Fun for Two Fillies

“Darling, you simply must stop that crying - it’s doing nothing for your complexion.” Rarity’s horn glowed with a magical aura as she used it to pull a tissue from a box sitting on a nearby table and dabbed Fluttershy’s eyes. Rarity had been working on a new clothing design and was wearing her red cat-eye glasses. She had scheduled a dress-fitting with Fluttershy for today, but when Fluttershy didn’t show up on time, Rarity went to the Ponyville town square to look for her. She found Fluttershy whimpering under a tree. “Well, Fluttershy, are you going to tell me what this is all about?”

Fluttershy was beginning to calm down enough that she was able to squeak out a few words in a wavering voice between sobs. “I’ve been trying to cheer for Rainbow Dash while she practices her flying for the Best Young Fliers competition, but I just can’t seem to cheer loud enough. Rainbow Dash has practiced Sonic Rainboom a hundred times, and she’s never even come close to doing it. I don’t know if I can cheer loud enough to help her.”

Having dabbed the tears from Fluttershy’s eyes, Rarity was now using her magic to float the pieces of Fluttershy’s new dress onto her, pinning and measuring the cloth while they talked. “Darling, it’s not your fault that Rainbow Dash can’t do a Sonic Rainboom - although a little cheering couldn’t hurt. Let’s hear what you’ve managed so far.”

Fluttershy bashfully looked at the ground in front of her for a moment, and then drew as much breath into her lungs as she could, her eyes growing wide from the effort. Then, she exhaled: “Yaaaay.”

Rarity’s mouth hung open in bewilderment as she stared at Fluttershy. This pony sure has an odd concept of volume, she thought. “Well, Fluttershy, that was... a good start. You might try being a bit more outgoing.”

Fluttershy looked defeated, and her eyes began to tear up again. “I’m trying, but I’m nervous, especially around Rainbow Dash. You’d never guess, but I’m actually very shy.”

“Shy?” Rarity held back laughter so as to not hurt Fluttershy’s feelings further. “No, I never would’ve guessed. But why would you be nervous around Rainbow Dash?”

“Well...” Fluttershy looked up at Rarity from behind that pink mane of hers. “I just want Rainbow Dash to like me. Especially now that she’s not seeing Gilda, I think sometimes she gets lonely up in the clouds by herself.”

Rarity was taken aback. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash? There was more to this than she had originally thought, and the idea excited her. “Well you know, Fluttershy, cheerleaders usually wear special outfits. Maybe if we made you something festive to wear, it’d give you the confidence to cheer louder for Rainbow Dash.” Or, at least, it might catch her eye.