What She Doesn't See

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.