Chapters Rainbow after Rain
Chapter 1
It was a typical evening for Rainbow Dash, as she practiced well into the afternoon, hoping to perfect a dazzling new trick for the Wonderbolts. Unfortunately, it was a less than typical evening for Ponyville, with storm clouds darkening the sky further as Celestia’s sun slipped below the horizon. In the usual fashion of the cyan pegasus, Rainbow Dash had thrown caution to the wind, or rather... storm. For a long while, the storm had slipped Rainbow’s mind. That is, until the rain came pouring down as she sped through the sky.
“Oh no! Did I forget to read the weather schedule again?” The mare sighed in annoyance. “I can be such a foal sometimes, I MAKE that schedule.” Rainbow slapped her hoof to her face. “Oh well,” she thought “I better hurry up. Practice can wait, I’ve gotta find a way out of this storm!”
Rainbow sped off, in the direction she hoped her house was in. Water streamed down her face as she sped forward. Her vision blurred, and only worsened as the wind fought against her. Rain poured out from the swelled storm clouds, giving no indication of slowing down. Normally, Rainbow was fond of the wind whipping her mane back as she flew. Not this time, this was different.
Several minutes of fighting the rain proved to be in vain, the pegasus had no idea where she was. “Why didn’t I read that bucking schedule?” Rainbow asked herself, read to give up. “You know what?” Rainbow shouted, with only the gloomy sky to listen, “I’m not letting this beat me. I’m the best flier to come out of Cloudsdale! No storm is beating Rainbow Dash!” Full of vigor, Dash found herself beating her wings twice as fast. The pegasus cut through the air, wind splitting against her wings.
Suddenly, something didn’t feel right to Dash. Her wings were sagging, and she once again felt the gale force winds tossing her aside. Rainbow's eyelids drifted shut, the wings by her side numb and finally slowing to a stop.
~~~~~~~~~
“Oh... m-my,” the timid pegasus whispered, “T-t-that’s a large s-storm...” Fluttershy squeaked out of fear. Of course, the timid mare was afraid of a lot of things. Dragons, namely. Fluttershy glanced back at her under-used wings, with a worried look. Fighting back memories of tumbling off of Cloudsdale, Fluttershy ventured out of her cottage.
The yellow pegasus fought back the apprehension she felt welling up in her. “I know you’re scared Fluttershy, but your birds need you right now. They must much more scared than you are, drenched and windswept.” Fluttershy managed to put on a brave face, if only for her animal’s sake. After slow progress, her nose was soon met with the scent of wet bark. “O-okay, Fluttershy. You can do this. Just a quick flight up to the tree top to get your birds. Nothing to worry about. You’ve done this a million times before.” Finally working up her courage, Fluttershy unfurled her wings, ready to take off. Before should could, she was welcomed by booming thunder, and a bright flash of lightning immediately after. Fluttershy yelped, burying her face in her soaked mane, and sinking to the ground. Thoughts drifting back to her birds, the mare lifted herself up, once again steeling herself. Suddenly, she heard another crash. Except, this time, there wasn’t any lighting. The yellow pegasus glimpsed a cyan feather, being tossed about in the raging wind. Fluttershy dragged her vision up to the tree, seeing a familiar wing jutting out from the wreckage. Fluttershy gasped. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness.” Not even giving herself time for another thought, Fluttershy took off.
The storm raged against her with all gale force winds, but Fluttershy didn't care. She grabbed hold of the limp Rainbow Dash, as well her birds. The birds tucked safely into her soaked mane, Fluttershy once again brought her attention back to her friend. Fluttershy found herself unable to lift her friend, her weakness once again betraying her.
Fluttershy pushed herself up, her eyes reflecting her resolve, doubt fading as quickly as it had appeared. She would not let Rainbow Dash be hurt. Using every ounce of strength the yellow pegasus could summon, Fluttershy heaved, and lifted Rainbow Dash. Flapping with all her might, Fluttershy reached her cottage. She would have sighed with relief, if the storm wasn’t still raging. Dash was safe.
~~~~~~~~~
Rainbow Dash slowly lifted her eyelids. A sharp pain pierced her head, wings laid limp at her side. She felt like she had come between an Apple-Bucking Applejack and her orchard. Rainbow attempted a laugh, but was stopped by another surge of head pains. For the first time she realized where she was, or rather... where she wasn’t. For one thing, it definitely was not her cloud home. What confused Rainbow the most was a lack of doctor and nurse ponies, and the definite lack of hospital around her. Rainbow fought back tears. Thoughts of injury flooded her mind, fear accompanying them. Rainbow Dash quickly attempted to snap out of it, glancing at the room surrounding her. She laid in fairly tiny bed, the plush mattress making her long for a cloud. There was a mish-mash of furniture around the room, but not a speck of dust. Everything seemed to have it's own special place among the dark wood flooring and deep green walls. It expelled Rainbow's longing for the sky, if only for a moment.
A large growl came from the stomach of the injured pony, shattering the momentary tranquility. Rainbow rolled over, slowly sliding out of the bed onto the floor. Hooves pressed to the floor, Rainbow supported herself, albeit shakily. The pegasus looked around again, so make sure there wasn't somepony else among the clutter. She shrugged, and slowly made her way to a narrow staircase. Making her way down the stairs, the nose of the starved pony breathed in the scent of fresh flowers, as well as the accompanying aroma of a recently cooked breakfast. The scent of food giving Rainbow a momentary reprise from her injuries, she briskly walked over to the source of the aroma.
Rainbow didn’t expect to find a certain yellow pegasus around the corner. Fluttershy squeaked, startled.
“O-oh!” Fluttershy said after a brief period of silence, still a bit startled, “Rainbow, you’re up! I was just going to wake you for breakfast! Are you sure you should be walking? Did you sleep we—“ Fluttershy's words practically flew out her mouth as she remembered the state of her friend.
Rainbow interrupted her, before Fluttershy got too carried away. “I’m fine, Fluttershy. Well, mostly, anyway. It’s nothing too serious, but… erm… I can’t exactly fly very well right at this moment.” The pegasus blushed, embarrassed to admit her injuries to anypony else. She quickly recovered, trying to save face, “I’m sure I’ll be fine Fluttershy, I’ll be pulling off Rainbooms by then end of the week.”
Fluttershy sighed in relief. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re okay, Rainbow. You had me very worried last night.” Fluttershy ended her sentence quietly, not enjoying the thought of an injured Rainbow Dash.
The thoughts of the injured pegasus began to wander, but soon abruptly blurting out, “You said something about food, Fluttershy?”
“Oh! Yes, I’d almost forgotten! Sit down at the table over there, I’ll serve you breakfast in just a moment.” Fluttershy quickly moved to the stove, scrambled eggs still sizzling in the pan. Fluttershy picked up the pan with her teeth, and quickly brought it to Rainbow. The large cooking instrument jammed between Fluttershy's teeth didn't help much, but Fluttershy mumbled out a, “Helph yourseph, Rainbow.”
Rainbow’s eyes lit up, “Wow! Thanks Fluttershy! This looks great!” Not keeping her stomach waiting a second longer, Dash dug in. Fluttershy looked away briefly, blushing a bit from Dash’s praise. Composing herself a bit, Fluttershy sat down , and allowed herself the eggs that were spared from the hunger of Rainbow Dash. After the pair of pegasai had finished breakfast, it was Rainbow who was the first to speak. “So… uh… what exactly happened to me anyway? Why am I here and not at a Hospital?”
“Well… I was out during the storm to get my birds out of their tree, when lightning struck. I… w-well, got scared.” Fluttershy found herself blushing after saying her last piece, Rainbow would never be scared of a little lightning. “After that, I heard another big crash, but there was no lightning. You had crashed into the tree. I was so worried; I flew up immediately to save you and my birds. It took a lot of effort, but I carried you back to my cottage. There was no way I’d make it to the hospital in that storm. You were unconscious, and I did my best. You fell backwards into the tree, so it was mostly your head and wings taking the impact.” Fluttershy looked across at Rainbow Dash. The pegasus she saw reminded her of Rainbow Dash before the Best Young Fliers competition, a Rainbow Dash filled with fear.
`Quickly moving to reassure her, Fluttershy continued, "You weren't hurt too badly. You didn't get a concussion, somehow. However... your wings were hurt a bit more than your head. I cleaned them up best I could, but you're missing quite a few feathers. A-and... um... your wings are very brusied. You won't be able to fly for a little while." Fluttershy saw the expression of her friend sink even further. "B-but don't worry Rainbow! You'll be fine in a few weeks, as long as you're careful."
Rainbow was surprised, to say the least. The biggest scaredy-pony Rainbow knew had risked her life to save her. The injured pegasus could feel her face heating up, but she wasn’t sure why. She was extremely grateful to Fluttershy, despite how scared her wounds made her.
“Wow… Thanks Fluttershy… If you hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have happened to me. You saved my life.” Rainbow could feel her face getting hotter still. She turned back to the plate that had previously housed her breakfast, hoping there was some food she could look at, rather than blushing at her friend across the table. It was to no avail, of course. Not a morsel had escaped the confines of Rainbow’s belly.
Now it was Fluttershy’s turn to blush. “O-oh, I don’t know about that, Rainbow. I’m sure the fastest flier in Equestria could have come up with something.” As she spoke, Fluttershy’s voice filled with praise for the pegasus across her.
“I… well, maybe. But really, thank you Fluttershy. But I should probably get going, I need to head ho—Oh. Right.” Rainbow remembered the current state of her wings. Her pride hurt more than anything at that time, but she couldn’t be flying today. She wouldn't be able to fly for weeks. That much time without her sky would be an eternity.
“Oh! I had forgotten… You can’t get home if you can’t fly. We should get you down to the hospital to make sure it’s not serious!” the timid pony taking her turn to panic.
“Fluttershy... it’s fine. Like you said, it's not too serious. I don’t need to go to the hospital. But I guess I need to find somewhere to stay.” Even wounded as her pride was, it still wouldn't let Rainbow go to the hospital for something as silly as a crash.
Fluttershy eagerly jumped at the opportunity, “If you need somewhere to stay, why not here? It’ll be nice to have the company of somepony else!” Fluttershy was grinning at the opportunity, and doing a poor job at hiding it.
“Well… if it’s not too much troub---“
The yellow pony interrupted Rainbow, her reserved nature temporarily evaporating, “It’s no trouble at all! I’d love to have you here! Besides, it’d be easiest for you to not travel anywhere else!” Rainbow was a bit taken aback by Fluttershy’s eagerness. The Fluttershy she knew was, well… shy. All the same, Rainbow was glad to not have to go anywhere else to stay. One pony knowing Rainbow had goofed up and hurt herself was enough.
“Alright Fluttershy, I’ll stay with you. I should probably get some more rest… I’d like to have these injuries gone as soon as possible.”
“Good idea, Rainbow. I’ve got to go run into town for a few errands. I’m running a bit low on food for my animals. You just say here and rest up, I’ll be back in no time at all.” The pegasai said their goodbyes, and a faint click followed Fluttershy out the door. The cyan pegasus looked at the door for a few moments, half expecting her introverted friend to pop back in, as she often did. Silence filling the room, Rainbow paced back to the steps, to the now familiar bed. Rainbow slowly found her thoughts drifting to a certain yellow pegasus.
“I wonder why Fluttershy was so eager to have me stay with her... I suppose it’s just how long we’ve known each other.” Rainbow's thoughts danced around her head, this time leading her to Junior Speedsters Flight Camp. The pegasus sighed, “Man, this stinks. Being injured just gives me a bunch of time to think.” As she followed her own train of thought, it eventually came to Fluttershy once again. Images of defending her first friend from bullies flooded back to her for several moments. Frustrated with her scattered mind, Rainbow placed her head on the pillow, and decided to give in for a nap.
~~~~~~~~~
Fluttershy heard the door click, she let out a heavy sigh of relief. A smile broke on Fluttershy's face, and she settled into a gleeful, bouncing trot. Humming softly to herself, Fluttershy slipped into a mood of optimism.
“Oh, I should pick up a few things for Rainbow! We’ll be keeping each other company for quite a while, so I should at least plan out some fun things to keep her occupied!” The bashful pegasus held a great deal of admiration for her bold, headstrong house guest. The happier memories of Junior Speedsters Flight Camp flooded her mind, where she first encountered Rainbow Dash.
End of Chapter 1
Rainbow After Rain
Chapter 2
The first day at Junior Speedster’s Flight Camp was often accompanied with the excited wing beats of many young pegasai, eager to try their hooves at stunt flying. Posters of the Wonderbolts plastered to the insides of cabins, alongside several action figures of the pegasai idols carefully placed atop nightstands. Of course, some pegasai are never as deep into the excitement as others.
“But… but… Dad… I-um, well. I don’t really want to go to flight camp…” The yellow filly squeaked.
“Nonsense! Of course you want to go to flight camp! Every Pegasus loves to fly, you’ll have a great time!” The oblivious stallion gestured to the check-in area. The pair made their way up to the desk, Fluttershy’s father lost in memory of his time at camp.
“B-but… I don’t really want to fly… If um, that’s okay with you…” Fluttershy buried her face in her mane, trying to look away from her still distracted father.
“Sure you want to fly! You’ll meet other pegasai and have a great time! I lov-“
“If you could just sign here, sir.” A few scribbles of a quill later and Fluttershy was shuffling to her cabin.
“Don’t worry! I loved flight camp, and you will too!” The shy filly turned her head back, managing a small smile at her father. She continued on her way, hooves dragging a bit through the thick clouds. Several slow minutes later, Fluttershy finally had made her way to her cabin. It was a fairly small building, even compared to places where other campers were staying. Upon walking through the doorway, the timid filly was met with a single bunk bed, and her roommate busying herself put up a myriad of posters on the wall. Tiptoeing towards the lower bunk, Fluttershy set down her saddlebags on the bed, with an obtrusive thump. Her roommate cocked her head back at the noise,
“Oh! Hey, I’m Rainbow Dash! I didn’t see you come in! What’s your name?”
“I-I… I’m… M-my name is Fluttershy…” Rainbow’s brow furrowed.
“Hey, what’s the matter? I don’t bite!” The cyan filly let out a small giggle. The more timid of the two couldn’t help but smile. “That’s the spirit! Do you wanna go out and fly a bit?” Rainbow beamed expectantly.
“W-well… I’m not really a good flyer…” Fluttershy blushed furiously.
“Oh that’s alright! I’ll teach ya’!” The excitable filly leapt off the top bunk, half leading, half dragging her new friend out to the open air.
~~~~~~~~~
“Come on, Fluttershy! You can do it!”
“O-ok…” Spreading her wings tentatively, Fluttershy glanced back at her cheering section. Her new friend beaming at her, the timid pegasus flapped her wings, and found her hooves on the cloud ring. Smiling to herself, she looked back towards Rainbow. Returning her gaze to the cloud, Fluttershy was head over hooves, and careening down a hill back towards camp.
“Nice going Klutzershy! They ought to ground you permanently!”
“Ha! My baby brother can fly better than you!” Fluttershy sunk to her knees. Her eyes blurring and her cheeks flushed, Fluttershy cowered behind her mane. A rainbow-colored streak sped by, stopping in front of the cowering pony.
“Leave her alone!”
“Oooh, what’re you gonna do, Rainbow Crash?”
“Keep making fun of her and find out!”
“You think you’re such a big shot? Why don’t you prove it?”
“What do have in mind?”
~~~~~~~~~
Celestia’s sun hung low in the horizon, painting Cloudsdale brilliant shades of oranges and pinks. The traces of the Sonic Rainboom now faded from the sky; the triumphant pegasus was now full of worry upon hearing of the fate of her new friend. Searching from cumulus to stratus without a trace of the timid pony, Rainbow shuffled back to the cabin, disheartened. Nearing the small structure, the Cyan filly was met with a myriad of birdsong.
“What the hay?”
“Ooh! That was really good that time! Let’s try it again!” Rainbow entered the cabin with a measure of trepidation, and found herself amidst a chorus of songbirds being conducted by a familiar filly.
“Fluttershy! You’re okay!”
“O-oh! R-rainbow! When did y-you come in?”
“Just now, but never mind about me. What happened?”
“O-oh, well… It’s a long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
“Well… okay.” Regaling Rainbow with her time spend down on solid ground, Fluttershy felt a goofy grin spread across her face. The both of them exchanged stories, grins, and giggles well after the Sun had set. The fillies lay on the floor, not a care in the world. A firefly lantern filled the room with a soft glow. The songbirds had long since flown back to their nests on the surface, leaving the two pegasai to chatter throughout the night.
“Hey, Rainbow…”
“Yeah, Fluttershy?”
“D-do you want to be best friends? I’ve never had one before…” Fluttershy squeaked, cheeks flushing crimson.
“I’ve never been one for that whole sappy ‘best friend’ business… but I’ll make an exception.” Smiles broke on the faces of the pegasai, once again bursting into fits of laughter. Finally hitting the hay a short while after, the fillies went to sleep still wearing smiles.
~~~~~~~~~
The hustle and bustle of Ponyville was always focused in the marketplace. Mares and stallions both trotted about, looking for necessities and oddities alike. Though the crowds used to bother Fluttershy, she now found herself at home in Ponyville, though it took a considerable bit of adjusting. Happy memories lingering within her head, Fluttershy quickly made her way around, buying birdseed, carrots, and all manners of food. Finished with other errands, Fluttershy looked about for a little gift for Rainbow. A good half hour of searching, and no closer to finding a gift, Fluttershy resolved to go ask Rarity for advice. The bell ringing as she walked in, the timid pony glanced around for a minute.
“Are you there Rarity? It’s Fluttershy!”
“Just a moment, I’ll be out in as soon as I finis- Oh, bother! Where did that measuring tape go this time?”
“It’s fine, Rarity. I’ll just look around for a bit.” Peering around at Rarity’s latest enthralling ensembles, Fluttershy found some oddly sporty clothing on display. It resembled the Wonderbolt uniforms, though the colors were much warmer than the originals. Shades of crimson and orange comprised the impressive outfit. Crowning the mannequin was a pair of weather goggles, though much sleeker than one usually finds.
“Ouch! Opal, drop that this instant!” A few short seconds of meows and falling supplies later, Rarity finally emerged. “Finished! What was it you needed, darling?”
“O-oh, nothing special. I was thinking of getting a present for Rainbow, but I can’t seem to find anything.”
“Rainbow? You mean you know where she is?”
“Well of course, she’s staying with m-… Nobody else knows where she is?”
“Of course we don’t! Nobody has seen the poor dear since yesterday afternoon, we’ve been afraid she was lost in the storm.”
“W-well, that’s partly true. She um… crashed. She’s doing alright, I’m taking care of her.”
“Oh, that’s a relief! She’ll be fine with you taking care of her.” Fluttershy blushed at her friend’s compliment.
“Oh, thank you Rarity. Do you have any ideas for a present I could get her?”
“Certainly my dear, right this way!” Rarity gestured at the clothing Fluttershy spotted earlier, “It’s a new outfit that one of the Wonderbolts requested, I’ve made a few extra so I could sell them to the pegasai living around here.”
“Ooh, it’s lovely, and perfect for Rainbow.” Fluttershy glanced at the price tag, “But it’s awfully expensive…”
“No need to worry about that, Fluttershy! It’s for Rainbow Dash, hopefully some good news will help her feel better! Besides, I owe you a favor for all the times you’ve helped me with Opal. Speaking of which….” A hiss sounded from Rarity’s flank.
“Opal, get down from there!”
~~~~~~~~~
“Rainbow, I’m back!” The house was quiet, save the familiar tweets of her birds. “Hm, I guess she’s still napping. She’s always been one for naps, that’s for sure. Though it is sort of cu-“
“Fluttershy, you said something?”
“O-oh! It was n-nothing.”
“If you say so. How long have you been back?”
“I just did. You seem to have been getting some much needed rest though. How about you go rest while I make you some food?”
“Alright then. See you in a bit, Shy.” Eyelids drooping, Rainbow made her way back up to Fluttershy’s bed. However, Rainbow soon found herself tossing and turning, searching for comfortable place on the bed for her to nap. Eventually, the cyan pegasus simply found herself staring at the ceiling for lack of anything more interesting. ‘I could’ve sworn she called me cute.’
‘That’s because she did.’ The thought brought an odd smile to her face, accompanied with her cheeks flushing red.
‘There’s no way she’d think that. I’m a mare, she’s a mare.’
‘So what?’
‘You know exactly what. Besides, I don’t really care for that sappy stuff.’
‘Maybe if you weren’t arguing with yourself I’d agree with you.’
‘Fluttershy is just a really good friend. She’s my best friend, but nothing more.’
‘We’ll see.’ Battling off her subconscious, Rainbow’s eyes finally closed, he head sinking into the feathery pillow.
“Rainbow, dinner is ready!”
“Alright, be down in a sec!” A soft humming sounded from the kitchen, followed with a clattering of dishes. Hooves slowly clicking against the steps, Rainbow once again was greeting with the aroma of Fluttershy’s cooking.
“Oh, there you are Rainbow. Sit down, I’ll get you some in a second.”
“Thanks, Shy. What’s for lunch?”
“Dinner, actually.” Fluttershy giggled softly, “You were asleep for quite a while. It’s nothing special, just some simple vegetable stew.” A brimming bowl slid over to Rainbow, loud slurping immediately following.
“This is fantastic, Shy!”
“Oh, thank you Rainbow! I’m so glad you like it.” The cyan mare’s slurping subsided a few bowls later, Rainbow slumped in her chair rubbing her belly.
“Oh man, Fluttershy! I wish I could have your cooking every day!”
“Oh… m-my, thank you so much, Rainbow. I just have a lot of practice fixing food for my animals.”
“Those are some lucky animals.” Rainbow grinned.
“Aww, you’re sweet, Rainbow.” The cyan pony’s cheeks flushed a brilliant crimson. “Oh, it’s getting quite late. Are you feeling tired, Rainbow?”
“Not really. Should I be getting some more rest?”
“Well, if you’re not tired we can wait a bit. Anything you want to do?”
“Heh, I hadn’t planned that far ahead.”
“How about we just talk for a while? I-if that’s okay with you…”
“Of course it’s okay with me, Shy. What do you want to talk about?”
“N-nothing special, just talking. You know, like summer flight camp…” Fluttershy hid behind her mane, concealing a hopeful smile.
“You still remember that? S-sure, that'd be nice.” The timid pony’s smile widened, a small squeak following. Rainbow’s cheeks flushed a bright scarlet.
“Okay, I’ll start…”
Rainbow after Rain
Chapter 3
The dawn’s sunlight broke through the blinds into Fluttershy’s cottage, onto the pair of half-cuddling pegasai. A mussed up pink bob poked up from the floor, eyes bleary and her coat warm with sunlight. Rainbow still snoozed quietly beside her, head rested against the timid mare, a smile held on her face. Fluttershy blushed softly, carefully moving away from the other pegasus and gingerly tiptoeing up to her room. Her hooves clacked softly against the wooden floor, making her way to a small dresser and mirror. Her mane now presentable, Fluttershy returned downstairs to her cozy kitchen with a familiar clanking of pans and a sizzling breakfast and Rainbow’s snores in the background.
~~~~~~~~~
The wind whistled in her ears, brilliant rainbow mane flapping in the breeze. Spiraling through the air, Rainbow soared down through clouds, showering the mare in tiny water droplets. Water streamed down her face as she sped forward, mane now soaked. The wind’s whistle grew to a scream; Rainbow’s wings drooped in response, gravity taking her. Plush, flawless white clouds had mutated into a mass of harsh grey and stark black. The almost smoke-like cloudy tendrils ravenously devoured the final beams of light still peeking through the dark mass. The rain bombarded the cyan mare, mane now plastered to her face, the booming roar of thunder echoing for miles. Drop after drop of half frozen rain collided with the mare, its bite only intensified by the chilling wind. The limp pegasus plummeted at an outstanding speed, the tree line only moments of freefall away.
Rainbow Dash bolted upright gasping sharply, gulping in oxygen, chest heaving with panic and fear.
“That was… I was… I… failed.” The defeated pegasus sighed, throwing herself backwards, only to meet the wooden floor with the back of her head. “Hey! Who put that there? I must have fallen asleep talking with Fluttershy, just like Flight Camp. I guess she didn’t get any less boring.”
‘Rainbow Dash, you know you don’t mean that.’
‘Excuse me, if you don’t mind, I’m trying to ignore you.’
‘Yes, and you’re doing a lovely job of ignoring yourself. Let me know how that turns out for you.’
‘Hey, whose side are you on, anyway? You’re MY brain.’
‘Doesn’t that make me the smart one?’
‘I’m not talking to you anymore.’
‘I’ll be here in case you change your mind. Get it?’
‘This is why I don’t listen to you in the first place.’
‘And look where that got you. Injured wings, a near concussion, you’re in great condition.’ Rainbow let out another sigh. Beaten by her thoughts. Twice. This wasn’t exactly making her feel like a winner. Rainbow’s stomach growled loudly, forcing her to put away her pessimism for the time being. A soft humming sounded from the tucked away kitchen, as if in response to the cries of the cyan pegasus’ stomach. A soft sizzling accompanied the humming, soon to be followed by the familiar aroma of Fluttershy’s cooking. Rainbow flailed about, quietly scrambling about to bring herself to the kitchen. Raising herself to her hooves, Rainbow’s ears pricked up as Fluttershy’s singing embraced them. The tomboyish mare wasn’t much for music; the only music she really enjoyed was hoofcore punk. Regardless, Fluttershy’s soft melodic singing brought a glowing smile to her face, leaving Rainbow all the more eager for breakfast.
Rainbow sat slumped in her chain, rubbing her protruding belly.
“Another awesome meal, Shy! I’m surprised your cutie mark isn’t for cooking.” Fluttershy shot Rainbow a soft smile, bringing a light blush to both pegasai’s faces.
“I was thinking of popping into town for a little while, if you’re up for it, would you be interested in joining me?”
“Well, in the book of Rainbow Dash, food is followed by a nap, but I’d be up for going along with you. Besides, I’m sure our friends have gone crazy without my awesomeness around, eh?” The timid mare gave a soft, characteristic giggle.
“We shouldn’t keep them waiting in that case.” Fluttershy smiled softly, “After you.”
~~~~~~~~~
The two pegasai strolled along the streets of Ponyville, giggling and chatting, only occasionally glimpsing at the various shops around them.
‘Still sure you’re not interested in her, Rainbow Dash?’
‘Not now, if you hadn’t noticed, I’m busy.’
‘We’re on the same side here.’
‘You keep telling yourself... err… me that.’
‘We both know how you feel, why bother being in denial anymore?’
‘Because, there’s no point in how I feel.’
‘It’s not pointless to Fluttershy.’
‘She doesn’t have any-‘
‘If you’re so sure about that, then get her to have feelings for you.’
‘Fine, have it your way, but I have no idea where to start.’
‘Rari-‘
‘No.’
‘Applejack?’
‘I’ll never hear the end of it from her, but it’s not like I have any other options.’
“Hey, Rainbow, I’m just going to head over to Twilight’s for… erm… books. Lots of books to read, y’know?” Fluttershy’s ears twitched nervously, and she put on an awkward smile.
“Yeah that’s fine, I’ve gotta go to Sweet Apple Acres to see AJ… and pick… apples. You know how apples are, always… growing.”
“Y-yeah… See you in a bit!” The two walked their separate directions, Rainbow sighed in relief, and could’ve sworn she heard a similar sigh not too far behind her.
~~~~~~~~~
The dusty dirt roads of the orchard were new to the grounded Rainbow Dash, the familiar fresh air was a welcome returning visitor to Rainbow’s lungs, and even a sky-loving pegasus could appreciate the ground down here.
“Applejack! You there?”
“Hold ‘yer horses, I’ll be ah moment!” The familiar sound of hooves knocking against wood echoed through the orchard, followed by several smaller thumps of apples falling into a bucket. The country mare strolled through the trees, apple cart in tow.
“Rainbow! I heard you were stayin’ with Fluttershy.” Applejack glanced at the Pegasus’ wing, “Ah reckon ‘yer having a hard time giving your hooves some extra exercise.” Rainbow flushed crimson, still ashamed of her injuries. “Ahm just messing wit’ ya. What can I do ya for, partner?”
“Well… I sort of need your advice on… something.”
“On...?”
“S-so… there’s this one pon-“
“Say no more, partner. Ah understand, you’ve got your eye on a special stallion, don’t ya?”
“Um… In a way, yeah. C-can you help?”
“Ah… well, all ya gotta do is show this stallion how great Rainbow Dash is, he’ll fall for you before ya can say ‘Sonic Rainboom’.”
“Uhh, sh… he already knows about all that stuff, and he’s really shy, so I wouldn’t want to frighten him off.”
“Oooh. Ah, think I know who ya mean.” AJ winked at the confused pegasus, “Ahm sure that you could Mac it work. It’d be a big surprise for ‘im.” Rainbow stood blinking at AJ, still befuddled.
“Huh?”
“Ah bet with a little work you could be the apple of his eye.”
“AJ… it’s not Big Mac.”
“Ah, ya sure?”
“Yes Applejack… I’m sure.”
“Ahm sure if you ju-“
“Applejack…”
“All right, fine. Jus’ let me know if ya change ‘yer mind.”
“Are you gonna help me now, Applejack?”
“Well I ‘spose so. Though I ‘aven’t dealt much with shy stallions.”
“So… you can’t help at all?”
“Hold ‘yer horses, ah didn’t say that. You’ve gotta take it slow, or ya may frighten ‘em off.” Rainbow gave a groan of disappointment.
“Ugh. I hate slow.”
“Ah know that, Rainbow. Ya could jus’ wait for Fluttershy to make the first move.”
“I said it was a stallion, Applejack!”
“Granny Smith raised no fool, Rainbow.” Rainbow sunk into her mane, resembling Fluttershy far more than her usual self.
“A-and… you’re okay with it?”
“Of course, sugar cube. Whoever ya love is fine by me.” Applejack gave her friend a warm smile, which the cyan mare returned, with just the slightest of tears of relief welling in her eyes.
~~~~~~~~~
A timid mare tiptoed through the street, concealing her face behind her mane. The quiet mare found her way to Ponyville’s library.
“Twilight’s so smart, I’m sure she’ll know how to help me, I’m sure of it.” Fluttershy lightly tapped on the door, followed immediately by a shout from inside.
“Spike, the door!”
“I thought you wanted me to put out that fire you made!”
“Okay, the fire first!” Sounds of scrambling and splashing water permeated the walls of Twilight’s tree.
“Twilight, water can’t put out magical fire!”
“Alright, I’ll just use the failsafe spell.”
“You couldn’t have done that in the first place?”
“I wanted you to test it, Spike!”
“Great.”
“Spike, did you get the door?”
“Oh, almost forgot!” A fast pitter patter of tiny footsteps ran down the stairs. “Hey Fluttershy. Here to see Twilight?”
“Y-yes, she’s not busy, is she? I can come back some oth-“
“Fluttershy! Is that you?”
“H-hey, Twilight. Are you free?”
“What do you need?”
“I need your advice, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Certainly! Come on in, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy followed Twilight along the shelves, each meticulously dusted by her short scaled companion. “I know it was here somewhere… Ah! Here it is, my checklist for giving advice!”
“I uh… don’t think you ne-“
“Step one, ask about the problem. What’s troubling you, Fluttershy?”
“Twilight… do you this we could this without the checklist? If t-that’s okay with you.”
“Oh! I guess so… if you think it’ll help. But what do you need my advice on?”
“It’s… er... Twilight, what do you know about l-love?”
“From what I’ve read it’s viewed as a part of mammalian drive, much like hunger or thirst. It’s divided into three stages lust, attraction, an-“
“T-twilight… that’s not what I meant.”
“You mean being in love?”
“Y-yes.”
“Sorry Fluttershy, but I don’t know much about that. I’ve never experienced it myself, and the only ponies close to me that I’ve seen in love were Shining Armor and Cadence.”
“Oh. I see. That’s okay.” The timid pegasus slouched, a slight frown taking over her face as she quietly made her way to the door, hooves dragging slightly with each step.
“Fluttershy, wait up! Are you asking because of somepony special?”
“W-well…” the shy pony sank into her mane, giving a soft squeak and whispered, “yes.”
“Oh this is so exciting!” The lavender mare gleefully clapped her hooves together, almost forgetting the presence of the blushing pegasus before her.
“Um… so what do I do?”
“I… uh… I still don’t know. But I’m sure it’ll turn out just fine for you, Fluttershy.”
“Thanks, Twilight. I think I feel maybe… kind of… sort of better?”
“Good, good!”
“I’ll… tell you how it goes.”
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!"