(Flutterdash) The Whole Story

“I just feel like she's given up so much for me, done so much for me. And I've hardly done anything for her, it feels like.”

“You've been you Fluttershy. That's all that maters to her. And I'm sure you've sacrificed more than you think.”

Fluttershy shook her head. She and Rarity sat in the communal bath of the spa, on one of their weekly get-togethers. It had been seven years since Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had started going out.

Fluttershy said, dully waving a hoof through the water, “I don't think so. She comforts me far more than I need to comfort her. I need her more than she needs me. I want to do something for her.”

“Fluttershy, all she wants is you.”

“I know. And I've been thinking....”

Rarity tilted her head back to her, away from the edge of the pool she had been using as a headrest. “What?”

“I'm thinking maybe it's time for me to ask the question.”

Rarity leaned forward quickly, sending out little waves and ripples. “Fluttershy do you mean—“

“I'm going to propose to Rainbow Dash.”

Rarity squealed, “Eeeeeeee, Oh Fluttershy! I'm so happy for you!” She scooped her up in a hug.

“Well, I haven't actually asked yet. And Rainbow could still say no.”

“Oh please,” Rarity pulled her away too look into her eyes. “Like Rainbow would ever say no. She was ready to marry you around your third year, I have an eye for romance, I should know. She only took it slow because of you. But now you two will be engaged!”

“Took it slow for me.” Fluttershy repeated. “See? When have I ever sped it up for her? Never. That's why I want to do this. I don't want her to ask me, I need to ask her. To contribute to our relationship somehow. And I want it to be special.”

“What are you thinking?”

“That's, um, something I was going to ask you. How do you think I should propose?”

“Hmm, something romantic of course, but with Rainbow Dash my efforts might be lost.”

“Well, she doesn’t like to show it, but Rainbow can be romantic if she wants. Once, she set up a whole candle-lit dinner, with the table fully laid and spotless. It was just the two of us, at her house.”

“Hmm.” Rarity tapped her chin, and looked Fluttershy over. “Does she like... scavenger hunts?”

Fluttershy arrived at the cloud house at about noon. They should be up by now. She walked over the cute bridge above the pool of rainbow, and rang the doorbell.

Skittles opened it a moment later, “Oh, hello Fluttershy. Come on in, come on in.”

Firefly was sitting on the couch, and sat up as Fluttershy walked in. “Oh, Fluttershy. Good to see you! Is Rainbow with you?”

“Hello Firefly, it’s good to see you too. Rainbow isn’t with me right now, and that’s sort of why I came. You see, I want to discuss my intent with her.”

They crowded around Fluttershy, growing exited, “Your intent?”

“Yes. I’ve gotten to know you well, and I am very fond of both of you. I thank you for your support, and all your love for the both of us. You see, Mr. and Ms. Dash, I want to marry your daughter.”

“Yeeeeeaaaaahh!” Firefly jumped on her and hugged her all over. “I’m gonna be your mother in law!”

Skittles, with his long forelegs, picked them both up and buried his face next to his wife’s. “Rain is getting married!”

“She’s getting married!”

“Well—” Fluttershy said above their loud excitement, “Only if she says yes!”

“She’ll say yes, she’ll say yes, of course she’ll say yes!” Firefly let go of her and instead danced around her husband in excitement.

“Fluttershy, that’s great!” Skittles said, “I can’t wait for the wedding. Have you proposed yet?”

“No no, I needed to get your permission first.”

Firefly said, “Well, permission granted. You have our blessing, Fluttershy, totally.”

“Thank you both so much!” Fluttershy said. They talked with each other for a while, and before she left Clooudsdale she stopped by the cemetery. She found her mother’s headstone and sat down next to it.

“Hello mom. I haven’t told you yet, but I’m asking Rainbow to marry me! I know you’d be happy for us, and I know you’d be as excited as me. I’ll think about you, mom. It’s good to see you.”

“It just feels like it's been forever, you know? I mean, we're moved in, we sleep in the same bed, it just feels like she should be ready by now, you know?”

Applejack nodded, “Yeah, I can see what you mean. Think maybe you should talk to her about it?”

“I dunno.” Rainbow rubbed the fencepost she leaned on with a hoof, “I really don't want to push her too much because I know she'll do almost anything to make me happy. If I ask her she'll say yes, even if she's not ready yet. I don't want to do that to her.”

“Well, you could always stay engaged an extra year if'n you needed to.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Hey,” Applejack said, “She still loves ya. You made it this far. That's what matters in the end, I think. Now, I'll be seeing you, gotta get these bails into the barn.”

“See ya AJ,” Rainbow said as she flew off. Girl talk. It was scary that she had almost gotten used to it.

Fluttershy was acting odd when Rainbow Dash came home. She seemed more nervous than usual. “Hey, Fluttershy, Rainbow said as she walked up to her, sitting at the kitchen table.

“Hi Rainbow.”

“Uh, is there something wrong?”

“Hmm? Oh, no. Nothing. Just an animal, I'm uh, a little worried over.”

“Right. Well, have you had dinner yet? I was thinking maybe we should eat out.”

Fluttershy jumped up and whisked over to the kitchen. “Oh, no, I've eaten. And I made your favorite, PB&J with some zap apple jam I've been saving.”

“Oh, uh, thanks!” Rainbow looked over to find a little platter of sandwiches. Fluttershy looked like anxious for her to do something. So Rainbow took one and bit into it. “Mmm, these are always the best.”

“I'm glad you like it. But, uh, I think I'm going to on to bed now if you don't mind.”

Fluttershy looked almost guilty, standing up. “Fluttershy, are you alright? Do you want to talk about something?”

Fluttershy shook her head and forced a smile, “No, no, I'm okay. I just need some rest. Oh, and, I'll be up early tomorrow, taking care of that animal.”

“Fluttershy, I trust you but you know we tell each other everything. So whatever it is, don’t be afraid when you want to talk about it, okay?” Rainbow didn't like it. Something was off.

“Don’t worry about it, Dash. I’m alright, I promise. I’m just nervous about this animal. I'll be in bed, just come up when you finish eating. And you can leave out the plate, I'll clean it tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash came up later to find Fluttershy curled up asleep. She snuggled her way under the blanket, softly kissed Fluttershy, and whispered goodnight, even though she knew Fluttershy wouldn't hear it.

The next morning Rainbow woke up with Fluttershy gone. Which was odd, as usually Rainbow woke up first. She got out of bed and found a note, along with a tin-foil wrapped breakfast, on the dining room table. It said:

I'll be back latter, enjoy your breakfast!

~Fluttershy

Under her name there was a little heart scrawled with the words “Love you honey” in it. Far from calming Rainbow's nerves, it made her even more worried.

No “I'll be here doin' this?” No specific time, she thought, what’s wrong? I hope... we're still okay. Rainbow shook her head violently, No no no, you're going soft! Wonderbolts are not soft! If they see you going soft, you're going to get kicked out! If she was breaking up, which she would never do because you're awesome, she would be way more nervous. She ate, swallowing away the thoughts prickling at the edge of her mind.

After she finished, she headed out to the skies. One of her weather team members came up to her just as she reached them, a little pega-knot in the sky.

“Excuse me,” Thunderlane said, “I heard from a classified source that your presence is demanded at Sugar Cube corner as soon as you arrive, mam!”

“Uhh. What about the weather?”

“Under control, mam!” Thunderlane smiled.

“Well, I'll go there I guess....”

“Have a good time, mam!”

Pinkie Pie was waiting at Sugarcube corner. She held a card in her mouth, and offered it to Rainbow Dash with a little, “Here!”

It said: This is where we had our first secret date, you and I. It was cold that morning, and under your wing you kept me.

Obviously, it was from Fluttershy. Rainbow was about to ask for an explanation, when Pinkie suddenly said, “I think maybe you should check out the library—you never know, Twilight might need your help.” Then she bounced away, clearing the room in two hops, before Rainbow could ask any questions.

When she got to the Library, Twilight waited just inside the door, a card ready. “You, too huh?” Rainbow said as she took it. Twilight just smiled.

It said: We decided to tell our friends here. The beginning of a battle, and a test of our love.

Uh-oh. A big word to throw around, love. She looked up, and Twilight cut her off before she could start, “I bet the weather team is having a rough time without you, better get back up in the skies!”

“Twilight, what—“ But quick as a whip Twilight pushed her out and closed the door. Rainbow flew up and was surprised to see a large, vaguely city-shaped, cloud formation in the sky, where it did not belong according to the day’s schedule. There weren't any weather team members, but there was a small cloud floating near Twilight's tree castle with a card on it. Oh boy.

It said: We flew to Clousdale, learned and loved and talked. For the first time, we were out to our parents. Later we had a picnic.

Rainbow looked up and realized that the clouds were meant to look like Cloudsdale. They must have been moved into shape very quickly, because Rainbow swore they didn't look like that this morning. Picnic....

When Rainbow got to the park, there was a picnic blanket laid out over the grass near where she remembered coming out to her friends. A card there said: We came out to our friends, and the war really started with just one's anger.

Applejack's.

All through the day, Rainbow chased clues from cards that lead her all around town and through memories of her and Fluttershy's life together. She saw all of her friends, but not once did she see Fluttershy. And she realized, she thought, cautiously excited, what was going on.

With the sun setting and Rainbow's head swimming with remembered niceness, she headed to Fluttershy's cottage. There, waiting with something clutched close to her heart in her fore-hooves, sat Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy! Finally,” Rainbow said, running up to her, “Please tell me this I what—“

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy cut her off, “I want to tell you, and I'm speaking true

that all this time I've spent with you

has been the greatest part of my life.

I love your smile, your eyes, and your mane

your voice, your spark, and your brain.

I've fallen head over hooves,

into your waiting embrace.

No longer are you something I chase

we belong to each other now,

at least I feel, and I will.

Say when you're near my fear is still.”

Fluttershy started tearing up, moisture licking the corners of her eyes. Rainbow too found herself deeply moved, more than she cared to admit, as she built herself up for the end.

“My heart beats fast.

My life is lit up bright

because you banish the night.

Rainbow, I love you.”

She sniffed, doing her best to not let it get through to her voice. But it did, and Rainbow could hear it.

“And I have a question to ask,

I'm sure you see

Rainbow Dash,

will you marry me?”

She pulled out from her hooves a small box and opened it. Inside was a silver ring with a row of three gems, red, yellow and blue.

“Fluttershy!” They both cried freely, and Fluttershy had this big, stupid grin plastered all over her face like maybe she would never stop smiling, maybe she would never want to ever stop because she already knew the answer coming.

Rainbow choked, and felt herself go weak-kneed. Bent closer to the ground, a hoof over her mouth, Rainbow couldn't say anything at all. She nodded, and felt the tears fall into the air.

“Is that a yes?” Fluttershy asked teasingly.

Finally, Rainbow managed in a whisper, “Yes, yes yes. Yes!” She pulled Fluttershy up in a huge hug and felt herself kissing her all over her wonderful, smiling face. Her own lips stopped puckering, she was smiling so hard, and she switched to spinning them in a circle. Any motion she could manage to show her exuberance.

From below, they were in the sky now, weren't they?, a huge cheer erupted as a crowd of ponies came out of nowhere and started yelling things they couldn't hear. They flew down, Rainbow still crying, and all their friends and more came around them to hug and fore-head kiss and ruffle hair and smile and smile and Rainbow was sure her face was going to become stuck like this but she didn’t care. And Fluttershy, close at her side, was smiling like maybe they ought to go ahead and get married before the sun finished setting.

There was so much noise, and Rarity wanted to see the ring, and Fluttershy was still smiling, and Rainbow was still crying, and sometime around then a pony shouted, “I've got the grill started!”

Eventually ponies stopped crowding them, and the blubbering Dash was left with Fluttershy to talk and enjoy the party in the dusk as the corn and fruit grilled.

“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said as they sat down facing the field that now was host to a party, “You're still crying!”

“I know!” Rainbow said, wiping tears from her eyes, “I'm just so happy.” Suddenly her face went shocked and she said, “Oh my Celestia! Fluttershy, we're engaged! We're getting married!”

Fluttershy laughed, and bobbed her head up and down. “Yeah—we are.”

Normally big parties would make Fluttershy nervous. And they would make Dash excited. Fluttershy would try to hide; Rainbow would look for ways to show off. But now they both sat in each other's legs and were completely content to just watch the happiness unfold.

Big Mac and Applejack sat talking with Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie as they watched, from a distance, Dash struggle to control her leaking eyes.

Applejack was saying, “Well, if anyone had told me I’d be attending the wedding of Rainbow and Fluttershy back a couple years ago, I would’ve called them crazy for a number of reasons!”

Everypony laughed at that; Twilight spoke next, “Well, if you told me I’d have dated Big Mac I wouldn’t have believed you either.” They giggled, and Twilight turned to Big Mac at her side. “I am really glad we’re still friends, Big Mac.”

He nodded, “Me too, Twilight.”

“You two,” Rarity said, pointing to them, “are very lucky you not only had a mutual breakup but also stayed close friends.”

“Well,” Twilight shrugged, “I guess that’s true.”

“Not like you and Kingpiece,” Pinkie said, pointing to Big Mac, “I still can’t believe he moved out of Ponyville.”

“Well, he was handsome, but underneath it all he was a pretty big jerk.”

They all nodded in agreement. “But now,” Applejack said, looking over her shoulder, “You’ve got that new mare Busy Bee.”

Way off near the grill, a brown-coated, golden-maned earth pony waved at Applejack and Big Mac. They all waved back.

“She’s mighty nice, brother, and y’all have been dating for a while. If, ya know, you want to pop the question some time I’m sure it’ll be a good edition to the Apple Family. Hey! You could do it right now, have a double weddin’!”

Big Mac blushed, “AJ, not yet. It’s only been two years, you act like that’s a lifetime.”

“It is for a two-year old!” Pinkie busted in.

“She is very nice,” Rarity said, “She has a natural kindness and love and her honey is to die for.”

“What about you,” Twilight asked Applejack, “do you have your eye on anypony, or are you still married to your work?”

“At the moment, I’m with my work. Just like you, Twilight. But one day, maybe.”

“Well,” Pinkie said, “I hope I’m married this time seven years from now.”

“Me too,” Rarity said, “I haven’t found the right one yet, but I feel like I’m getting closer.”

“You could ask Rainbow dash for romance advice, I hear she’s doing pretty good,” Pinkie said. They all laughed.

Rarity looked over at Rainbow, “Well, maybe if she stops crying this century I will.”

“Hahaha. They’re finally getting married,” Twilight mused. “I’m so happy for them. They really deserve each other.”

“True.”

“Yeah.

“Definitely.”

The night came on slowly and still there was food and talk and celebration.