Overprotective Sist... Friend

Chapters

You Want Me To What!? (May 9th, Thursday afternoon.)
Settling In (May 9th, Thursday afternoon.)
Yeah... No... (May 9th, Thursday afternoon.)
Welcome To The Cloudominium (May 9th, Thursday evening.)
Dinner (May 9th, Thursday evening.)
Too Many Questions (May 10th, Friday afternoon.)
One Sided Fight (May 10th, Friday evening.)
Little Comforts (May 10th, Friday night.)
Two Little Talks (May 11th, Saturday morning.)
Their Talk (May 11th, Saturday afternoon.)
The Night (May 11th, Saturday night.)
Awkard Morning After (May 11th, Saturday morning.)

You Want Me To What!? (May 9th, Thursday afternoon.)

Flitter rushed into the medical wing of the Wonderbolts to find her sister in one of the beds, rushing over she looked her sister over, it wasn't nearly as bad as she was fearing. She knew that Cloud Chaser was fine, it had taken her enough time to get to the Wonderbolts Academy that the initial shock had worn off, but still, her sister was injured! She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the absolute wreck Cloudy would be if the positions were reversed. She sat down next to her sister's bed, smiling.

Cloud Chaser was laying back in the bed, it looked like she'd avoided any harm to the face, but Flitter could see a heavily bandaged wing under the covers before Cloud Chaser pulled the sheets up to cover it. Flitter had also seen the burns across Cloudy's chest, scorched fur, it would probably leave at least a few scars unless she got some magical touch up after healing. From what she'd been told on the way Cloudy was expected to make a full recovery, but it would take a few months, then it would take a further few months of physical therapy to get back to her old speed. "How are you feeling Cloudy?"

Cloud Chaser visibly flinched at the pet name that only her sister called her, but still smiled at her beloved little sister. "Hey there Flitter. I'm fine don't you worry about your older sister, that's my job." She reached out with a hoof and patted her little sister on the head, causing another roll of Flitter's eyes. It wasn't the right time to point out that Cloud Chaser was only a few minutes older... Again. "But don't you worry, I made arrangements for you while I'm recovering."

Flitter smile melted away as she sat back slightly, eyeing her sister, still concerned for Clouder, but also now concerned for herself... "Made arrangements Cloudy...?" She didn't like the sound of that, knowing Cloudy she probably hired someone to follow Flitter around, cook her food, and even run her gosh darn daycare center!

Cloud chaser nodded, smiling at her little sister. "Yep, you'll be moving in with Rainbow Dash, she'll look after you while I'm out of commission." It took all of Flitter's self-control to not facehoof herself in exasperation, though she couldn't stop her sigh expressing the same emotion. She was a full grown mare! She didn't need to be looked after! She looked after foals for a living the love of Celestia!

"Cloudy, that's really unnecessary I'll be fine in our house for a few months without you." Flitter really didn't want to get into this argument, again, now, but this was really ridiculous.

Cloud Chaser reached out and put her hoof on her little sister's shoulder. "Now don't be like that Flitter, I need to know you're looked after properly!"

Flitter took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, if it will make you feel better Cloudy, fine, I'll go live with Rainbow Dash while you're recovering." And then when you're all better we'll finally have that long overdue talk about the fact that I'M A GROWN MARE! "How'd you get her to agree to that anyway? Rainbow Dash's never struck me as particularly... Welcoming to a stranger for two months."

"You're not strangers! You're friends! It'll be fun!"

Flitter rolled her eyes. "Cloudy, you two are friends, I'm one of her friends' sister. We're not really into the same things like you and her are there Cloudy. I am Fluttershy's friend, you're Rainbow Dash's friend, we go to the same things by coincidence, I'm either going with Shy, or you, and she's there too. To be frank I can't think of more than... What... two times I've spoken to her." Cloudy had a real problem with thinking that Flitter was friends with all of her friends.

Cloud Chaser frowned but then brightened again. "Well, then this is a great time for you two to become friends! Then she'll make sure to help you even more!"

Flitter sighed loudly and shook her head. "Well anyway, where would this elusive Rainbow Colored host of mine be anyway?"

Cloud Chaser giggled gently. "Oh, I bet she's over the rainbow!"

"What?"

"You know, her home is full of rainbows!"

Flitter looked at her sister, worry painted across her face. "Uh... Cloudy, are you alright?" She started to raise a hoof to flag down the doctor, nurse, medic, whatever it was that the Wonderbolts had here only to see Rainbow Dash approaching.

"Hey Flitter, Chaser doing ok?" She sat next to the very blissful looking Cloud Chaser.

"Cloudy's starting to talk nonsense."

Dash nodded. "Yeah, they gave her a pill about fifteen minutes ago for the pain, they said it'd make her loopy."

Cloud Chaser rolled her head to the side, giggling gently. "Heya Crash... You're moving in with my sister, that makes you my sister too. I'll send dad a letter, he'll be so very surprised!"

Dash motioned to Flitter with her hoof who nodded in return. "You get some sleep Chaser, we'll see you later."

Flitter got up and leaned in, kissing her sister on the cheek. "I'll visit you again tomorrow Cloudy."

Cloud Chaser waved her hoof lazily, at the empty bed across the aisle from her. "Mmmm, yeah, I'll be at the new hospital, I am getting my own room! Like when we were kids! But no sadness this time!"

Rainbow Raised an eyebrow at Flitter who just gave a single, sharp shake of her head, and Rainbow Dash just shrugged, didn't matter. "So, I called some guys and got you a new room set up in my place already!"

Flitter was visibly surprised. "Uh, you're -really- on board with this Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash stood up a little bit taller. "Absolutely! Cloud Chaser saved my life! I promised to do whatever she asked! And now I'm going to look after you like a mother hen!" Flitter groaned loudly, this was going to be worse than Cloud Chaser. Rainbow Dash smiled a bit too widely at Flitter. "You're friends with Fluttershy right?" Rainbow Dash barely waited for Flitter to nod in answer before throwing a hoof around her shoulders and started walking her out of the infirmary. "That's good because I asked her to come out to help you get your stuff from your house, ok? I can go too if you want."

Flitter was baffled, did Rainbow Dash always act like this? It was... A bit off. "Uh... No, it'll be fine."

Rainbow Dash gave her a slight squeeze with her foreleg before letting her go and waving to Fluttershy, "want me to walk you two out?" Flitter shook her head, still just staring at the other pony who smiled. "Ok then, I need to do some more stuff here but I'll get to my house before you guys do, don't worry, Fluttershy won't leave until I get there if you somehow beat me."

Flitter walked over to the smiling, though also concerned looking Fluttershy, giving Flitter a quick hug. "I'm so sorry Flitter." Flitter nodded to her old friend.

"Thanks Shy, let's go get my stuff, if I'm going to be made to move I'd like to get it done with." She gave a last glance after Rainbow Dash, maybe she was in a bit of shock after the accident? But that has been hours ago, how odd.

Settling In (May 9th, Thursday afternoon.)

Flitter smiled at Fluttershy and shook her head. "No, I'll be fine setting up my room on my own, thanks Shy."

"I know... But with Cloud Chaser getting hurt and everything...?"

Flitter smiled and gave her quiet friend a hug. "Thank you but no, I'm fine, don't worry."

Fluttershy smiled, "Ok, but if you need anything you can always come to my cottage." Flitter nodded in return, smiling and waving as Fluttershy flew off from Rainbow Dash's house. Flitter turned back into Rainbow Dash's house humming to herself quietly, she was always just a little bit happier after seeing Fluttershy, and her other friends who'd helped her move. She got to complain to all of them about Cloud Chaser, and a little about Rainbow Dash, though never that in Fluttershy's earshot. Fluttershy couldn't tell the difference between criticism of her speedy friend, and a complaint about the general situation taking the form of poking fun at Flitter's overeager new host.

Now that Flitter was thinking about it, where was her host? She shrugged as she walked up the cloud stairs towards her new room, not worrying about that, she was probably off practicing her speed or napping, Cloud Chaser was always going on about the dual nature of Rainbow Dash, obsessed with training, and speed, but also with napping. Either way it was to Flitter's advantage. Rainbow Dash seemed like a good enough pony, and she was sure they'd eventually get along well, but she didn't need to deal with the loud brilliantly maned host on top of everything else. That relief was shattered when she got up to the room.

Flitter wouldn't have been put off by seeing Rainbow Dash in the room under most circumstances. Offering to help, telling Flitter about any particularly malleable cloud walls that could be converted into shelves, asking if she wanted a tour, or even offering her a freaking glass of water! She was not so lucky. Rainbow Dash had set up half of Flitter's things, though in a way that Flitter could not begin to comprehend. Her old keepsake stuffed animals were all set out on the bed, instead of sitting over on a shelf. Her bows were set out on the shelves, not in the closets, and already tied? Her desk was over in the corner and was... Layered in clouds!? Rainbow Dash beamed at Flitter. "Oh good, you're here!" Rainbow Dash trotted proudly over to her new charge. "How do you like it? I set everything up for you!"

Flitter's eye twitched as she was contemplating just how hard it would be to sneak a dead body out of a giant flying house. "Rainbow Dash... Why is it set up like this?"

Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide and she shook her head. "Oh, I'm so sorry I should have let you tell me how to set it up for you." Flitter looked at her puzzled. "But don't worry! I can get it done the right way in a flash! You just need to tell me how to get it to your liking! I'm guessing you don't like change! So sorry, we'll get it fixed don't you worry." Flitter could only stare for a good ten seconds, causing her to look around in mild concern, then saying in a sickly sweet voice. "Flitter, sweetheart, don't freak out, we'll get it fixed."

Flitter's brain finally caught up to the events happening around her, the fact she'd just been called sweetheart gave her the mental slap. "What? I... You... Who would lay a room out like this!?" Rainbow Dash's ears instantly went down, her eyes flashed in annoyance at being talked so, Flitter wouldn't blame her if she hadn't set up the room like Flitter was a foal!

However, when Rainbow Dash responded she was completely calm, surprising Flitter, wasn't this the loud, somewhat angry pony from the most famous six ponies next to Luna and Celestia? "I'm sorry I didn't do it right Flitter, I'll be happy to help you set it up right! I just want to make your time here as good as possible, ok? Or would you prefer it if I let you set it up?"

Flitter nodded at that last line. "Uh... Yeah, I'll get it set up right... Thanks for the... Attempt."

Rainbow Dash didn't stop smiling, Flitter had moved on to purposely poking the other pony but was not getting any real reactions. "Alright, if it's ok with you I'll go visit Fluttershy for a little bit, will you be okay here without me?"

Flitter was just glad to be out of the conversation, Rainbow Dash was acting weird and wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to get out of this situation completely. "Yeah, I'll be just fine Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash nodded and started to trot out of the room, waving at Flitter. "Ok, I'm going now, I'll be back soon Flitter."

Flitter let out a long-suffering sigh as she walked over and closed the door, shaking her head after she did so and looking around the room. What was wrong with that mare? She trotted over to the shelf full of bows and started to untie them, she tied her own bows thank you! Even she admitted the bow had been an affectation to help herself distinguish herself from her almost-twin sister. But she thought it was cute so she kept wearing them. Mildly surprised by Rainbow Dash had taken the time to put a hairpin in the back of each bow to allow it to be attached to her mane. Putting the old stuffed animals up on the shelves, and un-clouded her desk. What the heck was that about? Did Dash think she was going to trip?

Rainbow Dash lingered outside the room for a moment, biting her bottom lip as she was concerned about how Flitter closed the door on her, then she shook her head, she could make it up to Flitter after talking to Fluttershy! Fluttershy would know her special friend's special foibles, and she'd make sure that Cloud Chaser's sister was comfortable, safe, and looked after for the next three to six months! With that thought, she dashed to her door and flew off at top speed for Fluttershy's cottage.

Yeah... No... (May 9th, Thursday afternoon.)

Rainbow Dash knocked on Fluttershy's door. Said door was opened by a smiling Fluttershy who's smile quickly turned into a frown as she saw the look on Rainbow Dash's face. "What's the matter Rainbow Dash? Did you and Flitter have a fight? Is something the matter with Tank?" She took a few steps back to let her friend in who just shook her head to her as they walked over to the couch, careful to walk over the skittering mice and squirrels.

"Well, maybe a little one, I just don't know how to deal with someone like her. You have any advice?"

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side, looking somewhat confused by the question. "Uh, someone like her Rainbow Dash? I don't understand...?"

Rainbow Dash groaned. "I mean you probably don't notice because you're around her a lot Fluttershy but I need help knowing how to deal with someone who's... Special."

Fluttershy's eyes widened and she blushed brightly. "Sh-She's special to you? Why did you come to me? Why not go to someone else? Someone who... Has experience with that kind of thing!"

Rainbow Dash wrinkled her muzzle in annoyance. "Because you're her friend Fluttershy, you interact with her, you know her, what she likes, how she likes to do things, like, does she have a special order she likes to eat food in? Or should I bring her candy at the end of the day? Chaser wasn't able to tell me too much between getting meds and such."

Fluttershy giggled, drawing a glare from Rainbow Dash. "I'm sorry Dash, but I can just imagine you talking to Cloud Chaser's about this, she's very protective of her little sister." With Dash's encouraging nods. "Well, I know that Flitter really likes roses, and for sweets she likes croissants." Flitter giggled slightly. "Though she doesn't eat them normally, she tries to unwrap them and gets crumbs everywhere."

Rainbow Dash nodded, not echoing any of Fluttershy's levity. "Ok, ok, got it, roses, and croissants! Anything else you can think of? Does she have an issue with her food touching? She didn't bring any plates over."

Fluttershy blinked, staring at her friend and slowly shaking her head. "Uh... Not that I know of...?"

Rainbow Dash nodded again, she was doing a lot of that. She hopped off the couch and started to pace, causing Angel Bunny to grab his carrot and hurry out of the way, shaking his minute fist at the pony. "Okay, okay, I got it now. Snacks, presents, and no organizing her room for her."

Fluttershy couldn't suppress another giggle. Rainbow Dash was really, really bad at having a special somepony wasn't she? "Why did you set up her room?"

"Well, I wasn't going to leave it to her! I mean, how rude would that have been? I promised Chaser to look after her!"

Fluttershy blinked slowly. "Uh, looking after her isn't the same as waiting on her hoof and muzzle..." She waved a hoof, blushing brightly. "I'm sure she was quite flattered but... You really shouldn't have gone through her stuff like that Dash..."

Rainbow Dash groaned. "Well, I didn't think she'd care! Sorry!" Fluttershy whined quietly and Rainbow Dash raised a hoof. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I just mean that I didn't think that she'd be too uptight about privacy since you know, she lives with her sister and all that. I'm sure her sister goes through her stuff regularly."

Fluttershy couldn't stop raising her eyebrow at that statement. She had a brother, but... She'd never had gone through his stuff! "Uh... Rainbow Dash I don't think that's how... It works...?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Of course that's how it works! You can't just leave a pony like that to her own devices or she might get herself hurt!"

"Wait... What... Are you talking about Dash?" Fluttershy shook her head, completely lost to the conversation now.

"Well, you know!... "Special" ponies. Kinda like Muffins!"

Fluttershy gave Rainbow Dash one of her patented glares, causing the mare to take a few steps back. "Muffins is a perfectly nice pony who doesn't need someone like you speaking badly about her. She manages the entire postal service in Ponyville! Without her, we wouldn't get our packages on time! I know she made a few mistakes in the past but she's doing a lot better recently!" Fluttershy had actually managed to get up the volume of mildly loud.

"Uh... I'm... Sorry Fluttershy I wasn't trying to insult Muffins..." Why had Fluttershy reacted like that about Muffins? And had completely gotten off topic of helping her of how to deal with Flitter. "Ok, ok, not like Muffins, but what about Flitter? What else do I need to worry about with her?"

Fluttershy blinked and sat back, blushing brightly as she calmed down from her slight rise in emotion. Pausing for a moment before going back to speaking in her normal, but slightly baffled voice. "Uh... Rainbow Dash? Flitter isn't special either. And I mean... Quite literally she isn't... At all..."

Rainbow Dash shook her head. "Chaser told me, she said she was her special little sister."

Fluttershy couldn't stop herself from simply facehoofing with a little sigh. "That's just how she refers to Flitter Rainbow Dash... Flitter is perfectly normal and fully mentally capable."

Rainbow Dash paled slightly. "Oh... Crap! No wonder she was acting so weird, she must think I'm insane!" She hopped up and down slightly in the middle of the cottage. "Oh man, I need to go tell her and... Wait, why does she live with her sister then?"

Fluttershy shrugged. "They're close. Ask her if you want to know, she can talk you know."

"Well, I know now!"

"Dash! Challenged ponies can still ta..."

"I know! I know! Sorry! I just meant now I can approach her on more topics."

Fluttershy let out a low annoyed hiss of disapproval but seemed to be willing to drop the issue. "So, you going to go and talk to her?"

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Oh yeah, this is going to be faaaaaar less onerous!... Wait, but why'd she have to move in with me anyway?"

Fluttershy smiled, shaking her head. "Overprotective sister, like I said, why'd you agree to it?"

Rainbow Dash coughed into her hoof and looked to the side, scratching the back of her neck. "Uh... Well... She kind of... Saved my life by taking that lightning bolt for me..."

Fluttershy nodded and smiled. "Well, I'm glad that you're ok, and that she's going to be." She got up and walked over to her friend giving her a quick hug. "Now go and try to fix this entire issue with your new roommate? Or are you going to move her out now that you know she doesn't need your help?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled and stood up a little straighter. "Absolutely not! I gave my word and I'll stick to it! I am the element of loyalty, aren't I? Not to mention it'll probably do Flitter some good!" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow as Rainbow Dash trotted to the door. "She could obviously use a little more awesome in her life! Get out there more, fly faster, and do more cool things!" With that Rainbow Dash shot off into the air with a quick jump.

Fluttershy looked after her friend. "Oh dear..."

Welcome To The Cloudominium (May 9th, Thursday evening.)

By the time that Rainbowdash returned to her home Flitter had obviously finished unpacking and was sitting in a cloud chair, obviously of her own design in the main room. Rainbow Dash took a peak at the title "Early Foal Educational Development" and she couldn't help but snicker at how she would have reacted had this happened before she talked to Fluttershy. The snicker caused Flitter to look up with a raised eyebrow and Rainbow Dash gave her a normal smile. "Hey Flitter, I gotta apologize for the weirdness earlier, but it's a funny story."

Flitter smiled and set her book aside, a normal Rainbow Dash was someone she wanted to get to know since they'd be in the same house for a few months. And she was one of Cloudy's good friends. "Oh good, I thought you were crazy. Do tell."

Rainbow Dash started her story while fashioning herself her own cloud chair for sitting in. "Well, you know how your sister calls you her special little sister?" Flitter nodded, completely baffled to where this was leading. "Well I didn't realize she was just being affectionate I thought she meant you were her "special" little sister."

Flitter paused for a moment before bursting out laughing, shaking her head as she looked at Rainbow Dash, true amusement reflecting in her eyes. "I feel like I should feel insulted but like I told Cloudy we've only talked twice before today. We're up to five times I guess."

Rainbow Dash grinned back at the Flitter, glad she wasn't offended. That was a good sign, she wasn't gonna get stuck up on little misunderstandings. Then Dash grinned a far more devious grin at her new house guest, turning over and laying back over the arms of her chair in an exaggeratedly luxurious way. "I didn't realize you were such a huuuuuuge fan of mine that you count how many times we've talked. Must be pretty amazing for you that you get to stay in my house for months!"

Flitter continued to snicker, shaking her head. "Oh, I most definitely am! I didn't want you to see my Rainbow Dash collection! Why else would I be so mortified by you setting up my room!"

Rainbow Dash had started snickering too, she was happy to get in on and continue the joke. "Oh! So that's why Chaser kept asking me to sign those pictures! I got a wing cramp! You better make that up to me!"

Flitter smiled a little wider, giving Rainbow Dash her best half-lidded gaze, causing the blue pony to turn a little red. "Oh, I can think of a few ways to repay you, how about a nice loooooooooong wing massage. Then after that I'll..." She trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence to Rainbow Dash's imagination.

Her friends weren't so open to joking about such things which caused it to still embarrass Rainbow Dash slightly, but she'd had to get used to it at the Wonderbolts' academy, it was like every other joke over there. "You know Flitter, you shouldn't brag about being so easy." She said with a wicked grin and Flitter's eyes flashed, sitting up a little straighter, that concerned Rainbow Dash slightly...

"Oh but Dashie!" Flitter whined in a sickly sweet voice. "Y-You said that if I did it for you you'd introduce me to Spitfire!"

Dash couldn't help but let out a loud bark of laughter, hitting the arm of her chair with a hoof, producing nothing but a smooshed cloud though. "Oh! Nice one!" She grinned, to her the competition had ended there in Flitter's favor with that comeback. "I mean I come back with the "you're easy" one then you stab me right in the ego!" She leaned back, still giggling slightly. "You know you're pretty good at that."

Flitter smiled as she picked her book back up but didn't open it yet. "Well you have to be quick on your hooves to keep up with foals, and I don't just mean literally. They never stop asking questions." At Rainbow Dash's raised eyebrow Flitter smiled and lifted her book again, emphasizing the title. "I run the daycare in Ponyville Rainbow Dash."

"Oh, never knew that." Rainbow Dash shrugged then frowned slightly. What... What did most of her friends do anyway? Besides the other elements of harmony, and Starlight, her only friends were her old friends from the weather squad and from the Wonderbolts. She remained silent for a few moments, an indication that Flitter obviously took to the end of their conversation she went back to her reading, but now with an amused grin as she read.

Rainbow Dash frowned a bit, she wasn't so used to her friends ending their conversations abruptly like that, but she got up and kicked her chair a few times to get it out of the way and trotted over to the kitchen, riffling through her cupboards looking for something to make for dinner. "Ugh, why did I ask Fluttershy to do my shopping while we were training? There's nothing easy to eat in here."

"Easy to eat?"

Rainbow Dash jumped a little at the voice, though she knew it was Flitter it would definitely take some getting used to having another pony around, she couldn't talk to herself so freely now. "Oh, yeah, like stick some frozen hay fries in the lightning oven, or those pre-made dinners."

Flitter looked over her book at Rainbow Dash. "You have got to be kidding me."

"What? I like the easy stuff!"

Flitter snickered a little. "Yeah, so I heard, that's why you talk to Star Hunter so much." She put her book aside and hopped off her chair, bucking her chair in one smooth motion and walking over to the kitchen, looking around at the different options.

"I do not!... Wait really?" Flitter just shook her head, giggling and started to shoo Rainbow Dash out of the kitchen. "Hey! what are you doing?"

"I'm making us dinner since you don't seem to know how to cook."

Rainbow Dash looked quite bemused as she was pushed to the edge of the kitchen before Flitter returned to it, starting to pull things out of different cupboards. "Well fiiiiine, I guess I'll just go do something else rather than cook in my own house!"

Flitter called in a completely unapologetic voice. "Good, come back in about forty minutes then. I still need to get used to your kitchen."

Rainbow Dash could only stare for a good ten seconds then huffed, storming up the stairs to -her- room! It wasn't like she had anything better to do then! She could read a Daring Do book now, all the better for her!

Dinner (May 9th, Thursday evening.)

Flitter finished setting up the table with Rainbow Dash's dishes, if one could call them such things. Flitter shook her head, half of them were mismatched and the other half were cracked, not bad enough to leak but still, it was not something you should still be using. She had chosen the cleanest and least cracked plates and glasses, shaking her head as she deposited the fourth plate into the sink, these were in the cupboards like they were clean, they most certainly were not clean!

She had gotten distracted by sorting all the dirty dishes from the clean when an impatient Rainbow Dash came back down the stairs. "Hey Flitter it's been fifty minu... Woah." Rainbow Dash had to stare at the table for a moment. Or more so what was on the table. Some cheesy looking dish was in the middle and some of her plates were set out, and they all matched. Huh, she hadn't realized she had a full set of anything. "Not gonna lie I wasn't expecting... This."

Flitter glanced over her shoulder and giggled gently. "What did you expect me to just chop up some carrots and put them in water to call it soup?"

"Nah, when you kicked me out I assumed you had something planned but this looks fancy, how'd you make it in 40 minutes?"

Flitter snickered, smacking the small black cloud over the sink to turn off the water filling it and letting the dirty dishes soak as she walked over to the table "Its just Baked Ziti Rainbow Dash it's pretty simple."

Rainbow Dash had crafted herself a chair while Flitter had been in the kitchen. But at least she waited for Flitter to walk to the table before starting to help herself, even if Flitter hadn't sat down yet. With only a mild eye roll she set herself up a chair looking up to see that Rainbow Dash was already digging into the food. "Hey this is great!" The compliment somewhat lessened by the fact it was said through a mouth full of said food.

"Well, I appreciate the thought, if not the delivery." Flitter took her time, she wasn't trying to be dainty or proper but she did hate making a mess.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, thanks for the compliment."

"You're welcome. Man you made a lot, I don't think I can eat it all!" Rainbow Dash was already almost full and she'd only had a third of the food. Flitter had only taken a quarter leaving almost half to eat later.

"I know how big of appetites you fast flyers have, I do cook for Cloudy you know." Rainbow Dash nodded and paused for a moment before noticing.

"Hey, she's gonna be ok you know that right?"

"Yeah... That's what they said isn't it?"

Rainbow Dash blinked did that have some other meaning...? She nodded hesitantly "Uh... Yeah, and we wonderbolts have the best docs around. So you got nothing to worry about." Not knowing what to do to fill the silence as it stretched on Rainbow Dash just finished eating, easily cleaning her plate and smiling, fluttering her wings slightly. "Hey, thanks again that was great."

"You're welcome." Flitter got up and picked up both their plates. Rainbow Dash didn't see the sadness from earlier but there did seem to be a bit of melancholy hanging about her. Before Rainbow Dash hopped out of her chair.

"Hey let me help!"

"Oh sure, put away the leftovers? It'll save me making you lunch tomorrow."

"I'm gonna be at the wonderbolts academy tomorrow." Rainbow Dash frowned as she looked around for another bowl or something to put the leftovers in but then shrugged and just deposited the entire serving tray in her refrigerator.

"Yeah so?"

"Uh... Just we won't be eating together then... or here." Rainbow Dash thought the answer was very obvious but the Flitter just giggled, cutting off after a few moments to frown.

"Well I always sent lunch with Cloudy but if you're more partial to cafeteria food..."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she shook her head. "Oh! No! I'll take the lunch!" Flitter giggled and shook her head slightly as she started to wash the dishes, walking up behind her Rainbow Dash leaned against the counter. "Anything else?"

"Drying." Flitter poked a wing at the pile of dishes sitting next to the sink and Rainbow Dash nodded, picking them up and taking them over to a rack to put them in and let them air dry, Flitter frowned for a moment but then shrugged, it got the job done either way, before snickering to herself. "You got that just so you couldn't have to manually dry them didn't you?"

Rainbow Dash grinned as she came back to get the second pile of dishes that Flitter had finished with. "Well I'm a busy mare ya know." Flitter laughed as she put the third and final load up onto the and Rainbow Dash blinked, shaking her head. "Wow, I didn't realize how many dishes we used!"

Flitter scoffed causing Rainbow Dash to rear back slightly at the active annoyance in the sound. "Rainbow Dash, we didn't use all those, those were in your cabinets -pretending- to be clean."

Rainbow Dash flushed a bit at the rebuke. "Well... Uh... I'm a busy mare."

Flitter's gaze softened and she giggled, shaking her head at the other pony. "No, you're just as bad as Cloudy." She hummed slightly to herself as she started to put away the leftover ingredients to the meal she'd prepared, apparently done with Rainbow Dash for the time being.

Rainbow Dash was again a bit non-plussed by the act. Flitter seemed to not need to conclude conversations in any formal way, when she considered them over she simply left them. Rainbow Dash suddenly remembered something from the conversation. "Hey, so, you cook and everything for Cloud Chaser?" Flitter nodded, glancing back at Rainbow Dash. "So that's why you two live together?"

Flitter sighed as she waved Rainbow Dash off with a wing. "Not now Rainbow Dash. Maybe later." Rainbow Dash frowned but nodded, waving to Flitter as she went back to her room. Flitter seemed mostly friendly but at times a bit standoffish, Rainbow Dash wasn't great at complex characters like that, but she was sure she could deal with it, she was Rainbow Dash after all! Though she couldn't help but feel her original assessment of Flitter's life might have been inaccurate, Rainbow Dash might have to reconsider just how much awesome she could add to Flitter's life without Flitter just leaving.

Author's Note

Hey all! I started the Applejack story in this series too! I know, I'm crazy but I couldn't stop myself, hope you enjoy it if you want to. ^.^

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/439022/not-the-obvious-answer

Too Many Questions (May 10th, Friday afternoon.)

"Flitter Flitter Flitter!" Flitter smiled as she looked down at the foal running over to her and calling her name.

Flitter lifted her hoof to tousle Pip's mane. "Yes?"

"I heard you got married!" Flitter laughed and shook her head, there wasn't a weak that went by without the foals circulating some strange rumor. Pip was positively vibrating with excitement.

"Oh? And to whom am I supposed to be married Pip?"

"Rainbow Dash!"

"What?"

Pip nodded and smiled grinned up at her. "Yep! You moved into her house so you're married! Right!?"

Flitter's eye twitched and she needed to remind herself that Pip was a foal, it wasn't his fault he was drawing conclusions or repeating things he'd heard. "No, we're not married. We're just... I'm just helping Rainbow Dash for a while."

Pip frowned. "Aww! But then I can't make you a wedding present!"

Flitter smiled. "True, but you could make me a "it's Friday" present." Pip nodded enthusiastically and ran off to the crafts area. Flitter shook her head, the things that got into the heads of foals and continued her walk through the front yard of her daycare center. Fridays like today were usually pretty empty in the afternoon. After Cheerilee let the students out on Fridays only a few came to her center as many parents took early days on Fridays for the weekend.

Flitter waved a hoof at Berry Punch as she approached the gate, making her own way over to it only to hear a loud "Mommy mommy mommy!" as Ruby Pinch ran past Flitter and torpedoes towards her mother who opened the gate to give her daughter a hug.

Flitter leaned over the fence as she closed the gate with her wing as Ruby Pinch busied herself with unwrapping a small chocolate bar she'd been given by Berry Punch. "Flitter! I've been looking forward to getting a moment to speak with you." Flitter raised an eyebrow as Berry smiled at her conspiratorially. "Well, I was wondering how... Athletic Rainbow Dash is."

Flitter's ears instantly went as flat as her voice. "What?"

"Well my dear, when I heard that you'd moved in with Rainbow Dash I could only guess at what the most the first nights... Activities were. And I must say! I am offended that you didn't tell your good friend Berry Punch that you were seeing Rainbow Dash!"

Flitter would have yelled if it wasn't for the half dozen foals playing in the yard behind her, but her voice was painfully neutral and stilted as she held her temper in check. "I. moved. in. with. Rainbow. Dash. because. Cloud. Chaser. was. hurt. and. it. made. her. feel. better."

Berry Punchs eyes went wide. "Oh dear! I'm so sorry! I didn't have any idea! I... I must apologize for my... Assumptions... Really, I just... Didn't think that... I'm very sorry..."

Flitter rolled her eyes but waved a wing in dismissal, she supposed that Berry Punch hadn't meant anything by it really, but if that mare knew how to keep her tongue in check she'd probably actually have friends instead of just drinking buddies. How her husband put up with her was well beyond Flitter. "Don't worry about it."

Berry Punch was at least tactful enough to take the hint, nodding as she smiled and backed away slightly. "Oh do give Cloud Chaser my sympathies... I... Will see you Monday." She hurried, while Ruby Pinch, completely oblivious to the tension, munched happily on her chocolate and followed her mother away, waving at Flitter as she left.

The rest of the day went pretty normally, more helping the foals, playing with them, answering every random question they had until she had let Candy Mane go home as there was only Dinky left and Muffins was always busy on Fridays, she'd be late picking up her little sister. Flitter was playing inside with Dinky, stacking blocks when there was a banging at the door and Muffins walked in, smiling at them both as Dinky got up to walk over to her older sister. "Hello Flitter, I'm here to pick up Dinky"

Flitter smiled as she also got up, walking over to Muffins, a passing friend really. "How were your deliveries today Muffins?"

Muffins spoke in her slightly slowed down way. "Oh, they were good. I brought another package to Fluttershy. She's been ordering a lot of things. She brought tea out for me today, it was tasty. Fluttershy is very nice. We talked a lot."

Flitter grinned a bit and nodded, she knew that Fluttershy had a huge crush on the mail pony, and Flitter wouldn't be doing her due diligence as a friend unless she dug a bit more if she could. "Oh, I agree. She's also very pretty wouldn't you say?"

Muffins nodded absently. "Yes, Fluttershy is pretty. Pink is a fun color, that's the color of her mane." Not exactly what Flitter had been looking for but it was a step in the right direction. Flitter was planning on asking another question before Muffins interrupted her with a question of her own. "Do you like rainbows?"

Flitter raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Well... Yeah, who doesn't like a rainbow? They're quite beautiful."

Muffins nodded happily and smiled at Flitter. "Rainbows are the color of Rainbow Dash's mane." And with that, she turned around and walked out of the daycare center followed by Dinky.

Flitter sat down hard on the floor, blinking after Muffins with the door left open. Had Muffins just tricked her? Or had that been an accident? She was not interested in Rainbow Dash. So had that been Muffins point that she wasn't interested in Fluttershy? Or had that been independent and her pointing out that Rainbow Dash was pretty as well. Flitter growled lowly as she walked out the door and locked it behind her. She did not need to deal with this right now, she had visited Cloudy that morning and she'd spent the entire time cracking jokes about her and Rainbow Dash, then Pip, then Berry, and now even Muffins! This needed to be dealt with!

One Sided Fight (May 10th, Friday evening.)

Flitter arrived back at the Cloudominium before Rainbow Dash. She huffed a bit, still irritated but she'd calmed down on the flight back, it wasn't Rainbow Dash's fault that people were drawing conclusions that annoyed her. On the assumption that Rainbow Dash wasn't spreading rumors but she had no reason to think that she was, besides the obvious fact that Flitter was a catch. Flitter snickered at herself, she was indeed, though her living with Cloudy and some... Untoward rumors that started had bit that in the flank for a bit until she and Cloudy had done some yelling at certain ponies for spreading such rumors. Flitter rolled her eyes in annoyance at those memories, goodness it was amazing what some people would gossip about wasn't it?

Flitter looked up as Rainbow Dash walked in, good, they needed to talk. Rainbow Dash beat her to the punch. "Oh hey Flitter, I thought you'd be with Cloud Chaser."

Like a shot, Flitter was on Rainbow Dash. Looking back Rainbow Dash couldn't tell you exactly how Flitter had managed to knock her over so quickly. Flitter looked down at Rainbow Dash from standing on top of her. "What happened!?"

Rainbow Dash took a few moments to collect her senses after that tumble, shaking her head and managing to stop herself from snapping at the other pony, Flitter was worried about her sister and Rainbow Dash admitted that perhaps she could have phrased that better. "Nothing Flitter! I just thought you were going to visit her!"

Flitter blushed gently and her ears lowered in embarrassment, climbing off of Rainbow Dash and sheepishly helping her to her feet. "O-Oh... Yeah... Sorry about that." Flitter quickly turned away and started to trot towards the stairs.

"Oh no you don't! I deserve an explanation after that!" Rainbow Dash was usually a live and let live kind of pony, but after being tackled like that she felt she was owed an explanation for such an overreaction. She would admit her own partial fault in the issue but it was still an overreaction.

Flitter flinched and took a few more steps as if contemplating still trying to escape before sighing and turning around, walking back to Rainbow Dash, her wings still folded at her sides but obviously very stiff, Rainbow Dash could see the irritation almost dripping from Flitter and was about to call the demand off before Flitter spoke. "One question."

Rainbow Dash blinked and shook her head. "Uh... No that's ok Flitter you don't need t..."

Flitter interrupted her with a low growl. "One question." Rainbow Dash frowned a bit, was this some... Quid-pro-quo thing with Flitter? She felt the need to repay Rainbow Dash for having jumped on her, she shrugged, she supposed that arguing more would just make it more awkward, and asking some lame question would probably just piss her off.

"Well... Okay... Hey, what was that bit about Chaser getting a new room but no sadness?" Rainbow Dash saw Flitter flinch again, trying to think up another question quickly enough to change it but Flitter was already explaining.

"Well when we were kids our parents weren't... Particularly close." At Rainbow Dash's raised eyebrow she sighed. "Two younger ponies doing what's fun rather than what's prudent." Rainbow Dash nodded after a moment. "But when we, me and Cloudy, came along father did what was socially expected of him and married our mother." She gave a half shrug. "Though they didn't share a room they got along well enough, and we were a fairly happy family as far as it went."

Rainbow Dash nodded, though she wasn't sure what this had to do with anything. "Sure, sure, but then what..."

Flitter groaned loudly and glared at Rainbow Dash who wasn't sure what she was missing that would make Flitter so annoyed at her. "They didn't share a room, me and Cloudy did. When our mother... Didn't come back from the hospital..."

Rainbow Dash's eyes widened and she nodded. "Oh, oh, I see. Yeah... Sorry about the question." Flitter shrugged and turned to go back upstairs before freezing as apparently, Rainbow Dash didn't know when to leave well enough alone. "But you know they said Cloudy's gonna be fine, full recovery and all that."

Flitter turned her head back around to glare at the offending pegasus. "That's what they said about mom!" She whirled on Rainbow Dash, advancing on her. Rainbow Dash seeing the angry flitter bearing down on her hastily backed up. She was stronger and slightly larger than Flitter but she wasn't about to try and face off against that ball of pure anger. "And what if they're wrong again!? I lost my mother! And now I'm going to lose my sister too! What else is this world going to take from me!?" Rainbow Dash opened her mouth and no words came out. "Next my daycare will burn down, my kids will become sick, and for all I know Equestria will be overrun by changelings! What could you possibly say to comfort me in this moment Rainbow Dash!?"

Rainbow Dash, wisely, chose that silence was her best answer, snapping her mouth shut and simply standing there looking at the other mare. Flitter, seemingly satisfied with this choice of hers whirled back around and charged up the stairs to her room. No, not her room, a room she borrowed from Rainbow Dash because of her overprotective, suffocating sister who couldn't accept that Flitter was a grown mare insisted she be here, instead of in her own home with all of her good memories to comfort her, she had to be in this strange place! A door of clouds couldn't really be slammed, but the whoomph of air as it moved quickly through was satisfying enough to Flitter.

Rainbow Dash simply stared after the other pony, her eyes boggling slightly after Flitter just unloaded a cart full of emotional baggage onto Rainbow Dash. She thought to herself for a moment, trying to think of the best way to deal with this before nodding. She knew how to deal with this! Or at least she thought maybe she did? At least this was how she dealt with Fluttershy when she exploded the very, very few times she had bottled up her emotions up enough to cause her to throw a fit, as much a fit as Fluttershy could at least. Rainbow Dash dashed out of the Cloudominium and down to Sugar Cube corner to buy a fancy croissant and dashed over to Rose Luck's house to ask her for a favor, before returning home with said croissant and a dozen roses from Rose Luck. Bring her gifts and then give her a hug, that was how to cure Fluttershy, it should work on Flitter too.

Little Comforts (May 10th, Friday night.)

Rainbow Dash knocked on the panel next to the cloud door to Flitter's room, you couldn't very well knock on a cloud door. "Flitter, I'm coming in." There was a loud, non-language response, though it was definitely in the negative. Rainbow Dash pushed the door open anyway. "I said I was coming in, not asking permission." She carried in the bag with the croissant and a boutique of a dozen roses, placing them both on the table next to Flitter's bed. Flitter opened her mouth to protest but paused when she saw the presents, her hoof snaking out and grabbing the croissant, but still glaring at Rainbow Dash. Rolling her eyes as Rainbow Dash took the silence as permission and climbed up on the bed, watching as Flitter did indeed not eat the croissant like a normal pony. She managed to get the center flap up a little and grabbed onto it with her teeth, starting to unravel the pastry.

Rainbow Dash couldn't stop her grin as she watched and Flitter scowled at her. "What?"

"That's cute." Flitter took a moment out of her eating of her snack to stick her tongue out at Rainbow Dash before going back to her pastry. "Hey Flitter, sorry about all that stuff." Flitter gave a small non-committal noise in response before Rainbow Dash groaned. "Look, I'm trying to say sorry, can you just... I don't know, acknowledge that!?" Flitter didn't answer and Rainbow Dash just let out an annoyed grunt, starting to get up off the bed. "Fine, be that way. I'll see you..." She felt a soft wing wrap around her leg as she started to push off, looking back to see Flitter holding onto her. Rainbow Dash slowly sat back down next to Flitter, but this time didn't speak, she just waited for Flitter to finish the croissant.

"Don't go..."

Rainbow Dash hadn't known what to expect but she hadn't expected that... "Uh... Yeah sure..." She continued to sit there, awkwardly quiet as Flitter was curled up at the head of the bed, peering at the roses that Rainbow Dash had brought her.

"These were her favorites you know."

"Huh?"

"Roses were mom's favorites."

"Ah." After another long silence Rainbow Dash was doing her best not to yell from boredom, she was trying to be sensitive but just sitting here in silence made her want to kick something! She let her mind wander back to how Flitter had been acting and talking, goodness, this would be so much better if Fluttershy was here instead of her, or Rarity, or Applejack... ANYONE!... Ok, maybe not Pinkie Pie, but anyone else. She remembered Twilight said to play your strengths but her strengths weren't sitting and connecting to other ponies emotionally... Wait...

She looked at Flitter and frowned, remembering the time when Applejack was acting to weird, tired all the time because she wouldn't tell anypony that she needed help at the farm while Big Mac was under the weather. She ran her tongue over her teeth nervously, maybe that was it...? Flitter was lashing out because she had to deal with all this stuff on her own... And she didn't want to be alone, she'd been with her sister her entire life, and while she pretended to be fine with that she hated being alone! Score one Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash smiled and stood up on the bed, Flitter looked up at her but didn't stop her this time.

However, Flitter did let out a loud meep as she was hoisted by the stronger mare onto Rainbow Dash's back. "Gah! Rainbow Dash!? What are you doing!?"

Rainbow Dash grinned. "I'm helping you ya stubborn mare!" She grabbed the roses in her teeth and trotted out of the room, holding the other mare in place with her wings. Flitter could have gotten out of that but she was half curious, half beyond caring as she was trundled off somewhere. Rainbow Dash trotted into her own room, depositing Flitter on her luxuriously soft cloud bed before trotting off. Flitter got up to complain before just letting out a small coo to herself and sinking down into the sinfully soft bed.

Rainbow Dash trotted back in with a small vase with the roses in it now, molding a small side table out of clouds she left the vase there before climbing onto the bed herself, walking over to Flitter and laying down next to her, wrapping one of her strong wings around the other mare and pulling her in close, remembering doing this for Fluttershy a few times in Flight School, Fluttershy always felt better after a platonic cuddle with her best friend. Rainbow Dash didn't realize that without that background this likely came off very different to Flitter.

Flitter for her part was nearly panicking in her head. Physically she was frozen, but her mind was racing as she glanced over at Rainbow Dash then the roses, then back to Rainbow Dash. She didn't know what to do, she wasn't... Interested in Rainbow Dash... Well, not beyond... Rainbow Dash was very attractive of course, beautiful and athletically fit, but she was a boor!... No she wasn't she was actually very kind and somehow rather insightful. She didn't... Whenever she got like this Cloudy came in and cuddled her like this but this was... Rainbow Dash wasn't her sister! This was something marefriends did! She sighed, drawing a small grin from Rainbow Dash as she felt Flitter press a little more into the rainbow mained pony. Maybe she did need someone to look after her emotional state. She'd always been good at the practical things of life, cooking and everything, but despite her rough exterior Cloudy had always been the more emotionally stable of the two sisters. "Rainbow Dash...?"

"Yeah Flitter?"

Flitter paused for a moment biting her bottom lip for a moment before nodding to herself, she... Could accept this. It wasn't her first choice but it'd make Cloudy happy, and... She could do worse than Rainbow Dash. "Good night Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash grinned, she was going to brag to no end to Fluttershy about how insightful she was tonight. "Good night Flitter."

Two Little Talks (May 11th, Saturday morning.)

"And then I came here." Flitter took a few more steps before turning back around to look at Fluttershy from Flitter's pacing. She was a little annoyed that all of Fluttershy's little pets were listening in but there wasn't much that could be done about that. Flitter needed Fluttershy's advice, she knew Rainbow Dash, she'd know what that was all about and she could confirm that Rainbow Dash was just being a good friend/host/whatever they were, not trying to put the moves on Flitter. When she noticed Fluttershy's bright blush Flitter tilted her head to the side. "What?"

"Uh... Flitter...? You... Just spent five minutes describing Rainbow Dash's body and how she held you..."

"No, I didn't!" Flitter would have said more before she thought back on her description and while Fluttershy might have been exaggerating slightly she wasn't wrong... "Uh... W-Well... I... was distracted!"

Fluttershy grinned at Flitter, holding a large pillow in her lap, squeezing it happily, still blushing brightly. "You are totally in love with Rainbow Dash!"

Flitter opened her mouth before taking a deep breath, anyone else would have gotten an earful but she couldn't yell at Fluttershy, it was like kicking a puppy. "No Fluttershy I'm not in love with Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy didn't openly contradict her friend but the wide grin plastered across her face definitely was passively contradicting her, causing Flitter to get a bit more defensive. "I-I'm not!" Fluttershy simply continued to smile. "W-What!? I'm not going on about her because I love her! I was going on because... Because I was worried that she's now in love with me! I mean, she didn't let me go right when we woke up like I said."

Fluttershy continued to sit there quietly. "What? I already told you I didn't actually enjoy it! I just... It was comforting is all! And she is very strong... And beauti... Dang if Fluttershy stop prying!" Fluttershy normally would have reacted poorly to being snapped at but she simply continued to watch her friend. "It's not like I am even into mares!..." At that, though Fluttershy did raise an eyebrow. "Uh... Fine! I am! Why did I lie there? I told you that three years ago..." Flitter shook her head and looked back at Fluttershy. "You're not going to convince me that Rainbow Dash would be a good match Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side still smiling. ”Flitter I've only said one thing. You were convincing yourself.” Flitter blushed brightly and looked to the side, grumbling something quietly before sighing.

”Fiiiiine. I might... -might- have a thing for Rainbow Dash... But it's purely physical! I mean she's hot. Not just cute like you Shy, really hot. But it's nothing more.”

”Mhmm, how have you been sleeping recently?”

Flitter rolled her eyes. ”You know I don't sleep well Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy nodded. ”You said you slept well last night.”

”That’s because Rainbow Dash’s bed is amazing!” As Fluttershy smiled at Flitter she shook her head. ”Oh no! You're not tricking me into that again!”

Fluttershy smiled. ”You could test it you know...” Flitter opened her mouth to deny such a suggestion but issued, closing it and eyeing her friend. ”Invite her to spend the night in your bed. Then you'll see.”

Flitter just gaped at Fluttershy. Only she could suggest such a thing without realizing exactly how that would sound. Though the concept itself was a sound idea she wasn't going to just invite Rainbow Dash to sleep with her. However, the idea would prove her vindication! Flitter smiled at Fluttershy. ”And when I do you'll drop this ”you're in love with Rainbow Dash?” thing, right?”

Fluttershy nodded. ”Of course.”

Flitter smiled as she started towards the door. ”Thanks for the talk Fluttershy, it helped. Even if you're wrong.”

Fluttershy smiled and gave her friend a hug, one of the few that Flitter returned genuinely, not with the half-hearted tolerance she usually did. Fluttershy patted Angel Bunny on the head as he hopped up beside her. ”See Angel Bunny? Sometimes people just need to talk it out for themselves.”

*-----*

Rainbow Dash smiled as she cantered up to Cloud Chaser’s bed. ”Hey T...”

”Don't you dare!”

”Hey, Tail Chaser. How are you feeling?”

Cloud Chaser rolled her eyes good-naturedly. ”I'm doing good today, how're you and Flitter?"

"I'm good..." The obviously hesitant response caused Cloud Chaser to sit up a bit straighter, eyeing her friend. "But Flitter... Had... A bit of an episode."

Rainbow Dash could see the sheets bunch up as Cloud Chaser raised her hooves from under them, attempting to push her covers down off of her, Rainbow Dash flinched as she saw Cloud Chaser's difficulty with controlling her legs even that much, she wasn't sure of the medical term but the lightning bolt had really done a number on Cloud Chaser's nervous system. "I knew she couldn't manage without me... I have to..." She sighed and let her head fall back onto the pillows that she had only managed to escape by inches. "I'm stuck here..."

Rainbow Dash flinched as she watched her friend struggle. ”I took care of her though! Like I promised! You don’t need to worry about anything except getting better Chaser.”

Cloud Chaser smiled at Rainbow Dash. ”Oh good, I'm guessing that medded up me still managed to tell you about how to calm her down. Good.”

Rainbow Dash let out a nervous chuckle. ”Well not really but... I just did what worked on Fluttershy when we were younger...”

Cloud Chaser nodded. ”Well, you said it worked so that'll do then. Do you know if she's been sleeping well? She had trouble sleeping and she can get more... Prone to outbursts when she's sleep deprived.”

Rainbow Dash shook her head. ”Overall I dunno bit she slept really well last night.” At the raised eyebrow she explained. ”Well, I finally got her to calm down by giving her some...” Rainbow Dash sighed. ”I cuddled her like I used to Fluttershy when she was bullied.”

Much to Rainbow Dash’s surprise Cloud Chaser wasn't at all upset. ”That's how I help her through her episodes too!” Cloud Chaser snickered a bit. "I'm a little surprised she tolerated it, she's not the touchiest feely pony. Hm... Not the touchy feeliest pony."

Rainbow Dash gave a non-committal shrug. "Though... I do think we should tell her how bad off you are Chaser..."

Cloud Chaser shook her head as best she could. "Well, it's not like I'm dieing! It'll just take a bit longer to recover fully."

"A year is not "a bit longer" Chaser."

Chaser groaned and nodded. "Yeah... But we should give her... A month or something to get used to not being home, ok?"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine, it's your call. But you wait more than... Two months and -I'm- telling her. She's worried you're going to die in here like..." Rainbow Dash broke off with a cough.

"Like our mother." Rainbow Dash nodded, worried of getting a very negative reaction from Chaser like from Flitter but she didn't seem to be overly bothered. "Yeah, I was worried she might draw that connection." When Rainbow Dash let out a relieved sigh Chaser gave a small grin. "You're terrible."

"Wha..."

"You're glad I didn't break down like Flitter did aren't ya?" Rainbow Dash flushed brightly and opened her mouth to be indignant but never got there. "Sorry Dash." Cloud Chaser was smiling sadly at Rainbow Dash, causing her to tilt her head curiously, all offense forgotten.

"Sorry?"

"I shouldn't have saddled you with Flitter, I'll send a letter to dad about her going home for a while."

Rainbow Dash shook her head a bit more virulently than was strictly called for. "Nah Chaser, it's fine. It was only one night, and she was doing better this morning. You -did- save my life. Or at the very least from a far worse injury." It was true, though they weren't sure that it would have killed Rainbow Dash the bolt would have hit her center of mass instead of off-center through the left wing like it did Cloud Chaser after she pushed Rainbow Dash out of the way, and that still set Cloud Chaser down for a year. "And she makes great food."

Cloud Chaser chuckled. "She does. And fine, so long as you're confident you can handle it."

"And I have Fluttershy to help if I can't. Besides, doesn't your dad still live in Cloudsdale? I mean I wouldn't want to have her that far away." After a moment Rainbow Dash realized what she'd said. "From her job!"

Cloud Chaser grinned widely. "Oh, from her job?"

Rainbow Dash flushed a bit, she had intended to bring the topic up but not like that. "Uh... Well..."

"I think cuddling her put some ideas into your head!"

"No! I just... Well... Maybe kind of..."

Cloud Chaser chuckled. "She is a pretty girl, isn't she? Just be careful, she can be a bit sharp, which you probably found out."

"Uh... So you don't have an issue with this...?"

Cloud Chaser chuckled, shaking her head faintly. "No, she's an adult ya dunce, she can make her own decisions." She smiled at her friend. "Oh, though do be careful, if you do have a huge fallout it could be hard for us to be friends, because unless she stabs you in the middle of the night I'm probably going to side with her."

Rainbow Dash nodded seriously then chuckled. "But if she stabs me in the middle of the day you'll side with her?"

"Well yeah, you should have seen it coming and dodged it, it's your own doing." They both burst out laughing and Rainbow Dash shook her head standing up.

"Well I should get back, Flitter wants to come and see you later and she wanted me to come, so... Maybe don't tell her about this conversation?"

Cloud Chaser shook her head. "Well I can not tell her, but it'll be hard for you to tell her how you know I have a wing treatment this afternoon and will be unavailable."

"Crap!"

"Yeah, that's what happens when you sneak around behind people's backs Crash."

Rainbow Dash stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Oh now that was a low blow."

Cloud Chaser grinned. "Let me have my little pleasures."

Rainbow Dash grumbled but nodded. "Get better Chaser, I still owe you."

"Heh, I was saving a friend, you'd have done the same. See ya Dash."

"Bye Chaser."

Their Talk (May 11th, Saturday afternoon.)

Rainbow Dash, despite her having farther to travel beat Flitter back to their shared home. Rainbow Dash was faster and didn't go over in excruciating detail about every aspect of her interaction with the other pony like Flitter had to Fluttershy. Rainbow Dash fashioned herself a chair and sat in it, considering her options. On the flight home she'd decided she should just tell Flitter outright, not dropping hints, not trying to be cute about it. But the question was to spring it on her immediately, let her get a bit settled in and comfortable, or wait a few days. Rainbow Dash got up and started to pace around her large main room.

Rainbow Dash realized she was stressing over this too much. The main interest she had in Flitter was that she was absolutely adorable, not some deep emotional connection. Though Rainbow Dash had to admit that she had liked holding the other mare close as she was having troubles, having someone to protect made her feel strong, which was the main reason she had first befriended Fluttershy. Even Rainbow Dash had to admit that was a very selfish reason to pursue another pony, but actual affection didn't work like in those books that Fluttershy secretly read all the time. Ponies didn't see each other and just fall in love, it was affection, but it was also about what two ponies could do for each other, not just some emotion that overrode all rational thought.

Rainbow Dash nodded, very satisfied with her reasoning as the door opened and she grinned, seeing Flitter walk in. Rainbow Dash figured she might as well get the first part out of the way. "Hey there Flitter. You wanna go out?"

Flitter was raising a hoof in her own greeting before freezing, and slowly putting it down, eyeing the other pony with... No so much apprehension as cautious consideration, and a bit of indignity mixed in. "Really? You want to date -me-? And -that's- how you ask? I broke down and yelled at you yesterday and now I walk in and you just ask straight out like that?" Flitter's wings shuffled as she put on a calm face, and look, but half her brain was yelling at the other half. Half agreed with Fluttershy that she was in lo... Ok not even that part of her brain said love, but it did admit to a crush on Rainbow Dash, the other half was yelling at that half to shut up. Ok, the split was closer to 1/3 to 2/3, with the 2/3 overpowering the crush side to allow Flitter to remain calm and collected.

"Well yeah Flitter, I'm not overly touchy-feely ya know." She grinned and walked over to Flitter. "You're quite pretty Flitter, and you have some rough edges but you're a good egg, so I'd be interested in dating you. Whatcha say?"

Flitter was pretty far removed from touchy-feely herself but she'd never been -that-... Clinical with relationships or things. But Rainbow Dash wasn't wrong, they were both attractive mares and besides that issue yesterday they got along, their skills complemented each other, Flitter could cook, Rainbow Dash was successful, so was Flitter but she'd chosen a profession that while fulfilling, wouldn't ever unlock some of the fancier things that she did enjoy. Oh great, now Rainbow Dash's clinical analysis was rubbing off and making Flitter think about material advantages. "Dang it Rainbow Dash! You can't just... I... It's not that simple!" Flitter was not sure what else she would be looking for though, she'd never believed in love at first sight, but... This was different!... Somehow.

Rainbow Dash nodded a bit, grinning. "Okay Flitter, sorry for asking." She was disappointed but it wasn't some critical shattering of her life. She'd find another mare or stallion that she liked. And was cute, though not as important as getting along, cute was still very important. Rainbow Dash wondered faintly if that made her vain, but she shrugged it off. Some people were better than her, they didn't care about looks, she did, a dragon can't change its scales as they say. "Well if you..."

Flitter eyes widened as Rainbow Dash continued to pursue it, she had seemed to give up but then she started putting a conditional on Flitter changing her mind! "Wait, wait, Rainbow Dash..." Rainbow Dash did stop, raising and eyebrow and Flitter hesitated, why was Fluttershy's part of Flitter's brain gaining strength!? "Uh... I have a... Proposition. It's gonna sound weird but hear me out?"

Rainbow Dash tilted her head but nodded. "Yeah sure, what's the proposition? You into some kinky stuff Flitter?"

Flitter blushed brightly and shook her head. "N-No! That's not what I meant!"

"Oh, sorry. So what're you proposing?"

Flitter shook her head, seriously considering calling it off after that question. "Well..." She huffed a bit, still blushing and looking to the side until she nodded to herself. "I-If you... Sleep with me in my bed tonight I'll consider it..." Rainbow Dash opened her mouth but Flitter interrupted angrily. "No sex! Just... Just sleeping."

Rainbow Dash considered her for a full ten seconds before grinning widely at Flitter. "Ya like me holding you don't you?"

Flitter blushed again and bit her bottom lip. "N-No!... Well... I mean... Maybe! That's what I'm trying to figure out!"

At that Rainbow Dash's grin faltered, now more curious. "Whatcha trying to figure out there?"

Flitter was a hair away from abandoning the entire enterprise... But it would be nice to sleep well every night... "If it was... Indeed... You holding me... Or your bed."

Rainbow Dash smiled widely. "Ahh! That makes sense, sounds like a Twilight plan to me."

Flitter shook her head and answered before she thought of what she was doing. "No, it was Fluttershy's." Just after that Flitter groaned as Rainbow Dash started to giggle.

"Just had to go brag about getting into bed with The Dash, didn't you?" Flitter groaned and started to walk up the stairs to her room as Rainbow Dash followed. "Just couldn't resist telling your friend about your strong host could ya?"

The Night (May 11th, Saturday night.)

The two ponies had gone their own thing after Flitter kicked Rainbow Dash out of her room with all her teasing about bragging. But as promised Rainbow Dash returned to Flitter's room with a large yawn, smiling at the other mare. "Well, you ready for another night with The Dash?"

Flitter rolled her eyes. "Ugh, -must- you call yourself that?"

Rainbow Dash grinned as she was just going it to annoy Flitter, but she nodded a little and smiled genuinky . "All right Flitter, no more "The Dash"... Tonight."

"That's the best I'm going to get isn't it?"

"Yep."

Flitter still couldn't help smiling a little, Rainbow Dash was going out of her way to help after all. Though it was in that she was going to get a possible reward out of it too but it was still no guarantee. Flitter directed her general smile actually at Rainbow Dash. "Hey Rainbow Dash... Thanks for this."

Rainbow Dash grinned and waved a hoof. "Don't worry about it. Besides, I do get to cuddle a cute little mare."

"You're barely bigger than me!"

"Still bigger." Rainbow Dash grinned and extended her wings to their full extent, making herself look even larger. She posed a few times, causing Flitter to giggle, shaking her head.

"Ok, ok miss big shot, for that you don't get to be the big spoon. I'm the big spoon."

Rainbow Dash crossed her forelegs and shook her head. "Oh no, that's a deal breaker for me."

Flitter snorted. "Really? Over that, you'd not help me out and give up on the chance for me to say yes to dating?"

"Yep."

"You're bluffing."

"Try me."

Flitter would have if she hadn't seent he glint in Rainbow Dash's eye. Flitter was a bit taken aback, really, image was that important to the other pony, it wasn't like Flitter was going to go out and tell other ponies. But she wasn't about to risk losing the possibility of finding a reliable way to sleep through the night well. And, that was a bit cute, in an arrogant way. But she could tell that the argument had bothered Rainbow Dash a bit. Goodness, she really was into traditional pegasus mating orders, wasn't she?

Earth ponies were most generall conservative of the three races but also due to their practicality the most of what many would view as equal in relationships, though sticking to traditional roles of one supporting the family and the other raising the family. Unicorns tended to be more liberal about relationships in both roles and other aspects. Traditional Pegasi relationships were the most rigid, due to their militaristic past they tended towards one of the partners being more in charge and the other being their support. Flitter wasn't interested in that kind of relationship and was about to set Rainbow Dash straight.

But then Flitter noticed, Rainbow Dash wasn't actually ordering her, she was setting down her terms and Flitter could take them or leave them. Rainbow Dash may have a streak of the commander in her, but she wasn't being unreasonable. Flitter could work with... Why was she getting ahead of herself!? She wasn't in a relationship with Rainbow Dash, Flitter wasn't even trying at the moment... Dang it, had Fluttershy been right? Flitter shook her head to clear it and smiled. "Okay Rainbow Dash, sorry. You can be the big spoon."

Rainbow Dash let out a soft snort and nodded, before her expression softening a little as she walked over to Flitter and gave the other mare a gentle nuzzle. "Sorry about being obstinant there. It's just... I'm not a small spoon pony."

Flitter could have thought of so many retorts, but she didn't want to upset the other pony so she just smiled a little. "That's ok Rainbow Dash, as you said, you're bigger than I am, it's only logical."

Rainbow Dash smiled. "Good, so we're agreed." She motioned to the bed with her head and Flitter nodded, climbing up and Rainbow Dash grinned. Flitter happened to glance back as one of her back hooves accidentally slipped off the bed and she frowned at Rainbow Dash.

"Were you just staring at my flank."

"What? I can admire my future marefriend's flank!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself there Dash." Not realizing this was the first time she'd used a more familiar form of Rainbow Dash's name she didn't catch the significance of Rainbow Dash's widened grin, but Flitter did catch Rainbow Dash's widened eyes at the long, luxurious stretch that followed. Flitter could play that game as well. She grinned as she climbed up to the head of the bed. "You coming?"

Rainbow Dash snickered as she climbed up next to the other mare and laid down behind her. "Mmmmm, I can see why you're having trouble sleeping."

Flitter rolled her eyes. "Hey, it's not your bed, but it's still pretty good."

Rainbow Dash grinned as she wrapped her legs around Flitter and pulled her in close, also wrapping her wings around the small mare. "You know, if this could be my last time I get to snuggled you, I should probably make the most of it..." Flitter grumbled but couldn't help turning over so her stomach was to Rainbow Dash, nuzzling into her soft fur, causing the other pony to grin. "You do like being cuddled."

"Q-Quiet Rainbow Dash... It's... You're warm is all!"

"And soft."

"Ugh, could you be more... More... Arrogant."

Rainbow Dash grinned and leaned in, pressing gently against the other mare, closing her eyes. "Good night Flitter, I hope you sleep well."

Flitter giggled and shook her head slightly. "Ok, I have to admit, that was actually clever. Good night Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow Dash just grinned and let them both drift off to sleep as she held Flitter to her, she enjoyed this, maybe she could get Fluttershy to start cuddling again if this didn't work out with Flitter.

*------*

Rainbow Dash yawned widely and looked down to find a still sleeping Flitter in her legs, grinning slightly as one eye opened to look up at her. "Oh sorry, I'm not used to sleeping with another pony. Sooooooo... Did you sleep well...?"

Flitter sighed a little, but she nodded. She... Was ok with this, the thought's she'd had while in her break down weren't wrong, she could do worse than Rainbow Dash, and it would make Cloudy happy. And... And she had to admit, she did have more interest in Rainbow Dash now. Also, she had let Flitter sleep peacefully two nights in a row! That was... Her subconscious had to be telling her something! She hadn't done that since her mother died, not even when Cloudy was around. "Yes."

"Yes!" Rainbow Dash gave a quick hoof pump but then went back to having Flitter trapped in her grasp. "I usually sleep in on Sundays..."

Flitter paused for a moment then smiled. "That sounds wonderful."

Author's Note

Yay! This was fun writing folks! I've decided to change up my plan a little! I'm going to do sequels to these three, and then probably add in the rest of the main six, I mean it doesn't make sense that -everyone- would find new relationships at the same time (to be frank three is a bit of a stretch.) So I'm doing these three as short "get together" stories. Then more will come in sequels. Maybe some breakups, maybe some marriages, maybe some polygamy or even foals! Who knows what the future may hold!

Awkard Morning After (May 11th, Saturday morning.)

Flitter yawned quietly as she opened her eyes and froze as she felt strong legs and wings wrapped around her. The previous night came flooding back to her and she looked up at the other pony holding her... A lot closer than she'd remembered being held last night. She found herself minding a lot less than she had at first last night. Was it because she decided this wasn't actually the worst idea ever? Or was it because she actively had enjoyed being close to someone besides her sister. She had never had those kinds of thoughts about her sister that was quite disturbing! She knew people loved to make the most innocent thing into dirty things, and being on the receiving end of it always put her in a bad mood.

Though it occurred to Flitter now that she wasn't in the middle of an emotional episode. This might have just been Rainbow Dash's clumsy attempt at comforting her as she was being a bit of a... Well, she wasn't quite depressive but she hadn't been a happy pony. Rainbow Dash and her friends... No, honestly pretty much all ponies were more touchy-feely than Flitter. Flitter was always happy to hug the kids she looked after but she was a bit more standoffish with anyone besides her sister. She tolerated it with Fluttershy since she was a good friend. And sometimes yes, a hug felt nice, but most the time she preferred a hoofshake. Flitter's train of thought was interrupted by that creature her thoughts were centered on.

"Hey Flitter. You feeling better?" Rainbow Dash smiled down at the other pony, younger pony...? Older?... How old was Cloud Chaser again? They were about the same age anyway, but Rainbow Dash couldn't help feel like she was protecting the other pony from... Something last night. She wasn't great at the emotional issues but she had noticed that Flitter had calmed down a bit more when she'd had company, especially close company. Flitter was a bit of a cutie, and how she ate that croissant was absolutely adorable, when she was here in her hooves... Rainbow Dash gave herself a mental slap, this was Chaser's little sister! Her -special- little sister! She would skin anyone alive for messing with her like that!

Though Rainbow Dash wasn't messing with anyone here, she was... Not sure what it was really. Was it her agreement with Chaser that made her want to protect her little sister, Flitter's vulnerability last night and the natural protective instinct towards any other living thing, or was Flitter different. Rainbow Dash had had special someponies before, nothing particularly serious but she did, as they said, fly for both sides. Though she didn't even know if Flitter was interested in other mares really. She should definitely shelf this until she could at least talk to Chaser about it, and with any luck Flitter would leave it be until, wait, was that her name?

Rainbow Dash blinked and looked down as Flitter raised an eyebrow, obviously waiting for an answer of some kind. Rainbow Dash grinned a bit awkwardly. "Uh, sorry, what was that?" Why did she zone out after literally asking Flitter a question? That was foolish.

Flitter squirmed a bit. "Yes I'm feeling better, but can I get up?"

Rainbow Dash chuckled a little awkwardly extracting herself from Flitter and nodding. "Oh yeah, sorry." She climbed down off the bed and licked her lips awkwardly. "Well, yeah, sorry about last night."

Flitter got up and rolled off the bed herself, somewhat reluctantly, it was sinfully comfortable. "Hey, that's my line, I was the one who overreacted."

Rainbow Dash just gave a non-committal shrug as she looked off to the side. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. Do you need anything? Have any plans? I think I'm gonna go for a morning fly really quick." She was planning on flying over and having a chat with Chaser about all this. She didn't want to step on Chaser's hooves or upset her but... Well, she wasn't going to say she was interested in pursuing Flitter but she certainly would feel better if she knew that the option was open or closed to her.

Flitter shook her head a bit. "Oh no, my Saturdays are free, I usually read or go out with some friends. I could go see Fluttershy." To Flitter's surprise, Rainbow Dash nodded encouragingly, but then again perhaps she just wanted Flitter to unload her emotional baggage on Fluttershy instead of her. Flitter couldn't fight back a sardonic smile at that, she was probably ascribing too much malice to Rainbow Dash but she didn't doubt that Rainbow Dash would like to avoid going through that episode again. She rubbed her eyes with her hooves, she needed to try to get more sleep, she was always overly emotional when she didn't get enough sleep, and all this stress from Cloudy being hurt was not helping her sleeping. She slept pretty well last night... "That was because the bed was comfortable!" Flitter's eyes widened as she realized she'd just said that out loud.

"Huh? Oh yeah, it's great isn't it?" Rainbow Dash grinned at Flitter, apparently not reading anything into the statement beyond a compliment of her bed, thankfully for Flitter. "It took me a few weeks to get all the softest cloud whisps together for this thing." Rainbow Dash plumphed her face right into the bed before raising it back up. "Hah! Barely felt a thing! You know it wouldn't take us too long to get enough to make you a bed out of it, yours is a good bit smaller than mine."

Filter grinned, almost bouncing at the thought of having such a bed. "Ooh! We'll need... Er... I'll need to work on that! Where'd ya get the clouds?"

"Oh don't worry about "I'll" I'll help you with it!" Rainbow Dash paused. "Well, that sounded weird. You don't need to do it alone Flitter, I'll help."

Flitter smiled and nodded. "Thanks." Well, this ended a lot less awkwardly than it could have after last night, maybe Rainbow Dash was just taking a leaf out of Cloudy's book, heck, for all Flitter knew Cloudy told Rainbow Dash how Cloudy dealt with Flitter's break downs. Er... Episodes, not break downs. Flitter hated to use that word herself, it made her sound weak, and she wasn't weak dang it!... Though she did want to go see Fluttershy now. "So yeah, I think I'm gonna go see Fluttershy for a bit. Wanna see Cloudy with me later today?" Wait, why had she invited Rainbow Dash...?

Rainbow Dash nodded, she'd have to ask Chaser not to mention the conversation she was intending to have with her this morning but oh well. "Yeah, after lunch?"

"Sure." Flitter smiled and trotted out of the other ponies room, and humming a bit more happily to herself made her way out of the cloudominium.

After checking to make sure that Flitter was gone Rainbow Dash literally slapped herself across the muzzle with her wing. "Really? Really Rainbow Dash? After deciding to shelve it until you talk to Chaser you just had to stare at her flank as she left, didn't you? Pervert." Rainbow Dash grinned, as much as she berated herself for the act, she didn't really regret it.