Fuzzy Blue Lights

Silent night,
Starry night,
Leaves are still,
And the moon's in sight,
Dreams are born as their eyes fall closed,
Tomorrow's gift is that nobody knows,
Sleep in beautiful peace...

Two years later, shortly after the events of Rainbow Rocks...

Fluttershy smiled at the wind washing over her face from the rolled down car window. She kept her hair in a ponytail to keep it from flying wildly. Rainbow Dash tapped her fingers on the steering wheel while she drove.

"You know, you still haven't told me where we're going," Fluttershy casually brought up.

Rainbow Dash smirked. "You'll see."

Fluttershy rolled her eyes lightly, still smiling. If Rainbow wanted to be all coy and cryptic, let her. They drove for a few hours out of town. Wherever Rainbow Dash had in mind, it must have been special.

Rainbow Dash flashed Fluttershy cheeky looks every now and then. She mentally patted herself on the back. It was that good. She knew Fluttershy would love it.

Fluttershy pondered endlessly, wondering what Rainbow Dash could possibly have up her sleeve. It did not help when Rainbow Dash drew out a blindfold when they stopped for gas.

"Okay," Fluttershy laughed, holding up a hand. "What are you doing?"

"It's a secret," Rainbow Dash giggled deviously. "Come on, you can trust me."

Fluttershy relented when Rainbow gave her the puppy eyes. "Oh, fine." She stuck out her tongue as Rainbow pumped her fist in victory. With the dark cloth secured over her eyes, Fluttershy was completely oblivious as to where she was being taken. Only another short, ten minute drive later, the car stopped.

She heard Rainbow's door open and shut. Seconds later, hers was opened, and Rainbow Dash was undoing her seatbelt. Fluttershy smelled a splash of salt in the fresh air. There was a slight roaring sound in the distance.

Are we...

Rainbow Dash helped Fluttershy up, then shut the door. Fluttershy allowed Rainbow Dash to guide her movements. They walked down a plain and level street, where the cool breeze passed right through them. They stopped when Fluttershy's hands met a rocky barrier; there was some stone ridge running adjacent to the sidewalk they were on.

"Okay," Fluttershy could hear the grin on Rainbow's face. "What do you think?"

Fluttershy blinked a couple times as the blindfold was slipped off. Fluttershy let out an audible gasp. The cliffside they stood on overlooked a bay offering a wide view of the sparkling blue ocean.

Fluttershy's trembling fingers grasped the ridge along the walkway, and she felt Rainbow's hands wrapped securely around her waist as she peered down. Fluttershy gave off an excited shudder as she watched the waves below crash into the rocks at the bottom.

She hadn’t been to the ocean since she was a little girl.

"Rainbow Dash..."

Rainbow shrugged, hugging her from behind. "I remember you said that your favorite place is the ocean. I wanted to make up for being such a... pain, during the Battle of the Bands, and since we aren't that far away, I figured... you know."

Fluttershy smiled, wiping quickly at her eyes. "It's amazing."

"Well, most of my ideas are."

Rainbow Dash watched Fluttershy as she walked on the beach. Her shoes had been removed, allowing her to dig her toes into the soft, damp sand. Fluttershy inhaled deeply, grateful for the oceanic mist that fought back the heat of the sun on her skin.

Fluttershy looked over her shoulder at Rainbow Dash. "Coming?"

Rainbow Dash paused. "Me?" Fluttershy nodded. "Oh, no. Not a big fan of sand. It's all coarse, and rough, and irritating. And it gets everyw-" Rainbow Dash bit her tongue at the beckoning look on Fluttershy's face. "Uh, I mean yay, sand! Squishy."

Rainbow Dash trotted to catch up to Fluttershy. She linked hands with Rainbow Dash as the pair walked slowly.

"Thank you," Fluttershy whispered. "This is just so perfect... I don't think I have words for it."

Rainbow Dash coughed. "Well, uh... I'm glad you're happy."

Fluttershy smiled.

I suppose yes, I am happy, aren't I?

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had come a long way together, and they still had a long way to go. Fluttershy knew that it wouldn't always be easy. They would fight. They would stumble. Things would get scary.

Fluttershy had a feeling that they were ready for anything.

Fluttershy pecked Rainbow on the cheek, causing her to blush. Now having Rainbow's attention, she ventured a little further. Rainbow grinned at Fluttershy's warm lips meeting hers. The sweet taste of Fluttershy's strawberry lip balm washed over the tip of Rainbow's tongue.

Fluttershy was glad to have Rainbow Dash with her. She was more than just a friend when Fluttershy needed one. She was more than someone to hold her and kiss her and tell her how important she was.

Rainbow Dash was so, so, so much more than that.

Fluttershy leaned her head against Rainbow's shoulder. They both sat on the end of the dock, their feet dangling just above the water's surface. Occasionally, they would pop a sea salt taffy into their mouths, savoring the various berry flavoring as they chewed.

It was perfect.

Fluttershy felt a small drip on her head. She looked up. The sky overhead had been blanketed with dreary rainclouds. The sudden greying also caught Rainbow's notice. She sighed as the dripping began to increase.

"Dammit."

Fluttershy gave her a consoling kiss on the neck. "Not even you can control the weather, Rainbow Dash."

The girls stood up, ready to head home before the oncoming downpour had the chance to soak them. Fluttershy stopped in her tracks as she noticed something from the corner of her eye.

From the last crack of blue sky came a thin ray of sunlight. It shone down on the earth, unwavering in the face of the storm. Fluttershy stared at it, ignoring the rain that drenched her clothes.

"Hey, you coming?" Rainbow Dash shouted from the harbor. "What's the matter?"

Fluttershy smiled slowly. The faded stream of color fell down like snow over the water. It was such a stark contrast to the dull world around it, that Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh.