Three Nights, Two Fillies, One Shadow

A whisper of wind flutters into the library. Within the grand tree, beneath a cliff of bookshelves, sits a completely motionless Rainbow Dash, par her dark pink eyes fixed upon the smooth pages of A.K. Yearling’s newest masterpiece.

Her cyan hoof brushes with each sentence as she invests herself into Daring Do’s adventure, blind to any and all sounds around her. Twilight Sparkle, the town’s library and resident Princess, would tend to agree, she too enjoying passages detailing the vast history of eastern Equestria beside her.

Yet, apart from the cool breeze passing through, not even a leaf drop can be heard, so both friends needn’t worry about disturbance, unless of course it comes from them. And that is exactly Rainbow’s intention.

Rainbow finishes her page and bends the corner, to keep her place. With a deep breath she squeezes the pages shut and lets the book drop to her legs. “Hey, Twilight?” She says, looking up into the ceiling. Her voice is as calm and relaxed as the wind, something Twilight treasures in these moments.

“Mmm?” Is the response the exuberant Pegasus gains, with the Alicorn too interested in the arts of ancient warriors to lift an eyelid her way. However Rainbow Dash isn’t keen on being given only an ear flick of concentration, so she tries again.

“Egghead!” She says the second time, her tone a good bit louder. This time Twilight turns to her, but with an eyeful of attitude.

With a roll of her eyes the Alicorn closes her book with her pinkish magic, though using an actual bookmark to save the quality of the pages. “Uurgh!” She moans, levitating the book back to its place on the second set of shelves. “Can’t you at least let me finish the chapter?”

“Well, that would require me waiting and as I’m sure you’re aware; my time is precious.” Rainbow adds a smug smile, while Twilight just sighs.

“Is that why you’re here, sat with me, re-reading Daring Do for the hundred-zillionth time?” She shoots back, much more sarcastic than how Rainbow came across. The rainbow pony struggles to retort with a smart comment, rather she stumbles over her words until she sighs in defeat, knowing Twilight had spoken the truth. “Ah, whatever.” She says, lifting off into the air, slowly lapping the library.

Twilight follows her, only forgetting to use her own wings; rather she climbs the stairs on her first floor where her bed waits. Finally at eye level, she inspects Rainbow’s behaviour. “What are you doing?”

“Stretching my wings.” She answers coolly, flipping around so she backstrokes through the air. “We’ve been sat down a while; all the blood's ran to our flanks, where it’s not too much use.”

“I suppose. You’d be the expert, not me.”

Rainbow almost stops in mid-flight at Twilight’s admittance. “Woah! I’d be the ‘expert’, and not you? Let me mark that down in the Journal of the Two Sisters!” She chuckles at her own joke as she lowers herself onto the floor beside Twilight.

“So, what were you going to ask?”

Funnily enough she has to think back to those minutes ago to recall her question. “Oh yeah, it’s about Mareina Applegate and Saltlick Trotter, in the Daring Do books.” Rainbow rubs the back of her head, thinking hard on how to phrase her question. “What do you think about how Saltlick manages to marry her, even though they had the whole childhood-friends thing going on?”

They both lower onto the balcony edge, dangling their legs in front of the bookshelves below. “What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash sighs, not wishing to go into it further. She had hoped Twilight would have all the answers to all the questions.

“What I mean is...” She takes another moment to think, “Do you think it’s realistic, for childhood friends to become a couple?” Little did Rainbow wish for her to know this was a deeply personal question, though her nervousness around it shining through clearly gave some signal away.

Twilight gives an interested look to Rainbow, her head tilting sideways. “I think it’s perfectly reasonable. After all, A.K. Yearling made sure it wasn’t a cut and paste romance. She had the characters connect with one another, and open each other’s personalities up more to strengthen their bonds. Why’d you ask?” Twilight herself was trying to list through the ponies Rainbow knew since she was a filly. Fluttershy was the obvious one, but she wonders if there were many stallions.

“No reason. Just interested.” Her reply is quick and unconvincing, but Twilight pursues no further. With one last stretch she bumps Twilight on her shoulder. “I’m gonna head off.” Suddenly a familiar voice, bursting with both desperation and excitement, sounds from the library doors.

“Not before I say hi!” Shouts Pinkie Pie as she throws herself through the door, tumbling over but landing on her hooves. Both ponies shake their heads at the fluffy maned pony’s antics. Immediately Pinkie bounces off the floor and meets Rainbow Dash in a very close proximity. “Hi!” She greets with a huge smile, it literally stretching from cheek to cheek.

“Hey Pinkie.” Rainbow replies in her raspy voice. However, this meeting sparks an idea in her mind, which is quickly picked up by Pinkie.

“Ooh! Dashie has an idea!” She plainly states before moving on to greet Twilight, this time bouncing high enough to land next to the Princess. “Hi!”

“Hey, Pinks, what good bars are there in Ponyville? Like, I know plenty in Cloudsdale, but that really isn’t an option.” Rainbow asks, as she glides down to the ground floor and glances up at the two. Pinkie meanwhile nudges Twilight’s side with her elbow.

“Has Dashie got a date?” She says suggestively, raising her eyebrows a little too exaggerated for Rainbow’s comfort.

Before any form of blushes can form Dash exhales. “Stop it Pinkie Pie, just answer me.” She says bluntly. The joke wears off instantly as Pinkie Pie paces around the first floor, stepping over Twilight’s bed as she thinks.

“Hmm... Anywhere in Ponyville...” Dash taps her hooves on the oak floor, growing impatient. “Oh, oh!” Pinkie zips back to the ledge, wobbling uncontrollably as she skids to a stop. “There’s this really cool place, all shadowy and noir-y, y’know? It opened not so long ago; it’s where all the cool kids go.” She raises her hoof up for the last few words, perhaps out of mocking the ‘cool kids’.

“Sweet, what’s this place called?” A grin of excitement appears on her face.

“Um, ‘The Singing Detective’! It’s only around the corner from the town hall.”

“Awsome.” She murmurs under her breath, before galloping off. “See you later!” She calls back, though the ‘later’ fades as her speed quickens. Pinkie waves goodbye while Twilight rolls her eyes once again as her friend leaves abruptly.

Some may say taking life advice from adventure novels such as Daring Do is foolish, but in this instance Dash couldn’t care less. Twilight had given her the confidence to finally act on her feelings towards her childhood friend. Stopping for nobody Dash soars into the clear blue sky and bolts to the outskirts of Ponyville, to the edge of the Everfree forest. There she arrives at a quaint cottage, its roof formed by foliage and holding an abundance of bird-houses.

Rainbow Dash lands just across the small stream that runs by the home, the water glistening as it trickles on beneath a curved bridge. With an intake of nervous breath Dash trots across the bridge an up to an oval door, freshly painted from the looks of it.

For a moment she just stands still, unable to lift her hoof and knock on the door. “Damn it Dash, come on!” She whispers to herself, annoyed at her unusual lack of mettle. To her fortune she didn’t need to knock, for a yellow Pegasus opend it for her.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash.” The meek Fluttershy says, stepping back to invite Rainbow inside. “You don’t have to worry, the paint is dry.” She gives a hearty smile, completely misunderstanding her friend’s intentions. “Come in.”

Both friends enter the living room, which makes up the majority of the cottage. Little rodents scatter here and there, birds sing from their perches built high up on the walls, and a small white bunny slouches on the sofa like he’s the king.

They pass over a large red rug, surprisingly clean for a place housing so many animals. Rainbow takes a seat on the couch, sending the bunny rabbit onto his side at the weight is shifted. He throws his paws up in the air and jumps of the sofa, muttering some curses under his breath as he retreats into another room.

“Angel’s not been feeling too well lately.” Fluttershy mentions as she watches the white rabbit give one last glare to Rainbow before disappearing into the kitchen. “He’s a little on edge.” All the doubt gnawing the back of Rainbow’s head seems to fade as she feels as she always does around Fluttershy: content.

Rainbow felt a bit bad for the little guy, but at the same time there are many, many memories of him being an absolute brat to all those around him. “Just desserts.” She mutters with a chuckle. Fluttershy looks up to her, not entirely hearing the insult. Rainbow smiles and gets comfortable. “So Fluttershy, I was wondering if you were doing anything tonight. Any plans at all?”

Fluttershy’s ears perk at the thought. “No. I was going to stargaze for a while, before going to bed, but that’s about all.” She becomes increasingly excited at the thought of having a nice walk, maybe watch the sunset together, a slumber party perhaps.

“Cool, wanna come with me to a bar?” There went the excitement. Fluttershy’s ears drop and she retreats behind her pink mane. There was no way she’d feel secure in a roomful of drunken ponies. No way no how. But then, she’d be with Rainbow Dash, the one pony she’s always counted on, since they were fillies. Plus, she wouldn’t mind some time alone with her. But still, it’s a bar.

“Rainbow Dash, you know I don’t like things like that.” She says quietly, her hoof circling the floor. “All the ponies not being themselves, all the smoke smelling up our manes; oh, it’s just not something I’d enjoy.”

“Come on Shy,” Rainbow slides off the sofa and places a wing on her back, “you’ll be with me, it’ll be fun. Besides, it’s about time we got you out and around town.” Fluttershy enjoys the closeness of Rainbow Dash, going as far as pushing herself under her blue wing slightly more, so they brushed together.

“I... I don’t know.”

Rainbow rocks Fluttershy back and forth as she musters a fine solution. “Tell you what, how about we stargaze before we go! Would that make the deal a bit sweeter?” Not that Dash is particularly interested in light in the sky, but it would still mean a bit of alone time with Fluttershy. She remains adamant on getting into that bar with her friend.

To Fluttershy, some alone time under the night sky would be perfect to spend with her best friend, even if it did mean a tense night ahead. “Sure Dash, that sounds wonderful.”

In one swift movement Rainbow Dash sweeps Fluttershy off her hooves in a tight hug. “This is gonna be sweet!” Fluttershy squeaks as Dash holds her in the air. “Heh. Sorry.” The breathless Fluttershy almost collapses as she is placed back down.

“It’s... it’s alright.” Once she finds her breath Fluttershy makes her way to the kitchen. “Would you like some dinner? I’m making Carrot Salad, Angel’s favourite!” Dash always wondered how a vegetable could be its own salad.

“Sure, don’t wanna be going out on an empty stomach.” She taps her grumbling tummy and immediately follows Fluttershy into the kitchen. “You want some help? I’m starving!”

*

Silver moonlight dances on the long grass which tickle Fluttershy’s hooves. She and Rainbow lay on their backs, their manes each fluttering as a warm flurry of wind passes over them. Above them shows of radiant light twinkles in Luna’s sky as millions of stars come out to say hello to the ponies below.

They turn to face one another, their noses not an inch wide apart, with gleeful smiles telling all there needs to be told on such a dazzling night. “Shall we head out then, Fluttershy?” Dash asks, though half not wishing to as she is enjoying the stargazing much more than she anticipated. But there was work to be done. She needed to open Fluttershy up to new experiences, therefore strengthening their bond, as described by Twilight.

Fluttershy pokes gently at Dash’s chest, her body limp and numb from relaxation. She might as well be drunk already. “OK.” Is all she can answer.

They head off into town, searching for ‘The Singing Detective’. It isn't until they get to the town hall that Dash realises there is no single ‘round the corner’, as it lies right in the centre of the city!

"Thanks, Pinkie Pie."