I was going on a late night stroll outside the base, not only thinking about the war but about Fluttershy... To be accurate, about how she's feeling about all this. She had already lost a lot of her animal friends and I was well aware of how messed up the world was; I would go so far as to say that if Celestia hadn't taken quick action at the start of the war, we probably would be in a worse state than where we currently were. I had only figured out how bad things were just recently... Sombra's army has caused a number of atrocities, such as destroying most life in Equestria, killing off anything he sees fit. I realized I'm only a small piece of a gigantic puzzle, but still... I know what we're doing is right but it only gets worse every day and I know it's taken a great toll on Fluttershy. It's so messed up how everything has changed...
What the heck was I fighting for? Was the promise I made to Celestia really worth this?
I heard something or somepony crying in the distance. At least that's how it sounded. It was possible that it could be a trap, but my instincts were telling me it was a mare crying, making me think about what Celestia had told me in the past.
'Always cheer up anypony in need.'
With that in mind, I walked towards the general direction of where it was. I kept my guard up as I continued to walk. Soon enough, I heard a noise coming from a garden. The steps I took were apparent through the garden, making it easier to be spotted. Soon enough, the noise became clear and I was sure it was definitely a mare crying.
Any doubts I had earlier had vanished. As I walked closer, the crying had become more obvious and it sounded familiar, like a certain pony I know. There was only one mare I knew that cried that way and it was Fluttershy. I would be lying if I didn't say I had my suspicions at first but it was obvious now that it was her. I knew she wasn't a fighter, but more of a caregiver who insisted on helping. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised to see her out here.
Lost in thought, I hadn't noticed the large bush in front of me. I peeked through it and watched her. She was facing away from me so it was hard to see what she was doing. She was curled into a ball and it appeared that she was holding something, although I couldn't tell what. She continued to sob and was constantly murmuring something hard to make out. She was shaking lightly while I quietly watched. To be honest, I worried that maybe she had finally snapped.
No, now's not the time to think about that! I began to approach her as quietly as possible, although it was easier said than done because I was nervous and started to sweat. Perhaps it had to do with the armor I was wearing and the weather being so hot recently. Regardless, I continued to approach her and let out a deep breath, suddenly realizing that I was a few feet from her. Finally, I spoke.
"Fluttershy?" I asked.
Suddenly, she froze in place. All sobs and any sign of sadness disappeared as I spoke. She got up and turned slightly to look at her me.
"Rainbow Dash? What are y--"
"I heard you crying," I said, cutting her off.
I felt more relaxed now, since she didn't run away or appear to be scared by me.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She wiped her eyes. Suddenly, the crying mare I knew so well was calm and collected even though I had seen her crying only moments ago.
"Yes, I'm fine. I-I wasn't crying. Don't worry about me," she replied.
She stood up as she said that. I saw that she was holding a photo and it appeared to be of all our friends. Despite what she said, her eyes were slightly red and her cheeks were stained with tears.
"If you'll excuse me now, I'm feeling tired," she said, turning away from me.
I was baffled by her response. I knew she was trying to hide her emotions but still...
"Celestia has something planned for tomorrow. Most likely an assignment. So we should get back and rest," she said.
She turned away from me and started to walk away. This was a spot she had been hiding the whole time. I could tell she was surprised judging from how she reacted. Maybe she hadn't realized she was crying that loudly? While she started to walk away, the simple thought of her being in pain made me grit my teeth. Realizing that I only had a few moments to help her, I had to act quick. If I just stood there and did nothing, then her suffering would only continue, and I couldn't allow that. However, if I did something, there was a possibility it would worsen things and make her hate me.
No... I couldn’t let fear take over. I’d already lost too many ponies I know and I wasn't about to lose her. I had to act now. She was just about to leave when I grabbed her, making her turn around and look at me. We just stood there, our eyes meeting like the calm ocean breeze. After a few seconds of silence, I spoke.
"...I'm not gonna lie and say I know what you're feeling. But, I do know you're sad and scared... I may not understand everything or how you feel about all of this but I'm here for you,” I said softly.
She looked at me surprised as I had felt calm about what I said. Although it was probably because they weren’t the type of words one would say during moments of war but it was something nevertheless.
I embraced her with a hug, firm enough to let her know that I cared deeply. It was strong for her but soft enough so that she would be able to break away at any time.
"I'm here for you, so let it all out," I whispered.
I wasn't able to see it, but I had a feeling that she was blushing. While it may not seem like it, I had fought countless times and risked my life to save Equestria and everypony else. I had grown feelings for her and everything she’d lost. Apart from our friends, nobody had shown as much care as I did towards her. She's all I have left in this world.
"Even if it's just for tonight, trust me enough to share your feelings..." I said, confronting her.
Some time had passed after I said that. We simply stood there in the garden as the light rays from the moon were illuminating us. Slowly but surely, sobs began to escape her as she rested her head on my chest. The sobs got louder as time passed. I did nothing but pat her head. She began to murmur something but because she had her whole face resting on me, I was unable to hear what exactly she was saying. That didn't matter though. All I wanted to do was make sure she was okay. The few things I could make out were the names of all her friends and animal friends she knew. She moved her head and spoke.
"I'm sorry for making you worry about me. I wanted to be strong and brave just like you but--"
I put my hoof on her lips and smiled.
"It's okay. I know it's tough to lose everypony you love. Sometimes, you just gotta let it out. You don't gotta be tough for me. I only want to keep you safe. Nothing more, nothing less," I said, also tearing up.
Some part of me was glad that this was happening. It goes to show that even at the worst of times, you can still cry and show emotion. It's what makes us normal. I was happy that she could show so much emotion, even if it had to be this way. We stood in place for some time and my legs had grown tired but I didn't want to move. Some part of me feared that this moment would end if I moved in the slightest.
She had managed to calm down a bit. The tears that had been pouring down her face went through my armor but I ignored it as I was simply enjoying the warmness I was getting from the embrace. She looked up and I could tell she was wondering how I was doing.
"Hey... Rainbow Dash?" she asked.
I didn't reply as I continued to hold her. I was letting out soft, silent cries and somehow, despite the pain in my legs, I managed to stay standing. My eyes suddenly fell down towards her soft mane. Strange thoughts began to flood my mind. I looked at her and our eyes locked as I moved slightly closer.
Without thinking, I moved my face toward hers until we were inches from each other. I closed my eyes and I felt myself blushing, realizing what I was doing was strange.
"...Fluttershy-"
I had moved my head to the side a second early. Her lips had cut me off as they made contact with my cheek. So many questions suddenly flooded my mind, like if she had really kissed me or if it was just my imagination. I noticed the morning sunlight began to crack the darkness of the night as I found myself tightening my hold around her. I... I didn’t want to do anything I would regret.
"I-I'm sorry," she said, cowering.
What would happen after this? I didn't have a clue and I'm sure neither did she. If a relationship would form from this, it would surely affect how we see each other. Nopony should find out either, especially Celestia. I may be putting too much thought into it. Maybe in the end, all that would be born from this was a close, sisterly love between us. But for right now, none of that mattered. I cared about nothing but the feeling of being there for her.
"It's okay. Let's just stay here a little while longer, okay?” I asked.
She nodded and we stood there without anypony to bother us.
I don't know what will happen from this point on but my number one priority is to keep Fluttershy safe and continue to be there for her. That's my only wish...
You're The One For Me(Sequel)
The worst of her outbursts came today, right when I wasn't expecting it. Fluttershy had made excellent progress since our return to our base and our temporary settling-in at Ponyville, the safest place and the less corrupt by King Sombra. She'd changed, I had noticed, a lot. Ever since our talk back two weeks ago, Fluttershy had slowly but surely gotten herself out of the hole she fallen into. She'd even smiled, despite what had happened, but it relieved me to see things were looking up. That was, until her last breakdown.
The first scare came right after arriving at what use to be Twilight's home: Fluttershy wasn't here. She even left her armor and weapon in the closet and though prone to worrying about her, I remained calm and went on another patrol round the place. After scooting the place with no luck, I knew there would only be one other place she could be. Her home. I bolted out of the house and flew to her place. I entered the house and still saw no sign of her. Upon going upstairs, I jumped: she was right where I hadn't been before, sitting on the bed and head cocked to one side. Her eyes were lost somewhere in the distance. She finally noticed me and smiled little.
"There was one place you didn't look in." She said.
"Right. What's up with you? You've been acting a bit strange today," I said, taking a seat next to her.
She said nothing and I waved a hoof in front of her eyes.
"Hello? Equestria calling to Fluttershy?"
"I couldn't do it. I tried… I tried to stop it, but…" She lifted her gaze at me, leaving me mute. "I can still hear them, Rainbow Dash. After so long… they are still here, in my head…"
"Fluttershy, listen to me; it's not your fault. You couldn't do anything about it. You told me you faced yourself, that you faced all that which had been haunting you! It's over, do you hear me?"
For a moment, I was reminded of another soldier and his decaying state of mind. I thought Sombra's dark magic couldn't reach us. Was she losing it too? Would there come a time when I'd be forced to…? No, certainly not.
"But I can still hear them!" She replied, her shoulders slumping. "They won't leave me alone! I don't know what's happening, and I know there was nothing I could do, Rainbow Dash, but… Th-there's something else in here: I have a feeling they aren't my only demon."
"You have to fight it! I know you wouldn't give up!"
I was doing my best and beyond to convince her and calm her down, but my persistence was futile. Whatever Fluttershy had seen or heard, it had left her horribly shaken. The worst thing was that it was supposed to be over. All of it. We were slowing winning this war, the corruption spell or whatever had been suppressed and for a short time, put her past behind her. What else was there left for her to do? Was there something I wasn't getting? I dreaded to think about it.
"I've tried, Rainbow Dash, and harder than ever."
"Try harder! Besides, you-"
"What if I can't!?" she exclaimed, jumping to her hooves.
She imitated me, only to be seized by the shoulders and brought face-to-face.
"What if I can't do it? I've tried Celestia knows what to stop it all, but they just. Keep. Coming back. I don't know what's happening and maybe I'll never know, but I'm at my limit. I… I just…"
I was rigid, silent like a rock and dumbstruck at her reaction. Eventually, She let me go, buried her face in her hooves and fell to her knees. I never thought she'd break down in front of me yet there she was. She needed help, and I was willing to give it.
"I mean, I don't even know if it's real," She claimed, locking gazes with me as I kneeled down before her. "It's supposed to be over, but somehow… I think it isn't." She released a shaky sigh, looking down in what seemed shame. "I can't believe this happened, I-"
"Believe it, because it unfortunately happened. There wasn't anything we could have done to prevent it," I said, smiling. "See now why I insisted in tagging along?" Silent, she nodded. "I spy a smile."
"Thank Celestia I have a friend like you," She said as she stood up alongside me. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"If I could take on Sombra's army, I can take your grip, and so I did."
I playfully punched her shoulder, smirking as I did so. Then, after a moment, I had her in my hooves, close to breaking down myself.
"You're a strange mare, Rainbow Dash," she'd told me back when we were returning to base, ignorant of my burden.
Now that I knew, it felt suffocating even for me. But like I'd promised her and myself, I would never leave her. I would always be there for her. And judging by the looks of things, I'd be staying for a long, long time. Not that I minded too much, though. Tagging along with somepony in a post apocalyptic future I know and care for? The best choice. EVER. I realized with a laugh that Fluttershy's sadness were rubbing off on me. When she asked about my laughter, I merely shrugged the question off, which pried a smile off her. Much to her initial surprise and my strong heart, we spent the night together. Like it was supposed to be.
