Twilight's Balladby DjDashieChaptersPitch PerfectHeated FantasyFuttershy's Song of GaietyPitch PerfectIt was a beautiful, hot, mid-summer day, fluffy clouds were floating in the azure sky, and the sun was shining bright over the land. Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were helping their friend Fluttershy in her yard. They all pitched in, some trimming hedges, or feeding the fish in the small pond on Shy’s property, while others watered plants and harvested crops. Everypony was enjoying each other’s company and the honesty of the labour they were performing. Across the garden Twilight and Dash could be heard having a debate of sorts. “True, the Daring Do books are good, but they’re hardly a complicated read, especially if you compare them to some of the more… involved books in my library.” “Oh, c’mon Twi!” Dash exclaimed in her sporty voice, “Don’t wave your egg headedness at me! Daring Do has hard words! Like! Like! Like conspicuous! That’s a hard word! Did you know how long that word it?! It’s like, ten letters long!” She threw her front legs up in emphasis and stomped a hoof. “Come now, Dash. Conspicuous is certainly not a difficult word. A word such as colloquially, for example, could be considered a somewhat difficult word. But conspicuous? No way. Also it’s eleven letters long, not ten.” “Ugh. Whatever. Daring Do’s still an amazing series! Do you remember what she did in the last book? That was so totally awesome! She was all like, ‘What are you doing? That’s a priceless relic, if you take that this volcano will erupt!’ And the bad guy was all like, ‘Ohhh, it will? Well I’m a bad guy and I’m going to take it anyway! Grrr!’” Dash jumped off the ground and enacted the courageous fight that ensued, her legs kicking in every direction while she feigned and dodged in the air. This went on for a good few seconds before she tucked her wings in and fell back to the ground, chest heaving more from excitement than from exertion. “Daring Do is so cool!” "For the millionth time, yes!" Applejack snapped. "Daring Do's very cool! We know." She cut an uneven patch off the bush she was tending out of sheer annoyance. Applejack could never get used to Dash’s constant rambling about Daring Do. It wasn’t that she herself didn’t like the books, they were admittedly entertaining, but it just got so old listening to her go on, and on, and on about them. "I knew getting you to read the series while you were recovering from that wing injury a while ago would get you hooked onto them, and maybe after we finish here you could come to the library with me and I’ll introduce you to some other books you might enjoy." Twilight smiled widely. She would never say so out loud, but she loved being right. Puffing out her cyan chest, the pragmatic pony responded, “Pffft! Nah, I don’t want to read any other books. Only Daring Do’s awesome enough for me!” “Oh. Well, if you change your mind, just ask. I’m sure I can find something you’d love to read!” Fluttershy, over near the middle of the yard, fed a piece of the celery stalk she recently harvested to her little snow white bunny, Angel. The animal grinned in delight and munched on the vegetable, making her unusually long whiskers wave wildly about her face. "Can you remind me to trim Angel's whiskers sometime this week, Twilight? They’re getting awfully long." "Of course, Fluttershy." Twilight said with a smile and a nod. "Whoo-wee. I'm sweatin' more than a pot-belly pig out in this here heat." Applejack exclaimed with a sigh. She got up and, reaching over to the bucket of fish food nearby, threw a hooful of the nutritious flakes into the pond. The fish swarmed around the specks as they drifted down to the bottom of the water, devouring them and leaving no trace behind. "Jeez, ain't you fellers full yet?" she continued to stare at them, slightly mesmerized by their brightly colored scales. "Hey," Rainbow Dash began, "Have any of you guys seen Pinkie Pie or Rarity around? I needed to get back the mixer I lent them, but I couldn't find them to save my life." "Rarity said she was supposed to attend to one of Sapphire Shores' shows." Twilight said, “And as for Pinkie Pie, you know how she is. Disappearing and reappearing all over the place like her usual self." They all giggled, knowing well how true that was. "Yeah," Rainbow Dash agreed. "Well, if any of you see either of them, let me know." Rainbow looked back to the carrot she's been fighting with for the past five minutes and gave it an intimidating leer. She leaned down again and clamped her teeth around the leafy greens protruding from the top of the vegetable and gave another hard tug. Dash felt the leaves slip from her mouth, causing her to lose her balance and fly back onto a rake lying on the ground behind her. As she hit it, it shot up and whacked her in the shoulder, bouncing off and falling back to the grass with a thud. "Tell you what Twi,” she grumbled, rubbing her shoulder, “I'm gonna let you handle these stupid things, the sheer force of my awesomeness doesn’t seem to be working. Magic will probably do the trick, though." Applejack let loose a loud laugh as she trotted up to the garden, "Come on! You gonna let a little plant best you?" Applejack bit the top of carrot and pulled it out with ease, setting it in a basket with the others. "I thought the fastest Pegasi in Equestria could handle somethin' as small as a carrot." Rainbow Dash smirked, "Ya know, I may be faster than lightening, but I don’t have a green hoof in my body, AJ. Not like you, anyways." "Aw, Dash. You're too much, sugarcube" Applejack blushed and slung a leg around RD in a friendly hug which the Pegasus squirmed her way out of. Soon, the chatting ceased and they set back to work, toiling on until early evening, oblivious to the darkening of the sky and the imminent setting of the sun. Only when Applejack glanced upwards did she notice how late it had gotten, and with a roll of her shoulders she straightened up and said, “Well, it’s gettin’ mighty late now then, ain’t it? I think it’s about time I headed on home. I think Applebloom has been meanin' to show me a special cutie mark crusadin' chant her and her friends have been working on or somethin'." "I think it's time we all got home." Twilight agreed. Pointing her eyes skywards, she continued, "Last time I checked the clouds were being set for a light rain tonight, and I certainly don’t want to be outside when they start. I'll see you guys tomorrow, though!" Everypony soon said their goodbyes and parted ways. As her friends faded into the distance Fluttershy began gathering some of the gardening tools that were spread about her yard. The clouds were getting even darker as Luna’s night drew near. "Gosh, I don't think it's going to be just a drizzle tonight. It looks more like it’s about to pour." She quickened her pace and put all the remaining tools in the small shed beside her doorstep. She looked at the large watering can she had just set down. "I didn't know I had a watering can this big. Usually I just borrow Twilight's whenever I need to water my larger plants." The pail had a few dents in it alongside a signature. Fluttershy couldn't make it out right away, but after a few moments of squinting she realised the scrawled name was that of Twilight. She gasped, "Oh no! This one is Twilight's! Well, I guess I can bring it over to her now. I wouldn't want her to need it and find it’s missing because of me." She put Angel inside the warm cottage they called home and gave her a bowl of fresh, diced carrots for dinner. The bunny was less than pleased with the food presented to her and shot a stern look at Fluttershy to let her know as much. "Oh Angel. Don't give me that. I promise to make something more to your liking tomorrow night. How about that mango and cucumber bowl you always seem to enjoy? Maybe I’ll even go to town and pick up a bit of nettle to sprinkle on top." Angel's poof ball tail started to shake vigorously, and a big smile stretched across the cute rabbit's face. "There we go," Fluttershy smiled back. "It's settled then. I’ll be home soon, Angel Bunny." With that, Fluttershy trotted off towards the library. Fluttershy always hated walking alone at night, memories of scary monsters journeying from Everfree Forest always seemed to pop into her head without fail. She, knowing they didn't mind the dark, usually got Rainbow Dash or Applejack to walk with her when she made forays into town at night. There was once a time, late last year, when a pack of timberwolves invaded her garden during the evening. The birds started calling out loudly and Angel thumped his foot rapidly on Fluttershy to wake her up. She was terrified, of course, but she knew she could call the bears for help and they would respond. Unfortunately, this close to town there were no bears to call upon for help, so Fluttershy power-trotted towards the library, casting scared glances around her all the while. The clouds swirling above were dark and ominous thunderheads now, moving angrily across the sky as the newly conjured wind nipped at Fluttershy in chilly waves. "I hope Twilight doesn't mind me coming over on such short notice." Fluttershy mumbled, "I know how busy she can get with her studies." Her head started to get pelted with small droplets of water, and the ground beneath her began to soften and turn to mud. She slipped a few times on her way over, but managed to keep her balance, eventually arriving at the library. "Thank goodness I got here before it started to really pour!" Fluttershy went to the door to knock, but stopped at hearing a muffled song being sung from inside. Fluttershy hated spying on other ponies, but she didn't want whoever was singing to stop, so she trotted to the window and peeked inside, curiosity written across her face. Within, she saw Twilight brushing cobwebs off her bookshelves in the corner of the library. Spike was sweeping the floor in the kitchen, collecting the luminescent jewels that he knocked off the dining table nearby. Twilight has always liked to keep the library neat, even when she knew it was an impossible feat, what with some of the experiments some ponies had her testing out. Twilight always cringed when there was a mess around her workplace, finding it distracted her from the task at hand. Spike wasn’t as serious about keeping the place spotless, but he nevertheless liked everything to look nice as well. When Fluttershy identified the source of the beautiful song, she found that no pony other than Twilight was singing it. She always knew Twilight had a good voice. Heck, she always sang with her on Sundays in the Ponyville choir. The group would always sing a song each month for the community meeting at town square. Fluttershy, Twilight, and Bonbon were the lead vocalists in the Ponyville choir while BonBon’s marefriend Lyra was the lead instrumentalist. However, there was something different about Twilight's song. Fluttershy tried to make out the words, but found she couldn't from her position. She pushed up against the wet glass and managed to decipher the song: Glory of architect, glory of painter, and sculptor, and bard, living forever in temple and picture and statue and song, look how the world with the lights that they lit is illumined and starred, brief was the flame of their life, but the lamps of their art burn long! Where is the Master of Music, and how has he vanished away? Where is the work that he wrought with his wonderful art in the air? It is gone like the glow on the cloud at the close of the day! The Master has finished his work, and the glory of music is where? Once, at the wave of his wand, all the billows of musical sound, followed his will, as the sea was ruled by the prophet of old. Now that his hoof is relaxed, and his rod has dropped to the ground, silent and dark are the shores where the marvelous harmonies rolled! Nay, but not silent the hearts that were filled only with life they grew, deeper and purer forever the tides of their being will roll, grateful and joyful, Master, because they have listened to you. The glory of music endures in the depths of the equine soul! A ballad had never been sung so beautifully by anypony in Fluttershy's life. A whole new world had been opened to her, one of tranquility, peace, and a warmth that caressed her very soul. She felt a spark light inside of her, filling her up with an acute lust for music. She had never heard anything so heart-warming and divine, never felt this level of happiness, never complete bliss quite like this. Fluttershy's eardrums were throbbing in musical ecstasy. Floating in a musical nirvana, the yellow mare hummed with Twilight in perfect harmony. This new feeling made Fluttershy almost collapse. Tears of joy and enthrallment filled her turquoise eyes, falling unnoticed to the ground alongside the rain. How could anything in life be this wonderful? How could any song be sung with such grace and serenity? Why had she not heard anything like this from Twilight before? None of these questions could be answered by Fluttershy in that moment, but after this she planned on finding out. This pureness coming from Twilight was overwhelming for Shy. She had never felt more attached to Twilight as she had at that moment, she never had this feeling of unfathomable desire for the mare. More tears spilled from her eyes as she gazed in awe at Twilight. The lavender pony kept singing the song over, giving Fluttershy a repeating loop of the truly magical tune. She stilled and listened to her heart's content, the song becoming more and more irresistable each time Twilight sang it anew. Fluttershy didn't realize she had begun to flap her wings in pleasure. Twilight, having finished cleaning the shelves, turned around and noticed a pale yellow pegasus hovering outside her window. "Fluttershy!" Twi yelled happily, walking to the window. Shy was broken from her trance and fell from mid-air, landing on her flank. Twilight opened the door and saw Fluttershy moving in the bushes, soon appearing with a look of utter bewilderment on her face. "What are you doing? It's pouring rain out here! The weather ponies must have primed the clouds to a different degree than they were supposed to. Come inside before you catch a cold and we'll get you cleaned up." Fluttershy climbed shakily to her hooves and cantered inside, cold, dirty and wet, but with an unshakable smile plastered across her face. Author's Note I want to thank and credit the author of the ballad, Henry van Dyke. He's been an inspirational figure in literature to me, and made this story possible. May he rest in peace Heated Fantasy"Yes," Fluttershy sighed, "I'm finally home. That walk felt like a thousand miles." She trotted groggily into her warm, cozy cottage, relaxing instantly as she was met with the sights and smells of home. She went upstairs with memories of that night racing through her mind. She tried shaking her head vigorously to relieve herself of them, but to no success. Exhaustion swept over her as she entered her bedroom. She felt her hooves about to give out under her and a yawn escaped from her weary body. Angel was curled up and fast asleep on his own little bed next to Fluttershy's. The adorable sight made Fluttershy pause and smile sweetly. "Isn't he just adorable?" she whispered to nopony in particular. There was something about the fuzzy bunny that made the widest of smiles spread across her face. Fluttershy gave one last look to Angel before climbing into bed and letting the night fade away from her. The day was an alluring one, as the birds chirped high songs and the wildlife looked livelier than ever. Fluttershy was putting feed up in the birdhouses that hung on the many trees near her cottage. She let out a relaxing sigh. "Nothing like feeding the birds to start this beautiful day." She poured a pile of feed in one of the birdhouses, making the birds tweet happily at her. Fluttershy smiled, "Hello there little birdies, it's good to see all of you today. I do hope you enjoy your food." Fluttershy went on to the remaining birdhouses, taking a deep breath along the way and letting it out slowly so that she was filled with a calm energy; the feeling was terrific. She flapped her wings to propel herself a few meters off the ground and took in the view, gazing in wonder at the trees, the hills, the valleys, the farms, the cities, the mountains, and all of Equestria. "Being a pegasus sure has its benefits." Fluttershy laughed softly, "I'll never get tired of this view." The scenery reminded Fluttershy of all the times she had seen glimpses of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres from Cloudsdale when she was a filly. She and her mother had always waited for her father to return from work, and in the meantime, they waited for the sun to set. Soon, it became a tradition, and was the highlight of both their days. And when the clouds were painted with magnificent pinks, purples, yellows and oranges, she swore she could have heard the land singing. "Hah, 'heard the land singing'. I must be going crazy." she murmured. Fluttershy hurried to put the rest of the feed into the bird’s homes, stopping only when she remembered she needed to set up a couple more birdhouses in a tree that had none. She went inside her cottage, merrily humming a tune that she had sung for Celestia's rising of the sun one year. She kept humming, looking for the new birdhouses, until she hummed a measure that seemed odd to her. A measure that was familiar to her in the most intriguing way, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. "Was that just a part of a piece from choir?" She questioned herself. "No, I'd remember something like that. Hmm." Then it hit her like a speeding chariot. That measure she hummed was part of the ballad Twilight had sung just the other night. "I love that part," a voice echoed from behind Fluttershy. She spun around to find Twilight standing behind her. "I really love the way you sing, Fluttershy. It always gives me chills." Fluttershy smiled uneasily, "Thank you, Twilight. When did you get here?" Twilight cocked her head in confusion, "You invited me here earlier, did you not?" "I don't think I did, not that it's not nice having you over. It's just that I wasn't expecting you, that's all." Fluttershy was becoming anxious. "Come on, Shy!" Twilight joked. "I know you're sometimes forgetful, but even this is unlike you!" "Yeah," Fluttershy whispered to herself. “It isn’t…” she had noticed she hadn't been acting quite like herself since last night. "Well, you’re here now, so what do you want to do?" "I’m not sure," Twilight answered, tilting her head slightly to the right as she pondered the possible activities they could do. "If I remember correctly, a few days ago you said something about fixing up the table that broke last week. I could help you get started on that if you want." "That would be great." Fluttershy smiled. She hadn't been able to make the time to do it herself, but now with Twilight’s help they’d be able to get it done in no time. "Wonderful! Let's get started, then!" Twilight chirped happily. They trotted to Fluttershy’s cottage and went inside. It struck Fluttershy immediately that things didn’t seem right. The ceiling seemed a lot higher than usual, new furniture had replaced the old, and the living room seemed generally bigger. Fluttershy began to feel dizzy, promptly falling onto her haunches and shaking her body to rid herself of the nauseating feelings. "Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed worryingly, "Are you okay?" "Yeah," Fluttershy managed, "I just got a little dizzy, that's all." "Are you sure you want to be working if you’re feeling ill?" Twilight asked. "I'll be fine, Twilight," Fluttershy assured her. She smiled weakly and struggled to her hooves, only to collapse on the floor in a panting heap. She grunted and shook her head, overwhelmed by the confusion that clouded her mind. "It's alright, Fluttershy," Twilight said, "Let’s go get you on the couch. Twilight helped her to the comfy new sofa that Fluttershy had no recollection of. "You had me scared there. I don't know what I'd do without you." Twilight murmured. Finding Twilight’s statement a bit off, Fluttershy replied uneasily, "I should be fine with some rest.” "Alright… Well, while you’re resting I'll go ahead and start on the table, okay?" “Okay, I guess that’s fine.” with that, Fluttershy tilted her head back onto the soft pillow that rested near her head, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Fluttershy awoke in a field just outside of Whitetail Woods. After allowing the confusion of sleep to fade, she found she couldn't move her body very well. She struggled for a few minutes to stand and found that act in itself to be nearly impossible. With a groan she flopped back onto her haunches and took a few deep breathes. The air was nice, she thought. Springtime in the woods filled the air with the most sensational aromas. "Fluttershy!" a familiar voice called out. Turning, Fluttershy could see Twilight in the distance, galloping towards her. Fluttershy called back to her and smiled, "Hey Twilight! I'm over here!" Twilight laughed and jumped onto Fluttershy. The two of them rolled down the sloped hill and felt the dandelions bounce off their coats and take to the light caress of the breeze. Their momentum slowed and finally they came to a complete stop at the bottom of the hill. The cool breeze felt wonderful on Fluttershy’s hot skin, and she reflected on how this was a perfect, beautiful day. The two ponies stopped and gazed at each other for a moment, Twilight's eyes gleaming in the afternoon sun. If only I could look into her eyes forever, Fluttershy wished. That's all I want. Twilight broke the heated gaze and slowly leaned down, giving Fluttershy a sweet, lingering kiss. Fluttershy couldn't help but to embrace Twilight, wanting nothing more than to prolong the euphoric feeling of their shared kiss. Never in her life had she been kissed like this; never had she felt something that made her feel as loved and safe as she did now. Some unnamed voice in her head told her that Twilight would never let anything happen to her. All the thoughts that were rushing through her head came to a complete standstill. All that was on her mind was Twilight. Suddenly, her vision deteriorated and became blurry. All she could hear was the faint sound of Twilight whispering Fluttershy's name. But even that soon faded into nothing. Fluttershy shot up. She looked around the room in a panic, her eyes shooting to the window where she saw the sun beginning it’s brilliant descent. "Oh no!" Fluttershy gasped, "I overslept!" "Don't worry Fluttershy," Twilight soothed, silently appearing near the couch. "I took care of the table, see?" Fluttershy looked to where the formerly broken table rested at the other side of the room and smiled gratefully when she saw it was once again upright and sturdy. She wiped the sweat away from her forehead with a hoof. "Thank you, Twilight." Fluttershy grinned. "I didn't mean to sleep for that long, but I guess you had things under control, didn't you?" "Only helping out a dear friend, Fluttershy." Twilight replied happily. "Is there anyway I can repay you, Twilight?" Fluttershy inquired. "You don't need to do anything for me, Fluttershy.” at Fluttershy’s scowl Twilight continued, “But if I think of anything that I might need help with later I’ll be sure to let you know. Now, I should probably be getting back to the library; I don’t want Spike eating all of the ice-cream before supper again! I'll see you later, though." "Wait," Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. She really didn't want her to leave. A strange urge came over her, developing suddenly into an inexplicable fear that she would never see Twilight again. "Please, don't go, Twilight." Twilight cocked her head to the side. "Are you feeling alright, Fluttershy? "I'm fine. Just don't go. Please." Fluttershy begged brokenly. "Fluttershy," Twilight said softly, kneeling to bring herself face-to-face with Fluttershy. "I don't want to go, but I need to get back to the library." "Please!" Fluttershy begged, louder this time, throwing her hooves around Twilight's neck desperately. "Don't go! Please!" "Fluttershy..." Twilight was at a loss for words. All she could do was hold Fluttershy as her friend’s tears soaked into her coat. Fluttershy looked up into Twilight's eyes. Those eyes. The ones from her dream. They were the same ones. The gleam from the setting sun reflected off Twilight's eyes and sparkled. With a pitiful sniff Fluttershy tried in vain to hold back some of the tears that were escaping her. "I..." she started, "I… I love you.” she squeaked. “There! I said it! I love you, Twilight Sparkle!" Fluttershy hung her head in shame and began to cry again. What would Twilight think of her now that she knew the truth? Would she feel the same way? Would Twilight hate her now? Fluttershy felt Twilight's hoof gently raise her muzzle so she could lock eyes with her. "Fluttershy..." Twilight began in a soft whisper, "I love you, too." Then it happened. The kiss. The real kiss. Fluttershy couldn't even express what she was feeling the moment Twilight touched her soft lips to Fluttershy’s own. Fluttershy could taste Twilight on her lips, and she never wanted it to stop; it was driving her insane. She wrapped her forelegs gently around Twilight’s neck and drew her closer, driving her tongue deeper into her friend’s mouth. Twilight let out a lustful moan and began twisting her tongue around Fluttershy's. The longer the kiss drew on, the more Fluttershy wanted. The kiss, however, broke after several seconds, leaving both of them panting. Twilight chuckled softly, brushing Fluttershy's mane out of her face with a hoof. "Oh Fluttershy..." she sighed, gazing into the pegasus’ eyes. “You need to wake up.” Fluttershy awoke from her slumber and jolted upright in her bed. With a groan she rubbed the back of her head, surprised to feel a slight throbbing pain as she rubbed at her scalp. She looked over the side of the bed and found Angel still sleeping soundly in his tiny bed, and, judging from the light outside, Fluttershy figured the sun had just risen. Slowly, her various dreams from that night began trickling back into her mind. "What's going on with me?" Fluttershy whispered in bafflement. "Why do I feel this way about her?" Futtershy's Song of GaietyFluttershy entered Twilight's home, still in a daze from the beautiful song that Twilight had sung so perfectly only moments before. "Go on ahead to the restroom and clean yourself up," Twilight insisted, "You must be freezing! I've already got some Carrot crêpes started for supper tonight, so if you want to eat with Spike and I, let me know and I can make a few more. Alright?" "Oh no," Fluttershy replied quickly, "I really shouldn't impose." "Please Fluttershy, it's really no bother. It’s always nice to have company over for dinner." "Yeah Fluttershy," Spike said, appearing suddenly at the bottom of the stairs. "Stay for dinner. Twilight’s crêpes are always so good!" Fluttershy looked at Spike with delighted eyes. "Well, I suppose I could… I mean, how can I say no to you, Spike?" Fluttershy’s lips turned up into a delicate smile as she reached down to give Spike a pat on his head. Pushing her hoof away, Spike harrumphed. "Hey now! I'm not a baby dragon anymore! I've already grown another two inches since last year. Y’know? I think I deserve to be treated like an adult now!" Spike crossed his arms and looked away from Fluttershy, pouting in defiance. "I’m not so sure about that, Spike. You still look like an adorable little baby dragon to me." Fluttershy continued with a grin. Spike heaved a sigh, knowing his argument was having no effect on Fluttershy. He hung his head and grudgingly accepted Fluttershy’s motherly cooing. Twilight smiled sheepishly at the two before trotted off into the kitchen. "Remember, Fluttershy!" Twilight spoke loudly from where she was preparing the food, "No dirty hooves at the table! If you want, you can go use the shower upstairs. You must be feeling pretty icky after trudging here in all that mud!" Fluttershy glanced at her hooves, to find mud caked around them in an earthy shell. With a gasp, she looked back towards the door she had come in from, horrified to see that she had tracked the dirt across Twilight’s floor. "Oh dear. Oh my. I’m so, so, so sorry Twilight. Where are my manners? Oh, I'm so sorry." Fluttershy slouched lower and hid her face behind her voluminous mane. "Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy." Spike said, "I’ve gotta clean the front room before supper anyways, I'll just mop the tracks up. You might wanna get clean though, it doesn’t take Twilight long to make those crêpes.” With a nod Fluttershy proceeded to the restroom. She cantered inside, taking care to not smudge any more mud on the floor on her way, and looked at herself in the mirror. "Gosh. I do look awful." she mumbled. With a flick of her hoof Fluttershy locked the door behind her and turned on shower, waiting patiently for the water to heat up to a nice temperature. After a few moments the downpour was warm enough to quell the shivers that had been wracking Fluttershy's body, and she stood under the water’s relaxing spray, washing the mud, leaves and twigs from her mane and coat. With a contented sigh she scrubbed at her fur, reflecting on what occurred earlier. "What happened?" Fluttershy whispered. "I completely lost my mind. I- I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that in my entire life." The mere thought of Twilight's serenade sent chills of pleasure down Fluttershy’s back. Nothing had made her feel that way before, let alone a song. Was it the words? The tune? The tempo? she didn’t know, but what ever it had been, it was still reverberating inside Fluttershy’s very being. The words kept running through her head, consuming her thoughts in a never-ending chorus that seemed to be sung by Celestia herself. No, she corrected herself, better than Celestia. Nothing could match what she had heard. Not even the voice of the royal princess herself. "I wish I could have Twilight...” she murmured, her hoof trailing lower down her belly, towards her thighs, the water running in rivulets through the thin fur there, caressing her sensitive skin. "Ah! Snap out of it, Fluttershy! Get a grip on yourself already! You never felt like this any other time Twilight was singing. You’ve got no excuse to be acting this way, missy!" she berated herself, letting out a frustrated sigh at her own inexplicable behaviour. "Fluttershy!" Twilight called from the other side of the door, "Dinner's ready!" "Okay," Fluttershy answered, her heart beating twice as fast at the sound of her friend’s voice. "I’ll be out in a second." "What was that?" "Almost done." "I can't hear you!" Fluttershy turned off the water and shook the excess droplets off. Trotting closer to the door, she tried again to reply to Twilight, "Um, I'm finished in here. I'll be out in just a second." "Alright. Better hurry before the food gets cold.” Fluttershy went to the mirror and looked herself in the eyes. "What’s going on with me? I can't believe I'm feeling this way... and towards one of my best friends of all ponies!" she turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face in an attempt to chase away the blush that had crept into her cheeks. What was this obsession she had grown towards Twilight? She couldn't put her hoof on it, but it was beginning to consume her, even more so as the night drew on. She shook her head and unlocked the door, trying to banish any thoughts of Twilight’s sinfully seductive voice from her mind. When she rounded the corner and peered into the kitchen she saw that Spike was setting up the table. Spike caught sight of Fluttershy. “Go ahead and grab a seat, ‘Shy.” "Why thank you, Spike." she smiled, taking the seat closest to her. "Oh my, I almost forgot. Twilight, I brought your watering can back. You forgot it at my house while you were helping me in my yard. "Gosh, I guess I did, didn't I?" Twilight grinned. "I really need to learn to be less forgetful. Maybe there's a spell on it somewhere!" Twilight got a faraway look in her eyes as contemplated the possibilities. With a shake of her head she took a seat, placing the tray of crêpes in the centre of the table. "Alright everypony. Dig in!" Spike didn’t hesitate, quickly serving himself a heaping plateful of crêpes, downing one with a satisfied nod. Most pony food was bland and too healthy for his tastes, but these were the one exception to that. Most other nights he'd usually whip something up for himself, typically something composed mainly of gems, gems, more gems, and lots of sugar. Taking a small bite herself, Fluttershy complimented Twilight on her cooking, "Wow, Twilight. These are really good!" "Thanks Fluttershy," Twilight replied, "They’re pretty easy to make, I even added some raspberries this time as well. If you want I can give you the recipe later. I bet Angel Bunny would enjoy these, too!” “Raspberries, hm? What gave you that idea?” “It was a cooking experiment I tried a while ago. Spike was acting as my guinea pig, and he said that it tasted even better when they were added.” Twilight slid her gaze over to Spike. “But he would always tell me to add more sugar. Or even suggest a pinch of rubies; the glutton.” Twilight laughed at Spike’s defensive sputtering, a smile painting her features. "Hey now!" Spike argued, "It's a dangerous task, being your tester. You remember when you made those spring rolls? I felt horrible! It was like a pitchfork was trying to escape from my stomach!” Twilight cocked her head suspiciously, "I thought you said you liked those rolls." "Umm," Spike stalled, knowing he'd been caught. "Erm, hah. Well, they weren't all bad, I guess. You still could’ve used less spice, though! “Well why didn’t you tell me that! I gave those rolls to my parents when they visited, you know!” "Really? Well, um, maybe us dragons have sensitive stomachs? Yeah, I’m sure that's it." "Says the one who eats copious amounts of ice cream mixed with fire rubies whenever he gets the chance." “Hey! You promised not to talk about that!” Fluttershy chuckled at the duo’s banter as she ate. Abruptly, her fork stopped midway to her mouth, her eyes widening in shock. The song- she could hear it. She could hear it playing in her head. Why was the thing so mesmerizing!? She looked at Twilight from across the table, imagining the slow, melodious words that would come to life through her voice. Staring into the luminous purple globes of Twilight’s eyes, Fluttershy began to become intoxicated by the tune dominating her mind. Had her eyes always been so beautiful? So deep and lovely? Fluttershy wished they would turn to her and let her see inside Twilight’s soul, so that she could uncover the secrets of the sacred song. So that she may-- "Hello? Anypony there?" Twilight called, attempting to break Fluttershy from her daze. Fluttershy snapped back to reality to find Spike and Twilight looking at her with perplexed expressions on their faces. "Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight inquired. "Yes, of- of course." Fluttershy blushed. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something I have to do later, I’m sorry if I was starting or being rude or- or- or..." her voice grew smaller with every word that left her muzzle. "Don't worry about it," Twilight reassured her, "There's been a lot of stuff on my mind too. Apparently my parents have been asked to--" Twi stopped and looked at Fluttershy with an intense gaze, almost as if she was trying to piece together a puzzle. Twilight blinked, breaking eye contact with Fluttershy, only to crack a wide grin. Why was she smiling? Fluttershy could only look at her friend in confusion. "Spike, you can go upstairs and go bed. I'll go ahead and clean up the kitchen." Spike stretched and yawned, "Thanks Twi. I'm so tired right now I could sleep through the second coming of Nightmare Moon." Pushing his empty plate away and getting up sluggishly, Spike tottered up the stairs and disappeared into the room he shared with Twilight. Twilight waited for the door to shut before turning back to Fluttershy, the same unnerving grin plastered across her muzzle. Fluttershy felt an uneasy prickle crawl down her spine. Had she done something funny? Had she been rude? Too loud? Did Twilight know about the spying? About the song? About what it did to Fluttershy? "Okay Fluttershy. Fess up, I saw you at the window," Twilight said, still smiling. “I knew you were there most of the time, so why were you spying on me? I think that's a very bad thing for such a sweet little pony like you to do. You know you shouldn't be spying on other ponies like that, especially your best friends. I could’ve been doing something… naughty, and you would’ve seen it all. And that would’ve been just terrible." "Oh... well... you see... it's just that..." Fluttershy couldn't make up an excuse, but she didn't want Twilight to know the truth about the song. "I think there's a lesson to be learned here." Twilight stated. Twilight forced Fluttershy's chair back, causing Fluttershy to fall to the floor. No matter how hard she tried, Fluttershy couldn’t move. It was like she was being held in place. Twi got up from her chair and walked to the other end of the table, her horn glowing with the magenta aura of her magic. "Ugh! Twilight? What are you doing, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, a tremor evident in her voice. "I think you already know it's not nice to spy on other ponies, Fluttershy," Twilight said, ignoring the other pony’s question. "Maybe you just need to be reminded of your manners." Twilight stretched Fluttershy's legs apart and threw herself on top of her. "Twilight!" "I'm going to teach you how to behave, Fluttershy." Twilight said, giving Fluttershy a devilish smile before lowering her muzzle to Shy’s and locking lips with her. Taken aback by Twilight’s sudden attack, Fluttershy froze. After a moment, she kissed Twilight back with all the fervor she could muster. Without pause, Twilight's tongue teased Fluttershy’s lips, pushing past them to sink into her warm mouth. Fluttershy immediately repeated the other mare’s action, snaking her own tongue past Twilight’s warm lips to explore her mouth, reveling in the succulent taste of her best friend’s on her eager tongue. She could barely comprehend how amazing Twilight tasted, to her it was more delicious than anything else in the world, and the hint of raspberry that Fluttershy detected from supper drove her senses wild. Twilight thrusted her tongue further into Fluttershy’s damp cave, making her eyes close and her body shudder in need. Caressing her flowing mane with one hoof, Twilight pulled Fluttershy closer, pressing their bodies together in a hot embrace. Twi gave one last flick of her tongue before exiting Shy's mouth. She kissed her lips again, trailing her tongue down Fluttershy's neck and chest to trace circles around her belly button. Fluttershy was in ecstasy, moaning at the erotic sight of Twilight laving her body with her tongue. With deliberate movements, Twilight travelled lower still, drawing closer to the sensitive nub between Fluttershy’s legs. "Oh Twilight. Please! I've never wanted anything more in my entire life than to be with you right now!" Fluttershy pleaded, sexy little moans of need escaping her. "The feeling's mutual," Twilight replied, lust lacing her every word. "I've always wanted to be with you, and now I am, Fluttershy… Fluttershy… Fluttershy… Fluttershy!" Fluttershy snapped out of her trance and saw Twilight and Spike staring at her with worried looks on their faces. "Are you sure you're okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked with concern. "Yeah," Spike said, "You've been zoning out all evening.” "I'm fine. Really!" Fluttershy assured them. "I guess I'm just more tired than I thought. I think I should head back home and get some rest." "Are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night?" Twilight asked, "I certainly don’t want you walking home on your own if you’re that tired..." "I'm sure I'll be okay, but thank you for dinner, Twilight. I really enjoyed it!" Fluttershy smiled. Getting up to show Fluttershy the door, Twilight said, "Well, if you change your mind on the way there, don't be hesitant to come back. There's always room for one more here." "Thank you again for dinner, and I’ll be sure to turn back if I get too exhausted. Have a good night Twilight, Spike." With that, Fluttershy began walking back to her cottage. The storm died down after Fluttershy left the library, and now only a few drops fell from the crisp night sky. Fluttershy welcomed the cool breeze that soothed her burning skin. "Oh Twilight." Fluttershy said, looking up to the shimmering stars. "Why do I feel this way about you?" she blushed, embarrassed that she had been fantasizing about Twilight at supper. "I've never felt like this about anypony before, especially not towards one of my own friends..." Fluttershy sighed and continued towards her cottage. Almost without thought, she took a deep breath and began to sing. My heart flutters at the sound of your voice, I can’t help but to love you, I don't have a choice, I feel her words, beckoning me from so far away, I can’t stand to see you go, but I refuse to make you stay, Will you answer my call? Or will you let me fall again, Just stay with me forever, and we can take on the world together, We can bear the strife, and choose to share our lives, We’re vibrant souls colliding; and as long as I’m with you, we’ll always be shining. Author's Note I know it's weird trying to sound out a song in text that you've never heard of before, but I like to see it as just imagining your own rhythm and how you feel it should sound based on the words. Hope you ponies enjoy it!
Pitch PerfectIt was a beautiful, hot, mid-summer day, fluffy clouds were floating in the azure sky, and the sun was shining bright over the land. Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were helping their friend Fluttershy in her yard. They all pitched in, some trimming hedges, or feeding the fish in the small pond on Shy’s property, while others watered plants and harvested crops. Everypony was enjoying each other’s company and the honesty of the labour they were performing. Across the garden Twilight and Dash could be heard having a debate of sorts. “True, the Daring Do books are good, but they’re hardly a complicated read, especially if you compare them to some of the more… involved books in my library.” “Oh, c’mon Twi!” Dash exclaimed in her sporty voice, “Don’t wave your egg headedness at me! Daring Do has hard words! Like! Like! Like conspicuous! That’s a hard word! Did you know how long that word it?! It’s like, ten letters long!” She threw her front legs up in emphasis and stomped a hoof. “Come now, Dash. Conspicuous is certainly not a difficult word. A word such as colloquially, for example, could be considered a somewhat difficult word. But conspicuous? No way. Also it’s eleven letters long, not ten.” “Ugh. Whatever. Daring Do’s still an amazing series! Do you remember what she did in the last book? That was so totally awesome! She was all like, ‘What are you doing? That’s a priceless relic, if you take that this volcano will erupt!’ And the bad guy was all like, ‘Ohhh, it will? Well I’m a bad guy and I’m going to take it anyway! Grrr!’” Dash jumped off the ground and enacted the courageous fight that ensued, her legs kicking in every direction while she feigned and dodged in the air. This went on for a good few seconds before she tucked her wings in and fell back to the ground, chest heaving more from excitement than from exertion. “Daring Do is so cool!” "For the millionth time, yes!" Applejack snapped. "Daring Do's very cool! We know." She cut an uneven patch off the bush she was tending out of sheer annoyance. Applejack could never get used to Dash’s constant rambling about Daring Do. It wasn’t that she herself didn’t like the books, they were admittedly entertaining, but it just got so old listening to her go on, and on, and on about them. "I knew getting you to read the series while you were recovering from that wing injury a while ago would get you hooked onto them, and maybe after we finish here you could come to the library with me and I’ll introduce you to some other books you might enjoy." Twilight smiled widely. She would never say so out loud, but she loved being right. Puffing out her cyan chest, the pragmatic pony responded, “Pffft! Nah, I don’t want to read any other books. Only Daring Do’s awesome enough for me!” “Oh. Well, if you change your mind, just ask. I’m sure I can find something you’d love to read!” Fluttershy, over near the middle of the yard, fed a piece of the celery stalk she recently harvested to her little snow white bunny, Angel. The animal grinned in delight and munched on the vegetable, making her unusually long whiskers wave wildly about her face. "Can you remind me to trim Angel's whiskers sometime this week, Twilight? They’re getting awfully long." "Of course, Fluttershy." Twilight said with a smile and a nod. "Whoo-wee. I'm sweatin' more than a pot-belly pig out in this here heat." Applejack exclaimed with a sigh. She got up and, reaching over to the bucket of fish food nearby, threw a hooful of the nutritious flakes into the pond. The fish swarmed around the specks as they drifted down to the bottom of the water, devouring them and leaving no trace behind. "Jeez, ain't you fellers full yet?" she continued to stare at them, slightly mesmerized by their brightly colored scales. "Hey," Rainbow Dash began, "Have any of you guys seen Pinkie Pie or Rarity around? I needed to get back the mixer I lent them, but I couldn't find them to save my life." "Rarity said she was supposed to attend to one of Sapphire Shores' shows." Twilight said, “And as for Pinkie Pie, you know how she is. Disappearing and reappearing all over the place like her usual self." They all giggled, knowing well how true that was. "Yeah," Rainbow Dash agreed. "Well, if any of you see either of them, let me know." Rainbow looked back to the carrot she's been fighting with for the past five minutes and gave it an intimidating leer. She leaned down again and clamped her teeth around the leafy greens protruding from the top of the vegetable and gave another hard tug. Dash felt the leaves slip from her mouth, causing her to lose her balance and fly back onto a rake lying on the ground behind her. As she hit it, it shot up and whacked her in the shoulder, bouncing off and falling back to the grass with a thud. "Tell you what Twi,” she grumbled, rubbing her shoulder, “I'm gonna let you handle these stupid things, the sheer force of my awesomeness doesn’t seem to be working. Magic will probably do the trick, though." Applejack let loose a loud laugh as she trotted up to the garden, "Come on! You gonna let a little plant best you?" Applejack bit the top of carrot and pulled it out with ease, setting it in a basket with the others. "I thought the fastest Pegasi in Equestria could handle somethin' as small as a carrot." Rainbow Dash smirked, "Ya know, I may be faster than lightening, but I don’t have a green hoof in my body, AJ. Not like you, anyways." "Aw, Dash. You're too much, sugarcube" Applejack blushed and slung a leg around RD in a friendly hug which the Pegasus squirmed her way out of. Soon, the chatting ceased and they set back to work, toiling on until early evening, oblivious to the darkening of the sky and the imminent setting of the sun. Only when Applejack glanced upwards did she notice how late it had gotten, and with a roll of her shoulders she straightened up and said, “Well, it’s gettin’ mighty late now then, ain’t it? I think it’s about time I headed on home. I think Applebloom has been meanin' to show me a special cutie mark crusadin' chant her and her friends have been working on or somethin'." "I think it's time we all got home." Twilight agreed. Pointing her eyes skywards, she continued, "Last time I checked the clouds were being set for a light rain tonight, and I certainly don’t want to be outside when they start. I'll see you guys tomorrow, though!" Everypony soon said their goodbyes and parted ways. As her friends faded into the distance Fluttershy began gathering some of the gardening tools that were spread about her yard. The clouds were getting even darker as Luna’s night drew near. "Gosh, I don't think it's going to be just a drizzle tonight. It looks more like it’s about to pour." She quickened her pace and put all the remaining tools in the small shed beside her doorstep. She looked at the large watering can she had just set down. "I didn't know I had a watering can this big. Usually I just borrow Twilight's whenever I need to water my larger plants." The pail had a few dents in it alongside a signature. Fluttershy couldn't make it out right away, but after a few moments of squinting she realised the scrawled name was that of Twilight. She gasped, "Oh no! This one is Twilight's! Well, I guess I can bring it over to her now. I wouldn't want her to need it and find it’s missing because of me." She put Angel inside the warm cottage they called home and gave her a bowl of fresh, diced carrots for dinner. The bunny was less than pleased with the food presented to her and shot a stern look at Fluttershy to let her know as much. "Oh Angel. Don't give me that. I promise to make something more to your liking tomorrow night. How about that mango and cucumber bowl you always seem to enjoy? Maybe I’ll even go to town and pick up a bit of nettle to sprinkle on top." Angel's poof ball tail started to shake vigorously, and a big smile stretched across the cute rabbit's face. "There we go," Fluttershy smiled back. "It's settled then. I’ll be home soon, Angel Bunny." With that, Fluttershy trotted off towards the library. Fluttershy always hated walking alone at night, memories of scary monsters journeying from Everfree Forest always seemed to pop into her head without fail. She, knowing they didn't mind the dark, usually got Rainbow Dash or Applejack to walk with her when she made forays into town at night. There was once a time, late last year, when a pack of timberwolves invaded her garden during the evening. The birds started calling out loudly and Angel thumped his foot rapidly on Fluttershy to wake her up. She was terrified, of course, but she knew she could call the bears for help and they would respond. Unfortunately, this close to town there were no bears to call upon for help, so Fluttershy power-trotted towards the library, casting scared glances around her all the while. The clouds swirling above were dark and ominous thunderheads now, moving angrily across the sky as the newly conjured wind nipped at Fluttershy in chilly waves. "I hope Twilight doesn't mind me coming over on such short notice." Fluttershy mumbled, "I know how busy she can get with her studies." Her head started to get pelted with small droplets of water, and the ground beneath her began to soften and turn to mud. She slipped a few times on her way over, but managed to keep her balance, eventually arriving at the library. "Thank goodness I got here before it started to really pour!" Fluttershy went to the door to knock, but stopped at hearing a muffled song being sung from inside. Fluttershy hated spying on other ponies, but she didn't want whoever was singing to stop, so she trotted to the window and peeked inside, curiosity written across her face. Within, she saw Twilight brushing cobwebs off her bookshelves in the corner of the library. Spike was sweeping the floor in the kitchen, collecting the luminescent jewels that he knocked off the dining table nearby. Twilight has always liked to keep the library neat, even when she knew it was an impossible feat, what with some of the experiments some ponies had her testing out. Twilight always cringed when there was a mess around her workplace, finding it distracted her from the task at hand. Spike wasn’t as serious about keeping the place spotless, but he nevertheless liked everything to look nice as well. When Fluttershy identified the source of the beautiful song, she found that no pony other than Twilight was singing it. She always knew Twilight had a good voice. Heck, she always sang with her on Sundays in the Ponyville choir. The group would always sing a song each month for the community meeting at town square. Fluttershy, Twilight, and Bonbon were the lead vocalists in the Ponyville choir while BonBon’s marefriend Lyra was the lead instrumentalist. However, there was something different about Twilight's song. Fluttershy tried to make out the words, but found she couldn't from her position. She pushed up against the wet glass and managed to decipher the song: Glory of architect, glory of painter, and sculptor, and bard, living forever in temple and picture and statue and song, look how the world with the lights that they lit is illumined and starred, brief was the flame of their life, but the lamps of their art burn long! Where is the Master of Music, and how has he vanished away? Where is the work that he wrought with his wonderful art in the air? It is gone like the glow on the cloud at the close of the day! The Master has finished his work, and the glory of music is where? Once, at the wave of his wand, all the billows of musical sound, followed his will, as the sea was ruled by the prophet of old. Now that his hoof is relaxed, and his rod has dropped to the ground, silent and dark are the shores where the marvelous harmonies rolled! Nay, but not silent the hearts that were filled only with life they grew, deeper and purer forever the tides of their being will roll, grateful and joyful, Master, because they have listened to you. The glory of music endures in the depths of the equine soul! A ballad had never been sung so beautifully by anypony in Fluttershy's life. A whole new world had been opened to her, one of tranquility, peace, and a warmth that caressed her very soul. She felt a spark light inside of her, filling her up with an acute lust for music. She had never heard anything so heart-warming and divine, never felt this level of happiness, never complete bliss quite like this. Fluttershy's eardrums were throbbing in musical ecstasy. Floating in a musical nirvana, the yellow mare hummed with Twilight in perfect harmony. This new feeling made Fluttershy almost collapse. Tears of joy and enthrallment filled her turquoise eyes, falling unnoticed to the ground alongside the rain. How could anything in life be this wonderful? How could any song be sung with such grace and serenity? Why had she not heard anything like this from Twilight before? None of these questions could be answered by Fluttershy in that moment, but after this she planned on finding out. This pureness coming from Twilight was overwhelming for Shy. She had never felt more attached to Twilight as she had at that moment, she never had this feeling of unfathomable desire for the mare. More tears spilled from her eyes as she gazed in awe at Twilight. The lavender pony kept singing the song over, giving Fluttershy a repeating loop of the truly magical tune. She stilled and listened to her heart's content, the song becoming more and more irresistable each time Twilight sang it anew. Fluttershy didn't realize she had begun to flap her wings in pleasure. Twilight, having finished cleaning the shelves, turned around and noticed a pale yellow pegasus hovering outside her window. "Fluttershy!" Twi yelled happily, walking to the window. Shy was broken from her trance and fell from mid-air, landing on her flank. Twilight opened the door and saw Fluttershy moving in the bushes, soon appearing with a look of utter bewilderment on her face. "What are you doing? It's pouring rain out here! The weather ponies must have primed the clouds to a different degree than they were supposed to. Come inside before you catch a cold and we'll get you cleaned up." Fluttershy climbed shakily to her hooves and cantered inside, cold, dirty and wet, but with an unshakable smile plastered across her face. Author's Note I want to thank and credit the author of the ballad, Henry van Dyke. He's been an inspirational figure in literature to me, and made this story possible. May he rest in peace
Heated Fantasy"Yes," Fluttershy sighed, "I'm finally home. That walk felt like a thousand miles." She trotted groggily into her warm, cozy cottage, relaxing instantly as she was met with the sights and smells of home. She went upstairs with memories of that night racing through her mind. She tried shaking her head vigorously to relieve herself of them, but to no success. Exhaustion swept over her as she entered her bedroom. She felt her hooves about to give out under her and a yawn escaped from her weary body. Angel was curled up and fast asleep on his own little bed next to Fluttershy's. The adorable sight made Fluttershy pause and smile sweetly. "Isn't he just adorable?" she whispered to nopony in particular. There was something about the fuzzy bunny that made the widest of smiles spread across her face. Fluttershy gave one last look to Angel before climbing into bed and letting the night fade away from her. The day was an alluring one, as the birds chirped high songs and the wildlife looked livelier than ever. Fluttershy was putting feed up in the birdhouses that hung on the many trees near her cottage. She let out a relaxing sigh. "Nothing like feeding the birds to start this beautiful day." She poured a pile of feed in one of the birdhouses, making the birds tweet happily at her. Fluttershy smiled, "Hello there little birdies, it's good to see all of you today. I do hope you enjoy your food." Fluttershy went on to the remaining birdhouses, taking a deep breath along the way and letting it out slowly so that she was filled with a calm energy; the feeling was terrific. She flapped her wings to propel herself a few meters off the ground and took in the view, gazing in wonder at the trees, the hills, the valleys, the farms, the cities, the mountains, and all of Equestria. "Being a pegasus sure has its benefits." Fluttershy laughed softly, "I'll never get tired of this view." The scenery reminded Fluttershy of all the times she had seen glimpses of Ponyville and Sweet Apple Acres from Cloudsdale when she was a filly. She and her mother had always waited for her father to return from work, and in the meantime, they waited for the sun to set. Soon, it became a tradition, and was the highlight of both their days. And when the clouds were painted with magnificent pinks, purples, yellows and oranges, she swore she could have heard the land singing. "Hah, 'heard the land singing'. I must be going crazy." she murmured. Fluttershy hurried to put the rest of the feed into the bird’s homes, stopping only when she remembered she needed to set up a couple more birdhouses in a tree that had none. She went inside her cottage, merrily humming a tune that she had sung for Celestia's rising of the sun one year. She kept humming, looking for the new birdhouses, until she hummed a measure that seemed odd to her. A measure that was familiar to her in the most intriguing way, but she couldn't quite put her hoof on it. "Was that just a part of a piece from choir?" She questioned herself. "No, I'd remember something like that. Hmm." Then it hit her like a speeding chariot. That measure she hummed was part of the ballad Twilight had sung just the other night. "I love that part," a voice echoed from behind Fluttershy. She spun around to find Twilight standing behind her. "I really love the way you sing, Fluttershy. It always gives me chills." Fluttershy smiled uneasily, "Thank you, Twilight. When did you get here?" Twilight cocked her head in confusion, "You invited me here earlier, did you not?" "I don't think I did, not that it's not nice having you over. It's just that I wasn't expecting you, that's all." Fluttershy was becoming anxious. "Come on, Shy!" Twilight joked. "I know you're sometimes forgetful, but even this is unlike you!" "Yeah," Fluttershy whispered to herself. “It isn’t…” she had noticed she hadn't been acting quite like herself since last night. "Well, you’re here now, so what do you want to do?" "I’m not sure," Twilight answered, tilting her head slightly to the right as she pondered the possible activities they could do. "If I remember correctly, a few days ago you said something about fixing up the table that broke last week. I could help you get started on that if you want." "That would be great." Fluttershy smiled. She hadn't been able to make the time to do it herself, but now with Twilight’s help they’d be able to get it done in no time. "Wonderful! Let's get started, then!" Twilight chirped happily. They trotted to Fluttershy’s cottage and went inside. It struck Fluttershy immediately that things didn’t seem right. The ceiling seemed a lot higher than usual, new furniture had replaced the old, and the living room seemed generally bigger. Fluttershy began to feel dizzy, promptly falling onto her haunches and shaking her body to rid herself of the nauseating feelings. "Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed worryingly, "Are you okay?" "Yeah," Fluttershy managed, "I just got a little dizzy, that's all." "Are you sure you want to be working if you’re feeling ill?" Twilight asked. "I'll be fine, Twilight," Fluttershy assured her. She smiled weakly and struggled to her hooves, only to collapse on the floor in a panting heap. She grunted and shook her head, overwhelmed by the confusion that clouded her mind. "It's alright, Fluttershy," Twilight said, "Let’s go get you on the couch. Twilight helped her to the comfy new sofa that Fluttershy had no recollection of. "You had me scared there. I don't know what I'd do without you." Twilight murmured. Finding Twilight’s statement a bit off, Fluttershy replied uneasily, "I should be fine with some rest.” "Alright… Well, while you’re resting I'll go ahead and start on the table, okay?" “Okay, I guess that’s fine.” with that, Fluttershy tilted her head back onto the soft pillow that rested near her head, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. Fluttershy awoke in a field just outside of Whitetail Woods. After allowing the confusion of sleep to fade, she found she couldn't move her body very well. She struggled for a few minutes to stand and found that act in itself to be nearly impossible. With a groan she flopped back onto her haunches and took a few deep breathes. The air was nice, she thought. Springtime in the woods filled the air with the most sensational aromas. "Fluttershy!" a familiar voice called out. Turning, Fluttershy could see Twilight in the distance, galloping towards her. Fluttershy called back to her and smiled, "Hey Twilight! I'm over here!" Twilight laughed and jumped onto Fluttershy. The two of them rolled down the sloped hill and felt the dandelions bounce off their coats and take to the light caress of the breeze. Their momentum slowed and finally they came to a complete stop at the bottom of the hill. The cool breeze felt wonderful on Fluttershy’s hot skin, and she reflected on how this was a perfect, beautiful day. The two ponies stopped and gazed at each other for a moment, Twilight's eyes gleaming in the afternoon sun. If only I could look into her eyes forever, Fluttershy wished. That's all I want. Twilight broke the heated gaze and slowly leaned down, giving Fluttershy a sweet, lingering kiss. Fluttershy couldn't help but to embrace Twilight, wanting nothing more than to prolong the euphoric feeling of their shared kiss. Never in her life had she been kissed like this; never had she felt something that made her feel as loved and safe as she did now. Some unnamed voice in her head told her that Twilight would never let anything happen to her. All the thoughts that were rushing through her head came to a complete standstill. All that was on her mind was Twilight. Suddenly, her vision deteriorated and became blurry. All she could hear was the faint sound of Twilight whispering Fluttershy's name. But even that soon faded into nothing. Fluttershy shot up. She looked around the room in a panic, her eyes shooting to the window where she saw the sun beginning it’s brilliant descent. "Oh no!" Fluttershy gasped, "I overslept!" "Don't worry Fluttershy," Twilight soothed, silently appearing near the couch. "I took care of the table, see?" Fluttershy looked to where the formerly broken table rested at the other side of the room and smiled gratefully when she saw it was once again upright and sturdy. She wiped the sweat away from her forehead with a hoof. "Thank you, Twilight." Fluttershy grinned. "I didn't mean to sleep for that long, but I guess you had things under control, didn't you?" "Only helping out a dear friend, Fluttershy." Twilight replied happily. "Is there anyway I can repay you, Twilight?" Fluttershy inquired. "You don't need to do anything for me, Fluttershy.” at Fluttershy’s scowl Twilight continued, “But if I think of anything that I might need help with later I’ll be sure to let you know. Now, I should probably be getting back to the library; I don’t want Spike eating all of the ice-cream before supper again! I'll see you later, though." "Wait," Fluttershy put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. She really didn't want her to leave. A strange urge came over her, developing suddenly into an inexplicable fear that she would never see Twilight again. "Please, don't go, Twilight." Twilight cocked her head to the side. "Are you feeling alright, Fluttershy? "I'm fine. Just don't go. Please." Fluttershy begged brokenly. "Fluttershy," Twilight said softly, kneeling to bring herself face-to-face with Fluttershy. "I don't want to go, but I need to get back to the library." "Please!" Fluttershy begged, louder this time, throwing her hooves around Twilight's neck desperately. "Don't go! Please!" "Fluttershy..." Twilight was at a loss for words. All she could do was hold Fluttershy as her friend’s tears soaked into her coat. Fluttershy looked up into Twilight's eyes. Those eyes. The ones from her dream. They were the same ones. The gleam from the setting sun reflected off Twilight's eyes and sparkled. With a pitiful sniff Fluttershy tried in vain to hold back some of the tears that were escaping her. "I..." she started, "I… I love you.” she squeaked. “There! I said it! I love you, Twilight Sparkle!" Fluttershy hung her head in shame and began to cry again. What would Twilight think of her now that she knew the truth? Would she feel the same way? Would Twilight hate her now? Fluttershy felt Twilight's hoof gently raise her muzzle so she could lock eyes with her. "Fluttershy..." Twilight began in a soft whisper, "I love you, too." Then it happened. The kiss. The real kiss. Fluttershy couldn't even express what she was feeling the moment Twilight touched her soft lips to Fluttershy’s own. Fluttershy could taste Twilight on her lips, and she never wanted it to stop; it was driving her insane. She wrapped her forelegs gently around Twilight’s neck and drew her closer, driving her tongue deeper into her friend’s mouth. Twilight let out a lustful moan and began twisting her tongue around Fluttershy's. The longer the kiss drew on, the more Fluttershy wanted. The kiss, however, broke after several seconds, leaving both of them panting. Twilight chuckled softly, brushing Fluttershy's mane out of her face with a hoof. "Oh Fluttershy..." she sighed, gazing into the pegasus’ eyes. “You need to wake up.” Fluttershy awoke from her slumber and jolted upright in her bed. With a groan she rubbed the back of her head, surprised to feel a slight throbbing pain as she rubbed at her scalp. She looked over the side of the bed and found Angel still sleeping soundly in his tiny bed, and, judging from the light outside, Fluttershy figured the sun had just risen. Slowly, her various dreams from that night began trickling back into her mind. "What's going on with me?" Fluttershy whispered in bafflement. "Why do I feel this way about her?"
Futtershy's Song of GaietyFluttershy entered Twilight's home, still in a daze from the beautiful song that Twilight had sung so perfectly only moments before. "Go on ahead to the restroom and clean yourself up," Twilight insisted, "You must be freezing! I've already got some Carrot crêpes started for supper tonight, so if you want to eat with Spike and I, let me know and I can make a few more. Alright?" "Oh no," Fluttershy replied quickly, "I really shouldn't impose." "Please Fluttershy, it's really no bother. It’s always nice to have company over for dinner." "Yeah Fluttershy," Spike said, appearing suddenly at the bottom of the stairs. "Stay for dinner. Twilight’s crêpes are always so good!" Fluttershy looked at Spike with delighted eyes. "Well, I suppose I could… I mean, how can I say no to you, Spike?" Fluttershy’s lips turned up into a delicate smile as she reached down to give Spike a pat on his head. Pushing her hoof away, Spike harrumphed. "Hey now! I'm not a baby dragon anymore! I've already grown another two inches since last year. Y’know? I think I deserve to be treated like an adult now!" Spike crossed his arms and looked away from Fluttershy, pouting in defiance. "I’m not so sure about that, Spike. You still look like an adorable little baby dragon to me." Fluttershy continued with a grin. Spike heaved a sigh, knowing his argument was having no effect on Fluttershy. He hung his head and grudgingly accepted Fluttershy’s motherly cooing. Twilight smiled sheepishly at the two before trotted off into the kitchen. "Remember, Fluttershy!" Twilight spoke loudly from where she was preparing the food, "No dirty hooves at the table! If you want, you can go use the shower upstairs. You must be feeling pretty icky after trudging here in all that mud!" Fluttershy glanced at her hooves, to find mud caked around them in an earthy shell. With a gasp, she looked back towards the door she had come in from, horrified to see that she had tracked the dirt across Twilight’s floor. "Oh dear. Oh my. I’m so, so, so sorry Twilight. Where are my manners? Oh, I'm so sorry." Fluttershy slouched lower and hid her face behind her voluminous mane. "Don’t worry about it, Fluttershy." Spike said, "I’ve gotta clean the front room before supper anyways, I'll just mop the tracks up. You might wanna get clean though, it doesn’t take Twilight long to make those crêpes.” With a nod Fluttershy proceeded to the restroom. She cantered inside, taking care to not smudge any more mud on the floor on her way, and looked at herself in the mirror. "Gosh. I do look awful." she mumbled. With a flick of her hoof Fluttershy locked the door behind her and turned on shower, waiting patiently for the water to heat up to a nice temperature. After a few moments the downpour was warm enough to quell the shivers that had been wracking Fluttershy's body, and she stood under the water’s relaxing spray, washing the mud, leaves and twigs from her mane and coat. With a contented sigh she scrubbed at her fur, reflecting on what occurred earlier. "What happened?" Fluttershy whispered. "I completely lost my mind. I- I don’t think I’ve ever felt like that in my entire life." The mere thought of Twilight's serenade sent chills of pleasure down Fluttershy’s back. Nothing had made her feel that way before, let alone a song. Was it the words? The tune? The tempo? she didn’t know, but what ever it had been, it was still reverberating inside Fluttershy’s very being. The words kept running through her head, consuming her thoughts in a never-ending chorus that seemed to be sung by Celestia herself. No, she corrected herself, better than Celestia. Nothing could match what she had heard. Not even the voice of the royal princess herself. "I wish I could have Twilight...” she murmured, her hoof trailing lower down her belly, towards her thighs, the water running in rivulets through the thin fur there, caressing her sensitive skin. "Ah! Snap out of it, Fluttershy! Get a grip on yourself already! You never felt like this any other time Twilight was singing. You’ve got no excuse to be acting this way, missy!" she berated herself, letting out a frustrated sigh at her own inexplicable behaviour. "Fluttershy!" Twilight called from the other side of the door, "Dinner's ready!" "Okay," Fluttershy answered, her heart beating twice as fast at the sound of her friend’s voice. "I’ll be out in a second." "What was that?" "Almost done." "I can't hear you!" Fluttershy turned off the water and shook the excess droplets off. Trotting closer to the door, she tried again to reply to Twilight, "Um, I'm finished in here. I'll be out in just a second." "Alright. Better hurry before the food gets cold.” Fluttershy went to the mirror and looked herself in the eyes. "What’s going on with me? I can't believe I'm feeling this way... and towards one of my best friends of all ponies!" she turned the faucet on and splashed some cold water on her face in an attempt to chase away the blush that had crept into her cheeks. What was this obsession she had grown towards Twilight? She couldn't put her hoof on it, but it was beginning to consume her, even more so as the night drew on. She shook her head and unlocked the door, trying to banish any thoughts of Twilight’s sinfully seductive voice from her mind. When she rounded the corner and peered into the kitchen she saw that Spike was setting up the table. Spike caught sight of Fluttershy. “Go ahead and grab a seat, ‘Shy.” "Why thank you, Spike." she smiled, taking the seat closest to her. "Oh my, I almost forgot. Twilight, I brought your watering can back. You forgot it at my house while you were helping me in my yard. "Gosh, I guess I did, didn't I?" Twilight grinned. "I really need to learn to be less forgetful. Maybe there's a spell on it somewhere!" Twilight got a faraway look in her eyes as contemplated the possibilities. With a shake of her head she took a seat, placing the tray of crêpes in the centre of the table. "Alright everypony. Dig in!" Spike didn’t hesitate, quickly serving himself a heaping plateful of crêpes, downing one with a satisfied nod. Most pony food was bland and too healthy for his tastes, but these were the one exception to that. Most other nights he'd usually whip something up for himself, typically something composed mainly of gems, gems, more gems, and lots of sugar. Taking a small bite herself, Fluttershy complimented Twilight on her cooking, "Wow, Twilight. These are really good!" "Thanks Fluttershy," Twilight replied, "They’re pretty easy to make, I even added some raspberries this time as well. If you want I can give you the recipe later. I bet Angel Bunny would enjoy these, too!” “Raspberries, hm? What gave you that idea?” “It was a cooking experiment I tried a while ago. Spike was acting as my guinea pig, and he said that it tasted even better when they were added.” Twilight slid her gaze over to Spike. “But he would always tell me to add more sugar. Or even suggest a pinch of rubies; the glutton.” Twilight laughed at Spike’s defensive sputtering, a smile painting her features. "Hey now!" Spike argued, "It's a dangerous task, being your tester. You remember when you made those spring rolls? I felt horrible! It was like a pitchfork was trying to escape from my stomach!” Twilight cocked her head suspiciously, "I thought you said you liked those rolls." "Umm," Spike stalled, knowing he'd been caught. "Erm, hah. Well, they weren't all bad, I guess. You still could’ve used less spice, though! “Well why didn’t you tell me that! I gave those rolls to my parents when they visited, you know!” "Really? Well, um, maybe us dragons have sensitive stomachs? Yeah, I’m sure that's it." "Says the one who eats copious amounts of ice cream mixed with fire rubies whenever he gets the chance." “Hey! You promised not to talk about that!” Fluttershy chuckled at the duo’s banter as she ate. Abruptly, her fork stopped midway to her mouth, her eyes widening in shock. The song- she could hear it. She could hear it playing in her head. Why was the thing so mesmerizing!? She looked at Twilight from across the table, imagining the slow, melodious words that would come to life through her voice. Staring into the luminous purple globes of Twilight’s eyes, Fluttershy began to become intoxicated by the tune dominating her mind. Had her eyes always been so beautiful? So deep and lovely? Fluttershy wished they would turn to her and let her see inside Twilight’s soul, so that she could uncover the secrets of the sacred song. So that she may-- "Hello? Anypony there?" Twilight called, attempting to break Fluttershy from her daze. Fluttershy snapped back to reality to find Spike and Twilight looking at her with perplexed expressions on their faces. "Are you okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight inquired. "Yes, of- of course." Fluttershy blushed. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about something I have to do later, I’m sorry if I was starting or being rude or- or- or..." her voice grew smaller with every word that left her muzzle. "Don't worry about it," Twilight reassured her, "There's been a lot of stuff on my mind too. Apparently my parents have been asked to--" Twi stopped and looked at Fluttershy with an intense gaze, almost as if she was trying to piece together a puzzle. Twilight blinked, breaking eye contact with Fluttershy, only to crack a wide grin. Why was she smiling? Fluttershy could only look at her friend in confusion. "Spike, you can go upstairs and go bed. I'll go ahead and clean up the kitchen." Spike stretched and yawned, "Thanks Twi. I'm so tired right now I could sleep through the second coming of Nightmare Moon." Pushing his empty plate away and getting up sluggishly, Spike tottered up the stairs and disappeared into the room he shared with Twilight. Twilight waited for the door to shut before turning back to Fluttershy, the same unnerving grin plastered across her muzzle. Fluttershy felt an uneasy prickle crawl down her spine. Had she done something funny? Had she been rude? Too loud? Did Twilight know about the spying? About the song? About what it did to Fluttershy? "Okay Fluttershy. Fess up, I saw you at the window," Twilight said, still smiling. “I knew you were there most of the time, so why were you spying on me? I think that's a very bad thing for such a sweet little pony like you to do. You know you shouldn't be spying on other ponies like that, especially your best friends. I could’ve been doing something… naughty, and you would’ve seen it all. And that would’ve been just terrible." "Oh... well... you see... it's just that..." Fluttershy couldn't make up an excuse, but she didn't want Twilight to know the truth about the song. "I think there's a lesson to be learned here." Twilight stated. Twilight forced Fluttershy's chair back, causing Fluttershy to fall to the floor. No matter how hard she tried, Fluttershy couldn’t move. It was like she was being held in place. Twi got up from her chair and walked to the other end of the table, her horn glowing with the magenta aura of her magic. "Ugh! Twilight? What are you doing, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked, a tremor evident in her voice. "I think you already know it's not nice to spy on other ponies, Fluttershy," Twilight said, ignoring the other pony’s question. "Maybe you just need to be reminded of your manners." Twilight stretched Fluttershy's legs apart and threw herself on top of her. "Twilight!" "I'm going to teach you how to behave, Fluttershy." Twilight said, giving Fluttershy a devilish smile before lowering her muzzle to Shy’s and locking lips with her. Taken aback by Twilight’s sudden attack, Fluttershy froze. After a moment, she kissed Twilight back with all the fervor she could muster. Without pause, Twilight's tongue teased Fluttershy’s lips, pushing past them to sink into her warm mouth. Fluttershy immediately repeated the other mare’s action, snaking her own tongue past Twilight’s warm lips to explore her mouth, reveling in the succulent taste of her best friend’s on her eager tongue. She could barely comprehend how amazing Twilight tasted, to her it was more delicious than anything else in the world, and the hint of raspberry that Fluttershy detected from supper drove her senses wild. Twilight thrusted her tongue further into Fluttershy’s damp cave, making her eyes close and her body shudder in need. Caressing her flowing mane with one hoof, Twilight pulled Fluttershy closer, pressing their bodies together in a hot embrace. Twi gave one last flick of her tongue before exiting Shy's mouth. She kissed her lips again, trailing her tongue down Fluttershy's neck and chest to trace circles around her belly button. Fluttershy was in ecstasy, moaning at the erotic sight of Twilight laving her body with her tongue. With deliberate movements, Twilight travelled lower still, drawing closer to the sensitive nub between Fluttershy’s legs. "Oh Twilight. Please! I've never wanted anything more in my entire life than to be with you right now!" Fluttershy pleaded, sexy little moans of need escaping her. "The feeling's mutual," Twilight replied, lust lacing her every word. "I've always wanted to be with you, and now I am, Fluttershy… Fluttershy… Fluttershy… Fluttershy!" Fluttershy snapped out of her trance and saw Twilight and Spike staring at her with worried looks on their faces. "Are you sure you're okay, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked with concern. "Yeah," Spike said, "You've been zoning out all evening.” "I'm fine. Really!" Fluttershy assured them. "I guess I'm just more tired than I thought. I think I should head back home and get some rest." "Are you sure you don't want to stay here for the night?" Twilight asked, "I certainly don’t want you walking home on your own if you’re that tired..." "I'm sure I'll be okay, but thank you for dinner, Twilight. I really enjoyed it!" Fluttershy smiled. Getting up to show Fluttershy the door, Twilight said, "Well, if you change your mind on the way there, don't be hesitant to come back. There's always room for one more here." "Thank you again for dinner, and I’ll be sure to turn back if I get too exhausted. Have a good night Twilight, Spike." With that, Fluttershy began walking back to her cottage. The storm died down after Fluttershy left the library, and now only a few drops fell from the crisp night sky. Fluttershy welcomed the cool breeze that soothed her burning skin. "Oh Twilight." Fluttershy said, looking up to the shimmering stars. "Why do I feel this way about you?" she blushed, embarrassed that she had been fantasizing about Twilight at supper. "I've never felt like this about anypony before, especially not towards one of my own friends..." Fluttershy sighed and continued towards her cottage. Almost without thought, she took a deep breath and began to sing. My heart flutters at the sound of your voice, I can’t help but to love you, I don't have a choice, I feel her words, beckoning me from so far away, I can’t stand to see you go, but I refuse to make you stay, Will you answer my call? Or will you let me fall again, Just stay with me forever, and we can take on the world together, We can bear the strife, and choose to share our lives, We’re vibrant souls colliding; and as long as I’m with you, we’ll always be shining. Author's Note I know it's weird trying to sound out a song in text that you've never heard of before, but I like to see it as just imagining your own rhythm and how you feel it should sound based on the words. Hope you ponies enjoy it!
