Chapters She was about to do something she would regret.
She was just so sick of it . Everypony thought they could get away with it. Everypony thought they could do what they wanted because they would never be told not to. Every single time it had happened before had driven her crazy, and she had finally snapped.
She was going to end it. She was never going to let it happen again. It was going to end, and it was going to end now .
It had all started earlier that day. The sun rose just like any other morning, warming the previously cool air and bringing all of the little creatures out of their nests. Birds sang as they flew through the sky, announcing the arrival of day to anyone who had yet to wake up. As usual, Fluttershy was up bright and early, getting ready to feed all of her little friends before going into town to do some shopping. She was running low on Angel's favorite lettuce, and she did not want to have to deal with that ever again.
This was how most Saturday mornings started. She would wake up, feed the animals, have a quick breakfast of hay and some flowers, and then make her way to town to get her groceries. Afterwards, she would have some time to meet her friends and talk and laugh and have fun. Before she could have time for herself though, she would need to get the food back home, in case Angel got extra hungry.
Grabbing her bag and putting it over her back, Fluttershy set off to town. She didn't know why, but she was feeling very happy that morning, happier than usual. Maybe that meant she was going to have a great day! A few of her little squirrel friends followed her to the edge of town before scampering back towards her cottage. The birds that flew overhead called a greeting to their favorite pegasus, lifting her spirits even further. When she finally arrived to the market, she was humming happily and couldn't wait to get things done.
Her shopping went fine, and apart from being cut in front of in line at least half a dozen times as usual, everything went smoothly. It wasn't until after, when she was checking over her list to make sure she had everything, that something went wrong.
She had the list up in front of her face while she was walking, and so she couldn't see anything in front of her. She was just walking along, minding her own business, when she unexpectedly ran into something, or someone, and went tumbling to the ground, her groceries spilling everywhere. She was momentarily stunned, and when she finally came to her senses, she saw that she had run into another mare, who's groceries had also spilled, and who looked extremely put out.
"Oh, I'm so very sorry," Fluttershy squeaked, scrambling to her hooves to try and help gather the mares groceries.
"Sorry?" the mare repeated, getting to her hooves more slowly. "You're sorry? Oh, because that makes it all better, doesn't it?!"
Fluttershy was busy trying to pick up the fallen produce, and so she didn't see when the mare kicked her. She only felt the contact and fell heavily to the ground, her side stinging where she had been kicked. She was about as surprised as she was hurt and frightened. While she had been bullied countless times before, she had never ever been kicked. Her eyes filled with tears, and this only served to worsen the bullying.
"What, you're going to cry?" the mare taunted her. "So you really are just a baby?"
The commotion was drawing a small crowd of ponies, but none of them stepped in to help. No one ever stepped into help, because it was Fluttershy, and she got pushed around enough that no one bothered to do anything about it. The yellow pegasus looked around desperately for one of her friends, who were the only ones ever to stand up for her, but none of them were in sight.
"I... I was just," Fluttershy said quietly, standing up and backing away slowly. She found that her voice was failing her and she ended up just squeaking again.
"You were just what?" the mare shouted, walking closer, forcing Fluttershy to back up even further. "Just being a klutz like you always are? I don't see why you even bother coming out of that cottage of yours. You should just stay there so you don't embarrass yourself anymore."
"But I..." Fluttershy tried to say, but it came out as yet another squeak. The crowd of ponies watching continued to stay silent as she was pushed back even further. She let out a quiet whimper, and the mare shot out a hoof and Fluttershy fell to the ground once again. She closed her eyes as the mare raised a hoof, but before the impact could come, she heard a familiar voice nearby.
"HEY!" Rainbow shouted from high above, swooping down and landing between the mare and Fluttershy. "What do you think you're doing to her?!"
"What's this, her bodyguard?" the mare taunted again, although her voice had lost a little of its confidence. She knew as well as any pony that Rainbow Dash could be dangerous, but she couldn't back down now.
"No, this is her friend," Rainbow said firmly, taking a step forward and forcing the mare back. "You think you can push Fluttershy around just because everypony else does? You think it makes you any better to bully someone who won't stand up to you? You think you can hurt her just because you weren't watching where you were going? Well NOPONY is allowed to hurt Fluttershy."
"What, do you have a crush on her?" the mare asked, smiling when she realized she had won some points back. Rainbow hesitated. She hadn't expected that comeback. The ponies watching started whispering amongst themselves. If she denied it, it wouldn't help either of them. There was really only one thing she could say to that, and it also happened to be the truth.
"Maybe I do," Rainbow told her, loud enough for everypony to hear. There was a collective gasp from all those assembled, including Fluttershy, who had gotten back to her hooves and was watching her friend defend her. Rainbow glanced back at her, giving her a small smile, which was returned, much to her delight. But it wasn't over yet. She turned back to the mare and continued to force her backwards.
"Maybe I do," she repeated. "But that has nothing to do with this. Either way, Fluttershy is my friend, and I'm never going to let anyone hurt her again. I'll let you off easy this time, but if you ever touch her again, you'll be sorry. Got it?"
Without waiting for a reply, Rainbow turned around and walked back to Fluttershy, who still had tears in her eyes. The blue pegasus grabbed her hoof and lifted off into the sky. She was about to fly them both away, but she happened to be close enough to hear the last remark the mare whispered to Fluttershy.
"Just wait until your girlfriend isn't here to protect you," she whispered.
That's it.
She moved so fast that the mare didn't have time to react. Rainbow tackled her to the ground and had her pinned within seconds. She lifted her front hoof up, her eyes filled with fury.
"You crossed the line one to many times," she shouted, but before she could throw the punch she heard a soft voice behind her, causing her to hesitate.
"Please don't Rainbow."
Without lowering her hoof, Rainbow turned her head around to Fluttershy. She was looking at her with a mixture of admiration and terror. Although she had heard stories, she had never seen Rainbow in a real fight, and the thought of her friend getting hurt to defend her was more than she could bare.
"You heard what she said," Rainbow said softly in reply, her composure slowly breaking under that pleading blue gaze. "I can't let anything happen to you Fluttershy. You're too important."
"It'll be fine," Fluttershy promised, walking slowly over to her friend. "You won't let me get hurt, right? Just please don't do this. You're better than this."
There was complete silence for the next few seconds, and then Rainbow sighed. She stood up and allowed the mare to get up as well, who instantly ran off. Rainbow didn't pay attention to her anymore. Her eyes were only for Fluttershy, who she had loved for so long and yet never told her. One look into her eyes was enough to show that she felt the same way.
"I love you Fluttershy," Rainbow whispered, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks at her confession. It was extremely rare for her to show her more sensitive side, and yet it came so much easier around Fluttershy. The yellow pegasus felt her heart beat faster at her friends words, because all it had taken was a few simple words for her to accept that she felt the same.
"And I love you Rainbow Dash," she said simply, a shy smile lighting up her face. Those words made Rainbow's heart soar to unimaginable heights. She had been scared- yes, scared - to confess her feelings in fear that Fluttershy wouldn't love her back, and that it would ruin their friendship. She would rather have her as a friend than not at all, and so she never said anything for all those years she had loved the shy pony.
They were so lost in each others eyes that it took the two pegasi a while to notice the crowd that was still hovering around. When they did notice, they saw that the two of them were being looked at with expressions of scorn, contempt, disgust, and even pity. Why pity?
"What?" Rainbow demanded, putting her hoof around Fluttershy's shoulder without any shame. "Do any of you have a problem with this?"
None of the ponies gathered could find anything bad to say about it. Regardless of their expressions, every one of them had to admit it was pretty sweet what had just happened, what with Rainbow leaping in to defend the pony she loved. Most of them simply dispersed without a word, but one brave, young mare stepped forward to say something, ignoring her friends calling her to come back.
"I'm happy for you two," she said, offering the new couple a smile. "I think what you did was really great."
"Thanks kid," Rainbow thanked her in surprise. The young mare nodded once before running over to her friends. Rainbow and Fluttershy watched her run off, and then the blue pegasus turned to her marefriend.
"You want me to walk you home?" she offered, and then added, "and, possibly, stay the night?"
Fluttershy blushed, but nodded in response. She would be glad to have another pony with her, in case she got scared in the night, but she would have been glad to have Rainbow with her anyways.
This was looking to be the start of a beautiful relationship.
"Psst, Fluttershy! Fluttershy!"
Rainbow carefully lifted the blanket off of her side of the bed and tried to slip out unnoticed. She was just about to leave when she felt the hooves tighten around her. She smiled and shook her head, allowing herself to be pulled back into the bed.
"Where're you going Dashie?" Fluttershy mumbled sleepily, her eyes half open.
"I gotta get some early weather jobs done," Rainbow explained. Fluttershy lifted her head to look out the window, seeing that the sun had just barely begun to rise.
"Can't it wait for another few minutes?" she asked, her eyes drifting close again. Rainbow smiled sadly.
"Sorry, but I have to get them done before everypony wakes up," she said regretfully. She would have liked nothing more than to drift back to sleep with Fluttershy right beside her, but you can't always get what you want. Then again, she had gotten more than she ever hoped for the previous day, when she had finally confessed her feelings.
"Please Dashie?" Fluttershy pleaded, and it was her voice that stopped Rainbow from getting up. She remembered last night well enough that she just had to listen.
The first part of the night had been her favourite. It hadn't progressed to much, just a few shy kisses on the cheek. Rainbow didn't want to push her, because she knew Fluttershy got pushed around enough. She was totally prepared to allow the shy yellow pegasus to go at whatever pace she saw fit. As long as Fluttershy was happy, she would be happy.
It was in the earliest hours of the morning, when there was still a long time until the sun would begin to peek over the horizon, that gave her the reason to stay. Rainbow had been awake at the time, just thinking and watching the moonlight shine on Fluttershy's beautiful face. Suddenly, she heard a quiet whimper come from the sleeping pegasus, followed by another. Alarmed, she realized that Fluttershy was having a nightmare, and she attempted to wake her up. When she had woken up, tears were streaming down her face and she couldn't stop crying.
Rainbow had hugged her close and tried to calm her, rocking her back and forth while whispering soothing words. It had been several minutes until she was calm enough to speak, and then she had poured out all of her worries. Fluttershy talked for what felt like hours, about how she had never been in a relationship before and didn't know what she was supposed to do, how she was worried about what their friends would think, and how they would be treated. Rainbow listened to that and more until she had finished. When she did finish, Fluttershy let out another quiet whimper.
"I'm sorry you had to listen to all of that," she apologized quietly. Rainbow was surprised at the apology, and responded by hugging her even closer.
"Don't apologize to me," she had whispered, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. "You don't ever need to apologize to me for being yourself."
She remembered those events perfectly, and it was because of that that she couldn't just leave Fluttershy alone. She would have to leave at some point, but really, what was the rush? The weather could wait another hour.
...maybe another two.
Hours later, after Rainbow had finally managed to leave without feeling guilty, and after she finished her weather jobs, she was headed to the library to pick up the latest issue of Daring Do. As soon as she got that, she would head straight to Sugarcube Corner to meet Fluttershy. She hated the two of them being apart, especially after what had happened yesterday in the market, but some of her weather jobs required her to fly much higher than Fluttershy was comfortable with. An idea coming to her at the last moment, she suggested that Fluttershy wait at Sugarcube Corner for her, where they would meet up when she was finished.
She moved just a little faster at the thought of seeing her again soon. She reached the library in no time, which also happened to be the home of her friend Twilight. Rainbow knocked twice on the door, and it was answered by Spike.
"Oh hi Rainbow!" he greeted her, stepping aside to allow her to come in.
"Hey Spike, what's up?" she replied.
"Twilight's re-shelving, again ," he rolled his eyes, closing the door behind him. He was about to call for Twilight when his eyes lit up.
"Oh yeah! I forgot to say. Congratulations on you and Fluttershy!"
"Oh, thanks Spike," Rainbow thanked him, a little surprised that he knew. Then again, they hadn't exactly made it a secret the day before, when they had confessed their feelings in front of a crowd. A few of the ponies had obviously shared the news around town, which was just fine. Neither Rainbow nor Fluttershy had anything to be ashamed of.
"So it's true?" came a voice being shouted from the other room, accompanied by a loud crash. A few seconds later, Twilight stumbled into the room, papers scattering behind her. She shook out her mane and walked over to Rainbow.
"Are you and Fluttershy really... you know..." she trailed off awkwardly. Rainbow raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, we're really a couple now," she confirmed, smiling at the word. She just couldn't get over the fact that Fluttershy was hers.
"Well, that's..." Twilight trailed off again, and Rainbow frowned. What was with her friend? Did she really have a problem with the two of them being together?
"Umm, that's great!" Twilight finally finished, forcing a smile onto her face. Spike had a confused look on his face as he looked at his friend. Rainbow tried to shrug it off, certain that she would accept it soon.
"I'm glad you think so," Rainbow said, knowing that wasn't exactly the truth, but going with it anyways.
"So, did you come to pick up the new issue of Daring Do?" Twilight asked, obviously changing the subject. "Because I already mailed it to your house, knowing you would want it right away."
"Wow that's awesome! Thanks!" Rainbow thanked her, although she wasn't entirely sure whether she would be at her own house that night. "I'm sorry I can't stay and chat, but Fluttershy's waiting for me at Sugarcube Corner."
"Oh, that's actually where I was heading later. Maybe we can walk there together."
"Sounds great!"
Meanwhile, Fluttershy was waiting for Rainbow to meet her at Sugarcube Corner. When she had arrived earlier, the Cakes had given her a little congratulations before heading out. They said that Pinkie was busy baking in the kitchen, and she was welcome to wait there as long as she needed to. For the first little while, Pinkie didn't know she was there yet, so Fluttershy sat at one of the tables by herself, sipping on some tea she had been given before the Cakes left.
It was one of the those rare moments when she had a hard time sitting still. The thought of seeing Rainbow soon was making her impatient. She just wanted her to walk through that door, and every second that she didn't, her impatience grew. She was just about to get up and start pacing when she heard a huge crash in the kitchen, and the next thing she saw was Pinkie Pie bouncing happily into the main part of the store, covered in cake batter. As soon as she saw Fluttershy, she let out a huge gasp, licked up all of the cake batter in one swipe, and darted over to stand right in front of her.
"Fluttershy!" she exclaimed, going off into one of her Pinkie Pie rants. "How long have you been here? Why didn't you tell me you were here? You could've come and help me bake cupcakes! Did you here that crash? I was busy mixing the icing that I forgot to check on the cupcakes, and so they exploded. I'm fine though, I just got covered in cake batter. Maybe next time I should- WAIT A MINUTE. I just remembered. CONGRATULATIONS!"
As Pinkie was always prepared for a surprise, she pulled out one of her small party cannons from who knows where and shot a bunch of confetti into the air. Fluttershy jumped back in momentary fright, and then smiled as Pinkie pulled her in for a hug.
"I heard all about you and Rainbow Dash from Rose, who heard it from Cheerilee, who heard it from Derpy, who heard it from Caramel who was there in the market yesterday and overheard it from you two! I'm so happy for you!!!"
"Oh, thank you very much Pinkie," Fluttershy thanked her timidly, her smile growing at her friends approval. As she had cried over to Rainbow the night before, she had been worrying about her friends not looking at them the same way after they knew. She had no doubt about the way she felt, but she still wanted her friends to approve, and so far things were looking up.
"I know what I should do!" Pinkie exclaimed suddenly. "I should throw you guys a party! Can you bring Rainbow over here in an hour? I'll send invites to the others, and we can all have a super-fantastic, extra-fun time!"
"Actually, Rainbow is meeting me here soon," Fluttershy explained. "She was just finishing up with some weather jobs, and she should be here any minute now."
"Hmm, I won't be able to do all of the decorations I wanted, but we can still have a party! I'll get my big party cannon, and you can get your birdies to deliver invitations to the others."
"What's this I hear about a party?"
Both of the ponies turned to the door to see Rainbow walking into the store, followed by Twilight, and Applejack and Rarity.
"Oh no, now I really don't have time to set up a party!" Pinkie said sadly, and then brightened up almost instantly as she often did.
"Hello everypony," Fluttershy greeted her friends. "And Rainbow, you sure got those weather jobs done quick."
"I couldn't stand to be away from you any longer," she said. The blue pegasus then walked over to stand next to Fluttershy, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. The shy pony blushed and smiled, glad that Rainbow was finally with her. In all honesty, she didn't feel complete unless she was there. Thinking back on it, it had been like that for a long time, she just hadn't realized and accepted it until the previous day.
"So it looks like the rumours really are true," Applejack said as she and the others stopped next to their friends in the store.
"Yep, it's official!" Rainbow said proudly, pulling Fluttershy closer and winking at her friends. Pinkie was all smiles, while Twilight and Applejack exchanged a glance.
"Well I for one am very happy for you two," Rarity said, smiling at her friends. "It's good to see that you both finally found someone to be with."
"Why thank you Rarity," Fluttershy thanked their friend, her smile widening.
"Alright, enough chat, it's time for the party!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing up and down in excitement. "Do you want to help me set up, or should I do it myself so everyone can be surprised?"
"I'm sure we can give you a hand," Twilight answered. Everyone nodded in agreement and were about to follow Pinkie into the back room when she stopped Rainbow and Fluttershy.
"Not you two! You need to be super extra surprised, because it is your party after all! Why don't you come back in an hour? That's plenty of time to set up a party!"
"You're sure you don't need us to help?" Fluttershy asked. Pinkie just responded by pushing them out the door.
"No way, I want this party to be perfect! See you in an hour!"
The pink earth pony gave them one final wave before closing the door. Rainbow simply shrugged and took a step closer to Fluttershy.
"You want to walk around town for a bit?" she asked. "Something tells me Pinkie wouldn't like it if we insisted on helping."
"Well they sure looked... happy," Applejack commented as Pinkie handed her a box of streamers.
"Yes, quite," Rarity agreed. "It's wonderful that they trust us so much as to tell us."
"Why wouldn't they tell us?" Pinkie wondered, pausing in blowing up a balloon. "If they kept it a secret, I wouldn't have known to throw them this party!"
"No Pinkie, we mean because they're both, y'know, they're both mares," Twilight explained, using her magic to arrange the snack table. Pinkie just blinked several times, tilting her head to the side.
"Yes, I know that silly. Does it make a difference? They're happy, and that's what matters, right?"
"You're right of course," Applejack agreed. "It'll just take a little getting used to."
"I agree," Twilight said. "We shouldn't act any different just because of this. They are our friends after all, and if they're happy, we should be too."
"That was some party, hmm?"
"It was very nice. We always have so much fun at Pinkie's parties."
"I think this one was the best yet. But you know what? I prefer the after parties. Less crowded."
Fluttershy sighed and settled herself more comfortably into Rainbow's embrace, allowing herself to take comfort from the other pegasus. She had never realized until the previous night how much she enjoyed having somepony with her. Even with all the animals sleeping around the house, she had always felt lonely in the hours after the sun had set, when she lay in bed thinking.
Rainbow smiled when she felt Fluttershy snuggle closer, feeling the warmth of the other pony against her. The light blue pegasus gazed at her marefriend, unconsciously brushing a stray piece of hair our of the shy ponies face. She found that it was hard to tear her eyes away, and even if she was able she wouldn't want to. Much like the previous night the moon shone through the window, lighting up Fluttershy's face to a beautiful silvery white. Driven by some sudden impulse, Rainbow leaned her head over just enough to kiss her on the cheek, feeling the heat rising in them in response. It wasn't like they hadn't done it before, and to be honest it wasn't all that much in the first place, but it was still a way to show their affection.
When Rainbow leaned back, her eyes were still on Fluttershy's face. After a few seconds, she saw a single glimmering tear fall down her face, accompanied by a quiet sniff.
"You okay?" Rainbow asked, hoping things wouldn't turn out like the other night. Fluttershy hesitated, and then nodded, but that wasn't enough to convince her.
"Fluttershy, you don't need to hide anything from me. Whatever you want to say, you can say it."
"Well, I, umm," she began, glancing up to see Rainbow looking genuinely worried for her, which did help to bring her comfort. "I was just wondering, why it is that you like me. I-I don't understand why you'd like anypony like me."
The question came as a surprise to the blue pegasus. Of all the things Fluttershy could possibly worry about, she never expected her to worry about Rainbow's feelings for her. Before answering, she gave the shy pegasus another soft kiss on the cheek.
"First off, I don't just like you Fluttershy," she began. "I love you. I love you more than anyone in Equestria. As for why, I could go on and on about things like how kind you are, and how beautiful you are. And how adorable it is when you blush."
Fluttershy realized that she was blushing, which only deepened the shade of red, making Rainbow laugh quietly before speaking again.
"While those are all true, I don't think they really do you justice. You're much more than that. One thing I've always loved about you is, well, your innocence. The way you talk about the world in the purest way. You haven't been influenced by the darker side, unlike me."
"What do you mean by that?" Fluttershy asked quietly in confusion. Rainbow thought for a moment, knowing it would be difficult to explain.
"Let me start by saying that I've never been in real relationship before this, I promise. But, as you know, I'm a show off. Sometimes a bit too much of a show off. That can sometimes give ponies the wrong impression of me. Back at flight camp, after the race where you first visited the ground, I started acting a little different. As I got older, it didn't get any better. I was a flirt, I admit it. I never had actual feelings towards the ponies, but I enjoyed all the attention they gave me. Sometimes one would come onto me a little too hard, and I'd turn them down, but I didn't stop. I liked making them think that they had a shot with me, that I'd actually consider being with them even though I never would.
"You weren't in Cloudsdale at the time, so you wouldn't have known about the reputation I got. Most other ponies thought of me as the type of mare that they could have some fun with for as long as they wanted, and then move on when they were done."
Rainbow paused in her story, squeezing her eyes shut to stop any stray tears from falling. She hated that part of her past. She was ashamed of it all, but Fluttershy deserved the truth, and so she'd get it. While Rainbow had been talking, Fluttershy had been listening in silence, unsure as to how she felt about what the other pegasus was saying.
"I don't know why I kept doing it," Rainbow continued after a moment. "I honestly liked the attention, and I couldn't see how it was affecting me. It just kept happening until one colt pushed too far for even my liking. After that, I left Cloudsdale for a few days to think. I don't know how I found Ponyville, but when I did, the first pony I saw was you.
"I had no idea that you'd moved to Ponyville. I had always wondered where you went when you officially left Cloudsdale, but I couldn't see why you'd still want to be my friend so I never tried to talk to you again. You probably don't remember what I'm talking about, because I never came and talked to you. I flew around the town for the rest of the day, thinking of what I wanted to do with my life. After the last incident, I was tired of the reputation I had back home. Then I had an idea. I barely even stopped to think about it. I just called the movers, and I was living in Ponyville within the week.
"You'll probably remember that day. It was the first day after I moved into my house here. I saw you walking around town, so I went to say hi. I didn't expect you to remember me. After all, we may have been friends as fillies but that had been years before. But you should have seen the look on your face when you saw me again. Do you remember that? Your face lit up and you practically tackled me to the ground in a hug. That had to be the moment I realized that I loved you.
"You see Fluttershy, if I hadn't seen you again that day, I might still be in Cloudsdale with no where to go in my life. When I saw you, I felt like I wanted to try to make things better for myself. You're the reason that I am who I am today, and in the past I've wished that I could be more like you. I know that may not make much sense, but it's true. You are so innocent to the terrible things that happen that you make others see the light. So there you have it. I love you simply for being you."
When she finished, Rainbow smiled. Never before had she admitted all of that to anypony, and it felt so easy to say with Fluttershy. There was silence between the two of them for a few seconds, and then Fluttershy couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She allowed herself to cry, and felt Rainbow hug her close.
"Fluttershy?" she asked in worry. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you sad or angry with me when I told you that. I'm sorry."
"I'm not crying because of that," Fluttershy said in between tears. "What you said about me... nopony has ever said anything so nice to me in my whole life."
Rainbow was shocked for a moment, and then she smiled. She had to have seen that one coming. You can't just tell a pony that they saved you from a horrible life and expect no tears to be shed.
"What about you?" Rainbow asked after a moment.
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked, allowing the other pegasus to wipe a tear off her cheek.
"Why do you love me?" she clarified. The yellow pony smiled.
"We've known each other forever, and we've been friends forever. Since we were little, you've always stood up for me. I never thought that I deserved to have someone so... loyal as my friend. You stuck by me when I lived in Cloudsdale, and you never deserted me when I needed a friend. I could never understand why you wanted to be around me. After all, you were also so athletic and competitive. You liked to fly fast and fly high, and you still do. I was never one for the sky, and I admired you. You're the bravest, loyalest, most faithful pony I've ever met.
"I know that you said you sometimes wanted to be like me? Well I always wanted to be like you. You're not afraid of anything, and you'll rise to any challenge put in front of you. You know how to stand up for yourself, as well as for others who are too shy to do it themselves. When I saw you again that day in town after all those years, I hugged you because I couldn't believe that the best friend I ever had was finally back. I knew I was never going back to Cloudsdale, so I thought that I'd never get to see you again, and then there you were. You managed to find me, and I don't believe it was an accident. We were always meant to be together, and that day proves it. Even if I never fully realized how I felt until you stood up for me yesterday, I think that I've loved you for a very long time."
When she finished, Fluttershy realized how much she had been talking. She rarely had that much to say, and she ducked her head in embarrassment, her mane falling to cover her eyes. Almost instantly, Rainbow gently brushed it aside, her eyes glowing as she met the shy gaze.
"Looks like we really were meant to be together," she said softly, feeling her heart beat a thousand times faster looking deep into those wide turquoise eyes. Neither of them felt the need to say another word; they had said all they needed to when they had poured their hearts out to one another. In a sudden rush of feelings, Rainbow leaned in towards Fluttershy, slowly closing the distance between them. She moved closer until their lips were just centimetres away, so close they could feel the others warm breath.
But before Rainbow could close the final distance, Fluttershy flinched back. The look on the blue pegasus face was full of shock and hurt, and then she frowned, and abruptly pulled back.
"Fine," she mumbled, letting go of Fluttershy and turned around to face the other way on the bed. Fluttershy didn't quite know what to say. Why had she done that?
"Rainbow, I'm sorry, I-" she began, but was cut off.
"After all we just said, and you don't want to kiss me?" she said, pain filling her voice. "Fine. That's just fine with me."
Fluttershy mentally hit herself for flinching away when she did. She hadn't expected that reaction, and she knew she had to fix it.
"Rainbow, I didn't mean it like that," she tried to explain, wrapping her own hooves around Rainbow, who didn't try to move away. "I really do love you, and I meant every word I said. But I'm not ready for that. I'm just not. It feels like everything is moving so fast, and I'm scared." Her voice began to tremble as she went on. "I'm sorry if I feel that way. I just want to be with you, and I'll do anything to keep it that way. Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."
Fluttershy felt Rainbow sigh, and then she turned back around and hugged Fluttershy into her chest, gently rubbing her back.
"You apologize too much," she said softly, closing her eyes as she spoke. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to. I just want to be with you too, and if you want to take things slow, then we will. I'll be happy if you are, so there's no need to cry again."
"I love you Dashie," Fluttershy said, her voice muffled against her marefriend.
"I love you too," Rainbow whispered, smiling and finally allowing a single tear to slide down her cheek. "And I always will."
Change of Perspective -part 1
Time can pass very quickly when you're with the one you love. It can seem like just yesterday that you were only friends, and then suddenly a week has passed. Even though a week may not seem like the longest time, when spent with the right person, or pony, every moment is special.
This was exactly the case for Rainbow and Fluttershy. It had been a week since their first day together, the day when they both finally admitted their feelings for one another, and things couldn't be going better for the happy couple. Their relationship was still moving slowly, but neither of them felt the need to rush things. Well, maybe Rainbow wouldn't have minded if things progressed a little faster as she had never been the patient type, but she knew that Fluttershy was more comfortable with taking things slow.
However, slow didn't mean they spent any less time together. In fact, every day for the past week there was rarely a moment they could be seen apart. Fluttershy would try and lend a hoof in the simpler weather jobs, and Rarity had even invited Rainbow to join her and Fluttershy in their weekly spa get-together. Of course Rainbow had only ended up sitting around with them, what with her aversion to receiving any pampering, they had still been together, and that was what counted.
On that particular day, the two of them were visiting the library, where Rainbow was engaged in a very heated argument with Twilight over which volume of Daring Do was the best.
“You've got to be kidding me,” Rainbow scoffed from where she was seated on the couch with Fluttershy in her arms. “How can you possibly think volume five is better than volume one? The Sapphire Stone was way better than the Dungeon of Doom.”
“And I fail to see how you can think the first volume was better,” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes as she reorganized a shelf. “It was a good way to start the series, but Dungeon of Doom had a much better plot, and it showed that Daring Do has just as much intellect as she does skill.”
“What, and the puzzle in the temple didn't show that? The Sapphire Stone is a classic. I'm not saying that every volume wasn't awesome, but nothing can top the original, especially not that one.”
“What do you think Fluttershy?” Twilight suddenly asked, pausing in her work to turn around and face her guests. “You've been very quiet through this whole conversation.”
When Fluttershy was called out, she blushed furiously at being the center of attention and shrunk back slightly into Rainbow's embrace.
“Oh, well, I've never actually read any of the books,” she answered quietly. “But the way Rainbow talks about the Sapphire Stone, it sounds like it is one of the best.”
“See!” Rainbow exclaimed, smiling proudly. “She hasn't even read the books and she knows how awesome the original is.”
Fluttershy smiled at the praise and her blush faded. She was prepared to let them continue in their conversation, but her eyes happened to glance over the clock on the wall.
“Oh my, look at the time!” she said, realizing it was getting later than they had planned to stay. “I promised Angel I'd get him dinner by five.”
“Oh, I'm sorry to have kept you!” Twilight apologized, the previous argument forgotten. “You go ahead and get home, we can catch up tomorrow.”
“Alright, see ya Twi!” Rainbow said as she got up and stretched her wings. Fluttershy got up after her, making sure to grab her bag before making her way to the door alongside Rainbow.
“You cold?” Rainbow asked Fluttershy as they slowly walked in the direction of the cottage. The yellow pegasus shook her head, but her marefriend could see her shivering. Allowing herself a small smile, Rainbow spread a wing over her, pulling Fluttershy closer while also keeping her warm.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy thanked her, glad that she had noticed despite the initial denial.
All things considered, it would have been faster to fly back. However, the two of them found it easier to hold a conversation, not to mention be closer to one another, when they took that extra time to walk. Even if they were running a little late after spending extra time with Twilight, walking never hurt anyone.
“Oh no, I just remembered!” Fluttershy exclaimed suddenly, stopping in her tracks. Rainbow stopped next to her, her brow scrunching in a frown.
“What's wrong 'Shy?”
“I forgot to pick up the lettuce!” she replied, stirring up dirt with her hoof in worry. “You know how Angel can be when he doesn't get the food he likes. I'll have to go back and get it for him.”
“Hey, don't worry about it,” Rainbow assured her. “I got it. Just give me your bag and I'll pick it up, kay?”
“Are you sure?” Fluttershy asked. “I don't want to it to be inconvenient for you.”
“It's no problem,” she insisted gently. “You go home and I'll be there before you know it.”
“Thanks so much Rainbow,” the yellow pegasus thanked her, quickly strapping her light brown bag onto Rainbow's back.
“Don't thank me, you gotta get home to feed the other animals! I'll see you soon!”
Giving Fluttershy one last kiss on the cheek, Rainbow lifted herself a few inches off the ground and began flying in the direction of the market. She heard Fluttershy call one last “thank you” before she continued back to her cottage.
Over the past week, Rainbow had begun to call Fluttershy's cottage home, seeing as that was where she had spent every night since that first day. She found that she really didn't mind sleeping in a bed instead of on a cloud, and she very much enjoyed the company. She had also been sleeping more soundly in the past week than she ever remembered having done so on her own.
She reached the market in a few short minutes as she had been flying versus walking that time. Quickly locating the produce stand, she paid for a bag full of fresh lettuce, with her own money mind you, and was about to leave when she heard someone say her name from behind her.
“Would you happen to be Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow spun around to locate the source of the voice, and found herself faced with a young colt standing a few feet away. He had a greyish-white coat with a darker mane, and stood a few inches taller than she did. She also noted the pair of wings that were tucked in neatly at his sides. His cutie mark resembled an open flame that looked as if it was burning a trail across his flank. He was fairly handsome as colts go, but of course that was only a passing observation.
“That's me,” she confirmed, idly flipping her mane out of her eyes. “How do you know who I am? I haven't seen you around here before.”
“I'm new in town,” the colt explained, his voice smooth with a faint accent she couldn't quite place. “The name's Blow Torch, but everyone just calls me Torch.”
“Well nice to meet you, but you still haven't answered my question,” Rainbow pointed out, still curious as to how he knew who she was if he was new to Ponyville.
“I heard that you're the pony to know around these parts,” Torch answered, taking a step forward as he spoke. “I need to get myself a reputation around here, and the talk of the town is that anyone who's anyone has got to know Rainbow Dash. I assumed that was you, what with your mane and all. There aren't many pegasi I can think of with a rainbow colored mane.”
“Well if you want to be known around Ponyville, you definitely came to the right place,” Rainbow replied, feeling flattered at his compliments. “Stick with me, and you'll be the coolest colt around here in no time.”
“So we can hang out sometime?” Torch pressed, wanting her to say it before he left. Rainbow chuckled quietly, a smile finally finding it's way onto her face.
“I'm free tomorrow afternoon,” she answered, seeing his face light up at her words. “Can you meet me here at three o' clock?”
“I'll be here,” Torch confirmed, stretching his wings out to prepare to take flight. “See you tomorrow, and thanks for letting me hang out with you!”
“Don't worry about it. See you later Torch!”
“Are you sure this is a good idea Rainbow?” Fluttershy asked yet again, an expression of worry still plastered on her face.
“There's no need to worry Fluttershy,” Rainbow promised, trying not to get even the slightest bit annoyed at the repeated question. “He just wants to hang out, get himself known around here. I'll be back before you know it, okay?”
“I just want you to be careful,” the yellow pegasus mumbled softly, her gaze drifting to the grassy ground surrounding them outside her cottage. “You never know what this pony is like, and there's no one to tell you because he's new.”
Rainbow was a little surprised to hear that was the reason Fluttershy was worrying. She was just trying to make sure she stayed safe? The thought itself was enough to make her blush, a light pink warming her normally blue cheeks.
“Hey,” Rainbow said, her voice unusually soft. She walked the short distance over to her marefriend and placed a hoof gently on her shoulder, bringing their foreheads close together until they were just barely touching. Fluttershy glanced up, meeting the deep pink gaze in front of her and feeling her heart beat a bit faster.
“I'll be okay,” Rainbow promised again, this time her voice much more patient. “We'll just hang out for a little while, and then I'll come back and we can do something you want, okay?”
“O-okay,” Fluttershy stuttered, almost speechless with the pony she loved standing there in front of her, close enough to have her warm breath tickle her nose. Rainbow smiled, seeing the blush rising quickly on the other ponies face.
“Love you,” she whispered, lifting her head to give Fluttershy a soft kiss on the forehead. She lingered there for a moment, feeling reluctant to leave now, but also knowing she couldn't just bail on Blow Torch. After a few more seconds, she pulled back, waving back to Fluttershy as she flew off towards town.
“See you soon!” she called over her shoulder just before she disappeared from sight.
Change of Perspective -part 2
The feel of wind on her face, her mane whipping out behind her in a rainbow-colored streak. Darting through clouds without hesitation, around trees and rooftops, feeling the all too familiar rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Rainbow wasn't going to be late, but she never turned down an opportunity to let herself go and just fly. She had less and less free time lately, even more so in the last week, not that she minded the alternative in the least. It felt good to forget everything and let her natural flying instincts take over. But of course, as much as she would have liked to keep soaring like that for much longer, she reluctantly slowed down as she was nearing the market and flared out her wings, coming to a gentle and perfect landing. Allowing herself a quick smile of pride, she dusted herself off and began the short walk to the spot she was supposed to meet Torch.
With the sun shining, the sky almost completely void of clouds and the melody of birds singing in the background, the day was looking to be a very beautiful one. All around her Rainbow saw ponies laughing and smiling, and not once did she see any ill expressions. As she was nearing the meeting place, she heard her name being called from behind much like the previous day.
"Hey Rainbow Dash!" Torch called from up in the sky. Rainbow turned around and spotted him, spreading her wings out to fly up and meet him.
"Sup Torch?" she greeted him as she came up to his level. "Been up to anything awesome?"
"Not since I saw you yesterday," he joked, causing them both to laugh.
"So what do you want to do?" Rainbow inquired. "Your call."
"Could we just fly for a bit?" he asked. "You know, do some tricks and maybe race?"
"Race? You want to race me ? One..."
Torch realized what she was getting at and smiled, flexing his wings in anticipation.
"Two three go!"
In an instant Rainbow took off in a multicolored blur, leaving Torch blinking in surprise. He quickly gathered his wits and sped off after her, watching in awe at her effortless graceful movements, her perfect positioning, how her muscles clenched before she put on a burst of speed.
This is going to be even better than I thought!
Hours later the pegasus duo flew back in over town, each silently gliding to a stop above the market. They were both laughing as they had just completed yet another race, Rainbow once again maintaining the lead the entire time. They were getting a little carried away until she noticed the time and realized she needed to get back to Fluttershy soon, so she had suggested one last race back to town.
"Rainbow Dash, I have to say I'm seriously impressed," Torch complimented her as they both swooped down to the ground. "I've never seen a pegasus with your mad skills, not even on the Wonderbolts!"
"Yeah, I guess I really am the best," Rainbow agreed, her usual ego coming out. "But thanks."
"No problem. So I guess you have to go now?"
"Yeah, but we should definitely hang out again sometime," she offered giving her tired wings a good stretch. "I don't have a lot of friends that like flying so fast."
"Well, maybe next time we could do something other than flying..." Torch suggested carefully, hoping she would get the message.
"Like what?" she just asked, so Torch sighed and elaborated.
"Like, maybe go to get something to eat? Find a nice restaurant and get to know each other a little better?"
"You mean, like... like a date ?" Rainbow asked in disbelief, legitimately shocked by his words.
"Yeah, a date," he answered, shrugging to make it seem like no big deal. "So what do you say?"
"Well, I, uh..." she trailed off, trying to find the best way to tell him and deciding on being completely honest. "I'm actually seeing someone at the moment."
"Oh," Torch said in shock; he hadn't been expecting that. "So I guess it wouldn't really work out."
"No, it wouldn't," she agreed. "Sorry about that."
"Hey, no worries. So who's the lucky colt? What's his name?"
"Her," Rainbow corrected instantly, seeing his eyebrows raise as he understood.
"Her?" he repeated, making sure he understood her correctly.
"Yeah, it's a mare," she confirmed, feeling a little awkward that he was making a big deal out of it.
"Oh, so you're a fillyfooler," he said, and Rainbow instantly stiffened. She let out a slow breath, reminding herself that he meant no harm by it.
"I don't like that word," she said through her teeth, trying to keep her expression casual for his sake.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Torch apologized at once. "So who is she?"
"Her name's Fluttershy. She's also a pegasus, one I've known since I was just a filly. We've been friends for years."
"Well I'd love to meet her sometime," he suggested, "maybe we could all hang out and fly."
"Oh she's not much of a flier," Rainbow clarified, smiling at Torch's confused expression. "I know, a pegasus that doesn't like flying isn't that common. She just prefers to stay near the ground. She really loves taking care of animals too."
"Sounds like she's really something," Torch said in a quiet voice, accepting he wouldn't be able to get through to her the simple way. "I guess you shouldn't keep her waiting."
"Oh shoot, I have to go!" Rainbow exclaimed, lifting a few inches into the air. "Sorry to leave you like this, but I promised I'd be back before dark."
"But we can still hang out again, right?" Torch pressed, breathing a sigh of relief when she nodded.
"See you later!" Rainbow called as she sped off in the direction of home, or Fluttershy's cottage to be exact. As soon as she was out of sight, Torch frowned and kicked the ground in annoyance.
"And here I thought we could do this the easy way," he mumbled, turning around and walking slowly away.
"What're you thinking about right now Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked sleepily, shifting her position in bed to better accommodate her tired wings.
"You," Fluttershy replied in a near whisper, her voice sounding like she was on the very edge of unconsciousness. The blue pegasus chuckled quietly, watching the light reflect off her marefriend's face as it poured through the window. It was a full moon that night; it lit up the entire room with a strange yet mystical aura.
In that moment, Rainbow seriously wanted to kiss her. I mean she wanted to really kiss her, not just a little peck on the cheek, but a real, passionate, full lip-lock, picture perfect kiss. It was more than just a passing thought, it was a full-blown burning desire trying to break out of her. The wait was agonizing. Rainbow wanted her now . As selfish as she knew it sounded, she wanted to take things further, even just a little bit to relieve her of the tension.
But she wouldn't. At least not that night, when Fluttershy was lying there so innocent, so defenseless, so vulnerable. She refused to take advantage of her like that, no matter how far she planned on taking it someday. Rainbow knew how it would go; she would wait until Fluttershy could be given a chance to react, to say no. She would wait until the shy pegasus was fully conscious, and not hovering on the edge of sleep. It wouldn't be fair to her to try anything then, and the last thing she wanted was to hurt Fluttershy in any way. Letting out a quiet sigh, Rainbow inched her body to closer to the other pegasus, carefully wrapping her hooves around her almost-sleeping figure. She had to smile at the contented sigh that resulted, growing even wider as Fluttershy snuggled into her.
"You know, maybe this isn't so bad after all," Rainbow mumbled, her eyes drifting shut as sleep finally took her.
A few days later...
"I swear I'm going to beat you this time Rainbow Dash!" Torch shouted from far behind the rainbow streak he was chasing. "You can't win every time!"
"Says who?" Rainbow called back, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she put on an extra burst of speed, blowing clean through a cloud in her path. The white remnants went flying in every direction, blinding the colt momentarily as he struggled to catch up. Every single race they had in the last few days had resulted in Rainbow shooting across their finish line while he came shamefully soaring in behind her. It wasn't much of a surprise; she had been crowned the best young flier in Equestria by Celestia herself. On that particular day, as usual, she was the first to reach their destination and soared gracefully to the ground, landing in a small cloud of dust and waiting for Torch to reach her. Within a few seconds he landed next to her, shaking his head.
"You really are something," he complimented her, stopping next to where she was waiting. "I'm a little tired from all that flying; why don't we just walk for a bit?"
"Sounds good to me," Rainbow shrugged, tucking her wings into her side and walking alongside Torch through the town. She assumed they would stick to the main path, but to her surprise he turned onto a back street, one that rarely anypony took.
"It's just a bit loud around here," he explained as she slowly followed him into the back alley. She had flown over these streets plenty of times, but had never actually walked through them as she had never had the need.
"So I hear you were at the Royal Wedding in Canterlot?" Torch asked, trying to make casual conversation.
"You bet I was! I got to do a sonic rainboom in front of everyone!" she replied pridefully. The conversation went on like this for the next few minutes, Rainbow more than happy to talk about her accomplishments, until they turned a corner and found they had hit a dead end.
"I guess it's pretty easy to get lost back here," she shrugged, getting ready to take off to find their way back to town.
"Wait!" Torch said quickly before she could lift into the air. "There's no hurry. Why don't we just hang around here?"
"Why do you want to hang here ?" she asked in confusion, tucking her wings back into her side.
"You know, it's not so busy here," he explained slowly, taking a few steps towards her. "We have more... privacy."
While he was talking, Torch took it upon himself to continue walking closer to Rainbow, slowly backing her into the corner.
"What are you talking about Torch?" she demanded, determined to hold her ground as she refused to take another step back.
"I think you know. You may not look it, but I think you're a smart mare."
Rainbow did in fact have an idea what he was getting at, but she didn't want to admit it to herself. The last time this had happened... she didn't even want to think about it.
"I told you, I'm seeing someone right now," she said firmly, her expression turning into a hostile glare. "So I'm gonna have to say no thanks."
"Pity," Torch said simply, before taking another step forward and forcing Rainbow against the wall. "And here I thought this was going to be easy."
"I'm warning you, you'd better-" she began, but was cut off when Torch pinned her against the wall with a hoof, knocking her breath out.
"Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. I don't really care which, because either way this is happening and there's nothing you can do about it."
Rainbow put up one last struggle, attempting to throw him off balance and fly away, but he didn't let go of the hold he had on her, instead pushing her even harder into the wall.
Damn he's strong, she thought. Stronger than he let on.
"I suggest you make this easy for yourself," he said, his face now mere inches from hers. Rainbow had literally frozen now; the memories flooding back to her were too much. Sneaking over to that colt's room, trying to slip out, being thrown into a table and pinned to the floor... the words he used were almost exactly the same.
"What, this isn't what you wanted Rainbow Dash? Leading everypony on like this? Well don't blame me for throwing yourself out there. Whether you like it or not you brought this on yourself."
Her breath was coming heavy and uneven as the reality of the situation set in. There was just one thing she needed to know.
"Why are you doing this?" she rasped, her limbs refusing to move as she wanted.
"When I found out I was moving here, I figured I should get to know what kind of ponies I'd find," he explained, his grip as strong as ever. "A friend of mine told me about a certain mare with a rainbow colored mane, said she could give anyone an easy night of fun. I didn't realize you'd become so difficult. My buddies from Cloudsdale will never believe me."
"You're from Cloudsdale?" she gasped, her eye widening as she understood what he would have been told. There was a reason she rarely went back there to visit...
"Where else would I have heard about you? But enough of that; time to cut to the chase. I suggest you stay quiet to make it easier."
"Hey! Leave her alone!"
The angry shouting surprised both of them, but Torch's grip didn't loosen one bit. He turned his head ever so slightly, blocking Rainbow's view even further.
"Stay out of this," he barked at the newcomer, his eyes still glued to his target. Rainbow managed to peek her head around him, and the pegasus standing in the alley was enough to lift her spirits into the sky.
"Fluttershy!" she cried, earning her a slap from an increasingly annoyed Torch.
"Shut up," he muttered, finally turning his head enough to look at her.
"So you're Fluttershy?" he scoffed, getting a good look at the yellow pegasus. "Well it doesn't matter; this doesn't concern you. Why don't you run along and go play with your little animals."
"I'm not going anywhere until you let her go," Fluttershy said firmly, silently walking up behind him.
"Oh? And what are you going to do about it?" he demanded, feeling a tap on his shoulder a second later. He let out an annoyed sigh and turned completely around, never taking his hoof off Rainbow, seeing Fluttershy standing right behind him. When he saw her though, she didn't look like he expected. Her eyes were wide and blazing, seeming to petrify him where he stood. Had he known her better, he would have realized he was being fixed with her infamous stare.
"I said, leave her alone!" Fluttershy shouted in absolute rage, seeming to tower above the now cowering Torch. "I'm not about to let some big dumb meanie hurt my Rainbow Dash. Now I want you to let her go, and then leave Ponyville and never come back. Understand?"
Unable to do anything else, Torch nodded quickly, finally letting Rainbow go and stepping away from the both of them. He continued to back away until Fluttershy finally calmed down, the fire receding from her eyes to their usual blueish green. He paused for a moment, trying to keep what little dignity he had left before retreating.
"She's not worth it anyways," he called back at them. "I don't know why I even bothered with her."
With that, he flared his wings out beside him, quickly taking off into the air and disappearing from sight over the building next to them. Instantly Fluttershy turned to Rainbow, who was still breathing heavily and staring ahead. In a second her legs gave out and she would have fallen to the ground had Fluttershy not been there to catch her. The shy pegasus held her lover in her lap, gently stroking her mane as Rainbow tried to control her shaking.
"Shhhh, it's alright," Fluttershy cooed, carefully sitting down on the ground and hugging Rainbow closer. "He's gone, he's not going to hurt you. I'm right here."
Rainbow let out a quiet laugh that ended up sounding like a sob, and for a moment she let her pride go and allowed herself to be comforted by the mare she loved so much. Fluttershy simply held her close and whispered comforting words to calm her down.
After a few minutes Rainbow had calmed down considerably, and she finally stood up and wiped her stray tears away, turning her head to the side in embarrassment.
"Alright, enough of that," she mumbled before turning back to Fluttershy and smiling. "Thanks. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't shown up."
"Anything for my Dashie," she giggled, causing them both to smile and laugh.
"Why don't we get out of here?" Rainbow suggested, wanting to get as far away from that place as possible. She was about to spread her wings out when she heard Fluttershy disagree.
"Ummm, I actually... I, uh," she trailed off, her gaze flickering down.
"What's up 'Shy?" Rainbow asked, her eyes searching her marefriend's face.
"I just, ummm, wanted to..." she stuttered, unsure of how to go about it. Rainbow sighed quietly.
"Fluttershy, whatever you want to say, go ahead and spit it ou-"
In all honesty, it wasn't Rainbow's first kiss, not even close. There had been times in the past when another pegasus had wanted to take it much further. None of them even compared to what she was feeling in that moment.
Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut and just kissed her, totally unsure of what she was supposed to do but following her instincts. Rainbow stood there in shock for a moment before she finally regained control of her body and eagerly kissed her back. It wasn't exactly the picture perfect kiss she had imagined, but everything sought to make it the most unforgettable.
It was a good thirty seconds before they both reluctantly pulled away from each other, both of them breathing a little heavier than before. Fluttershy's cheeks were painted a deep red, almost mirroring Rainbow's. For a moment neither of them spoke, Fluttershy staring at the ground in an attempt to hide her fierce blushing, and Rainbow unable to take her eyes off the others beautiful face.
"...wow," was all Rainbow could say when she found her voice. A small smile found it's way to Fluttershy's face, and she finally brought her gaze up to meet her lovers.
"I love you so much Rainbow Dash," she said in a near whisper. "I couldn't imagine ever letting anything happen to you."
"I love you too 'Shy," Rainbow replied quietly, pulling Fluttershy into an embrace and sneaking another quick kiss. "Thank you."