Mid-Morning Talks
This was pure bliss.
What more could be said to drive that point home any further? Although the question should be, what else really needed to be said in this perfect moment? A moment of rest and repose. A short amount of time taken from busy lives to just be a little greedy and do absolutely nothing other than enjoy the company of one another. Laying upon her back; and with the soft weight of the pony that captured her heart resting upon her chest, a yellow dragon took a deep but soft breath before exhaling with a smile and a quiet hum of happiness. The relatively small pony snored quietly in the dark and silent bedroom, limbs and wings draped across yellow scales that covered the large but somehow still plush dragon that was Fluttershy.
Delicate claws that were duller than a butter knife, gently wrapped around the back of the slumbering pony. The small fire that burned in her belly was only offset by the numerous butterflies that swarmed and tickled almost every inch of her stomach. Was this feeling one of true love? Or was this just something stupid that only further sought to confuse the dragoness into doubting her heart once again? A yawn. A stretch. The blue pegasus’s back popping a few times before her hindlegs once again fell to the wayside. But this time, the pony’s forelegs went forward and up into the small crook of Fluttershy’s long neck. “Mlhm, bleaaa…” Muttering sleepily, tail flicking down across the lower belly of the beast, a splash of multi colours spreading over the off-white belly of the impromptu bed that was her best friend.
Yes. The mare known as Rainbow Dash, Daring Dash, Crash (much to her hatred), the Element of Loyalty, and one of the most intense fliers ever to hail from the land of clouds and storms that was Cloudsdale. Yet, to any potential onlookers right at that moment, they wouldn’t see a daredevil who defied gravity, the sound barrier, and had kicked the flank of every major threat to Equestria with the other elements of Harmony more than a few times. No. Right now, they’d catch Rainbow getting some of the best cuddles during afternoon nappy time that she had ever gotten. And you know what? She didn’t even care about getting caught in such a scrutinizing position by anypony in the world. Captain Spitfire could bust the door down and laugh at her for hours and it wouldn’t change how she felt right at that moment.
Happy. They both were, really. A scaled paw rose up to gently cup Dash’s head, the small points atop the blunt digit gently digging into the sleeping mare’s scalp. If the soft coo that pushed past sleeping lips was anything to go by, it was clear that Rainbow was enjoying the cuddly petting treatment from her marefriend. Shifting her two large webbed wings further apart for a more comfortable position; ignoring a long lock of her mane that fell out of place and drifted down her right cheek, Fluttershy dipped her muzzle down to gently nose the top of Rainbow’s head.
The scent of morning dew, raindrops; and a hint of fruit flavoured candies, emanated from that wonderful band of rainbow coloured hairs. A few stray ones rose from their resting place to tickle the inside of the large nostrils at the end of her blunt muzzle. With a giggle stifled so as to not rouse her companion, Fluttershy sighed softly before flicking her tail ever so slightly in happiness. She looks so peaceful. So quiet, and innocent. Vulnerable, like she needs me to protect her forever. That feeling of unease and uncertainty came rushing back into her chest like water pushing past a leaking dam. Resolve wavering slightly, that small voice of doubt popping up inside the back of her mind that told her she wasn’t right for this beautiful creature, never in a million years would she ever be good enough for her mare.
A hard ache. A heartache. A swelling pang of guilt almost made the dragoness sick in thinking those thoughts. Tail tucking further into the blanket, the pony sprawled across cozy scales and atop a hurting core. As if trying to prevent something from pulling the slumbering pony out of her grasp. She didn’t want to let go, not now, not ever. Ba bum, ba bum, ba bum. Fluttershy could hear it, feel it, and the more that she experienced it the more she needed it deep inside her soul. A small puff of dark smoke seeped from nostrils that took another deep inhale of the mare’s scent, flooding nose and throat with the warm and wonderful smell of her mare. Hers. Rainbow Dash belonged to her, and her alone. She is mine, and I’ll never let any creature take that away from me. T-They will have to go through me first. Maybe it was the thought of this small pony leaving her perch and never returning back, perhaps it was that big elephant in the room that constantly screamed at her that this was not right and could never even be right. It was a simple fact that Fluttershy was a dragon. And Rainbow Dash was a pony.
A mare at that.
Sure, nothing was inherently wrong with that in today’s time. There were lots of ponies that liked the same gender. But the stares that came whenever they thought she couldn’t see always hurt. The whispers that surely happened when either one of them was out of earshot, still stung. But all of those fears and worries would always melt away in a mere moment whenever that brash pony smiled, with every touch of a hoof upon her cheek, each time those sweet and tender lips pushed up against her own in a kiss of total euphoria. A blush quickly stained yellow cheeks, further accenting a pair of loving and gentle cyan eyes that wanted nothing more than to see a pair of magenta orbs staring back. But there was only the same blue eyelids that the dragoness had been staring at for the past hour or so. Arms wrapping a bit tighter than before to make sure the sleeping pony couldn’t move even if she wanted to, Fluttershy leaned down and placed a kiss upon Rainbow’s forehead.
“I love you.”
Three simple and easy words, spoken barely above a whisper but nevertheless they held the utmost highest meaning to her. This was her friend. Her pony. Her mare. Her mate. Her love. Her everything. Closing her own eyes and with a deep breath, there was nothing left to do but wait. “I love you too, Fluttershy.” Came that familiar raspy voice, groggy from a short sleep, but still it was hers. Eyes opening quickly to see a half-lidded pair staring back, Fluttershy tried her best to hide the excitement that rushed inside. “You watched me sleep again, huh?” Rainbow asked, turning her head to crack her neck before laying back down upon the slowly rising and falling chest of Shy. This brought back memories, memories of days long since past, when the rowdy pegasus first returned the feelings that had laid dormant for so long.
It was autumn. Cold, breezy, the trees surrounding the quaint ‘little’ cottage resting just inside the edge of the forest. ‘Though, little wasn’t the best term for the structure because it was not really small, nor a cottage in the true definition of the word. It was carved out of the trunk of a large tree that didn’t tower too high into the air, but instead, it’s long branches stretched outwards to provide a nice and wide natural protection from the elements for critters that needed it. Large walls and a tall roof were delicately placed around the large tree, surrounding the perimeter of the overhanging branches, with the trunk acting at the centerpiece to hold it all together. This, along with indoor plumbing and basic power running off dragons flame made it more into a cozy home for a large pony family.
Or one dragon and her little bunny.
Yes, this was the home of the first (but not the only) dragon resident of Ponyville along with numerous critters of all shapes, sizes, and species. Fluttershy the yellow scaled dragon wanted to live outside the hustle and bustle of the town, away from unwanted stares and whispers. Plus, being this close to nature and the animals that she loved so much was all the better for her anyway. It was quiet, peaceful, close to a stream that she liked to frequent in the summer months when it got just a little too hot, and most of all, it gave her the most beautiful view of the starry night sky. Especially on the clearest of nights.
Tonight just so happened to be one of those nights.
Yet the cool air that blew past didn’t bother her much. Heck, even if it was twenty degrees COLDER, she still wouldn’t be sure if she’d feel it. Not with the inferno that raged on in her chest at this moment. Feet touched damp grass as the pegasus that held on tightly to her hand, practically dragged her away from her home and into the dark night. “R-Rainbow Dash! Where…. Are…. We…. G-Going?!” Speaking between shallow breaths, the dragoness not used to being plucked from her home in the middle of the night to run through the fields that surrounded the town. Especially not by the mare that frequented the dreams she had been reluctantly stirred from.
“Just a little bit further! Come on! Just a bit more and you can catch your breath!” The cyan mare said with her usual scratchy voice that was utterly soaked with enthusiasm. Honestly, Fluttershy had never seen Rainbow this excited about anything lately, not even when she had gotten a signed first edition of the new Daring Do book, ‘Daring Do and the Creeping Crypts’. But the two trudged on, down a small path through the trees and up to a small hill that pushed towards the sky. Eyes catching the flapping wings, the determined gaze and the ripples of nervousness that Rainbow Dash tried too hard to hide did not go unnoticed by her unknown lover. The fact that she did look really shaken, only added to the wonder and curiosity as to why they were both out here so late.
The crickets chirped their little songs, a few fireflies dotted the forest's edge and in the distance a lone howl could be heard echoing into the night. But the pink-haired dragon didn’t have time to stop and listen to the song of the insects or watch the small light show put on by the flying bugs while guessing what made that howl. Instead she had to catch herself from tripping over her own large hindpaws and follow the mare to the very top of the hill. Once they arrived, Rainbow released her grasp on the edge of Fluttershy’s paw, doing a small mid-air twist to turn herself around. A faint blush could barely be made out in the darkness across upturned cheeks that reflected a smile on the dragon before her. Taking a shaking but deep breath to collect herself, Rainbow prepared herself for what would surely turn into the hardest 'trick' she had ever done.
“Finally! We’re here! Alright, now, just sit here for me, okay?”
Magenta eyes sparkling in the moonlight, a few beads of sweat dripped down her forehead only to be wiped away by an unsteady foreleg. The dragoness herself could only nod, panting a bit from the sudden run that had just been forced upon her. With a moment to think clearly, her mind started to turn the gears, registering itself to the world around them. Now, she was starting to wonder why she had been brought out here. Usually, the only time that somepony bothered her at this time of night is if something had happened to an animal, or the world was being threatened by a villain of some sort.
But there wasn’t anything out here, besides the two of them and a handful of the local wildlife. Just a mare and a dragon, standing in the dim light that was reflected off the full moon, said ball in the sky lighting up the medium-sized clearing. Fluttershy was about to open her mouth to ask a question, any question on her mind as there were countless to choose from. But something told her not to say a word, and instead she stayed silent, sitting down upon the cold grass like she was instructed by her best friend.
Hand on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart and slow her breaths, the dragoness watched intently as the pegasus shot up into the air in the blink of an eye. Standing out brightly against the black and white background of the sky, her mane and tail seeming to shimmer in the pale moonlight as the small pegasus reached the tip of her accent. Hanging there for what seemed like an eternity, defying gravity for a mere moment before she fell with closed eyes.
A small backward flip so her head was now facing towards the ground, the wind-battered her face and ears more and more as she picked up speed the closer her body came to the ground. Just before the dragon realized Rainbow Dash might not spread her wings in time, the aerobatic pegasus spread her plumage wide; and with a slight angle up, rocketing up and away from what would've surely been a hard landing. And this was only the beginning of the night time show. Ups, downs, twists and turns. Zipping and darting, a small loop before a sharp turn kept Fluttershy at the edge of her metaphorical seat. A streak of rainbow colour trailing behind the speeding pony that zipped and shot across the clear and open sky.
It was like watching the Wonderbolts themselves performing a private show, but even more unique. This was a friend, performing feats for another. Not for money, or glory; no... This was Rainbow Dash showing everything she was worth and more so, to Fluttershy. Heart skipping a beat as the pony carried out her little show, even as untrained eyes watched, it was clear that this mare was digging deep for every last ounce of her resolve to pour into this. Every move was precise, delicate yet required a lot of skill, strength, trust in oneself and a hefty deal of commitment, that much Fluttershy knew. But only as it went on second after second, uncertainty and questions rose up as to just why Rainbow was doing this? Yet, as she watched, something became clear, Rainbow was doing the same things over and over again, following the same path that she had just flown, working her way further towards the ground before zipping back up to where she started.. This was strange, head tilting in confusion as a long bang fell across the side of Fluttershy’s slender muzzle. W-What is Rainbow Dash doing?
As the dragon thought more and more, trying her best to focus on exactly what the mare was doing, she failed to notice the fireflies around the outer edge of the small clearing slowly rise up from the dew covered grass and into the sky. The little bugs seemed attracted to the band of colours that started to streak further behind the blazing pegasus across the open air more and more. It had been about twenty minutes of watching Rainbow Dash follow the same route over and over when the pieces started to fall in place. The bugs seemed undeterred by the speeding pegasus. In fact, they seemed to line up along the invisible path she was following without a care in the world, even though a slight mishap on her part would surely spell disaster for them. Noticing that they hovered and twinkled around her and a refreshing sense of resolve, Dash put on a fresh burst of speed; one that almost brought her to the breaking point.
A small light started to shine across her form for a few moments before her tail lit up like the biggest bonfire that Ponyville had ever seen; but instead of a burning blaze of orange and red flames, it was a solid bar of all the colours of the rainbow instead. The streak behind her now lingered in the air, following the darting pony that carved sharp lines into the sky if it were made of a solid material.
Up, down, right, back, left, as more and more of the sky above the star struck dragoness lit up with the beautiful display of colour, words seemed to slowly come into existence from the lines that Rainbow had drawn with her own body. A few blinks from Fluttershy later and the show came to an abrupt end when the blue pony stopped flapping and gravity took over. The panting mare fell to the ground with the biggest grin plastered on her face, even as the startled dragon rushed over to help her fallen friend. “Oh my gosh, Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?! Please say something, anything!” Large but soft hands cradled the exhausted pony who could only laugh while panting for breath, huffs and puffs of her warm breath visible in the cold air. Not a word came from her mouth as a shaking foreleg just pointed up past Fluttershy’s head, barely grazing her cheek and ear on the way up.
Cyan eyes followed the direction of the outstretched hoof before they caught sight of what hung above them both. FLUTTERSHY WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME? Was written in the sky in her rainbow trail, a dozen or so fireflies hovered around the outside edge of the words which only made it that much more magical. Having to read it more than a handful of times, Fluttershy stuttered, her heart skipping a beat once again and she refrained from looking away from the words that she wanted to hear for so long. But a hoof had other thoughts, pulling her muzzle down as the light faded above, Rainbow Dash laid a small kiss on her lips that was followed by a hot breath upon her nose.
“Sorry I couldn’t stick a comma up there, woulda made it waaaaay too hard for even me to do.” A pant followed by a short cough. “S-So? Will you?” A cheeky grin plastered her face, ears folded down in embarrassment from the display of affection, affection that Fluttershy had always wished was there for many years. Brushing that brilliant mane from the face of the small pony held in her loving arms, Fluttershy returned a smile down to the pesky pegasus.
“Oh Rainbow Dash, as if I could even say no.” A small giggle escaped between the two, a few tears of relief and happiness coming from the dragoness. “You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting this.” And it was true. Over the many years they had known each other Fluttershy had always looked up to the brash mare. Heck, back since they both lived in Cloudsdale as just a young dragon and a filly, she always thought Rainbow was strong and brave; not willing to back down when things got tough, and always pushed to make things better if she could. And unknown to Fluttershy, Rainbow had a lot of respect and even admiration for the dragon girl from the very start. Despite not even being a pony and constantly subjected to bullying from some of the colts around Cloudsdale, the smile never left her muzzle nor did the kindness inside her heart for those that she cared about. It was a nice change of pace and a bit of an eye-opener for the boisterous filly at the time.
Two beings, almost complete opposites if not a yin-yang to one another, being able to find friendship, sisterhood, and even more powerful but reserved feelings over the course of their lives. They were almost inseparable, even after they grew up and Fluttershy decided to move closer to the ground to better tend to the animals she loved so much. Rainbow Dash was quick to follow, leaving her home behind with barely more than a second thought so the tender dragon was not left alone in this scary world. That’s what a good friend would do, what they should do Rainbow had always told herself and to anyone who asked. Though now that she laid here with her feelings out in the ether, the light fading from above but still perfectly framed the gentle gaze from above, she couldn’t be more sure.
As if watching a fire burn brightly when those magenta eyes blinked, like a sudden realization finally clicked in Rainbow’s mind, Fluttershy felt a rising rush rattle her core. When did the feelings start? Neither could truly say, but they both knew that this love, this respect, the need to see the other succeed and achieve their goals were lingering deep down for the many years they’ve known each other. Fluttershy blinked back tears, teeth digging into her lower lip to prevent a sputtered laugh/sob from bursting forth. It was a weight off her shoulders, and with her heart soaring high, the dragoness nuzzled the little pony held so tightly and swore to love her forever and always. This mare meant the world to her, and Fluttershy was going to make sure she knew that.
“I-I … Might have been? I’m sorry…” Apologizing quickly for staring at the beauty that was Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy’s head dipped as a small ember of shame welled up inside when cyan eyes forced themselves away. It was rude to stare, but she just couldn’t help herself as she just wanted to do nothing more than love and protect this mare with every fiber of her being. For blinking her eyes just once took away such a minuscule amount of time, but it still took away from the finite amount that she had inside her. And that pain hurt, to know and be unable to stop the process of time upon the still young mare.
But a hoof tenderly touched her smooth chin before she could look away too long, cupping the side of a slender muzzle and pulling the torn gaze back to a soft one from the purple eyes that Fluttershy had been accustomed to losing herself into. “Shy? I know that look. You’ve gotta stop worrying about the future and focus more on the here and now.” A furred muzzle pressed against the scaled snout of the large dragoness in a light kiss, the pony crawling up a bit further to nuzzle a smooth yellow cheek with her furred one. “You know I’m only teasing ya, you could watch me every hour by the hour and I wouldn’t give two bits about it!” Throwing in a mighty stretch for good measure, Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her back and spread her wings, pulling Shy’s paws onto her stomach in an attempt to relax the both of them. It’s going to be now or never...
With her face under the chin of the dragon, Rainbow would occasionally reach up to nuzzle or even place a small kiss upon the fresh-smelling scales, anything to help her quickly racing heart. “I know, Rainbow. But, I just really don’t want to waste any time when I’m with you.” Sadness lacing her words, voice almost trembling a bit as she spoke. But a retort was quick to follow, one that caught the large being off guard, especially with the tremble that started it all from the normally outspoken pegasus.
“S-so is me laying here napping, ‘wasting time?’ to you?”
“No! Of course not! I love taking mid morning naps with you, maybe more than I like little yogurts before bed!”
“Is watching me train a waste of time?”
“Are you crazy?! I love watching you do what makes you oh-so-happy, zipping around the air like a little aerial acrobat, rising and diving, twisting and turning. Oh, it makes my heart beat faster just thinking about it. P-Plus…. Your uniform looks really, um, g-good on you…”
“I think you’re blushing so hard your neck just turned pink ...Heh… Ahem, anyways; Do you think we waste time when we get to go to bed together? When we dream of each other even when we aren’t awake? Do you think that waking up next to my big cuddly mate every single morning that I can, is just a waste of time?”
“I-I…”
“Fluttershy, I’m only trying to prove a point, to tell you something. You know I’m not good with feelings and junk, heck, I’m even worse at TELLING others about my feelings much less understanding them myself. But, I know when I wake up every day, you’re there. When I go to bed at the end of a long day, you’re there. When I come home after work and you’re here waiting for me with the biggest smile that I swear the Princesses could spot from Canterlot! Even when I sleep in my bunk at the Academy or in some upscale hotel in whatever city we were performing in, I knew you were hurting for me just as bad as I was for you. When I crashed all those years ago and almost lost everything that I had, needing someone to help take care of me …”
A pause; followed by a raspy whisper.
“You were there. You’ve always been there for me, from the start. Way before any of the other girls even came around. And I know you’ll be there at the end, when my time finally decides to come I know you’ll be there for me until I take my last breath. Till dawn to dusk, from rise to fall, ashes to ashes, sickness, and health. T-That’s what we promise, r-right?”
Rainbow rolled around, sitting up with hindlegs dangling over the side of Fluttershy’s belly. The dragon held back tears, a slightly confused look upon her face as the pegasus dug at a wing for a moment before pulling out one of the longer, stronger primary feathers with a small snap. “O-Ouch Rainbow, are you okay?” Not knowing whether she did this due to a broken stem or something else entirely, as pulling out a feather like that surely had to hurt. Her concern turned to shock as the pegasus mare turned her head, wings spread wide and held a pristine feather between upturned lips with only a small drop of crimson dripping off the end.
She had plucked her own feather out.
“F-Fluttershy? Will you take this?” Speaking with muffled, but still clear words and a bright red face, Rainbow offered the small feather to the dragoness who hesitated to take it.
“Rainbow Dash! A-Are you doing what I think you’re--?...” A small nod confirmed it, and also brought fresh tears to the eyes of Fluttershy who reached out with a clawed paw to take the blue feather with a gentle touch. It was in perfect condition and would remain so for the rest of time so long as nothing damaged it. Inert Pegasi magic made these feathers last an eternity on their own, as crisp and bold as the moment it was plucked from her wing, this meant everything to a pegasus. The flight feathers were the lifeblood of them, lose your feathers and you couldn’t fly anymore, it was an eternal part of their bodies and to give one to another…. Well, it was like giving a piece of your soul to somepony.
“I love you Fluttershy, more than my terrible words could ever hope to say. I want you by my side for the rest of my life, I want to live here with you. Forever. If that’s sixty years, ten months, or even five more minutes. I never want to go another moment without you as close to me as I can be, and I know you’ve probably been wanting this for a long, long, time. So, I’m sorry I took so long to ask you this, I had to be one hundred percent sure with myself that I could commit to this, just as much as I knew you would.”
A sheepish smile, a hoof finding its way to the back of her head to rub the rainbow-colored mane that draped down over shoulders that seemed to shrink under the wide-eyed gaze of her lover. “Fluttershy, will you be my wife?” A question asked that almost broke the dragoness.
Mouth moving a few times though no sound came out, the yellow dragon gently bit down on her lips to stifle what looked like either the largest smile, or a bucket of tears. “R-Rainbow Dash… I...I don’t know what else to say but; and please excuse my loud outburst, but… YES! OH MY GOSH, YES!” The biggest hug Rainbow had ever gotten from any-creature followed. Quickly adding a loving kiss, the two love birds relished in the tingles and warm feelings they both had at that moment neither would ever forget.
Dash had done it. This was making it in life as far as when was concerned now. Joining the Wonderbolts? Foals play. Becoming the first and only pegasus to ever do a Sonic Rainboom? Even the rush that used to give her paled in comparison to how she felt right now. This was perfect, exciting, nerve-racking, it scared her to the core but it also made her feel more sure about herself than anything. A smile crept across her muzzle as her dragon lover started to ramble happily about the future, how they needed a bigger bed, and promising to help her move in and all that.
But Dash zoned out, resting her head down to hear and feel the racing heart beating inside Fluttershy’s chest. Until this stops beating, I'm going to give her everything I can. I promise. To love a dragon. HER dragon. It wasn't as hard as ponies told her it would be. It wasn't as useless as her father told her…
"-- Move the couch and put up a hammock by the window for you to nap in if you want, and--"
"Hey, Fluttershy?"
"S-Sorry, was I rambling. Did you need something, honey? A glass of water, or maybe you're getting hungry now? I can cook you something if you'd like! Just name it!" Sitting up on her scaley belly once again, Dash couldn't help but chuckle.
"Maybe in a minute? I've just got something to ask you, if that's alright?"
Head tilting, her large-scaled wings tucking in as she too sat up and placed Dash between her hind paws. "Um, you kinda just did. Is it because there are no clouds in my home? Does it make you homesick? Maybe it's all the animals that make you itchy or uncomfortable? Or is i-" A hoof touched her lips before a knowing smirk spread across Dash's face. "R-Right…. Continue."
"I love ya, girl. But, now that we are like, ‘together’ together… You wanna go visit my folks and let them know about us? Maybe visit yours as well? I mean, your family does know about us, right?"
In a split second the colour drained from the dragons face. Now, instead of a yellow-white mix, it was all white. Her body going stiff before the large dragon flopped over and whimpered, though Dash could've sworn she heard a goat bleat from somewhere in the room.
"So… Is that a maybe?"
…
"Fluttershy?"