> A Not Quite So Daring Dash
>  by darbselah
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Needing Comfort
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"So... uh - I guess I'll see you later Dash," Fluttershy said quietly. They had just landed in front of Rainbow Dash's Cloudsdale home.
"Right," Rainbow pawed at the ground looking forlorn, "later." 
Fluttershy could barely hold back tears seeing her friend like this. "I guess," she started timidly, "I could come in for a bit. That is if you want me to."
"No-no. I'm Fine!" Rainbow blurted out, but Fluttershy could see that this just wasn't the case. She watched as Rainbow Dash made her way inside, ears drooped and hooves barely getting off the ground. She didn't know what to do. Rainbow had always been there for her and she so wanted to return the favor. 
"B-but... Please!" The desperation in Fluttershy's voice stopped Rainbow Dash at the threshold of her home.
"Whatever," Rainbow rolled her eyes, "come in if you feel you need to. Just so you know I'm headed to bed. A Pegasus needs her sleep." 
Rainbow Dash always acted so tough but this time Fluttershy could see her friend needed some comforting. True to her word Rainbow Dash headed straight for her room and threw herself down on the bed. Fluttershy stood in the doorway feeling very awkward. The earlier encounter with the Rock Golem really hadn't gone well at all. 
The ponies had been sent by Princess Celestia to see why supplies from Fillydelphia hadn't been arriving with their usual regularity. It hadn't taken much in the way of investigating to discover that a giant Rock Golem had decided to start charging a toll to all convoys heading through his canyon and when anyone refused he simply took his fee by force. Of course Rainbow tried to deal with the creature in her usual straightforward way of a kick to the chops but this time the creature was having none of it. With a giant hand he blindsided the unsuspecting pony and sent her crashing into the canyon wall. It would have been even worse if Rarity and Twilight hadn't softened the blow with their magic. The ponies eventually subdued the creature and convinced him that there were better, more honest ways to earn money, but Fluttershy had noticed that Rainbow hadn't been the same after being hit. 
Once they returned to Ponyville all the ponies went their separate ways but Fluttershy had noticed that Rainbow still didn't seem right and offered to fly with her to Cloudsdale. Rainbow had ignored all attempts of Fluttershy to start any conversation during the flight.  She even, surprisingly, declined a desperate suggestion of a race. She had Fluttershy very worried.
Fluttershy stood in the doorway a minute more before deciding that her uneasiness wouldn't keep her from helping her friend. She made her way to Rainbow's room and peeked inside. The only light came from a moonlit window at the far side of the room. She could just make out the silhouetted shape of her friend curled up on top of the bed. She couldn't stand seeing Rainbow this way. She stood for a few moments more, building up the courage to speak.
"Umm... Rainbow?" 
No answer.
"Rainbow?" she repeated. Although Rainbow Dash had her back to her Fluttershy could see her shoulders shaking and hear the muffled sobs. "Oh Dashie!" She ran to Rainbow's side and threw her arms around her. At first Rainbow Dash went silent and stiff, but only for a minute before she simply melted into her friend's embrace.  
"Oh Fluttershy," Rainbow turned towards Fluttershy and buried her face into her chest. She sobbed uncontrollably now her slight frame shuddering. She didn't  seem to be able to form any words and Fluttershy pulled her in closer.
"It's alright Dashie." She stroked the troubled pony's multicolored mane. "We all need to be held by a friend sometimes."
"But I'm not supposed to need it," Rainbow Dash bawled between bitter sobs. "I'm supposed to be the tough one, remember?" She looked up at Fluttershy through teary eyes. Fluttershy had never felt closer to her friend than at this moment. All along Fluttershy had felt like the weak link between her friends. She was afraid of everything, she worried about everything, and she didn't even know how to stand up for herself. The others had always supported her and she felt that they probably got sick of it from time to time, especially Rainbow. Fluttershy had always admired Rainbow's courage and impenetrable bravery. Admittedly, she had more than admired Rainbow, but it had never really mattered because she was sure Rainbow had never seen her as anything more than a crybaby. She never in her wildest dreams would have thought the current situation was even remotely possible.
Without thinking she pulled Rainbow in even closer. Rainbow's head nuzzled right up under her chin. She continued stroking the agitated pony's mane as she slowly rocked Rainbow back and forth. "It's okay now, Dashie," she said soothingly, "I'm not going anywhere tonight."
"I've never really felt so scared before Fluttershy," Rainbow said brokenly. "I actually thought that that was the end." Fluttershy gently wiped the tears from Rainbow's eyes. 
"We all have something were scared of. What's important is that we are always here for each other." She closed her eyes relishing the feeling of Rainbow in her arms.  After a bit Rainbow's whimpers turned to sighs and the little Pegasus curled up comfortably against Fluttershy's body. 
Fluttershy looked down at her friend with a timid smile and more confidence than ever. "I'll always be here to protect you Dashie," she promised quietly.
> Still Not Ready
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy woke with a start, the chilled breeze coming from the open window and a lack of a certain blue Pegasus seemed to be the likely culprits. “Where did Dash go?” she thought gloomily to herself. She lay looking up at the cloud ceiling as she worried that she may have overstepped some bounds last night.  She yawned, licking her dry lips as she rolled off of the comfy cloud bed. “I hope I wasn’t too forward last night,” she thought, regret and anxiety filling her mind as she made her way to the kitchen, hoping to see Dash there. 
The Kitchen was as empty as it seemed the rest of the house was. 
“Dash?” she called out. No reply.
“Dashie?” Still nothing. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the refrigerator and realized she was quite a mess, her mane going this way and that without any particular course. “I wonder if Dash had to work this morning?” she asked herself feeling more anxious about the preceding night. She figured she’d probably feel better after getting cleaned up. She made her way to the bathroom thinking that Dash wouldn’t mind if she took a quick shower. 
The bathroom was in a state of untidiness that Fluttershy couldn’t help but feel, matched her fast friend. She meant to be quick but ended up taking her time in the hot shower, letting the water calm he nerves. As she dried herself off, using one of the hanging blue towels adorned with a rainbow lightning bolt, she couldn’t help but notice how much they smelled like Dash. “Just like an approaching storm,” she thought. She pushed her muzzle into the soft cloth breathing deeply and feeling slightly ashamed at the thoughts entering her head. “Come on Fluttershy, quit thinking like a depraved naughty filly,” she mentally scolded herself. After a few moments, tidying her mane and brushing her coat with comb she had found on the counter, she returned to the kitchen. 
She needed to get home to take care of her animals, but she didn’t want to just leave.  Finally, she decided to leave a note. She searched for paper and pen in the jumbled drawers, smiling to herself at how disorganized the rapid racer was, finally finding what she needed, she scribbled a quick note.

Dash,
Hope you are having a wonderful day. Remember that all your friends will always be here for you, and I am always here for you if you ever need a cuddle. 		(She blushed furiously at writing this and nearly scribbled it out before continuing.) I’ll come by later with some dinner.  
See you soon,
xoxoxo
Fluttershy

She looked at the short simple note, debating whether or not she should actually leave it. It made her nervous to be so forward, but the cyan Pegasus had finally let down her guard and she didn’t want to miss out on a chance for what she had always wanted. She pawed at the ground, note in her mouth, knowing she needed to get to her animal friends. “C’mon Fluttershy, you can do this!” Before she could talk herself out of it she dropped the letter on the counter and ran, giggling, out of the house.

=+=+=+=

The number one cloud buster in Equestria wasn’t having her way today. Her game was just off.  She came in to a desk full of paperwork; her boss was out and she was one of the ones he chose to handle some of the office procedures. She had looked through the papers, write-ups for different areas where weather schemes didn’t go as planned, requests from some of the farming communities for additional showers, a request from one pony for some increased wind to run his windmills, and more. After spending hours sifting through the clutter, Cloud Kicker had shown up and asked if she could clear the skies in a sector near Cloudsdale.
“Where is Slipstream?” she asked
“Called in sick, said he had a terrible headache.”
“Well, he’s causing me one,” she grumbled on her way out, surprising Cloud Kicker with her tone.
A few hours later she was two hours into what normally would have been a thirty minute process. “Why won’t you just cooperate!?” she yelled as she repeatedly bucked a particularly stubborn cloud. 
“Whoa, Rainbow Dash!” approached the voice of her friend Cloud Kicker. “I don’t think you’re supposed to try to kill the poor cloud, dear.”
Rainbow blushed, realizing she was missing the cloud entirely with most of her heated kicks. Her ears drooped, and instead of dispersing the cloud she sat on it.
“Are you alright Rainbow?” Cloud Kicker asked cautiously, worry in her voice.
“Fine. I’m just...” Rainbow looked away, not really wanting to talk to anypony at the moment. “...Just tired.”
Cloud Kicker frowned at the demeanour of the usually upbeat pony. “I can get a few of the guys to come over and finish up this area. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?”
Rainbow sighed, still not looking up. “Alright. Sorry, I’ll make up for it tomorrow.”
“You’re off tomorrow, just get some rest,” said the purple Pegasus, eyes full of concern. 
“Thanks,” she finally forced a smile and looked into her friend’s face, “I promise I will.” With that she took off towards her home leaving a worried Pegasus in her wake. 
She still couldn’t keep the same thoughts that had distracted her all day from running through her head. Why did Fluttershy have to insist on being with her last night? It wasn’t really fair, she was hardly ever weak and certainly never in front of any other pony. She had to admit that she was thankful that her critter-loving friend cared so much, but when she had held her, Rainbow had felt all her walls break down. She hated feeling weak, and she hated letting her friend see her that way. She also hated that she didn’t hate the feeling of being so close to Fluttershy. For some reason, though, that thought also made her angry at her friend.
She needed to figure things out. She had dealt with feelings of fear and low confidence before, but in the past she’d always talked herself up and convinced herself that she was the most awesome pony ever. Lately, she had stopped believing herself as much. Even though she had evidence of her bravery and some remarkable feats, she still had an empty feeling sometimes, especially when she was alone. All of those feelings came on strongly after the incident with the Rock Golem yesterday, and came to a head when Fluttershy had held her close. 
She was surprised to see her house approaching and couldn’t really remember any details of making the trip. She entered her house, still feeling ashamed at herself, and went to the kitchen for a bite to eat. 
“I’m sure some food, drink, and maybe a little adventure with Daring Do will get me out of this funk.” She pulled a pre-made salad along with some Sweet Apple Farms hard cider out of the fridge and went to rest in her bedroom, completely missing the heart-outlined note addressed to her on the counter. 
She was right. Her mood seemed to be improving as her stomach was finally filled for the first time since the previous morning; the hard cider was probably not hurting either. Finally, she began to feel like herself again when a gong, that was her door chime, interrupted her reading.
“Who could that be?” she wondered aloud as she went to answer the door.

=+=+=+=

Fluttershy pawed at the doorstep nervously, waiting for an answer. She was worried about her friend and also quite worried about the note she had left. As the day had worn on, she had become more and more unsure that it was alright to put the part about cuddling in. “Oh, I hope she isn’t offended by it,” she thought desperately to herself. Finally, the door opened revealing a smiling Rainbow Dash – that is, until she saw Fluttershy on the other side of the door. The smile faded quickly to a slight frown and her ears drooped as she looked down not wanting to meet Fluttershy’s eyes. “Oh no, oh no, oh no,” Fluttershy thought, panicked. 
“Hey Flutters.” She didn’t look up, but it was not often that she called her friend by her pet name. “Whatcha doin’ here?” Still no eye contact.
“Umm, I brought dinner... like I said I would,” she managed shyly. 
Rainbow looked up, surprised. “Oh, I don’t remember you saying that, sorry.” She moved aside letting the yellow Pegasus, with a basket tied to her back, in. 
“Oh, well, didn’t you get my note? I left it on the cupboard.”
“Ah, sorry, I must have missed it.” She said heading over to the counter.
Fluttershy panicked, it was tough enough to leave the letter in the first place, she definitely didn’t want to be here while Rainbow read it. “Eeeep!” she exclaimed. “You don’t need to read it now,” she insisted, but Rainbow already had the note in hoof. Fluttershy squeezed her eyes as tight as she could, waiting for a reaction. When none came she peeked up at her friend in time to see her blue cheeks turn quite red. 
“Is she mad? Embarrassed? Annoyed?” She couldn’t read her friend’s mood and Rainbow was staying silent, seemingly reading the note over again. 
“Dinner sounds nice, thanks Flutters.” She smiled awkwardly at her friend seeming to choose to ignore the part about cuddling. Still Fluttershy was happy to hear her pet name used again as she started unloading the contents of the basket onto the countertop. 
“I brought daffodil sandwiches, with the works, some soup that we need to heat, some buttercream strawberry malt, and for dessert chocolate dipped berries from SugarCube Corner.” She looked up to see Rainbow practically drooling over the spread and couldn’t suppress a giggle. 
“I kind of ate just an hour or so ago,” Dash started guiltily, “but I think I can go for round two!”  Fluttershy was happy to see some of the distress melt away from her friend at the presentation of the meal. 
“Good! Do you have a pot I can heat up the soup in?”
“Yeah, I should in here somewhere,” she answered digging and clanking through cupboards. “Ah, here we are.” She produced a large black, mostly clean, pot with a huge cheeser smile for her friend.
Fluttershy couldn’t hold back another laugh seeing her friend’s old self coming around. “Well, go sit down and relax for a bit Dash and I’ll get the food ready.”
“Are you sure? I can help, ya know.”
Fluttershy gently prodded her adventure loving friend away. “No-no, it’s my treat tonight.” 
“Alright, I’ll just go grab my book from my room and then chill in the living room for a bit then.”
Fluttershy got to work on the food, washing the, almost clean, pot and finding plates and glasses. She was so relieved that Rainbow hadn’t flipped out over the note and even more so that she seemed to be reverting back to her old self. She turned the heat on the soup, stirring it lightly and breathing in the sweet aroma. She always had been a good cook and she had spent extra time finding the perfect ingredients and painstakingly preparing the food. She wanted everything to be perfect for her best friend.
She finished setting the table, removing a beautiful single rose from the basket and placing it as the centrepiece. The soup was heated through as it softly bubbled on the stove. She ladled it into a couple of bowls, poured the malt into the cups, and set the sandwiches on a plate to the side of each soup bowl. 
“Rainbow, foods ready,” she called into the living room.
Rainbow came in and faked swooning. “Oh my goodness, Fluttershy, it smells amazing,” she said with a huge smile for her friend. Fluttershy fought the blush she felt coming on at the compliment from her friend. “Seriously Fluttershy, I might even feel guilty at eating such a beautiful meal.” Rainbow instantly reddened at the uncharacteristically sweet compliment she had just bestowed on her friend.
Fluttershy smiled good naturedly at the comment. “Thanks Dash. It’s not very often I get to cook for anyone other than myself or Angel.”
“That does bring up a point,” the prismatic Pegasus said as she took her seat. “What is the occasion for all this?”
Fluttershy froze. She didn’t want to risk injuring her friends pride by telling her she was checking up on her after yesterday’s events; she also didn’t want to scare her friend off by telling her that, after last night, she just needed to see her again. Rainbow looked on waiting for a response. “Well, after I came here last night I just realized that it had been a long time since I’ve just come for a visit. I figured I would just return tonight while it’s fresh on my mind. And I always love an opportunity to cook for someone else,” she smiled.
“Okay.” The simple word along with Rainbow’s drooping head and ears were like a punch to the gut for Fluttershy. Rainbow played with her soup seemingly less interested in eating now.
“Oh Celestia, I’m an idiot! It’s not like Dash can’t tell I’m lying,” Fluttershy mentally scolded herself. “I just had to come see you again after last night!” she blurted out in a stream of words followed by her hooves covering her face. “Oh my Celestia!” She froze not daring to come out from behind her hooves. She heard the chair across from her scrape across the floor as Dash moved from her seat. “Is she leaving? I’ve really done it now! I hope I haven’t ruined our friendship.”
Just as she was about to peek she felt Rainbow’s hooves on her forelegs, pulling them down from her face. “Sheesh, settle down Fluttershy. You just came to check up on me, it makes sense. I’m sure you’d do the same for any of our friends.” Even though it was unintentional, the words still hurt Fluttershy. It was true, she would be there for any of her friends, but she had really tried to make things extra special for the pony she’d always hoped for more than a friendship with. 
“Right... I’m sorry, just... I don’t know... sorry...” she trailed off nervously noticing that Dash still had her hooves on hers. Rainbow noticed as well and with a blush and nervous laugh she pulled away to rub the back of her neck. 
“Let’s dig in Flutters, everything looks and smells awesome.”
With that the Pegasi began to eat, Fluttershy with the dainty grace of a princess and Rainbow with the unsophisticated manners of a tomcolt. “Whow! Dish ish dewishush!” Rainbow remarked around a particularly large bite of sandwich. 
Fluttershy beamed. “Thanks Dash – oh my, you’re a mess,” she laughed louder than usual. 
Rainbow offered a huge food-between-teeth smile. “What do you mean?” she asked, trying to be as impolite as possible.
“Oh Dashie,” Fluttershy quietly laughed, “here, let me help you.” She approached her friend with a napkin and began to wipe the food from all over her muzzle. “There, good as new” she beamed at the blushing Pegasus. The antics continued as they finished their meal, Fluttershy was happy to see her closest friend in such a good mood.
“Oh my,” Rainbow said leaning back and rubbing her distended stomach, “that was delicious. I’m stuffed.”
“Awww, are you sure you don’t have room for some chocolate berries?” Fluttershy asked retrieving the bowl of berries from the counter.
“I’d forgotten about those. Hmmm.” She looked down at her stomach and prodded it a few times. “What do you say stomach? Wanna try for overtime?” She suddenly sat forward, an idea coming to her. “Hey, Flutters, have you read the Daring Do series?”
“No, I haven’t read any of them.”
Rainbow’s eyes looked like they might pop out of her head. “What!?” she exclaimed with shock. “Well we need to fix that right away! Grab the berries!” She grabbed hold of a laughing Fluttershy’s hoof and pulled her willingly into the living room. “Now you don’t have to leave really soon do you?” she asked with obvious concern in her eyes.
“No, Angel and the animals are all taken care of for the night.”
“Perfect! Then we’ll start with book one. I’ll be right back, just gotta make sure Tank gets fed and has fresh water then I’ll grab the book,” she said making her way toward her room. “Make yourself comfortable,” she called back.
Fluttershy couldn’t believe her luck, not only did Dash seem not to be offended by last night or the note, but now she actually wanted her to stay and hang out more. She made herself comfortable on the couch. She had forgotten how relaxing cloud furniture could be. It had been a long time since she had given up living in Cloudsdale for life in her critter-filled cottage, a hard choice, but one that had brought her so much happiness. She leaned back into the couch letting it engulf her and shut her eyes, completely relaxed.
“Hey! No falling asleep already,” Dash accused. “We haven’t even started yet.”
Fluttershy laughed meekly. “Don’t worry Dash, I was just getting comfortable.” Dash took a seat next to Fluttershy and threw a blanket over them. She wiggled into the couch getting cosy and opened the book. Fluttershy tried to hide her blush as Rainbow had practically snuggled right up against her.
“So, should we trade off every page or every chapter?” Dash asked enthusiastically. 
“Umm, I would love to just listen to you... I mean if that’s okay?”
“Sure Flutters,” she said with a smile. “Just... don’t fall asleep.” Fluttershy thought she almost detected fear in the normally brave Pegasus’ eyes. She wondered what was going on with her dear friend.
“Don’t worry Dashie, I won’t.” She smiled and then decided to try something very uncharacteristic – take a risk. She gently leaned her head until it rested on Rainbow’s shoulder. She felt the other Pegasus stiffen momentarily, but then, with a sigh, she seemed to relax. 
“The Sapphire Stone was no mere legend, in fact...” 
Rainbow read as Fluttershy listened, becoming engrossed in the story as well as the feeling of being so close to the pony she cared most about. As they reached the end of the sixth chapter Fluttershy couldn’t stifle a huge yawn.
“Oh my, it is so late Rainbow, I should probably get home.”
“Oh... okay then,” Rainbow answered nearly inaudibly, her ears pressing to her head once again.
“Rainbow, are you ok?” Fluttershy asked concerned for the athletic Pegasus.
Rainbow didn’t answer right away but slid off the couch avoiding eye contact with the yellow mare. Fluttershy knew something was wrong and she wasn’t about to leave her friend in this state.
“Rainbow,” she slipped off the couch and brushed up against Rainbow’s side, “what’s going on?”
Rainbow sniffed, visibly upset, and turned her head away from Fluttershy settling on her haunches. “It’s just that... Well lately I- I’ve been...” her head dropped as she stared at the floor. “Nothing,” she simply ended with.
Fluttershy could feel tears threatening at seeing the condition of her friend. “Dashie?”
“I don’t... I mean, could you...” she looked up at Fluttershy, eyes filled with unshed tears. “Could you please not leave tonight?” With that she threw herself at the smaller Pegasus and buried her face in the pink mane. 
Fluttershy was in complete shock. She felt her own tears start to run down her face as she struggled to figure out what was going on with her usually courageous friend. She wrapped her arms around the quivering figure of her friend and began to stroke the multi-colored mane. “I won’t go anywhere Dashie. I’m here as long as you need me.” She fought the urge to plant a kiss on top of Rainbow’s head and instead busied herself with guiding the troubled mare toward her room. She helped Rainbow climb up on the bed and asked quietly if she had an extra blanket and pillow so she could get settled on the floor.
“If you don’t mind, will you just come up here with me,” the normally animated Pegasus nearly whispered.
Fluttershy was once again surprised, but happy to comply. “Of course Dashie,” she answered climbing onto the bed and then over the mare to settle in behind her. Dash scooted back until Fluttershy’s chest was pressed against her back. Fluttershy accepted the invitation and wrapped her forelegs around the agitated Pegasus.
Once again she fought the urge to kiss the distressed pony’s neck and instead settled for nuzzling against it. 

“Like I’ve said before Dashie, I’ll always be here to protect you.” The gentle coo she received from the pony she held was all she needed to ensure a good night’s sleep.

> Escalation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Fluttershy blinked at the assaulting sunlight coming from the open window. “You’d think Dash would have her bed in a different spot,” she thought, closing her eyes tightly against the offending light. She looked down in her arms and smiled softly at the Pegasus cosied up against her. At some point during the night Rainbow had turned towards her and was curled up in a tight little ball. “She looks so small and defenceless right now,” she though, pulling the cyan Pegasus closer in a protective manner. She laid there for a bit longer, knowing she should get up but combating the idea. 
In the end, the sun won the battle. She leaned forward and, before she could think about it much, placed a gentle kiss on the sleeping pony’s forehead. A slight smile appeared on the slumbering Pegasus as Fluttershy carefully pulled a hoof from under her bed mate. She gingerly slipped off the bed, careful to not wake her friend, and silently crept into the bathroom. After a quick shower and a touch up she made her way to the kitchen to make some breakfast for the two of them. 
She was able to find some strawberries, that needed to be used, oats, flour, and eggs as she went to work making waffles and humming a happy tune.


=+=+=+=


The delicious smell of cooking woke Rainbow kindly.  “Mmmm, that smells great,” she said aloud, a smile forming under still closed eyes. Rolling out of bed she felt happy, as happy as she had in recent memory, ready to face the world and not be rolled over by it. She walked into the bathroom and splashed water, from the sink, on her face and mane. She looked at the reflection of a confident and spirited weather pony smiling back at her. Somehow she knew today was going to be a great day and couldn’t hold back a silly laugh feeling pure contentment in her heart.
She practically Pinky-hopped into the kitchen and couldn’t resist pulling a surprised but delighted butter-colored mare into a huge hug. 
“Good morning, Flutters!” The welcome transformation from the mood last night shocked the smaller Pegasus and Rainbow laughed at the wide-eyed smile she received. “Wow, breakfast smells amazing,” she put a hoof around her friend. “You are spoiling me.”
The ground loving pony smiled back. “No, it’s not a big deal. I just know if I don’t make you breakfast you’ll end up eating donuts or cream cheese covered bagels. So I decided some fresh fruit waffles, oats, and eggs would be better. Besides,” she added, “the strawberries were about to turn.”
“Haha, you’re probably right, thanks,” she confessed as she started collecting the dishes from last night and after rinsing them, put them in the cloud dishwasher. They then settled down to a delightful breakfast.
“So, umm, do you have work today?” Fluttershy asked between bites. 
“Nope, off today,” she took a large bite of waffle. “Oh my gosh, this is great! Seriously, you should open a restaurant Shy.”
Fluttershy blushed at the compliment. “So, what are your plans today?”
“I hadn’t really thought it through. Maybe we could spend today together," she suggested.
“I would love to, but I do have a spa appointment with Rarity later. Would you like to come along?” she asked hopefully.
Rainbow balked at the idea. “I don’t know Shy, not really my thing.” She wanted to hang out with her favorite filly, but the spa seemed like the opposite of a good time. Rainbow didn’t know why but the thought of Fluttershy leaving, even if just for a while, had a seriously adverse effect on her, formerly seeming unshakable, good mood. 
“Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked. Obviously Rainbow had let how mood change show on her face. “Rainbow,” she started again carefully, “what’s going on?”
She really didn’t know how to answer, she wasn’t sure she even knew the answer.  Just the thought of being left alone with her thoughts tore her up inside. She felt a sudden anger toward the inquisitive pony sitting across from her and then felt confused as to where the anger came from. “Nothing,” she said more harshly than she meant to. She felt bad seeing her soft-spoken friend flinch. “Just... nothing,” a little softer this time. She stared at her food not wanting to look into those all-too-caring eyes. She couldn’t say why, but she just didn’t want to see all the worry in those big blue orbs. 
Fluttershy fidgeted with her fork for a moment before continuing. “Well, you should really consider coming Rainbow. It’s super relaxing and you already said you weren’t working today, not to mention you wanted to spend the day with me, and...” she reddened slightly, “I want you to spend the day with me as well.” 
Rainbow looked up at this, seeing the pleading, worried eyes was too much for her.  “Fine,” she let out an exaggerated sigh, “we’ll go to the spa.” The other mare clapped with her excitement.
“Great, Dashie, I’m so excited.” 
Rainbow rolled her eyes, not truly as upset as she pretended to be.


=+=+=+=


Fluttershy was ecstatic that she had convinced Dash to join her and Rarity at the spa. Not that she really thought that Dash would particularly enjoy the spa, but she was hoping that with Rarity’s help she’d be able to get Rainbow to open up a little more and maybe let her know what was really going on.
“Alright, Dashie, I’ve gotta head home real quick and make sure the animals are all taken care of. We’ll meet at the spa in a couple of hours, okay?”
“K, sounds good.” 
It was plain to see the weather pony was still having doubts so Fluttersy decided to throw her a bone. “Hey, Rainbow, afterwards would you like to come to my place and bring your book? We could read some more,” she offered.
Rainbow seemed to perk up at the idea and hurriedly said her goodbyes. Once outside Fluttershy did her best impression of her speedy friend, flying to her home as fast as possible. If she could get the animals taken care of and get to Rarity’s before they headed to the spa she could fill Rarity in on Rainbow Dash’s state of mind. She hoped Rarity would have some ideas as to how to get Rainbow to share her real feelings.
She was a little surprised and really impressed on how quickly she was alighting on the ground near the porch of her cosy critter cottage. Her countenance rapidly changed as she noticed the little white bunny standing on the porch, arms crossed, tapping his foot with obvious irritation. She felt a pang of guilt for neglecting Angel and the other animals over the last couple of days. 
“Now Angel, is that anyway to greet me?” she asked with an affectionate smile. He wasn’t having any of it, if anything his glare deepened further. “Oh, well I guess I haven’t given you all the attention you need...” she wilted under the bunny’s fierce eyes. She approached the bunny head down, submissive. By the time she reached him she was literally crawling on her belly. “Rainbow Dash has just really needed... me lately.” She was now nearly eye to eye with him and he took the opportunity to thump her repeatedly between the eyes with his insolent rear paw. 
“Angel!” she shot back up surprised at how much pain the little guy could cause. “That’s wasn’t very nice.” She sighed at his continued ill-mannered stance, knowing she would cave. “Fine Angel, I’ll owe you. How does two extra tail fluffings sound?” she asked trying her winningest smile on her pet. He curtly shook his head and looked the other way, foot tapping incessantly. “And I’ll make your favourite salad.” That earned her a slight tilt of his head in her direction, “Twice!” She felt relieved as she finally got the smile she was after. 
“Great, now can you help me make sure all the animals are doing okay?” With the promise of extra attention and special treatment the impish little bunny hopped along with Fluttershy doing his best to help her with the many chores. Once finished she glanced up at her forest animal themed clock above her kitchen sink. “Rainbow will probably be at the spa in about an hour,” she said out loud. 
She turned back to her little Angel and rubbed noses with her pet bunny. “Thanks so much for helping me out. I think you’ve earned yourself a reward.” The bunny hopped high in place in response as she went to the fridge and pulled out a rather large carrot. “There you are sweetie, thanks for being so understanding.” She pulled the bunny into a hug that was returned and kissed him on the forehead. She knew she still owed him and made a note to make some time for some one on one with him. “I’m heading to my spa date with Rarity, I’ll be back after that and we’ll see about getting that tail fluffed, okay?” She offered one more nuzzle to the bunny and then she was out the door, now in a hurry, to get to Rarity’s. 


The vain, purple maned pony was surprised by the appearance of Fluttershy at her door and especially so early. “I’m sorry, dear, I really didn’t expect you so soon. Is something wrong?” she added seeing distress in the shy Pegasus’ face.
“Oh, I think there might be,” Fluttershy responded, feeling the weight of the situation more pronounced now that she had a moment to step back from it. 
“Well, come in dear and I’ll get us some tea.” She hurried herself into the kitchen while Fluttershy made herself comfortable on one of the many cushions Rarity had strewn about. Rarity returned momentarily with tea and biscuits and took a seat across from her friend. “Now tell me all about it, dear.”
Fluttershy heaved a sigh and then went into her concerns for Rainbow Dash since the Rock Golem incident. She, of course, left out some of the more intimate details but made sure to still get the point across. “...Seriously though, Rarity, I’m really concerned for her. Besides the time she was at work, she’s wanted me by her side pretty well continuously.”
“Oh the poor dear, I wonder how she’s doing at night when she’s all alone?”
The yellow Pegasus blushed at this. “Well, I’ve been with her the last couple of nights...” she trailed off feeling her face full of heat.
Rarity gave her a knowing smile. “That’s good dear, she probably needs the company.”
Fluttershy suddenly picked up on what her magic friend was implying. “Oh-oh no, nothing like that,” she said defensively. “I just can’t leave her when... she has asked me to stay and I can’t say no to her when she’s like this.”
“Oh don’t worry, darling. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Fluttershy was pretty sure she did. “I still can’t believe you talked her into coming to the spa though,” she giggled roguishly. “It’s just so unlike her. And don’t worry dear, we’ll have her telling us everything in no time.”


=+=+=+=


Rainbow peeked over the top of her sunglasses looking up and down the street. “The coast seems clear,” she pulled her hat down lower over her eyes and made a mad dash to the spa across the street, not stopping until she had pulled the door shut behind her. 
“What in the world!? Rainbow! Why are you dressed like that?” Rarity asked, as Rainbow spun to see both Rarity and Fluttershy giving her comical looks. 
She ran her hoof smoothly along the bill of her hat. “It’s my disguise, I have a reputation to uphold you know?”
“Very inconspicuous, darling,” Rarity said with a slight grin. Fluttershy was trying to hide her laugh behind a hoof. 
Dash reddened slightly at the as the two shared a chuckle at her expense. “Whatever...” She removed the hat and glasses feeling slightly foolish.
“I thought you looked quite fashionable,” Fluttershy said softly with a smile that let Dash know she meant no hard feelings. 
Dash couldn’t hold back a smile of her own and reddened faintly, knowing that Fluttershy’s smile affected her so easily. She held Fluttershy’s gaze a moment longer, feeling butterflies desperately try to escape her stomach.
“Sooo,” Rarity chimed in with a significant smile, “hate to interrupt, but Aloe and Lotus Blossom are ready for us.”
The spa treatment commenced with the usual mud facials along with relaxing massages. Rainbow hated to admit it, but everything felt wonderful. She hadn’t realized how much tension she had been carrying in her wings until Aloe worked her masterfully gifted hooves into the muscles surrounding them, easing the stress from her body. It all ended too soon in Rainbows opinion and the three of them were soon lazing about in the hot tub making small talk. 
Rainbow didn’t notice the look pass between the other two ponies as Rarity addressed Fluttershy. “Wasn’t that Rock Golem the absolute worst? Absolutely no manners, so crude and abrasive.” Rainbow squirmed, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the choice in topics.
“Oh, yes,” fluttershy responded. “He was scary. I’m just glad we were able to finally get him to see the error in his ways.”
“When he hit you darling,” she started reaching a hoof towards Rainbow. Rainbow just stared, thinking back to that moment she was caught completely unaware. The contact had hurt like crazy, but when she saw the canyon wall approaching so fast and couldn’t stop herself, she completely panicked. She had felt magic envelop her at the last second slowing her down enough to prevent any major damage to her body but the damage to her psyche was already complete. What nobody else knew is that her emotional state had already been quite fragile.
“Rainbow?” Rarity was looking at her strangely.  “Rainbow!”
“Huh, what... sorry what, again?” Rainbow stuttered, coming back to the present.
“Are you alright, dear?”
“Yeah – yeah, of course.” Rainbow shook her head. “Sorry,” she put on a fake smile, “just spaced out there for a minute.”
Rarity did not look convinced at all. “Come on Rainbow. What’s going on?”
“What makes you think something is going on?” she asked defensively. “I’m doing fine. Honest.”
Rarity frowned slightly. “Come on darling, we are all worried about you? We just want to help?”
“Help with what!?” Rainbow nearly growled, feeling cornered and under attack. 
“Dear, Fluttershy said you’ve been having a hard time lately, and I-“
“You said what!?” she was yelling now, teeth bared, anger igniting in her head. She knew her anger was irrational, but there it was just the same. She felt even more confused as she looked to the scared Pegasus. She knew that Fluttershy was aware that she didn't want any of her... insecurities shared with others. Looking into those blue eyes she felt her anger melt away, only  to be replaced by something worse, complete helplessness. She felt betrayed and hurt beyond comprehension. She couldn’t help but feel that all the compassion Fluttershy had shown her over the last couple of days was just an act; a way to get by until she could unload the troubled Pegasus off into more willing hooves. 
Tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision as she backed out of the hot tub, head shaking. 
“Dashie...” Fluttershy’s eyes brimmed with tears as well. “Dashie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“You didn’t mean anything?” in Rainbow’s disturbed state of mind she saw this as a confession from Fluttershy that the last couple of days had meant nothing. “Do I mean anything to you?” she asked softly.
“Dashie, don’t say things like that. You mean more to me than you could ever know! Please Dashie!” she sobbed. 
Rainbow didn’t really hear as she had already turned and was making a beeline for the ornate walnut door; the door that would allow her to escape this terrible place and this terrible situation. She burst through it and took to the sky with no particular destination in mind.  She flew as fast as she could, hoping that her friends and feelings would soon be left in the dust.


=+=+=+=


“Oh my...” Fluttershy felt a complete panic settling in; her mind like a broken record, repeating the question. “Do I mean anything to you?” 
“Go!” Rarity exclaimed.  Fluttershy looked at her confused.  “Fluttershy, go after her!” 
Time returned to normal as her brain finally seemed capable of processing thought again. “Oh my, oh my, oh my,” she repeated as she took off at full speed after her much faster friend. Once she cleared the spa she gained altitude as quickly as possible and began scanning every direction. Luckily the sky was mostly clear except for a storm that seemed to be building over the Everfree Forest. To Fluttershy’s dismay that was the direction she could see the blue blur darting. With speed and determination, that would have impressed even her swift friend, she sped after the rainbow trail. She was shocked to see that she was actually gaining slowly on her friend, confirmation that Rainbow just wasn’t herself. Still at this rate, she didn’t think she could catch the cyan Pegasus before they reached the storm. 
“Rainbow, please!” she called out hoping against hope that her friend would hear her. Even if she did, Fluttershy wasn’t sure she’d actually stop.  “Rainbow Dash!” she yelled with more force. Unfortunately more force for the shy pony amounted to about normal talking volume for most ponies. She gave a nervous look to the wall of dark clouds that were quickly approaching and hesitated as it didn’t look like Rainbow was going to stop. The uncertainty lasted only a moment as she refocused on the Pegasus in front of her and gave her all to catching her. 
Rainbow broke through the cloud wall and Fluttershy kept her focus on the point the pony entered. A few seconds later she hit the wall of the storm and was shocked by the ferocity she was assaulted with. Wind and freezing rain beat against her mercilessly as she tried to forge forward, beginning to lose her sense of direction. “This is impossible, I will never find her at this rate.” She couldn’t see anything and quite honestly couldn’t even tell up from down. She fought to remain calm even as she felt her fear rising. “Nopony can fly in this, not even Rainbow Dash. The thought struck her hard as she realized how right she was. Nopony could navigate this storm. “Oh Celestia, where are you Dashie,” she thought, the feeling of dread rising. 
She had to think clearly, she had to be strong for Rainbow’s sake. She thought about her time spent in flight school and specifically at what to do when in her current situation. “Don’t fly into the storm in the first place.” That advice was worthless at this point. “Let gravity show you the way down?” Ummm, that’s probably not exactly how it went, but she decided to give it a try anyway. Tucking her wings to her side she felt like she was floating, it only lasted a moment though before she broke through the bottom of the cloud barrier looking straight up at the quickly approaching trees.
“Eeep!” she screeched, just getting her wings open in time to stay above the reaching branches. A scream from ahead caught her attention as she saw the form of her friend crash into the top of a tall tree. She watched in horror as Rainbow broke through the first few branches before one caught her wing awkwardly, yanking the fierce flyer downwad. Fluttershy covered her mouth as she watched her friend fall from branch to branch before finally crashing, out of site, to the forest floor.
“Nooo!” she hurried as fast as her wings would take her to the last spot she saw her most treasured friend. She found the cyan Pegasus on her side, legs splayed gracelessly. “Dashie,” she hit the ground harder than she meant to and stumbled forward, desperately closing the distance to the injured Pegasus. She was breathing, thank Celestia, but her heart sunk when she recognized how shallow and ragged it sounded. “Oh Dashie, what do I do?” She cried now, fear enveloping her, as she laid her head gently on her friends. The rain continued to beat down on them, mingling with Fluttershy’s tears as it soaked and matted their fur. Fluttershy felt the closeness of her best friend slowly calm her nerves and clear her mind as she planned her next move. She stood with a new determination and resolve. 
“Don’t worry Dash, I promise I will get you out of here.”

> Confessions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Sometimes just the thought of facing the day can be difficult. Especially when the only thing waiting for you is just that empty feeling, an apathetic feeling toward everything. Simple emotions are completely beyond reach. Forget about feeling happy, or joyful, or angry; it’s a point you get to when even feeling depressed would be favorable to the meaninglessness of everything. It’s not suicidal; you don’t care enough to even feel that. It’s just an... emptiness. A certain prismatic Pegasus was feeling that emptiness as she lay in her prison of wires and tubes. If it weren’t for the hollow beeping reverberating off of the cold walls, she wouldn’t even be sure that time was passing. 
She wasn’t sure how long she had been awake, but nopony had been in her room the entire time. She was surprised when she heard her stomach rumble with hunger; she hadn’t realized that she was hungry at all. Even knowing she should get somepony’s attention, get some food, and get some answers as to what happened to her, she didn’t move. Maybe, if she stayed quiet long enough she would just waste away. She knew these feelings were wrong, but couldn’t get them out of her head. 
In her solitude she found her mind wandering back to what had led her to the all too familiar hospital. 
She flew blindly, both metaphorically and quite literally as tears warped her vision. She tried telling herself that she needed to stop, she had no reason or right to be this upset, but she was beyond listening to herself. The freedom and elation she ordinarily received from flying was replaced by simple need. Need to get as far from her problems as quickly as possible. She didn’t want to face her friends, especially not Fluttershy. The one, who she had comforted so many times, had cheered up, had supported, had... believed in... Why couldn’t she just return the favor? That idea hurt almost as much as knowing it was a lie. Fluttershy had been there for her. “Then why am I still running?” 
“Rainbow Dash!” With the wind rushing by and the rather large storm approaching, the words had no business reaching her ears. As perplexed as she was by the anomaly it only spurred her onward. She needed to be left alone; she needed time to unravel the snarl that her feelings had become. Seeing the approaching wall cloud she picked up her pace, yearning to breach that barrier, hoping to find quiet on the other side. The cloud denied her desires as chaos ensued. 
She found her thoughts were appreciatively pushed from her mind as navigating the storm required most of her attention. Few, if any, other pegasi could pilot through a storm this intense, but Rainbow felt her adrenaline beat throughout her body as physical focus thankfully outweighed mental thought. Her wings were designed to tell her all she needed to know; secondary and tertial feathers measured updrafts, downdrafts, pressure changes and the like; her primaries adjusted accordingly keeping her level and consistent. She could probably fly with her eyes closed, which wasn’t too far from reality here. She let her reflexes take over, sighing calmly in the bedlam of the storm. “I’m probably the only Pegasus who could enjoy this,” she thought to herself.  CLICK!
“OHMYGOSH! Fluttershy!!!” Hopefully Fluttershy wouldn’t have actually followed her into the storm, but it was entirely too much of a possibility to ignore. Looking around she saw nothing but gray and black cloud, she knew she needed to get underneath the storm.  Her descent speed was too high, but it didn’t matter, if anything happened to Fluttershy it would be her fault, and that’s something she could never deal with. 
She increased her speed, knowing she should break through the cloud barrier at any second. At last, she broke through, but she wasn’t treated the view she expected. Instead of breaking through above the Everfree forest, she found herself in the grips of the tallest branches. She couldn’t hold in a scream as she broke through the tallest branches, thinking she could probably correct herself she spread her wings to slow down when she felt a limb from the tree snag her left wing. Another painful yelp escaped as she felt the limb pierce through her feathers and rip through skin. The hitch had pulled her straight down and with her rent wing she was at the mercy of gravity.  The force was not her friend as she felt blow after blow; pain racked her body as darkness overcame her.

The slowly opening door brought her out of her reflections as a splash of color intruded upon the monochromatic scene. Rainbow felt her heart leap at the pink mane and butter-colored coat in spite of her previously melancholy disposition. 
“Oh, you’re awake!” the sheepish mare rushed to her side, nearly dropping the tray of food she brought in.  Rainbow fought the smile down that was trying to encroach on her features. She didn’t know why, but she still felt bitter toward the pony who now wore a look of dejection. “We were-,” she shook her head, “I was so worried about you,” Fluttershy nuzzled her muzzle into the crook of Rainbow’s neck, and Rainbow didn’t have the strength to resist. 
Her emotions were as confused and sparse as her thoughts; her mind engaged itself in a struggle with thoughts trying to decipher feelings, but with the mixture of relief, annoyance, anger, fear, inadequacy, and something she couldn’t, or wouldn’t, identify  that felt like hot cocoa dropping into a chilled stomach, it was impossible to sort out. The presence of her fellow Pegasus, breathing hotly on her neck, confused her that much more.
“Hey, Fluttershy?”
“Yes, Rainbow?”
“Umm, I kind of want to be alone right now.” She knew the words would sting. She had no idea how long she had been out, but if she knew her friend, Fluttershy had probably spent every moment possible at her side. She felt Fluttershy’s breath stop. Sure enough the timid mare pulled away, shock and unbelievable hurt showing in her eyes; enough hurt that Rainbow Dash regretted her words at once.
“Why?” Fluttershy choked on the word, tears now rolling unhindered down her face. Rainbow was spared the need to come up with an answer as the door opened once more producing her frienemy and frequent admonisher, Doctor Horse.
“Rainbow Dash, surprise surprise, we meet again,” he offered a small smile and even gave a friendly wink. “Although, I don’t ever want to see you come in here again under such serious circumstances,” he added with a severe stare. 
Despite the ambiance that had previously possessed the room, the Doctor brought his usual cheerful presence with him. Rainbow welcomed the opportunity for a routine and practiced conversation. “What’s the damage doc?”
“Well, it wasn’t good Rainbow Dash,” he admitted, sinking back on his haunches. “Your wing was in terrible shape, it required many surgeries to, well, basically build a new wing from the scraps that were left.”
“What!? Will it be okay Doctor? I NEED my wings Doc. I-.” He held up a hoof to cut her off.
“It will be a while, but your wing should fully recover.”
“Phew, thanks Doc,” she wiped her brow with the back of her hoof and offered him a smile.
“Yeah, well the wing was the least of our worries.” He leaned forward now, his usually amiable countenance becoming so grave that Rainbow Dash tried to back up in her bed. “You had broken ribs along your right side; One of the ribs had pierced through a lung. If it hadn’t been for your friend here,” he nodded at Fluttershy who hid her face in her own neck, “we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
“Fluttersy saved me?” She felt lower than low. Fluttershy had apparently braved the storm to come after her friend and Rainbow paid her back by dismissing her as soon as she appeared. She looked to her meek friend and felt a sharp pang of guilt at the poorly masked hurt.
“Umm…” she began, but immediately the Doctor cut her off.
“Fluttershy,” he addressed the pink-maned Pegasus, “can you wait outside for just a moment? I’d really like to talk to Rainbow Dash for a minute.”
Fluttershy nodded, and shot one more wounded look at Rainbow. Rainbow’s hoof reached feebly for her friend, but the mare had already turned, head down, to trudge out the door. Rainbow was overwhelmed at the distress she felt watching her friend leave the room. “Oh Celestia, why can’t I figure out what I’m feeling?” 
The gesture and hurt in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed by the Doctor. Clearing his throat he grabbed her attention. “I’ll let her right back in. I just have a couple of… questions.” Rainbow was feeling nervous at the way he looked at her now. The Doctor looked quite somber and his mouth worked soundlessly as though he were trying to find the right thing to say.
“Rainbow, why did you fly into that storm?”
She was afraid a question like this would come up. She felt she should be honest, but she didn’t feel comfortable enough for the truth in its entirety. “Doc, I’ve flown through plenty of storms like that, some actually worse,” she answered truthfully.
He nodded, but looked upset at the answer. “It didn’t work out for you this time.”
“Well,” Rainbow felt defensive, “I normally would have been fine. It was just…”
The Doctor’s eyebrows rose when she paused. “Just?”
“Well, I was afraid Fluttershy might have followed me into the storm, so I knew I had to get under the storm to look for her. I guess I misjudged how low the clouds were.” They both heard a small “eeep” from behind the door and a chorus of hooves galloping down the hallway.
Doctor Horse let out an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll go track her down, but I’ll be back.” he gave Rainbow a significant look. “You still didn’t answer what possessed you to fly into that storm in the first place.” With that he left the room and Rainbow was left to the mercy of her thoughts and guilt.
How could she be so heartless? No matter how she felt, Fluttershy deserved more than to just be discarded. Rainbow just wished she could figure out what her feelings meant. She used to only feel weak when she was alone, but lately her defenses crumbled whenever her fillyhood friend was near. She felt both ashamed and comforted when Fluttershy was caring for her; ashamed at her dependence on anypony else, ashamed of whatever the warm and cozy feeling invaded her chest whenever the pretty mare was near. “Pretty?” Her head hurt as feelings and thoughts violently clashed in her skull.
Luckily, it was only a minute or so before the door opened again and Fluttershy was nudged through by the Doctor. At the sight of her friend, looking embarrassed and distraught, a disjointed symphony of feelings assaulted Rainbow. She didn’t know whether to smile, cry, laugh, or a myriad of other options. She ended up with an open mouth and somewhat inane expression.
“I’ll let you two talk for a bit, but don’t forget that you still owe me, Rainbow Dash.” With that he excused himself and shut the door. 
Fluttershy didn’t move from her position by the door and she busied herself with looking out the one small window. Rainbow knew she had to say something.
“Hey, Fluttershy,” she began, her voice raspy and strained, “I’m really-.”
“It’s not all about you!” Rainbow was shocked at the amount of venom in the words. Fluttershy still didn’t look at her, but continued. “It’s obvious you’re going through some hard times, so quit being so stubborn with your denials.”
Rainbow quickly swallowed a retort.
“You’ve always been there for me Rainbow Dash,” for some reason hearing her full name, instead of “Dashie” or even “Dash,” hurt, “and now you need help and you completely reject me.” The words were still hard-edged, but when the ground-loving Pegasus turned toward Rainbow the tears were back with a vengeance. 
“I didn’t reject you. I even asked you to stay.”
Fluttershy gave a desperate little laugh, the kind of laugh that let Rainbow know she was missing the point. “You did,” she nodded sadly and took a few steps toward the injured Pegasus, “but you never trusted me enough to let me know what was bothering you.”
Rainbow couldn’t look into her friends eyes, “I don’t like feeling dependent on anypony,” her eyes searched the opposite wall, looking for something interesting.
“Yeah well, maybe I want to feel needed every once in a while.” This pulled Rainbow’s eyes to hers. Fluttershy took another step closer and rested a hoof on the end of the bed. “I care about you Rainbow.” There was intensity in her eyes that left no room for doubt. “And it hurts that you don’t trust me enough to help.”
“Trust!?,” a little anger entered Rainbow’s voice. “Like when you told Rarity that I was having… issues?” Fluttersy looked exasperated at this point.
“So it was wrong of me to try and get advice from another friend that cares about you?”
Rainbow was shocked when she felt tears dripping from her muzzle to her front hooves. “YES!” she shouted as she tried to bury her face in her pillow.
Rainbow sobbed uncontrollably into her pillow for a minute or so before she felt a hoof running through her mane. 
“I’m sorry, Dashie.” Hearing her pet name inexplicably brought more tears. This time they seemed to originate from relief though. Before she could stop herself she turned quickly to wrap her hooves around her friend. “Aaah!” she yelped as pain erupted in her side at the quick movement. Instead of the planned hug she curled up in pain.
“Rainbow! Are you okay?” When all she got for an answer were eyes tightly closed and a whimper she ran to find the Doctor.


=+=+=+=


“Hey, Fluttershy, that’s my role you know?” 
Fluttershy smiled, halfheartedly, at twilight, but did not cease her vigilant march. “Rainbow just has to be okay,” she thought desperately. 
“Fluttershy, sugarcube, c’mon and sit down a spell. Yer makin’ me more nervous than an apple during cider season.” 
Fluttershy finally abandoned her worried pacing in favor of nervous fidgeting, sitting between her two friends. 
“Hey sugar,” Applejack started putting a hoof around the distraught pegasus’ neck, “Rainbow’s gonna be just fine and she has you to thank for it.” Fluttershy’s head sunk at this as she buried her face in her hooves.
How could she tell them that she was the cause of Rainbow’s injuries? If Rainbow hadn’t felt obligated to look for her, she’d probably not have been hurt. She also felt responsible for whatever had just happened in the room. She had upset Rainbow and had caused her to hurt herself further. She couldn’t stand the undue praise her friends were heaping on her. 
“Really,” Pinkie chimed in, “I can’t wait until they let Rainbow out so I can throw the biggest, bestest, most awesomest, heroestiest party ever!” Each word added weight to Fluttersy’s conscious until finally, something broke.
“STOP!” It was quite the feat for Fluttershy to yell and her friends looked at her startled and worried. She couldn’t hold it in any more. “It’s my fault!” A stunned silence followed and Fluttershy took the opportunity to go on. “I- I… did something wrong and Rainbow was trying to get away from me.” 
Twilight mirrored Applejack’s concerned look. “Oh that’s just silly,” Pinkie interjected. “Rarity told us everything. Well not everything come to think of it,” she added with a thoughtful hoof to chin. “She just told us that she had made Rainbow upset, but she didn’t tell us how. Hey wait! She didn’t really tell us much of anything!”
“What’s going on Fluttershy?” Twilight asked hoping to stem the avalanche of inexact language that was Pinkie Pie. 
Fluttershy searched for an answer that wouldn’t make her betray the little trust Rainbow had in her. “I followed Rainbow into that storm. If it hadn’t been for that Rainbow wouldn’t have been hurt.”
“As far as Ah can tell, you followin’ her into that there storm is the only reason she’s gonna be okay.”
Fluttershy just shook her head. “She knew I followed her in and she tried to help me which led to her getting hurt.” Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “How could I have been so stupid? Of course I couldn’t handle that storm and of course Rainbow would do everything in her power to save me.” Her body racked with sobs. “It’s my fault she almost…” she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence.
Doctor Horse entered the waiting room shadowed by Nurse Tenderheart. The ponies all stood up expectantly including Fluttershy, albeit a bit slower than the others.
“Hey Doc, is Dash okay?” Pinkie asked nearly exploding with impatience. 
The Doctor gave the enigmatic pony a warm smile. “She’s just fine. She just moved a little too abruptly and tore a couple of stitches in her side.”
“Can we go see her?” Twilight asked.
“Well, it might not be a good idea for you all to see her right now. I don’t want her getting too excited," he answered with a meaningful look to Pinkie.
Pinkie stopped her bouncing at these words. “Well, I think Fluttershy should go in and see her at least.”
Fluttershy shied away at the suggestion. “I don’t want to hurt her anymore.”
Pinkie Pie was impossibly in her face in an instant. Snout pushed aggressively into Fluttershy’s. “I already told you you’re being silly.” Her tone was surprisingly aggressive. “Stop finding ways to take blame for things out of your control. If only one of us can see her now, we all know it should be you. So get in there and cheer Rainbow up, and start being the happy Fluttershy we all love. Your hero party won’t be very much fun if you can’t stop and see your own worth.” Her fierceness melted away in a flash. “Okay, see ya soon.” With that she nuzzled the shocked mare and hopped toward the exit. The others said their goodbyes as well with a promise they’d make their visits later.

Fluttershy sighed deeply and steeled herself before opening the door to Dash’s room. She wasn’t quite sure what kind of welcome she would receive, but she felt a smile grow on her face as she entered the room. 
“Hey Rainbow,” she called quietly. The blue Pegasus on the bed looked at her with an exhausted smile.
“Hey Shy,” her voice cracked emotionally, and a warm smile beautified the already beautiful face. 
Fluttershy trotted over to the bedside to nuzzle the face of the battered Pegasus. Rainbow returned it with fervid intensity that startled the shy pony. Finally, Fluttershy pulled back and looked into those glistening magenta pools. She was surprised and elated to see how much love seemed to be shining in those eyes. 
“Fluttershy?" 
Fluttershy didn’t answer but pressed her face against her secret crush’s for another moment. She couldn’t help but place a little kiss on her cheek before backing away again. Rainbow’s face blossomed into a bright red, but the smile never left. 
“I brought our book,” Fluttershy said, pulling the book from the saddlebag she wore. 
Rainbow’s smile grew until it threatened to split her face in two. Fluttershy was getting comfortable in the chair she sat in when Rainbow interrupted her with a grunt. She looked up to see that Rainbow had carefully moved to one side of the bed and had opened the covers in invitation. Fluttershy smiled nervously.
“I don’t want to hurt you again Dash,” she admitted.
“You’ve never done anything to hurt me Flutters.” Rainbow said sofly, and Fluttershy knew she meant it. She gingerly got into the bed with Rainbow Dash and pulled the covers over them both. “You’re going to have to read though, my head still kind of hurts,” Rainbow said breathily. 
They were both breathing heavier in the confined space and Fluttershy couldn’t  help but run her hooves gently over Rainbow's injured body. One hoof tenderly ran along the cyan side, softly touching the bandages that wrapped around her friend’s chest. As she moved back down toward the wing joint she elicited a small whimper of pleasure from her Dashie. “Oh Celestia, please let her be mine.” She continued the soft ministrations as she pulled herself even closer to the usually bold Pegasus' body. She could feel dash’s hot breath on her face as their hind legs intertwined. 
Rainbow made an inquisitive sound.
Fluttershy looked into her friend's eyes and saw desire and need, but also fear. She pulled away slowly, face reddening madly, and reached to grab the book.  “What page were we on?” she asked nearly panting. 
“Umm,” the speedy Pegasus sounded as if she’d just finished a race. “I think chapter five or six, right around there.” 
“Okay, yeah. This looks familiar.” She didn’t get a chance to start reading as Rainbow’s hoof pulled her face towards her own. Lips met roughly and awkwardly, but only for a moment before they found a balance between need and pleasure. The book slid off the bed, forgotten, as hooves searched each other seemingly of their own accord. Heat grew in the nonexistent space between the two pegasi as their lips pressed, almost violently, against each other. 
It was Fluttershy who pulled away first, gasping to fill her lungs. Emotions, mounted on thoughts, ran wildly through her mind. 
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked, muzzle still pressed into the yellow pony’s neck.
“Mmhmm,” was all she had the energy to respond with.
“Thanks for being here for me. I…” she paused and let a hot breath out on Fluttershy’s neck. “I want to tell you everything. Just not tonight.”
Fluttershy turned back toward the Pegasus she loved. “That’s okay,” she gently kissed the top of her muzzle. “As long as you trust me, I can wait a while.” Rainbow Dash smiled and was already asleep as Fluttershy lovingly brushed her hoof through the kaleidoscopic mane.

> Deeper
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	“Please, Miss Dash, I need you to take this seriously.” The unicorn rubbed his muzzle between his eyeglasses in obvious irritation.

            “I am being serious!” the Pegasus retorted, equally annoyed. She snuck a glance at the clock above the psychiatrist’s head. “Almost two hours!” She was at her wits end trying to give an answer that would satisfy the shrink.

            “’Because I felt like a little danger’ is hardly an acceptable answer.”

            “Well, if you’d rather I lie, then help me come up with a better one!” Of course she was already lying and they both knew it, but it was equally clear that she was not going to give an answer he would consider “acceptable.”

            His eyes closed as he audibly exhaled through puffed cheeks. “Miss Dash, we have already spoken to your pegasus friend and she told us that you seemed upset and were trying to get away.”

            “So?” Rainbow scoffed, “I had an argument and wanted to blow off some steam. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

            “Nothing wrong with blowing off some steam, sure-” he reiterated, “-It doesn’t become a problem until you exhibit reckless and self-harming behavior. I believe-.”

            “Bucking Celestia! There was nothing ‘self-harming’ about it!” Dash vulgarly interrupted. “Reckless? Sure. I would have been fine though! I’ve already explained this to the Doctor, and I don’t need or want to go through it again!”

            Doctor Kindheart took a few calming breaths. “I don’t want to argue with you Rainbow Dash. I get it, I really do.” She looked on incredulously, doubting he got it at all. “You don’t need my help, or anypony’s for that matter. You are independent, strong, and can most likely take care of yourself.” Maybe he did get it… a little. “Maybe you flew into that storm because you ‘felt like a little danger,’ or maybe you weren’t really thinking at all; it’s just where you ended up. It’s obvious that this conversation isn’t going anywhere so I’ll leave you with this-” He leaned forward and even went as far as to rest a hoof on Rainbow’s “-Even if you are ‘fine,’ you have friends who are concerned - and not just a little bit; but really and truly concerned. They care about you and want to do all they can to help.  So, even if you don’t feel you need it, let them help you.” He stood from his chair and headed out, stopping at the door. “There’s a good chance they might need that.” With that, he gave his first genuine smile of the day and exited.

            With the psych review out of the way, Rainbow’s release was finally imminent. She signed forms and half-listened to the nurse on proper wing care - she was a bucking unicorn, what did she know about wings?  “…And of course no flying for six weeks.” That caught Rainbow’s attention.

                   “What!? Six Weeks!? Are you serious!?” she asked in disbelief. She had been grounded multiple times, but only for a couple of days at most! How was she supposed to survive six weeks on the ground?

                   “It’s protocol to escort you to the lobby,” the nurse went on, choosing not to answer the question.  Another nurse approached with a wheelchair. Dash glanced at it in dismay, but decided not to argue. She just wanted to be out as soon as possible. Two days of unconsciousness and eleven more of unbearable consciousness had almost made her consider being more careful in the air...almost.

                   Upon reaching the lobby she was welcomed by the smiling faces of Fluttershy and Twilight. After greetings and far too many hugs, they were finally on the threshold to sweet freedom. “Well everypony,” she turned to address literally everyone in the surrounding area, “it’s been a real treat and I’m sad to have to leave. I can honestly say-” she paused for effect “-that I’ll truly miss you all. From Nurse Tenderheart’s constant mothering and well-intentioned nagging, to Doctor Horse’s persistent questioning on every none-of-his-business topic he could come up with. Can’t wait ‘till I’m back. Because, you know, that’s bound to happen.” With that, she made her way out of the hospital, with Twilight and Fluttershy catching up to her. 

                   Fluttershy’s jaw had nearly dropped to the floor and Twilight could only face-hoof and shake her head in disgust, “Honestly Rainbow? What was that all about?”

                   Rainbow wasn’t about to let the lavender pony ruin her mood. She rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, Twilight. It was just a little good-hearted ribbing.” The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was too late. Her mood was already ruined.

                   Once they had put a little distance between themselves and the hospital, Dash began chewing on the bandages that held her wing to her side.

                   “Uh… Are you sure you should be doing that?” Twilight asked.

           She was short in her response, “I didn’t hear anypony tell me not to.” She continued to work at the bandages with her teeth. 
                  “T-that… that doesn’t seem right.” Fluttershy seemed shocked.

                   “Isn’t your specialty with animals?” Rainbow deadpanned. “Maybe you should stick to that,” she added sharply, causing Fluttershy to flinch slightly and paw at the ground.

                   Twilight sighed loudly. “I’ll head back and see if there’s anything else we need. Someone left in a hurry.” With that she shot Rainbow a look from the corner of her eyes, and turned back toward the hospital, leaving a nervous Fluttershy with an annoyed Rainbow Dash.
                   Rainbow couldn’t really explain what had happened over the last ten days or so, but ever since she and Fluttershy had kissed, she almost felt a certain hostility toward her long-time friend. She didn’t know why, but she felt as though her friend had taken advantage of her weakened state. She knew this wasn’t really the case, but still; she found herself attacking Fluttershy at almost every opportunity.

                   She continued tugging at the bandages with renewed fervor, a sight which Fluttershy couldn’t take anymore. “Please stop, Dash!”

                   Rainbow sighed, letting go of the wrap and settled back on her haunches, and tried her best to look away from her concerned friend. Fluttershy persisted, “Rainbow?”

                   She ignored Fluttershy, not really wanting to talk. Where am I gonna stay for the next few weeks? She wasn’t sure she had the bits to stay in a hotel for six whole weeks, and she really didn’t want to impose on any friends - not to mention, she didn’t want to hear the constant badgering of her friends asking her if she was doing okay over that long of a time period. Maybe she could work out a trade with Applejack? She could help out around the farm as much as she was able to in exchange for sleeping in the barn.

                   “Dash?”

                   She didn’t know if Applejack would accept any help, that pony was stubbornly independent. Still, she could probably coax-

                   Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a muzzle push against her neck.

                   “What, Fluttershy!?” she practically yelled.

                   The nervous mare backed away so quickly, she nearly fell with a pathetic whimper. Rainbow finally looked at her and regretted it instantly. She couldn’t stand seeing tears in those wounded blue eyes. Dash looked at the ground, and felt lower than low. It was a blessing when Twilight trotted up, a flash of fire in her eyes.

                   “Rainbow Dash, the bandages stay on for the next week, at least, and not even the tiniest bit of flying for the next six weeks.”

                   Rainbow scowled. “Fine. I need to head over to Sweet Apple Acres and see if Applejack has room in her barn for me.” Rainbow set off leaving the two ponies standing there. Twilight looked to an obviously upset Fluttershy, and quickly ran to catch up with Rainbow.
           Once she caught up, she yanked Rainbow to the side, earning a wince of pain out of the mare.“What is your problem, Rainbow?” she hissed. “Why are you being so rude to us?”

                   Rainbow once again didn’t feel like answering and continued on, glower growing deeper with each step. Why wouldn’t they just take a hint? She wanted to be alone… Or did she? Something clicked right then. Why am I being so rude? She really didn’t like being this way, but she didn’t know how to fix it. She stopped suddenly, not knowing what to do.
 

=+=+=+=

 
                   Fluttershy followed a ways behind the other two. She didn’t know how much more she could take of Rainbow’s attitude. She was afraid that maybe things had been moving too quickly, and that was the reason for Rainbow’s rapid change. She fought back the tears that had threatened all too often recently.  If only Rainbow knew how much it hurt her to see her this way. She knew Rainbow was hurting, and it was torture for her to not be allowed to comfort the colorful pegasus.
 
Fluttershy was nearing a breakdown herself, and had no idea how to deal with it.

                   If she’d just talk to me I’d feel so much better... Up ahead, Rainbow abruptly stopped, head hanging low.

                   Fluttershy cantered to catch up. “Rainbow, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” 

Rainbow didn’t answer, and Fluttershy could see her eyes screwed up as if in pain… or holding back tears. Finally the weather Pegasus released a large sigh.

                   “No, I’m fine. Umm, Twilight… could I maybe, well ya know, s-spend the night in the library?” Twilight smiled gently at her downcast friend.

                   “Of course, Rainbow. You’re welcome anytime.”

                   “Maybe… maybe I could come over for a bit as well?” Fluttershy nearly whispered.

                   Twilight shot her a meaningful look that Fluttershy didn’t understand. “No, Fluttershy, I think you should go home and get some rest. Feel free to stop by tomorrow though,” she added with a smile.

                   What!? She just sat there mouth half open as she watched Twilight gently nudge Rainbow to get her walking again. Rainbow and Twilight started on their way, with Dash leaning slightly into Twilight, leaving behind a shocked and hurt Fluttershy. Did Twilight just make a move on Rainbow? She shook her head, not wanting to believe it. No, Twilight would never do that to her. Plus, she was fairly certain that Twilight didn’t even swing that way.

                   Twilight was right about her being tired, but the animal-loving pegasus didn’t want to head home yet. She felt that she needed to talk to somepony, and there was only one that she had shared her feelings for Rainbow with. So, she plodded, with her mane dragging on the ground from her head hanging low as she made her way toward the Carousel Boutique.

                   The Boutique’s sign had already been flipped to CLOSED, but Fluttershy noted the lighted window above the showroom as she tapped shyly on the door.

                   “Sorry, were closed for the day,” the sing-song voice called down. “We’ll be open tomorrow at ten.”

                   “Rarity, it’s me,” Fluttershy softly piped. She heard a series of doors followed by hooves quickly approaching.

                   “Oh, darling! Please, come in!” Rarity smiled, moving aside to invite her friend inside. Fluttershy took the invitation, mane still dragging as though she didn’t have the energy to hold her head up; something that Rarity noted.

                   “Things didn’t go too well at the hospital I take it?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

                   All Fluttershy could do was shake her head.

                   “Oh darling, I’m so sorry.” Rarity offered a hoof over the quivering pegasus’ shoulder to pull her friend against her as she guided her to lay on some pillows in the showroom. “Give me one moment dear.” She offered one more tight squeeze before disappearing behind the showroom and into the attached kitchen. She returned, promptly, with two cups and a bottle of Sweet Apple Acre’s finest. Pouring them each a generous amount, she asked how Rainbow’s release had gone.

                   Fluttersy took a deep drink, one that caused a satisfying burn in her throat. Taking her time, she answered, “Oh, Rarity, I think she might actually hate me,” Fluttershy disclosed. “She snaps at me every time I say anything. She’s made it quite clear she doesn’t want me around. Also, quite clear she …might..want… somepony else...,” she trailed off.

                   “What was that?”

                   Fluttershy fidgeted with her hooves, avoiding looking at the fashionista. She could feel the tears pressing her defenses once again, and fought for control as Rarity patiently waited.

                   “I think, maybe… maybe she wants some other pony,” she admitted.

                   Rarity didn’t answer immediately, and in fact seemed lost in thought. She held her cup up to her pressed lips, but didn’t drink. Fluttershy shifted nervously at the lack of response and began scanning the room, not looking at anything in particular. What is she thinking?

                   “Umm…Rarity? Did you hear me?” she asked meekly.

                   “I… was just thinking,” Rarity started carefully, “Now don’t take this the wrong way, Fluttershy, but what if she doesn’t really want anypony right now?”  She examined the Pegasus closely, waiting for a reaction.

                   Fluttershy shook her head slowly, examining her own shaking hooves. “Do you think it’s possible?” she whispered, more to herself than Rarity. Oh Celestia, could I be that blind? The possibility was of course there, but it wasn’t one she was prepared to accept.

                   Rarity put her untouched drink down gently on the coffee table. She looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes, speaking softly.  “She needs comfort and companionship. That doesn’t necessarily translate to romance, dear. Maybe she has just wanted you to stay close by as a friend, and that is the extent of it.”

                   “But… but…” Fluttershy’s mind raced. “She kissed me. That means something. Doesn’t it?” It had to. You don’t just kiss someone for the need of comfort, do you? She didn’t notice Rarity’s eyes widen at the revelation.

                   “Fluttershy,” Rarity scooted next to the quiet Pegasus and placed a hoof on her back, “You have to realize that there’s a chance she was confused. She seems to have an abundance of feelings she’s trying to deal with and maybe she was just… vulnerable.”

                   Fluttershy scoffed hopelessly. Rainbow Dash vulnerable? It just didn’t seem to make sense. The statement seemed to ring with truth though, even if it did seem to turn logic on its head.

                   “I hope that’s not all it was...” she looked away from her friend, letting her mane hide her tears.

                   Rarity ran her hoof up and down Fluttershy’s back. “I hope so as well, ” she breathed as she pulled the weeping mare into a caring embrace.
 

=+=+=+=

 
                   “Ha! That makes it four in row, egghead!”

           Twilight was bewildered. “I don’t get it! My strategy was flawless! I even took all your tendencies and quirks into account!” she shook her head with disappointment at her failure.

                   “Yeah, well, you can’t really strategize against complete awesomeness, Twi.” Dash began setting the pieces up again. “Wanna make it five straight, genius?”

                   Twilight sighed and stood up from the board, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she stretched her back. “Probably not tonight, it’s getting pretty late as it is.” she said through a yawn.

                   Rainbow Dash’s ears pressed against her head as she shot a dirty look at the discourteous clock which seemed to side with Twilight. “Yeah, alright,” she sighed. “Can I just crash down here on the couch?”

                   “Sure, but I think you should get cleaned up first. I’m sure you’ll feel better after a shower.”

                   Rainbow raised her foreleg and gave herself a quick sniff. “Bleh! I’ll smell better too!”

                   Twilight laughed at her friend’s antics. “There’s towels under the cupboard and soaps and shampoos on the tub ledge. If you need anything, just give me a yell.”

                   Dash rolled her eyes as she left. “Sure Twilight, I’ll be sure to call you if I need my back scrubbed.” She smiled back at the purple mare as she ascended the stairs just to reassure she was kidding. Twilight, for her part, laid on the couch. She crossed her forelegs, and magically pulled a book Patience with Patients and How to Reck for a Wreck to pass the time. As tired as she was, she didn’t want to go to bed without first making sure Rainbow was settled.
 

=+=+=+=

 
                   As usual, Twilight lost herself in her reading and was startled when she looked up at the clock to see Dash had been in the bathroom for well over two hours. The book dropped unceremoniously to the couch in Twilight’s panic as she raced up the stairs to the bathroom door and knocked lightly.

                   “Rainbow? Is everything okay?”

                   No answer.

                   “Rainbow?” she rapped harder on the door.

She heard water sloshing and then: “Twi… Twilight? Umm, I think I need some help,” a barely recognizable weak voice answered.

Twilight burst through the door to see Dash laying her head on the side of the tub, eyes half closed and chest panting in labored breath.

                   “Oh my Celestia! Rainbow, are you okay?” Her fear was not abated by the pink tinge the water had taken on.

                   “Rainbow, what were you thinking!? You can’t just scrub at a wound like that!”
                  “I… I didn’t know,” tears filled the injured mare’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”

                   “Don’t apologize. Come here,” she said as she soaked herself helping the mare out of the tub. She forgot in her alarm that she could probably have done it easier with magic.

                   “Okay, it looks like you tore some stitches in your side again. I should be able to fix it… if I can just-“ her magic came back to her now “-There.” She looked Rainbow over, making sure the sutures in her wing were still holding. Besides some blood on her coat and the paleness in her face, she looked to be okay.

                   She grabbed a small rag from under the cupboard and soaked it in warm water. “Here, let me help you get cleaned up.” With careful dabs and light strokes she washed her shivering friend, blushing slightly at the intimacy of the situation. Afterward, she magically pulled a plush towel from the cupboard, heated it with her horn, and wrapped it around the quivering Pegasus.

                   “Can you walk?”

                   “I…” Rainbow couldn’t speak, and nodded instead. Twilight suspected there was just as much emotional trauma as physical, but she wasn’t sure it was a good time to do anything about it. Letting the smaller mare lean against her she led her to her bedroom.

                   “T-T-Twilight, I-I can sleep on the c-couch,” she managed through chattering teeth. 

Twilight ignored her as her horn lit up, pulling the sheets down and lifting Rainbow out of the towel and onto the bed. The cyan pony continued to tremble as Twilight inspected the repaired stitching in her side.

                   “I think it looks okay now,” she stated and began to prepare bandages to cover it again. The miserable pony’s tremors made the task quite daunting. 

                   Finally finishing, she wiped the sweat from her brow. “There, that looks good now. Oh Dash, you’re shaking so badly.” She pulled the covers as tightly as she could while still being gentle around the pegasus, and magically heated the blanket. “Maybe we should get you back to the hospital.”

                   “N-no. I’ll b-be fine.”

                   “But, Rainb-“

                   “No, Twilight.”

           Twilight gave in. “Fine, but I’m not leaving you alone.” She gingerly climbed on top of the covers. “So don’t try to make me leave, because it won’t work” She said this in mock anger, giving her friend a harsh look that quickly melted into a smile. The two continued to look at each other and Twilight felt heat flush her face. She felt a sudden and strong urge to just wrap her hurt friend in a tight embrace, and protect her from the world. It wasn’t necessarily a romantic feeling; rather, a deep love for a close friend. She pressed her forehead into Rainbow’s and closed her eyes. “I’m here for you, Rainbow Dash.” The words sounded intensely passionate, even to her ears. She quickly pulled away in embarrassment.

                   She curled up in a tight ball next to dash, the only layer between them being the covers, and stole a quick glance at her friend whose eyes were already closed above a nearly unperceivable smile. Sighing, she closed her eyes, unable to suppress the smile that slid to her own face.
 
           

        “Oww!” Twilight exclaimed at the sudden assault on her head. She looked around, disoriented, and raised a hoof just in time to stop a second offending kick.

                   “Noooo… just…” Rainbow followed that with a low groan. Her eyes were still closed as she kicked out again and again.

                   “Rainbow!” Twilight moved to try and soothe the distressed pony, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. Oh no… Rainbow’s forehead was scorching and, in the moonlight from the window, Twilight noticed a sheen of sweat covering the cyan coat. She ran to the bathroom, pulled a towel from the cupboard, and drenched it in cool water. After she squeezed out the excess, she hurried to Rainbow and placed the cloth over her head, brushing her hoof through the moaning filly’s mane as she tried to calm her struggling friend.

                   “It’s okay Rainbow. I’m right here.”

                   Rainbow’s eyes fluttered open. “Twilight?”

                   “Yes, I’m here,” she smiled down Rainbow.

                   Rainbow closed her eyes, a pained expression marring her face “I don’t feel so good, Twi.”

                   Twilight continued stroking the colorful mane with a look of worry. What should she do? She was unsure if this warranted an emergency trip to the hospital, or if she should just keep a close eye on her. She really wished she had another one of her friends with her, or that at least Spike wasn’t in Canterlot on errands. She wouldn’t dare leave Rainbow to get one of her other friends, so her options were very limited.

                   If she had to leave she would have to take Rainbow with her, and if she was going to risk moving Rainbow, the only place she would take her would be the hospital. Was she just panicking? Did Rainbow really need the hospital? She pressed her hoof against her friend’s face but, with her hoof still wet from the towel, she couldn’t tell exactly how hot Dash was. Hesitating only for a moment, she pressed her cheek against Dash’s. She was still way too hot, but she did seem to be cooling and her body was definitely more relaxed. Dash's  cheek felt impossibly soft against hers and she closed her eyes, relishing the feeling,  just for a moment. 

                   “Twilight? What are you doing?”

                   “Nothing! I mean – I was trying to see how hot you are.”

                   Dash chuckled weakly. “Nice moves, egghead.”

                   “What!? Oh no, not like that, I mean…” She blushed furiously, partly because she realized she liked the feel of Dash’s cheek on hers. Wait, what!? She had never thought about another mare like that before.

                   “I’m just playing with you, Twilight. Geez, settle down. I’m sorry I embarrassed ya.”

                   Twilight shook the confusion from her head. “No. I mean, you didn’t. I uh...was actually trying to figure out what to do for your fever. As far as what I’ve read, fever and infection usually go hand in hand. Which means I should probably be getting you to the hospital.”

                   “Ugh, Twilight, can’t I just sleep and see how I feel in the morning?”

                   “But,” Twilight bit her lower lip, “I’m just worried for you. You were moaning in your sleep, and your coat was so hot it almost hurt to touch.”

                   Rainbow rolled away, showing Twilight her back. “I’ll be okay Twi. Let’s just go to sleep.”

                   Twilight’s brow furrowed in concern. She didn’t want to give up so easily, but she found herself laying back down with her coat pushing firmly against her friend’s.This way I’ll hopefully be able to tell if her fever spikes again she told herself, but the blush returning to her face exposed the lie. As she drifted to sleep a stray hoof found its way around the Pegasus’ middle.
                    

=+=+=+=

 
                   Fluttershy tossed and turned in her bed, a rough and exhausting sleep gripping the troubled mare...