The Shy One

"I want to show you something," Flutters said. I follow her out the back door as she opens her wings and begins to fly.

"Hey, wait up!" I say. I catch up to her in the sky as she slows down for me.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"Somewhere special, you'll see when we get there."

It was always hard for me to trust other ponies, but something with Fluttershy was so easy. Gliding with her under the night sky gave me a sense of safety and security. I've never felt anything like it, not even with my family. When I was with her, all my worries would cease my mind, and I could finally live in the moment with another pony.

For once, I wasn't worrying about my future and contemplating if I would ever amount to the pony I wanted to become.

Flutters started speeding up and glided toward the river beneath us.

"Catch me if you can!" She said smirkingly.

"Oh, you're on!"

I followed her to the river stream and glided between rocks and boulders. The river then closed in through a cavern which, when we entered, the moonlight reflected off the water and displayed on the rocks to make an aurora. When I looked at her, she shone like a million stars. When she looked back at me, she gave me a similar look. It was one of those looks that were hard to describe but, instead, something you must experience. It felt natural and genuine.

It's as if I've known Fluttershy as an old friend for years, and we were now reuniting. Or a long-lost love that never got the chance to express how they felt. But, beyond that, it was a mixture of everything I felt right then and there. The cavern started to open, and we began to descend upwards, where we could now see a cliffside sitting by a lake. I follow Flutters over to the cliff as she begins to land, and I do the same.

"Over here, Blue Bolt!" She said excitedly.

I followed her over to the cliff's edge, where we sat and could now see the surrounding area. In front of us was one of the most beautiful landscapes I had ever seen.

There was the cliff where we sat down and the blue crystal lake down below; in the distance, I could see the outskirts of Ponyville, and up in the mountains, I could faintly make out Canterlot. But the best part? A full moon shining below on a crystal-clear sky with a million stars reflecting down.

It was peaceful, with absolute silence from all around. You could hear a pin drop.

We sat beside one another, and I could feel Flutters slowly ease closer. I finally opened my wing and put it around her, pulling her in closer to me. As I did this, we both looked at each other and blushed.

"Is that better?" I ask rather nervously.

"Much better," Flutters says as she leans into my chest.

We stayed like this for quite some time until I finally asked her what I had been wondering. "Flutters, what did you want to show me?"

"This Blue Bolt," as she looks off into the distance.

I sat there somewhat confused until I started to piece it together.

"To reflect?" I ask.

"Yes," Flutters says, "I come here to this spot when I need to reflect and take it all in. We take life for granted, and we as ponies rarely go out of our way to appreciate our lives."

"I never thought about it that way before. My whole life, I've always been looking towards the future, striving to do my best and hoping I make it. But I have never sat down to reflect on my own life."

"That's why I brought you here; after everything you told me, I knew you would appreciate this as much as I have. Nothing else matters here; you don't have to look towards the future; you and the world alone to reflect." Flutters said. I reached over to Flutters and kissed her on the head.

"Thank you for all of this."

"Of course, Blue Bolt, anything for you."

"If you don't mind, could I have a few minutes to reflect?"

"Oh, of course! I wouldn't take that time away from you. I'll be over by the big pine tree," as she points her hoof in the opposite direction

"Sounds good; I’ll meet you there. I should only be a few minutes."

"Take as much time as you need," Flutters says as she trots over to the other side of the cliff.

I sat there looking off into the distance. At that moment, I felt nothing, no worries, no insecurities, and nothing to bring me down.

Reflection is what I've been missing all my life. My past has never been easy, but I never appreciated the life given to me in the first place.

The only pony that I ever needed in life was myself. If I didn’t have that, who was I? Flutters has taught me so much about myself over just a few days. No pony else has ever taught me how to be myself before. She has taught me to be a better pony, not only to myself but to others. I thought about the present, where I saw myself at that very moment. I wanted a life with Fluttershy. I could see myself spending the rest of my life with her. My past relationships never lasted because I never attempted to maintain them.

But I also never had a real connection with a pony before. Fluttershy was the only one who broke down the walls I had put up for myself all these moons. I slowly sat up from where I was sitting and finally thought about my past depression. Something clicked as soon as I got off the train to Ponyville; it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I always loved it back home, but honestly? I didn't miss it.

Of course, I missed my Mom, as is to be expected, but Manehatten itself? I could see myself never going back there. That was where all my past problems stemmed from. It was clear that I needed a fresh start somewhere new. Well, it worked, as I've never felt happier. I could see Flutters lying in the grass in the distance, and I decided to look back one last time at the scenery. I could barely see the sun rising over the mountain as the moon began to set behind me, painting an orange and pink sky above.

It was the perfect end to a beautiful night, or so I thought.