Chapter 4: First Rays of Sunshine Pt 1.

Fluttershy idly plays in the rainbow pond. Liquid rainbow flows around her hoof. She twirls it around, slowly and gracefully making rainbow swirls. Her hoof hits something warm and solid. She casts her gaze downwards to see her pillow. She pulls it out from the swirling currents, noticing its a strange light blue instead of its usual puffy white. Confused she turns it over, examining it carefully. She notices nothing amiss so shrugs her misgivings off and pulls it against herself enjoying the warmth emanating from it.

A soft warm breath wafts her face tickling her nose. The creamy yellow filly continues to snuggle her cyan pillow her mind slowly drifts back into reality with warm breath that caresses her, coaxing her into life.

'Wait. Why is my pillow so warm and bumpy.' She realises her whole body is wrapped in an embrace with something warm and cozy. A yellow eyelid groggily opens, allowing it's shy owner a view on who or what is snuggled up with her. A yelp of shock rings out. "Dashie!?!"

Two surprised fillies topple out of bed and collapse in a heap on the soft cloud floor. Cries of surprise ringing out from both youngsters as they do their best to orientate themselves. The light blue fillies face is pressed up against her own, mirroring her look of surprise. They freeze, awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

A half asleep Rainbow Dash carefully extracts herself from her new friend.

"Fluttershy wha..." then she remembers that her friend has no idea why the two were wrapped up together. Her cyan cheeks heat up like twin suns in embarrassment at her actions.

Her yellow friend is lying frozen on the floor staring up her, confusion written all across her timid features.

"D-D-Dash?"

"You were clearly having a nightmare. I tried to wake you up but you grabbed me, threw me into bed with you then used me as a pillow."

Fluttershy wears a horrified look on her face. Her blue friend sees the shock on her face and throws a comforting hoof around her shoulders, ignoring the pain that emanates from her sore foreleg.

"Don't worry. You seemed to calm down then. The only problem is-Wait. What did you call me?"

"Um… Dashie…" Fluttershy nervously trails off.

"Okay. Never call me that around other ponies. It makes me sound soft."

"Oh. Okay Rainbow."

Rainbow Dash stretches awkwardly, doing her best at losing the pains from having another filly sleep on her. Fluttershy gives her a lasting concerned look, the damage from yesterday is still clearly visible.

"Hey, I'm fine. Just don't tell anypony else about this." Her creamy friend nods, happy to have it all sorted out. Dash can tell that Fluttershy is even more embarrassed than she is. The rumbling of a hungry tummy sounds and she caresses her complaining belly with a forehoof.

"Rrrright… now lets go. I'm starving." The speedster feels herself turn a cute shade of red in embarrassment.

A silence hangs across the cafeteria as the duo enter. No pony wants to risk angering the dangerous newcomer or give the headmaster a reason to burst into the room again. The bullies from yesterday are nowhere to be seen. This fills Rainbow Dash with courage and she struts across the room toward the serving counter, openly showing off her injuries. Fluttershy follows shyly behind, giving apologetic looks to the foals who move out of the bold fillies way.

Dash serves herself then leads Fluttershy to their table. She deliberately looks around, her grin turning into a look of annoyance.

"What?"

The break in the silence causes most of the foals in the room to return to their previous interests.

"Come on Fluttershy, right here." She pats the spot next to her and the submissive filly slips herself into place next to her new friend. Dash launches into her meal, then freezes, mid mouthful at the sight a nervous Fluttershy who timidly takes a bite of her own breakfast.

They finish their meal in silence then head off to class. Cyan leads light yellow as the two fillies wander through the school grounds. Celestia’s sun is shining, illuminating their world and giving confidence to the two fillies as they wander along. With a wonderful morning such as this, Rainbow Dash begins to feel invincible and her cocky spring in her step shows it. To their left towers the majestic walls of cloud that are their classrooms. In front of each classroom is number stating which of the twelve they pass. To their right are the administration buildings, playground and main gates. Although Rainbow Dash can feel that class will be boring, she figures that she might as well show up on the first day. Dash can feel her friend trailing her unhurriedly, enjoying the bright and cheerful mood of their environment. The overconfident filly stops to allow her friend to catch up and gets rear ended by an unobservant Fluttershy.

"S-sorry. I-"

"It's okay Fluttershy. You can stop with the whole saying sorry thing already, it’s getting old. I'm the one who stopped."

"Okay. Sorry..."

Rainbow resists the urge to facehoof.

"Look, I just wanted to wait for you to catch up. You don't have to walk behind me the whole time, thats just weird. You’re my friend, not some random tag-along who can’t stand my coolness."

"Oh. I didn't mean to. I'm just… shy I guess." The athletic filly cracks a smile, doing her best to inspire some courage in her timid friend after the confession.

"I've noticed. It's cute," Fluttershy blushes at the compliment, "but please try and stand up for yourself a little more. I don't want to you be just following me like kind of shadow all the time. I have an image to maintain. I'm the super cool Rainbow Dash and no pony can mess with me."

Fluttershy matches her smile and the cocky filly can see she is getting through. Dash begins walking once more, ensuring her companion is keeping up this time.

"So what do we normally do in Monday's class? Something cool I hope."

"Oh, well. We normally start slowly, a few fun games and then she picks what she wants to teach us."

"Does she teach important stuff, like flying?"

"Sometimes…”

"Oh good. I was afraid she would only be teaching us boring stuff."

“Here we are Rainbow. Room 2.”

Although dash is nervous she does her best to cover any trace of her nerves with her cool tomcolt air. She strides through the door, noticing that over half the seats are filled already. Holding onto her air of awesomeness she continues on right down to the back corner of the classroom where a shy looking filly with a light pink coat and white frosty mane sits, gazing at at her with questioning cool blue eyes.

She spots the bullies seated at the opposite side of the class, near the back. She can feel the menace emanating from them. 'Note to self; I had better avoid those idiots. They look like they don't like me.'

Seating herself down beside the stranger, the bold rainbow maned filly introduces herself. "Hi I'm Rainbow Dash."

The frosty mane swishes as the filly turns to face the front of the class where their teacher is looking on with an impatient expression.

"Snowflake. Now... please..." The frosty maned filly's soft voice trails off in a nervous fashion.

Fluttershy slides in beside Dash, doing her best to appear invisible. Dash gives up on the quiet filly and does her best to appear like she is paying attention to the teacher as she begins to speak.

"Class I'd like you to meet Rainbow Dash. She has the privilege of joining our class. Say hello everypony.” Ms Breeze’s enthusiasm is well received by most of the class who, in mixed tones greet the bold new filly.

“Hello Rainbow Dash.”

Keeping up her normal persona of awesomeness, Rainbow waves a hoof toward everypony in greeting.

The rainbow maned filly is about to speak when Ms Breeze opens back up with her energetic voice. "I would like you to know Rainbow Dash that everypony is to keep her wings by thier sides in class. Leave flying for flying classes and for summer flight camp. I'm sure will understand." She gives the suddenly annoyed filly a sweet smile before lanuching into her lesson.

As soon as the bell rang, Dash is the first to react, up and out the door before their teacher had even finished dismissing them. Fluttershy did her best to catch up to the speedy filly, darting between her other class members, trying not to hit anypony else.

"Dash... Wait." she quietly pleas, chasing after the rainbow. Dash leaps onto the playground clouds and turns to greet the lagging filly behind her broadcasting a cocky grin that gives full show of her ego. Pink mane flowing gracefully behind her in the wind as she leapt up to share the low cloud with the cocky daredevil.

"Thought I'd lost you there for a sec fluttershy."

"Sorry."

"’Na it's okay." Dash draws massive grin assuring the nervous pony in front of her that everything is okay. Other foals of various ages begin pouring in to the playground filling the space with joyful cries and energetic chatter.

Fluttershy flattens herself down freezing up. This isn't the normal way she would spend her lunch break.

Her thoughts and worries are cut short as a pair of blue hooves tackle her into the cloud.

"Wanna have some fun Fluttershy?"

Aquamarine locks with rosy pink and fluttershy feels herself physically incapable of saying no to the energetic yet pleading gaze she finds herself locked in. She smiles up at her protector. 'Whatever she wants do must be safe, right?'

"Okay Rainbow Dash. What did you have in mind?"

A white colt with a iced blue and black mane and shining cyan eyes walks across the edge of Rainbows vision and the prankster selects the pegasus as her target. "Pranks." A dangerous grin spreads accross her face. She knows that the white colt with this light blue nose is about to get the fright of his life.

"I'm not so sure about this Dash." Fluttershy mumbles as her friend tracks her target, a growing grin on her face.

“Oh come on Fluttershy. It’ll be fun.” Dash gives her friend a playful nudge, grinning encouragingly at her.

“Ok, Fluttershy, go and distract him, i’ll sneak up on him.” Dash commands.

“O-ok...” ‘Shy responds as she walks over to the colt. “H-hi there... Who are you?” She asks timidly.

“I’m Wolf.” The strange colt responds.

“Th-that’s an interesting name...”

“So I’ve been told, what’s your name?”

“Flutter...” She whispers at an inaudible level.

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Wolf asks.

“Fluttershy...” She whispers again.

“I see. Well it was nice meeting you Fluttershy.”

“Th-thanks...”

Suddenly Rainbow Dash appears from behind Wolf and yells, “BOO!”

“And who might you be?” Wolf asks, unphased by the sudden scream.

“Awwww, it didn’t work!” Rainbow Dash complains.

Tearing her gaze from the colt Dash looks around, doing her best to find another target.

“Who was she?” Wolf asks again.

“That was just Rainbow Dash...” Fluttershy answers.

“Hmmm, charming... Well, still, it was nice to meet you. I have to be heading back to class now.” Wolf replies, walking off.

The bold filly selects a new better target and a smile lights up her face. A group of foals who are sitting with their lunch. Perfect.

“Ok, Fluttershy, I’ll distract them this time, go up behind them and cause a lightning strike!” Rainbow quickly explains as they walk up to the unsuspecting group.

“Hey everypony.” Dash says as Fluttershy sneaks up behind them.

“What do you want, Rainbow Crash?” A rude colt asks.

“Hey, I just wanted to say hi...” Dash calmly explains, ignoring the sting, knowing vengeance will soon be hers. Fluttershy is behind the group, about to jump on a particularly dark storm cloud, but the group is losing interest in Dash’s flimsy conversation and the shy filly visibly loses her confidence. Rainbow Dash shoots her a look that tells her to hurry up.

‘Here goes nothing...” Fluttershy whispers then jumps on the cloud. A loud flash of lightning appears and all the foals jump out of their skin.

“Ahhhhh!!!!!!!” They all scream.

Fluttershy panics, revealing her location as she falls off the cloud and into the crowd below.

“Eeep!” Fluttershy squeals as she lands into the middle of the group. All of the foals bear down on her in the most intimidating way possible.

“Ha, we got you!” Dash exclaims, grabbing Fluttershy and running off.

After putting a great distance between them and the annoyed foals the two slow down, trying to regain their breath.

“Good job ‘Shy. Just try not to get caught next time.” Rainbow Dash explains as they walk across the opposite end of the playground.

“Sorry...” Fluttershy apologises.

“Don’t apologize Fluttershy, you need to stand up for your self!” Dash exclaims.

“Ok, sor-” Fluttershy whispers, but realises that, it would count as apologizing so falls silent.

“That’s my filly” Dash praises.

They head to their afternoon class and take their seats. Snowflake slowly enters and takes her seat next to Rainbow Dash.

"Hey Fluttershy. Can you please wake me when the class is over?"

"But Dash..."

"You can do it... I trust you."

Their teacher enters at the back of the class and strolls up to her blackboard.

"Right class. Who's up for some math?"

A collective groan escapes the seated foals.

"No need to be like that. It's fun. Oh, and Fluttershy could you please wake up your friend? I don't like foals falling asleep on me."

Fluttershy cowers under the teachers kindly gaze, her shy nature easily besting her. The collective gaze of the class rest upon her trembling shoulders as she tentatively prods the slumbering filly with a hoof. The zzz’s continue, much to Fluttershy's embarrassment. Snowflake lets out a sigh. Fluttershy's clearly frozen. A little pink hoof ribs Dash.

"What-was-that!?! Is class over already Flutter-" She freezes in the spotlight like a filly with her caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.

"Not disrupting your sleep I hope?"

"No… of course now Miss," Dash recovers, radiating nervousness from her normally cool and calm self.

"Good. Then I hope you won't mind telling me what we are about to move onto this afternoon."

"Uhhhhh..." Rainbow turns inquisitively to her yellow friend and quietly asks "What are we doing?" Fluttershy remains frozen. Pulled under the spotlight once more, the timid filly finds her mouth impossible to open and hides deep beneath her mane.

"It's math, stupid." One of the colts  loudly whispers.

Dash knocks over her chair, instantly taking offence at the verbal jab.

"Rainbow Dash sit down this instant!"

"But miss... He-"

"Now please! You are ruining my fun lesson I had planned for you all."

An explosive feeling hangs in the air. "Fine..."

A rude snicker reaches the aggressive filly's ear as she seats herself once more. It requires all of her self control to stop herself from leaping up once more and take offensive action to shut whoever is making the noises up.

She looks across at the scared filly beside her and softens.

As the teacher resumes her talking Dash slips a comforting hoof over her friend making sure none of the other foals in the class are looking. The physical comfort of her protector allows her to relax and concentrate, while Dash clearly couldn't care less about basic math for foals.

The rest of the lesson is once again passed up by Dash who decides that she is in fact too cool for such boring things. Her filly mind can't comprehend the importance and so no effort is put in.  She stayed however because she can sense that her new friend needs her so she kept her wing on shy till one of the colts took a look their way and Dash pretends that she's just stretching.

Class ends and a rainbow maned streak leaves the room, dragging a surprised yellow filly along behind her.

"Dash, why are we going so fast?"

"It's fun." All the colours of the rainbow flash past Fluttershy's vision as her friend slows and flicks her head around to face her. The two collide and Fluttershy emits an adorable squeal of surprise. She feels herself helped up by a cyan hoof.

"I was thinking, we can go exploring the city ‘cause we have till dinner. No pony will miss us and we'll have a whole lot of fun! I haven't been around this area much. Come on."

Fluttershy can't get a word in with her energetic friend.

It starts off with the bold leading the shy, the nervous yellow places complete trust in her friend as they wander around gazing at the sights around the city. Being cloud-bound and foced to walk everywhere causes the two to spend a lot of time gazing up at the magnifcent sctructures that make up central Cloudsdale, many of which appear to dissaper off high into the sky.

They wander for hours, Fluttershy continues to take solace from her friend, knowing she will be safe in Dash's presence. She even feels herself start to relax in the company of her energetic friend and the two just float around cloudgazing awed. Rainbow Dash rarly was allowed to see anything outside the poorer sections of Cloudsdale and so spent most of the time exicedtly talking her paitent friends ears off. Another hour passes, the sun is getting low on the horizon now. Rainbow Dash can feel it, they are lost. She plonks her rump down on a small tuft of cloudstuff and turns toward her friend.

"Fluttershy, how is that you don't know this area?"

"I've been too scared to go here Dash..."

"Great now I'm stuck with a scared filly and no one knows how to get back to school before they start to wonder why we didn't turn up to dinner…" Dash is having a hard time keeping her annoyance out of her voice. Fluttershy cringes, she had not wanted to let her new friend down but had wound up doing just that.

"I'm sorry Rainbow, but… I always stayed in my room. Whenever I went out, I always, always was picked on." Rainbow Dash sighs, the shy filly can be impossible sometimes.

"No Fluttershy. I'm the one who dragged you out around town."

An unwelcome silence hangs between the two as overhead the last few pegasi were making their way home. Dash can see in her friend’s eyes that she wants to be at home.

"Come here scaredy filly."

Fluttershy apprehensively steps toward her bold friend. She comes into reach of the Rainbow and enveloped in a awkward hug.

Dash pulls away.

"Just… Please don't tell anypony else about that. I don't do hugs."

"Thank you Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy huddles up to her athletic friend. "Thank you."

"Let's just get out of here." Fluttershy nods, staying right beside her bold friend for moral support as the pair move out once more.

After wandering for what felt like the whole night, the two spot the small market place near their school. Dash eagerly picks up the pace, and Fluttershy forces her tired limbs onwards.

The two sneak in and with Fluttershy's guidance, make it to their room without being detected. A sigh of relief escapes the pair and they canter the remaining distance.

"Good evening my dear fillies."

They freeze, mid stride and turn with shock written all over their little faces to find the head master, Greymane standing patiently off to the side of their door.

"I wanted to talk to dear Rainbow Dash about her little 'incident' the other day. But now I see she is breaking more of the school rules. Let me remind you, foals are to be in bed by 8. That is the rule for as long as you stay here. Do you know what time it is?"

Both fillies shake their heads mutely.

"It's almost ten past nine. Come with me please." His kind yet steel-like voice made it clear, arguing is pointless.

A scared yellow filly huddles up to her new friend as they trail after the greying stallion.

He leads them to his office, offering them passage into the well furnished room first like a true gentle colt, following them in afterwards and seating himself, facing the reasons for his late night at work. He gives the two friends a well practiced look of neutrality from across his desk.

"As I'm sure you know, last night at the cafeteria was a disaster. Do you have anything to add before I continue?" He politely asks, attentively settling down.

"They started it!" Blurts out Rainbow Dash.

"I've heard accounts that tell me you threw the first hoof. But-" he raises a hoof, cutting off the incoming smart reply from the angry filly in front of him. "I"m willing to give you another chance since you are new. I also ask that you don't sneak out of school late at night."

A cyan mouth opens with a retort on her lips but is silenced by crash of a powerful aged hoof falling on the desk in front of them.

"You look like the kind of filly who doesn't listen Rainbow Dash so I will put it to you this. The reason I don't want my students going out after hours is because the city is dangerous at night and you don't know who you might meet. By the looks of things you already have enemies in the outside world too."

Dash nods, unsure of whether or not she's allowed to speak again.

"Then please don't break school rules. We have them for good reasons, even if you don't like them. Now, I want to see you here in my office tomorrow after class young filly."

He turns his tiring gaze to the timid filly. "Fluttershy is it?" A small 'eep' is heard as the shy filly hides behind her mane.

"I can see you have made a good friend. Please try to be more assertive and keep her out of trouble next time."

Fluttershy mutely nods, relieved by the lack of punishment coming her way. The towering stallion breaks out into a kind smile, glad that his role as headmaster is finally over for the day.

"Good to see. Please excuse me but I really need to get home now. I trust you can find your way back to your dorms?"

Two nodding heads form the response. The trio get up and Greymane sees them out.

Rainbow Dash steps out of the administration building, deeply breathing the cool night air, relieved that the two of them had gotten off lightly. She boldly trots off toward their dorms, head held high as if nothing had ever happened. Fluttershy trails behind her, regaining her composure slowly.

Rainbow breaks the silence, "I think he might okay."

"What?" Fluttershy questions, almost inaudibly behind her.

"Greymane. He knows he can't mess with my awesomeness." She puffs out her simmering cyan chest looking like she is about to explode. Fluttershy smiles in the dark, nothing seems to be able to dent her friend’s ego.

"I still think you should listen to him though. It was awfully scary out there tonight." A short wing covers her as best as it can.

Dash winks at her friend. "Then I should get you to bed. I don't want to be woken up in the middle of the night by a scaredy filly having nightmares." She gives off a massive yawn, "Even fillies as cool as me need a good sleep."

Fluttershy allows a calm silence to befall them and they wander along enjoying the beautiful night.

"Goodnight, Fluttershy." Her cyan friend goes out like a light leaving the poor, shy filly feeling abandoned and alone in the dark.

"…Goodnight Rainbow Dash..." The whisper is almost inaudible, even in the still calm of the night.

She slowly wriggles into bed feeling depressed at being left hanging by a sleeping Rainbow. She perks up as she snuggles into her pillow remembering how different her new friend has made her life. 'It's only been one day too!' She squees to herself before slowly joining her friend in the realms of sleep.

Light invades through the window of the small cloud room two colourful fillies share. A rainbow mane flops off the side of the bed as its owner gazes down upon the slumbering filly below.

"You know 'Shy… you look really cute when you’re sleeping like that…" Dash wears a smile as she innocently whispers to the slumbering filly below.

She stays in her position of overwatch, happy in her role as protector. A peaceful minute passes and Dash starts to become restless.

Fluttershy is awoken by a small hoof prodding her belly. She groggily comes to, seeing her protector standing over her. The two friends share a broad smile for a moment.

"Alright. Ready for another day of awesomeness Fluttershy?" A slow nod. "Great. Now get up." Fluttershy allows her speedy friend to hurry her along and before the two know it, its lunch time.

The two social outcasts stand alone on the edge of the flight course for the older foals. A staggering array of obstacles dot the course, filling Fluttershy’s tummie with butterflies. It’s void of ponies.

"Dash. I really don't think this is a good idea…"

"Nopony's going to catch us Fluttershy. I promise I'll be better than yesterday. We’ll easily make it to class in the afternoon, so don’t worry."

"But Dash, I can't fly."

"Neither can I. But that’s not stopping me.” She grins her big Rainbow Dash grin and Fluttershy can feel there is going to be trouble.

A big thank you to Wolfmaster1337 for helping with the prank scene.