Goals to Strive For

Chapters

Time for a Plan
What Was the Plan Again?
Memories
What Is or What Could Be
Take a Chance

Time for a Plan

The shade under the bleachers within Canterlot High's sports field was one of Fluttershy's favorite places to spend her afterschool hours. It provided her the comfort of a relatively hidden environment, leaving her to her own devices without fear of interruption. Not to mention the various nests of critters that would be made over the course of the year.

Most of her friends thought it rather odd, though, as its tranquility would seemingly be ruined by any of the various sports matches played in the field. It's calm, quiet nature being disturbed by the thousands of cheers that would roar overhead. It would have been a problem for Fluttershy, if she wasn't cheering right alongside them from her safe haven.

She never particularly cared for professional sports. She was always up to play a friendly game with the rest of the group, even if she was terrible, but something about taking it so seriously always drew her out of the fun. Perhaps it was because of all the attention and pressure it put on her to play well, or maybe it was the over-competitive nature of the whole debacle. Some people did anything to win in these games, and it never sat right with her.

But she stayed and watched anyway, cheering for the sole student who somehow managed to be on every sports team the school ever offered. That sole student was already in the field, practicing for the upcoming soccer tryouts when the school year started.

Fluttershy wondered if Rainbow had ever noticed her through the gaps in the bleachers. She believed not, convincing herself that she was more than likely hidden by everybody else's legs or something like that. Yet it seemed like at every major game, whenever Rainbow pulled off the impossible, she would look directly in Fluttershy's direction, tempting her to run into the field to celebrate with her. She was certain it was just a trick of the light. Nevertheless, here she was, with no one to hide behind, watching her best friend simply kick a ball against a pole and back.

Best friend... yeah... It was no secret to herself that she had a crush on Rainbow; she had long since admitted to it. It wasn't anything like the sweeping amount of love that Twilight and Sunset seemed to share, but it was there regardless. She had been trying to work up the courage to say something to Rainbow ever since the end of the last year. They only had one year of high school left, and if that was all the time Fluttershy had to date Rainbow, she was going to use every last bit of it.

She continued to watch Rainbow trying to perfect her cross-field kick. It was something Rainbow had decided to work on over the summer, as too many games were lost because she didn't have enough time to reach the goal. This, of course, meant that she was closer to the bleachers where Fluttershy was hiding, and if she turned around for any reason, she was sure to spot her. Fluttershy didn't mind, though, more content to just watch Rainbow do her thing.

A cheer from the rainbow-haired girl brought Fluttershy's sense back to reality. It seems Rainbow had finally scored a goal from over halfway across the field, and Fluttershy decided to throw in her own silent cheer for good measure.

She never imagined her cheer could call back a soccer ball.

Without any warning, Rainbow felt the soccer ball strike the back of her head; it didn't have enough force to knock her down, but it definitely caught her attention. She spun on her heels to verbally assault the perpetrator, only to find Applejack tossing another soccer ball between her feet, a smug grin crossing her features.

"You did that on purpose." Fluttershy could hear her say.

"Someone's gotta knock that big head down a notch."

"Then how about we see if you can beat me, one on one."

They did their signature spit handshake, and began their game. Under any other circumstance, Fluttershy would have a hard time keeping track of what was going on, but her eyes were drawn to Rainbow with such precision that she could always tell whether or not she had the ball. She never thought a one-on-one soccer match would be all that interesting, but seeing how the two moved about the field to compensate for the lack of support was rather astounding. She'd almost mistake it for a complex dance.

Theirs was a game up to five points, as per usual, and throughout most of the match the score stayed relatively neck and neck, with Rainbow using her precision to slide some narrow shots through Applejack's defense, and Applejack using her own (normal) strength to nail the cross-field shots Rainbow was desperately trying to attain herself. Fluttershy continued to cheer, her voice elevating slightly each time Rainbow scored. Soon enough, the score was tied at 4-4, and the game had come to a stand-still.

The ball stayed relatively centered, each of the girls trying their hardest to capitalize on the others mistakes, but neither made one. Back and forth, the ball flew, always caught by the defender before it reached the goal. Both Rainbow and Applejack looked worse for the wear, but Fluttershy knew that Applejack was the hardier of the two; if Rainbow didn't end this soon, she was sure to lose.

It was a silly little contest, sure, but that didn't stop Fluttershy from wanting to see Rainbow win. It was worth dealing with her gloating later if it meant she could witness Rainbow's ecstatic expression when she actually managed to pull through. With that in mind, Fluttershy took a deep breath, and gave Rainbow the loudest cheer she could muster.

"GO, RAINBOW DASH!!"

The intrusion caught Applejack off guard, giving Rainbow her opening. She slipped her foot over the ball, spinning it into the air, then followed with a frontflip kick that sent the ball careening straight into the opposite goal. Rainbow was bouncing up and down at her victory, laughing as she caught Applejack's wide-eyed expression.

Fluttershy was just about as excited as Rainbow, not only because of seeing her win, but being able to witness one of the crowning jewels of Rainbow's prowess. That move was a signature of Rainbow's, but she didn't use it often. As far as Fluttershy could tell, she only pulled it off when she was at the peak of her confidence, and to think, her cheer did that for her! It sent her into a small bout of giddy squeals before being pulled out of her hiding spot by Rainbow.

"You can thank Flutters here for teaching me that one," She said as she pulled Fluttershy to her side.

"Really? You taught her that?"

Fluttershy pulled her head back, her hair settling naturally over her right eye. "Oh, I only taught her how to do a front flip. She was the one who made it a soccer move."

Applejack chuckled to herself. "Figures you'd take something so simple and turn it into another chance to show off. Anyway, good game Rainbow."

Rainbow shook her hand again. "You too, AJ."

"Well, ah'll catch you two later. Gotta get back to the farm and start the harvest. See ya around!"

As Applejack left, Rainbow turned her attention to the shy girl still in her arm. "It's always nice to know I've got my own personal cheering squad at the ready."

Fluttershy's only response was to turn her head away, blood rising to her cheeks and a massive smile spread across her face. "It's nothing really, I just love seeing you when you win."

Rainbow let her go. "Why don't you ever just hang out on the bleachers with everyone else? I wouldn't mind seeing you so excited at every one of my games."

Fluttershy began to fidget. "Oh, I don't think I could, I just wouldn't feel right."

"Well, as long as you're there I suppose," Rainbow turned to see a confused look on Fluttershy's face. "Oh, don't think I don't notice a small pair of eyes peeking through the bleachers at every one of my games." She earned herself another blush from the young girl. "Say, you wanna come hang out at my place? It's been a while since we've spent time together."

"But we just hang out at the mall last week, and then there was Twilight's party..."

Rainbow brought her back into a one-armed embrace, cutting her off. "I mean just the two of us, silly."

"Oh, ok."

As if Fluttershy hadn't already been giddy enough, Rainbow was giving her the perfect opportunity to confess her crush to her. She had thought she was going to have to jump through all sorts of hoops just to get some alone time with Rainbow, yet here was the chance presented to her on a silver platter. She just had to make sure she was at least somewhat quieter than Twilight and Sunset had been at the party; didn't want Rainbow's family asking any unnecessary questions.

She was sure she could manage.

Author's Note

I definitely think I've caught the writing bug something fierce. Anyway, here's to the start of the Flutterdash storyline, tied with Sunlight as my favorite ship in the series.

What Was the Plan Again?

The walk to Rainbow's home was a short and pleasant one as Rainbow and Fluttershy discussing the upcoming school year. Fluttershy always loved most of the neighborhoods outside the city. Trees lined most of the sidewalks, and several homes were surrounded by acres of woods. Rainbow's was, unfortunately, not one of those homes, having most of the larger trees taken down to make space for a spacious backyard. Despite this, they still had smaller trees surrounding the yard, per Fluttershy's own encouragement.

Rainbow's home was a simple one, a small two-story home with a small garden lining its front entrance. The cloud gray coat upon the house made it stand out from the earthy tones of the neighborhood, as did the variety of cloud-shaped ornaments that sat atop the pillars of the surrounding wooden fence. Rainbow had often tried to get her parents to paint the house to look like a sunny sky, but they never went for it, always preferring the simpler color scheme.

"I'm telling you, you really should try more stuff outside your comfort zone. You never know what you're gonna enjoy," Rainbow explained as they made their way up the front steps.

Fluttershy brushed some hair from her face. "But don't you only ever play sports? Doesn't sound like the best advice you should be giving."

"That's why I'm looking at new stuff. Granted, it'd have to be something just as lively as sports, but I mean, come on Flutters! This is our last year of high school, our last chance to try big things before we settle into college or our dream career! Don't tell me you don't want a hobby outside of being a veterinarian, cause that'd get boring really fast, even for you." Rainbow opened the door to her home, allowing Fluttershy to pass and enter first.

The inside of the house wasn't much different to the outside. Most rooms were colored some hue of gray or blue, blending together to create a scene reminiscent of a view of the sky from outer space; at least, that's how Fluttershy saw it. The living room on their left had very few furnishings, only containing a wall-mounted TV, a large L-shaped sofa, coffee table, and a small shelf for various knick-knacks. On their right was the staircase up to most of the bedrooms and the bathroom. The top of the stairs' rail held another cloud ornament, while the rail itself had a lightning bolt engraving etched into each side.

"Of course I want a hobby, but that's why I'm joining Rarity's fashion club," Fluttershy replied as they made their way up the stairs.

"I suppose that's something, and don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are joining it, but..." Rainbow paused, doing her best to choose her next words carefully. "Wouldn't you rather have something else you could call all your own? I know you love sowing, and I wouldn't ever discourage you from it, but surely there is something else that catches your eye, right?"

Fluttershy pondered, an idea popping in her head. No, that's silly. Although Rainbow...

"Well, there was something that I thought you would really enjoy, but it kinda interferes with your sports quite a lot, so I don't think you'd go for it," she replied as they entered Rainbow's room.

"Go ahead, I'm all ears anyway," Rainbow set her things down and laid upon her race car bed.

"Cheerleading?"

It took every fiber of Rainbow's being to keep a straight face. "Haha, good one, Fluttershy, I... you weren't kidding were you?"

Fluttershy's response was a quick shake of her head.

"Me? A cheerleader? I mean, yeah, it's as lively as sports, I guess, but I could never see myself wearing such a goofy uniform. Besides, they don't really do anything except put on a silly little show for the crowd. They don't help raise the spirits of the team or anything." She picked up a small rubber ball and started to lazily throw it against the wall, the ball bouncing back to her hand every time.

"That's why I think you'd make a fantastic cheerleader! You could give them the spark of energy they need to really get out there and make the team proud!"

Rainbow smirked at Fluttershy's enthusiasm. "I guess you're right, I do have a way with getting people in the zone. But let's be honest here, you just want to see me in one of those uniforms." Rainbow's smirk only widened when she saw Fluttershy retreat into her hair, attempting to hide the growing blush on her cheeks. "You know, you're too easy to tease sometimes."

"It's not funny..."

"I never said it was. Come on, Flutters, you know I'm just messing around with you. Nothing to get sore over."

Fluttershy simply stood in the doorway, not making another sound.

Rainbow dropped the ball from her hand and went up to her shy friend. "Hey, is something bothering you? You're never this sensitive when I give you a hard time."

Fluttershy simply started fidgeting with her hands, still not uttering a word.

"Okay, okay, I get it, my little Flutters doesn't wanna talk to me anymore. Don't worry, I know how to get that mouth moving again," she said right before she shoved Fluttershy onto her bed, then climbed over her and started to tickle her.

Needless to say, it worked.

Fluttershy couldn't stop giggling into Rainbow's mattress as the girl above her continued her assault. Fluttershy tried desperately to swing her legs and knock Rainbow off of her, to no avail. Eventually, Rainbow relented, and Fluttershy up to face her.

"There's the smile I like to see."

Her compliment was swiftly answered with a pillow in her face

Dinner was relatively quiet, despite current company. Rainbow's parents discussed various things about their work lives, while Scootaloo was busy bombarding Rainbow with questions about "senior privileges", or something like that. Fluttershy personally thought that she was just trying to get Rainbow to swing some favors her way, which Rainbow wasn't buying for a second. The conversation stalled, however, when Bow Hothoof decided to ask Rainbow a question out of the blue.

"By the way, Rainbow, have you thought about senior prom yet?"

The entire table became silent, each member awaiting the answer with bated breath.

"Dad, that isn't until the end of the school year. I've got plenty of time to worry about it, if I even decide to go."

"Oh, but why wouldn't you go?" Windy Whistles inquired. "Senior prom is one of the most important events in high school. There isn't anyone you've been thinking about taking?"

"Besides, isn't there, like, a TON of stuff to do before then?" Scootaloo interjected.

"No, there isn't anyone I wanna take, and yes, Scootaloo, though they always announce deadlines for stuff like that during the school year, so I still have plenty of time. Besides, it's not that important to me."

Bow turned his attention to Fluttershy. "What about you? Do you have any plans?"

Fluttershy's face quickly turned crimson as the attention was thrust upon her. "Oh... I... I... I don't know yet..."

I know who I'd wanna take, though...

The rest of the meal passed calmly, with Rainbow's parents only occasionally needling about high school prom or other questions in regards to Rainbow's nonexistent love life. It was one of the few times Fluttershy actually saw Rainbow embarrassed about something, and she had already been sworn to absolute secrecy, never mentioning a word of it to her friends. It was still worth it for her own giggles.

After dessert, Rainbow and Fluttershy retreated back to the room upstairs, Rainbow having put up a "Do Not Disturb" sign on her door in an effort to avoid any more personal questions from her parents. Fluttershy took that moment to account for some changes in Rainbow's room.

It was a lot neater than it usually was when she visited, with no stray clothes littered around the floor. A few of her posters had changed, though they all still contained sports stars Fluttershy had never even heard of. It reminded her of how exasperated Rainbow would get whenever their friends mentioned that they had no clue who any of them were, as if these people were absolute legends despite only attaining such status in their respective sport, if that.

She still had her childish race car bed, though the entire paint job had been sanded away; perhaps she was looking to remodel it soon? Her bookshelf was cluttered with a wide collection of figurines that she swore grew larger every time she visited, despite the shelf itself appearing to have no more room for them. A small side shelf on it held her collection of Daring Do novels, and on top were a few model cars she still had from when she was younger. Her closet was practically empty except for some jerseys hanging up, and her bureau had but a few miscellaneous items scattered across its surface.

"I didn't get the chance to say anything before, but you did an impressive job cleaning up."

Rainbow once again laid on her bed. "Thanks. I know it's rather early to be doing this, but I figured I'd get everything organized for when I move out and head off for college or whatever I do." She quickly fetched the remote for her TV. "You wanna get changed and watch a movie?"

Fluttershy gave Rainbow a confused look. "What do you mean get changed?"

"Um, you agreed to stay the night at the dinner table, remember?"

Fluttershy couldn't recall the exchange, though she was pretty certain she had been halfway to La-La-Land after the question about the prom, so she likely answered without even realizing. "But I don't have any pajamas with me."

"Just borrow some of mine, top drawer on the right."

Fluttershy nodded. knowing better to ask for reassurance. After grabbing a set and changing in the bathroom, the two sat together in the bed and began the movie.

Fluttershy had always questioned whether or not Rainbow acted differently around her than with her other friends, in more ways than to just not upset the shy girl. She was always quieter, more humble, more compassionate, and overall did a lot of things she wouldn't ever do with anyone else. No one but Fluttershy, it seemed, could possibly convince Rainbow Dash to sit through an entire romantic comedy.

"I still say it was too saccharine for my liking. Some of the jokes were good, but I just wish they stopped thinking that a super awkward situation is comedy gold."

Fluttershy simply nodded, already half asleep by this point. With her mind in a daze, she snuggled up to Rainbow's side and laid down.

"Um, Fluttershy?"

The only response was a light snore.

"Heh, good night to you too, I guess." Rainbow shut off her lamp and laid down next to the shy girl, sleep overtaking her as well.

Memories

Fluttershy found herself within the empty corridors of Canterlot High, the soft lights flickering in time with her quiet footsteps. The halls were otherwise empty, several of the lockers void of any supplies or personalization.

"Hello?" Fluttershy watched as her solitary sound rang out further and further down the corridor, the scenery changing as her cry passed. The walls lost most of their color, draining to a soft gray. The floor shined a periwinkle blue, and the smaller lockers were coated a metallic onyx.

This is Cloudsdale Elementary, she thought to herself as she looked around, the setting all too familiar as she recognized the very hallway she stood in. But why am I...

Her thought was interrupted as her eyes were drawn to one of the lockers. It was the only one with any sort of decoration on it, stickers of butterflies, ladybugs and bunnies adorning its front. As she slowly went up to the locker, she found it also had a few paint marks on its surface, little remnants of her attempts to paint it a different color. Gray was always too... bleak for me. She opened the locker to find all her books inside, as well as various photos decorating the inside of the door. Most were of her in the woods behind her home, taking care of its various inhabitants, but it was the centerpiece that she truly treasured; a photo of herself and a young Rainbow Dash, standing outside this very locker about a week after they had first met here. Rainbow looked so excited in the photo, holding Fluttershy right next to her. It made the young girl blush. but she also remembered doing her best to keep herself visible in the photo, something she was never keen on doing, just so the photograph was worthwhile to her friend.

She closed the locker, the sound of it locking into place coinciding with the loud creak of the front door of the school opening. Turning her attention to the source of the sound, she saw a younger version of herself wandering down the hallway. Several faceless young bodies would appear and disappear, but by and large young Fluttershy was left alone, until three more individuals entered the scene.

"Well, look what we've got here. You must be the new student everybody's been talking about," Hoops began as he and his two cohorts surrounded the young Fluttershy. Fluttershy couldn't eve understand how her younger self responded, her voice just barely audible even in dead silence. Never realized I was that shy...

"I don't think she likes to talk too much," Score said in a leering tone.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we could get something out of her." Hoops trapped her against the lockers and extended his hand out. "Like some lunch money?"

"Oh... I... I-I d-don't have l-lunch m-money..." the young girl produced a bag from her backpack. "I bring my own- EEP!" she squealed as the bag was snatched right from her hands.

"Let's see what kind of goodies we have." Hoops began rummaging through the bag, only to find a small container with several vegetables inside. "What is this??"

"Um, that's called a salad." the young Fluttershy responded, the viewing party vaguely recalling how she wondered just how stupid these guys were at the ridiculous question.

"What are ya, one of them weird vegans?" Dumb-bell interjected, once again only earning a mumble from their victim.

"Let's see what else she's got in that bag." Hoops reached for Fluttershy's backpack, only for a blue hand to interrupt him.

"Leave her alone!" Rainbow shouted at the three. "I know you three are jerks, but can't you see you're scaring the poor girl half to death??"

"Aw, come on, Rainbow, we're just putting the new girl through some initiation." Hoops backed off one step as he and the others attempted to feign innocence.

"I think you've done enough already. Now go."

"And what are you going to do about it, huh Rainbow Crash?" Hoops continued to instigate, though it was at this point his two friends decided to pull him away before he took a step too far. It was well known throughout the school at that point that Rainbow did not take half-measures when it came to defending anyone from the three, and Hoops had received more than a few beatings whenever he couldn't keep his big mouth shut. The inevitable punishment Rainbow always faced, was well worth it in the end, and she always seemed glad to put the jerk back in his place.

Rainbow turned to the young girl she had successfully defended. "Are you okay?"

She found the girl curled up behind her, softly sobbing into her sleeves. Something about this girl tugged at Rainbow's heart; this wasn't just some other victim of Hoops' harassment who was quietly seething on the inside; this girl seemed legitimately broken from the encounter. So Rainbow did the best thing she could think of, sitting next to the girl and pulling her into an embrace. "Don't worry, they're gone now."

The young Fluttershy looked up at the girl suddenly cradling her in her arms, uttering a soft "thank you" before placing her head back down. Fluttershy herself watched the scene play out in front of her, recalling just how gentle Rainbow had been with her, showing a side of herself she admitted to never letting anyone else see. Usually it was a quick pick-me-up from the confident Rainbow, assuring the victim that she would always look out for them, a promise she always kept. Yet she took a different approach to Fluttershy, most likely because of how frail she seemed to be. She would later inform Rainbow that this wasn't because of her natural personality, but because she had transferred here in an attempt to get away from the bullies who plagued her old school. For things to go right back to square one in ten seconds flat was too much for her younger self to bear.

It was different this time. She had Rainbow with her ever since that day, and the two became inseparable. Her old school didn't have someone like Rainbow, and the bullies their pretty much ran around unchecked. Fluttershy shuddered at the thought of where those jerks were now, and how many innocent souls they had tormented along the way.

Her attention was drawn back to the scene in front of her as her younger counterpart managed to speak through her tears.

"What's your name?"

It was hard for Rainbow to place, but this girl's demeanor seemed to shut down the brash, confident side of herself, as she couldn't bring herself to put on the usual show of confidence she usually introduced herself with.

"Rainbow Dash."

"Wow, that's a cool name," the young Fluttershy marveled, finding herself more comfortable in the presence of this stranger than she had ever been in public otherwise.

"What about you?"

"Oh, u-uh, my n-name's... Fluttershy..." she mumbled in response.

"Fluttershy, huh?" Rainbow adjusted herself next to her. "Just stick with me, Fluttershy, I'll make sure those kids don't bother you again."

The young Fluttershy gave out a small sigh of relief. "Thank you, Dashie."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Dashie?"

"Oh, I-I-I h-hope you d-don't mind m-me calling you t-that..." the young girl slowly shrinking in upon herself.

Rainbow gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just not in public, ok? I do have a reputation around here." She picked up Fluttershy's lunch bag and went to put it back into her backpack.

"Oh, no, wait!"

Upon pulling her hand back out, she found it covered by something white and fluffy.

"... you brought a bunny to school?" Rainbow eyed the animal curiously, noting that it seemed to be just as frightened as its caretaker.

"Oh please, oh PLEASE don't tell anyone!. This poor bunny is too young for me to leave at home by himself, and my family doesn't know anything about caring for animals!"

Fluttershy looked on with amusement. It was strange, seeing how she used to behave from a third person viewpoint. Looking back, she realized just how unstable she really was, flitting about between extremely shy, exasperated or paranoid, and the occasional bit of blind rage. It made her very proud of her calm demeanor nowadays, though she was still prone to her outbursts every now and again.

Speaking of which... "Woah, woah, relax, I'm not gonna tell anybody." Rainbow started to pet the little bunny on her hand, a gesture which the little critter seemed to appreciate. "What's his name?"

"Oh, I actually haven't named him yet." Fluttershy started absentmindedly twirling her hair. "I haven't thought of anything good for him."

"Oh, alright, well, we should probably get to class. Is he gonna be alright staying in your backpack?"

"He's got some lettuce to chew on in there, he'll be fine."

"Ok, well, see ya around, Flutters!" Rainbow took off towards her own locker, Fluttershy just watching her as she left. She hugged, her backpack to her chest, taking comfort in knowing she had her very own guardian angel.

"Angel..."

As Fluttershy continued through the corridors, she heard Hoops' voice once again shouting around the corner, although this time, it wasn't at Fluttershy.

"Why do you have to be such a pain in the butt? We're just having fun."

"I don't think picking on my friends counts as 'fun'. " Rainbow found herself surrounded by the three bullies. Fluttershy could only assume that this was not too long after Rainbow had helped another student away from these tyrants.

"You really think these kids are your friends? They only stick around you because you 'saved' them. Tell me one friend you have that you didn't meet by picking them up off the ground."

Rainbow visibly struggled with this challenge. She didn't really socialize much with other students outside of helping them out with the bullies or addressing them as a crowd. She didn't like anybody with a massive ego because they more often than not butted heads. She preferred to have more reserved friends, someone to help talk her down if she needed it, or to give her the support she needed. Little did she know how much her choice of friends was going to pay off...

"So what? I still hang out with all those that I helped, and I guarantee that they'd still be my friends regardless of whether or not I stopped you snot-nosed brats from tormenting them."

Fluttershy looked away to see her younger self round the opposite corner and immediately duck away, watching from a safe distance. She had wanted to see firsthand if Rainbow could truly hold her own against these guys.

"Well, then, maybe we should make an example for them, show them what their hero is truly like." Hoops continued to try and intimidate her, but nothing worked. He had no trump card to pull on her, and the adage of 'Rainbow Crash' had long since simply flew past the radar. That is, until he snatched her backpack.

"Hey, give that back!" Rainbow attempted to reach for it, only to be held back by Dumb-bell and Score.

"Let's see what we've got in here." The first thing he pulled out was a rather large stuffed turtle, to which he burst out laughing. "Looks like Rainbow isn't so tough after all!"

"Gimme that back!" Rainbow shouted as she continued to struggle against the restraint. Her expression paled when she saw Hoops pull out a pair of scissors as well.

"Ooh, even better, I wonder what would happen if I- OOF!!"

Just before Rainbow completely fell apart in front of the three, Hoops' was tackled by the previously hidden Fluttershy, dropping both the scissors and the toy. Rainbow broke out from the grip of the other two bullies, their expression matching that of their ringleader's. Rainbow quickly gathered up her stuff, and turned to find Hoops wrestling with the young girl above him. She could vaguely hear Fluttershy mumbling about "not hurting her friend" or something like that, but honestly her action was all Rainbow needed to understand what she was doing.

Then Hoops punched Fluttershy off of him.

What happened next was such a blur that even the older Fluttershy couldn't make sense of how exactly events transpired. All she knew was that her younger self was on the floor crying, Score and Dumb-bell had run off, and Rainbow was currently beating Hoops to a pulp.

It took several teachers to break up the scene, and Hoops was immediately taken to the nurse's office. Rainbow had enough strength left to break away from the teachers' grasp for a moment and ran over to Fluttershy, picking her up to see if she was alright. Fluttershy's cheek was severely swollen from where she was hit, but otherwise she remained fine. Rainbow was then taken to the principal's office, with Fluttershy not trailing too far behind.

Principal Spitfire, despite being a stern figure, was very understanding of the situation, even giving some leeway for Rainbow's immediate concern for her friend's well-being outweighing even her urge to continue beating the bullies she was notorious for getting into scuffles with. She left the room with nary a punishment save for a conversation with the principal. As the two girls left the office, Rainbow decided to speak up.

"Thanks, Flutters. Didn't know you had it in you, and I'm sorry things had to turn out the way they did."

"Oh, it was nothing, really." Fluttershy remembered what caused the standoff to escalate. "Since when did you bring a stuffed turtle to school?"

"Oh, this is Tank." Rainbow pulled the toy out from her backpack. "My parents said I couldn't have an actual pet turtle, so they got me this instead."

"Is that why it's so important?"

"Well..." Rainbow turned slightly redder at the question. "I actually got it because of you."

Fluttershy was surprised. "Me? Why me?"

"Well, you talk so much about all the critters you have back home and all the animals in the forest you help, I figured I'd see what all the fuss was about." Rainbow stowed the turtle back into its hiding place. "That, and I was hoping maybe I'd be able to come over and help someday."

"I... I... Of course! You could come over any time! I have so many wonderful critters to show you..."

Fluttershy watched as the two young girls continued to class, chuckling slightly at her own enthusiasm as her younger self started to ramble, Rainbow just walking with her and taking it all in.

Wakefulness started to call to her, and her lucid dream began to fade away from her vision.

What Is or What Could Be

Fluttershy couldn't see exactly where she was when she woke. The only thing in her vision was the soft light of the early morning filtered into a spectrum of color.

A rainbow...

Her eyes widened as her mind reached full consciousness. Her head was resting against Rainbow's shoulder, multicolored locks draped over Fluttershy's head. Her panicked attempts to retreat from her friend were rendered useless by a pair of arms wrapped around her back. Rainbow was still fast asleep, her soft snores being the only thing interrupting the silence within the room.

Fluttershy settled back into the bed, realizing that there was no way out until Rainbow woke up. Resting her head against Rainbow again, Fluttershy was surprised just how comfortable she felt. Being this close to her crush gave her butterflies in her stomach, the warmth from Rainbow's body negating the early morning chill. Fluttershy settled into Rainbow's neck, deciding it better to savor the few moments she had in Rainbow's embrace.

Fluttershy wished this was how she could wake up every morning. It was a scenario she had only dreamed of before this point. She couldn't seem to rationalize why Rainbow had inexplicably taken her in an embrace sometime during the night, but it didn't matter to her. All that mattered was that Rainbow was there, holding her close.

She knew it wouldn't last, though, and she quietly dreaded the moment Rainbow woke from her slumber. Not only because the peace might end, but she was also concerned about Rainbow's reaction to their current position. The rational part of her mind assured her that Rainbow wouldn't flip out, and would likely treat this as any other morning, albeit perhaps a bit more awkward than normal. A small part of her was still frightened, though. She wondered if Rainbow would act distant, or even ask her to leave. Fluttershy didn't think she could handle it if Rainbow didn't want her around.

It had been Fluttershy's greatest fear for months now. She feared the possible rejection, of course, but she was more concerned of the aftermath. If she told Rainbow how she really felt, would Rainbow accept? Would she reject her and things would continue as normal? Or would she no longer feel comfortable around Fluttershy, slowly distancing herself until they no longer spoke to each other. The last possibility was irrational, sure, and likely would never come to pass, but this was a situation where Fluttershy understood sometimes things were not rational. The heart and mind work very differently, and never seem to agree.

She resolved to wait for Rainbow to wake, and act based on her reaction. If Rainbow was okay with where they were now, then Fluttershy hoped it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to ask for more.

Fluttershy felt Rainbow softly stirring, the athlete's hair shifting slightly in her vision. Rainbow let go of Fluttershy to stretch her arms, slowly letting one fall over her shy friend once again.

"Comfy there?" Rainbow brought her arm around Fluttershy to bring her closer.

You have no idea. Fluttershy could only manage a small squeak, her cheeks colored a soft pink.

Rainbow patted her on her shoulder. "Come on, we'd better get up. I can smell the pancakes downstairs." Rainbow rose from the bed, stretching again before turning to Fluttershy. "You coming?"

"Oh, right!" Fluttershy quickly scrambled out of the bed and followed her friend down the steps.

After breakfast, the two spent a little more time in Rainbow's room, Rainbow taking her pet tortoise Tank out of his pen for the day. Fluttershy couldn't remember the number of times she had to correct her on the differences between a turtle and a tortoise, but she chalked up part of that to the rarity of tortoises in the general public's view. Rainbow always complained that the toy she had gotten way back when didn't quite match the pet she got just a year ago.

"And I've finally got everything I need to wax his shell, so maybe this weekend you could show me how its done."

"I'd love too!" Fluttershy watched as Tank lumbered into Rainbow's lap. "I'll have to do some research on the best techniques though. Some tortoises aren't very comfortable with anything messing with their home."

Rainbow snickered. "You sounded like Twilight for a sec there."

They both shared a small giggle before Rainbow got up, placing Tank on her bed. "Well, I'm guessing you're going to have to leave soon."

Fluttershy gave Rainbow a confused look as she stood. "Why do you think that?"

"You didn't have any plans for the rest of summer break?"

Fluttershy tensed up slightly, her hands fidgeting behind her back. "Not really."

"Well, what about Angel and the rest of the critters at your place?"

"Oh, Tree Hugger is watching them as a summer project, or something like that. Something to do with her nature club."

Rainbow smirked. "You don't know what she's doing it for?"

"Even I can't understand her all the time."

Rainbow chuckled softly before falling silent. The two remained standing for a few moments before Fluttershy spoke up again. "Actually, there was something I was hoping to do."

"What's that?" Rainbow asked as she leaned against her wall.

Come on, Fluttershy, you can do this. "I... I was w-wondering if you'd like to... to..."

"...to what?"

Fluttershy swallowed, attempting to rid herself of the lump she felt in her throat. "Would you l-like to join me for a picnic?"

"Pffft, that's it? Of course!" Rainbow went to dig through her dresser to find some clothes to wear for the day. "Who else is coming?"

When Fluttershy didn't respond, Rainbow turned towards her, seeing the girl suddenly red-faced and trembling. "Fluttershy, are you okay?" she asked in her most sincere tone.

Just spit it out! "Well, actually, I... I was h-hoping it w-would be j-j-just... just the two of us?"

Fluttershy couldn't even begin to describe how frightened she felt, her entire body wracked with nervous energy. Oh, I should have just kept my mouth shut!

Feeling a hand rest upon her shoulder, she looked up to see Rainbow now standing in front of her, a look of concern painting her otherwise confident visage. It helped Fluttershy to relax, at least a little bit.

"I'm cool with that."

Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief, her entire body dropping about an inch closer to the floor. Rainbow caught her in her arms, afraid she might actually fall over. "Heh, I guess I do have that effect on people." She led Fluttershy back over to her bed, then returned to her dresser to swap what she had picked out.

This caught Fluttershy's attention. "What are you doing?"

"Well, if it's just gonna be the two of us, I suppose I could afford to wear something a little different for the occasion." Rainbow continued to sift through the drawer, deliberately hiding anything she pulled out from Fluttershy's view. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Oh, of course not!" Fluttershy grabbed her own clothes that had been washed the previous night. She only hoped she could be prepared for what Rainbow had in store.

Take a Chance

Fluttershy returned home for a brief time to prepare a lunch for their picnic. Hers was a strange abode amongst the Ponyville suburbs, an entirely natural cottage built from the nearby woodlands. It had been her passion project throughout high school, creating a home that had everything she needed to live on her own. It wasn't very 'modern', as the only heat system in it was a fireplace, but it was cozy for Fluttershy and any of her visitors. The only bill she had to pay was wi-fi, and that was easily covered by her part-time job at the clinic.

The home itself seemed to blend with the forest around it. It was a rounded wooden structure decorated with shrubbery outside its doors and windows. A large garden sprawled across the clearing in her backyard, and various feeding stations were set up throughout the property. Small plots of colorful flowers adorned the front of the home, ranging from typical roses to some more exotic varieties that even some of the best florists in town never heard of; Fluttershy prided herself on her connections.

Opening the front door, Fluttershy was greeted by a swarm of various critters; mice, beavers, birds, and even a few bats, though she was surprised to see them out and about at this hour. Her attention was seized by the small white bunny pulling at her sock.

"Aw, yes Angel, I've missed you too." Fluttershy scooped up her own pet and cuddled him in her arms. "Treehugger, are you here?"

Fluttershy continued through her home, finding the designated caretaker conked out on her living room couch. Fluttershy rolled her eyes, knowing that she likely put too much of her special herbs in her tea again. Everybody asked her whether or not Treehugger was on drugs, considering her usual oblivious nature, and while Fluttershy was certain she didn't take any conventional drugs like marijuana, she always had to wonder just what it was that she added to her brew. Fluttershy had already sworn to herself she would never try it, out of fear of what she'd do in such a state.

After taking care of her animals, Fluttershy set about making lunch. She decided on a salad for herself, mixing a variety of her home-grown fruits and veggies into a colorful blend, with Angel sneaking away a leaf of lettuce every now and again. She knew Rainbow was less keen on salad, so she opted to make some sandwiches for her. Peanut butter and jelly would be too ordinary for her, but luckily Fluttershy kept a varied stock of preserves to use. Rainbow always loved the surprise, anyway.

She packed up everything within a classic wicker basket, setting a folded tablecloth over the rest of the lunch. As she made her way out, she attempted to shake Treehugger awake, to no avail. I think I'm going to have to fire her. She did one last routine check on her animals before heading out.

Canterlot Park was one of Fluttershy's favorite places outside of her own home. Simple cobblestone paths interlaced the green fields that stretched around a centerpiece lake. The cool breeze rolling off of the water made it a common hangout for anybody during the summer, and the tall trees provided plenty of shade. Fluttershy chose a spot towards the center of the park, settling down underneath a large oak tree. She was already halfway finished setting up the picnic when Rainbow arrived in her signature blur.

"Sorry it took me so long, my mind is still having trouble keeping up with the rest of me," she remarked as she sat down.

Fluttershy could only stare. Rather than the normal jacket and skirt combo, Rainbow was instead wearing a pair of light-gray denim jeans and a hot-pink camisole covered by a red shirt, the wide neck hanging just slightly off her shoulders. It wasn't terribly fancy, sure, but it was still far enough from Rainbow's usual style to turn a few heads, especially Fluttershy's.

"That's an... interesting ensemble you're wearing. I didn't even know you had anything like that."

Rainbow looked down at her own outfit. "Yeah, it's just some stuff my mom got me for my last birthday. Never really saw a reason to wear it before, but..." She turned and scooted closer to Fluttershy with a smirk. "I figured I'd do something a little special for you."

Fluttershy blushed at both Rainbow's tone and their sudden closeness. She quickly grabbed a bag from her picnic basket and held it between them. "I brought lunch!"

After the sudden action startled her for a second, Rainbow took the bag from Fluttershy. "I don't think it'd be a good picnic if you didn't." She pulled out the sandwich from the bag. "So what's today's mystery flavor?" she pondered as she took a bite.

Fluttershy always enjoyed having Rainbow try to guess what jelly was in the sandwich, even if it didn't take very long. Rainbow was getting better and better every time.

"Aw, you gave me an easy one. Do you know how many apples we've collectively had? If I didn't recognize the flavor, I'd be the dumbest person alive."

Fluttershy gave a soft chuckle before she began to eat her salad.

Rainbow broke their momentary silence. "So, how's Treehugger handling her 'project'?"

"Oh, you know, the same way she usually does."

Rainbow's just gave her a deadpan look. "She was passed out on the floor, wasn't she?"

"On my couch."

Rainbow sighed. "I told you she wasn't going to do it right. That girl is just seriously weird. It says a lot when even you of all people can't tell what that 'special herb' she's got actually is. Zecora couldn't tell you what it was?"

Fluttershy settled against the trunk of the tree behind her. "It's not anything she's familiar with. The best she could tell me is that it's possibly not even a natural herb. It's reminiscent of chamomile to some degree, but its far stronger. Possibly some sort of cross breeding or a new mutation, or maybe- why are you laughing?"

"You're sounding like Twilight again."

Fluttershy harrumphed and gave Rainbow a light punch on the shoulder, eliciting more laughter from her friend. "You're the one who asked!"

"You have to admit, it's pretty funny."

Fluttershy simply sat there with her arms crossed, acting angrier than she actually was.

Rainbow brought her arm around Fluttershy's back, pulling her shy friend right next to her. "Aw, I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you."

Fluttershy looked away from Rainbow, their sudden closeness making her heart pound within her chest. "And how do you plan in doing that?"

"Well, how's about you tell me why you wanted me here in the first place?'

Fluttershy froze, her heart throbbing even harder than before, her entire body trembling. "I-I-I j-just wanted to s-spend some more t-t-time with you..."

Rainbow tightened her grip on the girl next to her. "Is that all?"

"Yes." Fluttershy managed to squeak out. This was it, this was when all her hard work came crashing down before her. She felt like an elephant was sitting atop her shoulders, threatening to flatten her the moment Rainbow broke what little resolve she had left. She felt like breaking from her friend's grasp and running away, not looking back for fear of what Rainbow would say to her for her insipid fantasy.

"Fluttershy, please tell me." Rainbow said, her voice almost pleading.

That voice. The moment Rainbow let her own walls down always reassured Fluttershy. The arm trapping her against her friend was now a comforting embrace, and Rainbow's voice pierced the fear that had settled into her core.

She was still at a loss for words, though, and simply remained within her friend's grasp, worried that anything she might say would upset the precarious situation she found herself in. No longer afraid of what Rainbow would think, she was more concerned with what she might do if she couldn't stop her fear from getting the better of her.

Rainbow decided it was time to try and help things along. "Listen, Fluttershy, I've been trying to let you do this at your own pace. I understand you're scared. I understand that you don't want to ruin our friendship." Rainbow put a finger to Fluttershy's mouth before she could interject. "And don't try to argue with me. You may be quiet, but you're not always subtle." Rainbow earned a blush from her friend at that comment.

"Look, I'm not too sure about this whole thing myself. I don't know what I feel, what I should or shouldn't feel, or, hell, what I'm even doing right now. You know what you want, and I need to know what you want. You can't live in this state of limbo forever." Rainbow paused to choose her next words. "I know it's rather unconventional for me, but if you want to take things slow, that's up to you, but I need to know if you wanna take that next step. Otherwise, you're just tormenting yourself even more."

Rainbow could always read her like a book, even when she wasn't very good at empathizing with others. It was one of the things she always enjoyed about Rainbow's company, to be able to confide in someone without having to utter a single word. It was a blessing in disguise, especially since most people found it frustrating to know someone they couldn't slip anything by.

But was closure what Fluttershy actually needed? She had spent the past several months fighting with herself, saying that whatever she hoped to gain wasn't worth the risks involved. Rainbow said that it all rested on her, but...

Wait...

It all rested on her. Whatever choice she made, that's what Rainbow would go with as well. That means...

She'd say yes...

Fluttershy couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face, her relief washing over her just as the droplets hit the ground and her soft sobs could be heard.

"Did I say something wrong? Aagh! I thought I had this right! I'm sorry, Fluttershy, I-mmph!"

Her voice was silenced by Fluttershy turning towards her and bringing their lips together for a soft and quick union. IT only lasted a moment, but that moment was enough to tell Fluttershy just how happy she was going to be.

Rainbow simply smirked. "Heh, coming on a little strong there, aren't you?"

"Oh, hush, Dashie." FLuttershy earned herself a blush from Rainbow.

"Please don't call me that in front of everybody else."

"I'll try."

Fluttershy awoke the next morning to the sound of the mourning doves outside her window, her evening gown gently clinging to her form. She rose from her bed with a slight yawn and opened the window to allow the birds entry. Some made straight away for the bird feeder she kept in her room, while the others settled upon the shape that still occupied her bed, causing it to shift slightly.

"Ugh, is this always how you wake up?" Rainbow shooed the birds off of her, stretching as she left her spot on the bed.

"Pretty much, though sometimes there's this beautiful family of cardinals that comes by."

"I swear you live in some sort of fairy tale."

Fluttershy smirked. "Then where's my handsome prince? All I got was a beautiful princess."

"Why do you have to be so sweet? It makes me sick."

"Oh, I could get you some medicine if you need it."

"I- you- wha- Oh, come here!" Rainbow shouted as she tackled her girlfriend to the floor, the two laughing together in the early morning light.

Author's Note

And that concludes this story. I'm debating what exactly I want to work on next, so I thought it'd be fun to give the viewers a choice. Let me know which of these you guys wanna see next.

Sunset's return to Equestria
Rarijack ship fic (EQG)
Twinkie ship fic (Pony)

Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next time