Trials of a Fillyfooler

Chapters

Chapter 2: Talking Sensitive
Chapter 3: Sleepover Dream
Chapter 4: Cloud Mansion Mechanisms
Chapter 5: Back to the Critters
Chapter 6: Exercise
Chapter 7: Searching the Rainbow
Chapter 8: Plans
Chapter 10: Forget the Problem
Chapter 11: Rainbow Dash?
Chapter 12: Reveal
Chapter 13: Painful Memories
Chapter 1: First Contact
Chapter 9: Visit

Chapter 2: Talking Sensitive

Fluttershy was practically shoved inside Rainbow Dash's bedroom and was dropped in the center with a yelp. Afterwards, Rainbow Dash immediately flew back to the door and slammed it closed.

"Rainbow Dash, what-"

"Quiet, Fluttershy!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she spun around to face her friend, interrupting Fluttershy's question. Fluttershy closed her mouth in response. "I need to calm my emotions before I cause this cloud to explode!”

“W-what?!” Fluttershy stepped back a bit after those words. Rainbow Dash didn’t exactly respond. She just clutched her chest tightly, breathing very heavily as if she was having a heart attack.

Fluttershy was panting pretty heavily as well, but not as much as Rainbow Dash was. Fluttershy wasn’t sure about how she was feeling right now. She had been pretty much shoved inside this bedroom before she had a chance to say much of anything. But at the same time, she was the one who wanted to ask Rainbow Dash something she didn’t want to ask. Now she was too confused to comprehend what had just occurred.

Thankfully their deep breathing had managed to calm them down. They didn’t dare try and start their conversation again until they were both able to control their voices again.

“Alright, Fluttershy, listen carefully,” Rainbow Dash started, glaring into Fluttershy's soul as she walked up to her. “I will talk about what happened yesterday, but do not talk about this to anypony else!” Fluttershy leaned backwards, clenching her teeth hard as Rainbow Dash pushed her face very close to Fluttershy’s. “Understand?!”

Fluttershy let a few whimpers escape her before she shakily nodded her head in response. Her stress started to be relieved when Rainbow Dash pulled her head back, allowing Fluttershy to stand back up and have her space.

Rainbow Dash knew that Fluttershy was sensitive to threats, but she still wanted to make it clear that this was serious; so serious that even somepony as delicate as Fluttershy would not get compassion if she were to let the word spread.

Fluttershy let out a sigh as she collected her thoughts about this. She still wasn’t sure about asking Rainbow Dash about yesterday considering how she reacted before she left. But Fluttershy was here right now, because the tingling in her hooves and how it was affecting her, had persuaded her to come in the end. Now all that was left was to ask and see where that would lead.

“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy started after swallowing her breath. “About what happened at the dinner table...” She paused for a second, losing her words. But it was enough for Rainbow Dash to know what she wanted to talk about.

“You wanna know why that happened?” Rainbow Dash said as she looked away. “Why I touched you in... that way?” She started rubbing one of her forelegs as she treaded those words carefully.

“Um...” Fluttershy’s body started to heat up as she felt the need to back up some more. “That was an accident, right?”

Rainbow Dash’s ears drooped to the sides of her head as she looked back at Fluttershy. With a wave of a hoof, she motioned for Fluttershy to go towards the bed so that she could sit down. Fluttershy had to take a moment to glance at it before she decided to move. It was a bit unnerving to Fluttershy, but she figured it would help with the conversation. But while Fluttershy was walking to the bed, Rainbow Dash was walking somewhere else.

“Well, Fluttershy, it...” Rainbow Dash paused with a sigh. “This is gonna sound lame... or strange, or... however you would say it is... but...” Fluttershy was able to get herself seated on the bed while Rainbow Dash treaded her words. Rainbow Dash put a hoof on a door that looked like it led to a closet before she continued. “It wasn’t exactly an accident that that happened. I...” She took a moment to shake her head and sigh before she was able to get it out. “I have a hoof fetish...”

Fluttershy blinked as her mind took a moment to process those words. For some reason, a chill rushed along her body when she heard them.

“A... wha...?” Fluttershy wasn’t sure how she should respond. She had to rub her forehooves together as that tingling feeling came back to them. Rainbow Dash opened that door she was in front of before she decided to respond.

“Well... how do I explain this...?” Rainbow Dash paused for a moment as she looked inside the closet. Fluttershy couldn’t see what was in there from where she was, but she could see Rainbow Dash going inside to get something out.

When Rainbow Dash came back outside, Fluttershy didn’t think it was a closet anymore. It seemed more like a storage room now, because Rainbow Dash pulled out a cloud from there that was quite big for the space, but smaller than the ones seen outside everyday.

Rainbow Dash brought this cloud in front of Fluttershy and started to form it. This didn’t really surprise Fluttershy, because Rainbow Dash was really good with sculpting clouds. In fact, the interior of this cloud mansion occasionally changed as a result, because Rainbow Dash could do whatever she wanted with it.

But what Fluttershy was surprised with was what Rainbow Dash was forming this cloud into. After splitting some of it apart, she shaped it into the shape of a pony. But the shape of the pony, even the mane and tail style, looked a lot like Fluttershy. Fluttershy's tail swished instinctively, letting a small gasp escape her breath at the sight.

“You see... I-I have a strange attraction... to hooves,” Rainbow Dash started, lifting the cloud pony’s hoof up in the direction of Fluttershy. “When I look at them,” she brought the hoof closer to herself, “I feel a sudden urge to just... take them into my own hooves... and...”

Rainbow Dash suddenly stopped, leaving Fluttershy unsure how to respond. Fluttershy started fidgeting with her hind hooves, carefully letting her breaths out as she watched how Rainbow Dash held this cloud. She felt the feelings on her hooves crawl up her body as she attempted to think of something to say.

“Y-you... like my... hooves?” Fluttershy asked as she hid one of her eyes behind her mane, making Rainbow Dash glance back at her as a response. Rainbow Dash let go of her hold on the pony cloud.

“Well, it’s not exactly that, it’s... well...” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck as she thought over her words. “Did you notice how I was getting distracted a bit yesterday after I had set up the weather for your garden?”

It took a moment for Fluttershy to think about it, but she was able to reply with a hesitant nod when the thought of Rainbow Dash examining those animals came to mind.

“Well...” Rainbow Dash took the other cloud formation that she hadn’t formed and moved it in front of the cloud pony of Fluttershy. “That time, you were using your hooves more often than you normally did.” She continued to form the cloud up to shape into something smaller as she talked. “I can usually control myself, but it was harder to resist when those animals started crawling up your hooves and even rubbing on them.”

Fluttershy nearly let out a silent gasp at this revelation. She could only press her hooves against each other harder as Rainbow Dash told her story. She didn’t realize how her actions were affecting Rainbow Dash.

“But when you started feeding that mouse by hoof...” Rainbow Dash had formed the other cloud to shape into a small mouse, positioning the cloud pony to bend down towards it, making a replica of what had happened during that moment. “I just couldn’t help myself...”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide after something had dawned on to her. Rainbow Dash was describing what she was really focusing on while Fluttershy was embracing the elegant weather with her animals.

“So... you weren’t hungry for that mouse...” Fluttershy said silently as she brought her vision down.

“Huh?” The sound of Rainbow Dash’s voice startled Fluttershy a bit. Fluttershy didn’t realize that she had said that out loud.

“U-uh, I mean, um...” Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment, trying to recover her words. “S-so, at the dinner table...” But Fluttershy wasn’t able to keep them for very long. However, it was enough to change the topic as Rainbow Dash started pacing away from the cloud pony, which stayed in the position of feeding a mouse cloud.

“Well, I was too distracted by your hooves to really focus on eating...” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh before she continued. “I... did something I thought I would never do.” She stopped her pacing and turned to Fluttershy with a frown that filled with regret. “While we were eating, I tried to calm myself by, ever so slightly, rubbing my hooves against yours, just to see how it felt.” Fluttershy thought this almost sounded like something she already knew, but something else occurred to her.

“Wait... so, I wasn’t imagining that feeling?” she said, looking down at her hind hooves as she swung them back and forth slightly. Rainbow Dash responded with a nod.

“I thought you had possibly felt that.” Rainbow Dash looked away in shame before continuing. “I wanted to ask you about it, but I stopped myself, thinking it was better that you thought you weren’t feeling anything. But...” Rainbow Dash let a large groan escape her mouth as she stomped a hoof on the ground. “I got startled by your voice and accidently kicked you. And, well...” She shook her head before she was able to finish. “I’m sorry about how I startled you like that. I didn’t mean it.”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure how she was feeling right now. She paid attention to Rainbow Dash as she talked about that moment while she was pacing around.

Fluttershy felt her body chill as she learned about how many assumptions she had gotten wrong there. She wasn’t sure at the time whether this talk or that realization was more uncomfortable to hear at the time. But what was really uncomfortable right now was how this conversation was going.

“I forgive you for what happened, Rainbow Dash, but...” Fluttershy took a deep breath as her heart pained at the next words she had to say. “That... wasn’t what I wanted to talk about...” At the mention of those words, Rainbow Dash’s head jumped as she switched her attention back to Fluttershy.

“E-er, what?!” Hearing Rainbow’s response, Fluttershy attempted to catch her words as that tingle spread along the legs of her hooves.

“Um... actually... I-I wanted to talk about what happened... after that dinner,” Fluttershy said in a bit of a panic as she rubbed a forehoof along her other. “Ever since that happened... I’ve been feeling different.” The words changed Rainbow Dash’s attention on the subject to where she was curious instead of regretful.

“Different?” Rainbow Dash said as she walked closer to Fluttershy. “Like, how?” Fluttershy had to close her eyes in response as she thought her words over.

“Well, I’ve been having this weird feeling on my hooves.” Fluttershy had to scratch her fetlocks as she talked. “I don’t know what it is, but... it’s making me do things... differently.”

Rainbow Dash carefully approached the left side of the bed from the direction Fluttershy was sitting at. Fluttershy could feel the bed shift, noticing that Rainbow Dash had sat down, but Rainbow wasn’t saying anything. She just kept her expression casually curious while she waited for Fluttershy to continue.

“You said I was using my hooves more often,” Fluttershy continued while she pointed at the cloud pony feeding the cloud mouse. “But ever since that feeling started, I’ve been... flinching away from my animals... every time they touch my hooves...”

Fluttershy could hear Rainbow Dash gasp quietly at the explanation. Fluttershy wasn’t sure what she was thinking right now, but the more she was telling, the more unnerving it was getting to her. Here she was, talking about something that she didn’t want to have to ask, but now if anything, she hoped that Rainbow Dash would have an answer now that she let it out.

“Fluttershy, do you remember the time we were all at the spa during the time Gabby Gums was around?” Rainbow Dash said.

“Well... um...” Fluttershy’s ears dropped to the sides of her head at the mention of that. It was the time when one of her own secrets were revealed by somepony she could trust, just like the rest of her friends, including Rainbow Dash. Even though Rainbow Dash knew she could trust Fluttershy, it now made sense why Rainbow Dash was so edgy about this conversation before they started.

“And when I was trying out that hooficure?”

Fluttershy nodded before she looked over to Rainbow Dash. She wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but she listened carefully.

“Well, when I tried it out, you probably remember me freaking out before that file touched my hooves, right?” Fluttershy nodded again. This time, Rainbow Dash looked away, shuddering a bit at the thought of that moment. She let out a sigh before she continued. “The reason why I retreated so nervously, is because of my hoof fetish.”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She always thought she was trying to protect her image back then. But at the same time, only she and her friends were supposed to see that moment. Even though it never happened, everypony found out about it and believed it did happen.

“I have a strange attraction to hooves, but that also makes me not like it when other ponies touch mine.” Rainbow Dash started. “I’m afraid that when somepony touches my hooves, they’ll see that pathetic side of me...” she finished with a soft cough that blew through her snout.

“But then, what does that mean for me?” Fluttershy said as she went into deep thought. “If you’re afraid of others touching your hooves, and I’m afraid of my animals... touching...” Her pupils shrank when she managed to put two and two together. “D-does, that mean...”

There was a bit of silence in the room after Fluttershy processed the information. She was so conflicted by a feeling that she still didn’t understand.

“Yeah, I think you might have a bit of a hoof fetish too...” Rainbow Dash said, looking back at Fluttershy with uncertainty.

“But, I don’t understand... haven’t we held each others hooves before?” Fluttershy looked away as she thought about the other times they touched hooves together. The ones that mostly came to mind were the times they hoof bumped each other, but Rainbow Dash was perfectly comfortable with those moments. “But even if I’m so afraid of others touching my hooves... why do I keep thinking about it?”

Fluttershy started pressing her hind hooves together again when she mentioned this part. She described what was on her mind while Rainbow Dash stayed quiet and listened.

“Every time I’m about to touch one of my animals with my hooves, or when they do touch them...” Fluttershy let out a shuddered breath that sounded like it was held in for a while. She could feel her own heart beat without putting a hoof on her chest. “My mind... wanders to that moment. I could only think of when your hoof was rubbing against mine.”

Fluttershy wasn’t even sure what she was saying anymore. She was too afraid to look back at Rainbow Dash as she spoke her mind.

“I thought it was my imagination, but now I think of it like, I knew it was happening.” Fluttershy made a soft cough as the tone in her voice rose to a higher pitch. “But the feeling wasn’t like how I reacted. I... I don’t know.” Her hind legs started shivering as her words increased in pitch. “I feel so scared about what I’m feeling. I feel so uncomfortable about my animals touching my hooves, but when... when... Ahh!”

Fluttershy’s body jumped when she felt something suddenly latch onto her left forehoof, making her shake violently in its grip. She squeezed her eyes shut as she made a slight attempt to pull her hoof back, but that thing forced her hoof to lift up to the side of her, giving a very threatening pressure. It almost felt like that thing was gonna crush her hoof in its grip, causing her to whimper at the sudden torment.

But Fluttershy soon realized that nothing was really happening. Her body suddenly started to warm up, ceasing her shivering. She could feel that something was holding on to her hoof, and it was holding it firmly, but gently in its grip.

“Nnh... huh...?” Fluttershy slightly coughed up her sounds as she hesitantly looked up to see what it was that suddenly had its grip on her hoof.

It was Rainbow Dash who was holding her hoof in her own hooves. As Fluttershy stared into those confident eyes, her mind wandered to the dream that she had this morning. The way that Rainbow Dash was holding her hoof right now looked very similar to the way that shadowy figure of Rainbow Dash was holding her hoof.

Fluttershy's breath caught itself in awe as Rainbow Dash led her through this experience.

Author's Note

This is where the Fetish Exploring chapter plays from the "Hoof Fetish" side story. Chapter 3 plays after that scene.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 3: Sleepover Dream

Fluttershy smiled as the sun started coming into view over the horizon. She waited in anticipation for the light to shine on the flower-filled garden in front of her. Each flower held one of the many colors of the rainbow, along with a butterfly that matched their colors.

As the sun illuminated the garden, the butterflies finished collecting their pollen and began flying into the skies. Fluttershy began humming an elegant tune as the multi-colored butterflies flocked together, almost forming an actual rainbow in the sky.

It was a sight Fluttershy wished she could share more often with a special friend. It didn’t have the same charm when she was alone. Yet, she kept that smile on her face as she watched those butterflies flying away.

It wasn’t long before the garden suddenly became empty. Fluttershy frowned when she realised she was all alone. The colors of the garden started to fade. All the happiness was leaving the garden.

An ice cold wave rushed along Fluttershy’s body while the world in front of her was vanishing into a void. She put a hoof in front of her, attempting to reach out for it, but to no avail. She wanted to call it back, but for some reason, she couldn’t speak words.

Suddenly, Fluttershy felt something strong and sharp latch onto one of her hind hooves. “AAHHH!” She leaped up in surprise, kicking her hoof out to toss whatever had so painfully latched onto her hoof. She looked around in desperation, trying to find her attacker.

But behind Fluttershy, standing in an endless void of nothingness, were her many small animal friends. She could only gasp in horror when she saw how different they were now.

Each animal was growling at her. Their drool slid along their gritted teeth, dripping onto the non-existent ground. Their glowing eyes narrowed and glared directly at Fluttershy’s hooves. They wanted her hooves, because she wouldn’t let them have them.

Fluttershy slowly stepped back, whimpering in fear of what those animals wanted. The animals slowly crept closer to her, glaring at her hooves with malice and lust. Fluttershy didn’t want to run from them though. She wanted to see their smiling faces again, but all she saw was their desire for her hooves.

One of the squirrels suddenly lunged forward, aiming for Fluttershy’s right forehoof. Fluttershy yelped as she lifted her forehooves off the ground, balancing on her hind legs and keeping her hooves away from the squirrel. But the squirrel immediately jumped after them, managing to latch around her right forehoof.

A sharp burn ran along her hoof like a rampant wildfire, causing her to scream in pain. Fluttershy attempted to pry the squirrel off, but at the same time, she didn’t want to hurt it. However, every time she tried to push it off with her left forehoof, it only caused the fiery feeling to increase on her right while her left suffered painful stabs coming from its fur.

“AAAHHHH!” A mouse latched onto her left forehoof, using unnatural strength as it squeezed her hoof with a vice-like grip. Fluttershy could feel her fetlocks cracking under the intense burns that these critters were giving to her. The unbearable pain caused her to lose her balance on her hind legs and fall backwards.

Her screams resonated even louder when she felt her hind hooves get latched onto. The fur from these creatures were so sharp to her, they stung her to the core. She couldn’t help but tear up at the pressure she was feeling.

Suddenly, Fluttershy was being pulled to a sitting position. There were a set of animals both in front of her and behind her. One set was pushing her while the other set pulled her hooves forward.

Fluttershy saw that an otter was in front of her, but her ears dropped when she noticed that this otter was very large. He wasn’t facing her though. He was facing away from Fluttershy to expose his back.

There were large lumps spreading all around the otter’s back, and even a few visible rashes. But what Fluttershy feared was the fur. A sparkle on the tip of each strand of that fur signified how sharp they were.

Fluttershy tried to retract her hooves, but the animals were forcing her hooves to move closer to that otter. The squirrel on her right forehoof started a chant which all of the animals joined in. Fluttershy understood that the chant was related to the massage she must give to this otter.

The large otter desperately needed a massage, but Fluttershy was too afraid to use her hooves for this. The animals didn’t care. She will use her hooves to massage this spined otter.

A few tears escaped Fluttershy. The pain she was feeling on all of her hooves was already making her whimper. The closer those animals forced her hooves to move to that otter, the more she winced, looking away while her form shivered.

But before they touched, something dashed right past and in between Fluttershy and the otter at the speed of light. The wind power that was generated from that streak blew roughly against all of the animals, causing them to get blown away. Even the giant otter was being blown away by that fierce wind as if it weighed as little as they did.

Somehow, Fluttershy wasn’t as affected by these winds. She was able to keep herself on the ground, but she slid slowly across it while the wind blew her mane roughly across her face. Even the animals that were attached to her hooves were unable to keep their grips and were pried off. The crushing pain was quickly leaving her as they were removed from her hooves.

Fluttershy had been dropped on her back with her limbs in the air before the wind had managed to settle. She was blocking her vision with her forehooves while she tried to get her timid shivering under control.. She was almost too scared to figure out what just happened, but when everything had settled down, she just had to look. Very hesitantly, she moved her hooves out of her face.

Fluttershy could see between her hind legs that something, or somepony, was slowly hovering a short distance in front of her.. The sight of this shadowy silhouette of a pegasus caused her to gasp as her heart beat suddenly increased.

The silhouette landed just in front of Fluttershy’s hind hooves that still hung in the air due to the startling moment. Fluttershy’s eyes went wide in shock, letting out a long extended sigh as she saw the silhouette suddenly regain its form and color.

For some reason, even though it reminded Fluttershy so much of it, she just couldn’t believe who was in front of her. It was Rainbow Dash, but it wasn’t just that. She had a majestic prismatic aura to her that Fluttershy’s heart warmed at the sight of. All of the fear that she was feeling before was suddenly leaving her right then and there.

Before Fluttershy could take in anymore, Rainbow Dash pulled out a cyan and yellow sock from behind her. She slowly walked up to one of the two hind hooves that Fluttershy still kept in the air.

Fluttershy’s mouth hung open as her breath sighed in awe at the sight. The closer Rainbow Dash got, the brighter that aura emitted to her. When Rainbow Dash came closer enough, she slowly slid that sock onto Fluttershy’s left hind hoof.

Everything went bright white from there on.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy’s eyes flicked open, returning to consciousness. Bright light immediately blinded her due to the sun’s reflection lighting up the room. She flinched, shutting her eyes as tight as she could to block out the light. She wasn't used to waking up to this much light all at once, so she attempted to move a hoof in front of her face to block out the worst of the glare.

But something was keeping her right forehoof at bay. In fact, it felt like something moving and wet was covering it. She slowly opened her eyes again to see what was on her hoof. The combination of bright sunlight and sleep made her vision blur to the point where she could not tell what the warm, slimy object was. After blinking a few times, her eyes were able to focus on what was covering her hoof.

It was then that Fluttershy had remembered that she hadn’t slept at her cottage that night. She was sleeping over with Rainbow Dash at her cloud mansion. She saw that Rainbow Dash’s mouth was what was wrapped around her yellow hoof, still making slurping motions that caused more saliva to soak it.

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide at the sight, making a squeak silently force its way out of her mouth. She wasn’t sure what she was more surprised by. The fact that her friend here was sucking on her hoof, or the fact that it hadn’t bothered her to the point she hadn’t noticed it.

But if that wasn’t enough of a close contact, Fluttershy could still feel a strong feathery wing that was under the covers and wrapped firmly around her body. Yesterday, she didn’t think anything of it, but now the contact was making her cheeks flush into a red hue because of how close it was.

Fluttershy didn’t want to wake her friend up, but she did want to get up herself. She hesitantly and carefully pulled her hoof back. Rainbow’s lips slid smoothly along Fluttershy’s hoof, leaving saliva to trail the surrounding fetlock as Fluttershy retracted it.

While this was happening, she remembered something else. Rainbow Dash had given her cyan socks with yellow stripes to wear on her hooves. She realized that at some point Rainbow Dash must have removed one of the socks Fluttershy was wearing, because she wasn’t wearing one on her right forehoof anymore. In fact, the sock was laying right next to her foreleg. However, the rest of her limbs were still wrapped in those comfortable socks.

Eventually, Fluttershy managed to remove her hoof from Rainbow’s mouth, leaving a bit of a sucking smooch upon removal. Fluttershy held still for a few seconds, hoping that Rainbow Dash wasn’t disturbed from her slumber.

Rainbow Dash’s snoring soon became apparent, indicating that she was still in a deep sleep. A wave of relief coursed through Fluttershy’s body as she let out a silent breath. She wasn’t sure why she was so nervous, but she just didn’t want Rainbow Dash to wake up right now. She wasn’t even sure what she would say if Rainbow did wake up at the moment.

Fluttershy carefully slid her body along the bed, trying to slip away from the covers. But the wing that firmly wrapped around her body was preventing her from going very far. It was wrapped around her in a way that she couldn’t just slip out of it. Swallowing her nerves, Fluttershy moved a hoof towards the wing.

But then, Rainbow Dash started stirring in her sleep, releasing a moan in the middle of her snore. Fluttershy’s ears dropped as she felt the wing wrap slightly tighter against her body, somewhat attempting to bring her closer to Rainbow Dash. But the wing suddenly went limp after Rainbow settled down again.

Fluttershy bit the bottom of her lip. The wing around her body no longer seemed to hold grip, and Rainbow Dash was still snoring. She could have sworn Rainbow Dash was going to wake at that moment, or at least open an eye. But she didn’t.

Seeing no other responses, Fluttershy decided to continue sliding out of the embrace, having a much easier time due to the lack of grip. The cyan wing slid free of her body and allowed her to sit up. She gently bundled the covers up and pushed them towards Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy moved to the edge of the bed and let her hind legs dangle just above the cloud floor. She put her left forehoof on her chest as she settled her careful breathing under her aching heart. She just felt so weird being that close to Rainbow Dash right now, and she couldn’t understand why.

Fluttershy let out another sigh as she moved her right forehoof in front of her face. She examined the saliva coating her hoof, twisting it around to see and feel the effects as gravity pulled it down.

While Fluttershy was doing this, she thought about that dream. The thought of those animals ravaging her hooves pained her stomach, yet she wasn’t feeling any discomfort from her hoof being covered in saliva right now.

“Why did I have that dream?” Fluttershy silently asked herself as she shifted her gaze away from her hoof. Her eyes decided to wander around the bedroom.

The first thing that Fluttershy saw was a window just a few meters away from the bed, leading outside with no curtains to block out any light from the sun. She figured this was the reason why it was much brighter than she was used to when she woke up. There was a drawer next to the window and bed, and a stand with a cabinet on the other side of the bed. The room had pillars on the four corners of the room, probably supporting the clouds.

But the most notable thing right now was the Fluttershy shaped cloud that still stood in front of the bed. It seemed like Rainbow Dash had decided to leave it in the pose where it was feeding the mouse cloud.

“Oh... my...” Fluttershy decided to get up from the bed to have a closer look at it, walking despite one of her hooves being saliva coated. She checked multiple sides of the cloud pony, letting out a few giggles as she noticed how nicely it was designed. “This looks... adorable!”

But then, something about the cloud Fluttershy's appearance struck her as odd. She leaned in and examined the face. Fluttershy could see every eyelash, every line on her face. She turned around, lining up with the cloud copy. Fluttershy looked at their sides and saw every feather was in the correct location. She checked the cloud copy's mane, noticing that the length and style was a perfect match. Finally, Fluttershy checked the tail. She moved her own tail in front of her and near the cloud, matching up its design and length.

"S-she... even got the tail extension correct."

Besides the obvious white color, the appearance of the cloud pony was a perfect copy. Fluttershy's breath suddenly stopped as her eyes slowly shrank, a chill running up her spine while her feathers fluffed up. Strange thoughts began to surface, but she quickly shook her head. She didn't dare put a hoof on the cloud lest she risk deforming it, despite how unsettling such an accurate display felt. She backed away from the copy, twisting her tail like a knot as she attempted to clear her thoughts.

“I need to unwind.” Fluttershy took in a deep breath, holding it in before she let it out, attempting to calm her thoughts. “I can’t keep feeling distraught around Rainbow Dash like this. She’s a good friend.”

Fluttershy took another glance around the bedroom, looking for a certain door. There were only three doors in this bedroom and she already learned where two of them led. One led out to the halls of the mansion and one led to some kind of storage as far as she could tell.

The fact that this mansion’s interior kept changing didn’t help Fluttershy find her way around it. But since she already knew where the first two doors led, she could guess that the third one must have led into the washroom. She looked back to Rainbow Dash, who was still snoring on the bed. She then lifted her forehooves up to glance at them, more so glancing at her saliva covered hoof.

“Oh... I don’t want to wake her,” Fluttershy said to herself as she looked back to Rainbow Dash. “But... I hope she doesn’t mind.”

Fluttershy moved back to the bed. She used her teeth to slowly remove the sock from left forehoof, smiling as the smooth surface slid along her fetlock. The hairs on her body stood up as a soothing chill washed over the exposed hoof. She set the sock next to the other one near Rainbow Dash’s sleeping figure. Fluttershy's heart began pounding when she noticed how close to Rainbow Dash she was. She quickly shook her head and started walking towards the direction of the washroom.

Fluttershy wished that this feeling would go away, but at the same time, she wanted to be around Rainbow Dash more often.

Author's Note

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 4: Cloud Mansion Mechanisms

Fluttershy gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She ignored the messy mane atop her head and instead focused on her cyan eyes, hoping that answers would lay somewhere deep in them. Fluttershy took a deep breath as she thought things over.

“Why do my hooves feel so sensitive when my animals touch them?” Fluttershy asked her reflection. She lifted her right forehoof in front of her face, examining the saliva that still coated it. “But when Rainbow Dash touches them, it doesn't bother me...” Thinking of Rainbow Dash made her heart beat faster, threatening to nearly leap from her chest. Fluttershy took a deep breath, slowly putting a hoof to her chest in hopes that it would slow down. “Is that dream trying to tell me-”

Fluttershy shook her head to recollect her thoughts. She didn’t want to finish that sentence. “No, I’m just overreacting. This only started happening yesterday.” Fluttershy turned her attention away from the sink to look to the blue curtains of the bath clouds. “There’s no need to think about it now.” She sat her body down so that she could lay on her back. “All I need right now is a good bath, and everything will be fine.”

Setting herself up, Fluttershy lifted her hind legs closer to her so that she could remove those socks. She slowly slid one of them off, getting a feel of that soft material rubbing along her fetlocks before they came off. She removed the other one as well with the same feeling. A refreshing cold wave of air coursed around her hind hooves as she let them rest on the cloud floors for a while.

Fluttershy smiled at the sight and feelings of her hind hooves being exposed like this. Kicking them up one by one caused her to giggle. These socks were strangely wonderful if it made her feel like this.

“I wonder what else Rainbow Dash could-” Fluttershy flinched at the thought, trying to distract herself from continuing it. Getting herself back on track, she picked herself up, moved the cloud curtains aside, and closed them after going inside.

“Hmm?” But the inside didn’t hold a bath tub. It held an entire shower room. “Oh my... there sure is a lot of room in here...” Fluttershy took a moment to walk around the shower room to examine it. It was just a large open cube-like space of different colored clouds. The walls were purely white, the ground held a blue tint, and the ceiling was grey like storm clouds. “This is almost like the shower rooms back in flight school. But why would Rainbow Dash need all this space?” She turned her head back and forth as she thought out loud.

“It looks like you could fit four ponies in here. But, where’s the faucet?” Fluttershy stopped her pacing around the area she thought was the front. She looked up and down the cloud walls, seeing no faucets anywhere. “Is this a shower? Hmm…”

Taking a closer look at the wall, she saw three lined circles side by side of different colors. The left circle was red, the middle was grey, and the right was blue.

“Maybe this is how?” Fluttershy moved a hoof to touch against the red circle. The circle seemed to match her hoof size, but no response was made when she pressed against it. From what she could tell from Rainbow Dash’s actions, one would need to strike with enough force in order to activate clouds. So Fluttershy put some effort into her hoof to strike the red circle.

In response, the storm cloud above released a torrent of boiling water.

“AHH!” The rain pouring down on her back felt like she had just jumped into a bonfire. She instinctively jumped backwards in hopes of getting away, but failed to land correctly and fell flat on her back against the cloud floor while the scalding hot water continued to sizzle her body.

There was no escaping the rain pouring inside the room. Thick steam covered Fluttershy’s vision as the cloud below absorbed all the water. For some reason, the rain stopped pouring almost as soon as it came, not only washing the saliva from her hoof, but also leaving her entire coat red like she had sat out in the sun all day.

“Nngh... okay... that was a bad idea,” Fluttershy groaned in a higher pitch. She held her breath and shut her eyes tightly. She rolled onto her belly, picked herself up and waited for the pain to arrive. Slowly, it dawned upon her that her body wasn’t in any pain besides the burning. She spread her wings and gave them a flap to see how they fared. No physical pain.

A fall like that would normally have given her injuries that would take hours or days to heal. But tripping here was no different than falling on, well, clouds. No wonder Rainbow Dash loved them so much.

Fluttershy walked back to the circles, taking her gaze towards the grey one. “Ooh… m-maybe I should try this one?” Fluttershy lifted a shivering hoof towards it. She wasn’t sure if she could handle another burning moment like that. Summoning up her courage, she looked away as she struck the grey circle.

The ceiling cloud started pouring water again, causing Fluttershy to flinch when it rained down on her coat. But this time, the water was warm, restoring her coat to its yellow form. Fluttershy sighed in relief as the rain refreshed her spirits. The rain didn’t stop pouring instantly this time. It kept running. She could only guess that these clouds were run on timers, or she accidentally kicked the red circle while she was jumping away.

But then something else caught her mind. She looked around the shower room, her ears dropping when she searched. “...Does Rainbow Dash have soap in here?” She tried checking the corners of the room, finding no shelves or bottles. She even tried looking past the cloud curtains for any soap on the sink’s counter. Nothing. Fluttershy retracted her body back inside. Her pupils shrank when the unnerving thought came to her mind.

“D-does Rainbow Dash not use soap when she showers...?” Fluttershy put a hoof to her muzzle as this realization struck her mind. “Oh my…” She wasn’t sure what to think of her friend anymore. All she could do was just soak her body with water now, trying to clear her mind.

______________________________________________________________________________

After Fluttershy had spent some time scrubbing herself in the shower, she pressed her hoof against the grey circle to turn off the clouds. It was the only thing she could guess to do that would stop the rain. She shook her body rapidly to expel most of the water soaking her coat. When she was satisfied, she exited the shower room.

Fluttershy found that the towels were on a towel rack near the sink. She took two of them to wrap around her tail and her mane.

“Mmm… is there a brush around here?” Fluttershy opened one of the sink’s drawers to search, only to find no brush. She closed it and opened another one, holding the same results. However, the third drawer clicked when she opened it.

“AAHHH!” Strong winds blew against her body, attempting to blow her away. Fluttershy gripped her hooves against the sink’s counter to stop herself, but the towels were pried off her body. The wind attempted to pry her mane off with them as well.

Fluttershy gritted her teeth as her lips stretched backwards. She put all the strength she could muster into pulling her body towards the sink so that she could close the drawer that set off the wind. When she got close enough, she managed to push it closed.

The wind settled quickly. Fluttershy was able to stand her hind legs on the ground while her forelegs rested on the counter. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she opened her eyes to look at her reflection in the mirror.

Fluttershy blinked hard to make sure she was seeing herself correctly. Her mane’s style had changed to a natural overhead flow due to the wind. She twisted her head around, smiling as she looked at other sides of her hair. The mane style was very similar to Rainbow Dash's, causing her to giggle.

“This reminds me of when I had to paint myself to look just like Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy thrusted her head from side to side as she reminisced on that day. “Oh, Rainbow, you even taught me how to mimic your movements in such a short time.” She continued to giggle as she relished on how tossing her head back and forth felt on her mane. “Zoom! Zoom! Zoo-”

“Ahem.”

Fluttershy yelped in response, kicking her limbs against the counter and nearly planting her face on the ground. After regaining her balance, she looked to the washroom’s opened door to find Rainbow Dash standing there, staring at her with half-lidded eyes.

Fluttershy gave a sheepish smile, giggling embarrassingly at Rainbow Dash’s disapproving look. She tried to hide her face by moving her tail in front of her and lifting it with her hooves.

“U-um… g-good morning…?” Fluttershy asked, not sure what to do. Rainbow Dash responded by reaching under one of her wings, pulling out a brush, and tossing it to Fluttershy.

“You’re not gonna find the brush in there,” Rainbow Dash said as Fluttershy caught the brush in her hooves, making her drop her tail. While she was looking at the brush, Rainbow Dash walked right by her.

Fluttershy gasped when Rainbow’s tail brushed along her face, causing a sudden warmth to rush along her body. It brought the image of the rainbow trail that had saved her during the dream. She wasn’t sure if Rainbow Dash did that on purpose or not. But after regaining her senses, she realized where Rainbow Dash was going.

“Wait…” Fluttershy said as she lifted a hoof towards Rainbow Dash. The sound of her voice made Rainbow’s head bop up as she froze in her tracks so suddenly. “Um… should we both be in here at the same time?” Rainbow Dash glanced her head towards Fluttershy. She could barely see Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrow.

“We don’t wear clothes, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said in an annoyed tone. Fluttershy shrank back at the response.

“Oh… um…” Fluttershy could only blush when her words failed her. She decided to look away so that she wouldn’t embarrass herself even further. She could hear Rainbow Dash entering the showers. She decided to bring her attention back to the brush Rainbow gave her. Turning to the mirror, she used the brush to style her mane back to the way it used to be.

But in the middle of doing this, Fluttershy noticed Rainbow’s silhouette from behind the cloud curtains scrubbing herself. But what caught her interest was how she could notice suds forming due to the scrubbing.

“Oh…” Fluttershy looked away with a frown. Apparently Rainbow Dash did use soap. She didn’t even see Rainbow Dash come with any, so where it was, she couldn’t tell. But that wasn’t what was important to her now.

“I gotta stop making these assumptions.” Fluttershy shook her head, going back to brushing her mane. “I’m being such a terrible friend right now.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy exited the washroom after fixing her mane to its usual style, carrying a pair of socks with her. Rainbow Dash had told her to just set the socks on her bed, so she walked over to where the other two socks had laid and set them down with them.

Fluttershy rubbed a hoof along those socks, getting a feel for how smooth they felt. It felt so wonderful on her hooves when she was wearing them, that it was making her think of getting a set for herself.

“If you want, I can give you a set of those socks for you to take home with you,” Rainbow Dash said across the room, answering Fluttershy’s train of thought. But Fluttershy’s pupils shrunk at the thought of the answer.

Looking back to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy responded, “Oh, Rainbow Dash, I-I couldn’t do that. You’ve already done-” Before Fluttershy finished, Rainbow Dash had zipped inside the storage room. Seconds later, Rainbow Dash came back with a set of four socks wrapped in one bag.

“Just think of it as a gift from me,” Rainbow Dash said proudly as she gave the bag to Fluttershy. Fluttershy took the bag in her hooves, examining the socks inside. They were similar to the previous ones, but decorated with two shades of cyan, the stripes being darker.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy felt guilty about accepting this gift. She couldn’t turn the offer down now, so she had to think of something in return. “I know!” Her ears perked when an idea registered to her. “Since I’m here, why don’t I cook breakfast for you?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes narrowed to a glare at Fluttershy’s response, making Fluttershy shrink.

“Hey!” Fluttershy squeaked when Rainbow Dash shouted and lunged forward, knocking Fluttershy backwards and pinning her to the floor. “This is my house!” She tried to put her hooves in front of her face, but Rainbow Dash’s face was in the way and pressing hers down. “Only I get to make the offers here!” Fluttershy whimpered in fear while her head continued being pushed to sink deeper into the clouds. “Got it?!”

Fluttershy shakily nodded her head in response, despite it being buried. Rainbow Dash retracted her head back, allowing Fluttershy’s to return to the surface. But before she could catch her breath, Rainbow Dash’s hooves pressed on her sides, lifting her up as Rainbow Dash flew in the air.

“But, you can help me cook breakfast,” Rainbow Dash said, bopping Fluttershy’s nose with a smile. “How does that sound?”

It was then that Fluttershy was able to get a close view of Rainbow Dash’s eyes. The sight of them caused her wings to flap with Rainbow Dash’s as her spirits lifted. But the feeling was both frightful and comforting, like she was being held high above the clouds with no ground in sight. If Rainbow Dash were to let her go, she would fall through the clouds and her wings wouldn't be able to save her. Only Rainbow Dash would be able to catch her before she hit the ground.

Fluttershy turned her head away so that she could avoid looking at those magenta eyes. It felt like that was the only way to make the aching feeling go away.

“U-um…” Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to respond when Rainbow’s earlier question finally registered. The sudden events made her feel like she didn’t have a choice anymore. Sometimes Rainbow Dash’s actions just really terrified her. But she knew Rainbow Dash meant no harm in them. It was just the way she did things.

Before Fluttershy could come up with a response, Rainbow Dash was scrunching her face. It looked like she was… sniffing? She moved her snout to one of her forelegs, giving a few whiffs before moving it close to Fluttershy’s face and doing the same.

“Did you not use soap?” All of the color on Fluttershy's face disappeared at that moment. If she had the option, she would hide her head back under those clouds and just leave it there. “I’ll just ignore that. Come on let’s go.” Rainbow Dash let her grip go and wrapped one hoof on Fluttershy’s, pulling her to fly out of the bedroom.

Fluttershy didn't even try to respond to the sudden motion. She was too embarrassed to say anything. She just allowed herself to be dragged through the air.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Ready, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash positioned her hooves both on a stop clock on the kitchen counter, and on the handle of her fridge. She awaited Fluttershy’s confirmation.

Fluttershy was in a similar ready position as Rainbow Dash, but on a stove’s timer and handle instead. She was a bit shaken up because, well due to earlier, Rainbow Dash shaked Fluttershy's body repeatedly to get her to respond. She had to literally shake the embarrassment Fluttershy was feeling out of her.

“Ready,” Fluttershy respond anyway. The shake up was nothing compared to the embarrassment.

“Go!”

Rainbow Dash started the timer on the clock with Fluttershy turning the stove on immediately after. Rainbow opened the fridge, pulling out a bag of hay bacon, taking two strips out and tossing them to Fluttershy. Fluttershy caught both strips using a pan, placing the pan on the stove afterwards, causing them to sizzle nice and loudly.

Then, Rainbow Dash removed two corncobs, tossing them straight to Fluttershy, but this time a little higher. Fluttershy tossed two eating sticks in the air, allowing them to pierce into the corncobs and land on an active grill that rolled its contents around.

Fluttershy went to the cabinets and picked out two cups with straws, tossing them to the table. In the middle of the tossing, Rainbow Dash picked out a few other items from the fridge, closed it, and dashed on towards the cups. She passed right through them, filling them with a sports drink and an orange juice. Her precision flying made the cups land perfectly on the table. The process was so quick that to anypony else, it would just be a blur that passed right through.

Fluttershy used a spatula to flip the hay bacons over while Rainbow Dash went to the other side of the kitchen, picking out plates. Fluttershy then hit the handle of the pan, causing the bacons to be thrown towards the table. Rainbow Dash caught both strips in separate plates and threw them on the table, making them land on opposite sides.

Fluttershy then used the spatula to pick up the corncobs and tossed them towards the table again, but higher and more separated. Rainbow Dash opened the other box she took out of the fridge and smacked it from its underside, causing two blobs of butter to go flying up. They each landed on top of separate corns, making them spin around and kill their momentum. When they stopped spinning, both corncobs fell and landed perfectly on opposite plates.

Rainbow Dash finished all of this by rushing to the timer. “Time!” she yelled as she stopped it.

Fluttershy walked to Rainbow Dash when the timer stopped, making sure the stove and grill were off. She could see a grin plastered on Rainbow’s face when she was examining the timer.

“Aw yeah! Seventeen point three seconds. That beats our old record of eighteen point one.” Fluttershy could only giggle at Rainbow Dash’s display of competition.

“You know, it’s not like there’s a record for speed cooking,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash waved her hoof.

“Yeah yeah, I know. But if there was one, we could totally win it! Don’t you think?” Rainbow Dash withdrew a clipboard that listed all of the records of their speed cooking, which wasn’t very long.

Fluttershy couldn’t exactly answer Rainbow’s question. All she did was giggle with a happy sigh.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two pegasi friends sat at opposite ends of the table, eating and enjoying their breakfast.

It wasn’t as good as the ones prepared at Fluttershy’s cottage, but it was satisfying enough. Food always tasted better when they were cooked slowly, but that was something Rainbow Dash wasn’t into. She would rather cook them fast to start her day sooner, otherwise her boredom would cause the food to get burnt.

While speed cooking wasn’t Fluttershy’s thing, she had to admit, it did have their advantages at times. Not to mention it was a lot of fun to do.

Fluttershy was suddenly losing her appetite. The thought that Rainbow Dash brought a lot of excitement in her life was making her feel tingly in her stomach. She thought about all those times Rainbow’s influence has affected her over the years. It was because of her best friend that she found enjoyment in activities she thought she’d never do. She could not express how joyful she was when she succeeded at helping Ponyville with Tornado Duty. Activities like that eventually led her to participate in the Equestria Games without fear. If it hadn’t been for Rainbow Dash, she would never have found the joy in participating in events such as that. She would always just shy away from them otherwise.

Fluttershy’s train of thought was interrupted by a strange feeling on her hooves. It wasn’t the tingling she was feeling, it was something else, something she thought she imagined before.

“Fluttershy? You okay?” Fluttershy’s thoughts were interrupted again, but this time by Rainbow’s voice. Her eyes switched away from her food and towards her friend.

“S-sorry… I-I just… um…” Fluttershy nervously rubbed her hind hooves together, eliminating that strange feeling.

Things went silent again after Fluttershy looked away. She couldn’t come up with a proper response. She felt like she just really wanted to leave right now, but she already felt like she was being a terrible friend as is, and leaving a meal they cooked together would enhance that blow.

“Fluttershy, can I ask you something?” The sound of Rainbow’s voice caused her stomach to drop.

“H-huh? Uh… I mean… yes?” Fluttershy managed to respond rather awkwardly, but Rainbow Dash paid no mind to that.

“H-how do you feel… about being hoof fed?” Rainbow asked while scratching the back of her head. The question caught Fluttershy off guard and she twitched back.

“H-hoof fed?” she asked.

“Well… you’re not eating, so…” Fluttershy slumped down in her seat and sighed when Rainbow said that. “Is it because of your hooves again?” That response allowed Fluttershy’s attention to shift back to her friend, a lock of her mane hiding an eye.

“I… guess so…” Fluttershy wasn’t so sure if that was the reason for her loss of appetite, but it was the only conclusion she could come to.

“Well, like I said,” Rainbow Dash started as she left her seat to walk to Fluttershy’s side. “You just gotta get used to it. Just fly forwards and enjoy the feeling. As long as you’re not showing that to anypony else.”

Rainbow Dash soon reached Fluttershy’s side and placed a hoof on her shoulder, making her feel warmer at the contact. “But… I’m talking to you about it… aren’t I?” she asked, looking to Rainbow Dash with a covered eye.

“*Sigh*, don’t take everything too literally…” Rainbow Dash responded. She proceeded to grab one of the corncobs from Fluttershy’s plate onto her hoof. She motioned it to Fluttershy’s mouth, edging her on.

Fluttershy gulped nervously, not sure what to think about this. Would this really help her eat? The way the corn was presented to her made her feel like a filly again. Yet, her body yearned to just feed off the hoof.

With hesitance, Fluttershy moved her mouth forward, taking a slow bite out of her untouched corn. Her munching of the corn brought a smile to Rainbow’s face. Those magenta eyes brought a warmth to her stomach, comforting her appetite. After swallowing, she took another bite out of the corn, this time bigger.

Neither of their wings were flaring from this exchange, but Fluttershy repeated this process while Rainbow Dash brought her hoof closer the further she fed off of it. When the corn was reaching its end, it almost looked like Rainbow’s expression was changing. Maybe she was just imagining it.

After a few repeats, the corn finished, leaving a few crumbs still on Rainbow’s hoof. Fluttershy brought her head back, gulping down the remains of the corn and leaving her face with a smile.

“So... did you feel anything?” Rainbow asked.

“Well… my appetite’s feeling better,” Fluttershy replied. "Thank you."

"Uh... sure..." Rainbow hesitated, still holding her hoof out. "But did you feel anything else?"

Fluttershy wasn't so sure how to respond to that. "...Was I supposed to?" she asked anyway, making Rainbow Dash put her hoof down.

"Nevermind..." Rainbow turned around and started walking back to her side of the table. She looked a little disappointed for some reason. Fluttershy's stomach was getting upset again at the sight. It made her feel like she had done something wrong. But as Rainbow Dash was walking to her side of the table, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Fluttershy.

"Actually, why don't you try?"

Author's Note

This is where the Hoof Feeding chapter comes into play for the side story. After that, things continue in Chapter 5 of this story.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 5: Back to the Critters

Many noises filled the kitchen as dishes and containers were being put away. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy worked together to do this process, ranging from Rainbow tossing the cleaning tools to Fluttershy, while Fluttershy tossed the clean dishes to Rainbow to put away.

The scenery was quite chaotic, especially since it was just breakfast for two pegasi, but nothing made a cleaning job better than having fun with it. Fluttershy motioned to Rainbow Dash with her hoof for the last plate on the table. In a flash, Rainbow Dash tossed it, making it spin like a frisbee. It headed straight for Fluttershy’s hoof.

But then, it clanged off. It kept going, darting straight through the cloud wall and gained altitude due to that clang.

And then, a shatter came with it, causing Fluttershy to wince.

“Ahh! Danger! I’ve been hit!” Fluttershy gasped at the voice that shouted outside. She looked through the hole in the cloud that she had created. Rainbow Dash gasped as well and rushed over to Fluttershy’s side to see as well.

“I’m going down! Look out below!” Jet sounds falling down came about as the pegasus dropped altitude fast. It went so fast and so loud, that before they knew it, they ended up flinching and looking away right when the crash came. Somehow, a rough shockwave presented itself along with the crash that shook the cloud house, causing a few cloud tufts to fall like debris.

“I’m okay! I’ll walk it off,” the voice said when the shaking settled.

Rainbow Dash glared at Fluttershy, who could only droop her ears before responding nervously. “Um… I missed? S-sorry…” She slowly backed away.

“*Sigh*, it’s okay, I’ll fix it.” Rainbow Dash opened the cabinets under her sink, grabbing a large tuft of cloud out of it. But just when she brought herself back up to the hole, something rushed inside, smacking her in the eye.

Rainbow Dash yelped while the force of that impact caused her to stumble backwards. The fall would’ve left a hard thud, if it wasn’t for the fact the ground was a reinforced cloud surface. Still, Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth at the sight of that fall, noticing an envelope on Rainbow’s eye.

“I… think this is yours,” Rainbow said bluntly, not even sounding in pain. Fluttershy took the envelope into her hooves, noticing that Rainbow had managed to close her eye before it hit her. After it was removed, Rainbow picked herself up and proceeded to repairing the wall.

Fluttershy took a look at the front cover of the envelope. But for some reason, her curiosity was more pointed towards her hoof. The saliva that had initially covered it was gone, thanks to the sink’s water, but she couldn’t stop thinking about that moment where she hoof fed Rainbow Dash. Something about that moment bothered her, yet comforted her. It was conflicting to her mind.

Her mind stopped attacking her when she noticed that this letter came from the Ponyville Vet. She looked at Rainbow Dash, remembering the whole reason she came here in the first place. While they may have had a great time together, she realized now that she might have overstayed her welcome.

“Um… I should get back to the animals,” Fluttershy said. Rainbow Dash, still repairing the wall, took a glance at Fluttershy. “If… that’s alright with you.”

Rainbow Dash rose an eyebrow at the second response. “Sure, go ahead,” she said.

Fluttershy proceeded to place the envelope in her mane before walking towards the exit, the socks Rainbow Dash gave her sitting on a counter nearby. "We should do this again sometime," she said before grabbing the bag of socks in her mouth.

"That would be the best thing ever..."

"Hmm?" Fluttershy stopped just by the hallway, looking back at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow cleared her throat. "Later, Fluttershy," she said as she turned her attention away from the damaged wall and to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy put her hoof under her bag and smiled. "Good bye, Rainbow Dash." After speaking, she placed her mouth back on the bag and began walking out.

While Fluttershy was walking the hallways, she decided to admire all the objects Rainbow Dash decorated her walls with. Besides the few lights hanging from the walls, there were a few pictures and posters here and there. The pictures ranged from lightning bolt designs, clouds shaped to other materials such as a swing set or a slide, a large black and white checkerboard flag, and when Fluttershy got to the living room, there was a large poster of the entire city of Cloudsdale hanging just above the entrance of the hallway.

For somepony who doesn't do fancy, Rainbow Dash sure had the talent for it, but only if it involved having fun. Fluttershy knew that she wasn't visiting her best friend enough if she didn't know the details of this mansion much. She really had to wonder why she didn't. Maybe it was because she didn't like flying much. Or maybe because whenever they hung out together, it was never anywhere near Rainbow's house.

“Fluttershy, wait!” Fluttershy was about to open the front door when that voice spoke. She turned around to see Rainbow Dash just outside the hallway. “I almost forgot. You may not want to be seen with those socks in public.” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion. “You never see ponies wearing them. So if they see you, they’ll probably ask or start staring.” Fluttershy’s ears drooped while her head tilted back. She never liked being the center of attention, so now she understood. “If you need to though, wear something else with them that’ll make them look like boots or something. Just never tell them where you got them, okay?” Rainbow’s face went serious there, but Fluttershy understood why. She moved her hoof under her bag again.

“Thank you, Rainbow. I’ll keep that in mind. And I promise I won’t tell anypony else about this.”

Rainbow Dash smiled. “Good. Alright, take care of yourself, Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash flew back to the hallway, probably going to her room to most likely get herself ready for her weather duties. She had a job as well. And despite what most ponies thought, she always got it done.

“Goodbye,” Fluttershy said one more time before putting the bag back in her mouth. She opened the door and flew out, closing the door behind her.

Fluttershy’s journey back to her cottage got her thinking though, about those pictures that she saw. For somepony who really admired the Wonderbolts, she didn’t seem to see anything about them.

But then again, Fluttershy only noticed the ones in the halls at the time. Rainbow’s room probably had multiple Wonderbolt posters and materials in them. She just didn’t notice them at the time.

As much as that would sound like a lame excuse, as Rainbow Dash would put it, how could she not have been distracted by the cloud sculpture of herself at the center of the room? That thought alone cringed her mind.

Fluttershy closed her eyes as she pictured that sculpture in her mind. The mane details, the eyelashes, the length and width of her legs and wings… Not only did it seem like a perfect replica of herself made up of clouds, Rainbow Dash also did it so casually like she had been doing it for years.

But even without that, the presence of a cloud pony formed to the shape of herself, witnessing that moment right in front of her… it could distract anypony’s attention from everything else, but that sculpture.

“Hey Fluttershy! Whatcha got there?!” Speaking of being distracted, Fluttershy screamed in terror when the sight of a pink pony appearing before her on top of a rooftop’s antenna, disturbed her thoughts. She quickly flew down behind the nearest bushes she could find and kept running.

“Fluttershy, wait!” There was another voice that spoke, only increasing her fears more. She kept running, taking the detour route that led to her cottage.

______________________________________________________________________________

After running for a bit, Fluttershy managed to see her cottage come into view. She dropped her bag by one of the bushes, hidden from view as she stepped out of them. She put a hoof to her chest, trying to catch her breath as she walked towards the bridge that led to her home.

Fluttershy recognized those voices from earlier, but that was why it terrified her so much. “Rainbow Dash was right. I shouldn’t be seen with those socks around,” she said through her huffs. She decided to take this moment to clear her mind, because she knew she was gonna have a little visitor. Said visitor came running across the dirt path in a blur.

"Hold up, Fluttershy!" Pinkie said as she stopped in front of her. "Sorry if I frightened you, but I just wanted to... wait, aren't you missing something?"

"Huh?" Fluttershy stumbled a bit, wandering her eyes around as she tried to think of an excuse.

"Well anyway, me and Rarity were on our way to get breakfast together when we noticed you flying by." Pinkie's hyperactive nature had her skipping positions, randomly closing and backing from Fluttershy's face. "Ya wanna come? Huh huh huh? We're having waffle cakes!"

"Um... no, thanks, Pinkie, um..." Fluttershy cleared her throat. "I already had breakfast."

"Aw, you did? What did you have? Ooh, I bet it was delicious!"

Fluttershy blushed in embarrassment at what she was thinking. "Um... corncobs with hay bacon." The food wasn't what embarrassed her, but rather what she and Rainbow ended up doing with it.

"Boooring! Oh well, maybe next time. See ya later, Fluttershy!" Pinkie started walking away, but continued spouting nonsense. "Maybe I'll get the chocolate flavored waffle cakes. Ooh, I bet Rarity would love the pastry in it!"

Fluttershy could only giggle at the flavors Pinkie Pie described. As much as her talking sounded nonsense, when everything was put together in her recipe, the flavors would be indescribably tasty. But Fluttershy didn't mind missing out on it after what she experienced with Rainbow Dash today.

Speaking of which, she almost forgot to grab those socks back out of the bushes. So she flew there to get them back before going on her merry way to her cottage. At least now she had time to relax her stress.

But as she was walking across the final bridge to her cottage, a family of mice started running across together to greet her.

The hairs on Fluttershy's coat stood up as they came running. She instinctively leaped into the air, flapping her wings. She pressed her hooves together as that tingle brought the images of that dream she had this morning back.

"Ohh..." Fluttershy whined to herself. Those mice stood on all fours, looking up at her with a frown of confusion. She knew they were wondering why their caretaker was so afraid of them.

"Mmm! Get a grip, Fluttershy," she said to herself while gently slapping her cheeks. "You still have a job to do. And you can't let this condition get in the way of your responsibilities." She narrowed her eyes so that her frown would be more firm and confident. As if she was treating a sick animal, she attacked her nerves to move on with her duties.

______________________________________________________________________________

Before Fluttershy knew it, sunset had arrived. She was in her room and lying on her bed, panting from exhaustion. Her duties of tending to the animals had exerted her energy, all because she wouldn't use her hooves to do them this time. Her mind and body had tired out because she spent more time just trying to keep her hooves away from them.

Some of the animals wanted to be fed by hoof. Fluttershy resorted to using her wings, but that led to messes because she couldn't keep both the food and animals from spilling off her feathers. Some wanted affection, so Fluttershy had to behave more like and animal and use her muzzle. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she wasn’t always losing her balance by trying to keep her hooves away.

But the worst part was when one of the flamingos had a really bad itch in an area it couldn't reach. Fluttershy tried many tools to contain it, but none of them could keep the flamingo still enough because it either hurt or tickled. When Fluttershy resorted to using her mouth to reach it, her teeth ended up clenching something that wasn't fur and nearly bit it off. It turned out that a spider was causing the flamingo to itch. Thankfully the spider wasn't harmed in the end, but she didn't want to think about how that ended.

"Ohh... this isn't fun anymore..." Fluttershy whined, shifting her position on the bed. "I normally enjoy taking care of these little guys, but now..." She stretched a hoof in front of her. "Without my hooves, it's become so much work. I can't even play with them, or give them any affection without being scared." She moved her hoof to reach into her mane. "Even the simplest tasks are so hard to do..."

Fluttershy pulled out the envelope that was still in her mane. She could only imagine how difficult that would be without her hooves. Sure, there were plenty of tasks she could easily do without her hooves, but when plenty became all of them, it led to disastrous results.

Like right now. Fluttershy put the envelope in her mouth and pulled back, tearing it open with her teeth. She used her mouth to do that easily, but her hoof was the one holding it in place. She would probably have to press it against a table with her wing, then pull it with her mouth. She could only imagine how difficult that would be.

Inside the envelope held a whole bunch of business words along with repeated summaries that no pony cared about, especially when it was always the same or similar informations. The only thing of Fluttershy’s interest was the red 'X' on the top right corner of the paper. She let out a soft whine before she sat up from the bed, placing the paper and envelope on a stack of three other papers with similar words, all with the same red 'X' on them.

"I need some rest... maybe tomorrow will go better." Fluttershy looked towards the other side of the bed, where her bag of socks laid. Looking at it made her think about what Rainbow Dash said to her.

“(You’re just feeling something new okay? Just give it some time…-)” Fluttershy thought about those words as she went up to that bag. “(You’ll be able to take care of your animals just like you normally do before you know it.)”

“‘Before I know it'... didn’t come today,” Fluttershy said to herself while unzipping the bag and taking the socks out. “But I hope it comes soon. I can’t take care of the little guys like this…”

Fluttershy inspected the socks that Rainbow gave her. While socks may have had a similar design to boots, they didn’t have nearly the same material. She started putting them on, one by one, getting a feel for the soft material. Boots were more rubbery and durable while socks were more soft and comfortable.

They were also slightly different in design. Boots were usually designed with one color. But these socks were designed with stripes using two different shades of cyan. This was probably the reason why Rainbow Dash suggested wearing something else to go along with it, since other clothing would mask it to look like boots, despite the stripes.

But to Fluttershy, that didn’t really matter at the moment. After successfully sliding the socks around all four of her limbs, she snuggled in their comfort, smiling and giggling. She proceeded to pull the blankets over herself so that she could sleep. But in her sleep, she couldn’t help but rub her limbs together, embracing the soft material that hugged her hooves, neutralizing any sort of uncomfortable tingle that would pester her body.

“Mmm… Rainbow Dash… this gift was so wonderful. I… don’t know how to repay you… but… thank you sooo much…” A few tears of joy left Fluttershy’s eyes as she said those words. Despite how problematic her hoof problem was, she had never felt more relieved to be so relaxed right now.

Fluttershy fell into a deep sleep, with Rainbow Dash filling her mind.

Author's Note

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 6: Exercise

It came before she realized it was around. Thick clouds filled the skies, blocking everything else from sight. And they weren’t tame. They were as wild as the vicious beasts that packed the Everfree Forest. Like the Timberwolves, she couldn’t tame them.

But even if they could be tamed, Fluttershy didn’t know the first thing about how. She covered her head, shivering as those storm clouds blew powerful winds, threatening to zap her at any second. She was all alone, flying in dangerous territory. Nothing but the sounds of thunder pierced her ears.

Then, something appeared before her. In the middle of this great thunderstorm, there was a single cloud that was calm. Through the blur of the wind, she could make out a single blue pony.

Was that... Rainbow Dash? She could just barely make out that rainbow mane. As if it were her only way out of the storm, Fluttershy reached her hoof out towards her while Rainbow Dash reached back. As soon as the cyan hoof met her yellow one, her vision flashed white, and everything went silent.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Ooh… my head…” Fluttershy braced her hooves around her face, squeezing her eyes as she tried to clear her mind. She was outside flying in the skies, one destination in mind. It may not have been ideal to be taking a stroll with a headache, but it’s not like she had much of a choice given the circumstances.

“First my hooves, now my head… It feels like whenever my mind gets clouded, Rainbow Dash is there.” Fluttershy looked up to the skies, gazing at the clouds in the air. There weren't many, but they floated much higher than her right now. “But… why?” She paused for a few seconds, but kept flying at her steady pace. “And why am I going back to her house?” Despite her questions, any second thoughts to turn back never crossed her mind. “Oh, Dashie… I hate to ask for help, but… I really need it…” The use of Rainbow’s nickname caused Fluttershy’s body to heat up. It was like her heart was taking over her brain and speaking for her.

______________________________________________________________________________

The cloud mansion soon came into view. Since it was still early, Rainbow Dash was probably still asleep. As much as Fluttershy would’ve wanted to wait until she was awake, she didn’t want to miss the time Rainbow left the house to start her morning routines, whether it was exercising her flying or managing her weather duties.

Fluttershy landed gently at the front doors, taking a deep breath as she placed a hoof to her chest, trying to settle her heartbeat. She did say to Rainbow Dash that they should hang out again soon. A few days may have passed since that time, but it still felt too soon. Summoning up her courage, she gave a few knocks on the door.

“R-rainbow…? Rainbow Dash.” After giving a few knocks, she waited for a few seconds to see if there would be a response. Unfortunately, there was none, causing her ears to drop instinctively. She shifted one up and placed it against the door, trying to listen in.

It was faint, but Fluttershy could definitely hear it. She heard the sound of snoring, the very same snoring that Rainbow Dash tends to do. A chill ran down her body before it suddenly heated up in her silent excitement.

Instead of trying the front door again, Fluttershy flew away from it, flying towards the side of the building. She figured, if she was going to wake Rainbow Dash, it would be better to wake her up within view. She believed Rainbow Dash might be a little grumpy being waken up from her nap by a door knock. But she knew Rainbow wouldn’t be grumpy if she was woken up by a familiar face.

“Hmm?” But as Fluttershy reached the window that led to Rainbow’s bedroom, she noticed that no pony was on the bed. It was empty and even neatly made with its pillows and sheets. “Rainbow... Dash?” She checked a little further inside, noticing no pony anywhere in the room.

Actually no, there was one pony in the room. Herself… in cloud form right next to Rainbow Dash’s bed, looking right where she would be sleeping too…

Fluttershy shook her head and started flying back to the front entrance. Something else was on her mind. If she had heard snoring, how come she didn’t find Rainbow Dash anywhere in her room?

When Fluttershy got back to the front entrance, she pressed her ear against the door again, listening for the snoring. Just like last time, she heard the very faint snoring.

“D-did she… sleep on the floor?” Fluttershy tried closing her eyes to listen better. She couldn’t tell how close it was, but something about it seemed, odd… Her eyes shot open when she realized why. She opened her other ear away from the side of her head, noticing that the snoring wasn’t coming from inside, but rather, behind and above her.

Fluttershy turned herself around and looked up. She saw a single cloud in the sky with a familiar rainbow tail hanging down from it.

“Oh… ahehemm…” Fluttershy couldn’t help but blush to herself at how she missed that. “Well… it’s better than sleeping on the floor.” Ignoring her self embarrassment, Fluttershy flew up to the cloud. Rainbow Dash was lying on her side, snoring peacefully with joy and comfort. Her chest rose and shrunk steadily. She didn’t even toss or turn.

Fluttershy wished that she could relax her mind and body enough to sleep like that again. Taking a silent breath, she reached a hoof out.

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy called as she gently nudged Rainbow. There was a snork in her snoring before it stopped. She moaned and shuffled a bit, but didn’t get up or open an eye.

“Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy nudged her again. “I’m sorry for waking you, but-” Fluttershy was interrupted by a cyan hoof brought in front of her.

“Mmm… give me... seconds… ah-mm…” Rainbow mumbled in her sleep. It seemed like she was waking up, so Fluttershy stopped nudging her and gave her space.

Rainbow Dash gave out a long yawn while stretching her limbs out, her front forwards, her back backwards. But after her stretch, her yawn ended with a grunt while her limbs fell flat. It almost looked like she just fell back asleep, but then she started turning herself over. Except… there wasn’t much room to turn over on this small cloud. Her rolling caused her to slip right off the edge of the cloud, falling…

Fluttershy squeaked while her eyes grew wide at the sight. She rushed to the edge of the cloud, looking down at her falling friend. “Rainbow Dash?!” Rainbow Dash wasn’t responding to the fall. Her body was just limp as it continued to go down, falling face first. “Rainbow Dash!”

Out of fear, Fluttershy leaped off of the cloud, trying to fall down as fast as she could. She could hear Rainbow Dash snoring even through this free fall. She tried flapping her wings harder, trying all her might to catch up.

“Rainbow Dash, wake up! Wake up!” Fluttershy called out, but there was no response. No clouds were around to catch her and the ground was coming to them fast. “Oh no! She’ll hit the ground! Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow Dash showed no signs of slowing down or waking up. Fluttershy continued trying, but she was far from catching up. Rainbow Dash would hit the ground any second. Even if she could catch her now, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from falling before crashing on the ground. Her eyes hurt. The ground was just meters away.

“No…”

But just before Rainbow Dash hit the ground, she spread her wings and came to an immediate stop just an inch off the ground, causing a dust wave to separate from the grass. She then started flying straight up. Fluttershy gasped when that blue blur came straight at her. She flailed her wings and legs, attempting to stop her fall.

Fluttershy yelped when Rainbow Dash latched under her legs, stopping her fall and making her climb quickly back into the skies. In her attempt to catch Rainbow Dash from falling, she found herself being caught instead.

Dejavu struck Fluttershy as she was being carried through the air like this. It was like when she was being carried after their sleepover. But instead of looking at her eyes, the feeling of the wind rushing through her coat made her heart race. But the flying wasn’t doing that, it was the feeling of Rainbow Dash carrying her through this air that was making her heart pump like this.

Fluttershy found herself being set down just by the front door of the cloud house. Rainbow Dash landed soon after, keeping a wing spread while she licked at her feathers a few times. Fluttershy put a hoof to her chest, trying to settle her heart down while watching Rainbow Dash doing a quick preen with her wing. After she set her wing back to her side, she shook her body rapidly while releasing a loud jittering moan.

“Wooh! What a wake up call!” Rainbow Dash shouted, startling Fluttershy before taking hover to the door and opening it. “Come on in, Fluttershy!” she said before rushing inside.

Fluttershy found herself out of breath at the display of energy Rainbow Dash showed. She just woke up and she was as lively as ever. If Fluttershy didn’t know better, she would think she had stumbled by Pinkie’s place, but considering Rainbow Dash loved to take naps, she probably loved exerting her energy after them to greet the mornings.

Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile at the thought, but her mind snapped when she remembered the whole reason she was here. She walked inside the house, closing the door behind her.

“H-hey, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy greeted before swallowing her words.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash landed in front of her and pointed to her legs. “You realize you’re still wearing your socks?” Fluttershy’s head stumbled downward when Rainbow said that, seeing her cyan striped socks still on.

“Y-yes… I mean... no… I mean... um…” Fluttershy shook her head in between her corrections, speaking too quickly for herself. “I need your help, Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow Dash rose an eyebrow, but was curious. “Watcha need?”

“Well… u-… oh…” Fluttershy’s ears drooped as she sat down, trying to find her words to explain. “I need some help… exercising my hooves…” she managed to get out.

“Your... hooves...?” Rainbow said, rubbing a hoof under her snout while her face scrunched. “I just saved you from a free fall at cloud heights and you want to exercise your hooves?”

“U-u-umm…” Fluttershy’s face flushed a sharp red at the reaction. She looked away while shaking under intense embarrassment when she realized what she was saying in front of Rainbow Dash. But then, a cyan hoof was placed on her shoulder, followed by Rainbow’s chuckling.

“I’m just kidding around, heheh. What’s wrong?” she said reassuringly. “Still having trouble using them?” Fluttershy was able to look back at her, being more at ease. That reaction earlier nearly scared her feathers off.

“Oh… Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves as she spoke, itchiness spreading on her frame. “I’ve thought about what you said… and I’ve tried, but…” she sadly sighed. “I’ve been too afraid to use my hooves for just about anything. And because of that… taking care of my animals has been so hard.”

“Whoa, hold up,” Rainbow interrupted. “You mean for these past few days, you haven’t been using your hooves at all?”

Flicking her eyes, Fluttershy corrected herself. “Um… actually no. Well… thanks to the socks you gave me, tending to the animals has been a lot easier, because I can’t feel them anymore.”

Rainbow rose an eyebrow, lost at what Fluttershy was getting at. “Um… so, what’s the problem?”

“The problem is that I can’t feel them anymore…” Fluttershy hung her head low as she repeated that. “And they can’t feel me…” Rainbow’s expression changed to that of concern rather than confusion. “Caring for the animals has always been an enjoyable feeling for me. But because of my troubles, by the time I’m done tending with them, I’m too exhausted to play with them. With these socks-” she lifted a forehoof out, “-I don’t have that problem, but the little guys become distant.” She started removing her front socks. “I can’t give them any reassurances because they can’t feel me. And I’m too afraid to touch them. This problem with my hooves is making me lose my connections with the animals. We’re communicating less and less while I continue to cower in fear… oh…”

Fluttershy stopped speaking to bring herself to lay on her back, getting a better position to remove her socks. “Huh,” Rainbow Dash started while she moved to Fluttershy’s back legs. “So you need my help to exercise these boys-” she tapped Fluttershy’s left hind hoof. “-and get them into shape so that they could handle a few harmless animals?”

The pressure on her left hind hoof caused Fluttershy to freeze up after managing to take her front socks off. She wasn’t sure whether the tap or the comment sent the chill down her body.

“Sure! Ya came to the right place, Fluttershy!” Rainbow brought her teeth to latch onto the sock on Fluttershy’s left hind hoof. She started pulling it slowly. Fluttershy shivered at the feeling of that soft material sliding along her hoof. The tightness was causing her hoof to be pulled towards Rainbow Dash. But when the sock slipped off, it thrusted back to her. And then she felt Rainbow’s hoof tapping her exposed one, causing her to flinch and squeak.

“Honestly, I was hoping you’d come here asking to train your wings. Buuut, I’ll help ya out with this.” Rainbow started shaking the yellow hoof, making Fluttershy seethe her breath through her clenched teeth while her mind continued tormenting her. “By the time I’m done with you, your hooves will be able to attack any animal!” She pushed the yellow hoof aside and took to hovering just above Fluttershy. “R-relatively speaking, of course.”

Fluttershy found herself breathless as the pressure on her hoof was released. Catching her breath, she looked to Rainbow Dash, who was just happily flapping her wings as if she was so excited to get started.

“When you’re ready, come follow me downstairs.” Rainbow Dash moved away from her and stopped by the halls.

After taking a breath to relieve herself, Fluttershy removed her other hind sock before picking herself up, placing the socks together on a nearby sofa. She almost had second thoughts about this. She had taken Rainbow Dash’s training before, and she would always agree to train her, but this was gonna be a little different than training her wings. But if she didn’t do this, she and her animals would only become more distant over time. This wasn’t just training, this was a responsibility she had to take care of.

Fluttershy walked over to Rainbow Dash, who started leading her through the halls, deeper into the mansion.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy gasped in awe at the sight before her. Rainbow Dash led her downstairs, somehow, and revealed what looked like a weight room or a gym. The equipments ranged from sandbags, benches with poles, ropes, durable sacks, and even had a circle shape clear of all items, marking a running path. There weren’t any weights, but the poles plus the sacks could probably act as them.

“I’d rather do our training outside, but this will have to do,” Rainbow Dash said. “Come on.” She took to the air, motioning her hoof for Fluttershy to follow her to the first station.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy made light groans as she pushed her body up and down with her front hooves. Her back hooves were placed higher on stocks to prevent them from moving. Rainbow Dash just circled around her, hovering.

“We’ll start with basics. The first thing we need to make sure is that your hooves are prepped to take on pressure.”

Fluttershy continued pressing her hooves against the floor. Despite her sensitive nature, she was performing this with relative ease. Rainbow Dash noticed this and shook her head.

“Too easy!”

Fluttershy yelped when a sudden weight shifted on her back. A small filled sack with the weight of a filled suitcase was placed on her, making her form instantly drop. She groaned louder as she mustered all her strength in an attempt to push herself back up. She wasn’t making much progress until her wings flared and started flapping, allowing her to pick herself up with more ease. She weakly smiled.

“Ahh!” But then she felt a set of teeth bite her wing, forcing her to stop flapping and making her body thump back to the cloud ground. She snapped her wings closed.

“Use your wings, and they’ll snap right off,” Rainbow Dash coached. “NOW LET’S GO!”

The yell and the threat startled Fluttershy to continue pushing with her hooves. But she was unable to lift herself.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy pushed up against the clouds with all her might. There was a huge pack stuffed to a low ceiling that she had to compress as best she could while Rainbow Dash continued feeding it more clouds.

“The trick to this exercise isn’t working under the toughest pressure, but the most sensitive. Let nothing distract your hooves from what they’re doing.”

Despite what Rainbow Dash was saying, Fluttershy’s limbs shook under the pressure that this cloud was pushing against her. She desperately wanted to use her wings to help, but knew Rainbow Dash would bite them the instant she spread them. Fortunately she was keeping her stance, despite the clouds that were piling up.

But after Rainbow Dash put one last cloud, Fluttershy felt something else creepily trekking along her hooves, making her squeal as that tingle tormented her. That second of lost focus on her hooves was all it took for that cloud pile to push back, forcing Fluttershy to fall down with a pomft as that large cloud fell on top of her, pressing her flat to the cloud ground. Rainbow Dash hovered just above her, shaking her head.

“Tch, tch, tch. It’s just water, Fluttershy.”

______________________________________________________________________________

*Pant, pant, pant...*

Fluttershy ran the circle track, leaving behind sweat drops that disappeared within the clouds. It was much harder to do than normal running because these clouds kept trying to suck her hooves in.

“Pick of the pace, Fluttershy! We’re only getting started.” Rainbow Dash flew ahead and went up to the ceiling clouds. She gave them swift strikes as she flew along, causing them to activate. Through her pants, Fluttershy noticed large amounts of water poor out of the clouds, circling the path that she was running.

After the large pour, the water turned to a light rain. When Fluttershy reached it, she felt the cloud ground being more soggy and squishy than ever. The added feeling made her jump. Refusing to spread her wings, her landing made her stumble over her hooves before she was able to regain balance.

Fluttershy found her hooves getting rapidly soaked in the clouds while the rain lightly dabbed her coat. But because of those soggy clouds, her hooves became heavy, slowing her down. Suddenly, a sharp clenching pain filled the tip of her tail, causing her to yelp again.

“Faster Fluttershy! Or your tail’s a goner!” Rainbow Dash taunted from behind Fluttershy.

Fluttershy released a silent whimper as her body strained to push herself harder. She felt like she was running away from a Timberwolf with Rainbow Dash tailing her like this. This performance reminded her of why she hadn’t had Rainbow Dash training her more often. Although the actions may have been more unique, the pressure was still similar.

Rainbow Dash’s training style was much like the military Wonderbolts’ training sessions.

Author's Note

From here, the events of Aching Hooves from the side story comes to play. The story continues afterwards in chapter 7.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 7: Searching the Rainbow

“Ahh… that was refreshing,” Fluttershy exclaimed after downing her cup with large gulps.

“Best cup of water in Equestria, don’t ya think?” Rainbow chuckled.

Fluttershy could only giggle as a response. After their training session, a cup of water was definitely what she needed, despite being drenched in rain water at the time. Her body had since dried itself. Now she and Rainbow Dash were just relaxing in the kitchen with a few helpings of water poured straight from the best prepared cumuluses in Ponyville.

“Wish I could stay longer, but the weather doesn’t prepare itself.” Rainbow Dash got up from her seat and took to hovering.

“But, Rainbow Dash… What about breakfast?” Fluttershy asked.

“Take from my fridge. I don’t mind. Later!”

“B-but…” Rainbow Dash flew out of the kitchen before Fluttershy could interject. She watched the kitchen entrance, thinking if she should try catching up. But that idea was gone when she noticed the lack of any noise. “Oh… she’s gone…”

Fluttershy turned her attention to the fridge. When she asked about breakfast, she wasn’t talking about herself. She noticed Rainbow Dash hadn’t had a chance to eat anything since waking up this morning.

“It’s not healthy to leave for work without breakfast… Hmm…” She put a hoof under her chin, thinking. She knew she could never catch up to Rainbow Dash, but… “I know!” She rushed to the fridge as an idea clicked. “I’ll cook her a tasty breakfast and deliver it to her there. It’s the least I could do after all she’s done for me.” She flung the fridge open in her excitement.

“This is my house!” Fluttershy yelped as she saw Rainbow’s face shouting at her from inside the fridge. “Only I get to make the offers here!” She slammed the fridge closed. “Understand!”

Fluttershy’s hooves trembled in the grip of the fridge’s handle. After shaking her head, she squinted one of her squeezing eyes open, pulling the handle of the fridge again. When it opened this time, Rainbow’s face was no longer there yelling at her.

Fluttershy sighed in relief as her aching heart settled. “It’s okay. I’m not gonna be in her house when I make the offer.” She proceeded to grab some items out of the fridge. “That’s okay, right, Rainbow Dash?” she said to the cold pony face cantine she held that looked a lot like Rainbow Dash’s.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy walked across the halls with a bag in her mouth holding the breakfast she made. It took a bit more time to prepare than she thought it would. The supplies and tools Rainbow Dash had in her kitchen were easy to use, but hard to find.

It was odd. Most of the dishes and tools in Rainbow’s kitchen looked to be out of place. The cups and plates were on opposite sides of the room, the ladles and knives were mixed in with each other, and most of the cabinets were packed with excess clouds. On the outside, things looked neat in the kitchen, but the insides seemed quite randomly placed. Yet, with all that chaos in organization, Rainbow Dash seemed to know exactly where everything was.

“I hope I put everything back to where she wanted them to be,” Fluttershy said to herself. After all, it wasn’t her decision on how to organize things at her friend’s house.

As Fluttershy continued treading the halls, she noticed she was passing by Rainbow’s bedroom. She took a glance, noticing the door was still wide open, giving a clear view of its inside.

A heat wave rushed along Fluttershy’s features as she noticed the cloud sculpture of herself standing next to the bed, looking at it. Curiosity taking over, she entered the bedroom to examine it again. She debated on touching it, but decided against it in fear of ruining it. She turned her attention to the bed, noticing it was still neatly made, then turned back to the sculpture. Its wings looked like they could actually extend. From this side, it looked like its lips were curled up.

“Hmm…” Fluttershy looked to the bed again in deep thought as her stomach became heavy. She placed her bag on the drawer next to the bed before climbing on. She sat herself on the bed, relaxing herself. Her gaze moved across the room.

It was just as she thought. Rainbow’s room did pack some more portraits. The left side held posters of individual wonderbolt members including Spitfire in the middle. They even looked like they were signed. She took to lying down in a more comfortable position, snuggling her head on the pillow while she continued searching the room. She saw more posters on the right side that showed pegasi doing flight performances such as flying in a trio with smoke trailing behind them. She couldn’t see them all from here due to the pillars blocking her vision.

But on the front side, she could see another portrait that was quite different. It was a picture of a rainbow colored lightning bolt shooting behind a cloud in the foreground. The cloud had a checkerboard flag sticking on top of it.

Fluttershy smiled. That picture must’ve represented the time Rainbow got her Cutie Mark. She could tell because she had a picture at her cottage that represented a similar purpose. Hers was a rainbow shooting out of a cloud with pink butterflies in the foreground.

But when Fluttershy glanced to her left again, all the air around her became dense. From her lying position, the cloud sculpture of herself was looking directly at her. It was smiling brightly with eyes so wide, you could just stare into them…

Fluttershy felt like her soul was being sucked inside those eyes. The lines that separated the orbs in her eyes with her pupils and white space was exactly how she saw herself in the mirror. But the smile was one that she hadn't seen in a long time. The expression represented how Fluttershy felt at the start of a special day.

And then... her mind suddenly wanted to turn the color of those white eyes... into a magenta color.

Fluttershy snapped her own eyes shut and rolled off the bed. Once she grabbed her bag, she flew out through the window.

“Oh dear… mmm…” She clenched her head, trying to distract her mind towards other things. Although it wasn’t helping with the fact she was heading towards the weather factory. She was going there because that’s where Rainbow Dash would be getting her weather schedule.

“Just deliver her breakfast, Fluttershy. Just deliver her breakfast.”

______________________________________________________________________________

A wave of relief ran through Fluttershy’s features when the weather factory came in her sight. Her vision was more clouded than her mind thanks to all these clouds. Just like her dream, everything she saw was just clouds. It was quite a lonely flight until she reached the factory. Actually, she still felt lonely even with all these pegasi flying about.

After descending to land, she entered the halls of the factory, trying to avoid bumping into anypony as she looked for the office. While walking past these pegasi, she looked around to see if she could see Rainbow Dash anywhere.

But Fluttershy found the office first. There was no sight of her friend from where she was. She moved to the office and slowly opened its door, hoping she wouldn’t bump somepony in the process. Noticing she didn’t, she peaked her head inside.

“Um… excuse me?” she called out.

“Hello, come on in,” the clerk announced in a gleeful tone after rummaging her supplies aside. She sounded nice. Fluttershy opened the door all the way, walking inside with Rainbow’s breakfast still in tow.

“H-hi… um… I was wondering if Rainbow Dash was still in?” Fluttershy asked, walking up to the clerk’s desk.

“Ooh… you just missed her ma’am.” The clerk pointed at the door. “She left to start her duties just a few minutes ago.”

Fluttershy’s ears dropped at the news. Rainbow must've gone the other way because she didn't see her. “Oh… Do you know which side of Ponyville she’s setting up?”

“Sorry, I’m not inclined to give that information.”

“B-but, I’m one of her best friends. Surely she’s talked about me?”

“Maybe, but friend or not, I can’t tell anypony outside of the work community.”

Fluttershy hung her head low, eyelids lowering into sadness. “O-okay… I understand…” Actually, she didn’t quite understand. But she was in no position to argue, nor did she want to. She just decided to move closer to the desk and set her bag down. “Could you let her know that I’ve delivered her breakfast?”

“Sure thing miss.” The clerk moved the bag to the side and searched her drawer. After rummaging it for a bit, she pulled out a clipboard and placed it in front of her. “What was your name?” she asked while pulling out a pen.

“F-Fluttershy.”

The clerk scribbled something in the clipboard. When she finished, she set the pen down. “Alright, we’ll let her know when we can.”

“Thank you.” Fluttershy turned away and left the office. After exiting the halls, she took flight, but could only frown as she flew. For some reason she was rather depressed that she couldn’t deliver the bag to Rainbow Dash herself. Maybe she could’ve tried looking for Rainbow Dash, but she had to get back to her animals.

Well, if she ran into Rainbow Dash on the way, she would be sure to tell her about the breakfast she left for her at least.

______________________________________________________________________________

Unfortunately, Fluttershy didn’t run into Rainbow Dash before arriving at her cottage. Actually, she wasn’t quite at her cottage yet. She was standing on the outside fields, gazing at the garden from afar.

The critters were already out and about, playing happily in the garden she kept pure. It was heartwarming to see all those critters enjoying themselves, but at the same time, uncomforting. Some of the critters were playing rough, tackling each other to the ground. The sight of some of them playfully biting each other made her legs feel like ants were crawling up them.

Fluttershy scratched her fetlocks together as that tingle came back. She reached her back to grab her socks. Thankfully she remembered that she left them at Rainbow’s house before coming here. She set herself to sit down and slide those socks on one by one.

Maybe she couldn’t play with the critters herself, but giving them a great home and making sure they had other friends to play with, still brought joy in her work. These socks helped her to keep that going.

Still, as she trotted the path to her cottage, something was missing. Something was empty in her heart seeing those animals enjoying themselves without her. Yet, she continued walking, until she reached her mailbox.

Trying to get her mind off her problems, she grabbed all of her mail and went inside her cottage.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy walked to her bedroom and placed the mail on her bed so that she could look at them. Most of them were advertisements, some of them weren’t even hers, and one of them made her feathers chill.

She squeezed her eyes and let out a frustrating breath. She wanted this problem of hers to go away faster. She wasn’t about speed, but this was one instance she wished a new problem she was suffering would just fly away.

The more she thought about it, the more she thought about Rainbow Dash. After all that Rainbow had done for her, she didn’t want to keep asking for her help. This wasn’t because she thought she was being a burden, but rather that she hadn’t done anything for her friend in return.

“T-that’s it, isn’t it?” Fluttershy said as a realization came to her. She got up from the bed and started pacing around. “This is why I haven’t been feeling so comfortable lately. Rainbow Dash has always been coming to me to hang out together, while I’ve always been busy with my animals to go to her for anything.”

Fluttershy looked back to her letters. “That must be why I’ve been comfortable around her lately. I’m the one coming to her this time.” She ran a hoof through her letters again, looking for a certain ad. “Well, I know just how I can repay her then. I’ll ask her to hang out in an area she likes. Not just do something that I like. Maybe I can help in her job for a change.”

Her heart warmed as the pieces came together. Any tingles in her hooves and legs, or itchiness across her feathers and features were easing away as she fantasized. “And I know just what to do. Tomorrow I will ask. What do you thin-”

Fluttershy halted her speech as something familiar caught her eye. She had lost track of the recent days that she momentarily forgot. Before her was a small empty bed for an animal’s size. Looking away, she rethought her plans.

"M-maybe I should just avoid Rainbow Dash at all costs." She winced and turned back to the letters. Saying that made it feel like something bit at her mind. "No! I've been away from her the past two days and its only gotten worse." She turned herself to the small bed. "But every time I leave, the feeling gets worse. It all started because of her after all." Her attention went back to the letters. "What am I saying? Being with her has felt so wonderful!" Back to the bed. "Maybe I should talk to somepony else about this?" Back to the mail. "But that would be breaking her promise, wouldn't it?"

Fluttershy silenced herself by squeezing her eyes shut and bracing her head between her hooves. That dreaded pain filling her head caused her to squeak out a whine. Peaking her eyes open, she brought her attention back to that letter that chilled her feathers earlier. It was the letter that came from the Ponyville Vet that had a familiar red ‘X’ on the top right corner.

“Oh, Angel… I wish you were having better luck than I am.”

Author's Note

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 8: Plans

Fluttershy stood there on a cloud, watching as the world in front of her continued to grow bigger. The winds blew in the direction she was facing. She witnessed a pair of birds flying off in that direction, without her.

She could only squeak at how small she felt, how lonely these skies were. In order to not be lonely, to be with the other animals and ponies again, she needed to fly.

Taking a deep breath, Fluttershy ignored all fears of how high she was. She wanted to follow those birds. Spreading her wings, she lept off of the cloud.

But along with her body, her wings even felt small. Fear struck all around her as she felt herself unable to keep herself airborne. Screaming, she reached for the cloud she jumped towards, barely able to latch on its edge. Try as she might, she could not find the strength to pull herself up. She could only cry and flail her hind legs at how weak she felt herself be.

But then, she felt a pressure on one of her hooves. It aided her in her grip. Looking up, she could see that silhouette, once again…

______________________________________________________________________________

Her legs strained. Her body dripped. Her neck ached. And her hooves were squishy.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold this position. Her hind hooves continued to sink in the soft moist cloud she stood on. Resisting to use her wings, her only support from sinking was her forehooves barely wrapping against a railing that could only be reached by bending her body forwards.

While she held this position, rain poured down on her forehooves, soaking them to the point they were as squishy as sponges. Rainbow Dash occasionally poked and squished at those sponge-like hooves. Fluttershy would squeak every time she did, but did not lose grip of the railing.

It had been going on for about thirty minutes, and Fluttershy felt like her legs were about to pop right off. She could only find irony at how similar this situation felt when she had that dream. If she didn’t know better, she would think Rainbow Dash was making her exercise more than just her hooves. And if this was still a dream, it would make perfect sense why.

But Fluttershy thanked Celestia that after that final poke, the railing was moved, signaling her to get out of that position. Flapping her wings, her hind hooves were released from the cloud floor with a pop. She flew over to a bench packing dry clouds. Taking a seat, she took a deep breath of relief.

“Nice work, Fluttershy,” Rainbow praised. “Maybe tomorrow you can bring one of your pets here. They can help out for our next exercise.”

Fluttershy cringed at the thought of that. She rubbed her hooves together to try and return feelings on them, reminding her that this wasn’t a dream. Rainbow Dash had already thought of their next exercise, but their next exercise wasn’t what she wanted in mind.

“So what did you wanna talk about, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked as she was walking towards Fluttershy. She grabbed one of Fluttershy’s forelegs and placed her other cyan hoof firmly against the yellow chest. A violent pull on the limb made Fluttershy squeak as her foreleg was stretched to impossible lengths while her body stayed in place. It only lasted a second before her limb snapped back and her other foreleg was pulled, repeating the process. Squeaking after both pulls and snaps, the feeling on Fluttershy’s forelegs were rapidly returning to her, followed by some pain, but minor.

“T-thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said after waving her forelegs around a bit. When the cyan hoof left her chest, she went to the bag she was sitting next to, searching its contents and then pulled out a paper. She showed it to Rainbow Dash and pointed a hoof at a certain article. Rainbow looked closely at it.

“Golden Fried Pizzas?” Rainbow asked, noticing the restaurant name.

“Mhm,” Fluttershy nodded. “They’re having a sale today, a twenty percent discount. Their pizzas sound really good... and I thought later today, we could have a lunch date there. I’d be happy to pay for both of us.”

It looked like Rainbow Dash tensed up before she moved the paper down. “But, I thought you hated eating at restaurants. You usually prefer having picnics with your friends or pets.”

Fluttershy brought her gaze down to avoid looking into Rainbow’s eyes. “W-well, I… after all that you’ve done for me, I… we could hang out someplace new… to return the favor?” Her words crumbled up.

Rainbow Dash lifted Fluttershy’s head and glared at her face to face. “Hey, what did I say about making offers at my house?” The dark tone Rainbow used made Fluttershy squeak. But for some reason, looking at her eyes didn’t frighten her body as much as before.

______________________________________________________________________________

Two pegasi sat on a cloud together just outside of a cloud mansion nearby. One of them was holding a paper ad in front of herself to show the other. Said pegasus took a deep breath and tried the offer again.

“Would you... like to have a lunch date with me at Golden Fried Pizzas... later today?” Fluttershy asked, repeating her earlier question.

The reaction Rainbow Dash did was completely different than last time. Her eyes grew while her mouth gasped an open smile. “Y-yes!” She cleared her throat. “I mean, sure thing, Fluttershy! I’d love to!” she answered more calmly, but still buzzing her wings in excitement. Fluttershy looked away, smiling with a blush while Rainbow Dash seemed to think for a second. “So... later today… does the next hour work for you?”

Fluttershy’s eyelids flicked as she thought about that. “An hour? Well… I’m free at that time, but what about you? Don’t you have weather duties?”

Rainbow Dash gave her the odd glance. “Yeah, what’s your point?”

Fluttershy was about to answer, but then she remembered who she was talking to. Deadlines were hardly ever a problem for Rainbow Dash. She just looked away and blushed, feeling her frame itch in embarrassment.

“Cool, so we’ll meet at Golden Fried Pizzas?” Fluttershy nodded to Rainbow’s question. “Good. See you then!” Rainbow Dash took to the air, heading straight for her destination.

Fluttershy felt weird after the offer had been accepted. She thought she heard Rainbow shouting ‘Woohoo!’ as she left. But why would she be that excited? This wasn’t the first time they had a lunch date together. They've had a breakfast, lunch, and dinner date with their friends plenty of times. Hay, they even once had a brunch date with Princess Celestia. And while she preferred having picnics instead, she allowed herself to participate in them just like the others.

“Well, as long as she’s happy, I guess it doesn’t matter,” Fluttershy thought aloud. With that fact bringing warmth to her heart, she decided to go her separate way, back to the cottage to prepare herself for this plan.

______________________________________________________________________________

When she thought about preparing for her plans, she didn’t expect them to go so complicated. Because of her exercise earlier, she had to start her day off by taking a bath... with soap. Being lost in its warming embrace, she had completely lost track of the amount of time she really needed.

Since Fluttershy was going out for a while, she had to make sure all the animals were okay without her. Because of the recent days, some of her animals had been more demanding because they were lacking attention. Not all of them were as understanding as Angel.

She made sure their food pens and bowls were filled and okay. She made sure their gardens were pure. She made sure the more wild animals were secured in their pens to keep them from running off and into the Everfree Forest.

And most importantly, she made sure to remove her socks after she was done with her duties. She was now running across Ponyville, passing ponies by as she was heading to her destination. Surely the socks would have drawn her attention if she was still wearing them.

Although that might not have mattered because in her rush, ponies were still glancing her way as she passed by them anyway. Something else was drawing attention to her and it was probably her running. She apologized to those she came close to, not wanting to bump into them.

Through her pants, she took one last turn. Her sliding had nearly caused her to fall over, but she managed to keep her balance and keep running.

“Ahh!” Until she was suddenly stopped by a cyan hoof she ran into. The impact from that motionless hoof caused her to fall back, hitting the ground backwards. Wincing, she opened her eyes to see her stopper. She wasn’t in pain, but shaken up at the sudden halt.

Rainbow Dash, who was towering over her, was chuckling as she lent a helping hoof. “What took ya, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked. “If ya needed more time, you should’ve said so.” Accepting the hoof, Fluttershy was brought back on her legs again. She found herself being dusted off.

“What happened to you? Did your pets suddenly attack you?” When Fluttershy heard that, she stuttered her voice as her body heated up in embarrassment. She now noticed just how messy she was. Twigs and pebbles covered her coat and tail while nuts and leaves covered her mane and wings.

Actually there was more than that on her features, but those were the most noteable that wasn’t just dirt, dust, and whatever these scratch marks came from.

“You look like you could really use a shower.” Rainbow Dash paused to sniff. “And smell like it too…”

Fluttershy squeaked. The more Rainbow Dash talked, the more embarrassed she got. She had planned for this hangout and was showing such a bad impression in front of her best friend. She didn’t even so much as think of what to wear.

“U-umm… I… eep-” Fluttershy was cut off when Rainbow Dash put a hoof to her mouth.

“No no, this won’t do at all.” Rainbow Dash suddenly released Fluttershy and took to the air without her. Whimpering, she reached a hoof out as her heart sank at the sight of her friend leaving.

“N-no… please come back,” she pleaded with shrunken eyes. Rainbow Dash was abandoning her and canceling their plan. Nothing but guilt filled her heart.

Fluttershy started tearing up as she hung her head low, realizing her terrible planning had offended Rainbow Dash. Now she was paying the price. Her thoughts clouded up, feeling like she had ruined everything.

“I-I’m… s-sorry… AHH!” Her clouded mind suddenly started raining down at her all at once. The cold water soaking her coat cooled her and washed away her tears, along with all of the dirt that was covering her body. She stood as straight as she could, but shivered in all the wetness that the shower rain gave her.

Rainbow’s hooves soon became present in front of her lowered head. “That’s better!” Rainbow said. “Clean as a whistle.” Fluttershy felt her head being lifted up to look at Rainbow Dash. “Feeling better?”

Although Fluttershy was rather cold due to the sudden shower rain, she did feel better now that her embarrassment was cooled down. Wanting to forget that moment, she nodded before rapidly shaking her body, causing the water that stuck to her coat to spray off in random directions.

Fluttershy continued shaking herself until most of the water was released from her coat. She smiled as her coat glistened into a sparkle, signifying its cleanliness. But one look at Rainbow Dash caused her smile to fade. Rainbow was smiling back, but her face was dripping with water, most likely due to Fluttershy's shaking.

"O-oh... s-"

"Don't say it," Rainbow interrupted while silencing Fluttershy with her hoof again. She then brought that hoof back to do a swift rub on her mane, spraying the water out and pointing to the restaurant they were next to in one motion. "Just head inside. That's what we're here for, right?"

Fluttershy froze for a few seconds. One moment she thought she had ruined their plans, the next moment it was brushed off like it didn't happen. Glancing over to the restaurant, she was too ashamed to think about anything else going wrong. So she just listened to Rainbow Dash and went inside. Rainbow followed afterwards.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two pegasi found their seats at one corner of the room. They sat on opposite sides, looking over their menus while they waited for the waiter to come and take their orders. The quiet growling in Fluttershy’s stomach didn’t help ease her nerves. It was already painful with the presence of all these other ponies eating in the room, some of them munching loudly.

Fluttershy couldn’t stop her eyes from glancing around the restaurant. Some ponies were just talking and waiting for their orders. Some tables had only one pony, some of them slumped. One table was filled with a whole family.

If there was anything that brought her ease, neither of them seemed to pay attention to her. But one of the lone seaters suddenly glanced directly at her. The moment she saw that, she saw all other eyes turning to her. Squeaking, she turned her head away, hiding and trembling under the menu. But she could still see those eyes inside her own eyelids.

“Have you made your decision?” Fluttershy screamed at the sound of that voice, tossing her menu upwards and covered her face with her hooves.

“Fluttershy, relax, it’s just the waiter.” Fluttershy felt a gentle hoof placed on her shoulder while Rainbow’s voice gave her ease. Those hallucinations gave away, and she realized it was only because of her outburst that everypony was staring now. But they didn’t keep their gaze on her for long. Letting out a nervous giggle, she looked to the waiter.

"S-sorry," Fluttershy started as she ordered. "I-I'll have the mushroom olives with the parsley topped pizza." The waiter nodded and filled out the order in his notepad before moving his attention to Rainbow Dash.

"Do you have any cupcake toppings?" The waiter returned her question with a dumbfound snarl. Rainbow Dash groaned. "Fine, give me the pickle pepperoni with the prism peppers included." The waiter filled out the order. He then pulled a white twelve petal flower within a cup, placing it on the table before leaving. "Make sure they're good and spicy!" Rainbow called out one last time.

Fluttershy's ears fell flat at the mention of such spicy condiments. Unlike most pegasi, she wasn't a fan of spices. "U-um, Rainbow-"

"When are they gonna add cupcake toppings to their menu?!" Rainbow interrupted. "Those are like, the best kind of pizzas ever! I mean, what do I have to do? Ask Pinkie Pie to ask the Cakes to combine their business with this joint?"

"Mmm... well... maybe we could go there and ask them nicely later today?" Rainbow Dash rose an eyebrow in her direction.

"I was being sarcastic, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy was about to say more, but refined herself from doing so. Rather than make the same mistake twice, she kept her attention on the white flower that was placed for them. The cup seemed to hold attachments that gripped the flower in place, but the flower itself was pretty and healthy.

Rainbow Dash seemed to take an interest in this flower as she leaned her head towards it, taking a good whiff at its petals. She then released a pleasant sigh and smiled.

"Smells good, don't you think?" Rainbow asked. Fluttershy decided to lean forwards as well to take a whiff. The smell of this flower was no more pleasing than the smell of her garden. The elegant and pure aroma left her smiling as well.

"Mhm," Fluttershy nodded.

After taking turns sniffing, Rainbow Dash brought her head closer. She went to the closest petal of the flower and clenched her teeth on it, plucking it off the flower. She gave a pleasant moan as she chewed the petal, enjoying its taste.

"Well, come on," Rainbow said after swallowing. "This appetizer isn't just for me ya know." She motioned for Fluttershy to take the next bite.

Fluttershy giggled, but complied. She reached for her closest petal and took a bite out of it, plucking it out. It tasted just as good as it smelled.

Rainbow Dash took a bite out of the next petal. Fluttershy followed up afterwards. This process repeated until Fluttershy had taken her third petal.

"I think that's enough for me," Fluttershy said. "I don't wanna ruin my appetite."

Rainbow Dash shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself. More for me." Rainbow Dash continued plucking the petals off the flower, eating them one by one.

Fluttershy watched Rainbow Dash plucking each petal. Each time she reached for the petal, Fluttershy wandered her eyes away. It looked like Rainbow Dash was glancing at her eyes just before each pluck. Each time she saw those eyes, her heart felt like it was being sucked away, so she tried her best to avoid looking into them.

Soon, there was only one petal left. For some reason, Rainbow Dash had stopped. Fluttershy looked at that petal, wondering why it hadn’t been taken yet. But she was more worried about Rainbow’s eyes. They seemed to be trying to look at her, so she kept her gaze on the petal as best she could.

But then, Rainbow Dash reached for the cup with her hooves, pressing the coil buttons on its sides. The attachments on the cup were loosened as a result, allowing Rainbow Dash to pick the flower up with her mouth. Her eyes looked seductive as she motioned the flower to Fluttershy.

Fluttershy swallowed nervously as that petal was motioned to her. But she understood what Rainbow Dash wanted her to do. Closing her eyes, she ignored Rainbow’s eyes and smiled. She leaned towards the flower and picked its final petal, eating and savoring its taste.

Rainbow Dash dropped what was left of the flower to one end of the table before looking back, still with that smile. Fluttershy could only smile back after swallowing the last petal. She looked towards Rainbow’s snout, avoiding her eyes while thinking about yesterday.

“Rainbow (Fluttershy) Dash…” Both pegasi called out each other’s names simultaneously.

“You first,” Rainbow Dash said. Taking this opportunity, Fluttershy released a breath and went over her words.

“Rainbow… these past few days… we’ve been hanging out more often than we normally do.” Fluttershy paused to look away. “The sleepover, the cooking we did together…” Rainbow Dash’s expression seemed to brighten while her wings slowly flared. “And this…” Fluttershy paused. “It’s been... enjoyable.”

A silent gasp could be heard from Rainbow Dash. “Ya… you mean it?”

Fluttershy returned her gaze before responding. “But these days have only been happening because of that… well…” She sighed and looked away again, too afraid to say it out loud.

“Aw, come on, are you worried about that again?” Rainbow asked, knowing what she was referring to. She reached over and grabbed one of Fluttershy’s hooves. Fluttershy could barely resist the urge to flinch, but warmed up at the contact. “Just don’t worry about it. The more it’s on your mind, the more problems it’ll cause you. That’s why we’ve been meeting a lot in my house, right?”

“Exactly, but that’s the problem.” Rainbow’s breath stuttered, but more violently than Fluttershy expected. She saw Rainbow’s wings tucking back in before she found her hoof being released from the cyan one. The warm embrace she was enjoying was gone, but she continued.

“The only reason we’ve been hanging out a lot recently is because of that. You’ve been helping me get through this. But… I realize…” It looked like Rainbow’s mood was picking up. “I’ve been… enjoying our recent hangouts really well.” Fluttershy paused and cringed her next words. “Even… the exercises… as difficult as they are, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy being trained by you. But I don't want these hangouts to happen just because of that. So...”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes grew wider than ever, almost like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Y-you mean…” She didn’t finish.

“Rainbow Dash, what are you doing tomorrow?” Fluttershy asked.

“T-tomorrow? What about today?”

“Your meal, ladies.” Before Fluttershy could respond, the waiter had returned with their tray order of an eight sliced pizza. Both pegasi sat back from the table as the tray was set down. Just like they ordered, half the pizza held the mushroom olives with a parsley at the center of each slice while the other half held the pickle pepperoni along with prism peppers.

The waiter nodded to them before leaving. The pizza still looked piping hot, so Fluttershy started off by blowing on it.

“Well… I was planning on heading to Winsome Falls tomorrow.” Rainbow Dash decided to continue their previous conversation while the pizza cooled down. “I need to restock my ingredients to keep the rainbow fountain flowing in my house. But I could cancel that trip if you’d like.”

“No!” Fluttershy covered her mouth after that outburst. “No... no… um…” She went quiet all of a sudden, trying to settle down. Her body continued to grow more itchy as it heated up from that embarrassing performance.

“You... don’t have to cancel that trip,” she managed to get out. She was thankful that all Rainbow Dash did was raise an eyebrow before shrugging it off. Rainbow returned her attention back to the pizza. She turned it around and blew on it before taking the first bite.

“Well… I was hoping that I could… join you on your trip.”

Rainbow Dash suddenly spat hard, forcing a prism pepper out of her mouth. The pepper bounced off the table, flew behind a flinching Fluttershy, and landed on a pizza belonging to a mint green unicorn quite a few tables behind right as she was taking a bite. Alarm sounds could be heard coming from her head when that pepper met her mouth.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy reached towards her friend, noticing and hearing her violent hack and cough despite the pony behind them suddenly screaming at the top of her lungs. It sounded like she was breathing fire. “Was that too spicy for you? Maybe I should-” she was silenced by a cyan hoof placed over her mouth.

“Fluttershy, why do you want to join me to get ingredients somewhere far away?” Rainbow Dash asked before removing her hoof. One of the ponies on the other side of the room was being hosed down by her creamy earth pony friend, using all of their drinks at once. Fluttershy winced as she heard the violent screaming, trying to focus on Rainbow Dash.

“Y-you don’t want me to? I’m-”

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow sharpened her tone and stopped Fluttershy from finishing that repeated phrase.

Fluttershy decided to change her line of thinking. “Well… I thought it would be a fun experience. You know, hanging out?” Fluttershy tried putting a smile to lighten the mood, but Rainbow Dash’s expression didn’t change.

“Is that all?”

Fluttershy wasn’t sure how to respond properly. It sounded like a good reason to her. “Is… something wrong?”

“Nevermind.” Rainbow Dash just sat back against her seat and returned to focusing on her pizza.

Fluttershy debated whether or not to continue the conversation, but it sounded like Rainbow Dash just wanted to stop it now. Whether it was because of the pizza or something else, she couldn’t tell. She hoped it was the pizza. Now that she thought about it, if she ignored it for too long, it would get cold. But that was an odd thought because it still felt quite hot, but much more bearable. Regardless, she decided to join Rainbow Dash and just eat.

______________________________________________________________________________

The two pegasi enjoyed their half of the pizza like normal. Nothing particularly interesting happened between those times, other than the unicorn screaming earlier received a coupon for a fresh free pizza for her next visit. She had complained that a prism pepper was found on her pizza that she didn’t order, and then left with her creamy friend after receiving the coupon.

Despite the prism pepper’s spice, Rainbow Dash was handling them really well, something Fluttershy found hard to understand. According to Rainbow Dash, prism peppers were about half as spicy as the liquid rainbows were from the Rainbow Factory. Even Pinkie Pie couldn’t handle just one lick of that spice, and she downed a hot sauce drenched cupcake like nothing, which was something Twilight couldn’t handle.

Yet, Rainbow Dash was now finishing up her pizza along with Fluttershy. Since Fluttershy couldn’t handle spices like most pegasi, Rainbow Dash made sure not to let the prism peppers or pickle pepperoni get on Fluttershy’s half of the pizza. Now that they were finishing up, maybe they could talk some more.

“Rainbow Dash… about your trip…” Fluttershy started and took a deep breath, a breath that brought her friend’s attention. “I’m sorry if I had upset you about it. I understand that you don’t want me to go. I guess…” She stopped talking when she felt that warm grip on her hoof again. The way Rainbow Dash held her hoof on the table relaxed her feelings. She couldn’t even flinch this time.

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow started. “I never said I didn’t want you to come. It’s just…”

It was strange… Fluttershy felt like her hooves were starting to tremble. But it wasn’t her hooves. It was Rainbow Dash’s. Taking a peek up, Fluttershy could barely see the serious expression Rainbow Dash was wearing.

“Fluttershy, you like me right?” Rainbow asked. It sounded like she struggled to force those words out. But why?

“Of course I like you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said innocently. “You’re my friend. Why wouldn’t I like you?”

“No.” Rainbow shook her head. “I didn’t mean like that… I meant…” Fluttershy made a small gasp.

“You mean you don’t like me?!” Fluttershy felt her heart drop. “I know I’ve been a terrible friend lately, but-”

“No, Fluttershy, I do-” Rainbow Dash flinched and cut herself off. She took a few glances around the room before signaling Fluttershy to bring herself closer, reminding her that they were kind of in public and didn’t want to be too loud. Fluttershy complied. It was fortunate that the other chatter in the restaurant drowned out there’s for only them to hear. “I do like you, Fluttershy. We’ve been friends since we were fillies.”

"I remember," Fluttershy nodded. "And I'll never forget those times. You were the only friend I had back then."

"But Fluttershy, it's not just that. There’s more to it. Like… ever since that race..." Fluttershy could feel the pulse resonating from the cyan hoof after Rainbow looked down and went silent.

"That race... A-are you worried about me?" When Fluttershy said that, it felt like her hoof was being held tighter. She really hoped Rainbow Dash wasn't gonna bring up a certain moment when they got their Cutie Marks. She already forgave her friend about that incident even before she met back with her filly friend. She only wanted to remember the good part about it, not wanting to see Rainbow Dash hurt over it.

"Fluttershy, I'm always worried about you," Rainbow Dash answered. "I care about you a lot, and..." She stopped. The way her lips moved made it look like she was having trouble with her words.

"...Is this why you've been so happy to see me exercise?" Rainbow Dash brought her attention back up, making Fluttershy look away. "Is this why you've been telling me to take care of myself?"

There was a bit of silence before Rainbow Dash removed her hoof from Fluttershy's, feeling the empty air again. Fluttershy immediately felt her heart pounding when she saw that frown on Rainbow's face. But… there was something else mixed in with that frown. Some sort of… hint of anger. It made Rainbow move out from the table.

"I-is this why you don't want me to come to Winsome Falls with you?" Fluttershy's pitch could only grow higher as her questions continued to be followed by silence. The look in Rainbow's eyes could only give her guilt the second she avoided eye contact. Was she right to be worried? She couldn't even look her friend in the eye anymore.

Rainbow suddenly responded after reaching under her wing. "Please come," she said softly. She pulled some Bits out from under her wing and set it on the table. She didn't say anything else and started walking away.

Fluttershy was confused. Her heart felt like it was expanding while her body filled with a shivering chill. Rainbow Dash wanted her to come, but was afraid of her safety? Why didn't it make sense? And why was she reaching a hoof out to her friend, not even trying to get out of her seat?

But while she was thinking all of this, something clicked in her mind. Her gaze went back to the table, seeing those Bits placed there. The sight that her shrunken pupils didn’t want to see put pressure on her breath.

“B-but… I… was supposed to pay…” She counted out those Bits, making her feel more queasy at the amount. Rainbow Dash didn’t even think about the discount. She paid full price… for both of them.

With more guilt piling in her stomach, Fluttershy got up from her seat and tried to go after her. Rainbow Dash just finished exiting the doors when Fluttershy got up. Fluttershy tried to catch up. It didn’t take her long to reach the doors and she was thankful no eyes in the restaurant followed her.

But when Fluttershy exited the restaurant, she found that Rainbow Dash was no where in sight. Gasping as the hot air from that pizza she ate took its toll, she looked through the skies, hoping that she would at least find the rainbow trail of her flying friend.

She saw nothing but skies and clouds.

“Fluttershy?” Fluttershy yelped and covered herself on the floor at the sound of the new voice next to her.

“Whohoa, settle down there, sugarcube,” another voice spoke. “Heh, it’s just us.”

Fluttershy picked herself up, holding a bit of relief as she recognized those voices. “Twilight? Applejack?” she asked, noticing they seemed to be heading to this restaurant too before they stopped.

“What happened in there?” Twilight started. “Rainbow Dash just came out earlier, flying as fast as she could. She looked like she was upset.”

Fluttershy could only hiccup her words. “U-upset?”

“Do you know what happened in there?” Twilight asked. Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth as it felt like her own stomach was gonna get upset. And not in the clean way.

“I-it must’ve been the spice…”

Twilight and Applejack looked at each other. “Spice?”

Fluttershy shuddered. “I-I have to go!” She immediately spread her wings and took air, leaving Twilight and Applejack behind. It sounded like they were trying to call out to her, but she kept moving.

Fluttershy held a hoof against her aching stomach, swallowing her breath a few times as it felt like her lunch was trying to escape her mouth.

Many thoughts conflicted with her mind that made her stomach uncomfortable. The heat and tingle spreading across her body, be it her hooves to her wings, made it difficult for her to fly straight. She felt happy for her day. She felt guilty for her performance. She felt confused by Rainbow Dash’s actions. And now she felt scared about what Twilight said.

Fluttershy couldn’t figure out which one she should be feeling.

Author's Note

If someone could analyze just how spicy a rainbow is based on what we've seen from the show to real life standards, just how spicy would that be?

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 10: Forget the Problem

The wind continued to blast on her face as she slid down this slope. With no guard rails and the slope being so smooth, all she could do was scream in terror as her speed increased to falling levels.

All Fluttershy could see was dark clouds in this dark world. She could hear slowed down distorted laughter coming from all of her surroundings. They were fillies and colts laughing at her, and there were dozens of them.

The slope suddenly took a sharp curve upward, launching her momentum in the air. The world was so slow to her while airborne. It was as if the world wanted her to hear every single detail in their laughter just before she hit the ground of flat cloud, face first.

Fluttershy wanted nothing more than to just lay there and let her whimpering drown out the laughter. She covered her head as much as she could to block out the sounds. It felt like the laughter would rip her ears apart if they continued it long enough.

But none of that laughter could compare to the sudden booming sound that suddenly presented itself in front of her. Despite being on clouds, it was the sound of a silhouette's hoof step that frightened her out of that position. The laughter however had died out. Hesitant, she looked up at the silhouette that towered over her.

Something wasn’t right. The silhouette still looked like Rainbow Dash just like every other time, but this time, something changed. It was smaller like a filly, but she could feel some sort of empty atmospheric aura surrounding this faceless figure of Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy’s ears dropped as she looked at that face. What happened next made her very next heartbeat echo across the world.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” the silhouette had spoken, for the very first time.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy’s eyes flicked open as she let out a gasp for breath. It was as if her lungs suffocated from lack of oxygen. Pushing the covers off of her, she put a hoof to her chest while panting a few times. She wasn’t sure if it was the image, or the voice of that dream that made her feel this way. But it was feeling like the latter.

“T-that voice… i-it sounded so… real…” Just rethinking that moment increased her heart rate to aching levels. Staring up at the ceiling, the only thing that gave her comfort was that she didn’t scream and scare all the animals when she woke up.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy stared into her reflection in the mirror as she combed the bed mane out of her hair. Today, she and Rainbow Dash were gonna be taking a trip to Winsome Falls together. If they were gonna be flying there, the trip would last before nightfall. And knowing Rainbow Dash, that’s probably what they’ll be doing.

Fluttershy placed the brush down on the counter, scooping a hoofful of water and splashed it in her face, giving a few rubs in the process. After wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she sighed, thinking about that trip. If they were going to fly there, she wouldn’t have that much time to spend with Rainbow Dash. And for some reason, she just wanted this trip to last.

Fluttershy extended her wings out, bending them back and forth to test them out. After a quick stretch, she moved her left wing in front of her.

Her wings didn’t feel like they had any problems, but for some reason she just felt like preening them anyway. She brought it to her mouth to adjust the feathers. She could make them nice and clean, but when it came to Rainbow Dash, making sure they were adjusted for flight was more important.

Suddenly, the thought of just screwing up her preening completely crossed her mind. If they didn’t fly, the trip would last far longer, and she could have more time with Rainbow Dash. All she’d have to do was give an excuse for why she couldn’t fly.

“No!” Fluttershy shook her head and dunked it under the sink water with a splash. Breathing hard bubbles underwater, she forced any selfish thoughts out of her mind. When she ran out of breath, she released her head from the water, causing excess water to spray behind her.

Fluttershy shook her head again to dry her face. “I can’t be thinking like that!” she said to herself. “I would only be slowing her down. Rainbow Dash would be mad, and then I would really be a bad friend!”

Fluttershy turned herself away from the sink to start heading out. But she stopped and turned around when something crossed her mind. “B-but, I can’t fly as fast as her, so I would already be slowing her down. But not if I don’t go with her...” She turned back to the door. “But she wants me to go! If I don’t go, it would be worse than slowing her down no matter how slow I am.” Back to the sink. “But what about what Nurse Redheart said? What if… Ahh!”

Fluttershy clenched her hooves tightly against her head and whined in agony. It was like her mind had two sides that were attacking each other constantly, one wanting to do what she wanted, and one wanting her to be a good friend. They were both trying to find solutions, but couldn’t make up what was better in the end.

“Nnngh… ahh…” Her head throbbed in pain as she panted for breath. Sweat ran down her features as she gazed into her reflection in the mirror. Only one question ran through her mind.

“What should I do?” she questioned herself with tearful eyes, hoping her reflection would answer. “Celestia… what should I do?” The more she gazed into her own eyes, the more empty she felt. She closed her eyes to try and forget these problems. If only she could do that, things would go back to normal. But they kept coming back.

And then, when she reopened her eyes, she saw that her reflection… had changed. She released a small gasp noticing that her eyes had changed into a magenta color.

”Why didn’t you tell me?” the reflection spoke to her, in Rainbow Dash’s voice.

Fluttershy could only squeak and turn tail from her reflection. The very thought of such illusions tormenting her mind increased her heart rate to pounding levels. To wipe these illusions from her mind, she proceeded with her morning chores around the cottage.

Whatever that dream was, it certainly wasn’t normal. She really wished she knew what this Rainbow Dash silhouette meant. But whatever it was, she knew what she had to do now.

______________________________________________________________________________

With food pens filled, gardens cleansed, and fences secured, Fluttershy was ready.

Or at least, that’s what she wanted to believe. Some of the animals around her cottage were starting to leave her because of their lack of attention. And Fluttershy didn’t have the courage, or reasons to stop them.

It was times like these where she had to face the fact that she couldn’t take care of so many animals under these conditions. The pleasure of hoarding so many critters were finally taking its toll. For all she knew, most of the animals could find a better home than hers right now. At this point, all she could really provide them with was food and shelter. The joy and happiness was just about gone.

But for those that did stay, Fluttershy left them with what they needed while she was away. After finishing her packing, she left her cottage and walked down her path. Her leaving felt so shallow and sad. As she walked, she really wondered if she should say anything to them.

One of the squirrels did come up to her earlier and asked what was wrong, but she couldn’t answer. The squirrel just shrugged his shoulders and left. If it was Angel, he would pursue the answer, even if he had to be violent. He may have been rough at times, but he really cared.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” The voice of four familiar voices speaking at once disturbed Fluttershy’s thoughts. In front of her were Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie, along with what looked like one of her jackalopes in between Pinkie and Applejack.

"We found this little critter down by my barn," Applejack spoke as she moved her hoof away from the jackalope.

"We figured this little darling must've been one of yours who had gotten loose," Rarity spoke next.

"It took a likin' ta my farm's harvest, but luckily Twi, Pinkie, and Rarity were here ta help me catch the little rascal... ta return ta you of course." Applejack let out a little chuckle before she looked at the jackalope. Applejack and her family didn't get along so well with most of the animals at times and constantly got into fights with even some of Fluttershy's critters.

Even today, as the jackalope and Applejack glared each other down, it was clear they still could not get along. Normally Fluttershy would try and break up the tension between them. But today was different.

"He didn't get loose, I let him go." The words coming from Fluttershy grabbed everypony's attention.

"W-what?" Twilight sputtered. "But, Fluttershy, doesn't he live with you?"

Fluttershy took one look at the jackalope. After a serious twitch of his whiskers, he turned around and started hopping away. The others could only watch as he took off. "He used to,” Fluttershy responded, bringing their attention back to her. “But he’s happier without me.”

The others held their mouths agape, all except Pinkie who gasped out her shock. “An animal who’s happier without Fluttershy! Oh my gosh! Twilight!” Pinkie suddenly zipped to Twilight’s side and, much to her dismay, was pulled to Pinkie by the head. “We have to go after that bunny! This could be a new discovery!”

“Ahh! Pinkie! Waaaa-” before Twilight could protest, she was dragged off by Pinkie to make chase of the jackalope. Applejack and Rarity could only stand stunned, not sure if they were more surprised by Pinkie’s actions, or what Fluttershy said.

“I have to go now,” Fluttershy said as she spread her wings to take flight.

“Wait, Fluttershy,” Rarity called out.

“Where’re y’all goin’?” Applejack continued.

Fluttershy took a moment to go over her words before she answered. She looked back at them. “There’s something I didn’t tell Rainbow Dash.” She then looked away from them, closing her eyes as she started flying forwards. “I just wish I knew what it was,” she told them before leaving.

It sounded like they were trying to question her further after she answered, but she didn’t want to tell anymore than she had to. Anything else should be said at least with Rainbow Dash’s presence. She didn’t look back, she just kept flying, and it sounded like they weren’t attempting to follow.

It was then that Fluttershy realized something. She changed her flight path to head to Rainbow Dash’s home. They hadn’t exactly planned on where they were going to meet. If they were going to meet at her cottage, Rainbow Dash would’ve met her there already. So it was probably the cloud home or at the entrance to Winsome Woods, where they would travel through to get to Winsome Falls.

Once she was flying in the direction of Rainbow’s house, she closed her eyes to think again.

“What did she mean when she said, ‘Why didn’t you tell me’?” Fluttershy asked herself. “Maybe it was what I tried to tell her yesterday? About what I told the nurse?” She put a hoof to her chest as her heart rate increased. It was just the slip of the tongue, and she planned to tell her about that when she had the chance. But something still felt off considering what else she saw in the dream.

“Maybe I should ask her about those dreams? But what would she say?” she paused for a second, keeping her eyes closed as she thought those words. “How can I even tell her? ‘I keep seeing a dark pony that looks like you in my dreams’? I’m not sure how I can-” *Pomft!*

In the middle of her monologue, Fluttershy crashed face first into a cloud during flight. Squeaking, she pulled herself out of the cloud while a large amount of inner embarrassment filled her. Glancing around, she thanked Celestia nopony had seen that. After sighing, she continued her flight, keeping her eyes open this time.

“I really need to stop talking to myself. Rainbow Dash would be so disappointed with me.” Fluttershy shook her head and thought about one very important lesson Rainbow Dash taught her. When she said she couldn’t stress it enough, she wasn’t kidding, for Fluttershy just broke that rule today.

“Never fly with your eyes closed.”

______________________________________________________________________________

“Hmm?” When Fluttershy arrived at the cloud house, she found a note taped on the front door. She took it from the door and read it.

’Fluttershy, if you still want to come, meet me by the entrance. I know we didn’t plan for a time, so I’ll be waiting there, but I don’t know for how long...’

“Huh?” It was odd. The message ended abruptly, and it looked like Rainbow Dash scribbled out the rest of it.

’I really hope you come though. This would mean a lot to me. I know I was a little mad yesterday, but I want to tell you...’

It was too scribbled for Fluttershy to make out, but it looked like it was done in a hurry.

“Oh, I better hurry.” Fluttershy put the note away and flew off towards the Winsome Woods. “I don’t want to keep her waiting.”

______________________________________________________________________________

As Fluttershy flew through the skies, she held hope that Rainbow Dash was still waiting. She had debated on if she should hurry so that Rainbow wouldn’t have to wait much longer. But if she had done that, then she would be too tired to travel far. So she resorted in keeping her pace.

Suddenly, she heard a lightning strike from the distance. It sounded like it was coming from Winsome Woods. Tilting her head back curiously, she picked up her speed and tried to focus her vision.

Up ahead, she saw the forest entrance, but above it, she saw many clouds packed close together. She could barely make out a rainbow blur zooming back, forth, and around those clouds. Recognizing it was Rainbow Dash, she moved a little closer. When she found herself in a close enough view with enough distance between them, she stopped.

It looked like there were about five clouds. Rainbow Dash went from one to the other, doing a kick flip off of them while they shot lightning at her. One of her passes made a cloud strike another cloud and dissipate it. She flew up to the top of one of them, stomping on it twice before zipping high in the air, avoiding its lightning strike.

“Ohh…” Fluttershy was admiring the sight. It reminded her of the many other stunt shows she witnessed from Rainbow Dash. Maybe she could try cheering for her again. She saw Rainbow Dash flying back down to the cloud she was on earlier.

Rainbow Dash zoomed and blasted right through the cloud, dissipating it while a trail of rain water tailed her. She dived towards the ground, aiming for the trees. It looked like she was about to crash right through the trunk of one, until she swerved to the left and went right past it, causing the rainwater that was tailing her to pelt the side of it, creating a rainbow spray that looked like it shot from the tree.

But Rainbow Dash did make contact with another tree, kicking away from it with her hind legs. In one motion, she zoomed straight through that rainbow she created, grasped a branch with her forehooves, and used that momentum to launch herself back into the air with that rainbow trail following her.

“Ahh...” Fluttershy sighed in awe at the sight. Rainbow Dash always performed quite the show in her flight trainings, and this was no exception. She constantly trained herself to not only be the best, but look awesome while doing it. “Way to go!” Fluttershy cheered. But because of how soft her voice was, it didn’t sound like Rainbow heard.

With the rainbow trail following her, Rainbow Dash flew through one of the last three clouds, creating a hole through it along with dragging more water trails to feed the rainbow. She turned herself in a backwards loop. There were two clouds behind her, one above the other. She slammed into the higher one and pushed it rather than break a hole through it. But she pushed it towards the cloud beneath and crashed through it, creating a hole in that one.

The rainbow trail continued to follow Rainbow Dash through the hole where that cloud was punched through. She soon split the cloud she was pushing into two. One she threw to the side while the other she pushed with her. The one thrown shrunk smaller as it continued to feed the rainbow. It was falling in a simultaneous pace with her.

At the same time the thrown cloud ran out of cloud to feed the rainbow, Rainbow Dash slammed the excess cloud into the ground, causing it to dissipate with her landing on all fours solidly on the ground. The water around her from that cloud sparkled into an elegant prismatic glow. To finish her performance, she tossed her head up and gave a graceful sigh.

To say Fluttershy was astonished at the sight was a bit of an understatement. From the landing sight and above, a beautiful rainbow sparkled, flowing through the circles of both clouds. The glittering filled Fluttershy’s heart with such happiness, that all the problems in her mind were now non existent. In the bottom center of that rainbow was Rainbow Dash, the awesome… and glowing pegasus who had created such a sight.

“Woohoo!” Fluttershy cheered while clopping her hooves together. The clapping of hooves seemed to slightly startle, but grab Rainbow’s attention. Fluttershy started descending down towards her while she cheered. “Rainbow Dash, that was such a grand performance. You’re a… a… aweso-tacular!”

Rainbow Dash chuckled at Fluttershy’s attempt at praising her skills. “You might wanna work on that.” She waited until Fluttershy landed before questioning her. “So how much did you see? Did you catch when I led that wicked lightning bolt at another cloud? Ooh, how about-” Rainbow Dash suddenly stopped herself in a stutter and cleared her throat. “I mean, hey, you ready to get going?” she asked, rubbing the back of her mane.

Fluttershy was a bit confused as to why Rainbow Dash suddenly changed the subject. Usually she likes bragging about herself and her talents, and she always wanted Fluttershy to get better at cheering her on. Of course, none of her attempts could ever get better than the moment Rainbow pulled off that second Sonic Rainboom, saving Rarity’s life in the process.

But, Fluttershy smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Rainbow Dash took to hovering in the air, making the hair on Fluttershy’s coat stand. “Cool!” Rainbow said while motioning her hoof to the forest.

Fluttershy wasn’t too sure of what to make of this gesture. It looked like Rainbow Dash wanted her to enter first. And the rainbow that formed over the forest was not helping the matter. Why did it look like the rainbow was presenting a portal that would lead to another world?

Fluttershy gulped down her worries. If she stood there always worrying and making assumptions, her day with Rainbow Dash would be over before it started. Slowly, she spread her wings and took to the air, but stayed in altitude within the forest’s trees.

Rainbow Dash started following soon after Fluttershy passed her. A warmth filled Fluttershy’s heart just flying with Rainbow like this. She knew Rainbow preferred flying, so she-

“You know you don’t have to fly just for me, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash suddenly spoke, startling Fluttershy into an itchy discomfort. “Take your time and enjoy yourself.” She motioned to the ground.

Fluttershy looked to Rainbow, wanting to stay by her side. “Oh… no, it’s not that.” She scratched her foreleg as she spoke. “I-I just prefer flying today.”

Fluttershy was able to smile weakly, but it faltered when Rainbow Dash took a closer look at her. Her eyes wandered away, trying to avoid looking into Rainbow’s eyes, but she could see that unamused look in Rainbow’s face.

And then, Rainbow suddenly flew slightly ahead, but descended her altitude until her hooves touched the ground. She just looked back up at Fluttershy while she walked.

Fluttershy couldn’t display her nervousness even more if her clenched teeth were chattering. She tried to look away from Rainbow Dash, but flying in the air without her was putting a toll on her comfort. She tried so hard to resist embarrassing herself even further, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to travel with Rainbow Dash by her side.

Giving in to her desire, Fluttershy descended down to the ground next to Rainbow Dash. She could only stare down on the path she walked. The shame in her heart made her whimper, only being able to imagine how unamused-

Fluttershy’s thought process was interrupted when she felt something soft and strong wrap around her body. It felt like a wing. She looked to her side to see Rainbow Dash putting a light smile on her face while her wing kept a gentle yet firm grasp around Fluttershy’s body.

Fluttershy blushed while her body settled at the warm contact. The simple grasp of affection eased all her worries. It was such a wonderful feeling. If this was how her animals felt whenever she gave them affection, it was no wonder why they would grow distant. They must’ve missed it. And as her body snuggled in the embrace of these feathers, she knew she would miss it if it felt like this.

If only she could find that courage. Maybe this was what she needed. Just a moment to escape her worries and problems, a moment to clear her mind and enjoy herself. Even with all the fears clouding her visions, one thing she was certain for.

Rainbow Dash would take care of her.

Author's Note

From here, the events of Hoofsie Playing from the side story comes to play. The story continues afterwards in chapter 11.

Also, For those who don't know, here's a Jackalope.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 11: Rainbow Dash?

Although the travel had started off a bit jumpy, things adjusted far more comfortably overtime. The presence of wild critters scurrying about the forest could be heard occasionally in their surroundings, whether in the grass, bushes, or trees. As much as Fluttershy wanted to go up to them and greet them, the tingle that surrounded her body made her decide differently.

But, Fluttershy was content with just listening to their voices, some of them singing even. She and Rainbow Dash were following the path in these woods together by walking rather than flying. She wasn’t sure why Rainbow Dash was content with just walking, but at least they were chatting.

“So while you were getting checked by Nurse Redheart, your promise slipped up?” Rainbow asked.

“Well, sort of,” Fluttershy responded and looked away. “I… don’t think I mentioned who I promised it to.”

Rainbow smirked. “I don’t see why you’re so worried then. I mean, it’s not like she’s gonna come to your cottage and ask you more, right?”

The response brought Fluttershy discomfort. “I… don’t know… Doctors tend to ask a lot of questions. And it’s...” she squeaked, “so uncomfortable.”

Fluttershy accidentally stepped on and broke a stick in half. It wouldn’t have been so scary, but at the same time the stick broke, a few birds started flocking away as well as some critters scurrying about. The sound of their cries and flapping made her stop walking to squeal. When the sounds settled, she brought her head back up.

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Rainbow Dash just looked at her, not exactly unamused, but with a raised eyebrow. She looked at Fluttershy like that for a few seconds before continuing to walk.

Noticing Rainbow Dash continued moving, Fluttershy trotted her walk to catch up. But she noticed Rainbow Dash had her wings flared out. Realizing Rainbow was probably getting impatient, she tried to strike up another conversation.

“R-rainbow Dash…” She paused for a second to think while Rainbow’s attention was drawn. “How would you feel about sharing our promise to our other friends?” As soon as she asked it, she gulped nervously.

Rainbow started flapping her wings to bring herself airborne, but her eyes seemed to wander a bit. “Let me ask you something,” she suddenly said. “How do you think they’d react if we told them what we did?”

Fluttershy’s mind felt like it was struck as the question was re-asked. All she could do was look down and imagine what would happen if she and Rainbow Dash told them face to face.

”She licked your hooves?!” Twilight’s voice spoke shocked and surprised.

“Y’all were enjoyin’ it?!” Applejack’s voice

“Oh my gosh! How did that taste like?!” Pinkie’s voice.

“That just sounds repulsive!” Rarity’s voice.

“Wow, Twilight, can I try a taste?” Spike’s voice.

“SPIKE!” All of them yelled.

Fluttershy cringed at her overactive mind. Maybe that wasn’t exactly how they’d react, but it sounded pretty close enough.

“Oh… forget I asked… it’s just-”

“Fluttershy, come on!” Rainbow’s voice sounded and interrupted her from a distance.

When Fluttershy brought her head up, she squeaked, noticing Rainbow was flying up ahead. “W-wait!” Fluttershy started galloping in an attempt to catch up. She would try flying, but she didn’t want to risk crashing with these trees so low. She could barely see Rainbow Dash flying through the bushes where the path ended.

Fluttershy’s heart started racing the second she lost sight of Rainbow Dash. The trees continued to grow thicker making it quite dark. Bushes rustled in her surroundings, terrifying her even more. The only thing that brought her comfort was the sight of what looked like an open area ahead, past the bushes. She continued rushing through, squeaking before pushing herself through the bushes and into open light.

Once through, she gasped and stopped. In the center of the opening was a large spring that shined and sparkled brightly by the sun. Rainbow Dash’s bags could be seen on the grass just by the spring, but Rainbow Dash herself was no where to be seen.

“R-rainbow… Dash?” Fluttershy walked a little closer towards the spring, looking around the scenery for her. The light wind was making the trees rustle their leaves together, providing an ominous feeling. She looked in all her surroundings, looking for her friend while shivering in fear.

“Rainbow Da-Ahh!” Suddenly, something knocked right into her, making her bags fly off her body while she was flung towards the spring. Her screaming drowned out as soon as she hit the water with a loud splash.

Squirming, she opened her eyes underwater. She could see many fish in the spring quickly swimming away from her. She glanced her eyes left and right to check her surroundings. Besides the fish, there was something else swimming underwater, barely visible, but much larger. Gasping violent bubbles, she hurriedly swam up towards the surface.

Fluttershy soon managed to break the surface, spraying water everywhere and panting for breath. Her comfort ended when she heard the sound of rippling water indicating the presence of something swimming towards her. While kicking her limbs to keep herself afloat, she looked towards the source of the sound.

Fluttershy started whimpering when she saw the source. There was something that looked like a blue fin sticking just above water. It swerved from side to side in a predatory motion, trailing the waters as it approached. Fluttershy edged herself to back away, but couldn’t find the will to try and escape. It’s predatory approach continued to make her heart race faster. But It moved slower and slower the closer it got.

Just before it came within striking distance, the fin submerged underwater, and replacing it was the head of the creature. That creature, being Rainbow Dash, who had the widest grin on her face. The blue fin must’ve been her wing.

“I’m a shark, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said in a very low and dark tone. “Better run while you can.”

More chills were brought into Fluttershy’s features. She slowly backed away while Rainbow Dash closed in with that grin.

“R-r-rainbow Dash… y-you’re scarying-”

*RAAAWWRRR!*

Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs as Rainbow Dash lunged at her with her wide open mouth. Moving to the side to avoid that lunge while water sprayed on her face, she started swimming as fast as she could towards the shore. She pushed her limbs as hard and as fast as she could, gasping her pants while the presence of water trailing could be heard behind her.

“AHH!” Fluttershy felt Rainbow Dash chomp on one of her hind hooves and dragged her down underwater with a splash. Holding her breath but flailing her legs, she twisted her body to turn around just before hitting the bottom level. She could see Rainbow Dash removing herself from her hind hoof and moved towards her face.

Fluttershy squealed underwater, breathing violent bubbles again. She barely managed to move to the side while Rainbow’s head shoved itself against the floor, kicking up dirt in the water. She managed to get out of Rainbow’s grip afterwards.

Fluttershy swam as fast as she could towards the surface. She was so close to shore, yet so far. The increasing violent actions Rainbow Dash was doing was making her more scared than ever. The surface came within reach.

But just when she was about to emerge, Rainbow Dash caught up and pushed them both straight out of the water. All Fluttershy could do was squeal as she and Rainbow Dash plummeted back towards the ground.

After rolling a bit, Fluttershy was stopped to land on her back, pinned by Rainbow Dash. She held her hooves in her face and squeezed her eyes while Rainbow Dash growled and snapped her head towards her. Fluttershy shivered under Rainbow Dash, awaiting the imminent attack. With her wings pinned down, there was nothing left she could do to resist.

But then she realized that the attack wasn’t coming. She very slowly moved her hooves away to peak. Rainbow Dash’s face was so close to hers, holding a sly grin on her face. With a slow move to her ears that made her flinch, Rainbow whispered.

“If I was a real shark, you’d be a goner now.” Rainbow’s warm breath brought a shudder to Fluttershy’s body and increasing her heart rate. She found the weight on her suddenly be released as Rainbow flapped her wings. Rainbow placed her hooves under Fluttershy’s forelegs to pick her up from the ground. Fluttershy flapped her wings after being released in the air so that she could gently drop back to the ground.

“But sharks aren’t as fast as you are,” Fluttershy complained. “Especially above water.”

Rainbow Dash just chuckled as she turned around, walking towards their bags. “A shark is the least of your worries around here anyway.” She ducked into a stance and looked left and right. “You never know what sort of wild creatures are lurking, ready to strike.” She started sliding a hoof along the ground in a predatory state.

After Fluttershy took a deep breath and recovered from her torment, she responded. “You’re more of a wild animal than anything in here.”

Rainbow shot her head up just as that was said. The sight of her just slowly turning her head around made Fluttershy instantly regret her response. Rainbow’s eyes sharpened at her. All she could hear was the ominous rustling of bushes stirred on by the wind as she witnessed those daggering eyes.

“What did you just say?” Rainbow asked coldly.

“I-I mean… I’m sorry, I-”

“No seriously,” Rainbow interrupted as she turned fully around and started walking towards Fluttershy. “What did you mean by that?”

Fluttershy slowly backed away, whimpering as Rainbow Dash closed in. But the more the wind rustled the bushes, the more ominous this forest became. She tried to say something, but could only stutter.

But then, Fluttershy noticed something behind Rainbow Dash, making her release a terrified gasp. She realized all that rustling was caused by movement, not by wind.

“R-r-rainbow D-dash… Eep!” Fluttershy’s shivering caused her to trip and fall on her rump. She desperately pushed herself to slide backwards as Rainbow Dash continued to close in.

“What did you mean, Fluttershy?” Rainbow asked again with that cold tone. The bushes behind her were moving. In fact, different sections of them were moving.

“R-rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy lifted a shivery hoof to point. “I-I t-t-think there’s s-something-”

“Stop avoiding the question and answer!” The combined force of ominous movements and Rainbow’s rage utterly terrified Fluttershy.

“YAAA!” Just as something emerged from the bushes with a loud battle cry, Fluttershy looked away with squeezed eyes and screamed. The first thing she heard was a loud smack and a painful groan from the victim. The smack startled her to looking back up.

What she witnessed was a yellow stallion with red hair receiving a powerful punch to the face by a rough growling Rainbow Dash.

As that pony was being knocked backwards, another pony of similar shape and color emerged from the bushes and rushed straight for their bags on the ground. Rainbow Dash switched her attention to that pony and flew straight towards him. He was within inches of grabbing the bags before Rainbow Dash tripped him to be launched in the air. While the pony was yelling from his fall, Rainbow Dash zipped in front of him and bucked with both hind legs straight at his stomach, making his eyeballs pop wide open and sending him flying backwards.

“AHH!” Fluttershy felt a third pony grab behind her, lifting her up to her hind legs and squeezing her neck. She could be no more terrified than she was now, clutching her throat as she was immobilized, desperately trying to squirm and breathe.

“Stay where you are! Or I will-”

The pony’s speech was interrupted by another loud smack. Fluttershy found herself being released immediately. Before she hit the ground, she found a hoof catching her so that she could be placed in a sitting position.

Fluttershy was wincing while clutching her throat to catch her breath again. Besides her own painful breathing, all she could hear was painful groans coming from the other ponies that attempted to attack them. With a groan, she opened her eyes to look around.

Rainbow was dragging the third pony over to where the others were, who were all practically knocked out and moaning in pain. One of them was clutching his stomach for obvious reasons while the other one was completely limp.

Rainbow Dash dropped the third pony to meet with the others. “Hmph. Pesky thieves.” She turned to the bags they were trying to steal. Opening them, she pulled out a spare rope and took flight, quickly spinning in circles around the three thieves.

All Fluttershy could see was a rainbow blur that circled them. But when it stopped, she saw Rainbow tightening the rope she had tied them all together on, making them sit upright and face back to back. After confirming the rope was tight, she let it go with a snap.

“They’re the worst of the wild creatures in these woods.” Before Rainbow turned away from them, she took a gargled breath and literally spat in the face of one of them, probably the one that was choking Fluttershy. She then went back to the bags and picked them up.

While Rainbow was walking away, Fluttershy had managed to recover and started walking up to the three thieves. They all looked quite similar with their yellow coats and red manes that tied behind their heads like ponytails. All their cutie marks were different though that seemed to represent their task.

One of them was a rhinoceros which represented strength, one was a cheetah which represented speed, and the one spat on had a snake which represented stealth.

"Wild creatures... Was this what Rainbow Dash meant?"

"Leave them alone, Fluttershy." Rainbow's voice snapped Fluttershy's thoughts away and looked at her. "They don't deserve your pity."

Fluttershy took a second to look back at the thieves, seeing that they were still out cold. Now that she thought about it, all that rustling… Did Rainbow Dash know this gang was following them? Was that why she seemed so distracted earlier? Maybe they were even the real reason why all those animals suddenly got scared off after a snap of a stick.

But like Rainbow Dash said, she did feel sorry for this gang, but she couldn't deny that they had brought this upon themselves. With that in thought, she turned away from them and followed Rainbow Dash to continue the path.

The sun was starting to set, and all Fluttershy could think about was Rainbow's reaction to her response about being a wild animal. Rainbow sure had a sudden interest for talking about wild creatures, despite not being an expert on animals. But after what Fluttershy witnessed, it hit her.

Was Rainbow Dash actually talking about ponies like those thieves being the wild creatures? Was that how she always viewed them?

"Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy tried to ask, but she made no response. She didn't even look at Fluttershy. All Fluttershy could see was that mad frown on her face as she continued walking.

Fluttershy was so confused. She had so many questions she didn’t know how to ask. And all these events were giving her even more questions.

Right now she wanted to know why all these conversations always ended with Rainbow Dash upset. The more she saw that frown, the more her stomach ached and the faster her heart pounded. While flapping her wings, she braced her chest with her hooves to null the pain. It felt like something was desperately trying to escape her body. Despite all the internal pain she was feeling, she still followed.

But all Fluttershy could wonder was what was on Rainbow Dash's mind.

Author's Note

Before you ask, no, that shark scene has nothing to do with Children of Everfree.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 12: Reveal

Night had fallen upon the Winsome Woods. The chirping of crickets and the hooting from owls sounded from its peace. It was quiet enough to sleep through. One could say the singing of such critters helped ponies get to sleep. For one pony, that happened on many occasions.

But tonight for Fluttershy, the sleep was the last thing on her mind. She and Rainbow Dash had set up camp for the night in a small clearing. Rainbow had flown off somewhere into the forest alone. She didn’t say why, but she said she’d be back.

While Fluttershy was waiting, she sat on a log just by a roaring fire, using sticks to roast some delicious marshmallows to pass the time. There were plenty in the bag she had just by the log within reach.

Every so often, she would pick another marshmallow using the stick. She always focused on hovering them just close enough to the fire for them to roast into a crunchy golden brown on the outside, but a delicious gooey morsel on the inside. She would eat from them, savoring its gooey mellow taste after crunching into its core, lapping up any presence that would stick to the walls of her mouth.

And every so often, she would lose herself to the motion of just swirling her tongue all around her mouth. A strange pleasure came from just sucking on her own mouth. It frightened her multiple times, but she could not escape the delicious pleasure those marshmallows provided.

But nothing scared Fluttershy more than knowing the fact that she was all alone. And it wasn’t because of fear of the forest, it was fear of herself. She gazed at the roaring flames of the campfire, pondering what she was even doing anymore.

“Why did I even come to this forest with her?” she asked herself. “Am I enjoying myself?” She looked away from the fire. “Is she enjoying herself?”

It was silent for a moment, allowing the cackling of the fire to give its chance to be heard for a while. “I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash. I didn’t mean to call you a wild bandit. When I said…” Fluttershy paused herself to snif. “You are nothing like them. When you were chasing me, you were only playing around. That’s what you’ve always done.” She brought her attention back to the fire, listening to its cackles while a vision flared within them.

”Hurry up, Fluttershy!” Rainbow’s voice taunted as a filly Fluttershy was running from her chaser through a cloud park. “I’m right behind you!”

Every time Fluttershy looked behind her, Rainbow Dash was there chasing her. She would use the cloud forts for cover. Each corner she took, Rainbow Dash appeared in front of her. She would growl, and Fluttershy would yelp. The only hope of escape was the hill outside of the area with the forts.

After getting away from the forts, Fluttershy dove head first for the hill. One look behind her showed that Rainbow Dash was no longer following. She gave a sigh of relief. But that relief was gone as soon as she looked ahead. Just before she slid to the bottom of the hill, Rainbow Dash appeared in front of her.

Fluttershy squealed. But when they crashed, they rolled continuously along the clouds. She could hear Rainbow Dash’s laughter as they rolled together. It was the fun laughter of happy fillies playing around, something Fluttershy heard constantly and could only envy from a distance.

But with Rainbow Dash, as they came to a stop from rolling, Fluttershy could hear and feel that joyous laughter on top of her. Although scary at first, she couldn’t help but feel the joy of this playtime as well. She knew and felt in the end that Rainbow Dash was just playing around and having fun. And it was fun, so she was laughing with Rainbow Dash, both enjoying their time. Exhausted, but fun nonetheless.

And then that joy turned back into fear when that laughter changed tone. It was no longer fun and games when she was getting physically hurt. She found herself pinned on her stomach while two bullies on her back laughed and taunted.

“What? We’re just playing around. It’s the same thing, right?” Those voices weren’t Rainbow Dash.

The image faded.

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut and shook those images away. “No! It’s not the same thing! It’s not!”

After making a large grunt, Fluttershy used her stick to grab another marshmallow and roast it over the fire. From the fire burning the marshmallow, she could see the image again. The feathers on her wings fluttered under that pain she was feeling. The feathers held a rough pressure as they shivered at the presence of so many bullies.

But for all these bullies that Fluttershy saw, there was one pony she always expected to come. Rainbow Dash. But where was she now?

*Thump* Fluttershy's attention was suddenly distracted from the fire. The present Rainbow Dash had returned to the campsite.

"Okay, Fluttershy." Rainbow paused to turn to Fluttershy with a mischievous grin. "It’s time I told you about the most terrifying creature I’ve ever heard.”

Fluttershy coughed a gasp and shivered at the tone. “A c-creature even worse than those bandits?”

“Even worse than a big…” Rainbow paused and flicked her eyes open. “Wait what?”

The response told Fluttershy she was assuming wrong once again. “I-I mean… what sort of animal is it?” The sight of Rainbow’s grin returning made Fluttershy squeak.

“It’s no animal, Fluttershy. It is far worse than you can imagine.” Rainbow moved up to Fluttershy’s side and put a hoof on her chest. “But knowing this story, could just save your life,” she whispered menacingly.

Fluttershy could only clatter her teeth with fear. Seeing that the marshmallow she was roasting was ready, she moved it from the fire and placed the whole thing in her mouth. But she didn’t chew, she didn’t swallow. She let it stick in her mouth to stop the clattering. With the marshmallow in her mouth, she took another one with the stick and started roasting it.

That was when Rainbow Dash moved away from view and started telling the story.

“We’ve all heard stories about the wild creatures that wander about, looking for helpless prey to feed on. They wander at night, hiding in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. These creatures could be anything. A wild timberwolf searching for its lost wood, a rampaging dragon who doesn’t wanna be disturbed, an insane pony who has blamed everypony else for his friend’s death…”

There was a sudden pause as Fluttershy heard movement. “It could even be a seemingly harmless butterfly.” Fluttershy muffled a squeak and her body tensed when she felt a hoof running along her flank. “But when it hides in your Cutie Mark, your talent is suddenly sucked out of you.”

Fluttershy started sucking on the marshmallow that filled her mouth, letting the delicious texture ease her nerves as she listened to this story. Rainbow Dash moved away from view again.

“But when I say, these wild creatures could be any of these things, I really mean, this wild creature could be any of those things. For when the poor prey sees this creature, all they see is a silhouette.”

Fluttershy gasped internally in the middle of her suction of the marshmallow. The fire in front of her showed her the image of the silhouette pony she kept seeing in those dreams. Her heart sank at the presence of such a creature, unknowing that the marshmallow she was roasting already turned to a crispy golden brown.

An ominous wind started blowing that made the fire dance in its direction. “This silhouette can come out just about anywhere. When you’re making cookies for your animals, when you’re taking a quick flight around the park, or even when you’re facing down a dragon, it’s there.”

The wind changed direction and made the fire turn the opposite direction. “It lives in the shadows. It lives in the skies.” There was a pause. “It lives with you, Fluttershy!” Fluttershy trembled and gripped her hooves harder against that stick. “In your closet. In your room.” Another pause. “In your shadow.”

The wind blew straight down, making the flames of the campfire grow brighter. All Fluttershy could hear was her own gasping pants. The marshmallow she was roasting continued to roast before going lit. But the cackling made a similar sound to the already roaring campfire.

The silhouette that she was seeing started multiplying in the background. She thought the images were over, but more showed up as she listened to this story. A light thunder sounded and she could hear the laughter of these silhouettes surrounding her, all of them bringing pain to her aching heart. The lone silhouette that looked like Rainbow Dash was no longer present.

Combined with their laughter, was physical pain she could feel running along her body. Her trembling caused her hind hooves to clatter against the log she sat on.

“That’s right, Fluttershy. You can take down crazy ponies, run from wild predators, hide from rampaging dragons, but there’s no where to hide from this life sucking silhouette. It’s more quiet than those butterflies on your flank. Just when you thought you were safe in this dark hole you secured yourself in, you open your eyes and see nothing but a silhouette gobbling your soul. One moment you find yourself in safety. The next moment you find yourself caught by this silhouette, biting into your coat and skin, tearing your heart out just like a timberwolf.”

Fluttershy could feel the pain alright. The thundering sounded just like the silhouettes tearing at her right now. She whimpered as she felt the vibrations of pressure on her body, the insults that were sounded, and the bites on her feathers. She found herself gulping down the last of that marshmallow she was sucking on, wondering where that Rainbow Dash silhouette was.

“But the worst part is…” The wind stopped. The thundering stopped. Besides the fire, it was silent.

Silent. All alone, and silent.

“IT’S HERE!” A bright flash of lightning illuminated the entire area. Fluttershy screamed at the top of her lungs, throwing her marshmallow in the air. Everywhere she saw was a shadow of a scary creature, surrounding her on all sides.

But in the fire was the silhouette she was looking for, the ringleader flashing before her very eyes in an ellipse manner. The Rainbow Dash silhouette complete with a wide open mouth to show its fangs. It’s hooves replaced with claws. And it’s wings replicating a dragon’s. But the worst part was that each flash displaying the silhouette animated to show it dashing towards her.

Acting by instinct, Fluttershy leaped off of her log and dashed straight for the bushes to hide under. She could still hear the thundering going on while she was still screaming. It went on for a few more seconds before turning off. There were no more flashes. All Fluttershy could hear, was laughter resonating within her own mind.

But there was one laughter Fluttershy wanted to hear. Rainbow Dash’s laughter. It wasn’t there. Rainbow Dash was not there.

“Come on, Fluttershy, I’m not done yet,” Rainbow Dash suddenly said behind her, making Fluttershy whimper even more. “Because this story has a best part too. And it’s…”

Fluttershy started crying. The crying made Rainbow Dash stop the story.

“Fluttershy?”

All Fluttershy could see was the absence of a silhouette Rainbow Dash among the presence of so many others as bullies. She sobbed under their laughters. The sharp pain she was feeling resonated along the rest of her body, biting away at her skin while her stomach felt hollow and empty. Words rang through her ears, dreadful words that told her coming along for this trip was a mistake.

“You refuse to believe something, you build inner regret, and the more your body will suffer.”

“Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash started dragging Fluttershy out of the bushes. The very touch sent a sharp sting and she resisted, but Rainbow forced her to come out to look at her. “Fluttershy! What’s going on? You’ve never been this scared of my stories before.”

Fluttershy was more than afraid. She was terrified as the tears poured down from her eyes. One look in Rainbow’s eyes made her feel like her stomach was being sucked away, so she looked away from them once again. Many thoughts kept flowing along her mind all at once, but one in particular kept forcing itself in.

“Y-y-you’re n-not ther-r-re…” Fluttershy barely managed out through her sobs.

“...Huh?” Rainbow asked with a raised brow.

“T-those silhouettes… you’re not there!” Fluttershy started crying in agony again.

“Fluttershy! Take it easy!” Rainbow Dash started shaking her, making the sobbing stop before it went out of control. “I’m not the silhouette. I never said I was.”

Fluttershy continued to shiver in Rainbow’s grip. “I-in my dreams, you are.” That comment softened Rainbow Dash’s look as she released Fluttershy from her grip. “Ever since this problem of mine started, I-I’ve been having these dreams. In these dreams… you’re in it, b-but… as a silhouette.”

Rainbow Dash let out a small gasp and gave her some space. “Every time you appeared… you comforted me. You made me feel safe. B-but… this time… you weren’t there.” Fluttershy stuttered a yelping gasp as more sobs were about to commence. “Everypony was laughing! But you weren’t there! They were hurting me and you weren’t there! You were-”

“Stop it, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash interrupted, then softened her tone. “It was just a story. It’s not real.”

Fluttershy cringed at the response. “I-It felt so… real…”

Rainbow groaned. “Dang it, Fluttershy! Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been having these dreams?”

”Why didn’t you tell me?” Those words repeated in Fluttershy’s head.

“If you had told me you’ve been having dreams like that, I wouldn’t have told such a scary story.”

A stuttered gasp escaped Fluttershy. For a second, she looked into Rainbow Dash’s eyes again. But the same results were met. The very sight of them made it felt like her soul was being sucked away. She squeezed her eyes at the thought of such similarities coming to pass.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy whined out regrettingly. “I never should’ve came with you on this trip! I’m a terrible, terrible-”

“What are you talking about?” Rainbow interrupted. “I wanted you to come on this trip, remember?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No. I asked to come so that I could spend some more time with you. But all I’ve done is slow you down and make you mad. Why did I ever-”

“Whoa, whoa, when was I mad at you? You never did anything wrong.”

Fluttershy hiccuped. “I-I called you… the worst bandit ever.”

Rainbow’s eyes flicked at the remark. “No you didn’t. You said I was…” She trailed off. Fluttershy could only hiccup more whimpers as Rainbow Dash’s expression continuously changed. But when it stopped, it was a calm, yet wide eyed expression of realization.

“Fluttershy-”

“I should leave right now,” Fluttershy interrupted and started turning. “If I leave, I won’t keep doing things to make you mad, and you can get your-” as Fluttershy was making her leave, Rainbow Dash grabbed her.

“Fluttershy! I was never mad at you!” Fluttershy’s sudden turn to face Rainbow Dash startled her, but Rainbow turned slightly away and corrected herself. “Well, maybe I was a little disappointed and frustrated, but I was never mad at you.”

The sight of Rainbow’s eyes frightened Fluttershy into looking down again. She tried to respond, but couldn’t find herself to do so and only managed a stutter.

“When you called me that, I wasn’t mad because of what you said. I was just…” Rainbow trailed off and looked away with a grunt. After squeezing her eyes, she looked back to Fluttershy. “It was something else.”

It was silent for a few seconds. Fluttershy could feel her heart beat at the tense situation. But with how she was held, she couldn’t use a hoof to keep it steady. “W-what do you mean?” she asked. “H-how were you not angry, after…”

All Fluttershy wanted to know was what was on Rainbow’s mind. And it looked like Rainbow wanted to speak her mind, but she struggled so hard to do so.

“Fluttershy… look at me,” Rainbow suddenly said. “Do I look like I’m mad at you?”

Fluttershy was shaking now. Everytime she looked at Rainbow Dash’s eyes, she could feel her soul being sucked away. It frightened her to the core, and she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

“I-I… can’t…” But as Fluttershy was speaking, her head was tilted upwards by a hoof.

“Please, tell me, Fluttershy.”

As she gazed at those deep magenta eyes, her voice jittered. Her stomach felt like it was being sucked into a black hole as her heart rate increased three fold in both speed and pressure. Rainbow Dash didn’t look mad, but the effects of those eyes made Fluttershy squeeze her own while her body strained in itchy heat.

“Are you scared of me?”

Another massive shudder escaped Fluttershy’s body. To hear that phrase was unacceptable in her own heart. She couldn’t bare the fact that she was scared of one of her friends, let alone one of her closest. Yet… she couldn’t even look her in the eye.

“N-no…” Fluttershy said with all the shakiness and fear that being scared would show.

“Then please, look at me,” Rainbow continued, moving Fluttershy’s head towards her own with a hoof. “And tell me, how do you feel?”

Despite the fear in Fluttershy’s heart, she complied, but very slowly. With all the bullies she had suffered from in flight school, and the monsters she had faced with her close friends in her adventures, being scared of one of her closest friends was like living in a world with no purpose. Sure she may have been startled by them from time to time, and Rainbow Dash was no exception. But to be scared of them on a regular basis-

As Fluttershy gazed in those deep eyes, the world around her collapsed. It was like how she had been feeling with her animals lately. She didn’t have any reason to be scared of them, yet she has been lately. The tingle spread across every fiber of her body. As much as she wanted to break out of this grip Rainbow had her in, she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

Those eyes, they sucked her soul into an endless void. She squeaked and whimpered as more pressure built against her stomach and heart. Not even her eyelids would close properly.

Every time Rainbow Dash blinked, she blinked. And in the split second of every blink, she could feel nothing. But for the duration their eyes stayed open, she felt everything.

The more she traversed this endless void of space, the more painful it got, yet she couldn’t look away. Those eyes. Her eyes. A sharp needle formed above their pupils, and they started pushing down on them, forcing the black orbs to squish.

The piercing agitated her nerves to nearly wanting to pinch her coat and skin off. Her whimpering was on the verge of breaking out into a cry. Eventually she saw Rainbow Dash’s form in the center of this endless void. She could practically feel the needles piercing into her own eyes as her body was being forcibly drawn to Rainbow.

The closer she got, the warmer it got. The farther she went, the faster the tingle spread. The more painful it got, the more she would resist. But resistance provided nothing. Her body continued closer, and those needles pressed harder.

And then suddenly, she reached Rainbow Dash’s lips in the image. The needles pierced through, and their pupils formed a heart. The pain had ceased, and her body was blown out of the void.

Fluttershy’s eyes grew wide as she finally understood what she was feeling. The realization struck her like a lightning bolt in a hurricane storm. Rainbow’s grip was released, and all Fluttershy could do was pant as her fear increased at such a breathtaking discovery.

“N-no…” Both Fluttershy’s breath and voice pitched to high levels. “B-but, h-how…”

“Fluttershy.” Rainbow Dash attempted to move a hoof to Fluttershy, but stopped as Fluttershy’s body tensed while her lips quivered rapidly.

“Y-you’re, a mare,” Fluttershy said with the most quaking fear in her voice. “A-and, I’m… a mare. H-how can I be-”

“Fluttershy, please, get a hold of yourself.”

“How can I stay calm?!” Fluttershy started hyperventilating. It felt like ants were biting all over her body while it continuously heated up. “There is something wrong with me! I can’t be feeling this way! I-I can’t- ugh!” She braced her chest with her hooves as her heart pounded to painful levels against her chest. The heavy breathing in her voice made it difficult to speak.

“Fluttershy-”

“I should’ve listened to what Nurse Redheart said!” Fluttershy squeezed her eyes as the dreadful words echoed throughout her mind. “I never should’ve came with you! I knew there was something wrong with me and I chose to ignore it. Now I feel something so… so… mph!”

Fluttershy words were silenced as something covered up her lips. Her eyes flung open while her head was tilted back, seeing Rainbow Dash had pressed her own lips against hers.

In the moment of that kiss, Fluttershy’s heart slowed down, and her shaking body had halted. Her forelegs held limp in the air. She wanted to push herself away, but couldn’t find herself to do so.

The slight taste of Rainbow Dash’s lips pressed against her own released her mind in a bliss. The sight of Rainbow’s eyes looking into her own no longer gave her fear, but rather comfort. Her lips still quivered, but were held with care in the kiss.

Rainbow Dash soon pulled away, leaving Fluttershy to bend over slightly while her body resumed shivering, but much lighter. A silent, yet blissful gasp escaped Fluttershy’s lips. In a bold move, Rainbow Dash had eased Fluttershy’s mind and body with a simple kiss.

“Fluttershy, please don’t do this,” Rainbow Dash said with sadness in her voice. “If there is something wrong with you, then there’s something wrong with me too.” She looked away for a few seconds to think her words over. “It doesn’t have to be wrong… just…” Rainbow Dash stopped with a sigh, unable to speak clearly.

Fluttershy just sat there, taking steady breaths. The taste of Rainbow’s lips still lingered on. It was faint, but there was something more about that taste that was pleasurable to her. She couldn’t believe she was thinking like this. As she was moving her forelegs back down, she subconsciously licked around her own lips in a slow and circular motion.

But the second she did, she found her forelegs being stopped under by Rainbow’s. Rainbow Dash pressed her hooves against her sides just above her wings, rubbing them in a gentle but firm grasp.

It surprised Fluttershy at first, but the strong motion shortly melted her tension. The wave of pleasure that coursed through her body caused her wings to start unfurling themselves, only to be halted by those same hooves. Fluttershy made another small gasp at the motion and saw Rainbow’s worried face. It was like Rainbow was speaking through her motions, because she couldn’t talk them out herself.

After Fluttershy’s wings were placed back to her sides, the motion continued. She could no longer keep her eyes open as those hooves practically rubbed against bone, shifting the skin underneath the coat around.

More pressure was applied as Fluttershy felt her body being lifted. The pressure and comfort caused her to coo in delight. It didn’t take long before her hind legs left the surface, dangling while her body continued to climb in both altitude and pleasure. Her wings started unfurling again, only to be stopped by those hooves again and placed to her side.

Each time her wings unfurled, they would be stopped, closed back by Rainbow’s hooves, and then the rubbing would continue. Each time her wings were closed back, more pressure was applied. The sudden swift motions often tickled a bit as the pressure changed positions. Rainbow was carrying them both with her own wings, past the trees that concealed them and free into the night sky.

Although in her mind, Fluttershy knew she was being carried high in the sky with no use of her wings, she felt no fear of the height. Her moans only contained the pleasure that she was feeling from Rainbow Dash right now. Her hind legs even stopped dangling from trying to find land. Her body would often twitch at the tickles, but kept relaxed in the embrace.

Before she realized she was subconsciously licking her lips again, she found her lips covered again by another pair of lips. Just about the same time, she found her hind legs hitting against a soft surface while the pressure around her sides softened substantially. Her body was being laid on her back, making her head meet with a cloud surface as she was pressed deep into that kiss once again.

She felt Rainbow’s tongue press between and through her lips, moving inside and searching around. Soon Rainbow’s tongue met with Fluttershy’s. As they rubbed against each other, Fluttershy noticed that taste. It was the same taste she had with those marshmallows. In fact, the same passion was present as well. The way Rainbow’s tongue pressed and mashed against her own tongue filled a tasteful bliss that could only be described as a relaxing delicacy.

Fluttershy realized that taste must’ve came from the marshmallow she burned and threw in the air after her scare of Rainbow Dash’s story. Now that marshmallow came back, and used Rainbow’s tongue as not only a source of delivery, but also the added blissful taste that only a kiss could provide.

Her graceful moans were being muffled by Rainbow Dash’s mouth in that kiss. And yet, her mind filled with hurt. But her heart filled with comfort. Why was she feeling this way? She was being kissed by another mare. She believed it was wrong, yet she felt nothing bad about it.

Fluttershy was losing control again. Tears of both bliss and pain started welling through her closed eyes. Her heart told her to focus on just the movements of that tongue. Rainbow’s tongue circled around her tongue, pressing the sides, and even underneath, providing even more of that delicious and blissful taste.

But as much as her heart told her to focus on the kiss, she could only listen to the part of her mind that was telling her this was somehow wrong. And when the kiss ended, all she felt was the pain.

Rainbow Dash pulled her tongue back, letting it slide between Fluttershy’s lips while pressing her own lips further. As her tongue retreated, she let her lips smooch one last time before the kiss was separated.

Fluttershy could breath again, but despite all the pleasure that kiss held, her heart ached with the pain her mind was bringing. The tears in her eyes wouldn’t stop welling as her vision lost itself in that void she imagined was Rainbow’s eyes.

”Fluttershy.” She could barely hear that pained voice coming from Rainbow Dash, but she couldn’t find the energy to respond. All she could do was heave and pant, not even attempting to wipe the tears from her eyes.

”Fluttershy!” the voice spoke again, and still, she couldn’t respond.

Soon her ears were filled with a ruffling sound while her visions got darker. She started curling herself as the visions in her mind filled her sight. What they had just did together was wrong, yet she had enjoyed it. And she made no attempt to stop it from happening. It was as if something in her heart was telling her it was never wrong in the first place.

Soon the cloud she was laying on started making noise, and became a bit soggy. But as she felt the cloud start to move, one word played in her mind that chilled her to the bone. One word that was making her believe it really was wrong.

”Fillyfooler!”

It wasn’t the tone or the word itself that brought fear into her mind. It was the voice itself. She had been tormented by the bullies’ voices all throughout her fillyhood. Which was why this one scared her more than any other voice. Because this voice, it didn’t come from any filly or colt.

That voice, came from a teacher.

Author's Note

My laptop has been out of commission for a while so updating has been slow. Just for reference, this chapter was finished before Season 5 started, but took me this long to proof read. The next chapter is ready as well, but needs proof reading.

Still, hope you enjoy this chapter.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 13: Painful Memories

”I’m leaving this school, Fluttershy,” a voice spoke in the middle of this void. Besides the Rainbow Dash figure that she saw in front of her, there was nothing but clouds that she could see.

“But, why?” she asked the silhouette of a filly Rainbow Dash in front of her, who was looking towards the sea of clouds. Their voices echoed across the void as they spoke.

“This school just doesn’t fit for me,” the Rainbow Dash filly spoke. “It’s too slow, and I can’t learn anything from here.” To hear those words coming out of Rainbow’s mouth tore at her heart. She was slow, yet Rainbow Dash stuck with her, until now.

“P-please don’t go…” she said, but Rainbow Dash didn’t turn around.

“I was told there was another school I could go to. A school that was much faster, bigger, and epic.” Rainbow Dash fluttered her wings. “The Juniors Speedsters Flight Camp! The school for Equestria’s fastest fliers. It sounds just perfect for me!”

The excitement in Rainbow’s voice made her whimper. It told her that Rainbow was going to take this opportunity as soon as she could, leaving her behind.

“You’ll be okay without me, right Fluttershy?” Rainbow turned around and asked.

She already knew the answer. If Rainbow Dash went to that camp, they wouldn’t see each other for a very long time. She would be all alone without a friend again.

“No, Rainbow Dash! I need you!” she begged with teary eyes. “No other pony has been friendly to me like you have. If you go, I'll be all alone! Please, don’t leave!” She tried walking up to her, but as soon as she did, Rainbow Dash’s wings started flapping.

“Thanks, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said. “You’re the best.” Rainbow started flying away, deeper into the void.

“No! Please, come back!” She tried to follow, but for some reason, her body refused to move. ...And she was smiling. Why was she smiling? She wanted to give chase so badly, but her body refused to move where it stood.

It wasn’t long before Rainbow’s body disappeared from sight. And as soon as it did, she heard the maniac laughter of bullies behind her. She regained control of her body, making her smile fade quickly. One glance was all it took for her to see the many shadows of ponies with razor sharp teeth bobbing their heads in their laughter.

She squealed and tried to fly away, but both of her wings were immediately caught by two sets of jaws from those shadows. They pulled her up as she flailed around, trying to escape. But to no avail. She was taken high above the mouth of another shadow. She continued to scream in agony while the shadow opened its maw.

With one swift motion, both sets of jaws pulled away with her wings. She screamed in agony as many feathers all at once ripped off her wings before she started falling. Without her feathers, she lost her ability to fly. She helplessly fell in the mouth of that shadow. When it clenched down... all she could see... was darkness.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy’s shaky body slowly awakened to meet the darkness of the belly she was in. At least, that’s what it felt like to her. The sound of her crying and the laughter of the bullies were still echoing in her ears. They slowly died out as her teary eyes opened. She found herself still lying on that soggy cloud she was left on yesterday. She felt that it was moving. And she could barely hear the rumbling of thunder from underneath it, as well as rain drops thumping on what could be described as a sponge.

Her surrounding area however was completely covered in a sphere of cloud, not connected to the one she was lying on. They were moving in sync. The spherical cloud was absorbing any lightning and rain that was being released from the cloud she layed on. Rainbow Dash must’ve set this cloud ride up to take her home.

“Rainbow Dash…” As soon as Fluttershy thought about Rainbow Dash again, her body filled up with that aching sting once again. That dream felt so real, but it was too painful to believe. Now that she experienced it in a dream, she felt that it really happened.

Rainbow Dash had abandoned her in her time of need. That’s why Rainbow’s silhouette was no longer there whenever those bullies were around.

But, it just didn’t make sense. Rainbow Dash would never do such a thing. What confused her the most was the fact that she was smiling as she was watching her best friend abandon her like that.

Rather than leave this cloud, Fluttershy decided to stay concealed inside, alone with her thoughts. She buried her face in the cloud, heavily shedding tears which caused the cloud to produce more rain. If it wasn’t for the spherical cloud surrounding her, today’s weather would probably be a heavy rainstorm summoned from a single cloud.

Fluttershy hadn’t forgotten about what happened last night. Rainbow Dash had kissed her. And it wasn’t just a light kiss. It was a deep and passionate one that told everything that Rainbow Dash could not form into words.

But despite how deep and sudden it was, Fluttershy didn’t feel the pain from it like she was feeling with these memories. In fact, the only pain she felt from that kiss, was when it was separated.

Fluttershy continued to ponder to herself. She believed a kiss like that could only be beautiful between species of differing genders. Usually the pair was of the same species, but with stories like the birds and the bees, and the crush Spike has on Rarity, it was obvious that even differing species had a chance of being together.

But now that she had experienced that kiss, why did she believe two ponies of the same gender could not experience it as well? Why did it feel so painful to accept? Was it because she wasn't like that? Was it because of Rainbow Dash abandoning her like that? Or was it something completely different altogether? Her mind shifted from both the past and the present, trying to make sense of all this confusion in her mind.

”Fillyfooler!” The voice that came from a teacher’s mouth repeated in her pounding head. Enduring the ache, she thought back to that day.

______________________________________________________________________________

”Class dismissed!” the flight instructor Mr. Rivet announced. The sounds of all the fillies and colts cheering in unison boomed in Fluttershy’s ears as usual as they cleared the area. She was once again the last pegasus in the class to start leaving. Packing up her things, she started heading to her dorm.

“Fluttershy!” But before she could exit the room, Rivet stopped her. With her head held low, she looked at him.

“Y-yes?” she asked as she carefully walked towards his desk. He seemed to be holding out a picture on his desk for her to see.

“Did you draw this?” he asked with a cold tone. One look at the picture brought warmth in Fluttershy’s lonely heart.

It was a picture of her and Rainbow Dash inside her dorm. The picture held a mixture of crayons to color their forms and pencils to detail the background. In the picture, she was holding a brush in her mouth, using her hooves to keep Rainbow’s messy looking mane still as she brushed it. Rainbow’s mane was mostly spiky, but the spots that were brushed were smoothed out. She was smiling with her eyes closed while Rainbow Dash was happily laughing in it.

“Yes, I did,” Fluttershy happily replied while her ears perked up. That picture resembled one of the first times she had ever experienced a soft side to Rainbow Dash. Despite how rough Rainbow Dash may have been, it was because of Rainbow that she ever experienced fun with another pony. She really missed Rainbow Dash and she really wished this side of her would blossom more. But at the same time, she was proud of her friend’s achievements.

“Do you realize, you had THIS-” Rivet pulled his hoof away, “-in your locker for everypony to see?!” The increase in volume in Rivet’s voice sent Fluttershy’s ears down and made her heart tremble in fear.

...And then… she saw the dreaded words that had scarred her that day. “‘Fillyfoolers of the year’?”

“DON’T SAY THAT!” the teacher’s yell frightened her to yelp as she dropped to the ground, holding her hooves on her head like a monster was attacking. The dreaded sounds of paper being shredded boomed in her ears.

“Fillyfooler! What kind of example are you trying to teach to these kids?!”

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy gripped her hooves against the cloud roughly as that memory came to her. It wasn’t the only time she had heard that word, but it was definitely the first. It was just the natural part of the life cycle that she would hear nothing but bad things about fillyfoolers, whether she was consciously hearing it or subconsciously. She never wrote those words on that paper. She only drew the picture. Of course, she couldn’t convince the teacher that because she had no idea who did or even how they got that picture from her. And she was too innocent to blame anypony.

All it was was just fuel to the fire. All parents she met consisted of a mare and a stallion. All couples she witnessed at school were with a filly and a colt. Even the animals that she took care of fueled her with the thought it was impossible for two same genders to be anymore than just friends.

A few flashes of light could be seen even through her own closed eyelids. This cloud she lied on read her emotions and pain like a book. Ever since Rainbow Dash left Flight School to join the Junior Speedsters Flight Camp, her own time in Flight School had gotten worse and worse, both mentally, and physically.

______________________________________________________________________________

”Come on, Fluttershy!” one of the bullies holding Fluttershy down spoke. “We just wanna help you fly! Just like your friend, uh… Rainbow Crash was it?!”

Fluttershy was being held down on her stomach by two bullies against her will. The first one kept her from standing up while the second one kept her wings unfurled. She tried so hard to close them, but her wings were too weak. All she could do was whimper and cry, which only pleased the bullies further.

“And this is the most important lesson about flying,” the first bully spoke. “Make sure to pull out all bad feathers on your wings.”

“This feather looks pretty bad to me!”

Fluttershy yelped when the second bully clenched his teeth down on one of the feathers on her left wing. Immediately, he tugged on it, plucking it out with no remorse. The immediate yank caused her to yelp in pain.

“I see another one! Let me help!”

“N-no! *sniffle* P-please stop!” Fluttershy tried to plead, but the first bully ignored her and clenched on one of the feathers on her right wing. He then immediately tugged and plucked it out. The stinging plucks made her try harder to close her wings, but they were too weak to escape the bullies’ grasps.

Spits sounded in her ears. “In fact, all these feathers are bad! No wonder you can’t fly!”

“Good thing you have friends like us!”

The two bullies continued to pick at her feathers, plucking them one by one. Each pluck made her flinch in agony while her feathers were sprawled in pieces all around her, some falling in her mane. Some of the plucks became as bad as three of her feathers being pulled at the same time. When they pulled, the feathers plucked apart from her wing one by one, half a second passing as they plucked, half a second that each felt worse than hair being ripped out of her coat.

Fluttershy could only cry in agony as her feathers were recklessly plucked apart. With no pony around to help her, and with Rainbow Dash gone, nothing would be able to stop the pain, until all her feathers were plucked.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy gripped and hugged her cloud like it was her pillow while her wings shivered at her side. She had no idea how long she had been lying there crying about those memories. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours. Eventually, the cloud felt like it was starting to descend, bringing a drop in her stomach when it did so.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure what brought her more pain in those memories, the bullies, or Rainbow Dash’s absence. Being so shy and a weak flier, she could never make any friends in Cloudsdale. The few who would even speak to her were bullies. The least that they did was tell her to give up and that she didn’t belong there.

Even though Cloudsdale was where she was born, as she watched the many pegasi that left Cloudsdale to travel Equestria and move on, she believed those bullies. Often, she would see a few birds fly by Cloudsdale as well, watching them in awe and wishing she could be free like them. She was practically a wingless bird stuck in the clouds. She wanted to be able to spread her wings and escape these clouds, to be freed from bullies and live on with the animals. The animals were nothing like ponies at all. They never bullied. They understood her. And they were so adorable.

But she wasn’t a bird. She was a butterfly. She was a lone butterfly who could barely fly. She couldn't escape these clouds to live on the land. She needed the clouds. For as long as she couldn't fly, she needed their shelter in order to live. If she was ever to be free, she would need the help of more butterflies to help her migrate. Without them, she would remain a trapped and lone butterfly.

Fluttershy’s thought process paused when the cloud ride slowed to a stop. Opening her eyes, she noticed that the outside light had dimmed considerably. She blinked her teary eyes hard a few times to numb the sting she inflicted upon herself from all that crying. Her crying even soaked the cloud so much that she left her coat damp.

Yet, despite how soggy the inner cloud was, the outer one looked perfectly fine. Except for the bottom part. Rain was still pouring onto it, but a few scorch marks were visible as well. As a filly, these cloud shelters protected her and kept her safe. She could hide in them to avoid the bullies that would fly from one cloud to another, seeking to make fun of her. But hiding inside the clouds made her feel trapped and alone. She could never stay concealed in them. She wanted to escape their comfort so that she could find her freedom. Now a similar thing had happened in present time.

Looking ahead, Fluttershy decided it was time to leave this cloud shelter and be free again. She brought up a hoof and pressed it towards the clouds, sniffling the few tears still escaping her eyes. She dug her hooves through them one by one, digging out the cloud particles and creating a hole outside.

The cloud shelter was surprisingly thick. But maybe she should’ve expected that if it was able to shelter her emotions. She kept digging through the cloud. Soon she would become the bird that would be free. Soon she would be freed from that past. She would return to her animals and never have to be bullied again. Grunting with resolve, she gave the last few digs to the cloud and revealed the light outside. She didn’t hesitate to push herself through and spread her wings.

But as soon as she did so, she wished she had stayed in her little shelter. The sight of her once beloved cottage over the night skies showed that she could not escape her past. Because she had brought it with her.

Her cottage and gardens were empty and barricaded. Her garden was starting to rot. The leaves on the trees were falling. And no animals were in sight. Her fears of the little critters had made them depressed to the point she had to let them go. She kept letting them leave one by one, not even thinking that one day, there would be none left.

But now it had happened. They were all in new homes now, away from her and possibly happy. She was all alone, still trapped while they were free. And she had made it happen that way.

Fluttershy gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes. She tried so hard not to sob out of control again. But it was difficult to do so. The best she could do was fly through the window of her empty cottage, knowing all too well that she had caused this to happen this way. If only she hadn’t been so scared all the time…

Fluttershy landed inside the bedroom of her cottage, heading straight for her bed. She didn’t bother turning on the lights, or doing anything else. She resisted her tears from shedding until she managed to lay in her bed, only to quickly cover herself under the sheets while she clutched the pillow tightly in her hooves. A loud cry could be heard being muffled through those sheets as it bobbed up and down.

If only Rainbow Dash hadn’t left that day, she wouldn’t be all alone like this. If only she had been stronger, she wouldn’t have been tormented by so many bullies in her fillyhood. If only she hadn’t been such a scaredy pony, her fears wouldn’t have spread towards even her animals. The very creatures in Equestria that brought her happiness and joy wherever she went. And now her fears spread to them. She couldn’t even touch them. And they were no longer happy with her. What choice did she have?

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy stood at the edge of the cloud, watching as the birds started flying off, some of them in pairs. She focused more on the ones paired up than the ones in groups. They just seemed far happier than the others in her eyes.

To be free like that was something she could only dream of. She was a wingless bird, a butterfly who was all alone. She belonged on the ground, but was stuck in the clouds so high in the skies. If only she could somehow get down there.

But as a filly butterfly who could not fly very well, once she got down there, she would never be able to get back up and return to her only home. But that didn’t matter. She knew where she would go. She would live on with the animals. She would be away from the bullies. She would be surrounded by lovely adorable creatures that she could understand.

With that resolve, she wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood up. She didn’t look back at Cloudsdale. She focused only on the ground that was so far away. Even with the fear in her mind, she had to be brave. With all of the courage left in her heart, she leapt from the cloud. Gravity took her fast and she started plummeting.

It was then that something sharp snapped in her mind and she started screaming in both pain and fear. The act of spreading her wings made her realize, she was featherless. Her wings had been plucked of most of their feathers, and she had no way of flying.

Screaming, crying, yelling, nothing was going to stop the fear and pain in her heart right now. The only thing that would stop it was the ground she would soon meet. There was a difference between being brave and being a foal. And now she would learn it the hard way.

Now it was too late. The ground came fast. And nopony was around to help her. Not Rainbow Dash. Not the animals. Not even the pegasi in Cloudsdale. Even if she had the heart to, there was nopony to blame. Nopony, but herself.

As soon as her head met the ground, it all ended.

______________________________________________________________________________

There was a click in Fluttershy’s mind. She sprung up from her bed, panting from exhaustion at what her mind was doing to her. Things weren’t adding up anymore. Sweat was dripping down her throbbing forehead while her heart pounded on her chest. She braced her chest with her hooves, taking steady breaths to settle her mind.

If that was how things had played out in the past, how was it possible that she was still here now and alive? But more importantly, why were all these memories springing on her right now?

Fluttershy’s train of thought restarted and went back to the beginning. These memories started springing after that kiss. One, no, two kisses that told her what Rainbow Dash couldn’t in words. But now the question was, did she feel the same way?

Fluttershy realized that the only reason she felt two mares could not be together was through other ponies’ words, and a haunting experience at the phrase, ‘fillyfooler’. But did that mean she had to think that way?

What did ‘she’ think. That’s what Rainbow Dash asked her. She never did have anything close to romantic feelings for other mares. The feelings she had were always platonic.

In fact, she never had that sort of feeling towards stallions either. And when it came to fillies and colts, only the fear of being bullied crossed her mind. There was never anything more than either shyness or just a friendly feeling that she had between anypony she met. The only times she felt that sort of joy was through…

Her animals…

______________________________________________________________________________

”Here, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said in a lowered stance while her tail swished around. “Let’s try this game! It’s called leapfrog!”

“Frog?” The sound of that name for some reason brought warmth in Fluttershy’s heart.

“Leapfrog! Here I’ll show ya.” Rainbow Dash came to Fluttershy and nudged her to bend towards the ground cloud. After she was bent down, Rainbow Dash moved out of view.

“What do I, Eep!” Something bounced off her flank and jumped over her.

“Woohoo!” Rainbow Dash had lept over her, shouting in joy as she put off some distance with that jump. She wasn’t even using her wings. But when she landed, she looked back to Fluttershy.

“Now it’s your turn!” Rainbow said and turned around, bending over in a similar position. “Just do what I did! Come on!”

Unsure of herself, Fluttershy walked up to Rainbow Dash for a closer distance. After all of the scary and rough games Rainbow Dash had showed and demonstrated to her, this one still seemed far less threatening.

The first game she was shown to play was a race from one cloud to the next. But because of her inability to fly well, she couldn’t even get off the cloud they started from. Rainbow Dash canceled the race just as soon as it started.

Other games ranged from dodge cloud, hoof wrestling, chasing, and even sliding down from a cloud slide. No matter how hard they tried, Fluttershy just wasn’t having fun. She was starting to doubt they could ever do anything fun together

But now, Rainbow Dash presented one that warmed her heart at the name of. She had no idea how it worked. But from what Rainbow Dash showed, all she had to do was jump over her.

With that resolve, she pushed herself off the cloud as hard as she could, making her jump forwards.

“Oogh!”

“Ahh!”

She and Rainbow Dash ended up sprawling to the ground. She managed to jump, but she landed on Rainbow Dash. Their crash on the ground made cloud tufts shoot up, clouding them in a shallow fog.

“Um… s-sorry,” she apologized, getting off of Rainbow Dash.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Rainbow said, getting herself back into position. “Just try again. And don’t be afraid to land your front hooves on me for that extra boost.”

Fluttershy wouldn’t have known what Rainbow meant by that if it wasn’t demonstrated earlier, when she felt something bounce on her flank. Taking Rainbow’s advice, she tried again. She took a bit of a running start this time. As soon as she was in range, she stepped her forehooves on top of Rainbow’s still blank flank, using both her hind legs and her forehooves to push at the same time and leap in the air.

This time, she managed to jump over Rainbow Dash. Her landing placed her within legs length of Rainbow Dash, but she still did it.

“Nice job, Fluttershy! Woohoo!” Before Fluttershy could let her achievement sink in, Rainbow Dash lept over her again. “Come on, let’s keep going!”

A funny feeling spread along Fluttershy’s stomach while her heart warmed. It felt somewhat exhilarating, and it made her want to keep going. Responding to her instincts, she repeated her motion and hopped over Rainbow Dash. She even let out a ‘Woohoo’ upon doing so.

After she landed, Rainbow Dash hopped over her. Then she hopped over Rainbow Dash. They both squealed in delight alternatively as they continued hopping over each other. It was the first time she ever experienced something so thrilling with another pony. It wasn’t scary. It wasn’t painful. It was just... fun.

“Fluttershy! Look out!” Before that shout could be registered in her mind, Fluttershy met face first with a cloud wall, stopping her movements. Her body slid down from the wall until it met the ground, making her tilt and fall backwards, kicking tufts of cloud in the air as she fell on her back.

It still wasn’t painful, but it startled her, which wasn’t nearly as bad as scaring her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Rainbow Dash looking down at her. Rainbow was smiling, and she couldn’t help but smile back. When she returned the smile, Rainbow started giggling, making her giggle as well.

“There’s that smile,” Rainbow said through her giggles. “See? I told ya you could have fun.”

Fluttershy could only laugh harder with more joy at Rainbow’s persuasion. After all the failures they experienced, in the end, Rainbow was right.

“Oh no! Fluttershy! There’s a hungry tiger around that wants to eat you!” Fluttershy’s laughter died instantly as her eyes went wide.

“What?! Where?!” She darted her eyes around the scenery as her body turned paler than it already was.

“IT’S ME!”

The next thing she felt was Rainbow’s mouth wrapping around her exposed tummy. The hard breath of a raspberry being blown on her tummy reduced her into a hysteric laughter. She flailed her hind legs around while Rainbow Dash blew harder. The hungry tiger that Rainbow Dash was was eating away at her stomach with no mercy. She didn’t have enough strength to push the head of that tiger away. All she could do was laugh and flail while Rainbow Dash blew and tickled her belly.

______________________________________________________________________________

“T-that’s it, isn’t it?” Fluttershy removed the covers away from her as she slowly sat up from her bed. The very thought of that memory brought an odd feeling in her stomach. It felt like the fluttering of different wings thumping the insides of her belly. She could describe it as a lone and delicate butterfly desperately trying to fly away from a fast preying bird. The bird would cut the butterfly off many times, but never catch the butterfly.

“She is the bird, and I am the butterfly…” Fluttershy closed her eyes. “You have always thought of us as animals, haven’t you?” She thought about Rainbow Dash’s actions and how she got Fluttershy to open up in the first place. The first time she succeeded was through playing leapfrog. Fluttershy never experienced fun like that.

Some games involved chasing, which were changed up from the last time they tried it. She was the prey, while Rainbow Dash was the predator, whether on clouds or in water. Other games involved things like capture the stuffed animal, and hide and seek while being blind as a bat. One of them was a terrible idea known as duck duck goose, because it required more than two ponies to play. And no filly or colt was as friendly to her as Rainbow Dash was.

In the end, her overall favorite game with Rainbow Dash must’ve been playing a simple board game of Battlecloud, even though she lost every time. Rainbow Dash had quite the talent in that game, except for some reason that one time when she was in the hospital.

But there was something about all these games. Not only did all these games relate to animals in one way or another, but besides leapfrog, they were all related to predator vs prey. Rainbow Dash was the predator, while Fluttershy was the prey.

Rainbow Dash had been chasing Fluttershy down like a predator. She would always catch her prey, but never eat her. Despite how scary they were, Fluttershy enjoyed them. But a predator and prey were complete opposites that could never get along. So when other predators entered the fray, they preyed on Fluttershy like the vicious animals they really were.

But for Rainbow Dash, it was different. Fluttershy thought back to the question Rainbow Dash asked earlier.

”Are you scared of me?” There was more meaning to that question than she initially thought.

“No… I’m not scared of you,” Fluttershy answered confidently. “Rainbow Dash… I understand now.” She moved herself to the side of the bed, letting her hind hooves dangle in the air. “You see everypony just as much of an animal as you see yourself…” She closed her eyes. “You’re like a wild predator, but you don’t prey on the weak. You only preyed on the strong who picked on the weak.”

Fluttershy opened her eyes to take a look outside her window, more specifically, in the direction of the Winsome Woods. “That must’ve been why you spat on the one bandit who was holding me. Because he was the one preying on the weak.”

Fluttershy lowered her gaze. “When you were preying on me like a shark, you were playing the same game you always played, and showing me how to have fun. But at the same time, you were protecting me.” She tore her view away from the window and started tearing up again. “And all I did was call you a wild animal. A wild bandit that preyed on the weak.” She took a moment to wipe the tears she was shedding. Things were becoming more and more clear to her. “Is that why you have these feelings for me? Because I take care of so many animals?”

Thinking about Rainbow as an animal brought up many points in her memories. Rainbow Dash would often stance herself like a predator ready to attack. She would act through her instincts a lot. She could even match her roar with a timberwolf. And when she was super happy, she would pant with her tongue out just like a dog would.

“Just like I prefer the small and cute little guys, you prefer to stick up to the weaker ponies, rather than fit in with the strong… You took care of me in Cloudsdale, but I could never take care of you in the same way.” Fluttershy sniffed. “Is that why you left?”

Saying those words brought back the tingle that had been torching her body for all this time. It was oddly not present at all while she was thinking to herself, until now. More words came to her mind.

”Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You refuse to believe something, you build inner regret, and the more your body will suffer.”

In the corner of her eye, something crossed her vision. There was a tiny object on her desk that seemed to sparkle. That object showed her the last piece to this puzzle in her mind. Her heart pumped all feelings in her body again. She could deny it no longer. She knew what she was feeling, and she knew what she had to do.

Fluttershy shook off all the sadness on her face. She even wiped away the rest of the tears that soaked her eyes. With a brand new resolve, Fluttershy flew to the object, picked it up, and placed it in her mane. She went to the window instead of her front door this time to get out of her cottage.

Through the night sky, Fluttershy set her destination to Rainbow Dash’s house.

Author's Note

The part about Rivet, I write that part based on a real life moment. There was once a paper placed on my desk with a big curse word written on it and perfectly readable. I never swear, but everyone, including my teachers, believed I wrote it.

Anyway, depending on tastes, this might or might no be the 'Learn more about Rainbow Dash' that you were looking for, but more will come around, as they talk in the next chapter, and more.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1: First Contact

“Thanks for helping me, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy praised her friend as she waved a hoof towards the clear skies. “The weather looks wonderful.”

“No problem, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said, glancing at Fluttershy's hoof for a second before looking towards where it motioned to. “Heh… I’ve really outdone myself today.”

“I’ll say you have.” The two pegasi looked across the scenery that decorated the outside fields of the cottage. The animals around the garden were happily playing in the fields or with each other. Thanks to Rainbow Dash, the weather had been prepared in an environment that was very relaxing to them.

A few of the animals had taken a break and hopped over towards Fluttershy's legs. They rubbed their rustling furs along her hooves, relaxing in the gentle breeze that blew on their bodies. Fluttershy could see that Rainbow Dash was looking at them in awe. They were so cute, even she couldn’t resist.

Fluttershy took a few steps past Rainbow Dash, who seemed to be following her motion closely. Fluttershy lifted her hooves off of the ground to fly towards one of the lightly drizzling clouds. Rainbow Dash followed behind her closely.

“I don’t know how you do it, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy continued as she rubbed a hoof along one of the calm clouds that was giving a sprinkle. A ferret was standing under the cloud with its mouth open as the drizzle soaked its fur. Fluttershy looked back to Rainbow Dash and continued. “I can’t get these clouds to listen to me like you can.” Rainbow Dash seemed to be staring at the cloud for a few seconds before her eyes shifted back to Fluttershy.

“Oh, well, I guess it’s like how the animals listen to you better, heh…” Fluttershy smiled at the response. It was odd, but it sounded like Rainbow Dash was being a bit more quiet than usual. Fluttershy didn’t mind this though.

Fluttershy floated to a nearby tree branch where a box of feed had been placed. She took it in her hooves and started hovering along the grass. She was floating down to where a bunch of animals were gathering, hopping up and down as they waited for her.

“Aww, these critters are eager to eat, aren’t they, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked as she touched her hind hooves down on the grass. Rainbow Dash wasn’t responding though. She was just floating there, watching the animals attempt to crawl up Fluttershy’s hooves.

Fluttershy opened up the box of feed with her mouth. She bent forward, lifting one hind leg off the ground so that she was standing on one hind leg while she poured the feed on the ground for the animals. Thanks to her wings, she was able to keep herself balanced on one hoof.

The animals left their gathering spot around Fluttershy’s hooves and scurried to where the food was being dropped. All except one left for the food, making Fluttershy giggle. Fluttershy dug into the feed with a fore hoof and took out one piece of celery for the mouse that stayed behind. She bent down for the mouse, bringing the piece of celery in her hoof towards the mouse, to which the mouse eagerly went to eat off of her hoof in response.

Fluttershy turned her attention back to Rainbow Dash, who was still floating and being unusually quiet for some reason. She could see Rainbow Dash's hooves stretching oddly far apart as her mouth hung slightly open in a drooling trance, watching Fluttershy feed this little mouse.

Fluttershy felt a little odd about this. Ponies don’t normally eat animals. So why was Rainbow Dash displaying this strange hunger? Well, she decided to do something about it before it started happening.

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, I’m sure you’re hungry now after all that hard work,” Fluttershy started as the mouse finished eating. “Would you like to join me for dinner here?” Rainbow Dash took a few seconds of just floating there. Her eyes suddenly shifted to Fluttershy after realizing she was called on.

“Oh, uh… dinner? Yeah sure, Fluttershy… heheh…” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck nervously after responding. Fluttershy put a hoof to her mouth as she couldn’t help but giggle. Rainbow Dash was probably starving, but was too embarrassed to mention it.

______________________________________________________________________________

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were inside the cottage, sitting on opposite sides of each other at a dinner table. Their plates were each prepared with a carrot dog along with a side of oats.

They ate to their contents, but Fluttershy noticed that Rainbow Dash was eating slower than she normally did. She glanced up towards Rainbow Dash a few times. But every time she looked, Rainbow shifted her attention away from Fluttershy and back at her own food.

For a pony who she thought was starving, Rainbow Dash wasn’t eating very fast at all. Fluttershy tried to focus on her own food, trying not to embarrass herself from her own assumptions.

Fluttershy pushed the food around her plate, frowning a little bit. She thought she felt something gently brushing against one of her hind hooves. She moved her hoof around, but felt nothing, making her believe that it was just her imagination.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash started. Fluttershy was about to take another bite of her carrot dog, but her hoof stopped when she heard Rainbow Dash call her name.

"Hmm?" Fluttershy asked as she looked away from her food to look at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash wasn't responding though. She just stared in a trance at the carrot dog that Fluttershy was holding. The staring was making Fluttershy more uncomfortable than usual.

After a bit of staring, Rainbow Dash made a violent blink before she retreated her vision back to her own food, using a hoof to circle the oats around her carrot dog.

Fluttershy looked between her carrot dog and Rainbow's carrot dog, trying to see what was wrong. There was more food on Rainbow Dash's plate than on Fluttershy's at the time, so she couldn't figure out what was wrong with Rainbow's appetite.

Fluttershy set her carrot dog back down as that feeling she was imagining earlier felt like it returned. Her nerves were attacking her a lot more than usual, and for some reason, it was Rainbow Dash causing it with her own odd behavior that related to her appetite. Fluttershy really felt like she had to say something, or at least ask what was wrong.

"Rainb-" Suddenly, something hard hit her hoof right when she spoke. “AAHHH!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened as she let out a yelp of surprise and fell backwards.

“AAAHHHH!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she jumped in surprise at Fluttershy’s yell, her hooves slamming into the underside of the table, causing their plates to rattle. Fluttershy had fallen onto the floor as their screams together had echoed around the cottage.

“Oh Fluttershy! I’m so sorry! I…” Rainbow Dash tried to apologize, but tripped over her words. Fluttershy panted heavily, her wide eyes staring up at the ceiling as she lay on her back with her wings sprawled out. Her thoughts were racing inside her head. Rainbow Dash came to her vision, attempting to offer a hoof to lift her up. But it only lasted for a second before Rainbow Dash ended up retreating nervously.

“I… ohh…” Rainbow Dash made a slight groan as her words continued to stutter. “I should just go. I’m so sorry, Fluttershy.” Before Fluttershy was able to recover her breath, Rainbow Dash was already flying towards the front door.

When Fluttershy heard the door open, she shakily picked herself back up on her hooves. She managed to catch Rainbow Dash looking at her while she held the door open.

“Thanks for the dinner, Fluttershy… it was… oh…” Rainbow Dash shook her head before she started flapping her wings. “I’m so stupid…” That was the last thing Fluttershy heard before Rainbow Dash closed the door and flew away.

Fluttershy stared at the door for a while. It was a lot more quiet than usual around the cottage. It was so quiet that a wind blowing around the cottage could somehow be heard. Her body made slight shudders as her mind scrambled, making it feel like she had to remember to even breathe.

“What… was that…?”

______________________________________________________________________________

After that dinner moment had ended, Fluttershy did her nightly routine to go to bed for the night. While she was sleeping, the images of that moment with Rainbow Dash filled her mind. Her body instinctively tossed and turned in her sleep as those images created her dream.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy was happily feeding her animals like she normally did. She trotted along the garden, throwing out food for each critter she passed by, to which each sets of feed landed right in front of them.

While Fluttershy was doing this, her eyes caught something that shifted her interest. She thought she saw something running and entering inside one of the bushes in her garden. She trotted over to that bush, thinking that it was one of her critters being shy during feeding time. When she stopped in front of the bush, she giggled a bit as she reached a hoof out towards it, attempting to call the little critter out.

But before Fluttershy's hoof made contact with the bush, something else came and gently touched her fetlock. She looked to the side and noticed a shadowy figure standing next to the bush. It was gently bringing her foreleg towards it. Fluttershy made a small gasp when she noticed that the shadowy figure was the shape of a pony. It looked a lot to her like Rainbow Dash.

The shadowy pony carefully brought Fluttershy's fore hoof up to itself. It then lifted one of its own fore hooves up towards Fluttershy's. Her breathing intensified, unsure of what was going on. The figure slowly brought its own hoof to move towards hers, until they eventually connected.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy's eyes shot open when her hooves connected with that pony. Her body didn't jump, but she was quite startled by that sudden event. She realized that she was still in bed.

"Oh my..." Fluttershy sat herself up on the bed as she put a hoof to her forehead, trying to wake herself up from that moment. "What a strange dream..." She blinked her eyes a few times as she took a glance out her window. It was still early in the morning, but she figured that since she was awake, she might as well get started on her morning routine.

______________________________________________________________________________

The morning had gone by like it usually did. Fluttershy was now feeding her animals their breakfasts, such as seeds for the birds, acorns for the squirrels, and leaves for the ferrets. Things were going fine, but when feeding one particular mouse, things started changing.

"Here you go little one," Fluttershy said as she used a hoof to bring a slice of cheese towards the mouse just outside of his little mouse hole. But when the mouse went to reach for it, Fluttershy backed her hoof away nervously, causing the mouse to move back in a bit of a sad confusion.

“U-umm…” Fluttershy stuttered, unsure of why she was suddenly nervous. She decided to extend one of her wings, placing the cheese on one of her wing tips, and motioning it towards the mouse. The mouse hesitantly reached forwards again. This time it was able to grab the cheese.

Fluttershy wasn’t sure why she did that, but at least now the mouse was happily eating its food. She let out a smile, watching this mouse returning back to its hole. But seconds later, she felt something rub against one of her hind hooves.

“Ahh!” Fluttershy thrusted her hoof off the ground, turning herself around immediately towards whatever startled her. It was a squirrel trying to grab her attention, who also fell backwards due to Fluttershy’s reaction. “Oh my… um… sorry, I… um…”

Before Fluttershy could find words to use, the squirrel brought itself back up. The squirrel hopped in place a bit, making a chatter as it pointed towards another one of the critters in the cottage. It seemed to be an otter who was lying on its stomach, trying to reach its back.

“Oh my, do you have a sore back little guy?” Fluttershy asked as she walked up to them. Both the squirrel and otter nodded, the otter scrunching its face in pain while doing so. “Don’t worry, I’ve got just the thing.” Fluttershy walked closer to the otter, bringing a hoof up to do her work in massaging.

But for some reason, Fluttershy hesitated. “Nngh…” Her hoof retreated back to her own other hoof before it made contact with the otter. She couldn’t understand why, but she just didn’t want to touch the otter with her hooves, and she couldn’t use her wing tips for this because they wouldn't be able to apply enough pressure. The two critters looked at her in concern.

“Um… I’ll be right back.” Fluttershy lifted her hooves off the ground, using her wings to take her to the kitchen. “...What’s wrong with me…?” she asked herself as she searched her utensils for alternate methods. “I’ve never had to resort to this before…”

Fluttershy used her muzzle to grab a spoon from one of her kitchen drawers. After taking it out, she flew back to the two critters who had requested her help. The otter was still lying in its usual aching position while the squirrel moved away to give the otter and Fluttershy some room.

“Here, let me try this,” Fluttershy said while she held the spoon’s handle in her mouth. She used the other end to rub against the otter's back. She never had to resort to this before, so she had to be careful with how she motioned the spoon.

The otter seemed to somewhat enjoy the contact at least. The scratching with the edge of the spoon is what made the otter stretch with a delighted squeal. The otter must’ve had a really bad itch to go along with that ache.

Fluttershy let out a smile hearing the delighted sounds coming from this otter. She continued to scratch this otter with the spoon. But then, she felt something rubbing along her hoof as if it was trying to walk around her legs.

“Ahh!” Fluttershy jumped from that contact. This caused her to accidentally scrape the otter violently, making the otter yelp in pain. Fluttershy lost her grip on the spoon as she noticed that it was the squirrel from earlier that had rubbed on her hind hoof.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Fluttershy said to the pained otter. She looked over to the squirrel. “Please don’t touch me there… I…” The squirrel hurried over to its otter friend with a worried look on its face. The otter barely moved around in its painful state. “Oh…” Fluttershy let out a small groan of frustration.

The squirrel helped its otter friend up to stand, looking at Fluttershy with a regretful look. It seemed like the squirrel was blaming itself for what happened. It walked away with its otter friend, possibly looking for a comforting resting place, realizing that play time had to be skipped for today.

Fluttershy looked at her fore hooves in deep worry as she floated back down to the ground. There was a strange tingling feeling going on around all four of her hooves that she didn’t notice before.

“What is wrong with my hooves?” Fluttershy asked herself. She couldn’t tell what this tingling was, but it was making her hooves more sensitive than they used to be. She tried to think as she sat down on the ground after floating down enough.

“This all started happening when…” The images of that dream started entering Fluttershy’s mind. All she could think about was when that figure connected its hoof with her own.

“But, why did I have that dream...?” Fluttershy thought deeper about what happened yesterday. She looked away from her hooves to look around the scenery. She didn’t have any trouble taking care of her animals yesterday, but something happened yesterday that gave her quite a fright.

When Fluttershy’s eyes met the table, she remembered what that was. Rainbow Dash had touched one of her hind hooves from under the table. It was an accident, and Rainbow Dash had hastily apologized for it before bolting out. But for some reason while Fluttershy was thinking about that moment, her body yearned in a strange way. Her mind was wandering into detail of the exact moment that it happened.

“Mmmh!” Fluttershy shook her head, trying to get that out of her mind. But the tingling feeling on her hooves wasn’t leaving her. “Why am I feeling this?” She got back up on all four hooves, trying to walk the feeling away. But it just wouldn’t go away.

“Maybe I should ask Rainbow Dash…? She might know…” Fluttershy stopped herself, changing her walking direction to its opposite. “Oh, but she was just as startled as I was… Maybe that’s a bad idea.” She changed her direction again, this time heading for the door. “But how will I know what is wrong with me?” She opened the door, heading outside of the cottage as her anxiety continued to increase. “No, I shouldn’t do that to her. I’m just not going to ask.”

Fluttershy walked towards her garden as her body continued to heat up from her debate. She could see that many of her animals were playing in the garden.

Normally Fluttershy would be happy to see them play, but things changed when they all turned their attention to her. They were all running up to her, but Fluttershy winced when they got close. She instinctively flapped her wings to get her hooves off the ground and out of the little critters’ reaches.

“Ooh…” Fluttershy rubbed her hooves together nervously as she saw those animals putting on confused faces. She shook her head again, taking a deep breath as she tried to concentrate.

“I’m not gonna ask her. I’m not gonna ask her.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy stood on her hind legs, using her fore hooves to pour a box of feed down on the grass for the animals. But when the critters started scurrying to her, she yelped and lifted herself off the ground, causing her to drop the box.

“Oh…” Fluttershy attempted to reach her hoof out to it, but retreated when all of the animals started piling on the box. She rubbed her hooves together nervously as that tingling feeling continued.

“I’m not gonna ask her. I’m not gonna ask her.” Fluttershy’s voice continued to pitch higher every time she said those words.

______________________________________________________________________________

After feeding a few birds, one of them wanted to greet Fluttershy in a closer perspective. Fluttershy brought a hoof out so that it could stand somewhere while it showed its affection. But Fluttershy withdrew her hoof in fear before it landed, causing the bird to plummet towards the ground after the sudden disappearance of a landing zone. Fluttershy winced when it hit the ground with a thud.

“I’m not gonna ask her! I’m not gonna ask her!” Fluttershy’s voice went faster as well as increase its pitch.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy knocked on the front door of a giant cloud house high in the sky, shifting her weight with her hooves as she waited for an answer.

“I’m not gonna ask her! I’m not gonna ask her!” Fluttershy lost control of her voice, letting out a gasp of breath each time she said those words. Her body kept shivering as that tingle continued to torment her. She couldn’t take it anymore, but she continued to tell herself.

“I’m not gonna ask her! I’m not gonna-...” The door opened. “AAAHHHH!”

“AAAAHHHHH!” Both pegasi jumped in their own screams when they caught sight of each other. Rainbow Dash scrambled her hooves as she tried to regain her balance. “Fluttershy?! What are you doing here?!”

“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy started, trying to keep her heart beat under control. “I need to talk to you, I, AHH!” She was interrupted when Rainbow Dash grabbed onto her sides, dragging her inside her cloud house and closing the doors immediately.

“Fluttershy, if this is about what happened yesterday, I’m sorry!” Rainbow Dash frantically said as she released Fluttershy from her grip, unable to control her voice. “Please let's not talk about it!”

“Um… okay!” Fluttershy said as she picked herself back to her hooves. “But can we please talk about it!?” Rainbow Dash’s head moved back in surprise.

“What!?”

“Please Rainbow Dash! Something is wrong with me!” Fluttershy was just as shocked as Rainbow Dash was, talking quickly and uncontrollably.

“No Fluttershy! I can’t do that!” Rainbow Dash zipped behind Fluttershy. “I said it was an accident and I shouldn’t have done that!” Rainbow Dash started shoving Fluttershy roughly and quickly deeper into the cloud mansion.

“Aha! But Rainbow-” Fluttershy’s hooves were roughly sliding against the soft cloud floors, being pushed by Rainbow Dash in the direction of the bedroom.

“Fluttershy! We aren’t talking about it! We Can't talk about it! We just Can't!” Rainbow Dash continued to push Fluttershy against her will, taking her immediately towards the bedroom. Despite what they kept saying with their words, their actions were doing something completely different.

They were gonna talk about it.

Author's Note

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 9: Visit

Fluttershy fiddled with her fore hooves and hind hooves as her anxiety got worse. No matter what she tried, this feeling just wouldn’t stop bothering her. And now, it was severely affecting her duties with her animals.

Fluttershy got up and paced around as she thought back to her last mistake. When she reached for a bag of secured feed on a high shelf, she had stumbled because the animals below were impatient and hungry. In her rush, she had dropped the bag, causing it to burst open for all the animals to feed off of.

Even with her socks, she was too afraid to do much to stop them as they craved on the food like wild animals. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but others had joined in eating the food that wasn’t meant for them. They wouldn’t listen to her pleas anymore because of their lack of attention. She eventually managed to get them off and clean up the mess, but a large amount of it was craved. With some of the animals feeding off of food that wasn’t meant for them, some of them got sick as a result.

“Oh… I’m sorry my little ones,” Fluttershy continued to pace as she thought out loud. “I know I haven’t been very active, or affectionate with you lately, but…”

She closed her eyes as she thought back to how all this began. It all started that day Rainbow Dash helped her with her animals. Some time during that dinner she invited her to, an accident had happened that caused her to have these strange feelings with her hooves. Rainbow Dash told her she would get used to it eventually, but lately it’s felt like it’s been spreading to further parts of her body.

“Why won’t this problem go away? I can’t keep caring for the animals like this…”

There was something else she remembered Rainbow Dash telling her. Something about trust and herself.

“I do have trust in you, and I have trust in them to. What is it about me that I don’t trust?”

Thinking more deeply, there was more. Rainbow Dash mentioned that she had a similar problem with herself once. She must’ve gotten used to it, yet she trusted Fluttershy to keep it a secret between them.

“I’m sorry, but I have to do something about this.” Tears were on the verge of breaking from her eyes. “I can’t take this problem anymore. I have to see somepony about this. I need to know what's wrong with me.” Opening her eyes, she held her head up high. “I have to see-”

“Nurse Redheart-” a sudden voice disturbed Fluttershy’s thoughts and made her flinch, “-will see you now.” Her eyes glanced to her right, noticing two ponies, one of them being a nurse, while the other was a familiar mint green unicorn with a burnt tongue. “And can you stop talking to yourself? Other patients are here too you know,” the nurse finished while her patient walked towards her creamy earth pony friend.

With the voice breaking Fluttershy’s train of thought, she now realized she was already in the hospital while she was thinking all of that. Every patient sitting in the waiting room was currently staring at her, some annoyed, some confused, and one filly stifling a giggle. With all eyes centered on her, she sheepishly giggled in embarrassment and hid behind her mane. Reaching a leg out to her right, her first step made her squeak and rush off, creating a yellow and pink blur as she zipped past the nurse.

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy sat there in the face of the nurse, half nervous, half calm. The stethoscope Nurse Redheart was using cooled her coated chest as it was being pressed beneath it, touching skin. Redheart adjusted it multiple times and listened for the heartbeats while Fluttershy continued to steady her breathing every time. She constantly had to be told to relax so that Redheart could analyze her health. She didn’t have to be perfectly calm, but calm enough.

Soon, Nurse Redheart stopped re-adjusting and moved the chestpiece away. She removed the stethoscope from her ears and went to her notes, taking several glances towards Fluttershy as she reviewed them. The glances made Fluttershy swallow a few times, but she sat still and waited patiently for the results. The room was speechless until Redheart moved her notes aside.

"Well," Nurse Redheart started. "As far as the diagnostics go, your health is normal."

Fluttershy cringed at the results. "But... that can't be right. There has to be something wrong with me."

Redheart put a hoof under her chin as she pondered. "Can you repeat what you told me earlier? Why do you feel that something is wrong with your health?"

Fluttershy closed her eyes and fiddled with her hooves. "Mmm..." she tried to think, nervous about speaking her thoughts.

"You know I can't help you unless you give me something to go by."

The heat in Fluttershy's body increased. Talking about herself was not something she was always so fond of. Her shyness continued to absorb her thoughts while the tingle and itchiness spread along her features. They were eating her up until she took a deep breath and let it out.

"I used to be so happy... and comfortable with taking care of my animals. Being i-in there presence is a lot more comfortable than being here." Fluttershy paused and took another breath. "I used to understand them so well. I could take care of them and live a happy life."

Fluttershy managed to work up the courage and turn to Nurse Redheart, who stayed silent and listened carefully. "But now... I just can't feel that anymore." Redheart scribbled things in her notes as Fluttershy spoke. "Whenever they get close to me, I shy up. Their presence make me more nervous than being in a crowd. I can barely understand them now."

Nurse Redheart nodded and followed up. "So now you feel as if you've developed a strange fear for animals?"

Fluttershy hummed to herself before answering. "I don't know... I-I still want to take care of them. But because of this problem, it's been so exhausting that I can barely keep up." Her eyes glanced slightly away. "Now that they lack attention, they've been more demanding... and less understanding to me. Some of them wander towards Ponyville or the Everfree Forest all on their own. Some of them start picking on the other animals like bullies... and I can’t stop them..."

Fluttershy paused and winced before mentioning her next. "A-and today, I've been so off track that I accidentally fed them the wrong food. Now they've been getting sick, and here I am unable to do anything." Fluttershy humphed depressingly as she slouched in her seat. A few tears had shedded from her eyes that she wiped with a hoof.

"Uhuh..." Nurse Redheart when back to her notes and flipped through them, pondering what could be causing this. "We could be drawing a blank here. Pegasi don't normally have these connections with the animals in the first place. Any normal pony would theorize that you're probably just losing that part of your ability."

Fluttershy stuttered a gasp at the nurse's response. "B-but it's not just a part of me, it's really who I am, my special talent."

Nurse Redheart held a hoof up in the air. "I didn't say that's what was happening, it was just a selfless theory." She paused to see if Fluttershy had anything to say, but Fluttershy stayed silent in understanding. "Tell me, how long has this been going on?"

Fluttershy took a few seconds to think, counting the days. "A-about a week?"

Redheart nodded. "Has anything happened in between those weeks? Like something different or difficult? Maybe something that has changed your light on them?"

Fluttershy had to hum to herself once again as she thought. She had to think a little further back. But then her mind cringed up as she remembered a certain day. The thought made her end up biting on her hoof nervously as it came to mind. She clenched it so hard, she released a painful moan while the thought chilled her features.

“Hmm?” Nurse Redheart tilted her head when her patient’s mood suddenly went into inner overdrive. “Did… something happen?”

Fluttershy managed to stop biting her hoof as she released some tension from herself. The bite marks on her hoof were still present, but the physical pain was refreshing considering her internal.

“S-sorry,” Fluttershy said. She hadn’t wanted to think about it, but she could at least say something. “I have a personal pet who has been away for a while. His name is Angel.”

“Angel, hmm?” The nurse smiled at the name.

“Mhm,” Fluttershy nodded. “He’s a very special bunny to me. He may be a little grumpy sometimes, but mostly, he’s a sweetheart who really helps around the house.”

“Hmm…” Redheart pondered for a second. “Grumpy, but helpful. Mind if you elaborate?”

Fluttershy shook her head and answered. “Well, whenever I forget something important, he reminds me by beating it into my head.” Nurse Redheart stumbled when those words were, not only spoken, but spoken so calmly. “Like, when I was late to a very important party, he presented a watch to me to show me the time. And to ensure that I wouldn’t waste more time and miss it, he locked me out of my cottage.”

Nurse Redheart could barely contain bursting out a questioning gasp as she listened to this.

“When something bad happens, he throws stuff at me to grab my attention. And when I give him something he doesn’t want, he slaps me and shoves what he really wants in my face. I can’t understand him like the others, so he has to be assertive or else I won’t understand him.”

Nurse Redheart wanted nothing more than to just burst out that this little devil called Angel was the prime root of all her problems. But there was one fact that prevented her from doing so. Fluttershy said earlier that Angel had been away for around the past week. How could something like that missing from her life cause her so much problems?

“But perhaps the best thing about my little Angel, is that whenever I’m depressed or upset, he-”

Nurse Redheart shook her hooves in front of her. “No! Don’t say any-” she silenced herself before finishing by hacking and coughing.

“Hmm?” Fluttershy tilted her head in confusion while Redheart was clearing her throat.

“I-I mean, is there anything else that has happened?” She then whispered to herself. “Please… no more about that rabbit.”

Fluttershy couldn’t exactly make out what she said, but she thought about the other days. “Well, besides the pro-” she suddenly stopped herself when she realized what she was about to say. Talking about Angel got her so comfortable with speaking, she ended up going over a private detail without realizing it.

“Pro-mise?” Redheart asked, being released from her painful trance.

The hairs on Fluttershy’s coat stood. “I-I mean, nevermind!” She shook her head rapidly. “Nothing else happened!”

But the nurse didn’t leave the conversation there; anything that would draw attention away from that rabbit. “You won’t say anything because of a promise you’re keeping?”

Fluttershy could only respond by squeaking and flinching. She didn’t answer otherwise.

“Tell me, how do you feel about this promise that you’ve made?”

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes and whimpered. She didn’t want to mention its existence at all. And now by the slip of a tongue, she had. All she felt now was a regret that she was showing in front of the nurse.

“It’s nice that you are keeping a promise, but you should never keep a bad promise.”

Fluttershy’s eyes flipped open at those words. “B-bad promise? No!”

Nurse Redheart shook her head. “Convince yourself before you convince me. I won’t ask you what the promise is, but don’t keep it if you know it’s wrong.”

A heatwave filled Fluttershy’s body at these words. But this wave didn’t increase her embarrassment, it was making her… angry. “Y-you’re wrong! T-that promise is a-anything but bad. I-I s-shouldn’t even be talking about it!” The more she spoke about the promise, the more her body shook, all for Nurse Redheart to see.

“That may just be the root of your problem,” Redheart continued. “You refuse to believe something, you build inner regret, and the more your body will suffer.”

Fluttershy had an inner regret alright. She regretted ever revealing that promise. She regretted not being a good friend to Rainbow Dash lately. And now, she regretted coming here.

“I-I think I should go now,” Fluttershy said quietly as she got up from her seat. With nothing more to say, she walked out of the room. Nurse Redheart made no attempt to stop her and watched her go. When her patient left, her mind cringed all over again. All she could think about was that rabbit.

“That… didn’t just happen… did it?”

______________________________________________________________________________

Fluttershy flew through the skies, trying to release the tension that she had just received from her latest visit. She just couldn’t accept what she heard at all.

“I am not keeping a bad promise!” she said to herself. “And Rainbow Dash is not a bad friend!” She continued to increase her speed as she flew through the air. She wasn’t much for flying, but thinking about her best friend made her want to fly faster, faster than she had ever flown naturally. “If anything, I’m the bad friend. I gave her my word that I would never speak of it at all. And now I let it slip. Oh, Fluttershy, you featherhead!”

Fluttershy smacked both forehooves against her head at her mistake. She just wanted to punish herself so badly. “But her promise isn’t bad. It’s a good one. She has every right to hold it.” She looked far ahead and focused on her flight path. “In fact, I’m going to her house right now. I need to make this right by telling her what I did.”

While she was talking to herself, the cloud mansion soon came into view. She wasted no time in flying towards it. “She deserves to know so that she could punish me properly, and before something bad really happens.” With confidence, she took to landing towards the front door. Lifting a hoof, she was about to knock.

“What am I supposed to do?” Fluttershy’s hoof froze in the air before it made contact with the door. A voice had spoken. “She’s so naive, and innocent. It’s just so hard.”

“Hmm?” Drawing her hoof away, Fluttershy decided to lean an ear against the door. The voice sounded like Rainbow Dash, obviously. But who was she talking to?

"I can lead to it just fine, but when it gets to the talking... I just… lock up.”

Fluttershy left the door and flew along the side of the house to get a better hearing. The closer she got to the bedroom window, the more clear the voice was.

“I thought she would respond to the hints, but, either she's avoiding it, or she doesn’t feel that way about me.” Fluttershy stopped closing in when the words were clear enough for her. She used the walls of the house for support. But for some reason, she couldn’t hear who she was talking to.

“She seemed fine earlier, and after taking care of so many animals, I thought she would get them. But I guess it’s just not the same. Hmm…”

Fluttershy’s ears fell flat as guilt struck her for eavesdropping. “Oh… I really shouldn’t be listening to this… but…”

“I wonder how that would be like... “ Fluttershy’s attention was brought back. “Nah, she’d think that’s too weird. Ponies and animals are too different, at least to her. Why else would she be so shy?”

“Ponies… and animals…?” Fluttershy whispered to herself. “Is she talking to Tank?” She thought about that possibility and dismissed it. “No, Tank’s with Angel.” She decided to stay quiet and try to figure out what was going on.

“I’m not saying being an animal isn’t cool, it’s just… nevermind.” Rainbow Dash cleared her throat. “I’m just saying I want her to know how I feel. If I can’t tell her, how else do I do it?”

There was still no sign of that other voice. Maybe she was talking to herself, but it didn’t sound like it. But what she probably should’ve been wondering was what was Rainbow Dash talking about.

“I already convinced myself that she didn’t feel the same way. And, I was okay not knowing. But… I just don’t know if I can handle the answer.”

For some reason, Fluttershy’s heart started racing faster the more she listened to this. She put a hoof to her chest as that beating made it harder to breathe. She couldn’t understand why it was doing this.

“I’ve wanted to forget about it, but she keeps coming to me.” There was a pause. “No! I don’t want her to not come, it’s just…” Pause.

Fluttershy inched a little closer. It sounded like she was talking about their trip to Winsome Falls. Her features were getting more itchy and tingly, but she just didn’t want to tear herself away. Every fiber of her body persuaded her to listen in. And the more she listened, the more regret filled her.

“Is she fighting with herself on whether I should go to Winsome Falls with her?” Fluttershy whispered to herself. “Is she really that worried about me and can’t tell me?” The more she thought about it, the more it just didn’t make sense. And that sense was bringing more ache to her body.

“I’ll try, but I should probably just leave it alone.” Rainbow Dash seemed to let out a chuckle before continuing. “At least I’ll get to spend more time with her. Thanks Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy stumbled her flight as she heard her name being called. Her face ended up planting itself inside the thicker walls of the cloud house, being absorbed and stuck. She flailed her wings into flapping, desperately preventing herself from flipping and falling off the wall.

It sounded like Rainbow Dash flew out of the window just now, but with all this white in her face, she couldn’t see anything. She tensed up and expected Rainbow Dash to come back and find her, but she didn’t.

Fluttershy pressed her hooves against the cloud and pushed, trying to get her head unstuck as her silent grunts were being muffled by the cloud. Her head eventually got released with a pop and tossing cloud tufts in the air, but the momentum nearly caused her to lose balance. She flailed her limbs as her wings roughly allowed her to re-attach herself to the cloud wall.

Fluttershy released a sigh of relief after saving herself from falling. But when she saw the damage she did to that wall, she gasped in despair.

“Ahh! Oh no!” The damage was as wide and deep as her head. She frantically tried to fix it up by pushing other parts of the cloud to fill the hole. “It’s okay, I can just-” but in the middle of sliding her hooves, a large chunk of the cloud snapped off, making the hole bigger.

Fluttershy screamed at the sight. She was causing even more damage to Rainbow’s house that way.

“Oh no, oh no, oh no,” she spouted out her worries as she looked towards the skies. She needed to find replacement clouds to fill the hole. There were a few near the house so Fluttershy flew to the closest one.

“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash! I didn’t mean to damage your house!” Fluttershy reached the cloud and tried to pull a small tuft of it off. “Don’t worry! I can fix it! I-”

Suddenly, lightning struck from the cloud. Fluttershy flinched away from the cloud, screaming in terror. Not wanting to make that mistake again, she ignored all of the other clouds that were in the air and frantically tried to think of another solution.

“What do I do?! If Rainbow Dash sees this, she’ll… Wait, Rainbow Dash!” While she was thinking, she remembered Rainbow Dash keeping lots of leftover clouds around her house. She also remembered Rainbow Dash using that to fix a wall earlier. With that thought, Fluttershy flew towards the window to head inside Rainbow’s room. After landing inside, she looked around, panting and worried.

“Where does she keep them? Oh… where should I look?” Her eyes pointed towards the bed, the drawers, and a few stands. And then it pointed towards the storage room.

“Ahh!” Fluttershy flinched away at the sight of somepony pulling a fierce stare on her with flared wings, blocking the storage. “Oh…” But her nerves were somewhat relieved when she realized it was just herself in cloud form. Maybe she could’ve used that, but the thought escaped her just before it even began.

Fluttershy’s sight went towards the washroom. She thought about searching the drawers, but didn’t want to invade personal stuff. She went to the washroom instead, heading straight for the cabinets under the sink.

Fluttershy sighed in delight at the sight of some leftover clouds filling the cabinet. She scraped small tufts of them apart and together until she formed one that was about the right size to fill the hole.

Grabbing the tuft, she flew back outside to where the hole was, placing the tuft inside the hole. It was a bit larger than the hole, but she could still squeeze it in. The cloud didn’t strike lightning like the ones in the sky, so she was able to slide her hoof along it, wiping the excess and smoothing it out. Eventually, the hole was fully fixed.

“Phew…” Exhausted from her worry, Fluttershy flew away from the wall and took to resting on the closest cloud she could find. Forgetting this was the same cloud that nearly zapped her, she rested upon it on her back with a calm mind, taking steady breaths. The cloud responded to her relief in a tame nature, and brightened back into a regular cloud.

While Fluttershy was catching her breath, her mind went back to the conversation, and how wrong she thought it was to peer into it. The last thing she wanted to do was damage something of Rainbow’s in the process. She was glad she was able to fix what she damaged, but if only she could-

“Hmm?” Something disturbed her train of thought. She felt something trekking along her forehoof. Something was trekking along both of them. Bringing her head up, she looked down at one of them. What she saw appeared to bubbles, and not from water. She lifted her hoof towards her snout and sniffed.

“Soap?” After smelling the cleansing flavor, she looked around. “Where did that…” Her eyes went towards the part of the wall that she just fixed. Getting up from the cloud, she flew up to it to have a look.

The wall was slightly oozing out suds from the squeeze, only to be absorbed as soon as it connected with the parts of the wall that didn’t get damaged. Fluttershy attempted to reach a hoof to it, but changed her mind and decided to go to where she got the leftovers.

Opening the cabinets, Fluttershy poked a hoof at the remains of the leftover clouds. Her hoof squished right through it like a sponge, and more suds of soap could be felt spreading along her hoof. Her eyes grew wide as an epiphany suddenly struck her.

“Is this where Rainbow Dash got the soap?” Fluttershy thought as she looked towards the shower room. She was mind boggled over everything that she had experienced in this cloud house. With careful steps, she walked towards the shower as her mind searched back through her fillyhood.

Fluttershy had lived her entire fillyhood on clouds, all the way until she got her Cutie Mark. She didn’t live in a luxurious house like this, but this was something she witnessed before. How much did she forget, or how much did she not know about how clouds worked?

Stepping in the shower room, she pondered using it again to relive those times. Though, it was very strange of her to think like this because, this would be her third washup today. Yet, she couldn’t get her mind off of it. She could hear the laughters of fillies in her head. As much as she wanted to think they were the cruel laughters from bullies, they were not.

Fluttershy pressed a hoof against the wall of the shower room, reaching inside for a small tuft.

”Check this out, Fluttershy” Rainbow Dash said as she ripped off a visible tuft of cloud from the wall, making Fluttershy squirm within the water.

“A-are you sure you should be taking that?” Fluttershy asked.

“It’s cool, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash responded without a care for punishment. “It's easy to replace clouds. And look!”

Rainbow Dash moved the cloud tuft to Fluttershy’s mane and started rubbing it. Large amounts of suds started foaming in her mane while Rainbow played around with it.

“Raaawr,” Rainbow growled as she pulled them upwards to make them stand, making Fluttershy look like she had spiky thorns on her head. Fluttershy flinched back, and the thorns couldn’t stay in place. They fell from Fluttershy’s head and smacked against her cheeks and under her chin. She winced as the soap teased to spray on her eyes, but didn’t.

Rainbow Dash stared at her for a few seconds, but couldn’t help laughing out and pointing at her. Fluttershy gazed and felt around her head, noticing that the cloud soap Rainbow decorated her with was now forming a long beard. She could only imagine how funny she looked right now. Normally she hated being laughed at, but in this instance, she couldn’t help herself from laughing as well.

Fluttershy pulled the tuft of cloud out as she thought back to that day. It was before they had their Cutie Marks and during one of their sleepovers at Rainbow’s place. She could barely remember those good laughters. She could only remember the bad that came from those bullies. Even Rainbow’s laughter came out as one of those bullies.

But now, as Fluttershy turned the showers on with this sponge cloud on hoof, that moment was no longer a memory of despair, but rather a memory of delight. There were many cool things Rainbow Dash showed her with clouds. She wasn’t as good with them back then as she is now, and most of the time they just crumbled back into one regular cloud.

One of these tricks was combining a cloud with soap to make a sponge that would dissipate as it was used. Fluttershy scrubbed that sponge along her features as the rain poured down on her. The heating cleanse that wafted across the shower room reminded her so much of Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy moaned as she felt her friend’s touch from that sponge. The deep steam in front of her that formed from her breath showed the very image of Rainbow Dash scrubbing that cloud sponge on her. They were fillies playing around with the water and the bubbles, but the most memorable was that scrub.

But as Fluttershy scrubbed that cloud tuft along her features, it soon vanished, along with the image. That wasn’t right… The tuft was supposed to last longer. What did she do wrong?

Fluttershy stuttered a gasp as the present resurfaced to her conscience. Her heart was heavy and beating fast as the rain peltered her body. Gasping for breath, she quickly turned the shower rains off. Despite the hot water rain ceasing, her body continued to heat up.

“W-what have I done?” Fluttershy asked herself. “Why did I lose myself like that?” Squeezing her eyes, she pushed those thoughts away from her mind. “It was like my body had a mind of its own…”

Fluttershy shook herself of the rain that pattered her body. Anything that controlled her mind couldn’t have been good. She never wanted to lose control of herself again like she did with her assertiveness training. She had to keep control of herself.

Clearing her mind, she exited the shower room and exited Rainbow’s home through the bedroom window. The more she thought about Rainbow Dash, the more lost she was. Was her second option yesterday really the better solution in the long run? She didn’t want to think so. She wanted to be with Rainbow Dash. She wanted to continue hanging out with her.

And she would. They were taking a trip to Winsome Falls tomorrow. She did not want to be a bad friend and cancel that plan. They were going to hang out and have fun. She had to remember that.

But there was one thing that kept resurfacing, something she heard earlier today.

“You refuse to believe something, you build inner regret, and the more your body will suffer.”

Was constantly asking to hang out with Rainbow Dash, being a bad friend?

Author's Note

Sadly, there are only 2 text sizes smaller than normal, but at least it was enough.

--
Find any errors? Please notify.

Feed back and criticism are appreciated.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy.