Tough Love

Fluttershy trotted into town square, eager for her get together with Rainbow Dash. She could hardly contain herself all day, her mind wandering to that handsome stallion every time she tried to concentrate on chores. The shy pony wandered around the streets for a bit, waiting for her friend while thinking up questions to ask when she heard someone call her name.

“Hey Fluttershy, over here!” Called the light blue Pegasus as she cantered towards the object of her affection. She couldn’t help but notice that Fluttershy hadn’t prettied herself up at all for their date. Rainbow Dash preferred the shy mare just the way she had always been and was relieved upon seeing her.

“Oh, hello Rainbow Da-”. Fluttershy could not finish her greeting as she was speechless after catching a glimpse of the pony coming her way. Before her was a completely different pony than the one she had been expecting. The voice was the same but the mare from whence it came was a completely different pony. Rainbow Dash was pretty, but her spunkiness and tomboy attitude limited her beauty. Before Fluttershy was a breathtakingly beautiful mare. Her colors were the same as Rainbow Dash’s but her hair was done up in a way that caused the hues to mesh together in perfect harmony. The mare’s posture was straight and her head held up slightly, giving her a sophisticated look. The graceful manner in which she cantered gave off the air of nobility and several ponies moved aside, never taking their eyes off of the goddess that had just graced their presence. This mystery mare was the epitome of artistry and she was making her way towards Fluttershy. And the magic seemed to fade as soon as she opened her mouth.

“Heya Shy! Sorry I’m a bit late. I hope you’re hungry ‘cause you are in for a treat! I got us booked at the Pompous Equine. That’s right, that one snooty restaurant. I got us both covered so you better stuff your face and get your money’s worth.” Rainbow Dash said as she came into contact with her date.

Fluttershy shook her head to clear her mind of all the whats. “Wha-huh? Rainbow Dash, is that you?”

The sky blue Pegasus held her head even higher, satisfied with the reaction she was getting. “Oh yeah, it’s me alright. What do you think? Am I hot or what?”

“You look beautiful! I mean, you always looked beautiful but right now, you’re really something else Rainbow Dash.” The pink maned pony gushed, excited that her friend was finally making an attempt to look attractive.

Rainbow Dash blushed at the compliment but took it in stride. “Thanks babe. Now like I was saying, we’re gonna be eating at that one fancy place up that street. The reservation’s for 10 minutes from now so we better make our way over.”

“Wait, you said you were treating me to dinner at the Pompous Equine?! I, um. You don’t have to do that just for me. And it seems a bit much for just this occasion, don’t you think?” Fluttershy was flabbergasted when she realized where they were eating. She had never been able to afford such an extravagant meal since most of her work was volunteer and what veterinary work she did, she charged little for.

“Hey don’t say that. This day means a lot to both of us and I want to make it special, a day to remember. It would be my pleasure to take you out Fluttershy. Just let me do this for you and enjoy okay?” Said the gallant and terribly misunderstanding pegasus.

Fluttershy was awed by her friend’s words. She never knew how much Rainbow Dash cared about her happiness. She didn’t know that her relationship with Snowflake meant so much to her and the thought of such benevolence brought a tear to Fluttershy’s eyes.

“Oh, *sniff* thanks so much Rainbow Dash. I didn’t know you cared so much. I’ll definitely enjoy our time together. Thank you so much”, said the yellow pegasus who was now struggling not to break down from pure joy. She felt a hoof brush the tears from her eyes and opened them to see the gentle smile of her friend. She was given a warm hug that she leaned into. Rainbow Dash usually did not engage hugs and this show of affection let Fluttershy know that she had her friend’s full support. After a few moments, she stopped her quiet sobbing and broke the hug. Rainbow Dash was still smiling sweetly. Upon seeing that her friend had settled down, she began leading them towards their destination.

“Alright Fluttershy, let’s go get some food. We could talk more once were sitting down in a cozy restaurant. It’s getting a bit chilly here.” Said Rainbow Dash as she leaned into her marefriend for warmth.

“Oh, you’re right. When did it get so cold out? I guess I didn’t notice since you’re so warm, hehe.” Fluttershy giggled as she leaned into her bestest friend. Rainbow Dash was just about to explode from how well the date was already going. At that moment with Fluttershy leaning against her, she thought she could die happily and fulfilled then and there.

~Around the same time. In some bushes around Ponyville square.~

Four ponies were hiding behind some flora. They were overcome by the spectacle they had just bared witness to.

“Oh. My. Celestia. That was ABSOLUTELY MAGICAL!” Squealed Rarity as she hugged her three friends with all her might.

“I can’t believe that just happened and we got to see that and Fluttershy started to cry and Rainbow Dash hugged her like some kind of gentlemare and ohmygosh it was so super splendirific I’m going to explode someone help me!” Shrieked Pinkie Pie at the top of her lungs as she overdosed on the insane amounts of ‘daww’ they had just witnessed.

“Alright there sugarcubes, just take a deep breath and-hurgh! Ah think ah got the same problem ya’ll got! Mah chest, it hurts! Twilight, it hurts so doggone good! Help us! He-… ugh.” Cried Applejack as she clutched her chest and feigned unconsciousness in Rarity’s embrace.

Twilight was trying vehemently to suppress her laughter in order to keep their hiding spot concealed. That is, until she slipped out of her friends’ cluster of limbs and popped her head out of the brush. She saw several ponies staring in their direction, no doubt alerted by the strange noises coming from the entanglement of plant and pony. Twilight blushed hard and slowly sunk back into the protective camouflage of thicket. After realizing that the targets had probably arrived at their objective by now, she decided it was time for the next step of their clandestine operations.

“Alright girls, time for the next step. This is where we come in! Everypony get ready. Our next target, the Pompous Equine!”

“Oooh, girls this is so much fun! I feel as though I may faint from the excitement. Much like dear Applejack over here. It seems the poor girl couldn’t handle it.” Rarity tried to nudge her friend awake. Applejack had actually fainted from how adorable the event had been. It was just too much for the low tolerance cowmare to handle.

Pinkie Pie was already hard at work drawing on the orange earth pony’s face with a marker she got out of nowhere. She was concentrating so hard on her task that she almost didn’t hear Twilight ask her, “Pinkie, what are you doing to Applejack’s face? We don’t have time for this, get into your disguises. We gotta go!”

Pinkie Pie finished up just as her friend ended her sentence and said, “Voila! Check out the upgrade I made to AJ’s disguise. Pretty neat huh?”

Rarity and Twilight burst out laughing. Applejack’s face was now adorned with a markered on mustache and goatee combo. The facial ink was complemented with a huge black mole right below her left eye that just cried, “Look at me world. Here I am!” The marks on her face went perfectly with the disguise Rarity prepared for her: a corny looking tan business suit that oddly complimented her Stetson. Applejack now gave off the aura of a middle-aged business stallion from the countryside with a poor sense of fashion. The costume was finished as Pinkie Pie added a pair of groucho glasses on her still unconscious friend. It was flawless.

After a few more minutes of laughter and compliments towards Rarity for their full-proof disguises and Pinkie Pie for Applejack’s add on, they got into gear for their mission and sprung out of the foliage. Several ponies around scattered after four suspicious beings emerged from the depths of the vegetation, one being carried by the other three. It was dark and the quintet looked ominous as they were bathed in the eerie light of the moon. As they made their way towards the restaurant, everypony moved out of their way as they scrutinized their every move. Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie were too excited about their hijinks to even notice.

~In the Pompous Equine~

The restaurant was the grandest eatery Ponyville had to offer. The walls were burgundy and the pillars that supported the ceiling were made of a dark marble, giving the whole dining area a risqué yet sophisticated atmosphere. The décor consisted of red candles, very few flowers and chandeliers that gave off dim lighting. It was packed with couples and families enjoying the most lavish of meals in a most cultivated establishment.

In the Pompous Equine, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were hitting it off before they had even begun to order. They were chatting away about what they had been up to the whole week and what their predictions would be for the tornado. Soon they had talked about everything of interest and were bathed in a pleasant silence as they enjoyed each other’s company. Well, it was pleasant for Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash seemed calm and collected but her mind was going haywire thinking of the mare across from her. She always thought Fluttershy was attractive and now felt that way more than ever. The shy mare’s caring nature always made her feel warm inside. The way she treated her wounds after a bad stunt and her infinite patience as she listened to others poor their hearts out were only a few of the traits Rainbow Dash admired about the yellow pegasus. She was also physically beautiful. The way her silky pink mane gently flowed down that delicate face of hers. The smell of flowers emanating from her flawless fur. Her perfectly demure posture, showing off her curves as well as her fragile frame. Those big aqua eyes, always relaxed and halfway closed, indicating she was content with her life. Those same orbs that were now staring straight at her.

“Rainbow Dash, are you okay? You have drool running down your mouth and you’ve been staring off into space for a while now.” The colorful pegasus snapped out of her trance. ‘I was staring at you. You look stunning’, she wanted to say but couldn’t find the courage to come out with it. Instead she settled for a lie.

“Yeah I’m fine. I was just thinking about the tornado business again and how we’re going to break the old record. Should be easy.”

“Oh, well I agree. With you as the organizer, there’s no way we’re going to fail”, said Fluttershy, causing Rainbow Dash to drivel.

“Ohh, you- I, gah. You know- duhuhuh.” Rainbow Dash mentally slapped herself. ‘What the hay did I just say? Oh gosh, I must’ve sounded like an idiot.’ Fluttershy just smiled and returned to waiting patiently for the waitress.

There was silence again. Rainbow Dash started to get nervous. She had run out of material to talk about and she didn’t want to use any of Pinkie Pie’s jokes unless she was desperate. ‘Where are they?’ She wondered as she looked around the restaurant for her friends who were supposed to help her out on the date. Just as she finished her thought, the waitress came by with some water on a tray that was being carried by magic.

“Good evening. My name is Scarcity and I will be your waitress tonight.”

Rainbow Dash almost face-hooved when she saw the waitress. It was Rarity. She had her hair tied back and in bangs, kind of like the time she went to the Canterlot art show. She was wearing glasses along with the standard uniform the other waitresses wore. Rarity was easily identifiable and she hardly changed her voice, let alone her name, but Fluttershy didn’t seem to notice.

Scarcity looked victorious that Fluttershy didn’t notice the get up, not that there was any doubt. “Would you like to start off with an appetizer? Perhaps a bottle of our finest cider?”

Rainbow Dash looked to Rarity’s notepad that was conveniently turned her way. She read out loud in a robotic fashion, “I would like to skip the appetizers and order our meals. A mushroom steak well done and slightly charred for me and a daisy salad for my companion. As for our refreshments, I would like the finest bottle of your… your…”

Rainbow Dash pulled Rarity towards her and asked in a hushed tone behind the covers of the notepad, “How the hay do you pronounce that?”

“Ropony-Conti” Scarcity whispered back.

“Your finest bottle of Ropony-Conti please.”

“My my, a big spender are we?” Rarity’s persona winked at Rainbow Dash who winked back. “You are a very lucky mare madam.” She said to Fluttershy who smiled and agreed.

“I sure am. Rainbow Dash here is the kindest most generous pegasus I know!”

“And quite the looker too!” She said with another wink at the now blushing pegasus. “Now if you two will excuse me.” And with that, Scarcity left after inconspicuously slipping a note onto Rainbow Dash's waiting hoof.

The chromatic mare took a glance at the note and read its contents.

“I hope your date goes well darling! The girls and I have positioned ourselves so that you can look to any of us if you ever need advice. The others are seated at the table far behind Fluttershy. You can’t miss them. Have fun!

-Scarcity

P.S. If you haven’t noticed yet due to my brilliant disguise, tis I, Rarity! XOXO”

Rainbow Dash smiled at her friend’s silliness and looked up to see Fluttershy caught in her thoughts. This was the perfect opportunity to scout out her missing friends. She began taking sips from her glass of water to look unsuspicious as she kept a lookout for her accomplices. ‘Now where could they be.’ She thought as she squinted her eyes to see past her date. ‘They should be around-!!‘

The sky blue pegasus almost spewed water from her nostrils as she caught a glimpse of her other friends. There they were, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and Pinkie Pie all dressed up and causing a ruckus in the other side of the restaurant. There was Pinkie Pie in her top hat tuxedo combo, her pink mane straightened and slicked back. She was wearing a comically stoic expression as Twilight seemed to be struggling with some weird stallion. The purple unicorn had her hair in a bun which hid her highlights and showed her forehead and she was wearing a dark dress to conceal her cutie mark. She seemed to be trying her best to fight off some creepy pony that kept attempting to cling to her. Then it hit Rainbow Dash and concern turned into laughter. The freak who was babbling nonsense and hugging Twilight was Applejack. Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but wonder what the hay they were doing and almost laughed out loud at her friend’s shenanigans.

“What’s so funny Rainbow Dash? Is there something going on behind me?” Asked Fluttershy as she began turning around slowly.

“No wait! Haha, err- I mean no. There’s nothing going on back there. I was just laughing because I remembered a joke Pinkie Pie told me the other day.” It was time. The time to drop the laughter bomb. The bomb that, once detonated, would spew gases that would cause Fluttershy to cackle like a rabid hyena until she dropped. Or at least that’s how Pinkie Pie described the joke. Rainbow Dash cringed at the description and hoped to Celestia that she didn’t have to see Fluttershy like that. Then she recited.

~At the other side of the restaurant~

“Applejack wake up! Get off of me! Pinkie Pie, DO something!” Pleaded the lavender unicorn as she struggled to pry herself from Applejack’s embrace.

Pinkie Pie snapped out of her silent demeanor and glared furiously at her two friends. “Would you two quit horsin’ around?! Sir Trotsalot, unhand Duchess Quietbottom this instant!” Pinkie Pie yelled as she splashed some water at Applejack, causing her to stir awake as well as the ink on her face to spread messily around her mouth.

“Wha- huh? Where am ah?” She spluttered.

Twilight was finally relieved from the powerful clutches of her now conscious friend. “Ugh, thank goodness. I mean, thanks Pinkie. And Duchess Quietbottom? Really?”

“Well, we need codenames silly! And get back into character you two. We can’t risk Fluttershy finding out we’re here or we could embarrass Dashie! By the way, call me Missus Hotbod. That’s my codename.”

“Ahem.” A waitress was standing in front of their table with a notepad levitating in front of her and a tray of beverages balanced on her head. As she set the tray down and began dispersing the drinks, she asked, “Good evening madams. How can I serve you?”

“Ah would like to order now miss.” The waitress shifted her attention to the cowpony… and frowned. Applejack was still wearing the dorky getup with the groucho glasses. The ink from earlier was now splattered all over the lower half of her face and was dripping onto her suit, making her look a mess. The waitress gave her a deadpan look that asked, ‘You serious?’

“What’s a matter? Somethin’ on mah face?” The other two mares began snickering at Applejack’s cluelessness. The waitress who was now feeling very silly opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, Rarity saved her from impending headache.

“Don’t worry dear, I’ll take it from here. Run along now.” The waitress shot Rarity a thankful nod and trotted away.

Rarity took a glance at Applejack. And then turned around. “PPFffft kr-heh…”, was all they could hear from the quivering form of their friend. After a while of composing herself, Rarity turned back around to face her friends.

“Ahh Applejack. You are such a silly pony.” Sighed the ivory unicorn.

“Eh? Beg yer pardon? You gonna take mah order or what? And why the hay does everything cost so dang much here? Soup here is thirty bits!”

“Oh, you girls don’t have to worry about your meals. I’ve already taken the liberty of ordering for you. I get free meals here after I made a wedding dress for the owner’s daughter on short notice. The dress turned out so well that they insisted in paying me back several fold. So with the expenses out of the way, let’s enjoy this night shall we? I’ll be staying here with you girls now that I did my part.”

Pinkie, AJ, and Twilight were relieved that they didn’t have to pay a bit for the over-priced meals. Their jobs didn’t give them much spare bits to spend on such luxuries.

Pinkie Pie spoke up before any of the others could say their thanks. “Wow, thanks Rarity! That’s sooo nice of you. But now that the snooty waitress is gone, I want to know, how’d it go with Rainbow Dash?”

“Ah, well I think our little lovebird will do just fine. She was just about to tell Fluttershy that hilarious joke you taught her back at the library. She’s looking this way now! Yoohoo~” Said Rarity as she waved towards a nervous looking Rainbow Dash who was twitching her face in an odd fashion, no doubt trying to signal something. “So Pinkie Pie, how did that joke go again? I think we could use a good laugh before the food gets here. We’ll be quite busy feasting on the delectable food here, so we might as well get some talking done now.”

“Okay okay. So a donkey and a unicorn walk into a bar…”

~Back to the date~

“Wait, so the donkey was the one with the rocket launcher and the unicorn was the one tooting the flute?” asked a very confused Fluttershy.

“Uhh, yeah! Get it?! ‘Cause the robot ain’t got no legs, see? He…hehe.” Rainbow Dash swallowed the lump in her throat as her date was trying her best to comprehend the elaborate story she had just been told. As adorable as it was seeing Fluttershy try to wrap her mind around the ‘funny part’, the cyan pegasus was beginning to panic.

Rainbow Dash didn’t remember the joke. She was spouting nonsense and it was not going well. She was saved when a waiter came back with a tray carrying two dishes that smelled like heaven and the tallest and most elegant bottle anypony in the room had ever seen. The waiter was just about to set the tray down but almost dropped it when there was a loud uproar a few feet behind Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash looked at her friends’ table and saw that they were the cause of the ruckus. They were laughing at something Pinkie Pie said and were now giving her playful jabs as she soaked in their praise. Twilight seemed to be letting loose and was laughing just as hard, if not harder than the rest, causing her neat bun to undo itself a bit. Rarity was recovering from her bout of laughter and took off her glasses to wipe her eyes. Applejack was also laughing hard in her goofy outfit which had changed a bit since the last time Rainbow Dash saw her; now it seemed as if her drawn on facial ink had expanded further down her face and onto her blazer. Rainbow Dash smiled at the sight of her friends having fun. She no longer had anypony to help her on her date, but she preferred it this way. Just relying on herself and enjoying this moment with Fluttershy was how it should be. Minus the stomach pain that had crept back while she was watching her friends.

“You’re meals have arrived along with your Ropony Conti.” After setting down the dishes and pouring the two mares a glass of the cider, the waiter left them. “Enjoy.”

“Thank you. Mmm, this smells amazing! *sip* And this cider is delicious! You have excellent taste Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy began eating her salad, daintily chewing each leaf and pettle carefully and nibbling on the larger pieces.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t touching her food. She feared that eating more would make her stomach turn from upset to downright pissed. She sat still in her seat, clutching her stomach for dear sanity as her eyes became unfocused.

“Rainbow Dash? Are you feeling alright? Hello?” asked her worried company.

“Uhuh. Yeah sure, I’m fine.” Rainbow Dash responded halfheartedly.

“Oh, okay then… Wait no, not okay. Rainbow Dash you don’t look like you’re okay at all! You’ve been acting strangely this whole night. What’s gotten into you? Are you sick, or perhaps you aren’t having fun?” Upon seeing Rainbow Dash in a fix and hearing Fluttershy’s concerns for her ‘date’, Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie, and Rarity turned their attention to the table.

Rainbow Dash was definitely not feeling okay. At that moment, it felt like her stomach was about to explode. She held onto it as if letting go would cause the destruction of her friends and marefriend in a catastrophic volley of waste. She barely managed to talk in a shaky voice. “I’m fine Shy, really. I just got a lot on my mind, like trying to figure out why a mare like you would want to ask somepony like me out.” Rainbow Dash attempted to turn the conversation back to Fluttershy and get the atmosphere back to normal.

“Huh? Oh yes, I completely forgot about the reason why we were having this get together in the first place! So, tell me all about him. Tell me everything you know”, said Fluttershy, whose eyes were now shining bright and were locked onto Rainbow Dash’s confused face.

“Wait… What? Who are you talking about?” Rainbow Dash was lost as soon as she heard ‘him’. The pressure in her stomach was increasing and it was getting impossible to concentrate. She thought she misheard what her ‘marefriend’ said.

“You know, Snowflake? When I went over to your house, you said you knew what I wanted to ask you. What I wanted to ask you about was Snowflake. Remember?” Fluttershy was beginning to feel nervous under the hopeless stare her friend was giving her. It was a while before she got a response.

“But…But I thought-”At that moment, Rainbow Dash’s heart dropped as well as her stomach. She had to get out of there, not only because she needed a bathroom ASAP but also to escape the pain and embarrassment she felt. “I- URGH! I GOTTA GO!” And in a blur she was gone, leaving a worried Fluttershy alone with her meal.

~At a different table~

Snowflake couldn’t help but feel uneasy. He didn’t know what was going on in the restaurant but there was a very bad air about the whole place. He had just witnessed Rainbow Dash, the organizer of the anticipated tornado, run to the potty, leaving a lone and confused mare eating in silence. The mare looked familiar but he couldn’t put a hoof as to where he’d seen her. He refocused on the happenings of the restaurant and noticed a group of oddly dressed ponies along with a waitress, all wearing the same look of horror. Their mouths were agape, their eyes were twitching, and the pink one was even crying a little.

The colossal stallion began pondering about what could have caused such a scene. Maybe it was something in the food? He looked at his mushroom steak and poked it a few times with his hoof. Something was wrong with the food at this restaurant and he wasn’t going to find out what. Snowflake decided he would be going home hungry. The mood at the eatery was most foul and he wanted to just get the hay out, but he minded his company.

“Excuse me Mister Filthy Rich. I don’t have much of an appetite so I think I’ll meet you guys over at the photo shoot.”

“Why, you haven’t even touched your steak! Ah, suit yourself then. I’ll just take it to go. We’ll see you in a bit I suppose.”

After bidding farewell to his manager and the camera ponies, he made his way out of the evil place and flew over to some random diner and got a hayburger.

~Back to the girls~

The four friends sat in silence after witnessing the terrible misunderstanding. Applejack was the first to come out of her stupor.

“Ah… Ah’m gonna go see how Rainbow Dash is doin’. Ah think it would be best if I went alone. Better not to overwhelm her.” The others nodded in approval and off she went.

The rest of the girls stayed behind. They huddled close together in a vain attempt at easing the pain they felt for their friend. Then the unexpected happened. Fluttershy got up from her table and trotted over to them with a sad look on her face.

“Oh manure”, whispered Twilight as she looked away and tried not to show her face. The girls shifted in their seats and tried to avoid eye contact, but Fluttershy was advancing on their position and she soon came to a halt right in front of their table.

“Girls, I noticed you here ever since you walked in. Why are you all here? What’s going on?”

Fluttershy’s friends all looked up with hurt and fear in their eyes. At first they were afraid she would use ‘the Stare’ to get them to talk, but instead she pried it out of them in a gentler manner.

“I saw the pain in Rainbow Dash’s eyes. I said something to make her upset. I want to make this right, so please tell me.”

Upon seeing the sincere worry in her friend’s eyes, Twilight finally conceded. “Sigh. Okay.”

~In the bathroom~

Applejack was standing outside the only occupied stall. She heard sobbing and knew right away that Rainbow Dash was the occupant. “You alright in there RD?”

“Yeah, *sniff*, I’m fine. I just had to use the bathroom real bad. You know, stomach pains? I’ll be out in a sec.”

“Rainbow Dash, ah can hear you crying and ah also heard what Fluttershy said back there. Open this door so we can chat. Ya might feel better talking about it.”

“So you heard what Fluttershy said huh? Well, I’m not even crying about that. I’m just in a lot of pain right now, from using the bathroom and junk.”

“You’re in a lot of pain alright. But not from using the potty. Open the stall RD.”

Applejack heard the toilet flush and after a few moments the door to the stall unlocked. It slowly swung open and Applejack’s eyes moistened upon seeing her friend on the other side. Rainbow Dash's head was downcast, her mane covering her eyes. There were streams flowing down her face, ruining her makeup along the way to the puddle that was already forming at her feet. Applejack immediately swept Rainbow Dash into her arms and held the broken mare tight as they wept together.

~Back to Fluttershy~

The girls left several minutes ago and Fluttershy was waiting for her friends outside of the bathroom. Applejack came out first. She was surprised to see who was waiting outside and even more surprised to hear what she had to say.

“The girls told me everything. I’ll take it from here. Please leave Rainbow Dash to me.”

“I’m sorry Fluttershy. I trust you’ll do the right thing.” Applejack had nothing else to say and left, leaving behind two friends and a complicated situation.

When Rainbow Dash finally came out of the bathroom, she looked completely sapped of life. She was worn out and was ready to pass out in her cloud fortress when she remembered her ‘date’ with Fluttershy. She looked around the restaurant and winced as she came to realize how late it was. The janitors were cleaning up the place while the waiters and waitresses were stacking chairs, obviously getting ready to close for the night.

And yet there was Fluttershy, still sitting in the same spot Rainbow Dash had left her. A new bout of tears were ready to spring from Rainbow Dash’s eyes, but she held them in and sauntered towards the one she loved. Fluttershy gave her a sweet smile as she made her way over to the table. As Rainbow Dash took a seat, they locked eyes and there was a short silence.

“…Umm, sorry for the long wait Shy. I think I should be honest with you. The truth is-” Rainbow Dash was about to tell Fluttershy about the whole misunderstanding, but… she couldn’t. Fluttershy waited so long, hoping to find out more about her dream stallion and Rainbow Dash had the information she sought.

“The truth is that you were right. I wasn’t okay today. I wasn’t feeling very well which is why I was acting so weird. I’m sorry you had to wait so long but I’ll tell you everything you want to know about Snowflake now. I’m surprised though. I never would have thought you’d be into the whole macho deal!”

Rainbow Dash was trying to act casual. She was trying desperately to conceal her pain, and Fluttershy didn’t like that.

“Rainbow Dash…”

“So anyways, I think you’ll like him once you get to know him. He’s a nice guy who grew up in Ponyville so he’s really family oriented. He moved to Cloudsdale for a while but he didn’t stay long because he got all homesick. The first time we met was when he was actually in Cloudsdale.”

“Rainbow Dash…”

“Snowflake loves the cute types. He would definitely go for you if he just knew. I could totally hook you guys up! It would be so awesome and…and.” The broken-hearted pegasus stopped talking when she felt a hoof brush against her own.

“It’s okay Rainbow Dash. I don’t really care about that right now. I had a lovely night but I think both of us should get some rest before the tornado. Let’s head out, shall we?”

“Oh… Okay then. Yeah, I guess it is kind of late. Let’s get out of here.”

When the couple made their way outside, it was very late in the night and Luna’s full moon was at its zenith, covering everything in pale moonlight. Fluttershy seemed to glow in contrast to her dark surroundings, and in Rainbow Dash’s eyes she shined brighter than any star. Her beauty was without equal and even the princesses dulled in comparison. Rainbow Dash knew this wasn't just some crush but something more. But Fluttershy loved someone else.

Rainbow Dash couldn’t be in her presence anymore. The pain and disappointment were too much for her to bear and so she decided to leave. “So, I had a great time tonight, but like you said I got to hit the hay and get ready for the tornado. I know you don’t like that kind of stuff so you don’t have to come if you don't want to. Good night Fluttershy.”

“Rainbow Dash, wait!” She called out too late as Rainbow Dash rocketed towards her home, leaving the mare alone a second time.

Fluttershy had a lot she wanted to say to Rainbow Dash, but it would have to wait. Even though she was given permission to skip out on the tornado, she had to be there. She had to talk to Rainbow Dash. With her mind made up, Fluttershy flew off to her cottage to get rested up for the big day ahead of her. She would need it.

*End of Chapter 4*

~Small author's note~

I am sleep deprived and sick right now. I skipped classes to write this and now I'm just going to pass out. There are probably a few mistake but whatever, IDGAF ATM. Enjoy.