapping her arms around the unicorn's neck. They kissed passionately again. Their hearts beating in perfect harmony.

After a few seconds, a slight noise, a little further to the left, brought them back to reality. They turned their heads.

Lotus and Aloe were crouched on the edge of the pool, their heads resting on their hooves. They smiled mischievously as they looked at them, their eyes shining with pleasure.

“EEEKKKK!” shouted Fluttershy, crimson red, quickly retreating behind Rarity.

The two sisters got up at the same time.

Their eyes still twinkled from the scene that had taken place a few moments before. They clearly were pleased by the sudden turn of events.

“Initially, we came to know if the water was at your taste, miladies,” said Aloe.

“But the show had us a little... distracted,” added Lotus with a wink.

Then they grinned at the two extremely embarrassed ponies in the pool.

“Congratulations,” they said in unison. “You make a very beautiful couple.”

Rarity took a few seconds to compose herself again, she needed it.

When the fire on her cheeks was extinguished, she looked at the two sisters. Rarity nodded and gave them a pleasant smile.

“Thank you ladies, your congratulations are accepted with pleasure. However, I hope I can count on your discretion until the time Fluttershy and I are ready to announce our union more... let us say... publicly? What do you say, Fluttershy?”

“That... would be nice... please,” said the pegasus shyly, still clinging to Rarity, unable to look at the two sisters so much she was embarrassed.

Rarity gave her new life partner her best smile.

Fluttershy shyly smiled back and hid her face in Rarity's neck, both to hide from the gaze of Aloe and Lotus, and also to kiss Rarity’s neck who started quivering with happiness.

The two sisters excitedly stomped the ground and promised to keep the secret, then, after making sure the water was to their client’s liking, they slipped away to give them some privacy, not without a last interested glance in the direction of the two new lovers.

“Told you they would make a great couple, didn't I?” Lotus said to her sister with a note of triumph in her voice.

“Yeah, but must I remind you that I also thought the same thing? We're twin sister Lotus, we basically think the same almost every time,” Aloe sighed as she closed the door leading to the central pool.

“Aha yeah! Sometimes I just forget,”

Lotus stuck her tongue out, teasing her sister.

“Geez, Lotus. You are so hopeless,”

They both started to laugh.

_________________________

On the other side of the room, in the warm water basin, Rarity and Fluttershy were conversing quietly, tenderly cuddled up against each other.

“I am happy, Rarity,” said Fluttershy while carelessly tracing a little heart shape over Rarity's hoof with hers. “So very happy. I feared that returning to my cottage would somehow... darken our friendship.”

“Never! Fluttershy darling, you are my best friend and now, starting today, you are even more than that. I love you so much, and would never think of leaving your side.”

“I... I love you too,” Fluttershy said shyly, with red wine cheeks again.

Rarity lifted Fluttershy’s chin to give her another languorous kiss, to which she surrendered with a pleasuring squeak.

They continued chatting in the large central bath all the rest of the afternoon, sometimes exchanging a few kisses in a comfortable embrace, and then, at the end of the day, they set off for Rarity's shop for their evening with the other girls.

_________________________

Gathered at Carousel Boutique, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie, Twilight and Rarity enjoyed a delicious meal accompanied by the delicious "shy rainbow cider". Many bottles were emptied after Pinkie’s fantastic cake.

Going for honesty rather than keep it a secret from their close friends, Rarity, with the permission of a darker-cheeked Fluttershy, told their three other friends about the events that had taken place earlier at the spa.

When they learned of their friend's new status, Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie warmly congratulated them. Rarity and Fluttershy were delighted to see their friend's sincere joy. Pinkie raised her glass and a new toast was celebrated in Fluttershy’s and Rarity’s union.

Throughout the evening, the five friends recalled their shared adventures with Rainbow, their successes and their setbacks. They laughed and talked until midnight, each of them eager to share anecdotes about Rainbow.

Fluttershy was happy to see that each of her friends lived with a nice memory of Rainbow in their hearts. They would all miss hers, but she would never be forgotten.

It was a soothing balm for Fluttershy.

_________________________

Late at night, in a last greeting to Rarity and Fluttershy, the other ponies left for their home, quite happily drunk. The evening had been a dazzling success.

Fluttershy and Rarity went upstairs and went to bed together, tenderly embraced. After sharing one last kiss, Rarity magically turned off the lights.

“Good night Rarity,” said Fluttershy, sleepily, her brain a little foggy from all the alcohol.

“Good night Fluttershy,” Rarity whispered, drowsy as well.

Comfortably curled up in Rarity's hooves, Fluttershy smiled as she thought of all the new experiences that awaited her the very next day.

A whole new relationship with Rarity was beginning and although it frightened her a little, the love she felt for the unicorn, mutual love in light of the day's events, was well worth it. And, besides, another adventure awaited her during the night.

As the strange words of princess Luna came back to her memory, she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes and laid her head on the pillow.

Author's Note:

Here's the link to the marvelous picture: https://www.deviantart.com/foxinshadow/art/Sonic-Rainboom-879595871

Made by FoxInShadow: https://www.deviantart.com/foxinshadow

He's a marvelous artist. I enjoyed working with him so much