Rainbow After Rain

Rainbow After Rain

Chapter 4

Another storm wracked Ponyville, leaving the two pegasai confined to Fluttershy's cottage. Rainbow Dash lay on the evergreen couch in the cozy living room, busying herself with the latest Daring Do volume, Daring Do and the Last Moosade. The more timid of the two was upstairs humming softly to herself, wrapping the gift she'd purchased for Rainbow. She let out a soft squeak and hurriedly shoved the gift underneath her bed as she hear Rainbow's heavily falling hoofsteps coming up the stairs.

"Hey Shy, whatcha' doing?"

"Hello Rainbow. I've just been... um, reading. You?

"Me too! What've you been reading?"

"Just uh..." Fluttershy instinctively picked up a book from a small, oak bookshelf tucked in the corner, and handed it to the prismatic pegasus across her. Rainbow Dash read out the title.

"So you Don't Like Stallions: A Coming out Guide" Rainbow lowered the book, an unreadable look crossing her face. Meanwhile, the timid mare had fainted onto the hardwood floor.

'Tooooold you.'

'This proves nothing, you imaginary... jerk'

'Pfft, you keep telling yourself that. However, instead of sitting around waiting for me to be correct, I'm gonna suggest you put your love interest somewhere that isn't the floor.'

'I'm doing this because I want to, not because you told me.' The concerned mare quickly trotted over to her unconscious friend, and lifted her onto her bed, gently lowering her head to the pillow. Rainbow Dash returned the book to it's proper place at the worn bookshelf, and quietly tiphoofed down the gently creaking steps. The cyan mare whispered quietly to herself, "I wonder if Fluttershy would mind me trying to cook something for the pair of us." The mare shuffled a few things about in the kitchen cabinets. "Well, no harm in trying."

~~~~~~~~~

Fluttershy awoke bleary eyed, rubbing her softly throbbing head, and wincing as she recalled the cause of her fainting. She turned over, to see a fairly blackened grilled daisy sandwich sitting on her bedside table. Her stomach growled in response.

"I suppose Rainbow made that for me. Maybe she isn't too terribly mad at me." The worried mare ate in silence, finishing the sandwich hastily and walked quietly, as always, downstairs. Rainbow Dash had retaken her place on the couch, and once again picked up the novel.

"Hello, Rainbow."

"Oh, hey Shy."

"How's the book?"

"It's pretty good. Not as good as Daring Doo and the Raiders of the Lost Bark. I think Diamond Dogs make much better villains than cows."

"I see." Both ponies had determined that awkwardly avoiding the elephant room was a suitable solution, until, "Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be mad at you, Shy?"

"The... book."

"Shy, don't worry about it. Whom you love doesn't matter to me. Besides..."

"What is it, Rainbow?"

"I like mares too, Shy." The timid mare attempted to hide her surprise, and did a rather poor job of it.

"Wha...? Really?"

"Yeah. This is a little much for both of us. The rain cleared up while you were out. Want to go for a walk?"

"That sounds... nice. Let me just get my saddlebags, in case some of my critters come along and want a snack." The beaming mare trotted upstairs, and placed the gift for her crush inside them.

~~~~~~~~~

The bell to Carousel Boutique chimed, and hoofsteps clicked against the tiled floor.

"Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where every garme... Pinkie, why are you wearing camouflage?"

"Because, silly, I was spying on Dashie and Fluttershy!"

"Which you were doing... because?"

"Well I wanted to go pranking with Dashie so I already had my binoculars and I knew she was at Fluttershy's cottage and then I saw them talking and they went walking in the meadow togth-" Rairity put a hoof to the chattering pink pony's mouth.

"Slow down, Pinkie."

"They went walking into the meadow, and I had camouflage clothes in a nearby tree, in case of camouflage emergency, and I started following them."

"And?"

"I think Dashie and Fluttershy are in love!"

"So what do you need me for, exactly?

"Well, they are in love, but they're being silly fillies and aren't doing anything about it. I wanted you to play matchmaker with me!"

"Darling, I don't play matchmaker." The party pony pouted, and looked at Rarity, who only smirked in response. "Matchmaker is my profession." The giddy white mare trotted demurely upstairs, and returned with the most fashion friendly camouflage one can picture.

"Rarity, is ready!"

"Yay!"

~~~~~~~~~

"Targets spotted directly northeast of our position. Time of sighting at 1800 hours, proceeding with observations."

"Pinkie, we need a plan. We can't just observe them."

"Plans shmans, Rarity."

"Do you just expect them to fall into each other's hooves simply because of us peering at them through binoculars?"

"Well... no."

"Alright, we need romantic music and candles. Time is of the essence!" Rarity was only mildly surprise to find a phonograph and candles appear almost instantaneously to her right. "Let me guess, hidden in case of romantic music and candle emergencies?"

"No silly, I just ran home to get them."

"Wait, bu- Huh?"

"Rarity, there's no time to waste remember?"

"Oh, very well. What music do we have to work with?"

"Oh, just a little Nat King Foal."

"Perfect."

~~~~~~~~~

The pair of pegasai had shrugged off the awkwardness of earlier in the afternoon, and Celestia's sun was nearing the end of it's daily journey across the sky, not that either pegasus was paying much attention to anything but the other mare. The two had been conversing for the better part of the early evening, though now they were in a comfortable meditative silence and had only just turned to make the walk back to Fluttershy's cottage. The more timid of the two broke the silence, "Rainbow?"

"Yeah, Shy?"

"A-are we still best friends?" A stutter betrayed her nervousness.

"Why do you ask?"

"Ever since the whole business with the dragon, we grew apart. Spending time with you recently has been wonderful, but... you're almost healed, and I'm, worried we won't spend any time together after you're all better."

"Don't worry, we won't grow apart like last time."

"Does that mean..."

"Yeah Flutters, I'm still your best friend, and I always will be." The cyan mare nuzzled the flushed yellow mare to her right. A soft glow illuminating her face. "Um, Fluttershy, I know I'm not really an expert about the ground, but I don't think lit candles are usually found lining the path back to your cottage."

"That certainly is stran-" The look of confusion on their faces merely grew when the music started. "But... what?"

"Okay, this is jus-" Rainbow glared as realization dawned on her. "Pinkie. How did she know? I only told App-"

"Told what?"

"Nothing, nothing at all. Say, are you up for sprinting back to your cottage and forgetting about this entirely?"

"Umm..."

"Great!" The cyan mare bolted ahead, Fluttershy lagging behind, but keeping after her. The pair arrived rather quickly back at the cottage, and the pair of pegasai heaved a sighs of relief. The relief was short lived, as the ponies found the inside of the cottage low lit with more candles, the pair could still hear music outside.

"Dashie, are you okay?" Cyan tinged crimson up hearing her pet name from Fluttershy.

"No... well, yes." She sighed again, "I don't know."

"I've got something here for you, if uh... that helps." Rainbow Dash arched an eyebrow in response, as Fluttershy drew the gift from her saddlebags. "Go on, open it." The curious mare tore through the wrappings, and her mouth dropped in shock.

"T-this is one of the new Wonderbolt uniforms... complete with the goggles to match. Where did you get these?" Fluttershy smiled, "Rarity told me you'd like them. Besides, my future Wonderbolt needs the best." Rainbow Dash gratefully nuzzled the flushing mare in front of her. Fluttershy, in return, brought the cyan mare into an embrace. The music became noticeably louder, with a tapping on the window. Rainbow Dash turned to see two camouflaged ponies holding a sign simply reading 'DO IT!' She face hoofed, and turned to Fluttershy.

"Something wrong, Dashie?" The surprisingly bold mare looked at her with huge teal eyes.

'Do it Rainbow.'

"Buck it." Rainbow leaned in and locked lips with Fluttershy, eyes squeezed shut in fear and determination. The pair pulled away after a few seconds. "OhmygoshIamsosorrypleasedo-" The yellow mare put a hoof to Rainbow's lips, and grinned ear to ear.

"Yay!"