When a Young Filly’s Fancy
“I don’t get it,” I said. “Why would she want to talk to me and not you?”
Rainbow shrugged as she hovered in mid air. “Ya got me,” the Pegasus said. “She’s never been afraid to talk to me before.”
Fluttershy rustled her wings slightly. “That does sound unusual,” she said. “She practically worships you, Dashie.”
I stood, ruffling my own wings, my mind still automatically sliding into anatomy lessons and pondering over just how quickly I had gotten used to using these new bones and muscles, though I still preferred to walk when I could. Sometimes, flying just hurt since I was trying to carry a heavier body than most Pegasi had. Earth pony strength and endurance just didn’t translate to wings, for some reason.
“If she wants to talk to me,” I said. “Then the least I can do is listen.”
“And I’ll be there too,” Rainbow said immediately. “Gotta support my little buddy.”
“Actually,” I said. “Maybe you shouldn’t. She seemed adamant about not telling you anything.”
“But…”
I waved a hoof in the air. “Let me at least find out first, ok?” I requested. “If she is willing, I’ll have you sit in if it is a Pegasus problem.”
That seemed to placate the Wonderbolt. She sighed and landed, her ears tilting back to her head. “Yeah,” she said. “It’s just hard to believe there’s something she doesn’t want me to know.”
Fluttershy patted our friend on the shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, Dashie.”
The entire walk to the house filled me with questions. Why was a Pegasus filly asking me for help with some unknown problem? Sure, I had tutored her for months before the Golden Oaks had been destroyed, but Fluttershy was right. She idolized Rainbow in such a way that bordered on unhealthy obsession. The evidence of that was plain to see, especially with how she avoided me shortly after my Ascension.
I approached the door of the cottage the filly stayed at and knocked on the door. A kindly older mare opened it and smiled at me, opening the door a little further.
“Princess Twilight,” she said, hurriedly adjusting her short two-toned mane with a hoof. “Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy too. What do I owe the pleasure to?”
“Hi, Holiday,” I said. “Is Scootaloo in? I heard she wanted to speak with me.”
The earth pony smiled and nodded. “Just a moment, please,” she said. “Please make yourself at home.”
The three of us sat down on the plush couch and I glanced around at the furnishings, a fashionable mismash of classic Earth pony styles combined with some Pegasi influences, including an ottoman that appeared to be made of clouds.
A moment later, the mare returned with her niece by her side, the filly looking noticeablly nervous the second she saw Rainbow.
“Hiya, squirt,” Rainbow said immediately. “So, I brought Twilight like you asked.”
I smiled softly. “I understand you wanted to talk to me?”
She nodded and titled her head down. “Could we talk alone please?”
I glanced at Rainbow and Holiday, who both nodded. Fluttershy also stood up, but I held up a hoof for a moment.
“Scootaloo,” I asked. “Is it alright if Fluttershy stays? If what you want to talk about is related to being a Pegasus, she might be helpful to talk to as well.”
She fidgeted for a moment before nodding. “Sure,” she whispered.
As the door swung shut, I looked at the filly. “So, what did you want to know?”
She paced, and I noticed she kept fluffing her wings, something that I had learned in my time with my own and being with Fluttershy indicated nerves and embarrassment.
“I think something is wrong with me,” she said. “I’m starting to think about some of the colts more than I do about flying. I don’t get it, and I thought that maybe you would know what was causing it.”
“That’s all?” I asked. “Why wouldn’t you want Rainbow to know?”
“Well,” the filly chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t want her to think I’m getting all mushy and sentimental. She’s so tough that I’m afraid she wouldn’t want to hang out anymore.”
I glanced at Fluttershy and shared a smile. We had seen plenty of instances of Rainbow giving into her softer side, especially when it came to this filly. She’d never admit it, though.
“I’m sure she’d be ok with it, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy said. “And we all have times where we get a little distracted by somepony we find nice, like I did with Twilight, or your aunts.”
“But I want to fly more than anything!” the filly exclaimed. “I keep practicing, and I can hover for almost a minute now! So why am I getting so hung up on other ponies now?”
“It’s just a thing that happens when you get older,” I said. “You just start noticing other ponies and sometimes, they occupy your thoughts more than normal. Crushes happen, Scootaloo.”
The filly fidgeted again, and I noticed that she had never sat down since our talk began.
“Scootaloo,” I asked. “Why don’t you sit down? You’ll be able to think better that way.”
“No, no,” she said hurriedly. “I’m fine. I have trouble focusing if I sit too long.”
“But you haven’t sat down at all,” Fluttershy said. “You’re pacing like Angel does when he…” she clamped her mouth suddenly.
“What?” I asked, noticing her flush and her wings’ surprised flare.
“Um, Twilight,” she whispered to me. “I think…maybe…”
“What?” Scootaloo interrupted. “What is it?”
“How old are you, Scootaloo?” she asked.
“Twelve, why?”
“What are you getting at, Fluttershy?” I asked.
She leaned into me and whispered again. “It’s not a crush. Spring is coming soon,” she whispered. “And it might be her first.”
I blinked and felt my cheeks heat up as the implications made themselves aware.
“What?” Scootaloo asked. “What’s wrong with me?” She looked frantic.
“I think I know,” I said, reaching out with a wing and pulling the frantic filly into an embrace. “It’s a natural part of life that we’ve all had happen to us. Even Rainbow. It’s nothing to worry about.”
She flicked her tail, and I caught the faint scent that confirmed Fluttershy’s belief. “What is it, then?” she asked as her panic went down and she settled down.
“Well, sweetie,” Fluttershy said. “Young fillies all go through this time in the spring when we…feel a certain way about other ponies.”
I slid a wing around her, seeing the blush that turned her cheeks almost as red as a tomato. “It’s an evolutionary holdover from our ancestors,” I explained. “Our distant ancestors would go into a state where the mares were particularly willing to bear young.” I gathered my thoughts for a moment. “Even though now we’re much more aware of things and able to control our feelings, the primordial urge for coupling still goes through phases of increased strength, particualrly in the spring, and it can…”
Scootaloo grabbed the sides of her head and moaned in disbelief. “You’re talking about estrous, aren’t you?” she asked. “Oh, why now? I haven’t finished my workouts for the week!”
I ruffled her mane. “The good thing is,” I said. “This is nothing you should be ashamed of telling Rainbow about. She knows what it’s like and might even have a way for you to keep working out without difficulty.”
“Besides," Fluttershy said, adding a wing to the hug we were sharing. “The first heat for Pegasi tend to be pretty mild. I know mine was, and from what I gathered from Rainbow one night she didn’t even realize she had her first until it was almost over.”
I tilted my head off to one side to hide my blush as memories of my first heat filtered up unbidden.
“So," Scootaloo said. “There isn’t anything to be ashamed of?”
“Not at all,” I said. “Though your aunts or Rainbow could have told you the same.”
She blushed and glanced down. “Sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry about it,” I told her, tilting her head up with a hoof. “I’m glad you trust me enough to ask me about something you don’t know about. It’s been a while since you’ve done that.”
She winced. “Yeah,” she said. “Sorry about that, Twilight.” She ruffled her small wings. “It’s just, when you got your wings and were able to fly, I felt a little jealous that you managed it so much faster than I have. i just got a little…”
“Jealous,” Fluttershy said. “You’re still a little pony, after all. I was about your age before I could fly properly, you know. Give it time.”
Scootaloo nodded, then got up. “I should go apologize to Rainbow,” she said. “I’ve probably got her worried over nothing.” She hugged us both. “Thanks for listening, Twilight.”
“Sure thing,” I said, reaching down and ruffling her mane like I’d seen Rainbow do from time to time.
As we all walked outside, Fluttershy and I excused ourselves quietly and trotted off. When we were out of sight, she pushed up closely to me.
“I’m glad it wasn’t something more serious than that,” she whispered to me. “She had me scared for a moment.”
I nodded. “I couldn't believe she would have come to us first,” I admitted. “I though for sure she would have had a talk with her aunts at least.”
“She’s only been staying with them for a little while,” the mare at my side said. “They may not have realized she didn’t know yet.”
I sighed as we came to a clearing that was a favorite of ours, out of the way and peaceful. I was about to mention it when Fluttershy tilted my face to the side and kissed me gently.
“I think you’d be a great mother, Twilight,” she said without preamble.
I blinked as I felt my wings flare out. “Y-you do?” I stammered, feeling my face heat up with a blush.
She smiled and nodded as she turned to walk away. “One day, yeah,” she said. “When we’re ready.”
I shook my head and pulled my wings in as I made to catch up with her. “You just now got used to being comfortable with sharing feelings with me,” I said. “Isn’t thinking about foals a bit of a leap?”
She looked at me. “I’ve seen you play with Flurry Heart,” she smiled. “And thinking isn’t wishing. When we’re ready, when I’m ready, we’ll know.”
I smiled and slid a wing over her shoulders, feeling her tuck in a little closer. “You’re right,” I said.
“We’ll know.”
