Chapter 4
Fluttershy was running – or at least, she thought she was. She could feel herself running, but it so dark that she couldn’t see her hooves, or anything in front of her. But she kept on running, hoping and praying that she would bump into one of her friends so they could help her escape from this twisted place.
“Applejack!” she called out, hoping there was going to be a quick reply. None came. “Rarity!” she tried, again with no reply. She began to feel tears in her eyes. “Rainbow Dash!” she screamed out, only to be met with no response. She felt herself begin to shake in terror. “Pinkie Pie!” There was no response from the mare. “Twilight!” she shrieked, but again, to her dismay, nothing. Fluttershy found herself to be alone, completely alone.
“Please…” she begged aloud, prostrating herself onto the cold ground and hugging herself tight. “Please don’t leave me alone,” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “I hate being alone.” She buried her face in her forelegs and began to cry, her whole body shaking with fear and sorrow.
Suddenly, a bright magenta light flooded the area she was in, making Fluttershy shoot her head up to see what it was. She her eyes squinted as she tried to make out what caused this sudden burst of colour, and thank whoever caused it. A silhouette of a pony quickly came into view, with a halo of purple above him or her. Fluttershy was soon able to see who gave her back the light, and her eyes widened because of who it was.
“Twilight?”
The unicorn stopped so that her face was but inches from her own, and she smiled affectionally at her, looking into her eyes with love she had never seen in her friend. Without warning, she leaned forward and kissed the pegasus’s cheeks, drying away the tears that stained them, and making Fluttershy go pink in the cheeks.
“Twilight, what wa-” Fluttershy was cut off when Twilight lifted a hoof and pressed it gently against her mouth.
“Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart,” Twilight cooed gently, stroking her face with her free hoof. “I’m here now, and always will be. You will never be alone again. I will never abandon you, Fluttershy. I promise. I love you too much to do that.”
With that, she moved her hoof away, then leaned forward once more, and placed her lips against Fluttershy’s own. Fluttershy’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden kiss her friend was giving her, yet suddenly, and strangely, felt herself melt into it. It felt warm, cosy even, as if all her problems were washed away with the sudden contact. It felt right.
She closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Twilight’s in return, wrapping her forelegs around her and embracing the kiss.
Fluttershy’s eyes shot open, followed quickly by a few short breaths. She quickly calmed down and looked around the room, recalling she had fallen asleep in Twilight’s bed in the first home the unicorn ever had. She glanced to her left and saw the sun’s rays beaming into the room she and her friend slept in, bringing in the dawn of a new day.
She let out a sigh of relief, glad that what happened didn’t actually happen, yet still she found herself shocked by it. ‘Twilight… kissed me,’ she thought. The nightmare of her running through complete darkness was one that has haunted her for years, and it quickly became her greatest fear, even greater than her fear of dragons. The idea of being alone was a horrible one, and it made her shiver slightly at the thought. She wrapped the duvet covering her tightly around herself.
But when Twilight came in, the dream changed. It was strange, yet something about it comforted her, as if Twilight’s display of affection showed that she would never be alone, yet the way it was displayed was a bit too much. ‘That never happened before,’ she thought. ‘In fact, I’ve never had a dream which involved kissing any of my friends.’ She felt her belly begin to growl for food. ‘I want to get up.’
She tried to get up, only to find herself pinned down for some reason. At first she feared she had slept on glue and now was stuck here for eternity – or until Twilight woke up, at least. Then she glanced to her right and saw a purple leg lying over her belly and side, and another under her, pinning her to the bed, and the faint tickle of breathing of a pony against her neck.
Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she realised what, or who, it was. “Oh… my.” She craned her neck around as best she could to see Twilight pressed against her back and hugging her like somepony would with a precious teddy bear. Fluttershy didn’t want to be a teddy bear, so tried to shift her off gently, but Twilight only seemed to grip around her sides harder, muttering, “It’s too early to study, Smarty-Pants.”
At that, Fluttershy looked at Twilight and smiled sweetly at her, giggling softly at her friend. ‘A friend that kissed you… on the lips, don’t forget,’ her thoughts reminded her.
‘Um, I don’t see the point in worrying about it; after all, it was just a dream. Besides, it will never happen.’ She moved a hoof up in an attempt to nudge her friend awake, but suddenly stopped when she realised what she was about to do was rude. ‘She’s too cute to disturb,’ a part of her mind said. ‘Best leave her be.’
‘You’re right, but stop thinking her as cute. She’s pretty but not cute. Cute is the romantic way.’
‘You’re the one thinking her as cute. After all, we are the same. Besides, calling her pretty is another romantic word if you think about it, which you are.’ Fluttershy screamed out in thought and stuffed her head under the pillow, hoping that would silence the thoughts she didn’t want to think. Surprisingly it worked, and she started thinking about other things like bunnies, and friends, and Twilight- “Oh, darn it!” Fluttershy cursed aloud. She put a hoof over her mouth when she realised what she just did.
Twilight suddenly bolted her head upright, her eyes half open and her head darted left and right for the culprit of the shout. “What was that? What just happen- oh Fluttershy, it’s just you.” She shook her head, brushing away a bit of her mane that covered her face, and looked back at Fluttershy with concern. “Are you all right?”
Fluttershy slowly turned her head around and looked at Twilight in shock. “Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry, Twilight. I didn’t mean to wake you like I did. I just had a bad dream,” she lied, hoping it would ease any fears Twilight had.
Twilight smiled comfortingly at her. “It’s fine. I should have gotten up earlier. Thanks for waking me, Fluttershy, even if was unintentional.” She glanced down and saw her forelegs around Fluttershy’s belly, and her eyes widened. She moved them off Fluttershy’s sides as if they were on fire, and shifted herself back to give them some space. Twilight’s cheeks went a bright pink as she looked at the space between them, trying to think up a reason as to why she did it, but none came to her. “Di… did I do anything that made you uncomfortable?” she asked eventually, running a hoof across the mattress shyly.
Fluttershy shook her head, smiling disarmingly. “You muttered something about Smarty-Pants, and you held me close as if I was that toy, but that’s it. No harm done.” She got off the bed and stretched out her legs, emitting little groans as she did so. “How about I make us some breakfast, then afterwards we’ll go and find something on this flower.”
Twilight nodded eagerly; she could feel her stomach beginning to growl. She began to move out of the bed so she could help, but a gentle push from Fluttershy set the unicorn back down on her side with a plonk. “Don’t you want any help?”
“I think I’ll be okay, Twilight. Now what would you like for breakfast?”
Twilight didn’t need to think for long. “Do you think you could make some of your lovely pancakes again, please? I think there’s some stuff in the kitchen you could use to make them, if that’s okay?”
“Oui, madam,” Fluttershy replied, putting on a weird French accent that made Twilight giggle. “I shall find zees ingredients and make zees pancakes fer you.” With a quick trot she left the room, blushing in embarrassment at what she just did, leaving Twilight laughing her head off at one of the worst attempts of the accent she had ever seen.
She was still laughing when Fluttershy returned a moment later, with a small frown on her face. It grew when she saw Twilight was still laughing. “Oh my goodness,” Twilight managed to get out at last, short of breath and tears in her eyes from laughing. “Fluttershy, that has to be one of the funniest things I have seen in ages.” She wiped away her tears and looked back at Fluttershy, who looked upset.
Twilight’s grin faded instantly and she raised a hoof towards her, hoping it would provide some comfort. “I’m… I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t ha-” She stopped when Fluttershy began to laugh.
“Relax, Twilight, I was only joking,” Fluttershy said once she stopped, waving a hoof dismissively. “I know I can’t do that accent well, but I like doing it to make my friends feel happy. Ask Rarity about it. It helps when she’s down in the dumps.” She smiled at her assuredly, but that smile was quickly replaced by the frown she had before. “I’m sorry, Twilight, but I can’t make the pancakes.”
Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Why not?”
“All the ingredients for pancakes in the kitchen I can use are way pass their use by date, and don’t get me started about the condition of the milk.”
“That bad huh?” Fluttershy only nodded. Twilight sighed. “Very well, then I guess we’ll have to take extreme measures.” She jumped out of bed and quickly stretched her legs. “We’ll have a look around here first to see if this place has something on the flower, and if not then we go out and get something to eat, then go to the archives. How does that sound?”
Fluttershy’s head lowered towards the ground, and she raised a hoof as if she was in a classroom. “Um, a question: what if we do find something about the flower here?”
“Then we’ll go out anyway and enjoy our time in Canterlot,” Twilight replied. She gestured with her head towards the stairs leading up to Twilight’s favourite part of her old home.
Fluttershy’s belly growled, protesting this course of action, but Fluttershy couldn’t think of any alternative. ‘We’ll get food later. Don’t you worry, little stomach.’ Fluttershy nodded in agreement. “Okay, but apologies in advance if I miss something out about it. I don’t concentrate well on an empty stomach.”
Twilight giggled. “Neither do I.” The two giggled at that, and made their way up the stairs to the large number of books that inhabit the house.
When they made it to the first floor, the two mares stopped and stared at the vast collection of books that made up this place. The fact that there were so many books between two mares made things, particularly to Fluttershy, very daunting. Twilight noticed the worry on the pegasus’s face and gave her a quick stroke on the side. “Don’t worry, Fluttershy. We’ll get through this lot and still be in time for breakfast.”
“Or in this case, brunch.” Twilight giggled at that. “It’s not that. I’m just worried I’ll miss what we’re looking for.”
“Well there’s no point in worrying over that. What we don’t know can’t hurt us. Now let’s get started. You cover the high ground and I’ll cover the lower ones.” Fluttershy gave a quick salute and took to the air. As Fluttershy took off, Twilight tried to think of a way to make this more interesting. She was all up for fun, and wanted this to be as memorable as the trip they would take from here. Her face lit up with joy when she thought of a way. “Say, Fluttershy, how about we turn this into a contest?”
Fluttershy looked from the bookshelf to Twilight with a confused look. “A contest?” she repeated, fluttering back down to join her friend.
Twilight nodded. “Yep. See who finds something about the flower first. If I win, then I decide what we do afterwards.”
“And if I win, then I decide what we do next,” Fluttershy finished.
Twilight gave her a few quick nods, and then stretched her hoof for Fluttershy to shake. Fluttershy looked at it hesitantly. She considered herself never good at contests, for most of them ended up with her face flat on the ground and her rump high in the air. Being beaten at everything she had done was very off-putting, so she found herself opting to back out. Then she remembered whom she was with. She wasn’t Applejack, who might play fair but was very good at whatever she did. And she wasn’t Rainbow Dash either, who would go into some kind of sulk after losing, and would sometimes cheat to win. Twilight would always play fair, even if she did have magic.
She lifted her own hoof up and grasped Twilight’s own. Her friend’s hoof felt soft like blades of small grass, and was warm and comforting. A small part of her didn’t want to let go. ‘Careful, Fluttershy,’ her thoughts cautioned her. So, with a hint of reluctance, she set her hoof back down. “All right, Twilight, you’re on. May the best mare win!” With that, Fluttershy let go and took back to the air to begin her search.
Twilight gave a light smile as she watched Fluttershy take off, and could still feel the pegasus’s slightly warm hoof on her own. ‘Maybe one day,’ she hoped. She was taken out of her thoughts when a book landed in front of her with a loud thud.
She screamed out, startled by the sudden noise. “Oh my goodness, did I hit you, Twilight?!” Fluttershy called.
Twilight shook herself out of her shock. “No, it’s all right,” she called back up assuredly. “Just landed in front of me, that’s all.” She trotted up to the bookshelf, and then closed her eyes, channelling the great magic within her to her horn. It powered up to form its usual magenta glow, and with little to no effort, began taking the books off the shelves.
Fluttershy looked down and gaped when she the large number of books from the first four shelves leave their place, and then began to slowly spin around the unicorn. Twilight then opened her eyes and began picking a book out of the group, flick through it, and then discard it like a toy that was now considered boring to her.
Fluttershy was always impressed by Twilight’s skill in magic, and had always considered her the greatest unicorn mage she had ever seen. However, seeing her use her powers were always a chilling thing, and even now, it was giving her chills across her body. ‘Makes me wonder what she would be like if she used her power for evil,’ she thought, although she knew the idea of Twilight using magic for evil was wrong on every level.
She shook her head and went back to book searching for the book that would win her charge over the rest of the day. She grinned at herself as she thought about what she and Twilight could do. ‘We could play games like ‘shh’ and braid each other’s tails and just enjoy each other’s company,’ she thought excitedly. She moved a little bit faster, picking books that looked like they would be the one, and avoiding ones that didn’t.
Twilight, meanwhile, was also having no such luck. “No… no… no… no… no… no,” she said, scanning and discarding every book with increasing frustration.
Fluttershy gave Twilight a quick glance. ‘Five bits Twilight’s going to call for Spike,’ a part of her mind said. ‘Done,’ another part of her mind said.
Twilight let out a groan and called out, “Spike!” She quickly remembered Spike wasn’t here, so blushed lightly in embarrassment and resumed searching.
‘Someone give me a medal,’ Fluttershy thought, giggling quietly to herself. She quickly went back to searching upon noticing Twilight was looking at her with a suspicious eye. It passed after a moment, and she went back to the books, flicking through them with ever increasing speed.
An hour later, the two mares were flat on their backs, with their heads locked back to back, resting after a tiring but fruitless search. All around them, books from every shelf in the entire tower lay spread out across the floor, all in various states after being thrown around by the two mares. “Well that was a total bust,” Twilight said at last. “We searched everything: scrolls, books, parchments, the lot! But not even a mention! How can there be so little about one poxy flower?”
Fluttershy rolled over and looked into Twilight’s eyes, clouding Twilight’s vision with a mix of beautiful yellow and pink, and perfect cyan eyes that sparkled with love and kindness. Twilight calculated that Fluttershy’s lips were about two inches from her own, and all she had to do was lift her head up and lock the pegasus’s lips with her own. Fluttershy might even return the kiss, but Twilight didn’t want to take that chance – at least not yet.
“Don’t give up too soon,” Fluttershy comforted her. “We’ve still got the Canterlot archives to go to. Only if we don’t find anything there, then we could lie here looking like we’re lost.” She grabbed Twilight’s cheeks with her hooves and squished them together. “Come on, Twilight, we can do this.”
Twilight nodded after a while. “You’re right. I know we can,” she said, her voice muffled by Fluttershy’s hooves. Fluttershy took her hooves off Twilight’s cheeks, then got back up and began clearing the books off the floor and stacking them back on the shelves. “Oh, don’t worry about that, Fluttershy,” Twilight said, lifting a hoof up to stop her before she could put a single one back. “I’ve got this.”
She set herself back on all fours, then powered up her horn once more. In an instant, the room disappeared in a flash of light, only to reappear a second later with every book back in their respective shelves. Fluttershy’s jaw dropped when she saw the entire room was completely clean and devoid of books on the floor. “That was amazing!” she remarked, making Twilight blush. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
“No, it’s something I’ve learned only recently. I only use it when I’m alone. Makes the cleaning up afterwards a lot quicker.” Twilight turned around and made her way to the stairs. “Right, come on, then. Let’s get some lunch.” Fluttershy grinned at the mention of food, and set off at a canter after Twilight down the stairs.
The two ponies moved to the front door, picked up their saddlebags, and put them on their backs. After they had a quick look through to see if they had everything they needed, Twilight opened the door, and both ponies stepped outside. The day was another gorgeous one: a few clouds were dotted here and there, giving any traveller some well needed shade. A light breeze swept across the two mares’ faces, and the sun seemed closer than usual, for it was hot beyond compare.
The two gazed about the school grounds for a moment, before beginning the descent. Under the shade of some of the bushes, a few ponies were studying or enjoying the lull in their studies with gossiping or just enjoying the company of others. While other ponies wandered about the grounds, chatting about anything and everything.
When the two made it onto the flat, some ponies that Twilight recognised from her days at the school stopped what they were doing and stared at them. ‘Probably wondering why I’m with another pony, and not a bag full of books,’ she mused. Fluttershy noticed them too, and moved a little closer to Twilight for comfort. Twilight noticed the discomfort from Fluttershy, and shot everypony looking at them glares as sharp as daggers, prompting the ponies to forget they were ever there and get back to whatever they were doing.
As they walked towards the gate leading out of the school grounds and into the city, Twilight saw two mares walking down towards them, their tails entwined in a mix of blue, green, and orange. It didn’t take long for Twilight to realise they were a couple, but she was surprised ponies could actually do that. ‘Me and Fluttershy will have to do that if we get together,’ she thought, although the ‘if’ gave her a flicker of doubt.
Fluttershy saw the couple as well and smiled as she thought how cute they looked together. “So Twilight, where’re we going for lunch?”
Twilight took her eyes off the mares and looked back at her friend. “Uh, I’m not entirely sure. I used to know the best places, but I don’t know if they’re still open or not.”
“Well, how about I get us a third opinion?” Fluttershy suggested. She started looking around for somepony – or something – to ask. She grinned when she saw the perfect person, or more specifically, the perfect bird, to ask. A fat, grey pigeon had fluttered down from one of the towers and had landed on the grass, pecking at the various scraps of food left behind by the ponies. Slowly she walked up to it and whispered so not to startle it, “Um, excuse me? Mr pigeon?”
The pigeon’s head shot up and looked at Fluttershy with a sense of curiosity; it isn’t every day a pigeon finds a pony that could talk to animals! “I’m sorry if I disturbed you, sir, but I was wondering if you knew any places around Canterlot that makes good lunches. Me and my friend are hungry.”
The pigeon put its right wing to its lower beak as it thought. After a moment it began singing hoots and coos, as it told Fluttershy a place they could go, and giving her the directions with gestures of its wings, while Fluttershy nodded in complete understanding of what the pigeon was saying.
Nearly everypony in the grounds were looking at her as if she was mad, but to Twilight, she was amazing. ‘She’s just as mad as I am, really,’ Twilight thought, giggling at herself. ‘All our friends are mad in one form or another.’
The pigeon completed showing Fluttershy directions, and made another few chirps and hoots as if to say, “Did you get that?”
Fluttershy nodded. “Yeah, I think I can remember those directions. Thanks, mr pigeon. Have a good day.” She made her way back to Twilight, while the pigeon took off with some scraps of bread it found.
“The pigeon said there’s a bakery that sells great tasting baguettes and sandwiches,” Fluttershy said. “Apparently from that back entrance of the palace we follow the main street, then take the fifth left, then take the second right, then a third left, then a fourth right, and go to the end of that street, and it should be in the corner at the far end.”
Twilight’s lower jaw was soon hanging from her face. Fluttershy tilted her head slightly at the sight, and then with a hoof clamped her friend’s mouth shut. “You always amaze me by your ability to talk with animals. I have never heard of another pony that could do it,” Twilight said, once she got her voice back.
“Really?”
Twilight nodded. “Believe me, I’ve looked across history for ponies with similar talents to me and you and the rest of our friends, and yours is the only one I can’t find that’s been done before.” The two began to trot towards the palace back entrance, which was on the other side of the school grounds and led out into the city itself.
Fluttershy noticed with a small glance around that some ponies were looking at her oddly. She inched a little closer to Twilight. “Why are all these ponies staring at me?” she whispered.
Twilight looked at her, and then to the other ponies, who saw her looking at them and went back to what they were doing. She looked back at Fluttershy, whose eyes carved into her own, pleading for an explanation. “They’re probably just shocked by just how amazing you are,” she answered at last, smiling amiably at her.
Fluttershy bashfully looked away, her cheeks going pink at the compliment, and flicking her mane across her face to hide them. The two friends were soon at the small, golden gate leading off the grounds and into the city. With a flick of Twilight’s horn, the gate opened before them. “After you,” Twilight insisted. Fluttershy bowed her head in thanks and trotted on through, with Twilight close behind, shutting the gate behind her.
The city of Canterlot was always beautiful, but with Celestia’s sun high in the sky, and the day it brought with it, the city was made to look more beautiful than usual. The white towers seemed to gleam with a faint gold from the sun’s rays, and any part of them that was gold shone bright on the ponies below, almost blinding them.
As Fluttershy and Twilight walked down the clean streets towards the bakery, they passed multitudes of ponies: some were wearing fancy clothing, some wore just top hats, and some wore just the coats they were born with. But everypony was smiling and happy, and that made the two mares happy.
After fifteen minutes of following Fluttershy’s directions, taking turns through streets varying in numbers of ponies, the two finally arrived outside the bakery. It stood on the street corner leading to another street, but a few small meadows opposite it held outside tables so ponies could eat out and enjoy the sun.
Fluttershy and Twilight quickly took their seats at the table closest to the bakery. The view beyond the field was dazzling: they were at the very edge of the cliff that Canterlot rested on, with views of most of central, western, northern, and southern Equestria. Fluttershy could barely make out Ponyville, but was able to point out to Twilight the floating sky city of Cloudsdale. “You know, I could have sworn it wasn’t there last time,” Twilight pointed out when she finally managed to make it out.
“You’re right. It wasn’t there last time,” Fluttershy said. “The city moves painfully slowly across a small area throughout the year. It being there now means it’s early summer, and when it starts drifting away from Canterlot it means winter is coming.”
Twilight’s eyebrows were high on her forehead, showing her surprise and interest on the matter. “Wow. So is that how pegasi are able to tell when new weather systems, need to be brought in, like snowstorms and such?”
“I think so,” Fluttershy replied. “Rainbow Dash told me about it, after she graduated as a weather pony. I can’t quite remember what she exactly said, but I think I got the gist of it.”
“I’m sure you have.” She would have asked about more, but the unicorn waiter moving up to their table made her start flicking through the menu. “Good afternoon, sir,” Twilight said politely. “Could me and my friend here have two teas, one with two sugars?” She looked to Fluttershy for confirmation, which she got with a single nod. “And… Oooo, I’ll have a mixed salad baguette, please.”
“Could I have the same thing, please? If it isn’t a problem?” Fluttershy said quietly.
The waiter gave her a look that said, “Are you kidding me?” then nodded, and scribbled down their orders on a little notepad. “That would be ten bits,” he calculated.
Fluttershy moved to get out her share of bits, but before she could, Twilight quickly gave him ten bits and shooed him away before Fluttershy could call him back. “Twilight, you didn’t have to do that,” Fluttershy said, shocked by the touching gesture.
“Oh it was nothing, Fluttershy. You gave me part of your lunch yesterday; it only seems fair that I pay for this. I don’t want to hear any buts from you. Understand?” she added sternly.
Fluttershy nodded meekly, and looked at the ground, thinking about what Twilight just did. Suddenly her eyes began to water, overcome by the simple yet highly touching gesture Twilight gave her, which was one in a thousand she had done.
Twilight noticed and her ears and face fell. She hated seeing Fluttershy upset, more so than any other pony. Fluttershy was a lot more sensitive than most, and would get angry, scared, or upset in less than a heartbeat, making her slightly unpredictable. She got off her cushion and gave Fluttershy a comforting hug. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
“Sorry, it’s silly of me, I know, but there’s nothing wrong, Twilight. Nothing at all.” She broke away from her friend and quickly wiped her eyes, and then gave her a loving smile. “You are always so nice to me, Twilight. Even when I mess things up, you’re always there to put me back on my hooves and get me to do the right thing. And when I’m frightened, you always stay by my side.” She brought the unicorn once more in a loving embrace. “Thank you, Twilight.”
Twilight wished she could kiss her or nuzzle her like a partner, but knowing if she did, she could lose Fluttershy as a friend. So the only thing she could do was pat the mare on the back. “My mother once told me once to treat others like they treat you. I was little at the time so I couldn’t understand it. Only now do I see why it makes so much sense. You always treat everypony and me with such kindness and friendliness, even with your shy demeanour. I’m just returning the way you treat me, Fluttershy. So thank you, for being a such a good friend.”
Twilight glanced to her right and saw the unicorn waiter coming towards them with their meals and drinks. She pulled away from the pegasus and went back to her cushion, licking her lips in anticipation of the meal held in the waiter’s magic.
The waiter set down the baguettes and teas in front of them, said, “Enjoy your food, ladies,” and briskly walked away.
The baguettes were about a foot long, much longer than the two mares originally thought they would be. But the smell of freshly baked baguette, combined with the sweet smell of salad cream, was too good for them both. Now, they just had to finish it all. They picked up their sandwiches and began eating, enjoying the pleasant company of each other, and the warm day they were blessed with.
“I have to admit, though, there was a time where I sometimes got annoyed by you and your antics,” Twilight confessed, halfway through their meal. “Like when you went to Froggy Bottom Bog with all those frogs and dropped one on me…”
“Or when I stood in front of all those ponies and said that Applejack was going to help me with the bunny census, interrupting you in the process,” Fluttershy finished for her, smiling in understanding. “It’s easy to know when you’re annoyed, Twilight. You begin to sound really sarcastic when you are.”
“Do I?” Fluttershy nodded, making Twilight giggle. “I never notice, to be honest. Probably because I’m so wound up I don’t notice I act like that.” She let out a sigh. “That was a while back, wasn’t it? Back then we were all pretty simple ponies, now look at us.” She spread her forelegs out wide. “National heroes, the stuff of legends. I imagine at some point ponies are going to name their children after us.”
“Oh my.” Fluttershy gasped, looking at her weirdly. “But wouldn’t that be a little weird? We’re walking about and then suddenly a mare comes up and says ‘I’m going to name my foal after you’. I don’t think I could come out of that encounter alive.”
“You would get that freaked out?” ‘Well of course she would. She is Fluttershy after all.’ Fluttershy nodded meekly. “It could be worse than that, Fluttershy. Ponies could come up to us and ask if they want to have fo-”
Before she could finish, Fluttershy leaned over the table and planted a hoof in her mouth, the colour of pink on her cheeks. “I think I know what you’re about to say, and I think I don’t want to know anymore. Okay?”
Twilight blankly nodded, even as she was contemplating on giving Fluttershy’s hoof a little lick with her tongue. ‘I wonder what it tastes like?’ she wondered. Before she could enact her master plan, though, Fluttershy pulled her hoof out. ‘Darn it.’
The rest of the meal was finished in silence. “As lovely as that was,” Twilight said, licking her lips to get the crumbs that had stuck to her face, “I don’t think they compare to your pancakes.”
Fluttershy blushed once more at the compliment. “Well you could have had pancakes if you would’ve preferred. They’re on the menu, just below the baguette.”
“They are?!” Twilight exclaimed. She quickly picked up the menu and saw pancakes, topped with golden syrup, right below the baguette she had ordered. “Now she tells me,” she said in a deadpan tone.
Fluttershy lowered her head shyly, trying to avoid Twilight’s annoyed gaze. “Sorry, Twilight. I thought you would have seen it.”
Twilight sighed and waved a hoof. “It’s all right. No point crying over spilt milk.” She got off her cushion and stretched out her hind legs, shaking each leg to rid them of the light pins and needles she was feeling. “Right, I suggest we head over to the archives and get started. If you’re ready, that is.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Oh, I’m ready.” She got up and stretched out her hind legs, then set her saddlebags back onto her back, and then waited for Twilight to move first.
“Right then, stick close to me, for I know the way to the archives like the back of my hoof.” With that, she broke into a trot, followed close behind by Fluttershy.
‘I didn’t expect anything less,’ Fluttershy thought, giggling at Twilight’s predictability. The two trotted cheerfully down the road to the library, taking sudden turns into busy streets, and then into one that was almost empty. Twilight began to whistle a tune that Fluttershy recognised, so she began to hum.
As they trotted towards the library, Fluttershy thought back to how she was acting when Twilight paid for the lunch, and thought how incredibly silly she must have looked. There were many times when Pinkie, Rarity, Rainbow, or Applejack were really kind to her in a single streak, but she never nearly broke into tears like she did back there. So what made Twilight so special? Was it because she brought them all together like never before, or was it something else?
She wasn’t wrong that Twilight was always kind to her, and always loved spending time with her at every possible moment. Fluttershy loved spending time with her as well – she loved hanging out with all her friends! But Twilight…
Her brooding was cut short when Twilight gave her a little nudge. “We’re here,” she announced.
Fluttershy looked at her with wide eyes, and then looked in front of her and her eyes widened even further. The Canterlot archives was, much like the rest of the buildings that surrounded the palace, a large rectangular building with a large tower breaking out and soaring into the sky from its centre, with its walls a bright white with gold on the railings, steeple, and doors. “Wow, that was fast. I didn’t expect us to be here so quickly.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you’re with me. I know every way of getting to the archives, and know all the shortcuts for every possible route, dividing the time it takes by half to get from one end of the city to here.” She grinned, and then trotted cheerfully towards the main entrance. Fluttershy shrugged, and broke into a canter to catch up with her. The two had no problems getting past the guards that stood on either side of the entrance; they whisked them through upon recognising Twilight.
From the main entrance, the archives went two ways: one went left, with junctions leading to smaller wings, while the right led to the wings that kept hold of the more advanced spells and artefacts known to pony kind. “So,” Fluttershy asked, looking both ways, “where do we go from here?”
“Hmm, if I was a silver flower that is unnamed, is barely known, is something that nopony has yet to figure out where it is, and is special in more ways than one, which wing would I be in?” Twilight pondered to herself, tapping her chin with a hoof in thought.
Fluttershy also tapped her chin with a hoof. “Is there a wing with just books on the subject of flora and fauna and that sort of thing?” Fluttershy asked.
Twilight looked at Fluttershy for a moment, incredulous that she never thought about it before. She pulled out her bottom lip in thought, with her eyes looking at the ceiling. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I usually go to the Starswirl the Bearded wing when I was here, since that was were most of my studies were held. I rarely went anywhere else.”
“Well, if you want, we could try one of the other wings down the left path, then go to the right wing?”
Twilight nodded in agreement to Fluttershy’s sound plan. “I like that. Come on let’s find that flower.” The two broke into a trot and began to head down to the closest wing. “Oh and don’t forget, that contest of ours is still on,” Twilight reminded Fluttershy.
Fluttershy froze for a second as she remembered they were competing to see who found something about the flower first. She quickly broke out it and trotted forward, quickly overtaking Twilight as her drive to win something was breaking through.
The two made it to the first wing at around the same time. Before them stood a black iron gate, while beyond it was the wing itself. At its centre was a large hourglass that went up to the ceiling, while around it, shaped around it to form a circle of sorts, aisles of books and scrolls rested together, creating a paradise for those seeking knowledge. Twilight and Fluttershy entered together, the former with eyes as big as plates, while the latter looked about with slight curiosity.
“Where should we start?” Fluttershy queried, her gaze darting from aisle to aisle.
“Well how about we split up? That way we can cover more ground,” Twilight suggested. “You start that end,” she said, pointing to the right of the room, “and I’ll start over there. That way we should meet in the middle.”
Fluttershy nodded in agreement, then trotted away from Twilight and began looking at the various items that adorned the shelves. Twilight watched her go, then turned around and made her way through to the other side, her eyes leaping from book to scroll, and scroll to book. She picked the first one at the top shelf she came to and began flicking through. When she found nothing in it, she put it back and picked up the one next to it.
Fluttershy was much the same, except she was more hesitant in picking them out. She didn’t want to exactly make a mess like she did at Twilight’s home, so only picked out those that looked like they could have something about the flower, and avoided those that didn’t.
They continued this for an hour, until they met in the middle, having found nothing in the books. “No luck?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh well, we’ll just have to try the next wing.” The two left the wing, and proceeded down the corridor to the next wing. This one was a lot bigger than the first, and had a huge statue of Princess Celestia instead of an hourglass at its centre.
The two friends split off again, and scanned every book and scroll they could find. Twilight was halfway through her section, her face revealing her ever-increasing frustration, when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. “Um, Twilight?” She turned around to see Fluttershy hovering just above the ground with a large book in her hooves and a few scrolls in her mane, with a grin on her face that could only be defined as smug. “I think I may have found something.”
Twilight took her gaze of Fluttershy’s grin and looked at the book. It was the colour of crimson, with golden lining around the cover’s edge, and a picture of a unicorn’s head at its centre. Below the head of a unicorn was the title of the book, displayed in a large font. “‘The life and finds of Botany the Botanist’,” Twilight read the title aloud. She took the book from Fluttershy’s hooves and started looking through it. “How do you know this is it, Fluttershy?” she asked.
“Oh, go to page three hundred and fifty four,” Fluttershy answered. “If you want to, that is.”
Twilight glanced up and gave her a wry smile, then flicked the book over to the page and saw on the right was a large picture of an artist’s impression of the flower. Her eyes widened in delight. “You did it, Fluttershy, you did it!” She took hold of the pegasus in her hooves and spun her around, grinning with joy.
Fluttershy was spun around until the pegasus thought she was going to be sick. “Twilight, could you please stop? I think I’m going to throw up.”
Twilight instantly stopped and set her down, her face laced with concern for her friend’s well being. “Sorry, Fluttershy. Guess I got a bit distracted back there.”
Fluttershy shook her head, hoping that would clear the dizziness she was feeling. Luckily, it did, and she was feeling better in no time at all. She looked up and smiled at her friend, putting Twilight’s fears at ease. “It’s all right. I probably would have done the same thing if I were in your hooves.” She gestured with her head to a small bench so that the both of them could go through what they had found. “Come on, let’s see if we can find out where this flower is.”
Twilight nodded, and followed her friend to the bench. Fluttershy set herself down at one end, while Twilight sat the opposite. “Say, what are all those scrolls in your mane?” Twilight asked, pointing at them.
Fluttershy looked at what Twilight was pointing at for a second, then took the scrolls out of her mane and set them on the bench in front of her. “These were in the book,” Fluttershy explained. “When I got hold of it, all these scrolls fell out. I figured they would be important if they were with it.”
“They probably are,” Twilight agreed. “Right, you go look through those, and I’ll look through this. See if there’s anything elsewhere about it in here.” With that, she lowered her head and began reading, the only movement the unicorn was displaying was her eyes darting left to right and back again.
Fluttershy opened up the first scroll and stared at it for a long time. It was a very old map of Equestria, so old that even Ponyville wasn’t where it is now. Railway lines were non-existent, and the bottom edge went as far down as the edge of the desert, showing the border of Equestria hundreds of years ago. Fluttershy set that one aside, and looked at another. Again, it was a map of Equestria, but this one had lines in different colours of ink across it, heading to different places across Equestria: Las Pegasus, Neighagra falls, The Everfree Forest, to name but a few. “Twilight, what do you think this is?”
She set the map down, and turned it around for Twilight to see. “Hmm,” Twilight pondered, her eyes going over the whole thing. “Looks to me like a key. Places that Botany went to study, and he recorded his travels on here. This could give us a clue as to where the plant is.”
“Sorry, but I don’t understand.”
“Think about it. This guy, Botany, must have recorded his travels in some form or another. I believe we may have found that way. Now, if we can narrow it down to that one line, we could follow it and go from there.”
Fluttershy nodded in understanding, then set the map aside, and began looking through the other scrolls in the hope something would come up. Twilight, on the other hoof, flicked to the next page and her eyes gradually widened as she read what was on it. “It says here,” Twilight said aloud, drawing Fluttershy’s attention, “he went after the flower after hearing it from an ancient story with so much historical accuracy he figured it had to be true.”
“Does it say what story it was?”
Twilight went silent once more as she read the rest of the page. “Nope, nothing of the sort, I’m afraid. It goes on to say, however, that he set out alone after it, and when he was seen again he had no recollection of who, or what, he was. His assistants later tried to work out his bearings, but couldn’t. It doesn’t say why.”
“I think I know,” Fluttershy put in. She put a scroll she was reading flat on the table and turned it around for Twilight to see. “I think he did it in little riddles.”
Twilight stared at the large writing that took up most of the page, and read the words repeatedly until they were stuck in her head. “This guy must have been crazy. He should have gone out a bit more.”
Fluttershy raised an eyebrow in mild amusement. “I think he got out more than anypony, Twilight. It cost him his memory, after all.”
“What I mean is he should have been with friends more then plants. Anyway, the first line is: ‘Across the great flood a pony must go. To places of iron, and then yonder to places of gold’.” She leaned back on her chair and let out a sigh. “Well the first bit is quite easy, if you think about it. It’s the ocean he went to.”
“Yes, but the problem is working out which side. East or west?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that.” She put a hoof to her chin as she remembered her geography lessons with Princess Celestia. The eastern seaboard had the port cities of Manehatten, Fillydelphia and Baltimare, and both supplied steamships and airships full of trade to the Griffon Kingdom on the other side. The west had the cities of Las Pegasus and Vanhoover. Beyond them and into the ocean, however, was a different matter. Nopony really knew what was on the other side, with the furthest living Equestrian citizens being those of the Iron… It suddenly clicked.
“That’s it!” Twilight exclaimed, making Fluttershy fall out of her seat in shock. “The Iron Pony Islands is what Botany was talking about! He went to the Iron Pony Islands first!”
Fluttershy picked herself off the floor and back onto her chair. Her eyes widened in fear as she realised what that meant for them. “So that means he headed west, a-across the ocean… and t-that would mean…”
“We would have to go west as well… and…”
“Leave Equestria,” the two finished together. The two looked at each other in an uneasy silence. None of them had anticipated leaving Equestria; even Twilight said to Applejack that she did not intend to leave the country. Now Twilight was unsure that her master plan was such a master plan after all. As she knew from her geography lessons, beyond the Iron Pony Islands were miles upon miles of uncharted ocean, and there was no idea if there was a civilisation on the other side of it. Now Twilight wished she had gone for the safer option and gave Fluttershy some flowers and asked her out on a date.
In fact, she still could do that, if Fluttershy decides to back down. “Well, Fluttershy,” Twilight finished the silence, “I’ll leave it for you to decide.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she realised she was given the choice. “Why me?!” she protested.
“Because you’re the one that wanted to come with me in the end, Fluttershy,” Twilight answered. She paused to take a deep breath, and then continued. “Look. Fluttershy, I don’t want to treat you like somepony would with a child. As sensitive as you are, you are two years older than me, and can make your own decisions. If I decide on whether we stay or go, then it wouldn’t be fair on you either way. So I thought it might be best if you decide. Just know that I will stand by your decision, whatever it may be. So, do you want to head west, and see what’s out there, or return home?”
Fluttershy looked at Twilight for a moment, thinking of a way to counter her reasoning, but couldn’t think of any. Twilight gave her the choice out of thought of her, and that was something very few ponies did. It was meaningful, but also felt like a heavy burden.
With a small but heavy sigh, Fluttershy jumped off the chair and walked over to the window, staring out at the vast plains she could see beyond the cliffs that Canterlot rested upon. “I don’t know, Twilight,” she said after a while. “If I was a braver pony like Rainbow Dash then I don’t think I would hesitate. I would grab it with both hooves and go for it, for better or worse.” She sighed once more. “But I’m not Rainbow Dash.”
Twilight shook her head, and then got off her chair and walked up next to her. “You’re right. You are not Rainbow Dash. You are Fluttershy, and you are one of the bravest ponies I know. And besides, I think I could only take one Rainbow Dash, thank you very much.” ‘And I don’t think I would love you as much as I do if you were.’
Fluttershy giggled, then let out another sigh. “Throughout my entire life, I have been dreaming of a moment like this to come and whisk me away from my ordinary life. There’s a part of me screaming to take this chance, saying that I won’t get another like it again. However, another part is telling me to turn around and go home and jump in my closet and hide. I know I shouldn’t let my fears get the better of me, but I can’t seem to help it.” She looked down at the ground with Twilight next to her, who was unsure of what to do.
Fluttershy’s mind felt as if a thousand bees were swarming about it. Stay? Go? Stay? Go? Stay? Go? Those words were going back and forth across her mind, and were not helping at all. She quickly blanked her mind, and began thinking in a more organised manner. She considered the risks on taking this trip, and then compared them to the positive aspects of going. In a way the risks outweighed the positive side, and gave her a feeling she should say, “Let’s go home.”
Before she could utter her first thoughts, she thought back to something her father had told her one evening when she was a filly. The two of them were cuddled up on the couch, enjoying the sweet silence and enjoying the ice cream her mother had made. “There will come a time, Fluttershy,” her father had said, “when you will be given the chance to do something extraordinary. You will only have this one chance, though; for once it has passed it will never come again. When it does come, sweetheart, take it with both hooves and never look back. For better or worse.”
Fluttershy had looked up at her father with large eyes and said, “Have you ever had that moment, daddy?”
He nodded, beaming from ear to ear. “Yes. It was the moment when your mother asked me to marry her.”
Fluttershy now had her answer. She looked back at her friend with determination in her eyes, something very rarely seen in the timid pegasus. “Yes. Let’s travel west.”
“Are you absolutely certain of this, Fluttershy?” Twilight enquired, her tone expressing her absolute concern.
Fluttershy nodded. “I think I am. I might change my mind later, but for now I’m certain of this.”
Twilight nodded slowly. “Okay then.” She shut the book up with her magic, and then gave Fluttershy a wide grin, which Fluttershy returned. “Then let’s get ready.”
The two ponies set about putting back the books and scrolls where they found them, and then hurriedly left the archives and made their way back to the tower they were staying at. About halfway home, they decided on getting the stuff needed to make pancakes and a few other goods for sandwiches tomorrow. So they went to a shop and both bought an equal amount of food. With their saddlebags full and bursting with food, they set off back home.
Around them, ponies were retreating from the streets and back into their homes, as a huge black rainstorm slowly approached from the west. Pushed, Fluttershy realised, by a large team of weather ponies from Cloudsdale.
“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked as they walked back through the quieting streets.
Fluttershy looked from the rainstorm coming from Cloudsdale and looked at her friend. “Yes, Twilight?”
“Since you found out about the flower first, and therefore won our little contest, I was wondering what you had planned to do for us when we got back.”
Fluttershy looked at the ground as they walked, her eyes wandering as she thought of what to do. “I have a few ideas about what we should do,” she answered. “I just hope you’re okay with them.”
Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. “Nonsense, I’ll be happy to do anything you want.”
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, good, then I was hoping if you had any board games back at your old place.”
Twilight looked up at her brow in thought. “I’m not sure. We could have a look in the attic when we get back, if you want.”
“That’ll be good,” she said. She faced the front and again and picked up the pace a little bit, with Twilight wondering what Fluttershy had planned.
“Oh… Twilight… I… I don’t think I can hold on for much longer…”
“Almost there… I almost have it… I can just touch it… just a little bit further…”
“Well hurry up… because I think I’m gonna… I’m gonna…”
“Got it!” Twilight exclaimed with delight. She spun the needle around and watched as it landed on a picture of a right hind leg and a yellow spot. “Right hind leg yellow.”
Fluttershy looked at her with alarm. “Seriously?!” She shook her head. “I don’t think I can do it.”
“Go on, give it a go, and hurry up because my legs are starting to strain.”
Fluttershy nodded, and then looked to where her leg had to go. Twilight’s head was annoyingly right in front of it, meaning she had to lift her leg high enough, bring it over her friend’s head and down again.
The two were in a very awkward position. Twilight’s forelegs were spread out so wide that the first half of her body was forced to bend towards the ground, her left hind leg was up in air (as was the rules of this game), and her other hind leg was pressed against Fluttershy’s chest.
Fluttershy was in no easy position herself. Her head was resting on Twilight’s lower back, right next to her rump, with one of her forelegs stretched back so that it was by her belly, and another was in the air, while her hind legs were spaced out evenly, giving her some balance. Now, it seemed, she would lose her only balance.
With a gulp, she lifted her hind leg up, and with a free foreleg unable to touch the ground, it was more difficult that it looked to keep a reasonable balance. Unfortunately for Fluttershy, balance wasn’t on her side. As she starting moving her hind leg over her friend’s head, she bent her body too far to the right, and toppled into Twilight, who landed flat on her stomach with an, “Eek!”
The two laughed as they got out of the entanglement they were placed in by Twister. “Oh, that was fun,” Twilight said, once they got out of each other’s hooves. Twilight brushed down some of her coat so that it was straight and smooth again. “Gotta love Twister, the only game that puts you in awkward situations and makes it fun.”
“I know. I played it with Applejack and her family sometimes. It’s harder with more than four ponies than it is with two, believe me.”
Twilight nodded, and with a flick of her horn put the mat and spinner away. “It’s harder when you’re not allowed to use magic in it.”
“Well you could have done. I wouldn’t have minded if you did if it made things easier.”
“Nope, have to follow the rules. Sorry, but it’s how I do things.” She set the game back under the bed, then jumped up and spread herself out across it. “So what do you want to do next?”
Fluttershy grinned, for she knew exactly what she wanted to do next. “How about we play a game of ‘shh’?”
Twilight looked at her oddly. “Hmm, I have never heard of that game before. What is it about?”
Fluttershy jumped up on the bed and sat on her haunches, grinning excitedly at Twilight. “Well, it’s a game of who can be quiet the longest. If you want to play then I had better warn you, I’m the world champion of it.”
Twilight looked at her even stranger than before. “How do you know you’re the world champion of it?” she queried
Fluttershy took a small piece of paper out of somewhere, and showed it to Twilight. The unicorn’s eyes squinted as she read the small writing on what was definitely a certificate. “‘This certificate goes to Fluttershy Whisperwing, two times world champion of the ‘shh’ competition’.” She reeled back from the certificate, and raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Wow. Really, wow. You learn something new everyday. I never knew you were a world champion.”
Fluttershy shrugged it off. “It’s not really a big thing, I think. And I don’t like to brag about it.”
“Why not? You should be proud of your achievements, and especially that, even if it’s going to be momentarily.” She finished by giving her a wicked grin.
Fluttershy cocked an eyebrow. “What do you mean, ‘momentarily’?”
“Because I’m going to be the one that beats you,” Twilight said, grinning with evil intent.
Fluttershy felt a smirk coming on her face. “You’re going down, Twilight Sparkle.” Twilight sat upright and faced Fluttershy with determination to win. Once both mares were ready, Fluttershy said, “Three, two, one, silence!” and clamped her mouth shut. Twilight clamped her mouth shut in quick succession.
For the next ten minutes, the two mares faced each other in complete silence, blinking every now and then as if they were communicating in different means. Outside, the birds from the royal gardens sang their midnight songs, the guards of the Day’s Watch finished their duties, and were quickly replaced by those of the Night’s Watch, and a light breeze rustled the bushes and trees outside.
After the first ten minutes, the mares realised they were in a standoff, and both decided to take extreme measures. Twilight began first by sticking out her tongue and wiggling it about like it was slithering like a snake. Fluttershy’s eyes widened when she realised what she was doing, but otherwise sat still as if she was turned to stone. Once Twilight stopped, Fluttershy countered with each eye rolling in separate directions around their sockets.
Twilight’s jaw dropped as Fluttershy did that, and looked at her with a mix of amazement and disgust. ‘How does she do that?’ Twilight mused. Fluttershy stopped spinning her eyes around and gave Twilight a firm nod, as if she was saying, “Beat that.”
So Twilight did. She began twitching her nose like a rabbit, while at the same time flexing her ears back and forth. Fluttershy covered her mouth with both hooves in the hope it would suppress the giggle she desperately wanted to release. ‘She’d better stop,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘Or I’ll have to stop her.’
Mercifully, Twilight stopped when she realised she wasn’t getting anywhere. Therefore, she tried a different tactic. She lifted her hoof up, and prodded Fluttershy gently on the chest, hoping she would find a ticklish spot. Fluttershy looked down at where Twilight prodded her, then lifted up a hoof of her own and poked Twilight on the muzzle. Twilight wiggled her nose for a moment, then brought a hoof forward and tickled Fluttershy below the chin. It gained no reaction from the pegasus, who sat as if she was a statue.
Fluttershy smirked devilishly. ‘Well if she wants to play it that way.’ Fluttershy lifted a hoof up and stroked Twilight on the side of the neck, hoping she would gain a reaction. Sure enough, she did. Twilight cocked her head to the side in an attempt to rid Fluttershy’s hoof away. After a moment, Fluttershy pulled back and waited for Twilight’s turn. ‘It would only be fair if she tried,’ she reasoned to herself.
Twilight smirked, then lifted a hoof up, leaned over and rubbed her hoof around Fluttershy’s exposed belly. Fluttershy puffed her cheeks up with air, stopping the roar of laughter she wanted to unleash. She was extremely ticklish on the belly, and she knew if Twilight kept it up for long, she would lose.
Twilight finally stopped, and narrowed an eye as she waited for Fluttershy to make her move. ‘What will she do now? As long as she doesn’t tickle my sides then I’ll be fine,’ she thought.
Unfortunately, for her, that was what Fluttershy planned. Fluttershy lifted both fore-hooves and tickled both her sides at the same time, making Twilight’s eyes go wide in horror. It became too much for her. Unable to stop herself, she began to laugh. “Okay, stop it, Fluttershy, stop it, you win, just make it stop,” she got out between spouts of laughter.
Fluttershy pulled her hooves away and shifted herself away from the mare, grinning in triumph. “You did really well, Twilight. Better than most ponies I have played with, believe me.”
Twilight took another deep breath, and grinned back at Fluttershy. “That was a lot of fun, to be honest. I was wary of it at first, but when we started doing those things, it got interesting. Is that what it’s like at the world championships?”
“Oh, no, it’s a bit more dull than that. We just sit facing each other and wait until one of us can’t take the silence anymore. I wish it was more fun, though.” Fluttershy heard something clattering against the glass, and looked outside and saw the rain begin to fall. “Would you like to take part in the competition one day? I would love it if one of my friends came along.”
Twilight grinned at the offer. “I would love too.” ‘Anything to spend more time with you.’ She suddenly let out a yawn. “Well, I’m tired, and it’s getting late.” She put herself under the covers, and rested her head on the pillow. “Today has been fantastic, Fluttershy. The best day I’ve had in a long time.” She gave Fluttershy a friendly nuzzle. “Thank you for making it so memorable.” ‘Memorable in that it’s one of the few days I get a chance to be just with you and you alone.’
“Well I hope we can have even better days once we get out of Canterlot and on the road again,” Fluttershy said. She jumped off the bed. “I’m going to the bathroom quick. Goodnight, Twilight.” With a small, caring smile, she trotted to the bathroom, letting Twilight rest her head on the pillow and close her eyes, smiling at the memories of the day as they replayed in her head.
When Fluttershy returned, she smiled at the fast asleep unicorn in the bed, with her legs tucked to her stomach, and her side rising and falling peacefully. Fluttershy jumped up on the bed, and then settled down under the covers, shifting about until she felt comfortable. She then tucked her legs under her stomach and rested her head on the pillow, facing the unicorn that helped make a good day.
As her eyes got heavier with tiredness, she smiled at the sweet smile Twilight had across her lips. Today had truly been one of the best days for both of them, it seemed, and they only had to thank each other for it. ‘Twilight is such a good friend,’ Fluttershy thought. ‘It’s hard to think what my life would be like without her.’ At that moment, her eyes closed, and she drifted off into her own little world.
She was woken up hours later, by a bright flash of lightning, followed close behind by the roar of thunder. She squeaked in fright and covered her ears with her hooves, turning the loud explosion into a low rumble. She took her hooves off her ears, and waited for another. A few seconds passed, and suddenly the room she was in went bright with lightning once more, followed close behind by an angry clap of thunder. Unable to take anymore, she pulled the bedcover over her head and hugged herself tight, shaking in fear.
She didn’t mind the lightning as much as she used to when she was a filly. In fact, she would get out of bed, pull back the curtains, and watched from a safe distance as lightning struck the town before her. However, when lightning was up close like it was tonight, then it was to her mind terrifying.
Moments passed by, and she could hear the roar of thunder getting increasingly distant. She gently pushed the covers off her head, and then looked outside just to see heavy rain beginning to fall.
‘Now sleep will come easy for me,’ she thought. The rain knocking on the window always made her dreary, and wanting to go to sleep. She couldn’t understand why, though, it just did. She rested her head back on the soft, welcoming pillow, and slowly closed her eyes.
“No… please… please, don’t…” Twilight whispered next to her.
Fluttershy’s head shot back up and looked at Twilight in shock. ‘Was I really so loud?’ “Twilight, you awake?” she whispered. She received no reply, only a few more groans and mutters that sounded like pleads. Fluttershy tilted her head slightly, and then crept closer. “Twilight, are you all right?”
“No… please… don’t leave me… I’m sorry… please!” Twilight muttered, getting louder with every word. Fluttershy noticed she was reaching out with her hooves as if she was trying to stop somepony, and her eyes widened when she saw something glistening on Twilight’s cheeks. ‘She’s crying.’
Now Fluttershy was completely unsure of what to do. She didn’t know whether to wake her friend up, hoping that would stop any suffering she seemed to be in, or just let the dream play its course and go back to sleep. As soon as she thought that, she felt disgusted with herself. ‘You’re such a coward, Fluttershy,’ she said to herself. ‘You have to help her.’ But how to help her, she didn’t know.
“I don’t want to be alone…” Twilight sobbed. “Please don’t leave me alone.”
It was more than Fluttershy could stand, and it helped make her think of a way to comfort her without waking her. Gently, she brought a hoof under her friend’s side, and then brought another over Twilight’s belly. She then shifted herself closer so that her own belly was touching Twilight’s back, and Fluttershy’s head rested behind Twilight’s.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. I’ve got you,” she whispered gently. With a hoof, she stroked Twilight’s cheek delicately, wiping away the tears that stained it. “You will never be alone, Twilight. I will never leave you, nor hate you. You are too nice a pony for that. I will never abandon you, Twilight Sparkle.” She suddenly remembered the dream she had last night, and was briefly freaked out how similar these events were. Nevertheless, she refused to let go. “So long as we are friends, I will never leave your side… expect for going home and such, of course.”
She looked down at Twilight, and smiled when she saw the unicorn had stopped squirming ages ago, and had drifted back into a peaceful sleep. “Sweet dreams.” She wiped away the tears on the other cheek, and then rested her head right behind Twilight’s, keeping her close to her chest. ‘This feels… nice,’ she thought.
Before her thoughts could reply, she drifted off into sleep with sweet and pleasant dreams filling her head, while the rain outside knocked against the glass window.
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An update?
cdn.derpiboo.ru/thumbs/1200/600/2012/12/21/15_30_33_292_189344__UNOPT__safe_princess_celestia_vector_roid_rage_snowflake_yeah_excl__artist_klashyyk
Just one word for you and this chapter: Awesome!
1952955
Thank you very much 
1952793 Indeed, please let me know what you think of it.
Well, I should make a more detailed comment about this chapter and this story, because you deserve it.
I especially love how you show us the interactions and conversations between Twilight and Fluttershy. Talking about their pasts, singing and playing together, their inner thoughts about the other etc. Thats a really important part for me. And of course that this twishy is an adventure makes it more special. You got me really into this....
1953042 It's this sort of comment here that makes me want to continue this. I do love writing the talking between the two, and trying to make it sound organic without forcing it (at least, I hope that's what I'm doing), and the bit where they were playing 'shh'... I love writing that, and a smile was on my face as I wrote.
Thank you for following it, and I hope you enjoy what happens when they head west, and leave Equestria...
My my my, what an entertaining little chapter
I'm loving how everything is flowing naturally between the two. Nothing feels rushed, you take time to explain and give details (which is quite nice). They are in character to a "T".
Also loved how you actually had proof that Fluttershy was really the world champion. And her last name that you gave her was ADORABLE
Fantabulous chapter my friend. Can't wait for more ^w^
I really enjoyed this chapter. The interactions between Fluttershy and Twilight were amazing, and I can't wait for their adventure to continue.
Fluttershy is indeed the world champ.
I absolutely love seeing these two interact. We don't get to see too much of them together in the show, and I think you handle them quite well. It's also nice to finally see Fluttershy play a game of 'ssshh', I have yet to read a fic that does that. Couple errors in grammar here and there, but I honestly never really mind that kind of stuff. All in all, another fantastic chapter. :3
D'Aww... This fic has been fantastic, and absolutely adorable so far! I'm glad I finally decided to read this chapter and the last one, since for some reason I hadn't...
Your writing skills are incredible, and your characterization of Fluttershy and Twilight is amazing as well. Fics like these are what really make me love TwiShy, besides the fact that they're the best ponies and they just work perfectly together.
Don't understand the down-votes, though...
Looking forward to the next chapter!
so much Dawwwwww i think i have diabetus now
fc00.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/004/6/1/baby_applejack_requires_moar_by_zombiemonkey7-d5qedtd.jpg
1953692 That was the plan.
1954244 Thank you so much. The last name was a bit difficult to think of, but I think it suites her a lot (I wouldn't mind if we knew all the characters surnames). I'm glad you're enjoying the story, good sir, and hopefully you will enjoy what happens next.
1955540 Yes she is, the world champ of adorableness as well, but there's no certificate for that unfortunately.
1957528 Yeah, but when they are together, it is special (that's why 'A Bird In The Hoof' is my favourite episode, because it has these two together on screen more than most).
1958129 Thank you. If I'm honest, it is your fics that I've been looking at to get thier interactions as right as possible, because the way you do them is adorable. And yes, they are best ponies.
1958591 Yes, first victim!
Um, I mean, oh dear. And please put that baby Applejack away, the doctor told me that if I look at it longer than ten seconds... I die.
I have one question Fluttershy20 if you don´t mind. Will you bring some action in this story too? Like the two of them facing dangers and things like that? Just curious.
1958790
Well, that's actually kinda nice to know that. Knowing that I (indirectly) helped with such a great fic as this is really nice.
1960112 Yes, they will face dangers and peril once they leave Equestria (it is an adventure story, after all), but not all the time.
I hope that has sated your curiosity.
1964367
Yes, thanks for your answer. Looking forward to it.
Such an adorable chapter!
Wow, this story is getting even better then before! They're well in character, there is absolute non-stop cuteness and....truthfully, I don't think I can add to what has already been said by the likes of Bujin, Nightroad, and YayFlutters, though they are reflecting my thoughts on the previous chapters. Keep this up, and "Once Bitten Twice Shy" will be usurped as my favorite TwiShy story
I agree with Dark Aura, we don't see Twilight and Fluttershy together in the show nearly enough. Given their similar interests, attitudes, and inclinations, you'd think they hang out a lot more
Yes, Twilight and Fluttershy are the two best ponies
1999074 Wow, thank you so much for that. I'll do my best on making this the best twishy story you've read. (I doubt I could beat that story, though).
And I'm glad I've been getting the characters right with this one. One of the biggest concerns for me is keeping them in character.
And I agree, Fluttershy and Twilight are best ponies, in that order
“It could be worse than that, Fluttershy. Ponies could come up to us and ask if they want to have fo-” I
and 
at the same time.
So. Much. Cuteness. ^_^ in the begining you showed how talented you are at writing romance. Which makes me want more romance. Now. Must. Read. Moar. The ending was amazing. This is the best TwiShy story i've read. I need to check out this "Once Bitten Twice Shy" though.
A nice and even pace. In the next chapter, something has to go wrong due to newton's law.
Every action will have an equal and opposite reaction.