Seeing Yellow

I heard a twig or stick crack, and I looked left and right for the source. Nothing. I laughed a little as I remembered one of my favourite Fanfictions, My Little Dashie. The similarities between that story and my life stuck out. But especially the bit when Dashie had flown away, having finally found out about her past. Her father had looked for her for three days, then had rested against a tree on the third day to shelter from rain. He heard a crack of a stick and Dashie had returned. Then they made up. That story was amazing. The author was a genius, a great writer. He described it amazingly. However, nothing could prepare you for the real thing. I looked up, and clouds had started to mass and turn dark grey. I laughed a little bit. It was about to rain, once again similar to My Little Dashie.

I didn't move though. I just sat, tears still coming down my face. Why was I even out here? I knew Fluttershy wouldn't come back. She hadn't for days. Why now? I took out the picture of me and Fluttershy once more. I looked at it. My thoughts found voice. A sad, cracking voice, overwhelmed with sadness.

"I'm sorry Fluttershy. So sorry... I wish you were here. I wish you could forgive me."

Without crumpling it, I threw the picture away. The wind had picked up only a few minutes before, and it grabbed the photo and sent it away. I didn't watch it go. It was just too hard.

I sighed and lent back on the tree. What now? I knew what I was going to do. It brought me no joy at all. Killing myself wasn't the way out. But it seemed to be the only option. I was about to stand up and head back home to do the deed, when I heard a soft flump to my left. I looked. There, beside me, was the yellow mare. I stared, not believing what I could see. She was... back? She certainly was. She looked fine, a few small sticks in her hair and her coat was a little dirty, but that was all. More importantly, she looked real, not like the frail mental pictures of her my mind had conjured up in her absence. I forgot how beautiful she looked. My heart leapt. But then I realised she was distancing herself from me emotionally. She was still scared of me. I wanted to hug her, but I stopped myself. It was too early for that. She wasn't looking at me, but something was held in her hooves. I tried to make out what it was. She passed whatever it was across to me. I realised what it was immediately. The picture of me and her, leaning on the very same tree we were on now, the one I had just thrown away. I turned it over. There, on the back, were a few words, the mouth writing I recognised.

I forgive you, and I love you.

-Fluttershy

I stared at this message. She forgives me. I couldn't believe it. After all I did, she still forgives me. I smiled. I read the message again, and pondered about what she meant by "I love you." What kind of love? I studied her body language for a few seconds. I had gotten good at this. I noticed her blushing and how she tried to move away from me nervously. Her body language confirmed what I thought. She loved me, in the 'more-than-friends' way...

I grabbed a pen out of my pocket and started to write. After I had finished the message, I tapped her on the shoulder and slid the message across to her. It now read:

I forgive you, and I love you.

-Fluttershy

Fluttershy, I've missed you. My life was, and will be, meaningless without you. Your forgiveness to my actions is all that I wanted. And you have forgiven me. Fluttershy, I will never, as long as I live, yell at you again. I love you too.

-Michael

She read the message. A few minutes passed. Then she dropped the picture. She turned to face me, and I realised that she had been crying as well, probably for days. Her eyes were all red and puffy. She threw her forelegs around me and started to cry. I placed one of my hands on her back, and with the other I stroked her hair, getting out all those small sticks. We remained that way for a while, and apologized to each other endlessly. After a while, rain started to hit us. I helped her up, and we started walking back to my... no... our home. It's her home as much as mine now. The rain was pouring down, thick and fast, but we walked no faster nor slower. We savoured this time together, walking through the rain. Once we got back home, I dried Fluttershy off with a towel. That made her coat stand on end, and that made us laugh. I had missed Fluttershy's laugh. So sweet and delicate, it was music to my ears. I brushed her coat and soon it was back to it's normal state. I said "Goodnight" to Fluttershy, and she replied with "Goodnight" as well. Then she went into her room; I went into mine. I didn't get into bed. I lay on top of it. I was thinking about today, all that had happened. It was too good to be true, but it was. Fluttershy was back in my life. What's more... she loves me. I can't say I don't love her, but it's a little weird, even by my standards. How can I say to my friend that me and Fluttershy are in love? I laughed quietly, closing my eyes in relaxation. I didn't feel tired, the day was filled with so much emotion and discovery for me to be sleepy. Just as I felt the persistent pull of sleep, my door opened.

Fluttershy stood in the doorway. I looked at her, without moving my body from its position. Her appearance in my doorway at this moment troubled me. As soon as I gave the mare her own room, all those months ago, she never came in this room once we said our goodnights to each other. Unless it was something important. And that had happened only once, when she had a nightmare. I looked at her with confusion. Fluttershy jumped off the ground and onto my bed, looking at me with those large aqua-coloured eyes that had seen so much. She lay down next to me and placed her head on my chest, just below my heart, her body heat warming both my side and my heart. I was stunned, but my brain somehow told my body to tell my arm to place it around her protectively, which it did. She looked up at me, smiling. God dammit... my heart exploded again, and I was sure Fluttershy heard it this time. I laughed inside myself at my own joke, and looked back into her eyes. We stared at each other lovingly for so long. Then, she closed her eyes very slowly. When they finally slid closed, she shifted her position slightly and let out a slow exhale. Her breathing slowed, and I knew she heading off to sleep. I lent in and kissed her on the cheek.

"Goodnight Fluttershy." I whispered.

I saw her smile as sleep finally overcame her. The slow inhale and the sharp exhale started up, exactly the same as it had always been. Always the same. I started to stroke her coat. I couldn't stop smiling. I had a fricking cute pony asleep with her head on my chest. How would that not make any brony smile? To top it off, the pony was Fluttershy. Fan Favourite Pony in the Hub online poll, Element of Kindness, my favourite pony, and undoubtedly the most cutest pony ever. I closed my eyes, savouring this moment which had latched itself to my head, forever embedded in my memories. Sleep finally came for me, but I didn't leave Fluttershy. I still dreamt about her. Me and her just sat down, by that tree, on that hill, just watching the world move through time. Then we looked at each other, and our lips were close. We moved towards each other, but before we could kiss, my vision turned white and I was placed in a new dream. One completely devoid of Fluttershy. I didn't mind. When I woke up, I knew I would have the real thing, not a mere image.

I woke up. My heart exploded instantly as I saw Fluttershy still with her head on my chest, just below my heart. She was still sleeping, breathing in and out the exact same cute way she always did. I started to smile, but then realised what I had to tell her and my face fell. She had to leave this world. Be with her own kind. But now, it would be ten times more difficult to send her back, due to our love for each other. I decided I would give her a gift this afternoon, before giving her bad news the same day. I wanted to move off my bed, but the thought of awaking Fluttershy kept me stationary. About 30 minutes passed before she awoke. She sat up and stretched. Then without warning, she jumped onto my chest, looking at me with the same large eyes. I was just glad she was light weight.

"Good morning." Fluttershy spoke.

"Morning Fluttershy."

The morning passed quickly. We ate breakfast. She kept on making me do things for her, like brushing her coat and getting her food, and more. I knew she wasn't using me, I knew her too well. She was just exacting a little bit of revenge on me. I deserved it, but frankly, I would do anything for the yellow angel. When the afternoon rolled by, I took Fluttershy outside into some trees where I knew there were lots of birds.

"Fluttershy, I have two things I need to get done. Both of which involved you."

I saw the glint of mischievousness in her eye. Fluttershy has a mischievous side and I knew she was about to be sarcastic or overly dramatic. Sometimes both.

"Oh, whatever could these things be?" she announced, mimicking Rarity's voice and placing a hoof to her head. I laughed.

"Well, the first thing, is a gift to you."

Her ears perked up. I had got her attention.

"A gift?"

"Yes. Don't move."

I walked over to her and placed my hand on her coat, and started to speak a spell. My hands started to glow, and she she started to glow as well. She looked back at me, a touch of fear in her eyes. I smiled comfortingly.

"It's ok." I said.

That seemed to work. She smiled and closed her eyes. I finished my spell and my hands stopped glowing. She didn't though. She glowed brightly for several more seconds before the glow faded. She looked at me.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Hopefully it worked. It was a spell. To allow you to be seen and communicate with animals."

Her eyes widened. Having communication back with animals must have been a dream come true to her.

"Did it work!?"

"I don't know."

Suddenly a bird flew down the ground. I pointed at it.

"Try talking to it."

"Uh, ok."

She walked forward. "Ummm, hello?"

The bird looked around at Fluttershy.

"Uh, hi there!"

The bird chirped at her.

"Nice to meet you too." Fluttershy responded. I couldn't help but smile. Fluttershy can now once again communicate with animals. It must be like, rediscovering your special talent. Fluttershy must of felt exactly what she felt when she had discovered it all those years ago, right now. The bird tweeted a couple of times and Fluttershy looked back at me.

"Oh, that's my friend over there. He won't hurt you."

The bird flew towards me. My eyes widened and I held out my hand. The bird landed on it, hopping slightly. This felt amazing. I was holding a bird. It didn't look like much, but to me it was amazing.

"Hello." I said to it.

The bird seemed to understand me. It chirped a couple times, blinked and flew back to Fluttershy.

"He said "Hello" back to you." Fluttershy said.

For the next few hours, Fluttershy seemed to meet all the creatures in that small patch of trees. In the air, on the ground, all of them. I sat down, watching as she conversed with the animal life. After a while, she goodbye and flew down to me. She threw her forelegs around me.

"Thank you so much for this."

"No problem. The animals in this world take care of themselves, so you don't have to find food for them. But feel free to talk to them."

"Alright."

"So now, I've got something important to tell you."

"Yes?"

I sighed. I really didn't want to say this. But it was for the best.

"Fluttershy, I have to send you back to your own world."

Her ears dropped and she looked at me sadly. A cloud covered the afternoon sun at that moment, darkening everything.

"But I don't want to go. I want to stay here with you."

This made me feel terrible, but I had to say it.

"Fluttershy, you have to go back to your world. You don't belong here."

"I know I don't belong here. I belong with you."

My heart was breaking. I couldn't handle this.

"Fluttershy, I love you. But you have to go back to your friends and live in your own world. You are the Element of Kindness. Equestria needs you."

"I-"

I couldn't say any more. It was just too much.

"When?" she said, her voice brimming with sadness. "When will you take me back? Can you go with me?" Her eyes looked at me pleadingly. I couldn't look at the mare. I couldn't meet her sad eyes. This entire conversation seemed to be boring a hole into my soul.

"The 13th of July next year. That's when I'll send you back. As for coming with you..."

"You can't, can you?"

"No. As much as I want to, I can't go with you."

I really couldn't. I couldn't find a spell that allowed me to enter a new world. The teleportation spell would only teleport me or items to places I have been to. Obviously, I haven't been to Equestria. She placed one of her hooves on my shoulder, and with the other hoof, she gently moved my head to face her.

"Then, the only thing we can do is savour the time we have together." she said as she placed her head on my shoulder and sighed.