A Tale of Friendship

by Earl Grey

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Human, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy
Length: 10853

Rainbow Dash has a huge problem that's getting in the way of her athletic career. Two huge problems, actually...

Rainbow Dash was born to be an athlete. Eventually joining the Wonderbolts seemed like the natural progression in her life and yet there was always a roadblock stopping her from walking down that path. Whilst she may be the perfect athlete in terms of drive, personality and muscle tone, a genetic fluke left her with two very big problems to deal with. Though dealing with them isn't as easy as it sounds.

--

Let me begin by telling you all about the magical land of Equestria. No one really knows why it's called Equestria, but leading theories suggest that it refers to the land’s ancient tradition of keeping horses for use in transport and battle. Others say that it's all a coincidence and its name stems from a foreign language that resembles the word for horse riding. Others believe that the founder of the land was obsessed with horse puns.

Regardless of its long and storied history, Equestria is a vibrant, modern land filled with interesting people and magical creatures. There are three sentient races that predominantly inhabit Equestria; the humans, the elves and the avians.

Humans are a sturdy, hard working people with a strong emphasis on labour and nurturing life. Their agricultural knowledge is unmatched and as a result, the vast majority of farms are run and staffed by humans.

Elves, on the other hand, are a secretive and mysterious race, choosing to spend their lives studying one thing or another. A naturally intelligent race, the elves are forerunners in the various fields of science, using their innate magical talents to perform impossible acts.

Last but not least are the avians, a slender race who use the massive wings on their backs to take to the skies. The avian people are slightly smaller than their human and elven counterparts, but make up for it with their natural speed and agility. They have the strange ability to manipulate weather phenomena and use this power to help others in times of need.

You didn't come here for world building however.

Let's move onto the good stuff.

Published 2014-09-23 20:40:03 UTC
Last updated 2014-09-23 20:40:03 UTC

A Tale of Friendship

Rainbow Dash was an athlete; there was no other way to describe it. Competition was in her blood. The very mention of it would put her teeth on edge, making her restless until she got it out of her system. Her passion and aptitude for racing and competition was so good that her coach seriously thought she had the potential to go pro.

Rainbow Dash had a big problem however. Two big problems to be exact.

Her breasts were huge.

By some bizarre genetic accident or perhaps even cruel divine intervention, Rainbow Dash had been cursed with two large sacks of meat attached to her chest. No amount of sports bras, tape or bandages could keep them entirely still when running or flying. Yet, how she had managed to become so proficient despite them was nothing short of miraculous.

After a particularly grueling day of training, Rainbow Dash came home to her two bedroom apartment and sank into the couch face first. She immediately regretted doing this however because her already sore breasts began to scream in agony at the unwelcome pressure. Dash carefully sat up, taking care not to damage her wings, not to mention making sure she didn't put too much pressure on her lower back either. She groaned loudly and began wondering why she even bothered training so much if it just lead to this much pain.

She did this every day after training though. It's never gotten her anywhere.

“Need me to massage your back again?”

Dash's ears perked up. “Oh, sorry Shy. Didn't realise you were home.”

“No worries, I was just preparing a salad.” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “I'll just get the oils from the bathroom and set the table, you stay there.”

She left through another door in the fairly open living area, leaving Dash to her own devices. Dash ran a hand through her namesake, the rainbow coloured bird’s nest she called her hair. She was never one for styling it and it never just fell effortlessly into place like Fluttershy's did, so she often let it set where it pleased. This gave her a windswept look most of the time, but in truth it was a tangled mess.

Her mammoth mammaries were the only things about Rainbow Dash you could call big; physically speaking that is. She was fairly short, even for an avian. Her arms, legs and waist were slender and toned with constant exercise. She barely even had an ass to speak of, it was almost as flat as Fluttershy was in the boob department. So considering all this, why in Equestria did she get those.

It all started in High School. She was a happy and healthy kid with a penchant for speed and a slight disregard for the rules. She would ride her bike to school everyday, looking for other kids to race with. Even the human boys were no match for her.

That all changed when puberty hit. It was slow at first, starting with that embarrassing day when she was forced to go bra shopping with her mother, but then it got too fast to keep up with. She went through more bras than other kids had haircuts. When they finally stopped growing, and with the added effect of her small frame, it looked like she was smuggling melons under her shirt.

Suddenly the boys weren't as interested in racing as they were with trying to get into her shirt. When the competition dried up, so did the last of her patience with her boobs. She went to the local library and read as much as she could on reduction surgery. There was only one option that she could find: the magical elven method of matter deconstruction.

Matter deconstruction must always be followed by matter reconstruction in order to balance it out and thus required a second person to complete the ritual. Ending it at deconstruction would result in a vicious backfire that would most likely kill her. The thing was, Rainbow Dash had lived with her breasts for about ten years and she knew how bad they could be. She couldn't, in all good conscience, force another to live with that curse.

In the end, she decided to stay the way she was and just keep trying regardless.

A small bang snapped Dash back to her senses. Fluttershy had just set up the massage table. The oils sat at the edge of the table near her much taller housemate.

Fluttershy could be described as the opposite of Rainbow Dash in many regards. The most obvious of which were their height and their bust size. Fluttershy was six foot tall and that was in flats. It was something that made her stand out in crowds and it had always been a sore spot for her, causing her to avoid crowds at all costs.

She had always been a quiet, studious child and her lanky, gangling frame had never really endeared her to many people. She grew up predominantly friendless until Rainbow Dash came along. They were lab partners at first and Dash took the opportunity to coast through her work with the class nerd on her team. It worked for a while, but then Fluttershy showed an assertive side to herself that Dash never would have guessed existed.

It took a few study sessions in the school library and several requests for tutelage in other subjects, but eventually Dash and Fluttershy became real friends. To outsiders, they might seem like chalk and cheese, but to each other they were like sisters.

“Come on, Rainbow, take your shirt off and climb onto the table.” Fluttershy patted the surface of the massage table and smiled again.

Rainbow Dash complied, undoing the zips above each wing on her back and slipping the shirt off. It revealed not one but two comically sized sports bras that Dash had specially ordered to contain her breasts. She took care to remove each one, knowing that too much effort might put her back out even more, but when she got both of them off she sighed as the cold afternoon air got to them. “Feels nice getting some breathing room.” Dash said, her wan smile trying and failing to cover up the amount of pain she was in.

She climbed onto the massage table and lay down with her face in the hole at the end. At first, when Fluttershy offered to massage her back, she had been reluctant to accept, but the back pain forced her hand. Fluttershy wasn't very good back then, but she had gotten progressively better as the months went by. Now she was at the level where all of the back pain in the world was worth it if she can have a massage at the end of the day.

Fluttershy grabbed one of the bottles and poured a generous amount of oil onto Dash's back and squeezed a little onto her hands. Once she was nice and oily, she began to rub the rest of the oil evenly across Dash's back and made sure to avoid the obscene amount of side-boob emerging from either side of Dash's ribcage. “You feel especially tense today, were you running laps again?”

“Mmhm.” Dash replied lazily, she had almost fallen asleep on the table.

“You know how you get when you run laps. I'm always telling you not to push yourself, aren't I?”

Dash made another noise in assent, but offered nothing else.

Fluttershy shook her head, but smiled all the same. She hurt herself at times, but the way she reached for her goals regardless of her situation was admirable. It was something that Fluttershy could look at and learn from.

“Rainbow, don't fall asleep, you need to keep your wings clear of your back, otherwise they'll get oily.” Indeed, Dash's wings had drooped a considerable amount, but Fluttershy's massages were incredibly relaxing and it was hard to stay awake after a long morning of training. Dash knew how bad it was to clean oily wings though, so she snapped to attention and pulled them out of the way again. “That's better, now we're almost done. I still want you to take it easy for the next hour or so though.”

“I hadn't planned on doing anything much anyway.” Rainbow Dash replied. “I could go for some of that salad though if you have any spare.”

Fluttershy laughed softly. “I made sure to save you some.”

“Thanks, Shy. You're awesome.”

–

Rainbow Dash was sitting on the couch watching television with Fluttershy, mainly because she was told not to move around too much, but also because the tennis was on. Dash loved tennis; she was a dab hand at the sport herself, but it was too intensive to even consider doing it all the time. She'd probably snap in two after a week. She loved watching it though because it was the only sport Fluttershy would sit down and watch with her. Maybe because it was non-contact.

On-screen, a ball boy moved a second too slowly and got hit clean in the gut by a one hundred and twenty miles per hour serve. Fluttershy winced and Rainbow Dash laughed out loud. The former stood up and walked towards the kitchen, a slight panicked expression on her face. “Would you like some tea, Rainbow?” she asked, fidgeting with the hem on her sweater.

“Yeah, that'd be great, thanks.” Dash leaned her head back so she could see over the couch. Even upside down, Fluttershy was freaky tall.

After her massage, Dash had changed into a loose, fluffy dressing gown. She barely bothered tying it tight at the front, opting instead to leave as much breathing room as possible. Fluttershy had never openly complained about her near nudity, perhaps out of understanding that Dash didn't want to be tied up all day. It required a lot of preparation to keep breasts so large from jiggling all over the place and it came at the cost of comfort. So having the chance to quite literally 'let it all hang out' whilst at home was a miracle.

“Here's your tea.” Fluttershy placed the cup on a coaster in front of Dash and then sat in her own space on the couch, cradling her mug in both hands. “Is that ball boy okay?”

Dash laughed again. “Yeah, he was a little winded, but they let him sit on the sidelines for a minute or two and he was back up again. Look, there he is now.” The ball boy in question had just picked up a ball from a serve that failed to make it over the net.

Fluttershy took a long sip from her tea and when she finished, the smile was back on her face. Dash stared at her, at how her long, pink hair fell so cleanly and effortlessly into place. There didn't seem to be a tangle in sight. “How do you do that? With your hair, I mean.”

“What's wrong with my hair!?” Fluttershy began groping at her hair, trying to feel if something had gotten stuck in there.

“Nothing! I never said there was...” Dash took a calming breath. Fluttershy's insecurities could be difficult to handle at times. “I just mean that it's really smooth and tidy. Mine looks like crap all the time no matter what I do... not that I really care what my hair looks like, it'd just be nice to know if I could make it look good if I wanted to.”

Fluttershy let her hair drop and blushed. “Oh... I don't really do much to it. Just shampoo, condition and brush. I wouldn't even begin to know what style I would put my hair in if I dared to try it.”

“Is that really all? No painful looking instruments or time wasting rituals?” Dash turned to her roommate quickly and her dressing gown fell open a little more. Fluttershy turned away immediately, her face burning with embarrassment.

“No, not really,” she said, her voice louder and more high-pitched than usual.

Dash raised an eyebrow and turned back to the television, closing up her dressing gown a little as she did. She crossed and uncrossed her legs, tried focusing on the tennis match, but she couldn't get Fluttershy's words out her head. 'Just shampoo, condition and brush, huh?' She stood up and stretched theatrically.

“I think I'm still a little oily after that massage, I'm just gonna go take a shower. That okay, Shy?”

Fluttershy nodded politely, her eyes still on the match. “If the match ends before you get out I'll tell you who won.”

“You're the best.” Dash patted her room mate on the head as she passed by the back of the couch and made her way towards the bathroom. Just as she put her hand on the door handle, Fluttershy called out to her.

“I keep my conditioner on the top shelf near the shower.” She smiled, a clear look of amusement on her face.

Dash turned slowly, grimacing. “Yeah... thanks.” She entered the bathroom quickly and slapped a palm to her forehead. 'I'm an idiot, was it really that obvious? Maybe Shy just knows me too well.' Despite the slight embarrassment, she slipped off the dressing gown and hung it up on a hook on the back of the bathroom door, stretching out her wings for good measure. The dressing gown was loose, but Dash wasn't a fan of keeping her wings under clothing for too long.

She took a moment to look at her hair in the bathroom mirror; it was still as messy as she remembered it. Glancing downwards, she saw the swell of her breasts and sighed. Dash stripped off her boxer briefs and climbed into the shower, turning the water on. The shower stall was larger than one might usually see, an avian necessity in order to give their wings some space.

It was cold at first, but soon warmed up. She'd had a quick shower after finishing her training in the morning, but that had only been to wash the sweat off of her body, so having some time to soak under the shower stream and just get warm was welcome. She did just that, not bothering to do too much just yet other than let the water run through her hair and slick it back.

As an athlete, Rainbow Dash had never really seen the need for long hair, so she kept it pretty short most of the time. She had been letting it grow a little over the past few months so it reached just past her shoulders and tickled the joints of her wings. After a minute of soaking, Dash glanced at the shelves on the wall near the shower. Her own shelf was pretty bare; there was one bottle of some leading brand anti-dandruff shampoo, a bottle of body wash and a razor. Fluttershy's shelf had a few bottles of things Dash couldn't figure out the purpose of. 'What the hell is exfoliant scrub?'

When Dash finally spotted the conditioner that Fluttershy had spoken of, she noticed an almost identical bottle next to it labelled shampoo. 'Ah right, I'd best use them together to get the best effect. No point in half-assing this.'

Taking Fluttershy's advice, she grabbed the shampoo first and squeezed a generous dollop onto her hand. She sniffed it carefully before putting it anywhere near her hair. 'Floral? No pain no gain, right?' Dash took a deep breath and began massaging the shampoo into her scalp. She could smell the strong flowery scent already; it seemed to fill the room and Dash could only hope it didn't stick with her for too long after getting out of the shower. She let it sink into her hair for a few seconds before washing it out. There was a small improvement in the texture of her hair though; it didn't feel as rough or brittle any more.

Dash eyed the next bottle and grabbed it. 'Next up is conditioner, huh? It can't be that good can it?' She squeezed it into her hands and could immediately see a difference to the shampoo. It felt a lot more solid than the shampoo did; it wasn't about to suddenly slide off of her hand. It felt a little heavier and when she began rubbing it into her hair she noticed another difference. It didn't create an excess of lather. It just kind of stayed there, like she was gelling her hair back. She made sure to try and get every follicle of hair though. Again she left it to sink in for a few moments before washing it out.

That was when she noticed the final difference. Her hair felt amazing, like it was made out of spun silk. It flowed through her hands as she washed it. In short, it felt exactly how Dash had imagined Fluttershy's hair feeling like.

How such a change could come about through a quick application of conditioner, she never knew, but it obviously worked. The next step in Fluttershy's three step master plan was brushing, but that would have to wait until she had gotten dry, so Dash turned off the shower and climbed out. She didn't have to look far for a clean towel and she soon began the difficult task of trying to dry every part of her body whilst manoeuvring around her breasts. It was more difficult than one might initially think.

When she was finally finished, Dash tied the towel around herself and headed for the bathroom door, but before she did, she caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror. It was still fogged up from her shower, but she could still she an unruly tangle of hair sticking up all over the place. 'I wonder if this is actually going to work?'

She left the bathroom and looked over at Fluttershy, who was still watching television. “Game ended yet?”

“It might as well have, Murray steamrolled him in the last set.” Fluttershy sounded a little sad as she said this. “The other guy didn't stand a chance.”

“I suppose I could see that coming. I'll be in my room then.”

“Don't pull too hard on your hair, you don't want to damage it.” Fluttershy smiled in that aggravatingly smug way and Dash, once again, grimaced at her room mate's uncanny ability to read her thoughts.

Dash disappeared into her bedroom and immediately found her hairbrush on a chest of drawers to her right. She walked over to the floor length mirror she kept in the corner of the room and stared at her hair; it was still all over the place. With the brush hovering slightly over her head, Dash prepared for the worst. There was a reason her hairbrush was considerably clean, and it wasn't because she picked out the hairs manually. Dash had tried it once, realised there was no discernible reason why she should have to torment herself with hair pulling torture on a near daily basis, and never bothered trying again.

She was determined to beat it this time though. Once again, she chanted the mantra 'no pain, no gain' in her head and began brushing.

'This... isn't actually that bad.'

The brush met some resistance, but that was to be expected with her hair as tangled as it was, but overall, her hair just went with the flow. In no time at all, she was done. Her hair was still slightly matted down, but she didn't have anywhere to go, so she could easily let it drip dry.

Dash sighed, deciding that there was no real point in keeping up a pretence any more. “Hey, Fluttershy, come look at this!” she shouted.

“Coming!” came Fluttershy's slightly muffled voice. The door to Dash's bedroom swung open a few seconds later and Fluttershy walked in, self-consciously ducking her head as she walked through the doorway.

“Look, my hair is nice and straight and smooth. Pretty sweet, huh?” Dash turned herself on the spot to see her hair from various angles.

Fluttershy came up behind her and brought her hand up to feel Dash's multi-coloured hair. “It's still wet.”

“Well, I'm not going anywhere, so there's no point in drying it is there?” Dash kept her eyes on the mirror, looking into Fluttershy's reflection when addressing her.

“You'll only get to see how it turned out when your hair is dry though. Would you like to get my hair dryer?” Fluttershy carefully grabbed a few strands of Dash's hair and studied them for a few moments.

“If it's no trouble.” Dash was smiling.

Fluttershy began to grin again. “You're enjoying this aren't you?”

The smile quickly evaporated, leaving a furious blush in its wake. “Shut up, no I'm not.”

“I'll go and get the hair dryer.” Fluttershy laughed softly before leaving the room. Dash flumped onto her bed and stared into the mirror once more, this time her eyes drifted towards her chest. The towel hung off of them and made her look really fat, so Dash flung it off and stomped over to her chest of drawers for a pair of boxer briefs. She pulled them on and found a white vest on the floor. it didn't smell bad, so she put that on as well and just in time.

Fluttershy had come back with the hair dryer and paused slightly in the doorway when she saw her roommate trying, and failing, to make the vest conceal her toned midriff. “Just sit on the floor in front of the mirror, it'll be easier for me to get at your hair if I'm sitting on the bed.”

Dash complied happily and waited for Fluttershy to plug in the hair dryer.

“The hair dryer can get pretty hot so be warned, okay.” Fluttershy was perched on the bed behind Dash, the dryer in one hand, a brush in the other.

“Pfft, it's a hair dryer, what'll it do?”

Fluttershy merely raised an eyebrow and turned it on, bringing the brush through Dash's hair, whilst simultaneously drying it.

Dash flinched. “Ow, my neck.” She brought a hand up, but Fluttershy swatted it away.

“I told you it gets hot--” She was suddenly interrupted by a sound from the other room. “That's the phone, I'll be right back.” Fluttershy turned the hair dryer off and left it on the bed, scurrying out of Dash's bedroom quickly.

Dash sighed again, hoping that the phone call wouldn't take too long. If it was Rarity, the hair dryer wouldn’t be necessary, her hair would already be dry by the time they finished.

“Rainbow, it's for you!” Dash's ears perked up, 'a phone call?' She got up and walked into the living room. She saw Fluttershy mouth “It's your manager” and push the phone out towards her. 'What's he phoning me at home for? Has to be be something important.'

“Hello?” Dash said, her voice uncertain.

Sure enough, the gruff voice of her manager replied on the other end of the line. “Hey, Dash. Got some news for ya.” He didn't sound overly happy or overly sad either, which made figuring out the news a lot harder. “It's about those talent scout that were at the last meet, they just sent me a letter about you.”

“The Wonderbolts!?” Dash tried not to sound too excited. “They wouldn't send a letter if it was anything bad, would they?”

“Well, no, I wouldn't call it bad...”

“You're not exactly making it sound good either.” Dash bit her lip and looked up at Fluttershy. She was always more intuitive than Dash was and she was biting her nails nervously. Dash gulped.

“They said that you've got a lot of potential and that you obviously have a passion for the sport, but...”

“But what!?”

There was a brief silence on the other side of the phone. “Aw hell... I'll just come out and say it... it's them tits o' yours. They say you'll never go anywhere in the sport with those.”

Dash stood there shocked, not wanting to believe what she had just heard. Fluttershy walked over and took the receiver from Dash's hand, said “she'll call you back” and ended the call. Without further warning, Fluttershy then pulled Dash into a hug.

“I overheard that last little bit, he was speaking rather loudly. I'm so sorry.” Fluttershy rocked her friend back and forth, holding her head and pressing it softly into her non-existent bosom. Dash didn't say anything for a long time, she just put her arms around Fluttershy and stood there, unmoving.

“Come on, Rainbow, I'll finish drying your hair and make you some more tea.” Fluttershy grabbed Dash by the hand and lead her into the bedroom, Dash following along meekly. She had never seen the usually confident, prideful girl get like this before. It was like she was comatose but still had the power to move if guided. Fluttershy didn't show it out of consideration for her friend, but she was really scared.

“It'll be okay.”

==

A week had passed since that day and Rainbow Dash hadn't been to any training sessions at all. She hardly even left the apartment unless it was necessary. She spent most of her days in her dressing gown, watching whatever crap came on the television.

Fluttershy hadn't been this concerned for her friend in a long time. She of course knew that athletics was Rainbow Dash's dream and being flat out told that she had no future in the sport was like being physically wounded to her. Her emotional recovery would have to be slow and steady and it would still be a while before they could take the bandages off of her pride.

“The poor dear, I never would have guessed she was this fragile.”

“I know I should have asked her if it was okay to talk about the situation with you, but I really need some advice. She keeps sending me out to get refills on ice cream and I don't think it's helping.” Fluttershy slumped back against the sauna wall. Despite the spa treatments, the situation with Rainbow Dash had left her feeling tense. It had helped a little bit though; talking things through with a friend often did.

Rarity sighed, half in relaxation, half in deep thought. “I don't think there's much we can do beyond just being there for her. When she wants to jump back on the horse, she will. We just need to lend her a comforting shoulder along the way.”

Fluttershy smiled; Rarity always knew what to say. She was an elf and an aspiring fashion designer, but she had never come across as snobby like all of the other fashion focused people she knew throughout high school.

Rarity herself said that in the fashion world there were two types of people: artists and models. The artists pour all of their creativity and knowledge into creating a beautiful looking ensemble, and the models are just there to put the clothes on. Most of the time, this meant that the models had a bloated sense of self-importance. “As an artist,” she would say, “I want to make clothes that look good, but more importantly, I want to make clothes that make the person wearing them look good.”

It was this generous attitude that Fluttershy really admired about her. Although if pushed, Fluttershy would admit that the fact Rarity is the same height as her was a pretty big factor as well. She didn't stand out around her and she liked that.

“Hmm, my ears are getting flaky. I think it's time to get out.” Rarity was massaging the points of her ears. “Shall we finish up here and go to our usual café?”

Fluttershy nodded and stood up, following her friend out of the sauna, both of them wearing towels wrapped tightly around their bodies. They both got quickly changed and exited the spa with a thank you to the twin proprietors.

The café wasn't very far from the spa and they reached it without incident, then sat down at one of the outside tables and ordering a cup of tea each.

It was a pleasant enough day with no sign of rain, but Rarity had insisted on wearing a large hat that covered most of her elegantly curled, deep purple hair. Sure, it looked great, but they already had the sunshade open.

Fluttershy took a sip of her tea and stared puzzlingly at her elven companion.

“I know you're worried about Rainbow, but I've said all I can about that. How are you doing, Fluttershy?” Rarity placed a comforting hand on top of Fluttershy's.

“I can't complain, though work has been slow lately.”

Rarity chuckled. “Although as a veterinarian, I'd imagine slow work days are a good thing.”

“I suppose you're right. The less I have to do, the fewer animals that are getting hurt. Also, I'm only an assistant, they don't let me do anything too important anyway.” Fluttershy lowered her head and took a sip of tea. “I just look after the animals.”

“Of course you're important. There's no one that I'm aware of that can handle animals quite like you, darling.” Rarity's smile was warm. “You should have a little more confidence in yourself.”

Fluttershy grit her teeth and put on the most confident look she could muster. “I think you're right, Rarity.”

--

Fluttershy opened the door to her shared apartment to find Rainbow Dash slumped on the sofa in front of the television, a tub of ice cream in one hand, a spoon in the other.

“I know it's cliché but I don't care.” Dash said, not even bothering to turn around.

“I wasn't--” Fluttershy mumbled, her sentence dissolving into silence. She locked the door behind her and put her coat on a hook to the left before joining her roommate on the sofa.

“Want some?” Dash asked through a mouthful of Jan & Barry's Cookie Dough flavoured ice cream.

Fluttershy opened her mouth obligingly and accepted a large spoonful of ice cream, silently eating it with a smile on her face. “Thank you. Are you still not feeling any better? You haven't been to any training sessions in over a week.” Fluttershy could tell her worrying wasn't getting anywhere, so she changed tactics. “You've barely been outside as well. Your wings will fall off at this rate.”

Dash glared at her, spoon lodged in her mouth.

“So, um... I was talking to Rarity the other day--”

“And you talked about me, right?” Dash interrupted. “Don't try to deny it, I can see it written all over your face. Humour me, what did Rarity have say about me?”

Fluttershy blushed embarrassedly. “She didn't say much about you, just to trust in your judgement about when you want to get back into things. She mostly said for me to give you my support and encouragement and to be there if you need it.”

“Huh.” Dash shrugged and turned back to the television. “I guess she can say some pretty smart things when she wants to.”

Fluttershy tented her fingers and hid behind her long, pink hair. “She, um... She also said that I need to have more... more confidence in myself.” Her cheeks began to burn red again. “So… this is something I’ve been thinking about for a while now, um... um... If you really wanted, you could, um... you could use me as the recipient of the matter deconstruction surgery.”

The pronouncement hung silently in the air for a full thirty seconds. Dash stared at her friend incredulously, the spoon falling out of her open mouth.

“I can't let you do that, Shy. The only life these stupid things are going to ruin is mine.” Dash grabbed the spoon again and scooped an extra large hunk of ice cream from the tub, swallowing it in one gulp.

Fluttershy's first instinct was to submissively agree with Dash and drop the subject, but Rarity's words flared up in her head, “You should have a little more confidence in yourself.” She swallowed her fear and grit her teeth. “They won't ruin my life, and I'd be giving you yours back. So if I can do this one small thing for you then I will.”

Dash sighed and looked at the flesh cushions that she was using to balance the tub of ice cream. “You say that now, but you've never lived with them, not for a moment. There's the staring--”

“I get stared at all the time because of my height.”

Dash faltered. “Okay then, what about the back pain?”

“I have a loyal friend who wouldn't leave me in pain and would help me as best she could.”

Fluttershy was replying with a speed and certainty that Dash had never seen before. She was always kinda awkward in conversations, even with her best friends. Not only that, but she was making sense. “Of course I wouldn't let you suffer, but that's beside the point. You'd never be able to wear shirts properly again!”

“I feel self-conscious about my appearance in clothes anyway, huge breasts wouldn't change that at all.”

Dash could see Fluttershy's blush wasn't going away and she was biting her bottom lip so hard a drop of blood had escaped her mouth.

“Besides, I'm much taller than you. They wouldn't look as big on someone with my frame. My job doesn't require much physical effort so they wouldn't even hinder me there and once I explain the situation to my boss, I doubt she'll mind at all. Whichever way you look at it, you can come out from this with a promising athletic career and I can go on knowing that it was in part thanks to me that you could achieve that.” A few tears escaped from Fluttershy's eyes and she choked back a sob. “I know it's selfish of me to crave praise for doing something like this but I don't care. I honestly want to do this for you as a friend and if it makes me feel a little better about myself then I don't see any downsides for me either.”

Dash waited for her to stop breathing heavily and busied herself with sitting up straight. “You're serious about this, aren't you?”

Fluttershy didn't seem to have any words left in her and merely nodded enthusiastically, her hands balled tightly into fists.

Dash fell silent again, a whole range of emotions running across her face, but it finally landed on sadness. “I- I can't let--”

“No!”

Fluttershy's voice was raw and rasping, sounding like it caused her physical pain to shout the word.

“Answer one question, Rainbow Dash. Do you want small breasts?”

“It's not just a question of wanting--”

Dash was cut off by the look in Fluttershy's eye. She hadn't seen it since that time her shy lab partner told her to handle her fair share of the work.

“Just answer the damn question with a yes or no, Rainbow Dash!”

The athlete didn't do or say anything for a long time, but she eventually lowered her head and sighed. “Yes.”

Fluttershy didn't seem like she could last much longer, tears were streaming down her face and her bottom lip was trembling uncontrollably. “Well it's settled then, isn't it?” She choked out, finally dissolving into sobs, latching onto Dash's shoulder and crying freely onto her friend.

Dash absentmindedly began stroking Fluttershy's soft hair, staring at nothing in particular as her mind worked overtime. “I guess it is...”

--

The next day, in a show of courage not often displayed by the tall avian, Fluttershy dragged Rainbow Dash to the local hospital despite the latter’s many attempts at dissuading her. She stayed strong throughout the thirty minute wait in the waiting room, until she was finally able to see a doctor for a consultation.

They talked about the circumstances, Fluttershy taking the lead for the most part, only nudging Dash any time she needed her to give her approval to a statement. The elven doctor listened patiently, nodding along to the story.

“As the procedure is entirely cosmetic, I’m afraid any insurance you have won’t be able to cover the operation. Are you okay going ahead, knowing that?”

Fluttershy, determined as ever, nodded. “I don’t really spend much, so I have a lot of savings built up.”

“What!?” Dash finally looked invested in the conversation, rather than sulking on the sidelines. She leaned forwards and looked up into Fluttershy’s eyes. “I can’t let you pay for this all by yourself, you’re already doing so much. In fact, I should be the one paying for everything. I can get a loan, it’ll be fine.”

Rather the flat look of determined ignorance she had been getting all morning, Rainbow Dash saw the warm, caring look on her friend’s face that she was used to. “You don’t earn a lot and you already do your fair share with the rent and bills at home. I’ve always felt bad about that; I meekly accepted your promise to pull your weight because I knew arguing would hurt your pride. You’ve sacrificed luxury just so you can stand on equal grounds with me. Please, Rainbow Dash, accept my selfishness this one time. Seeing you happy is all the payment I want.”

Dash sighed, looking annoyed. “I’m not allowed to argue this am I? I hate that I want this to happen and I hate that I’m just sitting back and doing nothing about it.” She held her head in her hands. “I feel like such a jerk.”

The doctor coughed into his hand, bringing the attention back to himself. “Ahem, when would you like to book the surgery? I’m afraid there are no openings in the next two weeks, but after that I have several slots open. Just pick one that suits your timetable.”

“I’ll be able to get time off of work that week, it should be fine.” Fluttershy looked over Rainbow Dash and smiled, although it was more scary than warm. “Dash has nothing going on that can’t be rearranged, so the Wednesday afternoon should work.”

The pair shook hands with the doctor not soon afterwards and left the hospital. Fluttershy, still riding on her assertive high, thought that it would be great to visit a café and have some tea and maybe a treat.

“Come on, Rainbow, you’ve been looking down for a while now. I miss the old energetic Dash who fought through her problems with a grin. I know you’re the kind of person who wants to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders-”

“Sometimes they really do feel like that.” Dash interrupted, looking apologetic.

Fluttershy giggled. “That’s the wise cracking Rainbow Dash I remember. The Rainbow Dash I remember also has a bit of a sweet tooth and Rarity showed me a great tea shop nearby. Their macarons are to die for.”

Dash’s spirits visibly lifted; she was no longer looking lethargic and she wore a proud grin. “Why not? I’m picking up the tab though, it’s my turn to be a little selfish,” she said, nudging her friend in the side.

==

Ever since her visit to the doctor’s office, Rainbow Dash had been a lot more cheerful and more like the Dash she usually was. Fluttershy was quick to comment on the positive change and even urged the shorter girl to get back into a workout routine because she wouldn’t have a chance to do much after the surgery.

Dash was too prideful to admit it, but it was clear to see from her demeanour that she was really looking forwards to getting things over and done with. It was also her pride that lead to a series of incredibly nice gestures towards Fluttershy, including but not limited to: backrubs, cups of tea, small cakes and free reign over the television. Fluttershy tactfully avoided saying anything about it and let her roommate spoil her rotten. It might seem a little selfish, but this was its own type of kindness to Rainbow Dash right now.

When the day of the surgery finally arrived, Rainbow Dash felt all of her insecurities crash down on her at once. Fluttershy had to bring Rarity over just to get the shorter girl out of the apartment. The fashion designer even drove the pair to the hospital herself just so Dash didn’t have many other options to bolt.

The three went immediately to the reception upon arrival and made the staff aware that the patients were ready when they were. Rarity left them with a quick good luck not soon after, she had to attend a meeting with an important client, but she was kind enough to buy the two avians a drink each from the vending machine before she left.

“It’s not going to hurt is it?” Dash asked, sweating a little. It was a little warm, Fluttershy noted. “I mean, it sounds like it’s going to hurt, right? Just, like, matter deconstruction sounds painful, I can’t be the only one thinking that.”

Fluttershy stayed calm, in hopes that the multi-coloured worrywart would follow her example. “If you choose to think about it that way, then it probably does. Just be positive and you won’t have anything to worry about. Besides, with all the anesthesia they’ll give you, I’d be surprised if you felt anything at all.”

Dash breathed heavily for a few seconds but finally seemed to be calming down. “Is that really it? Just stay positive?”

“It works for everyone at the veterinarian's.” Fluttershy replied with a smile, but suddenly perked up as if suddenly realising something. “I just remembered, Twilight said she’d come by and observe the procedure. Isn’t that nice of her?”

“I suppose. If you count one of your close friends staring at your bare chest whilst you’re unconscious as nice…” Dash smirked and Fluttershy blushed embarrassedly.

“You know what I mean, Rainbow Dash!”

Dash chuckled at her roommate’s red face and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m just making fun.”

Fluttershy smiled happily at her words. “Thank goodness you’re feeling okay. I was worried they would have to drug you before you got into the operating theatre.”

“It’s all thanks to you, Fluttershy. Everything, really. I can’t stress how glad I am that we became friends.” The two shared a quick hug, an elven nurse calling their names not long after, ushering them along a corridor towards an examination room.

“The doctor is going to give you a quick rundown of the procedure and do some prep work before you get transferred to the recovery ward. You’ll just have to wait a few minutes whilst the operating theatre gets things set up.”

Dash and Fluttershy nodded silently in affirmation and the nurse looked ahead to where the examination room was. “I hope Twilight isn’t running late. She seemed very excited when I told her about the procedure.”

Dash grimaced. “I can imagine…”

The nurse stopped by an open door and gestured for the two to go in. “I’ll be back to escort you to your ward in a little while.” The nurse walked away and Dash took the initiative, walking first into the room with Fluttershy quick on her heels. The doctor was seated behind the desk at the back of the room as one would imagine, but there was someone else in the room sitting off to the side. She had a curtain of dark blue hair that hung over her shoulders, but wasn’t enough to cover the trademark pointy ears the elves possessed. She was wearing a lab coat that looked distinctly ‘lived in’ and had a badge hanging from the pocket that read ‘visitor’.

“Good afternoon, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy.” She greeted cheerfully, the wide smile not leaving her face. “I came by a little earlier than expected, so I’m shadowing the doctor. It’s all very exciting.”

Twilight Sparkle got up and hugged both of her friends, herself only slightly smaller than Fluttershy. The blue-haired elf coughed into her hand, suddenly looking very professional. “If you would like to take a seat, we have much to discuss.”

“Yes, yes, Ms. Sparkle, you may take a seat yourself. In fact, I insist.” The doctor, if the streaks of grey in his hair were any indication, was getting on in years, but his eyes still looked as sharp as they would have done in his younger years. He seemed like a reliable and experienced person to be in the care of. “Ms. Sparkle has been given special permission to observe the procedure today by the Chief of Staff here at the hospital, just in case you were wondering why she’s wearing a visitor badge.”

“I brought my own lab coat.” Twilight added enthusiastically.

“Yes, hmm…” the doctor ignored her. “As I’m sure the nurse told you, I’m just going to go over the procedure, what will happen and do some quick prep work before we get the show on the road. There’s a lot of complex magic at work in this kind of procedure and if you know even the slightest bit about magical theory, it’s that getting spells from different schools of magic to cooperate is incredibly difficult. We’ll need to lay down runic markers on the affected areas of the body to help streamline the process. It’ll take a little while, but at the moment all you’d be doing is waiting anyway, so it won’t take any longer than it has to.” He clapped his hands together and smiled. “So, shall we get started?”

Rainbow Dash looked like she didn’t take in a word of what the doctor had just said, but she turned to Fluttershy and the two shared a few silent words before turning back to the doctor and nodding vigorously. Despite herself, Rainbow Dash felt a sense of giddy glee building up in the pit of her stomach. She felt somewhat shameful for enjoying the sensation, but Fluttershy’s earlier determination came back to her. She could almost hear her saying that it was okay to want something for herself every now and then.

“Being loyal to your friends is wonderful, but you have to realise that your friends also want to be loyal to you.” Rainbow Dash smiled. ‘Something like that, Fluttershy?’

--

Rainbow Dash opened her eyes, but everything was blurry. Shapes of varying colours and sizes hovered around her. The more human shaped ones moved in and out of her vision before she could get a hold of who they might be. She moved to sit up and perhaps clear her head a little, but strong hands forced her back down.

“Woah there, sugarcube. Ya shouldn’t move round much right now.” The voice was definitely Applejack’s; there was no mistaking her accent. Dash sank into the comfortable bed and closed her eyes, a lazy smile on her lips. If Applejack was standing guard, there was no way she was getting away with anything; girl has eyes like a hawk.

“I’ve always thought to myself…” Dash’s voice was raspier than usual. “Egh...I could use some water. No, not that. You sure you ain’t got some avian blood in you, Applejack?”

The farmer let out a hearty laugh, “Ya see any feathers on me? Well, ah suppose y’all don’t with yer eyes closed like that…”

Dash tried opening her eyes again and everything was clearer. To her immediate left was Applejack, her blonde hair and strong build showing through the minimal blur. Rainbow looked around but couldn’t see anyone else by her bedside. “What’s the deal? Where is everyone?” She blushed slightly, “I mean…it’s not like I expect everyone to give me a bedside vigil, but come on, I’ve just had major surgery.”

“Now hold yer horses, l’il lady, they’re jus’ over there.” Applejack pointed a thumb to her left, towards the bed opposite Dash herself.

“Well if you would’ve let me sit up I’d know that and not look like an idiot.” Dash sulked into her pillow.

Applejack grinned. “Ya don’t need no one’s help lookin’ stupid, sugarcube.”

“Can it, farm girl.” Dash replied with a mischievous smile. She rubbed her eyes and could finally see everything clearly again. “Can I sit up now? I wanna see how Shy’s doing.”

“Go nuts.” Applejack held her hands up to say she wasn’t going to stop the restless avian and Dash took the opportunity. The first thing she really took notice of were the three people around the bed opposite her. Twilight was still wearing her lab coat, except now she had rolled the sleeves up to just above her elbows. Rarity was wearing an elaborate hat and dress and seemed all too formal for just visiting someone in the hospital. The final visitor was Pinkie Pie who had apparently taken it upon herself to tie some balloons to Fluttershy’s headrest and provide a wealth of pastries for her to snack on.

It was then that it really struck Rainbow Dash what had happened. Even from her sitting position, she couldn’t actually see Fluttershy’s face, which was obstructed by something that looked like a pillow shoved under her blanket. As Rainbow Dash brought a hand up to her own chest, she cupped much less boob than she usually did. A lot less.

At that moment, she wouldn’t care if a whole army of doctors were hovering around her doing tests and check-ups, she needed to see them in the flesh. Dash tore her hospital gown off and looked down at a modest chest that no athlete would turn their nose up at. They were a little bigger than Fluttershy’s original chest size, but nowhere close to being in the way.

“Come on now, put yer gown back on, idiot.” Applejack had grabbed the blanket and was holding it up over Dash’s body so no one could see the avian carefully inspecting her new breasts. “Ah get that yer excited, but it’s startin’ to make me feel a l’il uncomfortable.”

Dash pulled the papery gown back over head and propped her pillow up against the headrest, taking a reclining position. “So how is she doing? I...er, can’t see.” She laughed sheepishly, blushing all the while.

Applejack wore a smug smile as she crossed her arms across her chest. “She woke up a half hour ‘fore you did.” The farmer watched as a visible twitch ran across Dash’s face. “That gal is tougher than she looks.”

Rainbow Dash muttered to herself as Applejack clapped her on the shoulder. “Don’t fret, sugarcube, Twi said them anaesthesia spells work better on smaller people. Shy was already kinda huge, now she’s jus’ huge all over.”

“Says the human beanpole, herself.”

Across the way, Fluttershy, still a little groggy even now, was being dutifully attended to by her friends.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to do anything, Fluttershy darling?” Rarity asked pleadingly, her striking features etched with worry.

“I could always strong arm the doctors into getting you some better painkillers if you’re still not comfortable.” Twilight suggested, her tone and demeanour suggesting that it was well within her powers to do so.

“Cupcakes, maybe?” Offered Pinkie Pie simply, wafting the delicious treats under the nose of the patient.

Fluttershy merely gave the three of them a matronly smile, as if she were the one tending to them. “Girls, thank you, really. I just want to rest for a while. You should see how Rainbow is doing. Judging by the commotion it sounds like she’s awake.”

The avian in question must have heard her because she shouted something across the room. “You shouldn’t lie on your back too much, Shy, the weight interferes with your breathing. It’s not good for when you’re sleeping either.” There was a pronounced pause as Fluttershy propped herself up on her elbows to take a better look at her roommate. “Sorry...about, er...those.” Dash finished.

“No, not at all.” Fluttershy sat up with some help from Rarity, her now tremendous bosom riding proudly on her chest. “I thank you for the advice though, it’s all just a case of getting used to them. Although even now it’s not as much as you had to deal with.” Fluttershy carefully pressed on the new flesh and winced slightly.

Dash sat forwards, a spark of curiosity in her eyes. “Yeah, what’s with that? My breasts are bigger now than yours used to be.” She put a hand to her chin, looking puzzled.

“You...don’t remember?” Twilight stood up, her ratty lab coat swishing around her. She was wearing a pair of square glasses, which she pushed up the bridge of her nose using her middle finger.

Rainbow Dash stared for a moment. “What’s with the…”

“Don’t question it.” Twilight interrupted.

Dash furrowed her brow. “Okay then, what don’t I remember?”

Twilight smiled triumphantly, her eyes closed, fingers resting casually on her forehead. “Before we cast the anaesthesia spell on you, you specifically asked that we don’t do a complete swap. You said you wanted to share the burden with Fluttershy, even if it was only a small amount.” She laughed, it was short and sharp. “I have to say, Rainbow Dash, you were pretty cool back there.”

Whilst Dash seemed okay with this explanation, three other pairs of eyes rolled simultaneously.

“Can someone take that darn lab coat off’a her? She’s startin’ to creep me out.” Applejack made to stand up and take action herself, but Rarity was already there, staring down over the shoulder of the overzealous elf. She wore a strained smile that was somehow terrifying in the shadow cast by her hat.

“Twilight, dear, that lab coat of yours is really due to be thrown out.” She put her hands on the shorter elf’s shoulders, her grip like steel. Twilight could only look up, suddenly fearing for her safety.

“Rarity please, anything but the lab coat. I love it so much!” Twilight pleaded, her bottom lip pouting adorably.

The fashion designer’s expression softened. “I will say, Twilight, those glasses are rather good. I never knew you could accessorize.” Rarity’s grip, however, remained as strong as before. As Twilight became distracted by the compliment, Rarity slowly began taking the lab coat off at the shoulders.

“I’ve always admired how mature and intelligent Miss Celestia looks wearing her glasses. I thought it would make me look more like a doctor.” Twilight smiled innocently.

By this point, Rarity had already succeeded in removing the lab coat, but she kept eye contact with Twilight. “Oh, of course, you look very refined, especially with your long, dark, straight hair. My hair has a natural curl to it, I’m quite jealous.”

Twilight stifled an embarrassed chuckle. “You? Jealous of me? You’re so much prettier than I am, though.”

Rarity merely smiled happily, sitting back down in her chair, a neatly folded lab coat now resting in her lap. When Twilight finally snapped out of it and realised what had happened, she slumped back into her chair as well, pouting like a child having their toy taken away.

“Speaking of the whole ‘doctor’ thing…” Rainbow Dash, who had merely been following along with the events and stifling laughter at Twilight’s naiveity, spoke up with something that had been bothering her for a while. “How did you get permission for the visitor thing anyway? It doesn’t really seem like the kinda thing you could just walk up to the reception desk and ask for.” Dash mock gasped, immediately looking mischievous. “Don’t tell me you used Celestia’s name to have the privilege...”

Twilight recoiled instantly, her cheeks flush red. “Of course not! I would never…” she trailed off, embarrassed at her outburst. Twilight, still wearing the glasses despite no longer having the lab coat, calmed herself down and pushed the glasses back up into their proper place. “I’ll have you know, my father is the chief of staff at this hospital. I’ve visited many times and some of the doctors know about me. When I arrived and told them about this procedure, they asked if I would be interested in observing.” She finished up, sitting with her back straight as an arrow, looking indignant.

“Calm down, Twi, I was joking.” Rainbow Dash burst out laughing, quickly followed by Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Rarity and Fluttershy followed not long after and finally, Twilight joined in as well.

“Ooh, laughing feels different.” Fluttershy was smiling weakly from her bed, holding her chest slightly. “I’ll have to get used to that.”

The four visitors looked around at each other and nodded before standing up. Twilight glanced at Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in turn, a look of pride on her face. “You two seem to be doing very well, but you need your rest for tomorrow. The doctors will be putting you through a physical examination to make sure everything is working as it should be after the operation, so take care until then.”

They all waved goodbye, Pinkie Pie exuberantly hugging the two patients before exiting, and soon the room was empty but for the two of them. In the distance, Twilight could be heard, quietly asking for her lab coat back. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s eyes met and they burst into laughter once more.

==

“I’m home.”

Rainbow Dash kicked off her shoes and waited for Fluttershy to welcome her home, but today there was only silence. She looked around cautiously and noticed that everything was the same as it had been when she left the apartment this afternoon for practice. “Huh...Fluttershy almost never works this late.” She scratched her head and slung her small backpack onto the couch. Training had been intensive today, so Dash headed straight for the kitchen to prepare something.

“I should probably make enough for Fluttershy as well. If she’s coming home this late, she’s gonna be as hungry as I am.” Rainbow Dash lost herself in preparation; dicing vegetables, mixing spices and stirring pots, so much so that she didn’t notice the time go by. The sound of the front door opening snapped her to attention, even though there was a closed door in the way, Dash looked around.

Fluttershy must have noticed Dash’s stuff because she immediately launched into a tirade of apologies for being late. “...there was a huge influx of patients at work and some of the other vets had called in sick earlier in the day and there weren’t enough staff to handle things and the head vet had to call in help from neighbouring clinics, don’t worry I’ll get dinner started right away, I’m so sorry-” Fluttershy opened the door to the kitchen to find her roommate dishing a healthy serving of food onto two plates. “Oh.”

Dash smirked playfully. “I made carbonara. Want some?”

Fluttershy was frozen midway through fumbling for something in her handbag; her usually pristine, pink hair dishevelled, her uniform splattered with all manner of stains and a bemused expression on her face. Slowly but surely however, her shoulder sagged and she relaxed, smiling as if a great weight had been lifted from her. “I’d love some, thank you.”

“Just go put your stuff down and maybe change out of that shirt...it looks pretty gross. I’ll put it on the table for you.” Dash rooted around in a drawer for two forks when another implement caught her eye. A corkscrew. ‘Fluttershy did say she wanted to save that red wine for a special occasion. This probably counts...’ The red wine in question had been sitting in a wine rack that had seemingly been a part of the cabinets when they were installed. Neither of them were big alcohol drinkers, so it hadn’t seen much use beyond the occasional bottle of wine. With little effort, Dash uncorked the bottle and fished two wine glasses from a nearby cabinet, filling them just over half way.

The athlete stepped back and admired her work. “Pasta and red wine, huh? That’s what you call a classy meal.” With a smug look on her face, she grabbed a plate and a glass and set it on the coffee table in the front room, grabbing the second set just after. Their apartment wasn’t very big and they had decided early on that a dinner table would just eat up floor space that could be used for other things or even just walking room, so the little glass-topped coffee table had become their compromise. They just made sure to use placemats and coasters to keep those stubborn circular stains off of the glass. It worked for them. Plus, it allowed them to watch television as they ate.

Just as Rainbow Dash begun contemplating whether she should start without her roommate, Fluttershy slumped down onto the couch next to her. She was wearing a pair of bunny slippers with her pyjamas, a pair of cotton pants and an oversized t-shirt. The t-shirt fitted her a lot better these days.

“Oh, you don’t know how much I want this wine right now.” The normally demure avian grabbed her glass and put half of it away before placing it back on her coaster. She let out a sigh of both relief and exhaustion.

Rainbow Dash took a more measured sip from her glass and grabbed her fork ready to eat in a manner that would shatter all illusions of class she had built up to this point. “I almost feel like I shouldn’t ask…” she said, her words miraculously audible through the mouthful of food. Gladly, she swallowed before continuing. “How was your first day back at work? Are the changes affecting your performance in any way?”

In opposition to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy had reverted back to her calm self, taking small bites. “Not at all. There was some obvious shock when I went in today, but I had already expected that.”

“I thought you’d told everyone why you’d be off for a while.” Dash interjected.

“Well…” Fluttershy considered for a moment. “...it’s one thing being told about it, but another thing actually seeing it. The difference is rather drastic. Everyone was really lovely about it and told me how brave I was to help a friend like that.” Fluttershy blushed a little, compliments about her bravery were obviously few and far between.

Dash had almost polished off the last of her pasta as Fluttershy stopped talking, savouring the dish wasn’t too high on her list of priorities. “That’s good to hear, Shy. I just want you to be careful these next few weeks whilst everything is still kinda new, don’t overdo it.”

Fluttershy raised a hand quickly to her forehead in salute. “Aye aye, captain.” The sharp movement caused a considerable amount of jiggling from within the girl’s thin shirt.

“You’re not wearing a bra, are you?” Without a seconds warning, the shorter avian reached out and copped a feel. “I thought not.” Fluttershy looked too surprised to be angry, but her face had gone red all the same. “Yeah, it’s tempting to just chill with your bra off at the end of the day but it really isn’t the best habit to be getting into. I know the ones I gave you don’t fit as well because yours aren’t as big as mine were, but they should at least be comfortable enough to sit around the house in. You actually have boobs to take care of now, Fluttershy, you gotta keep that in mind.”

Fluttershy managed a small chuckle despite her glaring embarrassment. “You sounded just like Rarity for a moment there...well, the content, not the delivery.” It was Dash’s turn to glow red, which only served to make Fluttershy laugh more.

“A girl with a big chest has to learn these things, it’s not like I’m super into lingerie or anything.”

“I don’t know…” Fluttershy looked like the cat who got the cream, “...some of the bras you gave me were pretty cute. Almost too cute for Rainbow Dash.”

Dash could have responded, but her words weren’t working, instead she chose to empty her wine glass. It helped.

“I’m sorry, I think the wine is going to my head.” Fluttershy smiled good naturedly. Of course, Dash knew Fluttershy didn’t mean anything bad by it, but still… either way, Rainbow Dash immediately changed the subject.

“I shaved a second off my personal best time today and that was with me still not at peak fitness. Coach said he’d give the Wonderbolts a call to tell them what happened. He said I’d be a shoe in.”

Fluttershy broke out into a rather proud smile. “That’s brilliant news, I hope things only get better from here.” She reached over and pulled her smaller roommate into a big hug.

“So this is how you felt all those times I hugged you.” Dash hugged back, feeling the mass of boob that used to be hers squeezing against her. “Although I could do without your nipples poking me, another reason you need to wear a bra.” Rainbow Dash laughed as Fluttershy quickly pulled away from the hug, looking self conscious.

“I hope things only get better for you as well, Fluttershy. I really do.”