Chapter 1
It was almost noon on a quiet Sunday in Ponyville, and Rainbow Dash had just woken up. Someone was calling her name from outside her cloud house, since knocking on the door wasn't exactly effective.
“Um... Rainbow Dash?”
Especially not for Fluttershy. Her mumbling was just audible enough to stir Dash from her slumber. She groaned, rolled over and pulled herself out of bed. It was time for her and Fluttershy's weekly date. Dash wasn't exactly looking forward to it- she loved Fluttershy, but her date ideas were always so boring. I mean, butterfly watching? Tea parties? Seriously?
“Dash? Are... are you there?”
Well, it's not like she could get out of it. Rainbow Dash rubbed her eyes and walked to the door. “Hang on, Fluttershy, I'm coming.” She pulled the door open and there she was, carrying a basket. She smiled, and Rainbow Dash smiled back. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” Fluttershy nuzzled Dash's cheek. “No problem at all, dear. So, you ready for our date?” Dash stepped back a bit and nodded. “Yep! Whatcha got planned this time?”
Fluttershy raised her basket. “Well, I was thinking maybe a picnic in the park would be nice. Does that sound okay?” “Only if I'm not in charge of the food”, Dash said. “All I've got is energy drinks, chips and instant noodles.” Fluttershy shook her head. “Don't be silly. I made lunch for both of us. I, um...” Fluttershy blushed and looked at the floor. “I made it with love.” Dash giggled. “Of course you did. In that case, let's go!”
The two pegasi flew to the park and found a nice patch of grass. Fluttershy landed, pulled a checkered blanket from her basket and spread it out. Rainbow Dash landed on the blanket and rubbed her hooves together in anticipation. “Alright, let's eat! What did you make, Shy?” Fluttershy shook her head. “Be patient, dear. I'm not done setting up yet.”
Rainbow Dash grumbled and crossed her forelegs. Fluttershy pulled out two plates, two napkins, two sets of silverware and a pair of cups. “Alright. For starters, I made a nice salad. Don't worry, I brought the dressing too.” Fluttershy took a large salad bowl out of the basket, with a pair of tongs for serving, and the dressing. Dash began helping herself to the food while Fluttershy got the rest of it out. “Next I have some sunflower and daisy sandwiches, with the flowers pulled fresh from my garden this morning. For drinks, I got a bottle of cider from Applejack...”
“You what?” Dash dropped her plate onto the blanket and took the cider from Fluttershy. “She had more of this stuff? Why didn't she let me have it!?” Fluttershy sighed and hoped that Dash wouldn't fly off to beg AJ for more cider later. “Well, she told me she was saving a few bottles for special occasions... And I made it clear to her that I wanted this to be very special.” “...Oh.” Dash put the bottle down. “Well... Thank you.” Fluttershy smiled. “No problem.” She picked up the bottle, pulled the cork out and filled the cups. Dash picked hers up and swallowed the cider in one gulp. “Mmm, that's good stuff”, she said before going back to devouring the salad. Fluttershy filled Dash's cup back up and then took a sip from her own. Then she got an idea.
She stuck her muzzle into the cup and gulped down some of the cider, getting her fur wet in the process. “Oh, Dashie...” Dash looked up. “I'm making such a mess with this cider. Do you think you could maybe clean it up for me?” Dash blushed, then smirked. “Sure thing...” She leaned in and kissed Fluttershy, breaking away every few seconds to lick around her lips. After a few minutes she stopped and leaned back. “Better?” “Better.”
A short while later, after finishing the sandwiches, Fluttershy took a box out of her basket. “What's that?”, Dash asked. “Dessert. I made some biscuits, and brought honey to put on them. Let me just...” Fluttershy looked in the basket. She pushed the contents around for a minute, then frowned. “I forgot the honey! I'm sorry, Dash...” Dash sighed. “I'm sorry... I'll just put the biscuits back.” Dash put a hoof on top of the box before Fluttershy could do so. “Wait a sec. How bout I go get some honey?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “Oh no, you don't have to do that...” “Oh come on. It'll only take me a few minutes. It's the least I could do after you went through the trouble of getting everything else.” Fluttershy shrugged. “Well, I guess so.” Dash smiled and flapped her wings. “Awesome.” She lifted off, picked up the salad bowl and dumped its contents onto her plate, then zoomed off.
Dash flew through the park, looking for a beehive. She figured getting some honey that way would be faster than flying to the market and buying some. After a few minutes she saw a nice, big hive dangling from a tree branch. She hovered next to it, grabbed it with her forehooves and pulled. She got it after a few seconds.
Rainbow Dash landed and placed the salad bowl on the ground. She held the hive over it with the entrance facing down, and shook it vigorously. A few bees flew out but she swatted them away. Then the honey slowly dripped out. She shook the hive harder to speed it up, and in a minute she had plenty of honey. She tossed the hive aside, picked up the bowl and flew back to Fluttershy.
Moments later, Dash and Fluttershy were happily nomming on biscuits. “Mmm, this is wonderful”, Fluttershy said. “The honey is so sweet.” Dash wiped some crumbs from her mouth. “Not as sweet as you, babe”, she said. Fluttershy chuckled, and Dash joined her. “Yeah, that was pretty lame”, she admitted.
Dash picked up another biscuit. “You know, I gotta admit, this picnic has been pretty- OUCH!” A sharp pain shot through her hoof, causing her to drop her treat. “What the heck?” She looked down and saw a bee. “Buzz off!” She swatted it away, then tenderly rubbed the stung spot with her other hoof.
“Are you okay, Dash?”, Fluttershy asked. Dash nodded. “I'll be fine. Stupid bees...” “Well, hopefully now they'll leave us- OW!” Another bee had flown up and stung Fluttershy's neck. Another pair of them got Dash's wings, one more stung Fluttershy's shoulder, and another stung Dash on the nose. “What in the world are these bees bugging us for?”, Fluttershy asked.
Fluttershy looked down at the biscuits, then up at the bees buzzing around them. She glared at Rainbow Dash. “You didn't.” Rainbow Dash gulped. “I, uh... I kinda did.”
Fluttershy got up and began packing the food and dishes into her basket. “I think we should wrap things up for the day. If we don't go now we might have a lot more to deal with than a few stings. Dash nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we can go back to your place and... Wait. Do you hear buzzing?” Fluttershy shooed another bee away. “Of course I hear it!” “No, I mean like MORE buzzing. And it's getting louder.”
The two pegasi looked around. In the distance was a fluctuating mass of something, flying toward them at a quick pace. Their eyes widened in realization. “It's an entire swarm!” “FLY!”
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy took off. They flew over the trees of the park toward Fluttershy's cottage, with Dash getting farther and farther ahead. “Come on, Fluttershy! Speed up!”, she shouted. Fluttershy, already tired and unused to such exertion, strained to flap her wings harder. “I... I don't think... I can!”
Soon enough, Dash could see the cottage in the distance. “Alright, we're almost there!” She turned her head to check on Fluttershy. The swarm was gaining on her, fast. “Shy, hurry, they're right behind you!” Fluttershy turned, saw the mass of bees, and screamed.
She kept flying, and the swarm flew faster. A few bees nearly caught her, but she swatted them away with her tail. “Dash, I'm not gonna make it! Save yourself!” Dash shook her head. “No way! I'm not gonna abandon you!” “Just go! There's nothing you can do!” Dash shook her head once more. “Yes there is.”
Dash flew toward the swarm and mentally braced herself. This was going to hurt.
She put herself between Fluttershy and the bulk of the swarm. “Stop!”, she said. Fluttershy turned around. “Dash, what are you doing!?” Rainbow Dash ignored her. “I'm the one you want!”, she told the insects. They buzzed intensely. “I'm the one who wrecked your hive. Take me instead!”
For a moment, the bees just hovered there, possibly debating whether to do as the pegasus said. They soon agreed and enveloped Rainbow Dash. She flinched and writhed in pain as dozens upon dozens of stingers rammed into her. Her legs, her stomach, her face, her back, and worst of all, her wings. The spots were the bees stung her swelled up. After a few minutes she was too sore to flap her wings. She started falling.
The bees stopped their assault on Rainbow Dash and flew away, and Fluttershy watched in horror as she began losing altitude. Dash fell, and Fluttershy flew after her. She got closer and closer to Dash, but they were both getting closer to the ground every second. She wasn't going to catch Rainbow Dash in time...
Dash landed on a bush. Fluttershy screamed. “Oh my goodness, are you okay!?”
–--------
It was almost noon on a quiet Tuesday in Ponyville Hospital, and Rainbow Dash had just woken up. Someone was knocking on the door to her room.
“Rainbow Dash? Can I come in?”
“Sure thing, Shy”, Dash replied. Fluttershy walked in, carrying a basket. “Hey. How are you feeling?” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “Not too bad, I guess. Still kinda sore though.”
Fluttershy put her basket down on a nearby table. “Well of course you are. The swelling isn't even healed yet, not to mention your wings.” Dash groaned. “Don't remind me. So, whatcha bring this time?” “I made you lunch. Sunflower and daisy sandwiches again... Hope you don't mind.” Rainbow Dash smiled. “Why would I? It sure beats the slop they serve here.” “Oh, and since I know how bored you get, I brought one of Twilight's Daring Do books.”
Fluttershy took the book out of her basket and gave it to dash. “Daring Do and the Temple of Eternal Fire? Awesome! You're the best, babe.” Fluttershy leaned in and kissed Dash on the cheek. “Anything for you, honey.”