A Night Amidst The Stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e26JQr8PWYs
Click for some gentle atmosphere.
The orange glow of the sun slowly dipped below the horizon as the six of them began to make camp for the night. To everypony's surprise, the idea to go on a camping trip came from Rarity. Her reasoning, despite her aversion to all things that could be described as "outdoorsy", was that in the now years they had all been friends, there hadn't really been any occasion where they had simply spent time together. Not without having some sort of disaster to deal with, at least. And a camping trip was what everypony agreed on the most. It required the least amount of effort to schedule, was easy to prepare for, and the forest wasn't that far away for them to begin their hike.
"I'll grab us some firewood," Rainbow Dash volunteered, wanting to avoid doing anything complicated involved in setting up the campsite.
"And I'll tie up our food supply so no creatures or critters are rummagin' through it overnight," said Applejack. She began to fill a saddlebag with all the different assortments of foods that everypony had packed.
"Aw, do we have to?" Pinkie Pie groaned, and Applejack gave her a raised eyebrow. "Okay..." Pinkie continued as she emptied out her saddlebag, which was bursting to the brim with sugarized sweets and confectionery.
"Ugh, I can't fit all this stuff in one bag," said Applejack. "Pinkie, can you help me?"
"Sure thing, AJ!" Pinkie replied genuinely, and the two of them trotted off into the forest in a different direction than Rainbow Dash.
The evening sky was rapidly beginning to darken, and the chirps of crickets and other woodland creatures began to fill the air with the sounds of the night. A mild rustle of leaves sounded from the treetops above and the low whistle of distant winds filled their ears. The air began to become colder as the sun disappeared further behind the horizon and the moon took its hold over the night sky. It was full and bright, casting its cool glow over the landscape, its rays peeking out from the leaves that towered above them.
Rarity, Twilight and Fluttershy remained in the camp and began to set up the tent and other campsite amenities. Twilight and Rarity worked together to raise the tent, and Fluttershy was tidying up the surrounding area as well as making sure no unwelcome animal visitors would come in the night.
Suddenly, Rarity yelped in pain. "Ouch!"
"What's wrong?" said Twilight as she forced a stake into the ground with a rock.
"I stubbed my hoof on this rock," replied Rarity, her face already in pouting mode.
Twilight withheld the urge to roll her eyes and followed up. "Will it be alright? We've still got a long day of hiking the next morning."
"I...suppose so..." said Rarity.
Twilight knew that meant no.
"What's the matter, somepony hurt?" Asked Applejack, recently returned with Pinkie Pie from hanging up the food.
"Oh, it's nothing," said Rarity. "Really, just a stubbed hoof. I'll be fine." Rarity's hoof remained limp in the air, her foreleg holding it above the ground.
Applejack eyed it suspiciously, and then sighed. "As much as it pains me to say this...maybe it's best we head back early."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly," said Rarity. "I can't ask everypony to just cut the trip short because I might have a mild injury. It's fine, really!" Rarity put her hoof to the ground delicately and attempted to walk on it, stumbling her way a couple of steps forward. "See? Just fine."
"Look, I know you're just bein' kind and all, but I know a sprain when I see one," said Applejack. "If you put too much effort on it, it could get worse. I'd feel a heck of a lot better knowin' you were gettin' proper care for your injuries."
"Well, I suppose you're right," said Rarity. "I still feel awful about making everypony return early though."
"Well, I can take you back myself," Applejack obliged. "No sense in makin' everypony leave just to get you home safely. It'd be no trouble at all. You could ride on cart I've been pullin."
"You would do that?" said Rarity. "Thank you Applejack. I know how much you were looking forward to this trip."
Rainbow Dash hovered into the campsite holding a pile of sticks and twigs in her forelegs. "What's that I heard about somepony going home early?"
"Rarity hurt her leg and Applejack is going to take her back to Ponyville," said Twilight.
"Oh," Rainbow Dash replied, setting down the pile of twigs near a circle of rocks Fluttershy had set up for the campfire.
"Ooh, that reminds me," Pinkie Pie suddenly interjected. "Can you turn off the oven for me when you get back to Ponyville, Rarity? I just remembered that I left it on before I left."
Everypony stared at her.
"Uhh, Pinkie," said Twilight, "that sounds like it could be kind of urgent. Maybe somepony else better get there sooner?"
"I can fly there in a flash," said Rainbow Dash.
"Well..." Pinkie's voice trailed off, "I might have forgotten a lot of other things too..."
Twilight sighed. "Okay then. Maybe you should go with Rainbow Dash since you're both the fastest of all six of us."
"Okay!" Pinkie Pie replied excitedly. Rainbow Dash seemed to be excited as well.
"Well, no reason to waste time dilly-dallying," said Applejack as she prepped the cart for carrying Rarity. "Looks like you two are on your own for the night."
"Take care," Rarity said as a goodbye.
The two pairs of ponies left the campsite and disappeared in the darkness of the night. Applejack pulled her along the ground in a small cart she'd used to carry their more heavy supplies, and Rarity used her horn to light up the area surrounding them as they walked through the forest. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were already galloping off together, far ahead in the distance. This left Twilight and Fluttershy, alone together sitting on a log around an unlit campfire under the starry night sky, with only the cold howls of the wind and soft sounds of crickets to keep them company.
"Well that was certainly the turn of events," said Twilight. "It's like all of a sudden, everypony went off in pairs to do something completely random."
Fluttershy nodded and mumbled an agreement, her forelegs close together and mane wrapped around herself for warmth.
"We should probably light a fire," said Twilight. "You look like you're freezing." Twilight rummaged through her saddlebag to obtain a piece of flint, but couldn't fine one. "Did you pack anything for starting a fire, Fluttershy?"
"No," she replied plainly as she hugged herself with her forelegs.
Twilight sighed. "It looks like we're going to be without a campfire tonight."
Fluttershy shivered.
"Well, I guess there's no sense in sitting out here in the cold if we can't make a campfire," continued Twilight. She got up from the log and made her way to the tent with Fluttershy. The sky was now pitch black and the stars dotted it like pinpricks on a canvas. The moon's light put a light haze in the forest around them as they entered the tent and closed the opening. Without the six of them all milling about, the forest seemed a tad more mysterious and frightening than usual.
They sat together for a few moments until Twilight said something again. "Did it seem weird to you how everypony just up and left so suddenly? And in pairs?"
"You did suggest Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie go together," said Fluttershy, still shivering from the cold.
"That's true, I hadn't realized that. Hmm."
The sounds of crickets permeated the air for several more seconds before Twilight spoke again. "Or what about Rarity and Applejack? I saw Rarity stub her hoof. It did not look that bad. And Applejack isn't the kind of pony to just let Rarity get out of roughing it like that. Doesn't that seem a bit weird to you?"
Fluttershy shrugged. "It seemed like she just genuinely cared about her well-being." She returned to hugging herself for warmth. "It was sweet."
Twilight sighed again. "You're right. I'm just reading too much into things." A cool breeze whipped by the tent and Twilight shivered as well. "Sweet Celestia, it's cold out there..."
"Y-Yes, it is..." Fluttershy agreed with a shiver. She was actually a lot colder than she looked, since for whatever reason she was trying to hide her shivers the best she could. She tried to stifle them, but instead she surprised herself when she suggested something out of the blue. "Maybe we could, um...keep each other warm?"
Twilight's ears perked up slightly and then relaxed. "It would make sense, given our complete lack of ability to provide warmth otherwise," Twilight shrugged. "I'm in."
In an instant, Fluttershy was pressed closely against Twilight's body, feeling the warmth radiate from her through the air onto her own fur. From Twilight's perspective, it felt like a cold, furry popsicle was being pressed up against her side for a few chilling moments until the coldness faded and the warmth began to flow. A small smile spontaneously appeared on her face and she felt the urge to place a wing over Fluttershy's back.
So she did. The warm, soft texture of Twilight's wing gently caressed her back like a weightless pillow of warmth and comfort. She felt a warm, prickling sensation as it wrapped around her completely, pulling her closer to Twilight. The warmth to her right tantalized her, just asking to be moved into. Fluttershy's inhibitions began to kick in, wondering what Twilight would think if she pushed things too far. But the coldness of the air pushed her inwards, and the intoxicating warmth of her friend invited her in.
So she allowed herself to nudge a little closer. Enough to feel more warm, but not too much so that it came across as anything more. Twilight felt the gentle movement of Fluttershy's head move into the cozy region between her neck and head and she smiled. Fluttershy suddenly felt a lot less cold and a lot more warm and comforting to her. She felt the urge to say something -- something to break the empty conversation -- but Fluttershy seemed perfectly content to remain silent aside from the soft sounds of fur on fur and rustling feathers. Twilight couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so cozy and comfortable. The constant hugs from her friends, especially Pinkie, were surely nice, but they just didn't compare to the soft, gentle nature of the yellow pegasus that was now breathing softly in her lap. There was just something calming and nice about her that she had always admired and liked. She liked them all, but out of all her friends, none were more relaxing and soothing than Fluttershy. Memories of drinking tea on chilly winter evenings in her cozy cottage surfaced in her mind, and she found herself nuzzling a little closer to her friend in the process.
Fluttershy breathed softly in her lap, but at this point they were laying down more than sitting next to each other. She was no longer cold, but didn't feel like pulling herself away at all. It was like her shyness had melted away, leaving nothing but her deepest desires. And it felt exhilarating, leaving herself out in the open and unafraid to let her emotions be free. To have them not only accepted, but reciprocated. She let out a big sigh and somehow found a way to nuzzle herself deeper into Twilight's embrace. There was no inhibition at this point. No worry about pushing things too far. Twilight hadn't said anything at this point and it seemed like she was just as content with the situation as she was. And then it happened.
Twilight smiled and began to preen the feathers of her friend as she lay across her lap. The gentle nuzzling against her feathers and soft pricks made her feel like closing her eyes and drifting off to sleep. Twilight continued the process, enjoying every tender moment as their silent embrace continued on. There weren't any words that were needed. She was just glad Rainbow Dash had taught her how to preen shortly after she had been transformed into an alicorn, and based on the small sighs and shivers from Fluttershy, she was doing a fine job.
When she was done, Fluttershy rolled over like a cat and did the same to Twilight. Instantly, she felt her feathers prick in ecstasy as Fluttershy began the process.
"You're a lot better at this than me..." Twilight said hazily. Fluttershy didn't respond. In moments, Twilight found herself laying on the ground with her yellow friend preening her feathers nuzzled close by. She was amazing. It felt incredible to be nurtured and cared for by her kind and loving friend. It was no wonder all her pets and animals adored her, Twilight thought to herself. It was like she knew exactly how to make her feel the most comfortable she had ever been. She savored every moment of her preening, secretly hoping it would never end, but eventually after what seemed like a blissful eternity, Fluttershy was finally done. It was considerably later at night and they both found themselves feeling tired, cuddling close together inside the small warm tent in the forest.
Twilight couldn't help herself from talking. "Thank you, that was really, really nice."
Fluttershy let herself go and wrapped her wing tighter around Twilight. She rested her head above her, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her feathered alicorn friend as her breathing slowed and calmed in the minutes as they drifted into sleep. Intertwined in a swirl of yellow and lavender, pink and purple, the alicorn and pegasus cuddled softly as they lay alone beneath the stars on the peaceful forest evening. Fluttershy fell asleep on top of her, and it was in the final moments before Twilight drifted into blissful slumber that she realized just why exactly the other two pairs of ponies seemed so keen on leaving together.