She was awake. That was unusual, for Rainbow Dash was typically a very heavy sleeper. Waking up randomly in the middle of the night? That just didn’t happen. Heck, for half her life she’d relied solely on Fluttershy to wake her up before the morning bell. Master Luna did not take kindly to students being tardy.
Fluttershy… All at once, Rainbow Dash remembered what had awoken her. A nightmare. The first nightmare she’d had in at least three years, long enough she couldn’t even remember what it’d been about. But this nightmare was one she’d never forget, because this one had actually happened. She never wanted to hear those screams again.
Groaning audibly, Dash roughly gripped her ears as a combined stretch and attempt to rid the echoes of the dream. It wasn’t the first time she’d had it since their victory over Lord Sombera, but it was of little consequence. Fluttershy was fine, safe in her room not two doors down, so there was no reason for her to still be feeling anxious.
After Twilight’s mastering of inner peace and her demolishment of Sombera’s entire fleet, they’d all been treated by the Crystal Empire’s greatest healers. Herself and Fluttershy had been in the worst condition by far; Fluttershy due to being outright stabbed in the eyes and herself because she took a direct hit from a cannonball.
Huh, now that’ll be something to brag about. She mused to herself as she gazed at the dark ceiling. Recovering from that hadn’t been exactly fun, but fractured bones and fried feathers were nothing new to her. She was still achy all over, but considering it’d been less than a week she wasn’t complaining. Unicorn magic could work wonders sometimes. Sometimes.
Fluttershy was a different story. Oh sure, the mutilation on her face had been patched up really well. She still had scars crisscrossed across her face, but the healers had promised that they’d fade into white lines given time. With Fluttershy’s yellow fur to hide them, they’d be hard to spot unless you were fairly close to her.
But her eyes… weren’t so simple. Flesh wounds, bones, and muscles were relatively easy when it came to magic and healing. Organs weren’t, and eyes are among the most complex. So they cut them out. Well, ‘surgically removed’ was the term they’d used, but it was all the same. In theory, it’d reduce the amount of pain in the long run and significantly reduce the chances of infection. Still though…
It was a good thing the first couple days of their journey home were on the river, because Fluttershy was pretty lethargic for several days. (To be fair, Rainbow herself had been very grouchy from her own aches and pains, probably more-so than she’d like to admit.) Applejack even opted to carry Fluttershy for a few hours one morning as opposed to waking her up.
This was the first night after they’d gotten back, the first night that they got to sleep in their own beds again. Everyone was in a good mood all yesterday, even with Luna’s promise of a full day’s training on the marrow. She really wasn’t the merciful type.
But the afterthoughts of her dream still kept Dash from fully relaxing again, even as she reminded herself that everything was okay. As okay as it could be.
Sighing, Rainbow Dash sat up and swung her legs off her cot. There was only one thing she could do that’d allow her to go back to sleep now.
Scootaloo was almost as sound a sleeper as Dash herself, but Rainbow still made an effort to be extra quit as she crept out of her room. Pinkie Pie’s loud snoring was rather helpful in masking her hoofsteps.
Was she being overprotective? Pft, no. She was being a responsible leader to the Furious Five by making sure that all her teammates were alright. Not that that’d stop the others for calling her out on it, but what did they know?
They hadn’t been in the cell when it happened. They didn’t have to see the cruel wounds, her shivering in pain. They didn’t have to listen to her whimper as she clumsily tried to patch up the gashes with the dirty bandages that’d been tossed in their cage, or hold her so she wouldn’t choke on her own blood. They didn’t have to feel like they’d failed a friend twice in one day.
Rainbow Dash slid Fluttershy’s door open and stepped inside, closing it behind her.
Fluttershy was already sitting up in her bed. She was hunched over a bit with her head in her hands, something Dash had seen her do whenever she had a headache. No, she realized, she has her hands over her eyes.
“Hey, Dashie,” Fluttershy said softly. It was a nickname she only ever used when the others couldn’t hear, so it was safe to assume that everyone else was asleep. She could always tell based on their breathing.
Rainbow Dash made her way over in couple strides and knelt beside her friend. She brushed her knuckles lightly on Fluttershy’s arm. “You woke up too, huh?” she whispered.
Fluttershy paused. “Haven’t fallen asleep,” she admitted, adjusting her posture so she could face in Rainbow’s direction. “It just, you know,” she loosely gestured to her blindfold, “hurts.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. Yeah, no kidding. But pain can only keep someone awake for so long. Something’s bothering you. As much as she wanted to do otherwise, Dash didn’t say anything at all. This was the first time they really had a chance to just talk together since after the surgery, and she didn’t want Fluttershy hiding anything from her. She’d known her for most of her life, and the best way to get Fluttershy to come forth was to simply give her the room to do so. Demanding it never worked.
So instead of words, Rainbow just placed her hand on Fluttershy’s lowered forearm to signal that she was going to listen patiently for once.
It took a minute, but Fluttershy did speak up again. “It hurts,” she repeated, “but not- not just up here.” She touched the cloth right over where her right eye should be. She drew a shaky breath. “I-I know it’s stupid. I know I don’t-“ her voice cracked despite already being at a whisper “I know I don’t need them. And-and maybe it’s a little selfish, but I… I’m never going to see again, am I?” Her ears folded back against her head.
Rainbow knew she was close to crying, so she seated herself on the cot and wrapped her arms and wings around Fluttershy, pulling her close and letting her rest her head on her shoulder. She could set her pride aside for Fluttershy.
“I’ve always had the option,” she continued after taking a moment to regain control of her breathing. “I like wearing the blindfold, but I always had the choice to take it off. To see things. There’s a lot I can’t do anymore. I can’t watch the sunsets, or see the stars. I can’t tell the time and I can’t read or write anymore.”
Ouch, that wasn’t something Dash had even considered.
To her surprise, Fluttershy next gave a weak smile. “Pinkie Pie better not rearrange the tea-boxes on me.”
That caused Rainbow to give a small snort of amusement, but Fluttershy’s smile was quick to fall away again.
“I never realized it before, but I’ve always felt a bit safer knowing I have the stare as a last defense. I’ve had that safety-net my whole life, and now…” She shivered.
Rainbow Dash nearly cut in at this part. She understood what Fluttershy was saying and could imagine how vulnerable she must feel with it gone, but the stare was never the source of Fluttershy’s real strength. She opened her mouth to say this, but didn’t get the chance.
“But that’s not the worst part.”
Really? Then what?
“Twilight will be thrilled with the excuse to read aloud. I trust you guys enough to help me where I need it.” She took a shaky breath. “No, what really hurts is,” her voice indicated she was close to tears again, “I can’t see people anymore. I can’t see you guys anymore. I-I can’t see you smile.” She was starting to shiver a little. “I can still hear it in your voices, but it’s not the same. I have to guess from now on, and I-“ her voice broke away completely as she started to cry, still being quiet enough not to wake the others.
…oh. At this point, Dash was quiet not because she was holding her words back, but because she had absolutely no idea what to say. So instead she just squeezed her close.
“You don’t deserve this, Flutters,” Dash finally found her voice. “And you’re allowed to be upset. That’s not selfish.”
As she looked down at her friend, she realized the tears leaking out from beneath the blindfold had blood mixed in them. She cringed.
They stayed like that until Fluttershy finally pulled away a little. “Thank you, Dashie. It’s been a lot to take in, but… I’ll be alright. I’m okay.”
“No,” Dash said firmly, giving Fluttershy a start. “This isn’t okay. We live at the Celestial Palace. This place has a huge archive of ancient scrolls about all kinds of magic. There’s gotta be something in there that’ll get your eyes back.” She stood up so that she was facing directly in front of Fluttershy.
Fluttershy frowned thoughtfully. “I don’t know, Rainbow Dash, Twilight’s ravaged that place front to back a few times by now. I’m sure she would’ve said something.”
Rainbow shook her head. “Twilight’s been a little preoccupied with everything that’s happened lately, and as much as she wants to, even she can't memorize every spell she comes across.” Another thought occurred to her. “Master Luna. If anyone has any idea how to help you, it’d be her.”
With a sigh, Fluttershy nodded. “I guess it can’t hurt to ask.”
“Great, let’s go!” She reached forward and pulled Fluttershy to her hooves.
“N-Now?”
“It’s not that late,” Rainbow shrugged. I think… “Besides, better now than when everyone else is awake.”
That got Fluttershy to agree.
“Awesome, but first…” Rainbow grabbed Fluttershy’s water flask and a spare cloth, drizzling a little water onto it. “Hold still.”
Gently, Rainbow Dash cleaned away the blood streaks. She made sure to be careful around the scars, and if Fluttershy felt any pain she didn’t show it.
“Okay, now we can go.”
~*~
Luna Solaris was meditating in the Jade palace near the pool that reflected the Celestial Dragon, now devoid of its scroll. The gentle light of a thousand candles surrounded her. Well, perhaps she wasn’t meditating so much as she was lost in thought. She had, after all, been given a lot to think about.
Twilight had mastered inner peace way faster than she’d expected. That alone completely threw off her lesson plans, but she was proud.
Her son was now married, and to the newly crowned queen of the changelings no less. That was a notion that still hadn’t fully settled yet, much less the thought that she might be a grandmare in a few years.
But among the joy there was also heartache. Now that Master Big Macintosh’s body has been recovered, Applejack and Apple Bloom had set off to mourn with their grandmare. Luna had told them to take as much time as they needed, be it a week or month.
The sound of echoing hoofsteps broke through the silence and her thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned to see two of her students coming to see her. The first of the five she’d trained.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy bowed respectfully as Luna stood to greet them.
“Why have you come to see me so late?” She kept her voice stern, but she wasn’t mad. Her student’s knew that she preferred to be left in peace at this hour.
Fluttershy was obviously nervous as her hand subconsciously played with the hair that draped over her face. Rainbow Dash gave her a firm nudge forward.
“M-Master Luna,” she gripped her hair even tighter and took a deep breath. “I was wondering if you knew of any to help me. If there’s any way I can… see again.” Fluttershy kept her head averted and her ears were drawn back.
Luna’s expression softened.
“I-I know I don’t need them, not to fight, but I was hoping that maybe-“
Luna silenced her by placing her hand under Fluttershy’s chin and lifting her head so that she was facing her. “Fluttershy, you know I lost my magic long ago.”
“O-of course. I’m sorry, Master, we shouldn’t have bothered you,” she muttered hurriedly as she pulled away. “It was stupid-“
“Master, please,” Rainbow Dash’s clear voice rang out, and Fluttershy fell silent. She was glaring at Luna. “You have to know of some way to help her. Twilight’s amazing with magic, so if there’s a spell or anything-“
“Unicorn magic can only go so far,” Luna said with a shake of her head. “I’m sorry, but there’s nothing that can be done.” At least not now.
Rainbow Dash scowled. “Can’t you even look into it?!”
“Rainbow, it’s fine,” Fluttershy attempted to calm her down by placing her hand on her arm.
“No it’s not.” She didn’t take her eyes off Luna. She stepped forward, and the flames of the candles danced as her wings flexed. “There’s gotta be something out there.”
“I’m sorry,” Luna said firmly, “But I’m not going to waste my time looking through scrolls when I know it’s futile. Fluttershy has trained with a blindfold for most of her life; she is capable of handling this.”
“I bet you wouldn’t say that if it’d been Tia Lung,” Rainbow Said Coldly.
“…What.”
Fluttershy had her hands over her mouth while Rainbow Dash held Luna’s piercing gaze. “Admit it. If it were your precious son, you’d do anything to find a cure. You’d do it for him. But we were never good enough for you, were we master?” She said the last word bitterly and her determined resolve melted away.
Luna was lost for words as Rainbow Dash turned away. “Come on Fluttershy.”
With a final, nervous look in Luna’s direction, Fluttershy allowed Rainbow Dash to guide her out.
Master… Luna felt like a blade of ice had just pierced her heart. It wasn’t what the word was, but what the word wasn’t. What she’d never allowed it to become.
She’d only ever considered herself to be the mother of one child, the one she’d failed by allowing her pride to blind her to his growing ambition. But he wasn’t the only one she’d raised from a young age.
Placing a hand to her forehead, Luna muttered, “I’ve been such a fool.”
~*~
Rainbow Dash was seven years old when the great Master Luna Solaris officially adopted her and took her in as her personal protégé. Rainbow Dash had been a notoriously troublesome foal at the Cloudsdale Orphanage, being gifted with extraordinary speed and a rambunctious personality. The fact that she tended to crash through a lot of walls didn’t help her case.
Being a renowned teacher of the martial art of Kung Fu, the matriarch of the orphanage had pleaded for Luna’s expertise. It was only a year after Tia Lung’s imprisonment, and Luna knew she needed a new student soon. No matter the pain of feeling like she was replacing him, she was still charged with training the Celestial Warrior. It was the only way to make up for what she had done.
This time, however, Master Celestia had suggested that she take in more than just one student, to train many. Luna often taught large groups of children at once for certain spans of time, but she knew what Celesta really wanted her to do. She needed to find those with a gift for the art and devote as much time to them as she had her s- Tia Lung.
But first she had to find students worthy enough, and Rainbow Dash proved to be the first of them. While she started the little filly’s training, Luna would host monthly tryouts in attempt to find others, but they yielded little success.
Two months in, and Rainbow Dash was working on one of the rotating dummies. They were deceptive, for they always hit back with as much ferocity as you put into them. Rainbow scowled in focus as she struck one arm and quickly blocked the opposing. Luna assured her that there was, indeed, a way to break these dummies. But she’d also said that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be able to for many years to come.
Rainbow was determined to prove Luna wrong.
She kicked hard at the lower legs, jumping those that would trip her. She put even more bite into the arms, and they swung back around too fast. Rainbow couldn’t block it in time so, on instinct, she used her wings to propel her backwards and out of range just before the hard wood could crack her on the head.
“Sloppy,” Luna said. Not necessarily coldly, but devoid of any emotion at all. “Raw power can only get you so far, child. Prioritize your technique.”
And with that she walked off, done for the day.
Rainbow’s ears drooped and her wings sagged. She’d been working so hard all weekend, and this was the first time the dummy hadn’t managed to even nick her. She sighed sadly. When was the last time Luna had told her ‘well done?’
I have to work harder! I know I can show her how Awesome I am.
“I, uh, I thought you were really good.”
Rainbow’s head snapped up and she turned around. The voice had been so quiet that she could almost imagine that she hadn’t heard it. But no, a little ways off there was another pegasus filly, the first other person her own age that Dash had seen around the Jade Palace, save for Luna’s weekly open house lessons.
Her fur and feathers were a soft yellow while light pink hair cascaded down in front of her face, hiding her eyes. She had a broom gripped in her hands, though by the way she was holding it, it might as well be a shield. She kept her whole head averted, facing the ground, and there was a noticeable tremble in her wings.
“Thanks,” Rainbow Dash said, surprised. She’d seen this filly a few times before, but only in glimpses here and there. She guessed that she was part of the cleaning staff.
“I’m Rainbow Dash, Master Luna’s student.” She approached the filly with an outstretched hand, but the filly only back away.
“I-I’m just a-a janitor I guess.”
Rainbow cocked her head with a smirk. “You guess?”
“I just clean stuff.” It was clear that the filly was starting to get really uncomfortable as she glanced around for a way out.
“What’s your name,” Rainbow Dash tried again. She didn’t approach this time for fear of scaring her off completely. This wasn’t the kind of person she’d normally hang out with, but she often got bored when training was over and there was no one else around to play with.
“Fl-Fluttershy.” She glanced up briefly, and Dash saw that her eyes were a pretty teal-blue.
“Cool. So do you wanna go play outside with me?”
This time, Fluttershy’s head shot up in surprise and she dropped her broom. “You want to play with me?” Her ears picked up hopefully.
“Well sure,” Dash shrugged. “I mean, unless you have to get home to your parents or something.”
Her bangs fell over her face again. “I don’t have parents anymore.”
This caused Dash to smile despite herself. “That’s okay, I never even knew mine.” She offered her hand again. “Come on, there’s this fun area in the trees I can show you.”
Fluttershy hesitated, then smiled softly and took it. “Okay.”
They ran outside together, leaving both the broom and the dummy forgotten.
~*~
They walked in silence as they made their way back to the dorms. Rainbow Dash had her jaw clenched tightly and she stared straight ahead. Her hand gripped like iron on Fluttershy’s arm, but Fluttershy made no complaint.
It wasn’t until they were halfway between the palace and their rooms that Fluttershy decided to speak up. “You probably shouldn’t have said that, Rainbow Dash.”
“It’s true though,” she growled in response.
Fluttershy didn’t offer any comment on this.
“Ever since he returned, it’s ‘my son’ this and ‘mother’ that.” She stopped walking. “It’s like we don’t even matter anymore.”
“Dashie,” Fluttershy leaned into her.
“I know, I know,” Rainbow Dash sighed. “I let my emotions get to me and I shouldn’t have said it. I’ll apologize in the morning okay? But right now I just don’t want to think about it.”
Fluttershy nodded, and they started walking again.
When they got to her room, Fluttershy reached behind her blindfold to untie it. “You go ahead and get some sleep, Rainbow. I need to change out my bandages.”
“Here, let me do it,” Rainbow Dash grabbed her hands so she could take over.
“Rainbow,” Fluttershy scolded lightly, “I can do this on my own.”
“I know you can, it’s just,” Rainbow hesitated. “Please, Fluttershy, I need to do something.”
A moment of understanding passed between them, and Fluttershy let her hands fall away.
Rainbow Dash finished untying the blindfold to reveal the layers of white bandages underneath. She led Fluttershy over to the bed and sat her down before unwinding them. Last was a spongy pad that had been soaked in a medical solution, now dry. She had Fluttershy lie down, then carefully lifted it off, leaving her face completely exposed.
The eye’s she’d had were completely gone, but her sockets weren’t empty. Instead, two light blue glass marbles filled their place, making it look like Fluttershy’s irises had simply taken over the rest of her eyes.
The doctors had said that they could simply sow her eyes shut, but Zecora recommended the prosthetics as they were typically more comfortable. They also had the advantages of blocking infection and letting her retain use of her eyelids and tear ducts.
Fluttershy had been unconscious from all the drugs they’d used for the surgery, and Rainbow Dash and Luna had been the only ones in the tent when the healers brought out their array of glass eyes. Most of them were made to actually look like eyes, but those just creeped her out. There were a lot of pure white ones too, but they weren’t much better.
Now, looking at the blue ones that almost glowed in the filtered moonlight, Rainbow knew she’d made the right choice. They didn’t cheaply replace the eye’s that Fluttershy lost, nor were they unnervingly creepy. If anything, they were ethereal.
Rainbow Dash smiled to herself. You failed, Sombera. Fluttershy has a beauty you could never take away.
Of course, the one downside to the glass eyes is that you had to clean them. Rainbow Dash unrolled the scroll on Fluttershy’s desk and read through the instructions on what to do. Read them, read them. For once she didn’t skim through.
When she was confident about the process, Rainbow grabbed a dropper, two marked vials, and a small silk cloth. She set these on Fluttershy’s bedside table, then sat herself next to her friend.
Taking the cloth and one of the vials after double checking to make sure it was the right one, Dash held the cloth to the nozzle and tipped some of the solution onto it. Next came the scarry part.
Pulling the marble out was easier than Dash expected, but it still wasn’t pleasant to do. Fluttershy’s breathing sharpened a bit, but otherwise she held perfectly still. She’d never admit it, but seeing the empty red socket made her a little sick. She had to repress a shudder lest Fluttershy feel her discomfort.
Being quick to set to work for both their sakes, Rainbow Dash wrapped the orb in the cloth and polished it clean. Setting it down on the table still wrapped up, she took the dropper and second vial.
With one hand, she held Fluttershy’s eyelids open, and with the other she dripped four drops of the solution into the open socket. She could feel Fluttershy wince beneath her and let out a soft hiss.
She replaced the marble then repeated the process over with the other eye. Once the second was back in place, Rainbow let out a relieved breath. The hard part was done.
Getting back up, Rainbow Dash fetched a sponge pad and some fresh bandages. She dipped the pad in the basin of medical herbs that was already laying in wait. She wrung out the excess, then took it and draped it over Fluttershy’s eyes. She then wrapped the bandages around it to hold it securely in place and provide a comfortable pressure.
Leaving it there to soak in for a bit, Rainbow grabbed a jar of cream and began to slowly trace Fluttershy’s scars. This, at least, was something she was rather familiar with.
Finally, she tied Fluttershy’s usual blindfold back on, creating an illusion that nothing had really changed.
“Thank you, Dashie. You did really well.” Fluttershy smiled up at her.
“Whoa, there, hold on, we’re not done yet,” Rainbow teased, flicking her ear. “You’ve still got to take your medicine.”
“No I don’t, I already took those earlier,” Fluttershy countered. “And it’s not good to take them again so soon.”
“Oh, okay then.” Rainbow set the last of the vials back down, glad she hadn’t poured any yet. “I’m still gonna stay with you till you fall asleep though.”
“I’d like that,” Fluttershy agreed. She scooted over to give Rainbow Dash more room to sit next to her. but she stayed laying on her back to prevent herself from aggravating any of her cuts.
Rainbow took her place, then pulled one of Fluttershy’s wings out from under her. Even with her blindfold, Fluttershy was better at taking care of her feathers than Rainbow Dash was, but that didn’t matter. It was a little known secret that the best way to sooth a pegasus was to allopreen.
Dash had no idea if and when Fluttershy fell asleep, so she simply kept up her work until both wings were done. It was a little ironic: Fluttershy could always tell when her friends were awake or asleep, but thanks to her blindfold the others had a really hard time telling when she was.
When last feather was guided into place, Dash was fairly confident that Fluttershy had been asleep for some time. She herself was very tired by now, the long days and her own aches having caught up to her.
Returning to her own room, Dash collapsed on her cot and fell asleep in ten seconds flat.
~*~
Today was Wednesday, and that meant that Rainbow Dash got to spend the day training with master Luna’s weekly students. They ranged from five-year-olds who mostly just banged sticks on the dummies to foals in their early teens.
Rainbow Dash wasn’t a big fan of Luna’s other students, but that was okay now that she’d found herself a permanent friend at the Jade palace.
Today they were all out in the training fields, waiting for master Luna’s arrival. Glancing around the area, Rainbow Dash finally spotted Fluttershy hiding in the overhang of a tree. She gave her a grin and a wave, and Fluttershy smiled in response.
Unlike the other kids, Fluttershy wasn’t here to train. She was here to sweep away whatever messes they happened to make.
Ever since they’d spent that first evening together, the two girls had fallen into a bit of a routine. Fluttershy began taking up more of the work around the training grounds so that she could watch as Dash’s secret audience, then they’d play together once they were done with their respective duties. The higher ups on Fluttershy’s end didn’t particularly mind this considering she was only seven, and as far as Dash could tell Luna hadn’t even noticed.
The training started fairly normally. Luna ran the children through the basic warm up motions, they paired up with each other to simulate slow motion fights, and Rainbow Dash got a lot of snide looks from those who were jealous of her. Yep, pretty typical.
From the corner of her eye, Rainbow could see Fluttershy watching the lesson with rapt attention. Occasionally, she’d even mimic some of the motions before losing confidence and ducking back behind her tree.
This was far from the first time Rainbow Dash had noticed her doing this. As far as she could tell, Fluttershy had been watching Luna teach since before they’d even met.
The lesson proceeded onto breaking clay plates. The clay was hard packed and far from fragile, but it wasn’t nearly as hard to break through as wood or brick. That would have to wait till they were older. The plates were shaped so that they could be placed on a wooden brace and adjusted to meet the various heights of the children.
They all lined up to take their turns while Luna stood next to the brace to examine their technique. Fluttershy was called over to hand Luna fresh plates when needed.
Some of the kids successfully broke through their plates (herself included), but most struck dead. When this happened, Luna would instruct them on what they did wrong, then have them return to the end of the line. Those that succeeded were sent to join the students too young for this and grab a glass of juice.
Dash was already halfway done with her glass when a commotion at the front of the line occurred, and someone started crying loudly.
Rainbow rushed over to see Luna picking up and looking over a grey pegasus about her own age. She immediately recognized who it was as Derpy, one of the few regular students that Dash didn’t mind. Unfortunately, it was very clear that Derpy did not have a future in kung fu, but no one had had the heart to tell her that yet.
This time, Derpy had somehow managed to strike and successfully break the brace instead of the clay plate.
Standing up with Derpy in her arms Luna addressed the rest of her class. “I suppose we're done with that for the day. The rest of you go ahead and get you drinks while I take Derpy to the medical bay. Don’t do anything until I return.” She signaled for Fluttershy to go ahead and start sweeping up the scattered clay shards.
The medical bay was stationed very close for this very reason, and there was always a staff member specialized in children standing by on Wednesdays. It was pretty common for someone to get a cut or bruise.
As soon as Luna was out of earshot, one of Dash’s least favorite peers started to complain loudly. “Awe, come on, I never even got a turn.” He was a nine-year-old colt named Dumbbell.
Dumbbell’s closest buddy, Hoops, snickered beside him. “At least now you don’t have to fail at it.” Hoops wasn’t the brightest of the bunch, but he was one of the ones who’d managed to break his plate.
Dumbbell scowled. “I can break plates in my sleep if I wanted to.”
“Oh yeah? And how are you gonna prove it?” Hoops teased.
Dash was tempted to join in with the joking, but then they’d probably both just turn on her cause she was Luna’s favorite, so she kept her mouth shut.
“Likes this!” He stomped over to the broken brace, and Dash wondered if he was actually going to try and fix it. Then, to her horror, she realized what his plan was.
“Servant girl!” Dumbbell barked.
Fluttershy froze in shock at being addressed, her knuckles going white as she gripped her broom defensively.
“Hold up one of those plates,” he ordered.
“No!” Rainbow shouted. She was on her feet in a flash. She knew that Dumbbell was definitely capable of breaking one of the plates, and he wasn’t thinking this through.
Unfortunately, the other students had also risen and gathered around out of curiosity. Luna’s protégé or not, she was still one of the youngest students and still very short.
“Come on, are you deaf? Just pick it up and hold it out for me.”
Giving up finding a way around, Rainbow Dash took to the air just in time to see Fluttershy shakily bend down and pick up one of the plates. Her eyes were wide and frightened, but she obeyed none the less.
“No, Fluttershy, don’t do that!” Rainbow yelled, tilting her wings in a dive to stop Dumbbell.
She wasn’t fast enough. Fluttershy was already holding the plate when her head snapped in Rainbow’s direction, and Dumbbell wasted no time with his strike.
The plate shattered, and the shards flew directly at Fluttershy. She collapsed from the impact right as Rainbow landed.
“You idiot!” Rainbow roared at Dumbbell. “She’s not a servant, and you don’t get to boss her around.”
He had a blankly dumb look of surprise plastered on his face as his slow brain took in what had happened. Rainbow curled her lip in disgust before turning to check on her friend.
Fluttershy was down on her knees and crying, covering one side of her face with her right hand while the left sat bleeding in her lap.
Rainbow wrapped an arm around her and helped her stand up. “Come on, Fluttershy, I’ll take you to the medical bay.”
Fluttershy only nodded her response, keeping her eyes tightly shut.
They reached the bay right as Luna stepped out. It took her less than three seconds for her to register Fluttershy’s state and demand, “What happened?”
“Dumbbell made her hold up one of the plates for him,” Dash replied promptly.
Luna gave a curt nod. “Take her inside and wait for me there.” She spared Fluttershy a brief, sympathetic look before storming off back toward the training grounds.
Rainbow guided her in and the nurse quickly came over. The cut on her hand from where the clay splintered wasn’t too deep, but the cut on her cheekbone needed a quick stitch. Dash was surprised that Fluttershy didn’t freak out about that.
Not that she’d freak out about it or anything. She totally wasn’t scared of needles. Much.
It only took about fifteen minutes for the nurse to finish her work and hand Fluttershy an ice pack.
“You okay?” Dash finally asked once they were alone.
Fluttershy sniffed and nodded.
“You don’t have to do what they say, you know,” Rainbow said. She swung her feet under the bench. “They’re just a bunch of jerks.”
This didn’t seem to reassure her much.
“I hope Luna kicks Dumbbell out,” she continued wistfully, only to notice that Fluttershy was still staring down at the floor.
“Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash nudged her leg lightly.
“I think I’m in trouble,” she whispered a little hoarsely.
“What?” Rainbow started, genuinely confused. “But you didn’t do anything wrong?”
“Master Luna sounded really mad.” Fluttershy shivered.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. “Yeah, but she was mad at Dumbbell, not you.”
Fluttershy didn’t respond, and a thought occurred to Rainbow Dash.
“Fluttershy, are you… scared of master Luna?”
She froze momentarily, then gave a little nod.
Rainbow couldn’t help but snicker. “I guess she is kinda scowly a lot of the time, but she’s actually really awesome! I told you how she saved me from the orphanage, right?” Okay, ‘save’ might’ve been a strong word.
Again Fluttershy nodded.
“I promise, she’s totally cool once you get to know her.” Rainbow decided to risk asking something she’d wanted to suggest Fluttershy do ever since they became friends. “You should join in on the classes. I’m sure Master Luna wouldn’t mind.”
Fluttershy immediately started shaking her head. “No, no, no, I can’t do that.”
Rainbow tilted her head. “Why not?”
“I-I don’t do well when there’s a lot of people around.” She then added in a whisper, “I don’t want to be laughed at…”
This was about the response Rainbow Dash had expected. But at the same time, she knew Fluttershy wanted to learn. She’d seen her try from the shadows enough times to be sure of it.
“What if… What if I trained you?” Rainbow suggested. Truthfully, she had no idea if she’d be any good at teaching or not, but the words were already out of her mouth. “I mean, just some basic defense and stuff, you know? I don’t think Dumbbell meant to hurt you, but it’s always better to be prepared, right?”
“Okay.”
“And I won’t make you do anything super hard or exhausting cause- wait you will?”
Fluttershy smiled. “I’ll do it.”
~*~
Rainbow soon found out that not only did Fluttershy want to learn kung fu, but she was actually very good at it. Not as good as herself of course, but better than most of Luna’s other students.
Over the course of several months, Rainbow Dash relayed whatever she’d learned from Master Luna to Fluttershy in their free time. The training facility was always open, so they’d occasionally sneak in to practice on the equipment when no one else was around. By this point, they had both turned eight years old.
Right now they were ‘training’ on the sapphire bowl. Which is to say, they were seeing who could stay on the longest without using their wings or hands. This was one of the few games that Fluttershy usually beat Dash at.
“Hey Fluttershy, I was thinking,” Dash tried to throw the balance of the bowl as she spoke, but Fluttershy countered it easily.
“Is that a first?” Fluttershy teased lightly. She shifted the balance again, and Rainbow almost flared her wings.
“Ha, ha,” she rolled her eyes. “But really, I was thinking that you should, ah… Well the next student tryouts are only a couple days away and… I-think-you-should-try-out-to-be-Luna’s-next-student,” she finished in a rush.
Startled, Fluttershy actually slipped. Rainbow dove forward to catch her before she could hit the bowl.
“You want me to t-try out to be M-Master Luna’s student?” she stuttered out.
“Hold on, just hear me out,” Rainbow pleaded. They sat down together in the bowl. “Look, you’re really good at this stuff. I’ve seen Luna’s other students and I’ve been to the tryout tournament a hundred times already. You could actually make it!”
Fluttershy started to protest, but Rainbow Dash didn’t give her the chance. “And if-when you do, you’ll get to come live in the student dorms with me! I mean, it’s not like they’ll send you away if you don’t make it, so what’s the harm in trying?” At this point, Dash was all but pleading. She’d never admit it, but she often got lonely in the evenings when no one else was around.
“I-I’d really like to be in the dorms you, but..” Fluttershy faced her friend fully. “Rainbow, I still have my problem.”
Right. Her problem. They’d discovered one very serious flaw in Fluttershy’s abilities with kung fu. Whenever they tried to spar, Fluttershy would get scared and lose her nerve. It never took long for her to back out of a fight. And that’s when there was no one else watching. Truthfully, Rainbow Dash had no idea how to fix that.
“I-I’m not saying I won’t ever try..”
Rainbow Dash looked at her in surprise.
“… but I’m not ready just yet.”
That… That was better than what Dash had been hoping for. Grinning, she pulled Fluttershy up. “We better start practicing then!”
~*~
Four months had passed since Rainbow Dash first asked her to enter the tryouts, and four times Fluttershy had refused. She kept trying to make up more excuses, but the simple truth of the matter was that she was scared.
She’d just turned her down again that day, and Fluttershy was stating to worry that Rainbow Dash was getting really upset with her. The last thing she wanted was for her to loose her only friend over this, but she just couldn’t find a way to get over her problem. She just wasn’t good enough.
Fluttershy sat staring into the deep pool of the Jade palace, watching the peach blossoms slide lazily across the smooth surface. The pail of soapy water and sponge she’d been cleaning the floors with sat forgotten beside her.
Fluttershy’s ears swiveled at a faint sound, causing her to remember herself and were she was. She turned around with an apology already forming in her throat, but it never came out. Her eyes widened as she realized who was walking toward her, and she lost her capacity of speech altogether.
Striding forward, long staff in hand, was none other than Master Celestia herself. Fluttershy had seen the great master, of course, but only ever from a distance. And now the white alicorn was walking her way.
Fluttershy still hadn’t figured out how her muscles worked by the time Celesta came to a stop before her.
“And how goes your training with Rainbow Dash?” Celestia asked her.
Fluttershy gasped, finally unlocking. “You-you know?” For a moment, she was seriously afraid that she was in trouble, but she soon relaxed under Celestia’s gentle smile.
The alicorn seated herself just a few feet away. “Of course I know, child,” she said in a humorous tone. “The two of you aren’t as stealthy as you think.”
Fluttershy ducked her head.
“Hmm, but something is bothering you. Come here, little one.”
Fluttershy looked up in disbelief to see Master Celestia holding a hand out to her. Slowly and nervously, she crawled forward and Celestia pulled her onto her lap. Part of her wanted to panic, but Celestia’s smile kept her calm.
“Now, child, what is upsetting you?”
Fluttershy looked down at her hands. “Rainbow Dash wants me to become Master Luna’s next student so I can move in and learn kung fu with her. But I-I’m just not good enough. Whenever I try to fight someone, I get really scared and freeze up.”
“Hmm. Tell me, do you actually want to learn kung fu?” Celestia asked her.
Fluttershy only hesitated briefly before nodding.
“And why do you want to learn it?”
“Because… I want to help people. I-I don’t want what happened to me, my f-family… I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.” Fluttershy risked looking back up at Celestia.
“And Rainbow Dash truly believes you can do this?”
Fluttershy nodded.
“But you don’t believe in yourself, do you?”
Fluttershy’s ears drew back shamefully.
The next thing Fluttershy knew, Celestia was standing up with her still in her arms. “M-Master?”
“Come little one, we’re going to play a game.”
~*~
Celestia carried Fluttershy out into the woods behind the Jade Palace. “You like it here, don’t you?” she asked.
Fluttershy nodded eagerly. “I like all the animals that live here.” She pointed to a rabbit some ways off as an example.
Deciding they had gone far enough, Celestia set Fluttershy down. Then, her horn glowed with golden light, and a black something appeared in her hand. She held it out for Fluttershy to see.
It was a blindfold.
“The game is very simple,” Celestia explained. “I’m going to tie this around your eyes, and you’re going to count to ten in your head. Then I want you to point to where you think I am, and keep your finger trailed on me until I tell you to stop.”
Fluttershy felt rather relieved. She’d been worried that the game Celestia wanted to play would be super hard and for kung fu masters, but this was something she could do. She stood still as Master Celestia tied the cloth onto her.
Fluttershy started her count, listening all the while. She came out to these woods often to see the animals, but she had long since learned that most of them were too good at blending in to simply spot. She’d learned to listen for them, and this was no different.
The sound of a pony walking was very different from that of any animal, and there were a lot of those filling up the air with their warble. Master Celesta was a lot harder to pick out, but at the end of her count Fluttershy still pointed to where she thought she was. From there, she moved her hand when Celestia did. It took all her focus to pick through the sounds, and more than once Fluttershy feared she’d lost her.
“You may uncover your eyes now,” Celestia’s voice rang out clearly. To Fluttershy’s surprise, it came from exactly where she’d suspected the alicorn to be.
She quickly pulled her blindfold up over her head so she could find out how she did. Celesta was beaming at her, and Fluttershy felt her ears lift up hopefully. “Did-did I do it right?”
“You have an excellent sense of hearing, little one,” Celestia praised.
Well, she was having trouble believing what she was hearing now.
“And I think you can learn to use that to your advantage.” She knelt down so that they were eyelevel. Celestia curled Fluttershy’s hand over the blindfold. “I want you to wear this the next time you fight with Rainbow Dash.”
Fluttershy gaped at the master.
“It’s when you see someone coming at you when you freeze up, isn’t it? So now it’s time to see what happens when you can’t see them.” Celestia stood up. “I believe in you, Fluttershy. It’s time you believe in yourself.”
~*~
To be honest? Rainbow Dash thought Fluttershy had gone crazy when she told her about the blindfold. And if not for the fact that Master Celesta had told her to do it, she’d have refused.
What was even crazier was that it worked.
Not to say thar Fluttershy was immediately awesome at it, a lot of her moves were hesitant and clumsy, but for the first time she saw a fight through to its end. So to speak.
From then on, Fluttershy trained blindfolded. There were a lot of scrapes and bruises initially, but within three months she was as good as she had been before. Except better now, because she could actually fight someone.
“Come on Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash groaned, “you’re ready.”
“I know, it’s just… a lot of pressure and-and the crowd…”
She was starting to shake again so Rainbow put her hands over hers. Fluttershy had started to wear her blindfold even when they weren’t training for further practice, and she had it on now. But even with it on, she was still the shy filly who’d barely been able to work up the courage to offer Rainbow Dash some kind words when she was feeling down.
An idea struck her, and the answer became so painfully obvious and clear. Rainbow felt both like a genius and a total idiot all at one.
“Maybe- maybe you don’t have to…”
~*~
Luna sat cross-legged in the palace gardens, her flute to her lips and the music surrounding her. She was lost to the serenity of it, completely at peace in that moment-
“Master! Master!”
-And the moment was over. Sighing, Luna lowered her instrument. “What is it, Rainbow Dash? I thought I said training was over for today.” She opened her eyes to see the blue filly overflowing with excitement.
“Please, Master,” she gave a hurried bow, “there’s something you really need to see!”
Luna sighed again, “Rainbow Dash, I think I’ve seen enough of your creative moves to-“
“No, no, it’s not that, Master,” Rainbow insisted.
Luna frowned at being interrupted, but she allowed her student to continue speaking.
“It’s not even about me at all!”
Now that had Luna’s attention. “Very well.” She stood and gestured with her hand. “Show me.”
Rainbow, unsurprisingly, took her straight to the training grounds. Luna was starting to think this’d be a waste of time, but then she saw that someone else was already there. It was the young pegasus child who worked to clean the palace and its respective grounds.
Luna remembered that her family died in a bandit raid when the girl was only six years old, a little over two years ago now. They’d taken her in at the palace because of her heritage. As one of the few descendants of the great Master Somnambula, it was possible that she had the Gorgon’s Gaze, or at least carried the genes for it.
Truthfully, Luna had given the child little to no thought at all. She knew Rainbow Dash liked to run off and play with her, but she’d figured that was just children being children, nothing more.
What was interesting right now was that a thick black cloth covered the child’s eyes, rendering her blind. Luna had no idea what Rainbow was wanting her to see.
“Watch this master!” And without waiting for permission, or giving any warning at all, Rainbow Dash attacked Fluttershy.
Luna nearly intervened on instinct, but to her surprise Fluttershy dodged Rainbow’s assault easily. Every time Rainbow threw a fist or kicked at her, it was dodged. Then Fluttershy added in a jab or two of her own. Nothing complicated, but she was countering all the same.
Luna soon began to observe the child more critically. She wasn’t particularly fast or strong, not like Rainbow, but she was agile and sure-footed. Her technique needed some work for sure, but if Luna had the pieces right, she’d learned it all second hand, not from a professional master. (Something that made Luna a little proud that Rainbow Dash had done.) There was a clear hesitance whenever she made an advance of her own, and her whole body was tense with nerves.
All in all, the fight was nothing spectacular in and of itself. But here was an untrained eight-year-old child fighting with a blindfold on.
And the thing that amazed Luna the most? Rainbow Dash was holding back.
Luna knew Rainbow Dash could win this fight at any second if she wanted to, but she didn’t. Never once had Luna seen that from her student. Rainbow was boastful, determined to prove her worth, and always put her all into whatever opponent Luna set her up against.
But here before her Rainbow Dash was setting her own pride aside so that someone else could have the spotlight.
Finally, the two girls slowed to a stop, ending the fight in a draw as they both panted for breath.
“So Master,” Rainbow gave her a pleading look, “Will you train her?”
Instead of answering, Luna approached Fluttershy. The filly took a small, nervous step back, but otherwise held her ground as Luna circled around her.
She was fairly skinny. She’d probably just hit a bit of a growth spurt for her legs and arms were a little too long, but that would correct itself in time. Gently, Luna pulled out one of her wings and examined it’s shape. Elliptical, better for dodging in and out of tight spaces as opposed to high speed and endurance like Dash’s were.
Having finished her examination, Luna stood before the two of them and thought. For once, Rainbow Dash had the good sense to remain quiet, albeit fidgety.
This situation was not something Luna had foreseen coming. She did need more students as potential candidates for the Celestial Scroll, but her tryouts had proven disappointing, to say the least. Had Fluttershy auditioned in one of them, Luna might have disregarded her after a single glance. But maybe that was a reason to train her anyway. To train someone very different from any student she’d ever had before.
Luna doubted she’d prove to be the Celestial warrior, but… She had talent. With enough training and a lot of patience, she could become a very worthwhile master indeed. Worst case scenario, she’d provide Rainbow Dash with a training buddy.
“Fluttershy,” Luna finally spoke. The pegasus in question flinched. “Are you willing to train, and train hard?”
“Y-yes ma’am.”
We’ll need to work on that voice of yours.
“Then from this day forth, you will be my student, and I your master.”
~*~
“I’ve finally found another student, Celestia.” Luna stood beside her sister under the stars.
“Oh did you now?” Celestia said playfully.
Luna frowned. The way she said that… “You knew Fluttershy would become one of my students, didn’t you?”
“Well,” Celestia said, “’knew’ is a rather strong word, so lets go with ‘highly suspected.’ And only after Rainbow Dash started training her.”
Luna shook her head. “How long have they been doing it?”
“A little over a year now, Lulu.”
Really? Have I really been so wrapped up in my head lately that I didn’t notice this? She almost missed the fact that Celestia was walking away.
“Where are you going?” She quickly caught up.
“I wish to see how the children have settled.”
“Surely they’re asleep by now. At least they better be if they want to be ready for tomorrow.”
“Yes, they probably are.” Celestia didn’t pause her stride.
When they got to the sleeping quarters reserved for long time students, they began to check the rooms one by one only to find that all of the available ones were still empty.
“Surely Rainbow Dash remembered to tell her that she could move in here now,” Luna muttered.
“Oh, I think she remembered.” Celestia had opened one final door.
Luna looked into it and frowned. Celestia smiled. There, in Rainbow Dash’s room, were both pegasi fillies piled onto the bed with Rainbow half draped over Fluttershy’s back.
“I think we’re going to have to set some new rules.”
“Oh, let them be children, Lulu,” Celestial chided as she quietly shut their door.
She clenched her jaw, then relented. “I suppose it doesn’t hurt for them to sleep together, but I still want Fluttershy to have her own room.”
This was all very different from Tia Lung. By this age, he’d been too focused on his training to have interest in friends or playtime. But Luna wanted to raise these girls better than she had her son, so maybe this was the right path after all.
“I’ve decided, Celestia,” Luna said once they were back outside, “I’m no longer going to hold the tournaments.”
“Oh?”
She sighed. “I think it’s time I let fate bring my students to me, just as it has always done.”
“I think that’s a splendid idea, Luna.”
~*~
Luna stood waiting at the front entrance of the dorms a few minutes before the morning gong would ring. Rainbow Dash had given her much to think about last night.
They might not have come to her as young as Tia Lung had, but the fact was that Luna had raised both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. And not once had either of them called her mother, and not once had she thought of them as daughters. Not when her heart constantly grieved for the child she had already lost.
The price of her detachment was thrown in her face last night.
Luna suspected Fluttershy wasn’t as hung up on it as Rainbow Dash was. Having already known and lost one family, she was just happy to find a home and a sister who cared for her. But Rainbow Dash had only ever had one parental figure in her life, and Luna had never shown her the affection she’d given Tia Lung.
First, blinded by pride, then by grief, now by joy. When would she learn?
Of course welcoming Tia Lung back so joyously and openly calling him her son would leave an impact. She’d been rubbing salt in old wounds without even realizing it.
The morning gong sounded, reverberating the earth and air.
“Good morning, Master!”
All except one of her present students stood at attention. All except the one who was never late.
There was a crash and a hiss of pain from Fluttershy’s room. The others exchanged concerned glances, but Luna held up a hand to signal that they were to remain as they were as she strode down the hall. Rainbow Dash wasn’t meeting her gaze, but her expression was more shameful than angry.
When Luna entered the room, Fluttershy was still on the floor, shaking. Her ears immediately flattened as she looked in Luna’s direction.
“Master! Pl-please forgive me. I-I didn’t realize the time- I-it’s just so hard to tell without any light and-I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to, I-“
Luna knelt down and pulled Fluttershy into a hug.
Fluttershy was stiff with shock, but as Luna ran her knuckles down her back soothingly she relaxed, then finally clung to her master as the last of her tremors faded out.
Her daughter? No, it was too late for that. But that didn’t mean she didn’t have a special place rooted in Luna’s heart. They all did, and it was time she started showing it.
“I want you to stay and rest for today,” Luna said.
“M-master?”
“You heard me. No training, and nothing else strenuous.” Luna stood and exited the room before Fluttershy had recovered from her shock. This was the first time she’d ever forgiven anyone for being late to the morning gong.
“Rainbow Dash,” Luna commanded, “stay and make sure she does as I said.”
That wasn’t the real reason, of course. If there was anyone who could take care of herself and stay out of trouble, it was Fluttershy. No, this was mostly for the rest of their sakes; Rainbow tended to be a pain when she was worried about her best friend.
“I want to see the rest of you at the training grounds,” she instructed the others. They all left obediently.
Rainbow approached her before she could follow her students out.
“Master, I owe you an apology. I-“
“No, Rainbow Dash, I owe you an apology.” Luna sighed. “I’ve made many mistakes in my life, and closing off my heart is one of them. And for that, I am sorry. Now go to her, she’ll need you.”
Rainbow could only manage to nod before entering Fluttershy’s room.
Yes, Luna loved all her students, be they her children or not. And it was for that reason that she hadn’t told the full truth last night.
The truth was she did know of a way to heal Fluttershy’s eyes, an ancient magic that she didn’t need her horn to perform. A magic she’d already been developing for many years, and now she had a strong incentive to double down on her efforts.
For Fluttershy’s sake, she would put her all into mastering her chi. But that road could be long, so she wouldn’t give false hope until she knew if her chi was strong enough to heal something so large.
But she would try.
Author's Note
Have you ever gotten a story that just kinda showed up in your head and asked to be written? I'll be honest, it doesn't happen often, but with this one the pieces just fell into place. It was fairly sudden, but I'm always happy to give what I have to the fandom, especially if it helps out other authors.
