What She Doesn't See

Chapters

Chapter 1: Pegasi of a Feather
Chapter 2: Tea for Three
Chapter 3: Call to Cloudsdale
Chapter 4: The City of Fog
Chapter 5: Rainbow Refuge
Chapter 6: Cuddles, Comfort and the Cloud Crusher Crew
Chapter 7: Actions Speak for Themselves
Chapter 8: Tables Turn; Chips Fall
Chapter 9: Kindness

Chapter 1: Pegasi of a Feather

Chapter 1: Pegasi of a Feather

The weather in Ponyville was pleasant and mild, as it should have been. Rainbow Dash, who was taking a midmorning flight towards the outskirts of Ponyville, was able to rest assured of that. Even as a recent addition to the main team of the Wonderbolts, she still had responsibilities as a local weather pony. She was proud of that, too. For one thing, she could protect her record of clearing clouds faster than any other Pegasus in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash liked believe that she was exceptional and went against the grain. While in most cases, that could be true and usually applied to unique tricks and unfathomable speeds, there was one Pegasus that Rainbow Dash knew who defied the norm of the average pegasus simply by being who she was.

Fluttershy. Yes, it was Fluttershy who was truly exceptional. Fluttershy understood animals better than most Earth ponies. Fluttershy, though a capable flyer, preferred the ground for its wonders as opposed to those of the sky. Fluttershy, in spite of being so reserved, was a prominent figure in Ponyville for lending a helping hoof or being somepony to lean on. The way Fluttershy was so unstoppably herself was often overlooked, but the butter yellow Pegasus always held a place in the back of Rainbow Dash’s mind.

Ever since they were fillies in flight school and faced with bullies, the two Pegasi have gotten close and remained in contact. Rainbow Dash was glad to have Fluttershy as a friend, even if there were occasions in which Rainbow Dash was short on patience with Fluttershy’s timidity. In those times, Rainbow Dash had realized after self-reflection, it was often due to how fear would tend to limit Fluttershy’s potential. In the end, the yellow Pegasus would always come through. Smiling warmly, Rainbow Dash muttered, “Fluttershy…”

That flowing pink mane, those teal eyes, that soft voice, the way those trios of butterflies adorned her flanks… There was nothing in particular about Fluttershy that Rainbow Dash found appealing. It was the way that the little things, the small quirks of the yellow Pegasus that helped make up who she was, added up that had seized her attention. The Pegasus with the distinct rainbow mane and tail wasn’t sure when this attraction began. Perhaps its development was gradual, and thus she hadn’t bothered to address her feelings until they built up to the point where she had to address them and they were unavoidable.

Rainbow’s thoughts recalibrated to her flying when Fluttershy’s cottage came into view. As the light cerulean pegasus expected, Fluttershy was outside in front of the cottage, feeding the animals that were too big to fit inside, opted to live outside the cottage or took up too much of the limited living space. Determination flared in Rainbow Dash’s rose eyes. This would be the day she told Fluttershy how she felt.

Fluttershy looked up from feeding blueberries to a fox to see Rainbow Dash flying toward her. As if her facial muscles had a mind of their own, a bright smile appeared on her face. She loved all of her friends dearly, but not equally. She had known Rainbow Dash since flight school, so the cyan Pegasus held a special, nostalgic place in her heart. Subconsciously, her right hoof rose up and began to twirl her long, pink mane.

“Hey, Fluttershy!” Rainbow Dash called out.

“H-hi, Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy replied, matching the cerulean Pegasus’s enthusiasm while paling in volume. The two Pegasi exchanged warm smiles and remained silent for a moment before the yellow Pegasus asked, “What can I do for you?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Rainbow Dash admitted in a sheepish manner. Sheepish? Rainbow Dash, Equestria’s most vivid speed demon, acting bashful in the place of being confident? This grappled Fluttershy’s attention like the tight grip of a fully grown dragon.

“W-well what is it?” Fluttershy curiously stammered. “Is it about Tank? Is Tank okay?”

“Tank’s fine,” Rainbow Dash confirmed the status of her pet tortoise. “I actually wanted to talk to you about…well, you. And me. You know, us.”

“I-I’m not sure I understand,” Fluttershy admitted, looking down to the ground in order to avoid Rainbow Dash’s gaze. “I’m sorry…”

“No, don’t be! I guess I’m just having trouble unpacking this… Look, you and I have known each other for a long time, right?” Rainbow Dash asked thoughtfully. Waiting for no more than a subtle nod from the green-eyed mare, she proceeded. “I… I feel like I could trust you with anything… Heck, I could trust you with everything…” Turning her head, Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and mumbled, “Sweet Celestia, this is harder than I thought it would be.”

“Here, why don’t you come inside?” Fluttershy offered as a hot blush rose to her cheeks. Deep down, she felt like she knew what Rainbow Dash wanted to say, but she wanted to hear her blue coated friend say it because it was otherwise a dangerously awkward assumption. Fluttershy opened her front door for her friend and received an appreciative smile from the cyan mare.

“Thanks, Fluttershy!” Rainbow exclaimed graciously, nodding to her hostess and trotting into the humble, yet voluminous cottage. She found herself greeted by a grumpy looking Angel Bunny. Regarding the rabbit’s attitude as ‘business as usual’, Rainbow Dash casually greeted, “Hey, Angel.” The bunny stared at the rainbow-maned mare, unimpressed, until Fluttershy walked up to her side. The bunny seemed to notice the elated gleam in Fluttershy’s eyes and his gaze softened. He hopped away, leaving the two mares be.

“Normally, he isn’t fond of me having ponies over at this time of day,” Fluttershy explained, grasping Rainbow’s attention.

“You should tell him that this is your cottage, not his,” Rainbow Dash flatly replied.

“Oh, he’s a good boy!” Fluttershy vouched for the lagomorph, cooing slightly. She clopped into the kitchen, calling back to Rainbow Dash, “I’ll make us some tea!”

“Here, I’ll help you!” Rainbow Dash called back and followed her yellow friend. Upon entering the kitchen, Rainbow Dash saw a jaguar sleeping on the floor in the middle of the room, a pile of unopened mail on the counter, a pot of chamomile flowers on the window sill, pots of evening primrose resting on a rack nailed to the wall, and mice poking their noses out of various cabinets. Rainbow Dash decided to comment on the botany. “Wow, I didn’t know you did indoor gardening, too.”

“Oh, yes! It’s quite fun and what I grow comes in handy. I mainly focus on my vegetable garden, but these flowers can be used to help regulate moods. Not to mention how handy it is to have chamomile on hoof when a tea party with Discord runs late,” Fluttershy explained giddily. “Evening primrose can be grown in the ground or in containers. Chamomile has to be potted or else it would take over my garden outside. The animals wouldn’t like that very much.”

“What do you mean when you say they help with your mood? Save for Pinkie Pie, you’re probably the happiest pony I know,” Rainbow Dash inquired, trying to hide her steadily growing concern over her companion’s word choice.

“I wasn’t always this content, you know…” Fluttershy reminded her. Rainbow Dash felt a pang of guilt in her heart. How could she forget? Flight school. Fluttershy, though capable, wasn’t ever a particularly strong or fast flyer. Because of that, she was often a target ripe for bullying. Fluttershy, examining the look in her friend’s eyes, could see the memories flooding Rainbow’s mind. She spoke up in reassurance. “It’s thanks to you that I am where I am! Rainbow Dash, I could never thank you enough.”

“Me?” Rainbow Dash asked. “I mean, I get that I’m awesome, but what did I do that meant so much to you?”

“Well, your first Sonic Rainboom was what helped me discover that I was always meant to interact with animals. You were always the one who looked out for me and stood up for me when I didn’t have the strength to stand up for myself. You…you’ve always made me happy,” Fluttershy informed Rainbow Dash. Liquid emotion welled up in her turquoise eyes. Rainbow Dash almost didn’t notice her own cerise eyes grow rather misty.

“Fluttershy… Wow, I never knew that all of that meant so much to you. But…what you said about your mood…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, wiping her eyes.

“I…Well, I… I kind of have… I mean, in flight school, I was diagnosed with…” Fluttershy mumbled, nearly inaudible.

“Diagnosed with what?” Rainbow Dash questioned, having not heard the end of Fluttershy’s statement. Craning her head, the blue mare got an ear close to Fluttershy’s mouth in anticipation of a soft-spoken answer.

“D-d-d-depression… B-before I met the animals, everything about flight school felt like it required so much extra energy that I just didn’t have. G-getting bullied and being laughed at didn’t help that any, as you might imagine,” Fluttershy whispered into Rainbow Dash’s conveniently placed ear. “I’ve been managing it ever since… The animals have helped a lot. So have the herbs and…”

“Oh, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash muttered sympathetically. She had heard about depression and some of its symptoms, but Fluttershy was the first pony who had suffered from it that she knew personally. The blue Pegasus didn’t think about her next action. It was as though her body acted on its own. She took her fellow winged pony into a tight embrace. “You’ve had to fly through a pretty rough sky, huh?”

“It’s not so bad. It helps me make a conscious effort to be thankful for my blessings,” Fluttershy explained, trying to be reassuring. “I mean, sure, depression can ebb and flow, but I don’t recall having any serious bouts in a while. Spending time with our friends and the animals helps… And you, Rainbow Dash… I always know I can count on you.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash agreed, managing a smile in spite of the shock of Fluttershy’s unveiled diagnosis. “Element of loyalty, that’s me! Besides, we’ve always stuck together.” She beamed at her, keeping her thoughts in the back of her head. Fluttershy’s lack of self-confidence may have been linked to her depression. Getting Fluttershy to see what a wonderful pony she truly was would be much more difficult than Rainbow Dash had initially thought.

“Yeah,” Fluttershy said, smiling in appreciation and nodding in agreement. She finally thought to return Rainbow Dash’s warm, fortifying embrace. Even with Rainbow Dash’s confidence, Fluttershy doubted that the cyan mare knew just how much she meant to her.

Author's Note

I know that Fluttershy isn't the most likely candidate for depression, but she isn't the least likely, either. Part of the reason I chose her was because depression can manifest in even some of the happiest or most content people. People are often surprised when they learn that I suffer from depression. Aside from that, Fluttershy's representation as the element of kindness resonates with me as a person who believes that kindness is a powerful virtue. It's important to always try to be kind, even if there's something like depression that makes it difficult to do. Thank you for reading this chapter! I hope to have more for you soon.

Chapter 2: Tea for Three

Chapter 2: Tea for Three

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash held their embrace for several long moments that, all the while, passed them by too quickly. The mutually assured fortification of their hug had left them oblivious to the distractions of everything outside of their bond, giving them the freedom to think about nothing at all and feel everything, to live in the moment. It wasn’t until Angel Bunny started rapidly poking Fluttershy in her butterfly-adorned flank that either of them had snapped back into reality. Still holding onto her rainbow-maned friend, Fluttershy adjusted her gaze to meet the eyes of her beloved pet.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to ask Angel what he wanted when she noticed that he held her personal calendar in his paws. The white lagomorph shoved the calendar toward her face and Fluttershy’s eyes scanned it before focusing on the current date. She let out a flustered gasp. She exclaimed, “Oh, goodness!”

“What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked in concern.

“I forgot that I’m supposed to have Discord over today! I don’t have any snacks prepared and he’s coming early today! I don’t have much time…!” Fluttershy panicked. She always aimed to please, so the thought of disappointing somepony was devastating to her. Her eyes moved from Angel to Rainbow Dash, then around the kitchen, and finally back to Rainbow Dash as if the answer to her situation was written beneath her bangs of warm colors.

“Earlier than when you two normally have your tea parties? Why?” Rainbow Dash asked in confusion.

“He has an appointment with the College of Chaotic Cardinals during our usual time,” Fluttershy explained, causing even greater confusion for Rainbow Dash. The shy Pegasus went on to elaborate, “I think they’re worshippers of chaos deities. High priests, even.”

“Great,” Rainbow Dash muttered, her voice steeped in copious amounts of sarcasm. “The Lord of Goofy Happenings has a cult now.”

“Oh, don’t be like that, Rainbow. They’re not liable to do anything bad. He would never allow it,” Fluttershy assured. Her eyes told Rainbow Dash that she was still worried about preparing for the tea party.

“Well,” Rainbow Dash sighed, “it looks like you could use a helping hoof. I’m more than willing to lend one! After all, I think I kind of held you up.”

“Oh, no, no, Rainbow, I couldn’t ask that of you—” Fluttershy began to object.

“You’re not asking; I’m offering,” Rainbow Dash pointed out with a wink. Fluttershy smiled brightly, a gleam of a mix of appreciation and relief sparkling in her eyes. “Just start spouting orders, sous chef! Hey, Rarity’s fancy words came in handy!”

Fluttershy let out a giggle and instructed, “Alright, can you please get some lettuce from my garden? Oh, and some tomatoes, too! That is, if you don’t mind.”

Saluting, Rainbow Dash replied, “Yes, ma’am! Right away!” With a rainbow vapor trail, Rainbow Dash zoomed out of the cottage and landed amidst the vegetables. Fluttershy gazed out the window and fought the urge to swoon. Getting out some whole wheat bread, a knife and a chopping block, Fluttershy carved the middle of the bread out from the confines of the crust for six slices.

Having the help of somepony so bold and outgoing was something akin to a miracle in Fluttershy’s mind. It was something for which she would have prayed to the Alicorns, had she not felt like it would have been a bothersome and silly thing to pray for. Fluttershy felt that, over the years, Rainbow Dash’s courageous demeanor had been rubbing off on her in small, gradual doses. Yet, in all of her exposure to that rich, potent bravery, she never had enough to tell Rainbow Dash how she felt.

“Just one head is enough, right?” Rainbow Dash called from the doorway, pulling Fluttershy out of her contemplative state. “Fluttershy?”

“Y-yes! That’s perfect, thank you,” Fluttershy called back, a rosy blush suddenly on her face. Rainbow Dash closed the front door, which Fluttershy hadn’t even heard open, and entered the kitchen with a head of lettuce under one wing and four tomatoes tucked under the other. She set the vegetables down and eyed the de-crusted bread squares quizzically. Fluttershy, making not of the questioning gaze out of the corner of her eye, explained, “He likes crust.”

“Ah…” Rainbow Dash said thoughtlessly. She didn’t mind Discord and actually grew to admire him as an individual, but still kept him at more of a foreleg’s length than Fluttershy had.

“You know, I find his reformation very symbolic. Chaos isn’t necessarily good or evil. It’s inherently capable of being either or!” Fluttershy pointed out as she began slicing the tomato on the chopping block.

“I never took you for the philosophy type, Fluttershy. That’s deep,” Rainbow Dash commented as she let her companion’s words sink in.

“Oh, I’m not a philosopher by any means. It’s just a conclusion I came to after spending so much time with Discord. Just like how I learned from you that there’s nothing more trustworthy than a loyal friend,” Fluttershy replied as she finished with one tomato and moved onto the next one. “But I’ve barely scratched the surface with that. Chaos is unbridled and absolute freedom. It promotes free, individualistic thought, but can be taken advantage of and create a hierarchy of strength. That’s why order exists. Order provides safety and structure, but it can suppress individualism and free thought if allowed to take a form of absolution. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t talk so much.”

“N-no, you’re fine. I just…wow. You should write a book,” Rainbow Dash said, awestruck and unsure of how to respond to such a deep and complex analysis. “I bet it’d be a best seller!”

“It’s no Daring Do,” the yellow Pegasus replied, finished slicing the second tomato. She paused and let out a soft sigh. “Sometimes, tending to the animals can be so thoughtless that my mind starts to wander. Nopony would want to read something like ‘The Midday Thoughts of the Animal Pony’. Not to mention the last time a book with my name in it was published…”

“Oh, yeah… That was a living nightmare while it lasted,” Rainbow Dash recalled. Perking up, she suggested, “C’mon, we’d better finish with these snacks and get ready before Discord pops in.”

“You’re right. Um, Rainbow, would you…like to stay? For the tea party, I mean. I’d be happy to have you and I’m sure Discord won’t mind,” Fluttershy proposed, beaming hopefully at Rainbow Dash.

“I… I don’t know… I don’t want to intrude—” Rainbow Dash replied hesitantly.

“It’s no intrusion; I’m offering,” Fluttershy giggled. Rainbow Dash let out a small laugh, seeing how the tables have turned.

“Well, you’re somepony who’s hard to refuse! That’d be great, Fluttershy! Thanks!” Rainbow Dash thanked her dear friend, trying to curb her enthusiasm at the thought of spending more time with Fluttershy.

The two female Pegasi worked together to prepare a variety of snacks and brew the tea just in the nick of time. About as soon as they finished up, three pronounced, curt knocks resounded from Fluttershy’s front door. Rainbow Dash went to answer the door as Fluttershy pulled one of her cushiest chairs up to the coffee table. When Rainbow Dash opened the door, nopony was there. Then, Rainbow Dash heard a unique sound from behind that she knew was attributed to teleportation magic.

“Why, hello, Fluttershy! Oh, and Rainbow Dash! Now, this is a surprise. And it’s not even my birthday!” exclaimed the personification of the concept of chaos itself.

“Hi, Discord!” Fluttershy greeted.

“What was the point of knocking if you were going to literally pop in?” Rainbow Dash asked with an arched brow.

“Elementary, my dear daredevil! I may be spontaneous to a point that would make Pinkie Pie blush, but I certainly am not impolite. Even a draconequus has to show some sort of class,” Discord explained as a red bowtie appeared into existence around the base of his long neck and a white mustache grew on his face in the blink of an eye. Using his lion paw, he held a monocle up to one of his vermilion eyes.

“Huh… Never would have pegged you for the courteous type,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“I hope you don’t mind, Discord, but I asked Rainbow to join us today! She was a very big help getting ready for this and we’re just so happy that you’re going to meet with your fans later!” Fluttershy giddily informed Discord, who wore a look of neutral surprise on his face, as though he had opened a birthday present and wasn’t sure what to think of what was inside.

“O-of course, I don’t mind. It is your home, after all,” Discord responded, trying to make his response as immediate as he could. He glanced at Rainbow Dash, unenthused, and mumbled, “Three’s a crowd.”

Rainbow Dash silently agreed with the draconequus. Even if she was comfortable enough, she wouldn’t have confessed her feelings to Fluttershy in front of Discord. That would have put the shy Pegasus pony under a much unwanted spotlight. Fluttershy looked at the coffee table and the three spots were set up perfectly. She had gotten the snacks out while Rainbow Dash answered the door and was now taking a moment to admire the hoofwork that the two Pegasi had put in. Then, when a loud whistling was heard, Fluttershy gasped, “I’ve got to get the water!”

“I’ll get it!” Rainbow Dash volunteered and immediately zipped into the kitchen, Fluttershy gazing after her in admiration.

Discord did not go unaware of Fluttershy’s infatuated stare and asked, “What brings Rainbow Dash to this neck of the woods, my dear Fluttershy?”

“Hmm? Oh!” Fluttershy turned to face Discord once his question registered in her distracted mind. “She wanted to hang out. It made me so happy, too. She is my oldest friend, after all. I can always count on Rainbow Dash.”

“You know you can count on me, too, right?” Discord asked with concern and perhaps a pinch of envy in his voice. He snapped his eagle claws and the tea bags seemed to come to life, catapulting each other into the empty tea cups, guerilla warfare style, and awaited being drenched in boiling hot water. “And never mind me. What about your other friends?”

“What? Of course, I know that, silly. I know I can count on all of my friends. Rainbow Dash is just a great example. She’s loyal enough to put herself on the line for anypony she loves, brave enough to take on the heavens themselves and tactful enough to do it all with a confident, goofy grin,” Fluttershy elaborated as images of the mare she admired flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes and smiled contently. “That grin that melts my troubles away.”

“That’s poetic. Why, it almost sounds like you depict our rainbow-maned friend as a knight in a fairy tale,” Discord replied observantly. Fluttershy’s eyes shot open and her muzzle turned rosy. She let out a small squeak and Discord raised an eyebrow.

Rainbow Dash returned, holding the tea kettle filled with boiling water in her teeth. Hovering, she craned her head over Fluttershy’s teacup and began to pour. Her rose eyes met Fluttershy’s teal ones and she smiled, causing the tea kettle to shift in her teeth and pour a steady stream of boiling water onto her left foreleg. The sudden, unexpected pain caused Rainbow Dash to scream, the kettle slipping from her mouth. She fell onto her haunches on Fluttershy’s floor, the yellow Pegasus immediately at her side. The kettle hung in midair above the two ponies as Discord had quickly freed it at the water inside from the confines of gravity.

“Oh, Rainbow, I’m so sorry! I’ll go get you a towel so you can dry off!” Fluttershy exclaimed in panic, running to a linen closet.

“Ah, that hurt…” Rainbow Dash winced under her breath. She raised her voice. “I’m so sorry, Fluttershy! I don’t know what got into me.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Fluttershy insisted as she gently rubbed the towel on her friend’s foreleg. “Even somepony as awesome as you can have moments like this.”

Rainbow Dash felt herself blush at the words of the pony she admired, and she grit her teeth at the friction of the towel on her wet coat and stinging skin. Even a touch as gentle as Fluttershy’s had some level of consequence here. Letting out a heavy sigh thick with guilt, Rainbow Dash mumbled, “I really screwed up this tea party, huh? Fluttershy, Discord, I… I’m sorry.”

“Now, now, Rainbow Dash, it’s not like you to cry over spilled water,” Discord piped up, a pang of sympathy in his voice. He smiled cheerily and continued, “The party is still young. Come on, now. Wake up, get up, get out there!”

“Who’s crying?” Rainbow Dash growled, shooting a fiery glare at chaos incarnate.

Discord smirked and replied, “Now there’s the Rainbow Dash that Fluttershy described to me mere moments ago.”

“Wha…?” Rainbow Dash uttered as both Pegasi blushed a deep shade of crimson. Discord chuckled in satisfaction and gripped the tea kettle’s handle, restoring it to the laws of physics. He poured the water into his cup and Rainbow Dash’s before topping off Fluttershy’s. Then, he picked up a square of bread crust and popped it into his mouth. Rainbow Dash cleared her throat and said, “Thanks, Fluttershy. I think I’m—”

“I’m not done,” Fluttershy flatly cut her off. “I’ve got some ointment for first degree burns that I want to apply to this. That’s why I dried you off first.” She got up and headed into her bathroom. Rainbow Dash heard the medicine cabinet open and reflected, once again, on what a kind and genuine pony Fluttershy was. She was quiet, and her assertiveness was work in progress (though getting better all the time), but if there was one thing she had always taken a firm stand on, it was the well-being of living creatures.

Fluttershy returned with a green tube of ointment in her mouth. Taking it into her hooves, she uncapped it with her teeth and then spun the tube around. She squirted a large spiral of off-white ointment onto the light cerulean foreleg and began to rub it in, making sure the ointment would sink into the burned skin. It stung Rainbow Dash at first, but before long, a cool wave of relief washed over the area Fluttershy tended to. Fluttershy was focused and mindful.

“Fluttershy…” Rainbow Dash softly spoke. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy responded quietly and warmly. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yeah. Thanks,” Rainbow Dash thanked her. She climbed back into the seat Fluttershy had gotten for her.

The remainder of the tea party was dominated by Rainbow Dash and Discord telling Fluttershy magnanimous tales of their distinct exploits, as if they were competing to see which one of them was more capable of leaving the yellow pony awestruck. Fluttershy, however, remained unaware of any tension or competitive atmosphere between her friends. She was simply overjoyed that Rainbow Dash could spend time with her and Discord. The stories would range from the Sonic Rainboom to alternate worlds to moving so fast that other ponies saw double and got whiplash, and Fluttershy had been impressed with all of it.

Eventually, the time came for Discord to leave and meet with the College of Chaotic Cardinals. The draconequus stood up and graciously bowed to his hostess before opening the door and walking out. Fluttershy made a noise riddled with confusion and contemplation, “Hmmm…”

“What is it, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash asked before taking a sip of her tea.

“Well, it’s just… He used the door… I mean, it’s not unheard of, but…he doesn’t usually do that. And he walked. I hope everything is okay…” Fluttershy responded with concern. Rainbow Dash could see that Fluttershy had had a point. Abnormal was Discord’s normal.

With a shrug, Rainbow Dash assured, “I’m sure he’s fine. He might just be flustered about being worshipped or whatever.”

“I hope you’re right,” Fluttershy replied worriedly.

Outside, Discord sighed and said to nopony in particular, “I never thought I’d say this, but perhaps I should ask Twilight for advice later. Maybe I really am out of my league…” With that, he teleported away to meet with the College of Chaotic Cardinals.

Chapter 3: Call to Cloudsdale

Chapter 3: Call to Cloudsdale

Rainbow Dash helped Fluttershy clean up after the tea party, helping herself to a leftover sandwich as part of cleaning up. Spending time with Fluttershy was already a treat, but to do so while having food in the vicinity, not to mention a chance to compete with Discord’s abstract charm, was almost dream-like. The animals didn’t seem bothered by Rainbow’s presence, which Rainbow attributed to the many visits she had taken to the cottage before.

Fluttershy was cleaning dishes, the repetitive actions putting her into a meditative trance and giving her the chance to be thankful for the chance to spend the better half of her hours under Celestia’s shining sun with Rainbow Dash. She began humming an uplifting tune, thrilled by how good she felt. To varying extents, being with her friends always made her feel good. Pinkie Pie’s parties were always so elaborately done, even if Fluttershy felt the ruckus was a bit much. Spa time with Rarity was relaxing and a near-perfect stress reliever, albeit increasingly static and predictable. Applejack was always pleasant and Fluttershy enjoyed being around the farm animals and hearing Granny Smith’s stories, but she felt that sometimes the upkeep of an entire farm led her to be talked at instead of spoken to. Time spent with Twilight was always educational and fascinating, but the amount of information to be processed in one visit tended to be more immense then she would anticipate.

Rainbow Dash was the one pony she could reminisce with, the one pony who reminded her of the good parts of school, and the one pony who she could sit and listen to or idly chat with interchangeably. Over the years, Rainbow Dash had become her best friend, her oldest friend, her crush, her rock and her most trusted confidant.

Rainbow Dash stood a few feet behind Fluttershy, not wanting to interrupt her lovely humming. She knew Fluttershy was a good singer. It was too bad that stage fright kept that beautiful voice from the world. Rainbow Dash felt that Fluttershy’s singing was something that should serenade her when the time came for her to transcend the clouds beyond Cloudsdale. Suddenly, the butterflies on Fluttershy’s flanks began to glow and shimmer. Rainbow Dash finally spoke up, cutting through the soft humming. “Uhh, Fluttershy?”

“Oh!” Fluttershy let out a startled gasp. She whirled around to find her friend and let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, goodness! You scared me.”

“I think the Cutie Map is calling you,” Rainbow Dash informed Fluttershy, who pivoted ninety degrees and craned her head to look at her cutie mark. It was behaving as it would if the map was calling. Fluttershy thought she saw Rainbow Dash’s flank retain the same glow and behave the same way. The yellow Pegasus pointed with a hoof and Rainbow Dash motioned to check her own flank. Both Pegasi were being called by the Cutie Map. Without another word, they locked eyes for a moment, and then galloped out of the cottage. When they reached Fluttershy’s mailbox, Rainbow Dash took to the sky and Fluttershy followed her lead.

Twilight Sparkle was pacing in front of the Cutie Map, Starlight Glimmer and Spike watching with expressions of concern. Spike tried his claws at intervention. “Look, Twilight, I know that this isn’t like past friendship problems, but if any two ponies can handle it, those ponies are Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. After all, it’s their hometown.”

“Yeah, and nopony would want these things happening in their hometown,” Starlight added. “Like if the Cutie Map ever called you to Canterlot, you’d be there in a heartbeat and you’d have things smoothed over by the end of the day.”

“But this isn’t like other friendship problems,” Twilight pointed out. Before her former pupil or her assistant could ask why, a blur of colors burst through the doors with Fluttershy following suit. Twilight had a paradoxical look of relief and concern in her eyes as she said, “There you two are.”

“What’s up, Twilight?” Rainbow Dash asked hurriedly.

“We came as soon as we could,” Fluttershy reported.

Starlight raised an eyebrow and a sly smile crept onto her face. “So you came together, then?” She made sure to put extra emphasis on ‘together’, causing Fluttershy to hide her face in her mane. Spike let out an amused chuckle at Fluttershy’s flustered actions, not that they were out of the ordinary.

“The Map has called you to Cloudsdale,” Twilight reported grimly. “However, you can take my word for it when I say this isn’t any ordinary friendship problem. While I’m still studying it, I’m led to believe that the Cutie Map, being connected to the Tree of Harmony, is able to use magical impulses to detect emotional fluctuations of sentient creatures. I’m not entirely sure how the specific details work, but I believe that’s how the Cutie Map detects friendship problems. There’s been gradually increasing unrest in Cloudsdale for a while, so I began correspondence with the mayor.”

“You wrote letters to the mayor?” Fluttershy asked, wondering where Twilight was going with her explanation.

“If we’re supposed to improve public relations, that’ll be no problem! Fluttershy was on the job with Applejack and pulled the root of dozens of friendship problems!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, confident in Fluttershy’s abilities as a solver of friendship troubles.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say dozens…” Fluttershy mumbled.

“And she was with you when you two shut down the biggest family feud in the history of Equestria!” Rainbow Dash added eagerly. “She’s the perfect pony for the job!”

“But at least the Hooffields and the McColts were on equal turf. I believe that the problem is with the city’s government and its ponies,” Twilight pointed out. “I don’t think we’ve ever seen the scales so tipped before between the ponies we help.”

“Whatever the case, we’ve got this!” Rainbow Dash assured.

“What did the letters say, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked about the correspondence between the Princess of Friendship and the mayor of Cloudsdale.

“Well, when the Map first showed me that the morale in Cloudsdale was on a steady downfall, I addressed my concerns to the mayor. He replied to my letter by politely requesting that I keep my distance, in short. We went back and forth until a few days ago, when he replied with a letter saying ‘You have your friends. I have mine’. And now the Cutie Map has finally acknowledged that there’s a friendship problem,” Twilight divulged the important details of the correspondence. Letting out a heavy sigh, she said, “Princess Luna was right. Politics are a mess.”

“I have a bad feeling that those ‘friends’ of his aren’t the nicest ponies out there,” Rainbow Dash huffed. “If they put one hoof on my parents, I swear—”

“I hope the mayor’s so-called friends didn’t make it hard for my brother to get a job,” Fluttershy mumbled. “He may be an adult now and I may push him to embrace that, but he’ll always be my little brother.”

“There’s one more thing,” Twilight informed the Pegasi before taking a step to the side, allowing them to approach the Cutie Map.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash scanned the three-dimensional map before finding their cutie marks soaring above a magical representation of their sky-bound home city. There were three cutie marks circling above Cloudsdale: a rainbow lightning bolt, a trio of butterflies and a shield-like crest with a wing and lightning bolt. Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. She stammered, “Th-that’s…!”

“Twilight!” came a young voice with a slight rasp and surging with energy. Rainbow Dash whirled around to see an orange filly with a lavender mane and tail and matching eyes. It was her biggest fan, Scootaloo, and her cutie mark was shining. The filly trotted over to Twilight and asked with concern, “Twilight, my cutie mark is acting funny! Is it gonna disappear?”

“No, Scootaloo, it’s not going to disappear,” Twilight assured and led her over to the Map. Scootaloo, having been briefly preoccupied by the various stimuli of the large throne room, saw her number one favorite Pegasus in the whole wide world and gave her an affectionate tackle.

“Rainbow Dash! What are you doing here? Is your cutie mark acting funny, too?” Scootaloo asked.

Rainbow Dash wrapped her forelegs around Scootaloo and replied, “Yeah. It means that there’s a friendship problem that we’re destined to solve. You, me and Fluttershy are in this together.”

“Really?” Scootaloo asked as if it was too good to be true. “That’s so awesome! I get to hang out with you and the Stare Master?! Where to?”

“We’re going to Cloudsdale,” Fluttershy pleasantly informed Scootaloo, though her thoughts remained with the wellbeing of her parents and brother. She hadn’t cared much for Cloudsdale. It was a great place to grow up for a Pegasus and it was because of being from Cloudsdale that she and Rainbow Dash met at a young age, but she often felt out of place there. This became especially true when she began living her earthbound life, a lifestyle considered by many Cloudsdale Pegasi to be borderline rogue. Many Pegasi wouldn’t understand how feeling the dirt and grass on her hooves was calming and stabilizing for her or how it aided in keeping her depression at bay.

“Cloudsdale?! Wow! Can we go to the weather factory? I really want to see all of those machines!” Scootaloo excitedly pled. Ever since Twilight had taught her to disassemble and reassemble mechanical structures such as her scooter or a unicycle, the little Pegasus filly had taken an interest in mechanics. What’s more, she seemed to have a knack for it once she took the time to focus on a task.

“Sure, Squirt! Sure! After we solve this friendship problem, we’ll take a tour,” Rainbow Dash promised, rubbing Scootaloo’s mane with a hoof and smiling brightly at her enthusiasm. Rainbow Dash turned her head to look at Fluttershy and was met with a thoughtful expression. Fluttershy was staring off at nothing in particular and Rainbow Dash’s mind began to race, hypothesizing what might have been occurring behind Fluttershy’s beautiful teal eyes.

Fluttershy was brought back to reality when she felt Rainbow Dash’s rose eyes holding a steady stare at her. What she saw was a rose hued tidal wave of worry flowing in her direction. Fluttershy smiled, trying to be reassuring, but fear for what might come and how it would affect her, the mare she fancied and the innocent filly. Rainbow Dash began to beckon Fluttershy over with a hoof, a motion that the yellow Pegasus had become familiar with after tending to Opalescence and other cats. Fluttershy approached and Rainbow Dash pulled her into a hug, sandwiching Scootaloo between them.

“Is there something I’m missing?” Scootaloo asked.

“Nah. I just want Fluttershy to know that everything will be okay,” Rainbow Dash informed the orange filly with a wink.

Starlight beamed at the huddled Pegasi in amazement. Rainbow Dash somehow seemed to be able to tell what Fluttershy was thinking when she beckoned her over for the hug. It was as though Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy communicated telepathically, but without a telepathy spell. Starlight wondered if it was because the two Pegasi had known each other for so many years. This train of thought led her to wonder if she would ever share that kind of wavelength with Sunburst.

“Rainbow Dash, if we’re flying to Cloudsdale, can I ride on your back?” Scootaloo insecurely requested, glancing back at her undersized wings.

“Sure, kid,” Rainbow Dash obliged.

“Actually, I was thinking it’d be easier for you all to take an airship or a hot air balloon,” Twilight interjected. “You’re all at different skill levels in flight, after all.”

“Maybe that’s best. I don’t think I could ever keep up with Dashie,” Fluttershy agreed. “And I couldn’t hold her up like that in good conscience.”

“I…” Rainbow Dash croaked. She knew Fluttershy wasn’t the awesome, top tier flyer that she herself was, but she wouldn’t go as far as to leave Fluttershy behind for something like this. Would she…? Rainbow Dash bit her lip and announced, “I wouldn’t be held up, Fluttershy. I’d do whatever I could to bring out the best in you and push you forward. I know I’m not always patient with you…and I’m sorry…” The words came out faster than Rainbow Dash could think about them, but she admitted to herself that being short on patience with Fluttershy was a recurring theme.

“Rainbow…?” Fluttershy muttered and Rainbow Dash hugged her tighter. Fluttershy felt tears well up in her eyes. She replied, “You don’t have to be…”

“Umm…” Scootaloo strained, still between them, “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy… I can’t breathe…” Upon hearing this, the two mares launched themselves backwards and tumbled over. Scootaloo took in a big breath of fresh air. With that big breath, she exhaled, “I’m so excited! We’re going on an adventure!” An adventure it certainly would be.

Author's Note

When I first had the idea for this story, I originally was just going to have Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy go because Cloudsdale is their hometown and this is a story about them secretly loving each other. Yet, it somehow felt like it was missing something. So then I decided Scootaloo should have a sizable role here.

Chapter 4: The City of Fog

Chapter 4: The City of Fog

Twilight told the three Pegasi, “Take my balloon. It’s in the usual place.”

“Thanks, Twi!” Rainbow Dash thanked her Alicorn friend, nodding affirmatively. She ushered Scootaloo and Fluttershy out of the crystal castle, excited to be on an assignment with Fluttershy and intrigued by the role Scootaloo would soon play. She glanced at Fluttershy, who kept an eye hidden by her mane. She could tell that Fluttershy had some concerns that she was keeping close. Addressing those reservations, all the while not, Rainbow Dash assured, “Hey, Fluttershy, it’ll be okay. Whatever’s going on in the mayor’s office, we can fix.”

“I know. I know it will all be okay, Dash… You and Scootaloo are so brave, brave enough to stare death in the face and laugh. All I’ve done while staring death in the face is either get scared or…” Fluttershy mumbled, her voice trailing off. She was too ashamed to admit what she had been driven to attempt in her youth in front of Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. She especially didn’t want Scootaloo to hear. Growing up as she was, Scootaloo was still too young to be exposed to some of Equestria’s darker truths.

“Or what?” Scootaloo piped up, her innocent curiosity shining through, trying to illuminate the dark mystery that Fluttershy was keeping reserved.

“I…I’m diseased…” Fluttershy sniffled. Unable to restrain herself, she stopped short and began to softly sob. “I’m so weak…” Both of her companions stopped, too. Scootaloo’s confusion grew, but to Rainbow Dash, everything was perfectly clear. Deep inside, Rainbow was kicking herself for not seeing the signs in flight school. She didn’t want to think about Fluttershy attempting suicide or what horrible things were going through her mind. The cyan mare wrapped her forelegs and wings around the pink maned mare, hugging her firmly. Fluttershy sniffled, “R-Rainbow…?”

“You are not weak,” Rainbow Dash muttered, almost growling. “It’s not your fault and you’re a stronger pony than you think you are. You’re strong enough to live, Fluttershy, and you’re strong enough to make everypony around you a better pony. You don’t have to be ashamed of what you’ve done or what you’ve tried to do. What matters to me is that you’re here.” Fluttershy let out an appreciative sniffle.

“I’m so lost…” Scootaloo muttered.

“Kid…” Rainbow Dash let out a sigh, hoping to give Fluttershy the privacy her mental health deserved.

“No, Rainbow, I’ll explain,” Fluttershy assured. Staying in Rainbow Dash’s fortifying grasp, Fluttershy began to tell Scootaloo what was wrong. “Listen, Scootaloo, when I was a filly, I was diagnosed with a mental illness called depression. It’s a nasty mood disorder that makes you think dark thoughts, making you sad or angry, and it saps up your strength so every day tasks take more effort and become less enjoyable.”

“But I’ve never seen you sad before,” Scootaloo said in response.

“That’s because I do what I can to manage it now, but when I was a filly…well, that’s a different story,” Fluttershy clarified. “It’s something I wouldn’t wish on my own worst enemy. Part of why I live on the ground is because being connected to the land makes me feel better.”

“It makes you feel better?” Scootaloo asked, receiving a nod from Fluttershy. Scootaloo’s face lit up. “Well, it looks like you’re winning against depression and I’m glad you’re happy, Fluttershy!”

“Thank you, Scootaloo,” Fluttershy mumbled, managing a gentle smile from the filly’s words. “You’re a sweet foal. Never change that.”

“Yeah, Scoots. You’re a good kid,” Rainbow Dash agreed, smiling in relief. None of what Fluttershy explained could have been easy to say, especially to somepony who has no idea what it’s like. What’s more, explaining what depression was in such a way that a foal Scootaloo’s age would understand must have been extra difficult.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Scootaloo replied bashfully. “C’mon! We have a friendship problem to solve!”

Back at Twilight’s castle, Starlight was steadily eyeing the thrones strung around the crystal table that was the magical Cutie Map. Spike climbed into his small, unmarked throne that sat next to the throne with Twilight’s cutie mark on it. Twilight approached her alumnus, asking, “What is it, Starlight?”

“I was just thinking about the position of the thrones,” Starlight replied, focusing on Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s designated seats at the table. “I’m wondering if they’re placed where they are on purpose…”

“Mine sure is!” Spike exclaimed happily, slouching comfortably in a place of importance.

“What do you mean? Six Elements of Harmony, six thrones adorned with cutie marks. What’s the significance?” Twilight asked, hopeful for an interesting theory from her former student and fellow unicorn.

“Do you believe in destiny?” Starlight asked, eyes still glued to the large seats adorned with butterflies and a rainbow lightning bolt.

“Of course,” Twilight replied with an affirmative nod and a slight chuckle. Smiling, she elaborated, “At this point in life, with everything I’ve experienced, I’d feel foolish for saying otherwise.”

“Well…did you notice anything between Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” Starlight continued to question.

“Well, of the six of us, those two have known each other the longest. And when they were here…” the purple Alicorn muttered and her eyes lit up. “Come to think of it, they did have a powerful chemistry. You think…!”

“Yep. I think their thrones were put next to each other because they’re entwined by fate,” Starlight finished Twilight’s sentence, confirming her suspicions. Beaming, she said, “You have to admit that they’d make a cute couple!”

“I ship it,” Spike chimed in, reading a comic book.

“What?” Twilight asked in confusion. “Is that what ponies say these days?”

“I guess so,” Starlight murmured. Out of nowhere, Discord appeared, causing Starlight to stumble backwards. “Ah!”

“Twilight Sparkle, thank you ever so much for clearing your schedule for me!” the draconequus thanked the princess.

Furrowing her brow, Twilight retorted, “I didn’t clear my schedule, Discord. You just popped in like you always do.”

“Then explain this,” Discord challenged, showing the Princess of Friendship a transparent plastic sheet with Twilight’s schedule written on it and smiling smugly.

“Did you barge in here just so you could make that pun?” Twilight demanded, beginning to grow annoyed thanks in part to her worries about whatever state Cloudsdale might be in.

“No, no, no, no, no!” Discord rapidly exclaimed, then regained his composure. “I’ve come to ask you for some…friendship advice…”

Twilight grew from annoyed to intrigued to concerned over the period of a moment of silence. In a soft, approachable and near-motherly tone, she asked the spirit of chaos, “What seems to be the matter, Discord?”

“Well, you see, Twilight, I seemed to have developed an attraction of the romantic variety to Fluttershy, but I believe that she has feelings for somepony else,” Discord divulged, hanging his head in disappointment and twiddling his mismatched thumbs.

“Discord, I think what’s important here is that you be honest with Fluttershy, but not overbearing. Just let her know that you’re not going to say and do things that remind her of how you feel or that would interfere with her feelings about this somepony else,” Twilight advised, hoping that her wording made sense.

“You’re saying that ponies sometimes force their feelings upon one another?” Discord asked, raising a thick, white brow.

“Only the scummy ones,” Starlight chimed in. “Don’t be a scum bag. Let her make her choices. Besides, if you did constantly remind her of your feelings without giving her any breathing room, she’s going to question everything about your friendship.” Discord’s eyes widened in horror. “One and done. Let her make a choice.”

“Right…” Discord muttered. “Now I’m not even sure I should tell her…”

“No!” Starlight and Twilight exclaimed in protest.

“You should tell her, man. Trust me, the longer you wait, the more it will bother you,” Spike preached, still engrossed in his comic book. “I learned that the hard way.”

“So, I should tell her and just do nothing?” Discord asked, scratching his head.

“From start to finish, a relationship is a two-way road. If it’s not meant to be, it’s not meant to be,” Twilight replied and smiled sympathetically at him. “But I know you’ll be supportive of her decision regardless. If roles were reversed, she would do the same for you.”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right. She’s special that way. Oh, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash will be so lucky to have you,” Discord murmured.

“Ah-ha! I knew it!” Starlight blurted. All eyes were on her, including Spike’s, and she giggled sheepishly, blushing a bit. “Did I say that out loud?”

“Smooth, Starlight,” Spike sarcastically called out, going back to his comic book. “Real smooth.”

“I do want Fluttershy to be happy… Alright. I’ll give it a shot,” Discord declared. “Thank you all. This really helped me with my predicament.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Twilight assured, happy to have helped a friend. “Though, you may want to work on your entry puns.”

Meanwhile, the Pegasi had moved on from their endearing moment of hurt and comfort and were well on their way in the hot air balloon they borrowed. Scootaloo would occasionally buzz her wings in anticipation. Fluttershy wrapped her long, pink tail around the filly. Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on the sky, but smiled in appreciation as she heard the soft sound of Fluttershy’s even softer tail. Scootaloo asked them, “What was it like growing up in Cloudsdale?”

“Fun, competitive,” Rainbow Dash answered nonchalantly, “and too crowded.”

“I’ll say amen to that,” Fluttershy agreed with a soft giggle. “I like to think that it was a good place for making friends.”

“It certainly was full of opportunity, but some Pegasi were friendlier than others. I’ve gotta admit that I got lucky when I met Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said in reflection. Her words made Fluttershy’s face turn rosy.

“Yeah. I agree, but about you, Rainbow. Rainbow Dash was always willing to stand up for everypony,” Fluttershy reminisced, thankful for that blessing and wishing that she had been more thankful in their youth. Scootaloo took Fluttershy’s words in quickly and beamed at her idol.

“Well, there’s no way I’d let those stupid bullies pick on you or Gilda and just stand by,” Rainbow Dash informed her fellow ponies as she looked down from the balloon’s basket, judging the altitude they were at. She climbed out of the basket and began to flap her wings. Hovering, she turned to her companions and announced, “We’re at the right altitude.”

“Yay,” Fluttershy softly cheered.

“Onward to Cloudsdale!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, pushing the balloon by the basket in the northern direction. Scootaloo rose from Fluttershy’s comfortable tail and wandered to the edge of the basket. She looked down at the ground below and her eyes grew huger than they already were. Her pupils dilated in excitement from being so high up.

“Scootaloo, be careful. Don’t lean too far,” Fluttershy cautioned worriedly. Being so high up was exhilarating and destabilizing all at once. It was the kind of adrenaline rush that many Pegasi wished for, but Fluttershy was not among those Pegasi. Sure, it was nice to be able to fly and really feel at one with the air, but Fluttershy feared for all of the possible scenarios where something went horribly, tragically wrong.

“It’s okay! Rainbow Dash will catch me!” Scootaloo claimed confidently. “Won’t you, Rainbow Dash?”

“You bet, Squirt, but that’s no reason to throw yourself out of the balloon,” Rainbow Dash replied. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to either of you.”

Hearing that made Fluttershy feel the safest she’d felt since the three Pegasi left the ground. Rainbow Dash was brave and loyal and had a strong sense of justice. For the rest of the trip, the three ponies were aloof to the passage of time until Cloudsdale came into view. Fluttershy was looking ahead, navigating for Rainbow Dash, and she let out a light gasp at the sight she was beholding.

“Is that…Cloudsdale?” Scootaloo questioned as she followed Fluttershy’s gaze, sounding as confused as Fluttershy felt.

“What? We’re there?” Rainbow Dash asked and lifted her head until her eye level was above the rim of the hot air balloon’s basket. Rainbow Dash gasped as she stared between Fluttershy and Scootaloo. There in the distance was a cloud city overflowing with thick viscous fog. “Whoa…That’s not right…”

“M-maybe there was an argument when a cloud machine broke,” Fluttershy suggested hopefully, “and that’s why we were called to Cloudsdale.”

“It’d be nice to not have to deal with politics or any of that business that Twilight told us about, but my gut’s telling me some pretty nasty stuff,” Rainbow Dash responded, not wanting to crush Fluttershy’s hopes, but also not wanting to raise them under false pretenses. A slippery slope such as a pony’s emotions in a delicate situation was among the few things that made Rainbow Dash nervous.

Fluttershy didn’t reply. She continued to stare at the foggy Cloudsdale. If they were lucky, a cloud machine was broken, but the fog held an ominous aura that was difficult to identify with words. Fluttershy just wanted to make sure that hers and Rainbow Dash’s families were okay. Whenever the cloud production machines broke when they were fillies, the fog would be so thick that school would be cancelled and parents who could work from home did. Fluttershy’s own father worked in the cloud factory and many times braved the fog and lack of sight to aid in the repairs.

Scootaloo nudged Fluttershy with her muzzle, earning the older Pegasus’s attention. The little filly reassuringly said, “Don’t worry, Fluttershy! If the Cutie Map chose us, it must mean we’re the ponies who’ll make sure everything is okay!”

“Yeah,” Fluttershy agreed, a small grin forming on her face. The filly’s optimism was contagious and Fluttershy hoped it would be enough to keep her inner demons at bay. Rainbow Dash gave the balloon one more big push before flying back into the basket, letting inertia carry them the rest of the way. Fluttershy felt her muscles relax and her mind find a bit of ease and peace with the addition of Rainbow Dash’s body heat to her proximity.

“There’s a dock for balloons and airships and stuff. My folks’ place isn’t that far from it, so we could head there if you wanted,” Rainbow Dash suggested.

“Yeah! I love your parents!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly.

“I haven’t seen them in ages. It’d be nice to catch up,” Fluttershy stated, recalling how friendly, hospitable and over the top the cyan mare’s parents tended to be. Closing her eyes, Fluttershy started counting off the blessings she had that would keep her spirits up in her mind as the three Pegasi entered the gloomy, fog-ridden unknown.

Chapter 5: Rainbow Refuge

Chapter 5: Rainbow Refuge

As the hot air balloon arrived at the air dock, Rainbow Dash secured the balloon to a stone pillar via a rope tied in a series of overly complex knots. Fluttershy flew from the balloon’s basket to the cloud ground, relieved when her hooves made contact. The fog was so thick that walking or flying through it felt like swimming deep under the surface of Ponyville’s watering hole. Scootaloo leapt to the cloud floor, buzzing her tiny wings to slow her descent. Rainbow Dash, straining to see the filly’s silhouette, heard the tiny, rapid flapping and caught Scootaloo on her back.

“I’m so excited to see your parents after so long!” Fluttershy exclaimed cheerily.

“Wow, this fog is so thick that I can’t even tell what time it is,” Rainbow Dash groaned. “How long did it take us to get here? Either of you know?”

“Nope!” Scootaloo replied, nuzzling Rainbow Dash’s surprisingly thick mane. It wasn’t quite as soft as Fluttershy’s, and it clearly wasn’t as frizzy as Pinkie Pie’s, but it was still quite comfortable.

“I’m afraid not,” Fluttershy admitted in a meek tone of voice. “Sorry…”

“N-no, don’t be! I was just asking…” Rainbow Dash responded quickly. She took a deep breath and asked Fluttershy. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah… Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied sincerely and stepped up to her side. She felt Rainbow Dash drape a wing over her back and promptly blushed. “R-Rainbow…?”

“Stay close to me. I don’t want to lose you,” Rainbow Dash advised, bucking herself inside for how corny she sounded. It was ironic, really. Many a time had Rainbow Dash pointed out Fluttershy’s fears in the past only to be here now, timid to tell the shy mare how she really felt. If she could look death in the face and laugh, why couldn’t she look Fluttershy in the eyes and ask her out? Fluttershy was a thousand times more approachable than death.

Fluttershy replied with a small nod, hoping her mane would conceal her blush in tandem with the fog. She could feel the heat of Rainbow Dash’s body along her side and her back. Even if they were in Cloudsdale to solve a friendship problem, Fluttershy couldn’t help but enjoy spending time with the blue Pegasus. Scootaloo was a fun little filly to have around, too.

Scootaloo was paying close attention to the way Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash interacted. She couldn’t quite put a hoof on it, but there was something about the way these two exchanged looks and words with each other that was different from how they were with other ponies. The filly began to wonder what the two mares were like when they were alone together. The shy animal caretaker and the rainbow-maned Wonderbolt with nopony else? What did they talk about? What could they talk about?

“Are you sure you can find their house in this?” Fluttershy asked, gazing upon the sea of white wisps obscuring their surroundings. Rainbow Dash used her wing to pull Fluttershy even closer until their bodies were pressed snugly together. Fluttershy let out a soft giggle. “Never mind. I shouldn’t ask things like that. I trust you a lot.”

“That makes me happy,” Rainbow Dash said as she and Fluttershy started forward in sync. Scootaloo giggled as she felt the rhythmic movements of her idol’s body beneath her. Rainbow Dash bit her lip for a moment, and then asked, “Would that change if I told you a secret?”

“Probably not,” Fluttershy replied after a brief moment of consideration. “Why? Should it?”

“I-I don’t know. Do you want to hear it?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly.

“Only if you don’t mind.”

“I…Well, I like mares,” Rainbow Dash admitted. She was planning on telling Fluttershy that she liked her, but she supposed it was close enough for now.

At first, Fluttershy said nothing. Scootaloo was shocked, confused and a bit relieved all at once. She hadn’t been expecting her hero to confess something like that and wasn’t even sure why it needed to be kept a secret anyway. Then, before Scootaloo could muster a question to ask, Fluttershy announced, “What a coincidence. So do I. And I like stallions. And ponies who aren’t exactly a mare or stallion.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Scootaloo spoke up. Now she was utterly stumped. Fluttershy’s last statement threw her for a loop. “There are ponies like that? It’s possible to like that many ponies?”

“Of course! It’s a little hard to explain, but some ponies don’t really feel too attached to the gender associated with the way they were born. Ponies who like two genders, let’s say mares and stallions, are bisexual. Since I’m open to everything, I’m what’s called pansexual,” Fluttershy explained and looked back at Scootaloo.

“That’s cool! The whole gender thing is still a little complex,” Scootaloo admitted, scratching her head with a hoof.

“Umm… Think of it like a cutie mark. How a pony sees their cutie mark is often a part of how they see themselves. Does that help?” Fluttershy elaborated, figuring an analogy to cutie marks, something Scootaloo poured her heart and soul into, would alleviate some of the confusion.

“Yeah, I think I get it now,” Scootaloo confirmed. “Hey, Rainbow, do your parents know that you like mares?”

“Yeah. They’ve known since I was fourteen, but my dad will tell you otherwise,” Rainbow Dash responded, rolling her eyes as she thought of her father’s story about her coming out of the closet. Then Scootaloo said the one thing Rainbow Dash was afraid to hear the filly say.

“Now this I have to hear!” Scootaloo exclaimed eagerly.

“Well, he’ll be more than happy to tell you,” Rainbow Dash said flatly before returning her attention to Fluttershy. “How about you, Fluttershy? Does your family know?”

“No…Well, not my blood relative family, anyway. You girls and my animals are like family to me, and you and Scootaloo are the first ponies I’ve told,” Fluttershy divulged. “I don’t like keeping secrets from my parents or Zephyr, but I was never sure how to tell them.”

“I’m really glad you told us. I’m honored, even. Trust me, I know it’s not an easy thing to tell the ponies you’re close to,” Rainbow Dash said comfortingly. Fluttershy leaned on her, happy for the support.

“Well, it was easier after hearing you say it. Otherwise, I don’t know if I’d have ever told you,” Fluttershy admitted. “You help me find confidence, Rainbow Dash. It’s because of you that I’m not ashamed of who I am or what I believe in. I’ve never been somepony who’s held her head up high, but I can at least move forward. Though, even I get thrown off trying to explain what being pansexual is.”

“Just tell ponies that you love in spite of gender,” Rainbow Dash replied, as if it were obvious. Fluttershy gasped lightly. It was so simple, yet so perfect. It was an explanation that made sense without getting into too much detail. It was how Fluttershy felt in a nutshell. “Or that you love the world. After all, you’re the most accepting pony I know.”

“Rainbow…!” Fluttershy exclaimed softly, amazed at how nonchalant and open Rainbow Dash was.

“Hey, Fluttershy… What’s your favorite flower? To look at, I mean… What catches your eye?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously. Fluttershy gave it a lot of thought. Back when she was a filly, she would talk about flowers and animals a lot with her therapist, Dr. Sunny Skies. Sunny Skies had backpacked across Equestria and catalogued pictures of the flowers she would find before she had opened her office in Cloudsdale.

Pictures from photo albums in Dr. Skies’ office suddenly flooded her mind, as did the sensations she felt when she saw them. “Well…my therapist from when I was a filly showed me lots of different kinds of flowers. There were lots of different kinds of magnolia plants that she had taken pictures of. I also remember really liking the flowers of the Verbena genus. Periwinkles are cute flowers with such a calming shade of blue! Some periwinkles, called rosy periwinkles, are a light pink that goes surprisingly well with my mane. Amaryllises have a lot of character and lotuses give me a mystique vibe. Moon orchids and cherry blossoms are vibrant and beautiful in their own unique ways—”

“Any particular flower?” Rainbow Dash asked, cutting her off. She had no idea how many flowers Fluttershy had been shown, but she could guess that Fluttershy had been enraptured by the bright, colorful and extensive botany as a filly.

“Oh, it’s so hard to choose… Every kind of flower is so unique, just like everypony. Although…” Fluttershy mumbled, thinking harder. If every kind of flower was like a pony, what would Rainbow Dash be? Something proud and bold. Something elegant, yet strong. Something like… “Red amaryllises.”

“Red amaryllises, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. With a big grin, she said, “That’s cool! I’ll admit, I don’t know much about flowers, but I think I saw some once when I was helping Pinkie Pie and Rarity for some centerpieces for a party. It wasn’t anything too fancy, but…fancy enough. I was just supposed to pick up the flowers.”

“Ooh! You’re so dependable,” Fluttershy commented in admiration.

“I-I just did what needed to be done,” Rainbow Dash stuttered, growing a bit flustered. Her head swiveled around a bit, her eyes straining to see her surroundings through the thick fog. Through their conversing and walking, they had entered Rainbow Dash’s old neighborhood. “We’re here!”

“We are?” Scootaloo asked.

“Yeah! C’mon, let’s go!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, guiding Fluttershy over to the house. Scootaloo was still on her back and squirming excitedly, likely trying to hold down the enthusiasm of meeting her hero’s parents again. Rainbow Dash didn’t need to see all that well to find her way to her childhood home. Even though she hadn’t lived there for many years, she still knew the area like the back of her hoof. That might change in a matter of years, but for now, the nostalgia was potent and dominated her sense of direction.

“Can I knock on the door?” Scootaloo asked eagerly. Rainbow Dash gave her a nod and a wink, causing the filly to jump off of her idol’s back and trot to the door. Scootaloo began knocking eagerly.

The door swung open and a dark blue stallion with a buzz cut rainbow mane stood before them, his saffron eyes burning with aggression. The aggression cleared instantaneously, however, when he saw the filly and two mares on his doorstep. Rainbow Dash’s father, Bow Hothoof, cried out, “Dash! Scootaloo! And is that…Fluttershy? Wow, you’ve really grown up! Come in, come in!”

“Thanks, Dad,” Rainbow Dash thanked her father, hugging him. “How have you been? You looked pretty peeved about somepony knocking on your door.”

Bow let out a sigh and welcomed the two mares and the filly inside, letting out a sigh. He informed them, “There have been a lot of big changes here in Cloudsdale. Windy! Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Fluttershy are here!”

“Really?!” Rainbow Dash’s mother, Windy Whistles, asked as she flew in. Her reaction was that akin to something being too good to be true. Her eyes lit up and Fluttershy could immediately see where Rainbow Dash got her beautiful cerise eyes from. “Dashie, you’re home! Welcome back, dear! Oh, Scootaloo, how are you? Fluttershy?! You’ve grown up into such a fine mare!”

“O-oh, thank you!” Fluttershy stammered, the compliment catching her off her guard. “Y-you have, too. Umm, I-I mean…”

“Good to see you again,” Windy said, pulling Fluttershy into a hug. “How are you doing?” Rainbow Dash’s mother’s tone of voice was so calm, kind, gentle and even sympathetic that it made Fluttershy wonder if she knew about her depression issues.

“Fine, thank you,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“It’s starting to get late. Why don’t you three stay here for the night?” Bow suggested, though something in his voice told the three visiting ponies that he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“The rumors are true, huh?” Rainbow Dash asked. “The mayor’s gotten too close to his shady connections?”

Bow’s smile faded and Windy looked ready to burst into hysterics. Bow let out a sigh and huffed, “Yes. In gratitude of the support he received from a gang, the new mayor is letting those thugs do as they damn well please! Uh, excuse my Ponish, Scootaloo.”

“They have insiders in the weather factory, so when it gets foggy like this, it means that the gang is out collecting debts,” Windy explained the phenomenal weather condition of the cloud city. “The ponies here have become restless… There’s a distrust between the citizens and the police because the police’s hooves are tied. The mayor’s the one who gets to pick the acting police commissioner.”

“So what you’re saying is, the mayor’s letting this happen because of some favors he wants to pay back? B-but Twilight said this was a friendship problem,” Fluttershy stammered as Windy Whistles released her from the hug.

“She’s right, Fluttershy… It’s just bigger than most of the other friendship problems we’ve faced, if not all of them,” Rainbow Dash interjected grimly. Anger burned inside her. Ponies were suffering and cowering in fear all because the current mayor chose to climb a staircase of sin instead of climbing the political ladder legitimately. “Our objective is to restore the relations between the ponies of Cloudsdale and Cloudsdale itself.”

Fluttershy said nothing. What could be said? It was discerned that the friendship problem that she, the amaryllis of her eye and Scootaloo were tasked with was a nightmarish conspiracy that has overtaken one of the most noteworthy cities in all of Equestria, not to mention the weather capital of the nation. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for her to find it just as terrifying as staring down a dragon.

The silence hung over the Pegasi, like the air was growing denser over their haunches. Scootaloo, however, managed to break the tension for all except Rainbow Dash. “So, Mr. Hothoof, can you please tell me about when Rainbow Dash came out of the closet?”

“Oh, she came out to you? Wonderful! Oh, I love this story! It all started back when she was five years old…” Bow exclaimed with a hearty chuckle. Rainbow Dash let out a groan. “It was summertime and I was sifting through the mail, including some new issues of a monthly magazine on famous Pegasi…”

Flashback…

Bow Hothoof and just gotten home from work and had the mail tucked under his wing. Running to greet him at the door was his filly, his beloved daughter, and his whole world. His little Rainbow Dash. Bow chuckled heartily and rubbed her head with his hoof, asking, “How’s my little champion?”

“Good. How was work, Daddy?” Rainbow Dash asked.

“Business as usual,” Bow replied, not wanting to bore his daughter with the details of his work life. A filly her age wouldn’t care so much about such details anyway. “C’mon, we can look through the mail together.”

“Ooh, I hope there’s something for me in there!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she followed her father over to the couch. The two plopped onto it and her dad began sorting through the mail. Rainbow Dash found a monthly issue of the one magazine she absolutely loved, Wings of Fortune Monthly. It was a magazine that featured famous Pegasi in Equestria, which often equated to many articles and pictures of the Wonderbolts. She immediately snatched up the magazine and began to flip through it.

“Hehe! Hey, it’s your favorite!” Bow exclaimed, watching his daughter become engrossed in the pictures of the acrobatic Pegasi.

Rainbow Dash flipped the page and found a picture of a famous female Wonderbolt with a pink coat and an electric blue mane wearing a swimsuit on the beach. She was lying on a towel, gazing at the camera. The blue filly let out a whistle and exclaimed, “Wow, she’s hot!”

End of flashback…

“Rainbow Dash has been out to us since she was five years old. I was so proud of her courage!” Bow Hothoof exclaimed, leaking liquid pride. His daughter rolled her cerise eyes and the orange filly was amazed. Fluttershy giggled a bit at the end of the story.

“Rainbow always was and is the kind of mare who knows what she wants,” Fluttershy commented pleasantly, the thought of a filly Rainbow Dash commenting on the beauty of a Wonderbolt doing a beach cameo humoring her. She turned to Rainbow Dash and asked, “Is it true?”

“Y-yeah, it’s true, but I wouldn’t call that ‘coming out’,” Rainbow Dash muttered, a carnation colored blush blazing on her cheeks.

“So you were always okay with Rainbow Dash liking other mares?” Scootaloo asked, grinning ear to ear.

“Yeah,” Bow replied, returning the smile. “Her mother was shocked at first when she told us back when she was around fourteen or so, but I had replied, ‘Yeah, I know.’”

“Why is coming out such a big deal anyway?” Scootaloo asked. “Fillies liking other fillies and colts liking other colts is totally normal, isn’t it?”

“Well…yes and no. It’s…different. Ponies are herd creatures, and something different or unknown could be perceived as a threat to the herd,” Fluttershy explained. “That’s why I never told my parents.”

“You like mares, too?” Windy asked, a bit surprised.

“I…I…” Fluttershy mumbled and glanced at Rainbow Dash. She recalled her friend’s advice, and, with a sudden burst of confidence, she answered, “I love the world!”

“Oh, uh…” Windy hesitantly muttered, confused.

“Well, what I mean is that I can potentially love anypony, regardless of their gender,” Fluttershy clarified.

Windy Whistles smiled at her. “Oh, good for you, Fluttershy!”

“Oh, um… Thank you…” Fluttershy mumbled, blushing. She glanced at Rainbow Dash again and received a wink from her and a supportive smile.

“Well, I’d better get started on dinner,” Bow announced, flying into the kitchen.

“I should go ready the beds. Rainbow, do you want your old room?” Windy Whistles asked.

Rainbow Dash thought about it for a moment before glancing at Scootaloo. An idea crossed her mind. “If Scootaloo wants, she can sleep there.”

“Really? You’re sure? Can I, can I?” Scootaloo asked, excited at the thought of sleeping in Rainbow Dash’s room, as if being immersed in her hero’s fillihood for a single night.

“I don’t see why not,” Windy Whistles replied, beaming proudly at Rainbow Dash and the care she harbored for the filly. “Fluttershy, you and Rainbow Dash can take the guest room if you want.”

“Together?” Rainbow Dash asked, cheeks and muzzle blazing crimson.

“It’s a queen-sized bed, so I don’t see why not,” Windy answered.

“I-I don’t mind if you don’t, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy mumbled.

“I don’t mind, either. I just…wasn’t sure if you did,” Rainbow Dash awkwardly replied. Quickly, she faced her mother and said, “Thank you so much, Mom.”

“My pleasure, sweetheart!” Windy responded, flashing Rainbow Dash a wink that was lacking subtlety before guiding Scootaloo up the stairs.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were left alone in the living room. Rainbow Dash looked at the door from which she, her crush and her unofficial little sister had entered, thinking about how the city outside was in a state of controlled chaos. If Fluttershy was right and chaos was not inherently evil, it certainly was evil in the wrong hooves. Rainbow Dash loved Ponyville, but nostalgia and pride for Cloudsdale left her in a state of anger and disgust when thinking about the massive assignment that she was tasked with. Fluttershy brushed her body up against Rainbow Dash, the former quelling the contempt of the latter. Rainbow Dash glanced at Fluttershy and flashed her an appreciative smile.

“Hey, Fluttershy, I…Well, I’ve been meaning to…” Rainbow Dash mumbled, trying to find the right words to say to Fluttershy.

“Rainbow, why don’t you show Fluttershy to the guest room?” Bow suggested from the kitchen.

“Okay!” Rainbow Dash yelled, making sure she was heard. Quickly quieting down, she said, “C’mon, Fluttershy, it’s just down this hall.” With that said, the two mares walked into a hallway. Rainbow Dash stopped and turned to the right, gesturing to a doorway. Fluttershy peaked in. The room was simple. There was a nightstand with a lamp on it, a queen-sized bed, a plain wooden dresser and a window on the far wall. A fan hung on the ceiling.

“Oh, it’s perfect!” Fluttershy exclaimed quietly.

“Really? It’s the plainest room in the whole house. I’m honestly surprised they never put any of my trophies or ribbons in here,” Rainbow Dash informed her, intrigued by Fluttershy’s statement.

“No, it’s perfect for a guest room! While it would be more decorative with pictures or trophies, the plainness and simplicity of the room makes it a universal bedroom. Anypony could stay here without being intimidated or distracted,” Fluttershy explained. “Your parents are clever!”

Rainbow Dash was amazed. She had never seen the guest room from that particular point of view before. Fluttershy was undeniably smart. She was quiet, but at least twice today had something she said blown Rainbow Dash away. Rainbow Dash found herself wishing that Fluttershy would speak up more often, once more finding the yellow Pegasus to be one of the most interesting and attractive ponies she knew.

Fluttershy reached into her pink mane and pulled out a well-worn teddy bear, placing it on one side of the bed. Fluttershy turned to Rainbow Dash and said simply, “I may not have a mane as frizzy and curly as Pinkie’s, but I can store small things in it.”

“I’m just a little surprised that you have a teddy bear when you have a live bunny to cuddle with,” Rainbow Dash remarked.

“This teddy bear and I have been through a lot together,” Fluttershy replied, gazing lovingly at the bear. “Don’t you remember? I brought her with me to school a couple times…”

Rainbow Dash concentrated and dug up memories of an uneasy filly Fluttershy using her forelegs to hold a teddy bear to her chest during class. Gasping in realization, Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “It’s the same bear, Miss Ursa! You used to hug her real tight whenever you stressed or upset. Wow, you’ve really taken good care of her.”

“Sewing her up is how I learned so much about stitching,” Fluttershy claimed, smiling proudly. “Hey, Rainbow, I…Well, this won’t shock you, but I’m scared. I guess I’ve always been scared, but I know I’d be worse off if I was with anypony else to face this.”

“For real?” Rainbow Dash questioned, tilting her head.

“For real. You were the one who was always there for me in my darkest days. You always pulled me through, guiding me out of the darkness. You gave me strength for my weakness. When I couldn’t speak for myself, you became my voice. We’ve been through a lot together and I really feel like I know you better than anypony else. I don’t know where I’d be if you hadn’t been there,” Fluttershy explained, beaming at her friend, her crush and her perseverance. “I…I believe in you, Rainbow Dash, so I know we’ll take back Cloudsdale and return it to the ponies.”

“Have I ever told you that you’re one of the nicest ponies alive?” Rainbow Dash asked, making Fluttershy blush. Wanting Fluttershy to be as comfortable as possible, Rainbow Dash questioned, “You sure you don’t mind sharing a bed?”

“N-not at all! It’d be more comfortable to have somepony familiar next to me than to not,” Fluttershy assured, the burning redness claiming even more of her face. “That is, if you don’t mind.”

“No problem,” Rainbow Dash assured, smirking a bit. “I’d be happy to share the bed with you.”

“I-it’ll be like a sleepover,” Fluttershy commented softly, “only different.”

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash agreed with a light laugh. “Like a sleepover, but different.”

The two stood in silence, smiling at each other and holding a steady stare into the eyes of one another. Fluttershy beamed at Rainbow Dash, imagining spending tomorrow and every tomorrow afterwards with her. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, imagined freezing time on this moment and spending an oxytocin-intoxicated forever gazing at the beautiful mare before her.

Their inner swooning was cut to an abrupt halt when Bow Hothoof called out, “Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, dinner’s ready! I hope my little girl still likes her oat burgers!”

“Coming, Dad!” Rainbow Dash called out.

Meanwhile, Rarity, Twilight and Starlight were having tea in Twilight’s castle. Twilight was excitedly informing Rarity about the trip to the hardware store’s grand opening that she and Applejack were planning. Rarity took a sip of her tea and said, “Not that I’m not happy for you, darling, but I don’t exactly see what’s so special about the hardware store…”

“Hardware stores have some of the best organizational structure in all of Equestria! Not to mention, the twenty-seventh customer at the grand opening gets a free hammer,” Twilight informed Rarity.

“That sounds like something Scootaloo would like,” Starlight commented. “I wonder how she, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are doing.”

“What do you mean? Where are they?” Rarity questioned, intrigued and preparing herself to be worried.

“They were called by the Cutie Map to Cloudsdale,” Starlight replied. Rarity’s eyes widened, causing Starlight to ask, “So you’ve heard the rumors, too?”

“I’ll be praying for their safety,” Rarity responded, her voice steeped with concern.

Out of nowhere for the second time that day, Discord appeared in the throne room. Immediately, Twilight, barely batting an eye to the sudden appearance, hoped he would have a better pun in store for her. Discord was holding a frying pan, frying an egg with some invisible heat source. When the three unicorns each raised a brow at him, he asked, “Is this not what pansexual means?”

“Rarity, can you please take this one?” Twilight flatly requested.

“Sure, darling. I do have a niche in the romance department, after all,” Rarity replied and cleared her throat. “You see, Discord, pansexuality is like bisexuality in the sense that a pony likes more than one gender. However, unlike bisexuality, pansexuality means that a pony can be attracted to other ponies in complete disregard to a pony’s gender. Did Fluttershy come out to you?”

“How did you know I was thinking of Fluttershy?” Discord asked. “And how did you know about this?”

“The first time we went to the spa together, she had gotten a bit loopy—at the time, I had no idea she’d never had a steam bath before—and she started mumbling about how she’d have no problem if Rainbow Dash was non-binary. Then she complimented me on my complexion and I was even more confused, though boundlessly grateful. I asked her what she meant and that’s when she told me. But she has very little recollection of our excursion from the steam bath on. Honestly, though, I think it suits her,” Rarity explained. Then, a though crossed her mind. “Wait…if Fluttershy’s been gone half the day and you’re only asking this now, how is it that you know?”

“Well, you see, I had just gotten back from my meeting with the College of Chaotic Cardinals when I noticed that her cottage was absent of pony life. It was getting late, so I took it upon myself to take up her duties. I was tending to her animals when I stumbled upon an open book. It was only after reading several pages that I realized it was a diary,” Discord sheepishly said, a halo appearing over his head. “Honest, I had no idea.”

Rarity’s jaw dropped, and Twilight crossed her forelegs in disapproval. Starlight decided to take it upon herself to break the tension, so she asked, “So, who’s excited for the new hardware store? Hehe…”

“Besides, something good has come out of me reading Fluttershy’s diary!” Discord insisted. “Several entries talk about how much Rainbow Dash means to her, and I want Fluttershy to be happy. And so, I’ve decided that I simply must move on, whatever it takes, because Rainbow Dash likes her, too. I could see it in her eyes during our little tea party earlier.”

Twilight smiled and commented, “That’s very admirable of you, Discord.”

“My most humble apologies for interrupting your quality time,” Discord apologized and teleported out of the castle, leaving behind the frying pan and the eggs.

Back in Cloudsdale, Rainbow Dash, Bow Hothoof, Windy Whistles, Fluttershy and Scootaloo were gathered around the dinner table, each of them having a medium rare oat burger on the plate in front of them. Each of them had a mug in front of them. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo had hot chocolate in theirs, while Fluttershy had chamomile tea. Bow had water and Windy had cherry soda. Dinner was a chatty time, filled mostly by banter of new tricks Rainbow Dash was trying to implement into Wonderbolts routines and scooter stunts that Scootaloo had been trying to perfect with Rainbow Dash as her inspiration.

Fluttershy remained silent for the most part, taking in the experiences of the other Pegasi. When Rainbow Dash realized that Fluttershy hadn’t uttered a peep and was just quietly eating, she worried that the yellow Pegasus didn’t feel included and asked, “So, Fluttershy, is Angel still doing parkour?”

“Oh, um, y-yes. When he’s not looking, I place an arrangement of pillows on the floor. He has so much energy and I think it’s a good outlet for him. It’s just dangerous, though… I need to see if they have parkour classes for rabbits,” Fluttershy answered softly. Rainbow Dash smiled politely, hiding the fact that she was straining her ears to listen. Fluttershy squeaked and said, “Thank you for asking.”

“Your bunny does parkour?” Windy Whistles asked, impressed at the prospect of a rabbit performing such acrobatics.

“Oh, yes! He’s an ambitious little fellow,” Fluttershy claimed pleasantly. Rainbow Dash felt a wave of relief inside her as Fluttershy was becoming more integrated into the conversation.

“And cute, too!” Scootaloo added.

“Aww!” Windy cooed.

“He worries me sometimes, but the resilience he has is incredible! It actually reminds me a lot of Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy declared, smiling brightly. “Daring to push the envelope on what’s possible and always with a smile. They both can be a bit stubborn, too, and they’re always there for me when I need somepony to lean on.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up. Had she really been that important to Fluttershy? Just how important was she to her? Could it be? Was it possible that Fluttershy cared for Rainbow Dash in the same loving and infatuated way that Rainbow Dash cared for Fluttershy? Rainbow Dash silently wished for somepony to pinch her just to make sure she wasn’t dreaming, wanting to make sure that she actually awoke to this possibly that was hiding under her nose. How hadn’t she guessed it before? Though, Rainbow Dash did have to admit to herself that she didn’t actually have any evidence that Fluttershy liked her back.

Fluttershy become much more vocal through the rest of dinner, much to Rainbow Dash’s relief. Rainbow Dash had admired Fluttershy’s progress with socializing but feared that she would revert to her old tendencies or worse. It pained her to have been so oblivious to the weight Fluttershy’s psyche had been burdened with and the extent of the consequences of it. Fluttershy asked, “Rainbow, are you okay?”

“What? Me? Yeah, more than okay! I’m awesome!” Rainbow Dash boasted. She hadn’t realized that she was staring off into space. How long had she been doing that?

“Oh, uh, okay. I just…I wanted to make sure,” Fluttershy informed.

“Thanks for asking, Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash appreciatively spoke before taking a big bite into her oat burger. “You’re an amazing friend.”

“I just do and say what I can to make my friends’ lives better,” Fluttershy replied modestly. “There’s nothing special about that.”

“But that’s just it. Not a lot of ponies care about everypony the way you do, and I honestly wish more ponies did care the way you do—myself included. I’ll admit I don’t really how you’re not always willing to stand up for yourself, but you’d give the coat off your back for anypony and the fact that you’re a nice pony automatically makes you twenty percent cooler!” Rainbow Dash explained excitedly. Fluttershy’s face lit up at Rainbow Dash’s iconic phrase being used to describe her.

“Oh, thank you, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy sniffled, eyes watery. “Hearing that makes me feel like I’ve been doing the right thing all along.”

Once the oat burgers had vanished from their plates, Fluttershy and Windy Whistles took to doing the dishes while Bow Hothoof, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo got out ice cream for desert. While they were placing bowls on the table, Bow asked, “So, does my little filly have the hots for a certain sompony?”

Blushing, Rainbow Dash groaned, “Dad…” Then her face softened and she beamed at him. “Yeah. Think who you who it is?”

“Ooh, ooh, I bet I know! It’s—” Scootaloo spoke up, only to be cut off by a cyan hoof being put in her mouth.

“Never thought you’d fall for her, but I’m glad you’ve found a nice filly,” Bow said to Rainbow Dash.

“I still have to ask her out, but the more time I spend with her, the cooler she gets,” Rainbow Dash explained, earning a chuckle from Bow. “What’s so funny?”

“Not much. That’s just exactly how I felt when I first realized I was falling for your mother,” Bow informed his daughter with a wide, toothy grin. “You’ll get her.”

“I just hope she’ll be okay up here.”

“What do you mean? She’s a Pegasus!”

“I know, but…she’s gone through a lot of emotional stuff as a filly and being in Ponyville is so good for her… I’m afraid something will happen to her,” Rainbow Dash stated worriedly, gazing into the kitchen. “I know she’s stronger than she looks, but…”

“If something happens, you’ll be there to help her, right?” Bow asked, receiving a quick nod. “Good. It’s the support in the tough times that will mean the most to her.”

Chapter 6: Cuddles, Comfort and the Cloud Crusher Crew

Chapter 6: Cuddles, Comfort and the Cloud Crusher Crew

Rainbow Dash was climbing into bed, where Fluttershy already lay with her teddy bear. The cyan mare felt compelled to ask, “So…have you ever shared a bed with anypony before?”

“No, never,” Fluttershy replied. “Though…I have slept really, really, really close to other ponies before. Should I think of this like that?”

“I guess so,” Rainbow Dash answered with a shrug. She lied down and found her muzzle inches away from Fluttershy’s. Both their faces went scarlet. Rainbow Dash’s mind was flying faster than she herself normally flew. She picked a train of thought from the random assortment and went with it. “Um…So, have you ever kissed anypony?” Stupid question. Much to Rainbow Dash’s surprise, Fluttershy let out an affirmative squeak as opposed to a flustered one. To most ponies, these squeaks would be indistinguishable, but to Fluttershy’s close friends, these squeaks were unique, coded by pitch and duration.

Fluttershy let out an affirmative squeak at the question. Immediately, she thought of that time. When she first met Tree Hugger on the Breezie watch, they had become fast friends. Fluttershy had had fascination and admiration for Tree Hugger’s organic way of life and how in tune her entire being was with the natural world, while Tree Hugger was curious and dazzled by Fluttershy’s ability to communicate with animals. They had been close together, watching the Breezies from behind a bush, when it happened. Fluttershy simply said to Rainbow Dash, “I-it was one of those heat-of-the-moment things… You know my friend Tree Hugger?”

“The hippy mare? Yeah. She was cool. I liked how chill she was. You kissed her?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously, causing Fluttershy’s face to be concealed within her mane, her form nodding. “So…did you two date at all?”

“N-no,” Fluttershy mumbled, her muzzle poking out from her carnation pink mane. “W-what about you?”

“Me? I kissed Gilda. It was weird because, you know…the beak. We dated in secret for a little bit, but decided it wasn’t going to work. We broke up on good terms. We were never really on bad terms until that one time she came to Ponyville and was so rude to a bunch of my friends. What really set me off was…well…Pinkie told me that Gilda made you cry. I was ready to lose it and never forgive her,” Rainbow Dash explained, still bearing resentment towards one of her foalhood friends tormenting another.

“I’m glad you two are okay now…” Fluttershy commented, her face fully emerging from her mane. “She was so sweet and soft-spoken in flight school and I really did like it when we would hang out with her. Besides, I’m eternally thankful to her. When I heard that you and Pinkie almost died, I… I felt sick to my stomach. If I lost you, I’d…” Tears welled up in Fluttershy’s eyes.

Rainbow Dash wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy and pulled her into a tight hug. The blue mare’s voice shook. “Don’t think like that.” Fluttershy let out a gasp. Was Rainbow Dash crying? It wasn’t unheard of, but it was an extremely rare sight nonetheless. “Don’t think about what you’d do. Just don’t. I don’t want to hear you say anything about killing yourself! I don’t want to hear you say you’d never recover! You’re so strong; you just don’t know it!” Rainbow’s exclamations devolved into sniffles and sobs. “I-I don’t think I could take it…”

“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy sniffled, nuzzling her friend. “I-I never knew you cared so much… I don’t know what I’d do if I never had you in my life… I just…please don’t ignore the progress I’ve made to get this far. I can fight my depression and win all I want, but if I show even a sign of cracking, everypony looks at me like a liability… Only Dr. Skies ever made me feel like I wasn’t under a microscope during my low points.”

“I never t-treated you like you were under a microscope…did I…?” Rainbow Dash asked hesitantly, dreading what answer may come.

“Of course not. But those ponies who knew about it when we were fillies…all of the grownups… I’ve worked so hard…” Fluttershy sniffled, straining to speak now, “I’ve worked so hard to get this far…I’ve been able to do healthy practices and lifestyle choices. I feel like I have a unique bond with the earth and the sky. Ever since I’ve lived on the ground and dedicating my life to show kindness to animals and other ponies. When I act unkindly, I want to break into a million pieces…”

This time, Rainbow Dash did the nuzzling and whispered in her ear, “Hey, even the nicest ponies can’t be nice all the time, but that doesn’t mean they have a mean bone in their body. Hey, even I’m not perfect, and I’m Rainbow Dash!” She earned a stressed giggle from the yellow Pegasus. “Just because you have weak moments doesn’t mean those weak moments are going to change you or that anypony is going to judge you for them. You have me and Twilight and Pinkie Pie and Spike and everypony else back in Ponyville. You always will. I promise…”

“Thanks, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy muttered gratefully, closing her eyes. The two Pegasi cuddled together in silence. Rainbow Dash took in Fluttershy’s scent, breathing in the wilderness that Fluttershy immersed herself in on a regular basis. The trees, the grass, the bunnies, the bears, the foxes, the beavers, the butterflies, the mice, the robins, the chickadees, the chickens, the flowers; it was as though all of nature had become a part of Fluttershy’s essence. Her fur was so soft and silky, to boot. At a glance, nopony who didn’t know her would ever guess that she lived adjacent to the woods in a cottage of wild animals. Fluttershy inhaled Rainbow Dash’s scent, identifying various types of clouds, the breezes of grassy fields and even the sweet scent of various flowers, as though she had done several dives into a spring meadow.

After what felt like hours, Rainbow Dash softly inquired, “Hey, Flutters… You still awake…?”

“Mm-hmm…” Fluttershy mumbled, her tears long since dried. “I’m sorry that I…well, that I made you think about—”

“Don’t be,” Rainbow Dash cut her off. “I’ll admit I don’t get all that much about depression, but…I know you can’t help the way you feel sometimes… I want you to talk to me whenever you feel down.”

“But Rainbow…you don’t have any psychiatric training… You’ll get overwhelmed and…” Fluttershy rasped, fresh tears forming. The thought of Rainbow Dash leaving her over mental illness was like knives to her heart.

“Try me,” Rainbow Dash challenged, winking and brushing away Fluttershy’s newfound tears. “Besides, you said it yourself. You’re fighting to be the best you that you can be. I want to fight with you. I know I’ve had my shortcomings, but I try to be loyal to the ponies I care about the same way you try to be kind. Besides, Twilight and a couple doctors in Ponyville say I’ve got this thing called ADHD.”

“I guess that explains why you can never sit still. You…you’re so amazing…! A little cliché, but…you’re so dependable… Thank you,” Fluttershy thanked, lethargy gradually working its way into her voice. Her eyes locked with Rainbow Dash’s and love overtook the sleepiness. She could stay up all night with this enchantment and still have energy for the new day.

Rainbow Dash blushed when she realized how close her face was to Fluttershy’s. In the back of her mind, she could picture herself becoming Fluttershy’s everything. She could feel her yellow companion softly exhale onto her muzzle. She could feel the other mare’s lips quiver and the subsequent slight vibrations.

Fluttershy could feel the heat of Rainbow Dash’s face just inches from her own. Their lips hadn’t even made contact and she could feel her entire mouth tingle. To Fluttershy, the space between her and Rainbow Dash might as well have been the gate of heaven. What was on the other side was beautiful and radiating charismatic grandeur that was welcoming and intimidating all at once, a paradise that she yearned to enter. She wondered how Rainbow Dash would react if she kissed her. Maybe Rainbow Dash would love it and reciprocate the kiss. Maybe she would be taken aback and push her away. Maybe she would crush her chances…

Maybe I should stop overthinking it… Fluttershy thought to herself as she closed her eyes. Mustering all the courage in her body, she craned her head forward and every nerve in her body found a surge of new life.

Rainbow Dash barely had time to process what was going on. One moment, she was mesmerized by being so close to Fluttershy and the next, their lips had collided with the best sensation Rainbow Dash could recall. She felt like a Sonic Rainboom was going off in her mind. There was something trapped within her, within the depths of longing, that was finally set free and sent off on a heavenly wind. Rainbow Dash pushed her lips against Fluttershy’s and loosened her own lips slightly, reciprocating the kiss. Their tongues joined together as if they were dancing. Then a thought crossed Rainbow Dash’s mind. If Fluttershy initiated this kiss, then maybe she liked her, too. They already had an unbreakable bond as Elements of Harmony and as two old friends, but were their hearts even more entwined than that after all?

After holding their kiss for an enchanting six seconds, the two mares separated their lips, only staying united by a string of saliva. Rainbow Dash stammered, “Th-that was…”

Fluttershy only let out an excited squeak. She felt like she no longer had a heartbeat, but an upbeat guitar melody instead. Her huge, teal eyes stared fearfully, yet ecstatically into Rainbow Dash’s eyes. Rainbow Dash reached out a hoof and gently moved a stray lock of cherry blossom pink mane from Fluttershy’s face, tucking it behind her ear and smiling gently. Rainbow Dash informed her, “Look, you took me by surprise, but it’s one of the nicest surprises I’ve ever had.”

“R-really? You liked that?” Fluttershy stuttered. Another lock of her mane fell into her face. She blew on it, but failed to move it from her field of vision.

“You’re pretty when you look like a mess,” Rainbow Dash said with a laugh. Fluttershy giggled softly at this. “Seriously, that kiss was pretty great!”

“Better than a beak, I hope,” Fluttershy giggled. Rainbow Dash nodded affirmatively and playfully nudged Fluttershy. “I’m glad you enjoyed it, Dash. I did, too.”

“Gee, tiger, when did you get so gutsy?” Rainbow Dash questioned playfully.

With a radiant shade of vermilion plastered across her face, Fluttershy pointed a hoof at her and mumbled, “I learned from you. You help me by setting an example. You set an example for ponies about being brave.”

Straining to hear her, Rainbow Dash smiled in delight. This was one of the rare occasions where she wasn’t expecting praise from anypony for her consistent output of awesomeness. The fact that she set an example of bravery for the ponies around her made her feel proud of being who she was. Feeling a surge of appreciation take over, the cyan mare wrapped her forelegs around her yellow companion and pulled her into a tight hug. Feeling her voice breaking under overwhelming emotion, she thanked Fluttershy, “Thank you, Fluttershy. It really warms my heart to know that I’m doing right by somepony…”

“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy muttered, a smile growing on her face and her blush fading slightly. She returned the hug and asked, “Am I doing right by other ponies?”

“You have to ask? There are so many ways to describe how nice you are. It makes a bigger difference in other ponies’ lives than you’ll ever know,” Rainbow Dash replied after a deep breath. “You’re an amazing pony. You know that? I want to be a better pony every day because of you.”

“You know, you inspire me to be a better pony, too, Rainbow,” Fluttershy informed Rainbow Dash. She pulled back a bit so their eyes could meet. The two mares beamed brightly at each other. Rainbow Dash let out a big yawn and Fluttershy retracted a foreleg and covered her mouth with a hoof as she let out a yawn of her own. She giggled and suggested, “I think we should try to get some sleep now. Don’t you think so, Rainbow?”

“Yeah, I could use some shut-eye,” Rainbow Dash yawned. Closing her eyes, she said, “G’night, Fluttershy.”

“Good night, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy replied as she closed her own eyes, eagerly awaiting a realm of dreams. She snuggled against Rainbow Dash, letting the warmth of the other pony envelop her. When Rainbow Dash wasn’t in Fluttershy’s sight, she was kept in a special place in the back of her mind. When not on her mind, she was in her dreams—dreams of the two of them living a peaceful life in Fluttershy’s cottage, tending to the animals, going on Wonderbolt tours and raising two foals. Those were the dreams Fluttershy looked forward to the most. She would be looking forward to what dreams awaited her now that she kissed the mare she admired.

Rainbow Dash’s still-tingling lips formed a smile as Fluttershy’s warm, yellow body and soft mane and tail, both the gentle pink color of fresh cherry blossoms, pressed up against her. Rainbow Dash found herself contently and quickly being lulled to sleep, feeling secured and soothed by the gentle pressure of Fluttershy’s presence.

The two Pegasi remained cuddled together as they slept through the night, at times holding each other even closer in their respective slumbers. Only Fluttershy’s teddy bear was between them. Their embrace almost wouldn’t seem real to them. Almost. To them, each other was what would add value to their waking reality.

When morning rolled around, Scootaloo bit one of her forelegs to make sure she wasn’t still dreaming. She really slept in the bed Rainbow Dash used as a filly! She found herself staring upon the same posters of the Wonderbolts that Rainbow Dash would gaze upon for inspiration. She even found herself looking at posters of rock bands that Rainbow Dash liked. Suddenly, Scootaloo remembered that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were sleeping together downstairs.

Now, Scootaloo knew she was no expert, but she had a sneaking suspicion that the two ponies secretly liked each other. Not just as friends, either, but as special someponies. On their way to Rainbow Dash’s parents’ home, the two mares had been unusually close to one another. Fluttershy getting flustered was a commonplace, but Rainbow Dash had certainly behaved strangely yesterday. After taking another moment to admire her surroundings, the filly crept out of the room and downstairs. It seemed like nopony was up yet. First looking left, then right, Scootaloo tried to remember where Rainbow Dash’s parents said the guest room was, or if they even said where at all. In spite of the circumstances, her stay here had been an exciting one and she had been mindful, living in the moment up to this very point.

“Oh, good morning, Scootaloo,” Windy Whistles greeted as she flew downstairs. Scootaloo whirled around to face her, grinning ear to ear. The older Pegasus let out a giggle. “I guess you slept well.”

“Yeah, you bet! That was the best I’ve ever slept!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly, forgetting to mind her volume. “Oops! Uh…I wonder how Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy slept.”

“They’re probably still asleep. I hope the guest room was alright for them.”

“I’m sure it was! Rainbow Dash grew up here, after all! And Fluttershy always seems more at ease with a friend around. I still want to know, though…”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Windy assured and entered the kitchen. “I have a big breakfast planned for you all! I got so excited dreaming about it that I woke myself up!”

Scootaloo instantly remembered Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy entering a hallway when they retired for the night. Creeping down the hallway, the filly discretely opened the first door she saw. She knew she’d found the ponies she’d been looking for when she saw the form of what could only be two ponies huddled together under the covers on a large bed.

Trying her best to lighten her hoof steps, she crept up to the bed and around the side to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy’s respective cyan and yellow forms surrounded by the sea of colors created by their manes. Rainbow Dash snored, but much more lightly than usual. Scootaloo guessed it had something to do with the way the mare was positioned whilst cuddling with Fluttershy. In contrast, Fluttershy’s breathing was light—inaudible, even—as her forehead was pressed against Rainbow Dash’s chest, just below her collarbone.

“Aww!” Scootaloo cooed, waking both mares. She couldn’t help it; it was a precious moment for which the filly had profound admiration. She was a young filly on the cusp of marehood; there was nothing like fairytale romance, even if it seemed gross or weird or namby-pamby once upon a time.

“Ah!” Rainbow Dash cried out, clutching a frazzled Fluttershy protectively with her forelegs. After a moment, the situation registered in her mind and she sighed. “Oh… Morning, Scoots. Wait a second… Scootaloo?! What’s the big idea?”

“I’m sorry! You two were just so cute and—” Scootaloo tried to explain, panicked and guilty.

“It’s okay, Scootaloo… You just startled us, that’s all…” Fluttershy muttered groggily. She wasn’t looking directly at Scootaloo, nor Rainbow Dash.

Scootaloo thought Fluttershy was simply out of it, but Rainbow Dash detected a twinge of somberness in the soft voice. She must have been having a fantastic dream. Rainbow Dash wondered what it was about, and then took a moment to recall the fantastical dream of her own. She had had a dream where she was the star of a Wonderbolts show and performed her signature Sonic Rainboom, then used her momentum and rainbow trail to write out, “FLUTTERSHY, WILL YOU MARRY ME?” in big letters in the sky.

Fluttershy had found herself dazed by the sudden reunion her consciousness had with the waking world. She had had a dream in which Rainbow Dash and herself were a couple and they had convinced the Wonderbolts to perform in a series of charity shows for a no-kill animal shelter. After a show one day, Rainbow Dash had flown down at the very end of the last act and kissed the yellow mare on the lips. It was at that moment that Fluttershy had woken up. Right at the best part…

The Pegasus filly sheepishly asked, “So, uh…did you sleep well? While you did, I mean…”

“Yeah,” both mares answered within the same instant. Fluttershy let out an amused giggle at their synchronicity, the thought of her bringing some attributes of her dream out from her subconscious into the real world. It may have seemed like a silly notion to most ponies, but it was fun for her to ponder regardless.

To Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash was a symbol of stability, loyalty and power since the time they were fillies. It was Rainbow Dash who had stood up for her, gave her a voice and taught her that there’s no problem with dreaming big. The kiss that the two mares shared filled Fluttershy with more hope and strength than she had ever known before. For the first time in a long time, as far as she could remember, even, Fluttershy was ready to embrace the new day with no reservations whatsoever. When Fluttershy was with Rainbow Dash, she felt like she didn’t have to try as hard as usual to keep the pain and emptiness at bay. She didn’t have to try as hard to look at the bright side. She could enjoy and appreciate the feelings of falling asleep, waking up and taking the input her five senses supplied.

Rainbow Dash snapped Fluttershy out of her thoughts with a nudge and the suggestion, “C’mon, let’s get up. We’re probably not going back to sleep anytime soon.”

“Right,” Fluttershy agreed and got up from the bed. After stretching a bit, she stroked her mane with a hoof and asked, “Shall we?”

“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash replied, happy to see her dear companion in a good mood. She had to admit that there was little she understood about depression and much that she could probably never comprehend without experience, but she wanted to learn about it so that she could support Fluttershy and empathize with her.

The mares and filly accompanied Windy Whistles in the kitchen. The older mare smiled delightedly at the trio. Rainbow Dash yawned, “Good morning, Mom.”

“Good morning, girls! Sleep well?” Windy Whistles asked curiously.

“Very well, thank you,” Fluttershy answered softly, bowing her head graciously at Windy Whistles. “Would you like any help making breakfast?”

“That would be lovely! Thank you!” Windy accepted the offered assistance. The two mares got to work, preparing food and conversing with each other, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. “Oh, Rainbow, I finally got your father to start eating more fruit! It seems like it’s been doing him good. What would do him better would if that awful Cloud Crusher Crew flew away from Cloudsdale…”

“The Cloud Crusher Crew? That’s kind of a bland name,” Rainbow Dash commented absently, retrieving some mugs from one of the cabinets. “They could have at least formed under a name with more flair.”

“I have to agree, though I guess the name isn’t important if,” Fluttershy mumbled, gulping, “their actions more than make up for the lack of flair… If they work under the cover of fog, then they probably don’t want to get caught in the act, right?”

“Supposedly, it’s because they don’t want their target to find an escape. Others find it more symbolic, saying that the fog is meant to obscure hope. I don’t think those thugs care about symbolism, but whatever floats your cumulus,” Windy sighed. She stared down at her countertop before looking into the eyes of a concerned-looking Fluttershy. She laughed a bit and apologized, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be so somber. My wonderful daughter and her amazing friend and unofficial sister are here, after all!”

“I think that somberness would be the morale of the entire town…” Fluttershy replied, nervously biting her lip as she realized that the oppression of the city by a gang would bring about a devastating downswing in her demeanor.

“We’ll take back Cloudsdale and remind the mayor what a mayor should be. This isn’t what’s right for the Pegasi,” Rainbow Dash assured. “A cool mayor remembers their little ponies.”

Scootaloo didn’t understand why politicians were so easily corrupted. Were they prone to making bad choices in the name of victory? If everypony was living in fear and angst, then what good was any of it. At this point, the mayor was just a figurehead in a mob run town, right? Why did ponies make bad choices? Was it self-preservation? Scootaloo found that sometimes, having somepony else to keep you on the straight and narrow opens up a world of possibility. After all, she never thought she and her fellow Cutie Mark Crusaders would befriend Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon. Nevertheless, they managed to connect and began to bring out the best in each other. Silver Spoon seemed to enjoy spending time with Scootaloo in particular, which was something the orange filly hadn’t thought much of until yesterday when they left.

Bow Hothoof groggily flew down the stairs and pulled Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo into a tight hug, awakening the filly from her trance of revelations. Rainbow Dash chuckled and greeted, “Good morning, Dad.”

“Morning, champ!” Bow greeted complacently, a mood he probably hadn’t felt since the mayoral elections. “Everypony sleep well?”

“Like a foal,” Fluttershy reported happily, turning and graciously bowing her head at the stallion.

“It was amazing!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly, feeling on top of the world and enamored with life as she had been upon awakening.

“Thanks so much for housing us, Mom and Dad,” Rainbow Dash delightedly thanked. “So Flutters, Scoot, how about we head over to Town Hall after breakfast?”

“Sounds good!” Scootaloo exclaimed with a confidant sheen in her eyes, Fluttershy nodding in agreement.

Rainbow Dash never thought she would be on a friendship mission with the mare who oh so boldly stole her heart simply by being herself. Even less so had she expected to be on a friendship assignment with her adoptive little sister. Somehow, her heart told her that the three of them were the most favorable trio she could have asked for. Her bond with each of the two Pegasi was more distinct than any other bond she had with anypony else. With Scootaloo’s special talent being the ability to inspire other ponies and bring out the most of their own talents and Fluttershy’s gentleness helping make other ponies’ days, coupled with Rainbow Dash’s own awesomeness, the problem felt like it should have been easy to solve.

The trio on call ate quickly, causing Rainbow Dash’s parents to wonder if they actually tasted the food. They got their answer, however, when they caught Scootaloo longingly sneaking licks at her plate of crumbs when she thought nopony was watching. Fluttershy giggled at the sight and Rainbow Dash gave the filly a light noogie with her hoof, ruffling the purple mane.

Before long, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Scootaloo were ready to confront the mayor. The three of them trotted out of the house, calling back their thanks and farewells to Rainbow Dash’s parents. Fluttershy used a foreleg to lightly toss some of her cherry blossom mane out of her peripheral view. Rainbow Dash watched Fluttershy do this out the corner of her eye. What a perfect face and a perfect mane. The mane, long, thick strands that flowed ever so elegantly, adorning a cherry blossom hue. The face, soft and sweet, cute and round, and highlighted by those glistening turquoise eyes.

Fluttershy caught Rainbow Dash glancing at her with those cerise eyes; eyes that Fluttershy equated to wispy, rosy flames of sheer willpower. They were beautiful eyes, subtly empowered by that iridescent mane of hers. The blue hue of her coat was calming and friendly, yet not complacent or lax.

Their trek to the municipal building was a silent one. The streets weren’t bustling the way Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash remembered. They weren’t totally empty, but the ponies who were out were anxious. It was written all over their faces and it dominated their body language. Rainbow Dash saw a sea green filly with an azure mane and tail, about Scootaloo’s age, sitting in front of the police station next to Town Hall. She nudged Fluttershy and the two mares approached the filly, Scootaloo following.

“Hello, little filly,” Fluttershy greeted. The filly turned around, her big, dark purple eyes widening in concern and caution. Fluttershy sat down in front of her and asked, “Isn’t the weather lovely today? It’s such a happy sight, huh, seeing the sun?”

“Y-yeah, I guess…” the filly mumbled. Fluttershy beckoned Scootaloo over as the filly asked, “Are you with the ones who took Daddy?”

“What? No. We’re here to—” Scootaloo replied, cut off when Rainbow Dash nudged her from behind with a hoof. She then took her idol’s meaning; announcing that they were there to shut the gang down in broad daylight could derail their mission before it even started. Her attention returning to the filly, Scootaloo noticed that her flank was blank. “We’re not with the bad guys. These grownup ponies are the nicest, coolest Pegasi in all of Equestria! My name is Scootaloo. What’s your name?”

“Seabright…” the blank flanked Pegasus replied, easing up a bit.

“Seabright, did some bad ponies take your dad away last night?” Rainbow Dash asked, already knowing the answer. The weight of it sat in her stomach like rocks. The filly gave an affirmative nod. “Can you tell us what they looked like?”

“Daddy told me I had to hide…” Seabright whimpered. “So I hid in a closet and…and there was struggling, screaming and…now I don’t know what to do!”

“Everything will be okay…” Fluttershy assured, hugging Seabright. She and Rainbow Dash looked at the Town Hall building. Separating parent and foal over some dirty dealings? The madness had to stop and both mares were determined to get the job done.

Chapter 7: Actions Speak for Themselves

Chapter 7: Actions Speak for Themselves

Rainbow Dash watched for several moments as Fluttershy comforted the little filly they found. What had Seabright’s father done to get taken away? Did he owe the gang money? Did he challenge them? Did he challenge the mayor’s lack of actions? Rainbow Dash’s eyes shifted back to Town Hall. The municipal building was much larger and more delicately detailed than the one she knew well in Ponyville.

“What does your daddy do for work?” Scootaloo asked Seabright softly.

“H-he’s a manager at the weather factory,” Seabright sniffled. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy glanced at each other. The irony, and yet it made so much sense. The use of the cloud machines to create fog in order to cover up violent activities was a heinous and abusive use of one of the most important regulators in Equestria. Seabright’s father must have been a noble hearted stallion to stand against such abuse of the weather factory, in spite of the powers that be being stacked against him.

Fluttershy knew that the weather factory was large and had diverse branches for different types of weather phenomenon. Her own father, until fairly recently, had spent his entire career in the cloud production wing. She wondered how he was taking the Cloud Crusher Crew’s use of the fog. He was likely shifting between seething on the inside and spells of somberness. Both of her parents were very mild mannered, but her father took pride in the making of clouds and wouldn’t ever stand for this use of the factory had he not retired.

“Did you go to the police?” Scootaloo asked.

Bursting into tears, Seabright explained, “Thanks to the mayor, their hooves are tied…”

Rainbow Dash’s brows furrowed and she bit her lip in anger before a curse could slip out. Fluttershy began lightly humming into Seabright’s ear. The sea green filly seemed to settle down some, her cries softening and her body gradually becoming lax. The thought of Fluttershy being a mother, a good one who would unconditionally love and educationally discipline her foal, made Rainbow Dash grin. The light cerulean mare blushed when she realized what she was thinking. Then, another thought struck her. She called out to Seabright, “Hey, kid, you like the Wonderbolts?” Seabright gave a shy nod. Rainbow Dash instructed, “Well, imagine some blue and gold spandex and a pair of goggles with these colors.”

Slowly, those big, purple eyes widened as the filly recognized the mare as the rookie Wonderbolt with the striking rainbow mane and tail. Scootaloo chimed in, “Pretty cool, right?”

“Yeah…! It’s really you! It’s really Rainbow Dash!” Seabright exclaimed. She looked up at Fluttershy and blinked in a lack of familiarity. “Are you a new Wonderbolt, too?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just a friend of Rainbow Dash’s. They call me Fluttershy,” Fluttershy introduced herself, smiling softly.

“The best friend a pony could ask for,” Rainbow Dash quickly added. Fluttershy’s face went scarlet, but her smile brightened in spite of herself. The praise was more than just praise to her. It was enlightenment. Rainbow Dash was a pony of well-earned pride and outspoken talent, and her words made Fluttershy feel like an equal. Her words showed respect and appreciation.

“They’re awesome!” Scootaloo attested, bouncing in place and beaming. Her excited bouncing was much more contained than Pinkie Pie’s bouncing, but the smile was just as sincere. This was also a romance factor involved in her barely-controlled enthusiasm. She really wanted to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy become special someponies. “Rainbow Dash is the best big sorta-sister a filly could ask for and Fluttershy’s the nicest pony ever born, hooves down!”

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Fluttershy modestly responded. “Even I have my limits…”

“Everypony has limits! That doesn’t mean that you’re not a kind pony. I mean it when I say everypony could learn a thing or two from you,” Rainbow Dash chimed in eagerly.

“Well, Dashie, I’ve definitely learned from you. I learned how to be strong by my own terms thanks to you,” Fluttershy informed her dear companion. This mission would put that found strength to the test. Returning her attention to the town hall building, she took a deep breath and marched inside, not giving herself a moment to reconsider.

“Whoa,” Rainbow Dash commented with a whistle, watching Fluttershy strut into Cloudsdale Town Hall like she owned the place. “I like the way she walks.”

“C’mon, Seabright! If we talk to the mayor, I’m sure we’ll get your dad back!” Scootaloo encouraged and ran inside, the sea green filly following swiftly. Rainbow Dash shook her head and reined her thoughts into the present moment before zooming in, catching up to Fluttershy and the fillies in a multicolored flash.

“Can I help you?” a secretary asked as the four ponies approached a desk preceding the mayoral office. She subtly scanned their faces, finding herself quizzical about the two fillies before her, but also having a pang of vague familiarity about the two mares.

“We’re here on behalf of the Princess of Friendship to discuss, uhh…friendship business with the mayor,” Rainbow Dash reported, Fluttershy agreeing with a pronounced nod. Flashbacks of Miss Harshwhinny lecturing her about professionalism eerily crept through her mind.

“We’re also looking for the father of this little filly,” Fluttershy added, wrapping a wing around Seabright.

“You should try going to the police about that. As for the mayor, I’m sorry to say that you just missed him,” the secretary said matter-of-factly, not an inkling of the mentioned sorrow in her voice. “He went to meet up with an inspector at the weather factory, or so he said…” Under her breath, she mumbled, “‘Inspector’, my plot…”

“Well, thanks anyway,” Rainbow Dash said hurriedly, ushering Scootaloo out, Fluttershy doing the same with Seabright. “Well, we know where to look now.”

“Yeah, he would go to the weather factory,” Fluttershy agreed, “to meet with his…associates.” She was tempted to say ‘friends’, but this wasn’t a friendship between the mayor and the gang. It was a transaction at the expense of the citizens of Cloudsdale. It was a political and sociological travesty. It was a friendship disgrace.

“Do you think my daddy’s there?” Seabright asked hopefully, those purple eyes beaming.

“I’m certain of it!” Fluttershy assured. “But I don’t think it’s safe for you to go, Seabright… Do you have any family you could stay with nearby?”

“No…” the filly glumly replied, shaking her head. Fluttershy felt her heart sink for her. Seabright’s father must have been the only family she really knew. Fluttershy, not unlike many ponies, tended to forget what a stroke of good luck it was to have her mother, father and brother, not to mention so many wonderful friends that were basically family to her. Not everypony had that, and that seemed to be the case for Seabright. Fluttershy’s eyes wandered over to Scootaloo. Had it not been the same for her before meeting Sweetie Belle, and then Apple Bloom?

“You’re gonna ask me to not go, too, right?” Scootaloo asked miserably.

“Not at all,” Rainbow Dash denied, ruffling the filly’s purple mane with a hoof and catching her by surprise. “This is your mission, too, and I want to teach you something here without looking like an egghead. I will tell you to stay out of harm’s way, though, if push comes to shove.”

“Aww,” Scootaloo groaned.

“Hey. Don’t give me that; it’ll be like a front row seat or something!” Rainbow Dash pointed out, instantly lifting the filly’s spirits. When her attention returned to Seabright, an idea struck her. “Zephyr can watch her!”

“My brother?” Fluttershy responded questioningly.

“He’s finally found a job in a mane salon, right? Maybe Seabright here can discover her special talent and your brother can take on a little extra responsibility,” Rainbow Dash suggested with a wink and a confident grin. Leave it to Rainbow Dash to boil an idea down to its simplest terms and have unwavering faith that it would work. Fluttershy let a stifled giggle escape her lips, and then she beamed at the light cerulean Pegasus in awe.

“Can’t I go with you to rescue Daddy?” Seabright pleaded. Fluttershy gently pulled the filly into a hug and shook her head. Brokenhearted, she asked, “But why not? He’ll be so happy to see me, won’t he?”

“Not if something happens to you, kiddo,” Rainbow Dash pointed out. “I promise that after we drop you off, the next time you see me will be with your dad.”

“Promise?” Seabright questioned earnestly.

“Pinkie promise! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!” Rainbow Dash promised, covering her right eye with a hoof. Seabright looked at Rainbow Dash skeptically, not understanding where that particular promise came from. It had occurred to the Wonderbolt at that point that she wouldn’t have understood, as she had never met Pinkie Pie; she probably hadn’t even heard of Ponyville’s premier party pony.

Seabright’s confusion faded and she smiled shyly, willing to instill faith in Rainbow Dash. Scootaloo spoke up, assuring, “If Rainbow Dash says that the next time you see her will be with your dad, you can count on it!”

Fluttershy watched as Rainbow Dash made that promise, knowing that she had barely thought once about it, let alone twice. Wow, what a mare! That kind of promise wasn’t one to be taken lightly. Those words weren’t empty. Rainbow Dash knew that, but had no hesitation nor intention to back down.

“Thank you…!” Seabright squeaked as tears of gratitude welled up in her violet eyes. The kindness that these strangers were showing her, Fluttershy suspected, meant more to her than the two Elements of Harmony and the Cutie Mark Crusader would ever be privileged to know. That was a problem with trying to lead a life of virtue, though one she certainly didn’t mind so long as she did her part.

“What was the name of that salon he works at? It’s something stupid like ‘Cloud Socks, Soft Sheets’,” Rainbow Dash asked Fluttershy, finding whatever the name of the salon was to be long, bland and tedious; a recipe for something that was the polar opposite of awesome.

“‘Cloud Soft, So Chic’,” Fluttershy amended matter-of-factly. “It m-may not be a conventional name, but it’s one that boasts a lot of, um, skill…”

“Well, he’s getting paid and it’s in a safe area. Right?” Rainbow Dash sought confirmation.

“Safe as anywhere, given the circumstances…” Fluttershy pointed out, mumbling. “Seabright will be safe, I know that much…”

“Will your brother make my mane as pretty as yours, Miss Fluttershy?” Seabright curiously questioned.

Fluttershy was caught off guard by the question, not expecting praise for her mane. Feeling a warm blush rise to her cheeks, the mare giggled and replied, “I suppose he could if he put his mind to it.”

“Come to think of it, you have a really thick mane,” Scootaloo noticed, getting close to Seabright to examine the blue mane. “It would look so pretty if you grew it out!”

“You really think so?” Seabright asked, backing up a bit to give herself some space.

“Totally! And I don’t really know anything about fashion, so if I think so, it has to be an obvious fact!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly. Rainbow Dash chuckled in amusement. The longer she hung around Scootaloo, the more of herself she saw in her. That filly would go on to do great things.

Rainbow Dash’s attention shifted Fluttershy again, Seabright’s comment stoking the flames of passion that Rainbow Dash felt about the beauty of Fluttershy’s mane, one of the many things that had the cerulean pegasus infatuated. It flowed so elegantly and so naturally, bearing the hue of cherry blossoms in the peak of their bloom.

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy called out her companion’s name, successfully capturing her volatile attention. “Are you okay? You looked like you were deep in thought.”

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I, uh, I was just thinking about…” Rainbow Dash began, but stopped herself. “It’s nothing. Let’s go to that mane salon.” She didn’t want to admit that she was thinking about the flow of Fluttershy’s mane. Even though the two Pegasi had kissed just the night before, it would have been an embarrassing admission. On top of that, they had a more important task at hoof. They had to break the iron-clad death grip that the Cloud Crusher Crew had over Cloudsdale so it could become the beautiful city that they had grown up in once again.

“A-alright, if you’re really sure,” Fluttershy stuttered softly. The fillies stood at attention, ready to follow the two mares. Rainbow Dash was looking expectantly at her, and then the reason why occurred to Fluttershy. “Oh, right! It’s on Mane Street, at the corner of Halo Road.”

“I remember Halo Road! Boy, that was a fun place to do some crazy tricks,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed nostalgically. “Lead the way!” Fluttershy’s expression, once Rainbow Dash punctuated her exclamation, was akin to that of a Pegasus that had flown straight into a brick wall and was just about to go into a dizzy spell.

“Y-you sure? I-I’d love to, if you don’t mind, that is,” Fluttershy stammered shyly. Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and approached, and then began nudging the Pegasus towards Mane Street. Taking the nudging as her cue, Fluttershy swallowed what timidness she could and began to lead her crush and their two filly charges to Mane Street and looked both ways, orienting herself to the surroundings. Rainbow Dash had passed along an opportunity to claim the limelight and lead to her. It was a gift, one Fluttershy would never take for granted. “Let’s go.” Fluttershy mumbled with a small smile. Her hoofsteps became firmer, stronger and more lively. A surge of motivation rejuvenated her in body, mind and soul. She heard her three companions’ hooves trotting behind her, keeping pace with her, though it sounded like Scootaloo and Seabright were putting in extra effort to stay within close proximity of the older Pegasi.

Rainbow Dash picked up the pace a bit so that she could trot next to Fluttershy. She smiled brightly at her, happy to see a sudden burst of pep in her trots. Fluttershy smiled back, beaming with gratitude.

“I think they like each other!” Scootaloo rasped to Seabright not-so-discretely. Rainbow Dash’s smile morphed into a flustered grimace and Fluttershy’s face turned a burning shade of scarlet.

“R-really? You mean they’re not special someponies?” Seabright asked timidly, apparently under the impression that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been dating up to that point.

“Nope, not that I know of! And Rainbow Dash and I tell each other everything! She’s basically my big sister at this point!” Scootaloo exclaimed, having great difficulty in preventing herself from sounding boastful.

“Well, I wouldn’t say I tell you everything, squirt,” Rainbow Dash countered after taking a deep breath, resetting her emotions from Scootaloo’s prior comment.

Hopefully, someday soon… Fluttershy thought to herself, sparing Rainbow Dash a longing glance. She wanted to tell Rainbow Dash how she felt outright, but the task at hoof was their priority. She couldn’t allow herself to think selfishly when Seabright had nopony aside from her captive father.

“Hey, there’s the corner of Halo Street!” Rainbow Dash called out, reining Fluttershy from her daydreams. On the left, just across the street, was the salon. Cloud Soft, So Chic. For a mane therapy salon with a name implying grandeur, the building itself was relatively plain. It was a dull off-white color, cubic in shape and a bit over a story tall, likely having high ceilings on the inside.

“So that’s where my brother’s job is,” Fluttershy observed aloud. “Well, let’s go see him. Hmm?” She let out a small squeak when she felt Seabright press her little body up against her own. Fluttershy smiled. Had she really managed to earn the filly’s trust in such a short amount of time? “It’s alright. Come on, you’ll get along just fine with Zephyr.”

“Is he nice like you?” Seabright asked timidly.

“Not exactly. He’s nice like him,” Fluttershy replied, hoping that she could be reassuring.

Rainbow Dash, having learned her lesson from her first practice as a Wonderbolt, looked both ways before crossing the street. The other ponies followed her. Rainbow Dash pulled open the door with her teeth. Fluttershy and Seabright bowed their heads graciously as they clopped in, Scootaloo shortly behind them. Rainbow Dash herself then entered the salon. It was quiet; only two patrons were having their manes treated. One was getting a trim while the other was getting her mane washed. Fluttershy approached the counter, on the other side of which a bored looking laurel green Pegasus mare with an imperial red mane reading a magazine.

Looking up, the mare flatly asked, “Hi. How can I help you?”

“I-is Zephyr Breeze here?” Fluttershy asked timidly.

“Do you have an appointment?” the mare asked, marginally more interested now.

“I’m his sister,” Fluttershy informed the stylist at the counter.

The mare had a look of contemplation on her face for a moment of silence before saying, “I’ll be right back.”

Within a matter of minutes, Zephyr Breeze had come into view and loudly greeted, “Sis! And Rainbows, too? Well, what brings you two around here?”

“Hi, Zephyr. It’s kind of a long story, but,” Fluttershy began as her younger brother approached, “could you please do me a really big favor?”

“Name it, Fluttershy. I owe you and Rainbows a lot,” Zephyr said, gaze shifting to Rainbow Dash. “How about dinner?”

Letting out an exasperated scoff, Rainbow Dash sighed and said, “Damn, I knew it would come to this. Zeph, I gotta tell you that…you’re not really my type.”

“How would you describe your type then? Be honest, I might knew tons of them,” Zephyr slyly asked.

“Mares,” Rainbow Dash answered coolly and nonchalantly, something of a triumphant smile taking respite on her face.

Zephyr Breeze’s eyes widened in shock, his slyness washed away by Rainbow Dash’s coming out. Chuckling sheepishly, “Well, ehehe, I know plenty of those… Yeah…” His disappointment was very poorly hidden.

“I’m sorry, Zephyr, but I can’t change that,” Rainbow Dash informed him, sympathy taking the place of triumph. “Nopony can. Besides, your special somepony is out there.”

“Yeah… Thanks, Rainbows. I know that telling me that couldn’t have been easy to just announce like that,” Zephyr replied sincerely. He smiled a warm, congratulatory smile.

Fluttershy stayed silent until a moment after her brother and Rainbow Dash had had their exchange. She cleared her throat and said, “So, about that favor…”

“Right, right. What did you need?” Zephyr asked as his attention returned to his big sister, only to then shift to the little filly next to her. “Who do we have here?”

“This is Seabright. I’m sure you know a lot has happened in Cloudsdale recently—” Fluttershy began to elaborate.

“Don’t I know it! Business has been tanking!” Zephyr explained. “It’s like this city’s chakras are all out of whack just because the mayor got too close to his ‘pals’. Totally not a good breeze.”

“Sweet Celestia, you sound like Tree Hugger,” Fluttershy mumbled in awe before shaking her head and continuing to explain the situation. “So Dashie, Scootaloo and I were called here on Twilight’s behalf as missionaries of friendship, only to realize that the friendship problem in Cloudsdale essentially is Cloudsdale—the dynamic is skewed against the ponies here. We spent the night with Rainbow Dash’s parents and had a really nice time before setting out to Town Hall when we met Seabright. Say hello, Seabright.”

“H-hello,” Seabright timidly greeted.

“Her dad was taken away in last night’s fog raid, so we stormed into the mayor’s office, but the mayor wasn’t there, so his secretary told us he’s at the weather factory and he’s probably with his pals in the organized crime syndicate, and I don’t want Seabright to get caught in a skirmish—nopony does; she’s a sweetheart. Would you mind watching her for us?” Fluttershy hurriedly finished her explanation, took a deep breath and gave her younger brother a big, pleading smile.

Zephyr was stunned. He was vaguely aware that his sister and Rainbow Dash played an integral role as Princess Twilight Sparkle’s close friends, but he had no idea that they were so deeply entwined with friendship in Equestria as a whole. On top of that, he hadn’t thought of Cloudsdale’s problems with gang violence as a friendship problem before; nopony had. How could they? Like Fluttershy had said, the dynamic between the mayoral power and the general populace was terribly skewed. Seabright’s big, violet eyes melted Zephyr’s heart, though, and his mind was no longer frozen.

Fluttershy could see it. Her brother’s kindness. When the situation called for it, Zephyr Breeze would have an inviting warmness about him that was easily observable in his eyes. Though it was often muted by his outgoingness, his efforts of being sly and his lack of dedication to any particular task, Fluttershy had witnessed this presence about her brother more than enough times to detect it in a heartbeat.

Seabright pulled away from Fluttershy a bit and took a meek step forward, looking up at the tall, slim stallion with a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She asked him, “Can you make my mane and tail pretty like your sister’s?”

With a soft chuckle, Zephyr replied, “I can give it my best shot. You may need to spend some time growing them out and taking care of them. I can teach you some things.”

“Really? You mean it?” Seabright excitedly asked. Fluttershy felt the heat rise to her cheeks once again. Were her mane and tail really that nice? Their thickness and length did open her up to a broad array of stylistic options, but as it was?

“Yeah,” Zephyr assured, rubbing the filly’s head with a hoof. “You got a good mane for it. Though, it does look like you got a lot of pent up stress.”

“I guess Daddy getting taken away has been a lot for me…” Seabright mumbled. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked at each other and then back at the filly. ‘A lot’ was the understatement of the moon cycle at least. Seabright’s mild mannerisms were an excellent mask, if anything, for the confusion that must have been eating at her since the terrifying night before.

“I bet,” Fluttershy mumbled. She tried to limit her thoughts on the filly’s situation; internalizing it too much would lead her to feel a hazy gloom inside her. Seabright had nopony aside from her hardworking father. How lonely… How could anypony be so lonely and go on? Fluttershy imagined herself in the filly’s hooves. How isolating… how maddening… how hollowing… Not a smiling face or a glimmer of hope in sight. Life in a bland, ongoing stasis. Such a scenario would drive her to…

“You okay?” Rainbow Dash muttered to her yellow friend, gently nudging her with a cyan wing. “You looked kind of down for a second…”

“I…I was just thinking. I’m okay…” Fluttershy mumbled, doubting she sounded assuring to Rainbow Dash or even herself. She wanted to believe it, but her thoughts had rattled her nerves. Was it because they weren’t in Ponyville? Was it because of the twisted and mangled state of Cloudsdale society? Or were all of her efforts to keep depression at bay just ways of biding her time?

“If you want to talk in private…” Rainbow Dash began to offer, but she was cut off by Fluttershy shaking her head in declination. “You sure?”

“I wouldn’t really know what to say anyway, but thank you, Rainbow…” Fluttershy whispered, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, opened her eyes and met the face of a concerned Rainbow Dash, smiling. “For now, don’t worry. It’s okay. I’m happy to know that we’re making a difference here.”

“Yeah, okay…” Rainbow Dash conceded, finding it best not to prod. Fluttershy’s admission to her depression was something Rainbow Dash had minimal knowledge on. She would have to visit Twilight one day and borrow a book from her. Not a Daring Do book, but a (likely boringly dry) psychology book. Rainbow Dash felt like such a book wouldn’t be much fun to read, but she remained hopeful that it would be and would bear it regardless. For Fluttershy more than anypony else, Rainbow Dash was willing to buckle down and utilize methods that were neither her forte nor her interest.

“Besides, I know we’re doing a good thing because of the Cutie Map. Every time somepony completes a task from the Cutie Map, the ponies in the assigned area wave us off with big smiles and changed lives. Our actions speak for themselves and we’re connecting with all sorts of creatures! The world’s truly happier that way, don’t you think?” Fluttershy asked, her smile more relaxed.

Rainbow Dash took a moment to take Fluttershy’s words in, thinking back to the times when the Cutie Map called her. The first time was with Pinkie Pie, and they had been sent to Griffonstone. They had learned about how devastating poverty can be to a community and how every griffon kept as much as they could to themselves because they each wanted to survive and thrive as much as they could. They were desperate, but that didn’t make them immoral.

That was why Gilda had been so cruel until Pinkie had opened her eyes in a way only Pinkie could do. Gilda certainly seemed…happier when Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie had left. She had even tried gentler approaches to interacting with the other griffons. Rainbow Dash had felt light and airy inside, feeling like her bond with Gilda had been rekindled. It was a feeling she was thankful for, as though she had regained a dear confidant.

The next time the Cutie Map had called on Rainbow Dash was the time she had Twilight were called to the Wonderbolt Academy. They had brought light to the truth behind the friendship of Sky Stinger and Vapor Trail—two cadets who had a lot of promise in their own ways. They had made that friendship stronger in the end. It was satisfying to see that bond-strengthening in action.

Some of her best moments in life were moments when she helped or advocated for others. Relating her own experiences to Fluttershy’s, Rainbow Dash felt that she was doing more than just acknowledging why the timid Pegasus treated every creature with compassion. She felt like she really understood her crush on a fundamental level since embarking on this mission.

“Shouldn’t we get going?” Scootaloo spoke up, seizing the attention of the older Pegasi. “The sooner we stop the bad guys, the sooner we can get Seabright back to her dad.”

“That’s the spirit, kiddo!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, suddenly remembering where she was and why she was there. Fluttershy beamed at the filly, and Rainbow Dash caught an enamored glance at the inspired gleam in her eyes.

“Be safe!” Seabright pled as she ran over to Fluttershy and hugged her right foreleg.

Wrapping her free foreleg around the filly, Fluttershy promised in a motherly tone, “We will.” Fluttershy found the sweetness of the filly calming, not to mention impressive given the circumstances.

Rainbow Dash rubbed Scootaloo’s mane with a hoof, rose eyes meeting lavender. The mare said to her filly protégé, “You know, squirt, you’re gonna go on to do some pretty cool things. You’re already cooler than I was at your age.”

“What? Cooler than you were? No way!” Scootaloo responded in disbelief, beaming at the older Pegasus. Rainbow Dash was practically her big sister, so hearing that was nothing short of a shock.

“It’s true. You’ve got a good heart, little buddy,” Rainbow Dash encouraged, grinning proudly.

Author's Note

I was hoping to get to the major action this chapter, but then I realized that the story would go a bit faster than intended if I did in terms of plot pacing. So next chapter, things will pick up, I promise.

Chapter 8: Tables Turn; Chips Fall

Chapter 8: Tables Turn, Chips Fall

Scootaloo trotted behind Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, eager for the adventure. She was oblivious, though, to the soft, tired somberness in Fluttershy’s eyes. Rainbow Dash wasn’t, though, because rather than focusing on what’s ahead, she mainly focused on her yellow companion. She wanted to ask Fluttershy what was on her mind, but hesitated. What if she set her off? What if she jumped to conclusions and completely missed the mark?

“Do you think we’ll get that rush? You know, of feeling accomplished, like we’ve really helped somepony?” Fluttershy asked. “It’d be nice to know we’d made a difference…”

“We’ve always made a difference. Always will. Why do you ask?” Rainbow Dash asked, wondering where Fluttershy’s train of thought was heading.

“No real reason. It’s just nice to know I’m making an impact,” Fluttershy replied, glancing back at Scootaloo.

“Hey, we’ll make our mark. Scoots and her friends said it themselves,” Rainbow Dash assured.

“Better yet, we sung it!” Scootaloo recalled, happy to be brought into the conversation. “As soon as this is over, I want to introduce Seabright to Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle! We’re gonna help her find her special talent for sure.”

“She’d like that,” Fluttershy mused, imaging the pure, blissful delight that would adorn Seabright’s face when she earned her cutie mark.

Before Scootaloo could reply, her smile vanished and her eyes bulged in bewilderment. Stopping, she pointed her hoof forward, as well as about 30 degrees upward. The filly was pointing to a cluster of clouds, well-placed columns, spouts and outcroppings, uniformly an ivory white. “Is that the weather factory?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash begrudgingly said. “That’s the place. That’s where the jerks are.”

“A testament to Cloudsdale’s pride, and ironically the source of this oppression,” Fluttershy added, her remark solemn and poetic.

It was a grand structure, a marvel among pony engineering and architecture. It was also closer to residential Cloudsdale than normal. Fluttershy thought that this was so that the Cloud Crusher Crew could make optimal use of fog production and regulation to commit their heinous acts. She doubted that they would be able to complete this quest without running into some trouble. She was afraid that Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo would get hurt in the conflict, but she was also afraid of how badly the stimulation would rattle her and how heavy hearted she would feel afterward. If she didn’t have her obligations, she might have even had trouble getting out of bed this morning.

“Hey, Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash spoke up, retrieving the yellow Pegasus from her trance. When those teal eyes met hers, Rainbow Dash claimed, “I’m glad your dad retired when he did.”

Giving a nod, Fluttershy thoughtfully responded, “I was thinking about that the other day… And after meeting Seabright, I know that if Dad was still working, he’d be held captive, too. Maybe they would take Mom, too…” Thinking about the possibilities made her heart sink, like the inside of her chest was suddenly transmuted into lead and weighing the rest of her down.

“Hey, thinking like that won’t get you anywhere. C’mon, Fluttershy, the point I’m trying to make is that your folks are safe. Soon, everypony will be,” Rainbow Dash pointed out encouragingly, earning a relieved smile from Fluttershy.

Both Pegasus mares spread their wings and started flapping, hovering in the air. Rainbow Dash then used her forelegs to scoop up Scootaloo and the three of them flew into the weather factory. When they first entered, all seemed normal at face value. There was all manner of vats, gauges, presses and meters used for the concoction and quantification of various weather patterns and atmospheric phenomenon. Rainbow Dash set Scootaloo down before landing herself, Fluttershy following suit.

“Ooh! Ooh! Look over here!” Scootaloo excitedly exclaimed as she darted over to two wide, translucent tubes that went from the floor to the ceiling. The floor and ceiling within the tubes were metal vents, and large steel rings secured the structures in place. “These must be responsible for the creation of warm fronts and cold fronts!”

“Warm and cold fronts, huh?” Rainbow Dash echoed as she and Fluttershy focused on the massive tube.

“Yeah! Miss Cheerilee taught us a bit about meteorology in school and it really helped me to appreciate how important the weather factory is,” Scootaloo explained as her gaze shifted from the giant tubes to a series of cylinders and pistons, each having its own air pressure gauge. “And this must be what they use to simulate air pressure fluctuation in different regions of Equestria!”

“Have you been reading Twilight’s dictionaries?” Fluttershy asked, bewildered by the complexity of the filly’s vocabulary.

“Nope! Her physics books!” Scootaloo answered as she zoomed past, stopping in front of the pressure gauges. Reading the gauges, she informed her companions, “I originally borrowed some to come up with a plan to fly, but then I got so interested that I started asking her if I could borrow books on a whole assortment of sciences. A lot of them talked about the weather factory’s infancy during Equestria’s industrial age. As Equestria’s borders expanded and the fields increased in size, more rainclouds were needed and the Pegasi couldn’t keep up with the old ways.”

“You sure know your stuff,” a deep, masculine voice commented as a gray Pegasus wearing the signature weather factory hat and white coat flew over. “My name’s Dust Storm. How can I help you ladies?”

“Um, h-hello. We were wondering if we could get a tour of the cloud making facility,” Fluttershy meekly requested, receiving the aid of an invigorated nod from Scootaloo and a smooth smile from Rainbow Dash. Dust Storm’s pleasant expression faded into a less colorful expression of dark perplexity.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the Pegasus stallion simply replied.

“How come?” Rainbow Dash inquired, trying to decide whether she should aim for the Wonderbolts special treatment or just get fired up off the bat.

“Umm… Liability reduction,” Dust Storm replied, clearly taking a shot in the dark with his excuses. He knew he’d missed by a country mile when earned three disbelieving gazes from the two mares and filly.

“What are you talking about? They’ve conducted tours of all the facilities, including cloud production, since before my dad was a rookie here. The factory’s always been safe for visitors,” Fluttershy interjected.

“Until recently,” Rainbow Dash added, glaring suspiciously at a now obviously nervous Dust Storm. “Look, we’re here on official—”

“Shhh!” Dust Storm shushed her, glancing this way and that in paranoia. “Please, keep your voices down. I don’t want to lose my job or worse…”

“We’re here on official business on behalf of Princess Twilight Sparkle,” Fluttershy informed him, speaking at her normal decibel level, which was quiet enough that it seemed to ease Dust Storm a tad. “We know the mayor is here and we think that the gang leader is here, too. We’re here to restore the bond between the city and its ponies.”

“Oh, thank Celestia…” Dust Storm sighed in relief. “But why the filly?”

“I was called here, too!” Scootaloo exclaimed, suppressing as much of her voice and excitement as a filly on a mission with her idol and the Stare Master could. “Is there a problem?”

“N-no, I just… Gosh, I guess even the kids in Ponyville are hardcore,” Dust Storm muttered, letting exhaustion settle onto his face.

“Hey, how long have you been on the clock?” Rainbow Dash asked, taking note of his exhaustion.

“Mmm… Since yesterday,” Dust Storm replied. When he received concerned looks from Fluttershy, he tried to justify his claim with, “It’s alright. Besides, I need the money. But geez, this place…I swear it’s like night and day. Wages were cut because of increased cloud production—”

“The fog,” Scootaloo amended in realization.

Dust Storm nodded, confirming Scootaloo’s brief moment of enlightenment. He continued, “Nopony’s job got cut because the weather factory needs horsepower. The ponies who work here are either scared or desperate now. Yesterday, a productions manager said he’d had enough. He said if things went on like this, he couldn’t look his daughter in the eye ever again. He hated seeing our work used just so a violent few could line their pockets. He hated seeing everypony work longer hours for the same pay they used to have, give or take.”

“That must be Seabright’s father…” Fluttershy mumbled.

“He spoke out against the goons who back the mayor. So they took him in a raid last night. Right before his daughter’s eyes…” Dust Storm went on, choking back rebellious tears to no avail. “He loves that filly more than anything in the world. I’m ashamed to say that I’m the one who had to lock him up… I can never call myself a stallion again…” The tears flowed freely now, beyond the stallion’s control. He stood there, weeping in front of three strangers while his soul marinated in his sins until something caught him off guard. A hug. A gentle, compassionate hug from the yellow mare with the soft pink mane and the brilliant blue-green eyes.

“I don’t think he holds that against you and I don’t think you should hold that against yourself. You’re just a factory worker trying to survive in the worst situation the factory could ever face. If you feel that you must atone, though, please help us take back Cloudsdale and its future… That filly’s future…” Fluttershy consoled, her words like a warm knife cutting through butter.

“O-okay…” Dust Storm sniffled. He looked around in paranoia once more, then wiped his eyes. Then, he headed down a corridor and beckoned the three females with his head. They took their cue immediately and followed him. They followed him down past the tens of assemblers and machine operators, all of whom passed them perplexed glances. Some were purely bewildered, while others were horrified of the unknown.

“They’re so uneasy…” Rainbow Dash mumbled in amazement. “I guess nopony likes what’s going on…”

“And their outlooks are so bleak,” Fluttershy softly added, tears forming as she unwillingly recalled the various spans of time she would have an outlook on life just as hopeless and static. “So cold and heavy… Like a broken heart that feels out of place, yet has nowhere to go.”

“Whoa! You should write a book, Fluttershy!” Scootaloo exclaimed, oblivious to the pain laced in her words. Rainbow Dash would have been just as oblivious, had she not been contemplating Fluttershy’s depression diagnosis since yesterday. She kept telling herself that she had to get a book from Twilight on the mood disorder once the mission was over.

“I don’t think it would sell,” Fluttershy replied, smiling somberly.

They had seen a large sign come into view that said “Cloud Production” when Dust Storm stopped abruptly. He turned to them, wearing that dark, weary gaze once more. “This is as far as I can take you three.”

“Thank you so much,” Scootaloo thanked, going ahead of the two mares before turning back and smiling at them invitingly. They followed, amused and amazed by her sense of initiative.

The three of them entered the cloud making corridor. All would be normal if not for the group of suited Pegasi in the middle of the room. Water pipes lined the high ceiling, conveyor belts bearing the puffy white phenomena covered the factory floor and stressed, overworked Pegasi stood groggily at the assembly lines.

One of the suited stallions, one with a broad chest, a pale blue coat and a dark, slicked back mane, took noticed of Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Scootaloo, and he approached them confidently, yet concernedly. His voice was deep, but not as deep as Big McIntosh’s, and it was much raspier. “Can I help you ladies?”

“Yeah. We’re looking for the mayor and the leader of the Cloud Crusher Crew. I assume you’re the latter?” Rainbow Dash coldly informed the stallion.

“Actually, I’m the former. Mayor Squall Line, and may I ask what you want with myself and my associates?” Squall Line inquired suspiciously, his face getting in Rainbow Dash’s.

“U-umm, sir, the entire city is in distress… Please, we want the ponies to believe in their city. They w-w-want their Cloudsdale pride back…” Fluttershy stammered, startled and annoyed by the mayor’s proximity to Rainbow. “We’re here on behalf of the Princess of Friendship—”

“I know who you are—well, maybe not the filly—but the weather factory is the staple of Cloudsdale’s economy. Our gains have been bountiful. Cloudsdale’s economy has been up thanks to saving money and debt collecting. Of course, keeping naysayers in line helps,” Squall Line informed the mares, paying Scootaloo minimal regard.

Gritting her teeth, Scootaloo glared at the mayor, the contempt in her eyes increasing with every word. Fluttershy gasped and scolded, “That’s horrible! ‘Debt collecting’? ‘Saving money’? ‘Keeping them in line’? That’s what you call slashing wages, robbing ponies and kidnapping protestors?! Are you kidding me?! I’ll have you know that there is a filly yearning for her dad to come back after these goons took him!”

“Oh, you must be talking about that manager’s kid—what was his name? Oh, yeah, Monsoon! It’s a shame—he was one of my favorites. A real hard worker. And his kid has his coat, but his mother’s eyes and mane. Too bad he couldn’t hold out for the only family he had left,” Squall Line recalled in mock fondness, smiling sinisterly at the fate of the one who intended to betray him.

“Don’t pull that crap with us. Where is he?!” Rainbow Dash growled.

“Thinking about what he’s done,” an oozy sweet, illustrious voice that was decidedly female informed them. The source of it, as Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Scootaloo soon learned, was a chili red mare with amber eyes and a coco brown mane and tail. She wore a dark leather jacket with holes in the back for her wings. Her right ear was pierced with two sterling earrings and her gaze was cold, mighty and daunting. “My name’s Heat Burst, and I’m the leader you’re looking for. The world chose to reject us, but soon it will grovel at our hooves. We’re taking what we deserve. We’re giving Cloudsdale back to the ponies.”

Rainbow Dash turned to the gang leader, wings flared and cerise eyes, furious. Fluttershy scratched at the floor with a hoof, looking as though she were ready to charge. Then, everypony froze at the sound of the shout, “YOU’RE DEPRAVED JERKS!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy glanced over their shoulders, realizing that the outburst came from Scootaloo. The orange filly was panting heavily in anger. She raged on, “You’re not giving Cloudsdale to the ponies! You’re taking it all for yourselves! I don’t know what you’ve been through and I don’t care! I’ve been through my own Tartarus and even I can tell you that there’s no reason for you to do this!”

“Heh. Looks like you three won’t back down. In that case, there’s no point in asking you to leave quietly,” Heat Burst observed. Then, she smirked deviously and added, “There’s no fun, either.”

The suited stallions, either chuckling ruthlessly or scowling mercilessly, took to surrounding the two mares and the filly. Fluttershy looked around, trying to find a sizeable gap between them, but no openings she saw were worth the risk.

“Get ready…” Rainbow Dash cautioned. Scootaloo took a position that appeared as though she was ready to pounce.

“W-we’re going to fight? All of them?” Fluttershy squeaked in panic.

“We’ve got to survive if we’re going to put an end to this. Besides, I made a promise that I intend to keep,” Rainbow Dash reminded her. “Do you trust me?”

The stallions all took a step closer. Heat Burst advised the mayor, “Squall, stay back a few feet. We wouldn’t want you getting roughed up.”

“I trust you,” Fluttershy replied to Rainbow Dash, watching the stallions close in on them. They all looked ready to pounce on them.

“Three,” Rainbow Dash muttered.

“Two,” Fluttershy whispered.

The ring of stallions lashed forward, closing in fast.

“One!” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy exclaimed and shot upwards, Fluttershy elegantly grabbing Scootaloo at the last second. The gangsters crashed into one another, tumbling on top of each other. Heat Burst let out a groan of dissatisfaction, then spread her wings and launched herself at Rainbow Dash. The red and blue mares went spinning in a blur that almost looked purple from the speed. Rainbow pushed her assailant off of her in mid-air and bucked, landing a direct hit.

“Why you…!” Heat Burst growled, wiping the blood from her nose. She snarled and went for Fluttershy and Scootaloo this time, but Rainbow Dash divebombed her.

“You lay a hoof on them and I’ll tear you apart with my bare hoofs!” Rainbow Dash snarled, but she was unprepared for the headbutt she received at the end of her threat, nor the hoof that sent her tumbling backwards.

The factory workers fled before they were sucked into a fight they weren’t prepared for. Fluttershy’s mind went white. Every cubic centimeter of her body was being pumped with adrenaline.

“We have to get out of here!” Fluttershy squealed, holding Scootaloo close. “We were so foolish. There’s at least a dozen of them and only three of us!”

“We can still fight them!” Scootaloo insisted, though she didn’t even seem to believe her own words. She looked to Rainbow Dash, who started to catch up with them.

“If we’re gonna give Cloudsdale back to the ponies, we gotta unite the ponies!” Rainbow Dash decided as she easily caught up to Fluttershy and Scootaloo.

They rounded a corner and then Fluttershy, taking a gamble, went to open a storage closet. To her surprise, it opened, and the three of them dived in before closing the door. They heard hoof steps and wing flaps thunder by for a few seconds before the sounds eventually faded.

“Now what?” Scootaloo asked. “This bites…”

“I already told you. We gotta unite the ponies of Cloudsdale,” Rainbow Dash repeated herself.

“But how?” Scootaloo asked urgently. “Like Fluttershy said, we’re just three ponies.”

“The map always selects ponies for these jobs for a reason. Scootaloo, your talent is bringing out the best in others and their talents. Fluttershy, you’re the Element of Kindness. Ponies respond to acts of kindness with the utmost support. Most creatures do,” Rainbow Dash explained.

“Why do you think the map called upon you, then?” Fluttershy inquired, curious about Rainbow Dash’s train of thought.

“Because I’m awesome!” Rainbow Dash boasted with a beaming grin. Fluttershy felt herself do a double take on the inside, while Scootaloo started nodding in enthusiastic agreement. Then, Rainbow Dash added grimly, “That’s why I’m going to cover your escape.”

“What?!” Fluttershy gasped, her pupils shrinking as her eyes widened in horror. “Rainbow, we’re in this together! You can’t be a decoy!”

“This problem is big, bigger than just the three of us. Besides, I have to see where Seabright’s dad is being held. There are probably others there, too. I tend to get noticed because of my speed and flashy moves, so I’ll get their attention while you two duck under the radar. Get to your brother, your folks, anypony, everypony…”

“But Rainbow Dash, they could seriously hurt you…! They could…they could kill you… And then…then I…” Fluttershy sniffled and began to sob softly.

“Hey, now…” Rainbow Dash pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s all going to be okay. I trust you more than I could ever tell you. Fluttershy, you…you’re the coolest pony I know. You can do this. Scoots…she needs you. And we’ll see each other soon enough.”

“I… I… I love you,” Fluttershy blubbered, wrapping her forelegs and wings around Rainbow Dash.

“I love you, too,” Rainbow Dash replied, letting her own tears fall freely. She stayed still for a long moment, taking in Fluttershy’s scent one more time before she would run face-first into danger.

“You…” Fluttershy sniffled. “You make the heaviness in my head and chest go away… You’d better be okay by the end of this.”

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Rainbow Dash Pinkie-promised.

“Good luck, Rainbow Dash,” Scootaloo gave her idol her best wishes.

“Thanks, squirt,” Rainbow Dash thanked as she pulled away from Fluttershy. She then gave the other mare a quick peck on the lips before zooming out the closet door. As she zipped around the halls, she began to realize that her tears still streamed freely from her eyes. With a wry smile, she chuckled to herself, "Now you've gotten me all sappy..."

“Hey! I think they went this way!” a gangster’s voice called out, and the mob of them stormed by the storage closet. There must have been seven of them in the search party. Perhaps even more.

Fluttershy and Scootaloo listened carefully, then began to make their great escape. Thanks to whatever stir Rainbow Dash had been causing, escaping the factory had been foal’s play, but the farther they got from the factory, the more Fluttershy’s heart ached. She felt like she belonged by Rainbow Dash’s side. They should have been together.

If anything happens to her, I… Fluttershy thought to herself. She wasn’t sure she would be able to handle not seeing Rainbow ever again.

“What now, Fluttershy?” Scootaloo asked, snapping Fluttershy out of her thoughts. The mare looked down at the filly to see that those lavender eyes were holding back tears with all their might. “What do we do without Rainbow Dash?”

“We…we carry on. My brother’s the odd duck of the family. He has friends high and low. We’ll make this work…” Fluttershy assured, holding the filly close with her right foreleg as she started to flap her wings. Reluctantly and disdainfully, she began to fly in the direction of the mane therapy salon.

Author's Note

Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you're excited for the coming chapters. I think you will find Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's roles in the story during their separation to be pretty interesting, but that's all I can say without giving anything concrete away.

Chapter 9: Kindness

Chapter 9: Kindness

Rainbow Dash, captured via massive ambush consisting of half the gang, wasn’t sure where she was anymore. All she could say about the last fifteen minutes or so was that these gangsters were pushy and the first chance she got, she was going to crush the Cloud Crushers from the top down. That was a funny, though redundant thought. Crushing the Cloud Crushers. There was a certain irony about it, too. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when her captors swiftly removed her blindfold and shoved her onto a stone hard floor. It wasn’t until she heard a metallic slam that Rainbow Dash realized she was in a jail cell.

“Hey!” Rainbow screamed. “Let me out of here!”

“No can do. Boss and the mayor can’t have you causing chaos under their rule,” a Pegasus guard replied flatly.

“It’s no use…” a defeated-sounding male voice informed Rainbow Dash from the cell across from hers. In the cell was a Pegasus with a sea green coat and a forest green mane and tail. The jail was dimly lit, so Rainbow Dash couldn’t clearly see his eyes, but she knew that coat. “I just want to set an example for my daughter…and now she’s out there alone…”

“Is your daughter’s name Seabright, by any chance?” Rainbow Dash asked, feeding her curiosity.

“Yeah… My sweet little girl… She’s all I have left…” the Pegasus replied, sounding ready to sob.

“She’s okay! My friends and I actually met her earlier today! Gosh, what a sweet kid. She seems a little shy, but she’s a pretty strong flyer from what I’ve seen,” Rainbow Dash informed him. The Pegasus gaped at her, then crawled to the bars so she could clearly see his face. He had Seabright’s deep purple eyes. This stallion was, without a doubt, the little filly’s father.

“You’ve met my little filly…? Where is she?” the stallion asked.

“She’s safe. She’s hidden away in a mane therapy salon that my best friend’s brother works at,” Rainbow Dash informed him. She then chuckled sheepishly. “I know that sounds kind of convoluted, but you really can rest assured. She’s in good hooves. By the way, the name’s Rainbow Dash.”

“Sea Surge,” the weary stallion replied, his voice potent with relief. “Rainbow Dash, eh? Aren’t you that new Wonderbolt?”

“That’s me! Seabright recognized this striking mane on contact!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, showing pride in her vibrant coloring. “She’s a good kid. And from what I gathered, you’re a single dad. That’s not easy, so I’ve gotta give you props.”

“Thank you… We do our best because we have each other,” Sea Surge sighed thoughtfully.

“What a kind young mare,” an effeminate and oddly calm voice commented from Rainbow Dash’s left. There was another pony beyond the cell wall. Another captive citizen? “Bringing him peace was like a gift to him from Celestia herself.”

“Eh. I just told him what I knew,” Rainbow Dash replied, surprised at the modesty in her own voice.

“Even a small amount of kindness can leave a big impact,” the voice pointed out.

Kindness… That was something about Fluttershy that just seemed to rub off on everypony. Rainbow Dash smiled somberly, praying from the bottom of her heart that Fluttershy and Scootaloo were okay. Blinking a few times, she brought herself back to reality and kept up the conversation. “I learned a thing or two about compassion from a friend. You should see her with animals! She’s so sweet… Please be okay, Fluttershy…”

“Pardon? Did you say Fluttershy?” the voice asked, her face suddenly in the view of a window that had been carved out between the two cells. It was a yellowish-orange face with a graying orange mane. Her eyes were the color of a mystical sunset and shimmering with life and love. “Fluttershy… She was one of my patients…”

“You’re a doctor?” Rainbow Dash inquired.

“Psychologist,” the aged mare responded in clarification. “Cloudsdale General Hospital had called me in to speak with a filly with severe social anxiety and depression. She had apparently taken her father’s medicine…”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened. Fluttershy had been in that much pain when they were fillies? Had she actually taken her father’s medication to commit suicide? The cerulean Pegasus felt her heart slowly, torturously being torn asunder by the anecdote. The thought made her shake like a leaf during the Running of the Leaves.

“I’d seen social anxiety and even some depression symptoms in foals her age, but never to that extremity. At first, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to get through to her, so I brought a photo album with me—that was from I did a lot of travelling in college—and thought I could start a conversation with her about the places I’d been. She was captivated by the areas of Equestria… The meadows, the mountains…” the psychologist went on. “In due time, she grew to really love our chats. She always asked about the ground below. She even brought up a friend of hers who always stood up for her. Even helped her get her Cutie Mark. And judging by that mane, can I assume that was you?”

“Heck yeah! I’m Rainbow Dash!” Rainbow Dash proudly introduced herself.

“Sunny Skies,” the psychologist returned the introduction. “It’s an honor to finally meet you, Rainbow Dash. Is Fluttershy well?”

“Very well, up until we got here,” Rainbow Dash reported hesitantly. “I don’t know if it was just the weather or everything else going on around here, but she seemed really down. When she’s in Ponyville, she’s always a free spirit, if a little reserved. I actually never realized she had depression… I don’t get much about it, but I love her way too much to let anything happen to her.”

“Love her, eh?” Sunny teasingly inquired, flashing her a sly grin.

“We kind of had a cliché confess-your-love parting before I gave her and a kid we were traveling with an opening to escape,” Rainbow Dash explained. “It was weird and sappy, but I really liked it. I really am in love with her…”

Sunny smiled fondly at Rainbow Dash. Her next words surprised the younger mare. “Thank you.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. Why was she being thanked? “‘Thank you’? For what?”

“Fluttershy’s needed a friend and lover like you. I’m glad that you’ve been a part of her life for so long. You’ve been a big influence on her life, and I can never thank you enough. Even these days, I wonder how she’s doing,” Sunny explained, tears shimmering in her eyes and threatening to trickle out. “She hasn’t been my patient in years and yet, I think she’s been the most memorable one in my career.”

“I gotta wonder what Fluttershy’s old psychiatrist—” Rainbow Dash began.

“Psychologist,” Sunny corrected. “Sorry; the difference is pretty important.”

“Psychologist. Right. I gotta wonder what a psychologist is even doing in a place like this,” Rainbow Dash pondered aloud.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you that, too,” Sea Surge spoke up once more, seemingly at ease with the knowledge that his daughter was safe.

“Well, I’m looking to retire soon, so I’ve been looking to sell my office space. Those thugs have made the area undesirable, though. I wasn’t going to put up with it. Why would I? So I took my skateboard—I figure it’s never too late to learn—and cruised down to town hall and gave the mayor a few choice words. I suppose you know the rest,” Sunny explained with a sigh.

“Where are you looking to go?” Rainbow Dash asked curiously.

“Honestly, I was thinking Appleloosa at first. Then, I got a card from Fluttershy one day and we started sending letters back and forth. She told me about Ponyville and it sounds like the most amazing town! It’s lively, but not chaotic. I want to have fun when I retire, and her friend Discord sounds like a hoot at Tuesday tea.”

“It would be awesome if you moved to Ponyville! I’ve only known you for five minutes and you’ve already shown me how cool you are! You help ponies with their problems and you’re a skater? That’s awesome!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, gushing with intrigue.

Before Sunny could reply, the door to their corridor swung open with a loud thunk, and the commanding hoof steps of the gang boss, Heat Burst, rung loud as she approached Rainbow Dash’s cell. The two glared at each other and the air in the corridor was thick with a suspenseful silence.

Heat Burst was the first to speak, but she didn’t break the tension. “Do you have any idea what you’ve nearly done?”

“Can’t you see what these ponies are going through?” Rainbow Dash retorted coldly, her cerise eyes focused on her captor.

“So what? They’re living every day in fear. That’s how life was for us. It’s just their turn, thanks to Squall cutting a deal with us. Why should I care about the society that wouldn’t bat an eye if my stallions and I suddenly disappeared?” Heat Burst demanded.

“You can be the bigger mare here. You could do so much more than this. Honestly, I think you’re wasting your time and your potential. Let Sea Surge go back to his filly and Dr. Skies retire in peace. They’ve done nothing to you,” Rainbow Dash tried to reason with the fiery colored Pegasus, hoping that she would see the pain being caused by the Cloud Crusher Crew’s antics.

“After all Squall promised us? Get real,” Heat Burst mocked Rainbow Dash’s sentiment.

“You think he won’t have you in here after he’s done with you?” Rainbow Dash inquired, earned a quizzical expression from the pony on the other side of the bars. “Seriously, once he’s tired of you, he’ll send the entire police force after you guys. I know you’re not a bad pony and you’re just trying to survive. I can get the princesses on your side. Help me help you.”

Heat Burst just stared darkly at Rainbow Dash, contemplating her thoroughly. All Rainbow Dash could do now was hope that she could get through.