> All of My Courage > by StarGuardian > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Rainbow Evening > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a beautiful fall afternoon, the running of the leaves had just finished and Dash had won, yet the proud pegasus was worriedly pacing about her cloud home. "It's all right, you'll be fine." Rainbow repeatedly muttered to herself. She glanced over at the picture on her bedside table. It was one of her and Fluttershy, well Dash mostly because Fluttershy had panicked and hid behind her at the last second. Come on Dash! You're awesome, how can she say no?" She continued her pep talk. "Actually, she should feel lucky that I'm gonna ask her. A scardy pony like her couldn't even meet a stallion by herself." Dash felt better about asking Fluttershy now, with her confidence renewed she darted off towards Fluttershy's house. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fluttershy was outside enjoying the crisp autumn air with a cup of her favorite tea, when Rainbow Dash landed in front of her. "Rainbow Dash. What brings you around here?" Fluttershy asked looking around the cloudless sky. "I wanted to talk to you." Rainbow said with her usual confidence. "Is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked with a panicked expression on her face. Rainbow Dash NEVER came to talk to her, unless she needed help with something. Dash looked at her adorable face but quickly turned away as blood quickly rushed to her cheeks. "Never mind. It was stupid anyway." Dash replied with a saddened tone as she spread her wings for take off. "If you're not in a hurry," Fluttershy said halting Rainbow in her tracks. "I could get you a cup of tea. If you don't mind that is." Dash didn't like tea, it was much to bitter for her tastes, but it was Fluttershy who was asking. She glanced around to make sure nopony else was around before saying, "Fine, but only one cup." Fluttershy gave an adorable squee before dashing into her cottage to get another cup. "Come on Dash! You're the best flier in equestria, you've fought vicious monsters, and you're the most awesome pegasus ever, so why can't you say three little words?" Dash asked herself in a harsh tone. "Dash? Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked as she returned with the cup. "Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be!" Rainbow angrily barked at her causing her to drop the cup which shattered upon impact with the ground. Fluttershy mouthed some inaudible words before bursting out in tears and dashing back inside her cottage, firmly locking the door behind her. It took her a moment to realize what she'd done, and a look of horror encroached upon her face as the realization sunk in. Dash quietly hovered over to Fluttershy's door and knocked on it. After three failed attempts she placed her ear on the door and heard Fluttershy crying, hard. I'm so stupid. A depressed Rainbow Dash thought to herself as she flew back to her cloud home, a tear escaping her eyes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Several days had passed and all the while the cyan pegasus had been thinking of ways to apologize to Fluttershy. Rainbow had been sitting on a cloud debating weather or not to ask her friends for help when a pink earth pony popped up in front of her before quickly disappearing. "Hello. Rainbow. Dash. What. Are. You. Up. To?" Pinkie asked with each bounce of her trampoline. Deciding to see what she wanted, Rainbow lowered the cloud so Pinkie didn't have to jump. "I'm not really in the mood to party right now." Dash sighed. "Fluttershy asked me to find you. She had something she wanted to tell you. And I found you! I win the scavenger hunt!" Pinkie excitedly bounced in place. Rainbow's cheeks flushed as she realized that she wasn't ready to face the canary pegasus just yet. "Maybe later. I'm kinda busy right now." She quickly lied taking her cloud back to it's normal height. "Really? She seemed kinda upset." Pinkie shouted from the ground, "I can't hear you!" RD said taking the could even higher into the sky. Pinkie tried to yell again but Rainbow was no longer within hearing range. Dash watched the pony from her cloud repeatedly try to shout until she gave up and walked away. She let out a sigh, before taking a good look around. She loved being this high in the sky, up here everything just seemed to made sense. Spreading her wings out she decided a good flight might make everything clear to her. After a good 20 minutes of flying an idea popped into her head, she changed course and headed towards Twilight's house. "Like I was saying Dashie, Flutters seemed really upset. " Pinkie Pie continued as her balloon caught up with the pegasus. Dash let out a startled scream before speeding up and leaving Pinkie in the dust. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Thanks for hearing me out, Twilight." Fluttershy said as she walked out of the library. "No problem. And if I see Rainbow Dash I'll be sure to send her your way." Twilight replied with a wave. The moment she closed her door was a different story. "I can't believe that Rainbow Dash would go all the way to Fluttershy's house just to yell at her then leave." She continued trying to make sense of the situation but a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. "Hi Twilight." Rainbow said as the door swung open. Meeting the unicorn's stern gaze it was apparent what had happened. "So, you got the newest Daring Do book in?" She quickly tried to bluff. "Yes but let's talk about something else. Like what happened between you and Fluttershy." Twilight said with an edge of hostility. "I, uh, only came to see if you had the new book in, I guess you don't so I'll be going." Rainbow said as she tried to leave, only to have the door slam in front of her. "You ready to talk?" Twilight asked as she levitated two chairs between them. "You can't make me." Rainbow defiantly said turning her back on the unicorn. "I thought you were looking for this." Twilight said as the desired book gently danced through the air before gently landing on the floor. "Too bad. it was such a good book too." "Fine, I'll talk. But only if you get me something to drink." The cyan pegasus bartered resulting in an excited squeal from the unicorn. This will make an excellent letter to the princess. Twilight grinned as she skipped into her kitchen. Rainbow on the other hoof was glancing around the room before spotting two books that seemed like they might do the job. She quickly hid them under her wings before grabbing the newest daring do book and dashing out the door. "RAINBOW DASH!" Twilight yelled from the entrance from the library, while her friend just laughed as she made away with her ill gotten goods. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Fluttershy was about to eat her lunch when a knock at the door interrupted her. "Hello?" She peeked out the door seeing nopony around. She was about to close the door when a small white object caught her eye. "But, wasn't this shattered?" Fluttershy asked as she picked up the repaired cup which had previously been shattered. She was about to wash the cup when a tiny note fell out of it. Sorry I yelled at you. The five words made Fluttershy very happy as she knew that Rainbow was no longer mad at her. And a happy rainbow maned pegasus flew off towards her home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After reading her stolen books and memorizing the various methods, Rainbow cautiously approached Pinkie Pie. "Pinks! What's up?" "Dashie! Where have you been? I've hardly seen you all week!" Pinkie began to prattle on absentmindedly. "Pinkie!" Rainbow snapped silencing the party pony. "I need your help with something, and I need you to pinkie promise not to say anything." Sensing her seriousness Pinkie performed her salute and let Rainbow speak, after making sure that nopony was listening she began to speak, "I like Fluttershy." "Silly Dashie, we all like Fluttershy!" Pinkie chirped causing Dash to worriedly look around, luckily nopony had payed any attention to the outburst so Rainbow continued but at a lower volume. "No, I mean, I like like her." At this news Pinkie gasped but Rainbow silenced her with a hoof before continuing, "You know the first snow we have planned? I need you to get Fluttershy outside of her house right before it starts. Do you think you can do that?" She finished and removed her hoof from Pinkie's mouth. "I can do it, but why?" Pinkie asked looking curiously at the pegasus. "It's a surprise for her. I can't tell even you." Rainbow replied with a gentile smile. "Okie dokie lokie. Consider it done." Pinkie grinned looking forward to what Rainbow had planned. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Rainbow was high in the sky, where the cold was almost unbearable but it was necessary for what she needed to do. After taking a deep breath she jumped off of the small patch of cloud that she had been sitting on as she began her newest trick. "This tea is delicious! It's not even bitter." Pinkie complimented Fluttershy as the two sipped their tea from the comfort of Fluttershy's cottage. "Rarity gave me the recipe. So I can't take all of the credit." Fluttershy smiled as she finished the last of her cup. "It's almost time for the snow to begin!" Pinkie exclaimed as she ran over to the window. "Really? That's nice." Fluttershy said as she began to clean up the table. "Have you ever watched the first snowfall?" Pinkie asked as her eyes searched the skies. "Oh no. It's much too cold outside, and I wouldn't want to get sick." The pegasus nervously walked onto the kitchen. "That's unacceptable!" Pinkie shouted as she tossed Fluttershy's scarf around her neck. "You're watching the first snow if I have anything to say about it!" After a small sigh Fluttershy timidly walked outside knowing that when Pinkie got like this it was just easier to go along with her whims. Rainbow Dash was quickly approaching the clouds as the sonic cone quickly formed around her. "Come on Dashie. Where are you?" Pinkie whispered as the two ponies sat outside waiting for the beginning of the snow. The clouds emitted a slight rumble as Rainbow Dash barely performed a sonic rainboom in the middle of the cloud cover. The two ponies were awestruck at the sight before them, one cloud had begun flashing different colors. It was a magnificent sight as one by one the clouds all began to glow with the different colors of the rainbow. The light show in the sky was so captivating it had even attracted attention form the citizens of ponyville who'd begun to leave their houses to watch the spectacle. Even the snow was ignored as the bright puffy clouds attracted all of the attention. "Um, Pinkie?" Fluttershy nervously stepped away from the yellow snow at the pony's feet. "It's not what you think!" Pinkie blurted out before realizing what was going on. "Fluttershy look behind you!" Due to her friend's excitement Fluttershy turned around and faced a pile of blue snow. "How pretty, even the snowflakes are the colors of the rainbow." Fluttershy admired as her gaze shifted back to the sky, gasping as she saw a message written in a rainbow con trail. I love you Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash landed in front of the ponies a few second later, shaking the vibrant snow off her as she awaited their reaction. "Um, did you do this just for me?" Fluttershy nervously asked as her face grew bright red. "I did, don't you like it?" Rainbow asked worried that all of her work would be for naught. "I love it!" Fluttershy exclaimed as she threw her hooves around the other pegasus. "Rainbow?" "Yeah?" "I love you too." Fluttershy admitted as her grip increased on the fellow mare." "Thank you so much Pinkie!" Fluttershy said looking around for the pink pony, "She's gone." "Yup." "Want to sit here for a while and watch the snow?" Fluttershy asked. "Thought you'd never ask." Rainbow smiled as she sat beside the canary colored pegasus, and they continued to watch the snow in peace.