Fluttering Hearts, Stormy Skies
Indigo Zap stepped out of the Visitors’ Locker Room and stretched her arms over her head. Even after her cooldown, she knew she was going to be sore tomorrow. She could already feel a few bruises.
“Hey, Indigo!”
Indigo looked over to see Rainbow Dash running over. Despite being no doubt as worn out as Indigo was, she still seemed to have some pep in her step.
“Congrats on the win,” Rainbow said with a grin, sticking out a hand.
Indigo smirked and shook it. “Well, only just barely,” she replied.
“Sure hope it wasn’t just because you wanted to win,” Rainbow said, smirking with her hands on her hips.
Indigo chuckled and shook her head. “Nah, that stuff’s behind me. I got… something else to motivate me.” She quickly cleared her throat and added, “Ya know, doing my best for my team.”
“Right on,” Rainbow said. “But next time it won’t be that easy.” She gave Indigo a teasing wink. “Gotta go, but I hope to see you on the field again soon.”
“Yeah, you too, Rainbow,” Indigo said.
She waved goodbye as Rainbow jogged off to no doubt join up with her other teammates. Indigo sighed with relief and stuffed her hands into her pockets, looking skyward. That had been a close one.
“Hey Indigo.”
Indigo jumped and whirled around, like a car wreck had just happened behind her. Which was odd, because the voice was as soft as a feather.
Indigo breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it was Fluttershy, fortunately alone.
“Oh, hey Shy,” Indigo said, letting out a little grunt when Fluttershy pulled her into a hug. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Fluttershy giggled softly. “Sorry.” She pulled away and smiled up at Indigo. “Congratulations on the win.”
“Thanks,” Indigo said, offering her arm. Fluttershy wrapped an arm around it and they started walking off, with Indigo scanning around nervously. “So, uh, is it alright for you to be rooting for your team and me?”
“I can wish for everyone to succeed,” Fluttershy replied, before frowning softly at Indigo’s scanning. “Have you told your friends yet? About us?”
Indigo rubbed the back of her head with her free hand. “Ah, no. We’ve been pretty busy, and there just hasn’t been a good enough time,” she said.
Fluttershy sighed. Indigo frowned and sighed herself, looking away. An idea quickly came to her.
“Hey, seeing as I won,” Indigo said. “How about we go out for ice cream together? To celebrate.”
Fluttershy smiled up at her. “Sure, I’d like that,” she said.
Her hand slowly slid into Indigo’s as they walked away, their fingers netting together.
A few days later, Indigo and Fluttershy walked through the park. It was getting late into the evening, but it was after both Fluttershy’s shift at the animal shelter and Indigo’s practice. Besides, Indigo was grateful the park was deserted at that time of day anyway.
“So, uh,” Indigo began. “Did you know that Sugrcoat and Pinkie Pie are dating?”
Fluttershy blinked in surprise before nodding. “We’ve known for a while now,” she said. “Pinkie just casually mentioned it one day at lunch while listing out what she was going to do that day. We were all kinda shocked.” She looked to Indigo. “Did you just find out?”
Indigo reluctantly nodded. “We saw it firsthand, actually. Kinda surprised Sugarcoat never brought it up before.”
Indigo glanced at Fluttershy when a silence lingered between them. She felt a weight in her stomach when she noticed Fluttershy was directing a rather pointed stare at her.
“I know, I know,” Indigo said. “It’s just been really hard for me to bring it up with the others. Between classes, practice, trying to figure out what we’re gonna do for the science fair…”
Fluttershy huffed. “What’s really bothering you, Indie?” she asked softly.
“I… I don’t know,” Indigo admitted with a sigh. “I’ve never had cold feet like this before. But… I know it’s not because I’m embarrassed or anything.” She leaned into Fluttershy. “I really like you, Shy.”
Fluttershy didn’t say anything, but leaned into Indigo in kind. They continued walking on in silence, with Indigo’s grip tightening on Fluttershy’s hand.
Indigo leaned up against the wall next to Crystal Prep’s entrance. A grin was spread across her face as she tapped away at her phone. It was a rare opportunity for her to have this much free time after practice, and she wanted to spend it with Fluttershy.
“Did you have anywhere you wanted to go?” she tapped out.
Fluttershy spent a minute typing, before replying with “There’s a new bistro downtown I want to go to, if you want.”
“Sure! I’ll meet you there.” Indigo finished the message off with a blue heart and sent it, a happy sigh escaping her.
“Hey, Indigo?”
Indigo jumped, fumbling her phone in her hands, before regaining her grip on it. She looked up to see Sour Sweet standing there.
“Who are you texting?” she asked, nodding to Indigo’s phone.
“Oh, uh, just scheduling some stuff,” Indigo said as casually as she could.
Sour Sweet nodded, but Indigo noticed something was off. The girl didn’t have a sour quip at hand, and she seemed… nervous? She was shifting back and forth on her feet and rubbing her one arm.
“What’s up with you?” Indigo asked.
“I, uh, well… I was thinking of asking someone out.” Sour said, before mumbling, “Just, I can’t figure out to do it.”
Indigo blinked in surprise and pocketed her phone. “Well, Sour, it’s best just to be direct and ask them straight up. Don’t wait around to take rejection, just take it if it happens,” she said, before clearing her throat. “That’s, uh, just my opinion. Can’t say I’ve ever done it before.”
Sour frowned, huffing, before nodding quietly. “Oh, another thing, uh, Sunny wanted me to move some props around backstage. Could you help?”
“Oh, uh sorry, can’t. Got some practice to go to,” Indigo said.
“Yeah, ok,” Sour said, before muttering, “Figures.”
She waved goodbye to Indigo as she headed towards the auditorium and Indigo returned it as she turned and walked through the front doors. Nervous sweat dotted her forehead as she walked off, after being that close to getting caught.
Indigo roamed the halls of Crystal Prep, giggling to herself as she read her phone. Fluttershy was still at her shift at the animal shelter and was always happy to share photos with Indigo of the animals there.
“And this was a new litter of kittens that came in today! So cute” Fluttershy typed after the latest image.
“Heh, almost as cute and adorable as you,” Indigo typed back, chuckling at the blushing face emoji she got back in response.
“Have to go, got to get some baths done. Talk to you later,” Fluttershy typed, before signing off with a yellow heart emoji.
Indigo sighed happily, swooning as she pocketed her phone. She did a few pirouettes, a happy, fluttery feeling spreading out from her chest as she moved.
She was only brought out of her revelry, mid-pirouette, by the slamming of a door beside her. Indigo froze, locking eyes with a very confused Sugarcoat—at least, Indigo assumed she was confused. Sugarcoat tended to look perpetually annoyed.
Sugarcoat looked her up and down. “What are you doing?” she inquired flatly.
Indigo quickly planted both feet on the ground. “Dancing. It’s a good way to stay limber,” she replied. Her eyes scanned for anything to change the subject, and she quickly locked onto the door Sugarcoat was coming out of. “What are you doing in the auditorium?”
Sugarcoat huffed. “It’s going to sound ridiculous, but Sunny is all riled up at some stage magician from CHS. She’s got me and Sour Sweet helping her brainstorm a solo routine to outdo her,” she explained. “Do you have any ideas?”
Indigo shrugged. “I mean, for a solo act, there’s always dancing,” she said.
Sugarcoat huffed. “Well, it’s better than anything we’ve come up with. Thanks.” She disappeared back into the auditorium, shutting the door behind her.
Indigo let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and placed a hand over her chest. That warm, fluttery feeling was replaced by her rapidly beating heartbeat.
The afternoon sky was perfectly clear, with the lightest of breezes. The food truck was practically deserted, and they had an outdoor table all to themselves. A basket of seasoned fries sat between them. It should have been a perfect date.
Except that Fluttershy sat across from Indigo, her arms crossed and a frown set on her face.
“Why haven’t you told them yet, Indie?” Fluttershy asked, firmly like a scolding mother.
“I-I’ve tried to, honest,” Indigo said. “I told you, it just has never been a good enough time.”
Fluttershy shook her head, her pink mane of hair swaying. She took a deep breath, staring pointedly at Indigo’s eyes. “I want to know what the truth is.”
Indigo deflated under the stare and sighed, her gaze falling to the ground. “Alright… the truth is… I’m worried the other students will think less of me for dating you.” She saw Fluttershy open her mouth and cut her off. “And no, it’s not because I’m embarrassed of us, ok? Just… let me explain.”
Fluttershy slowly shut her mouth, her frown not abating as she gave a slight nod to Indigo.
“At Crystal Prep, I’m sort of a defacto leader. I’m head of the sports team, a top athlete, lots of people respect me. Sour Sweet kinda takes over when I’m away, but that’s because of how intimidating she can be. They look up to me, and… I’m worried it’d look bad to them if I was dating someone from CHS, a place we’ve always looked down on.” Indigo sighed. “I swear it’s just… it’s like some of that stupid pride thing Cinch got into our heads, of how superior we are. I just need to work through it, I promise.”
Indigo looked up to see Fluttershy still staring at her, eyes wandering as if looking her up and down. She was quiet for a few moments more before she scooted her chair back and stood up.
“Well,” she said, quieter than usual. “I’ll help you work through it then, Indigo. If I really mean so much to you, then I won’t talk to you until you’ve told your friends. If you care, you’ll do it for me. And… I won’t tell any of my friends, out of fairness. Not until you’ve told yours.” Fluttershy turned and walked away.
Indigo scrambled out of her seat. “Fluttershy, wait!”
Fluttershy didn’t stop, and Indigo didn’t follow. Her fists clenched at her side. She angrily wiped at her eyes and pulled out her phone as she stomped the opposite way, furiously tapping something out.
“Meet up at the library, we’ve gotta work out this science fair thing” she finished after several mistypes. She wiped at her eyes again. She had to get her mind focused on something else besides the tightening in her chest.
“We’re all here but you and Lemon,” Sugarcoat replied.
“Ugh,” Indigo huffed, switching to Lemon’s number and typing away.
“Fine, on my way,” Lemon replied.
Indigo shoved her phone back into her pocket. A brief thought crossed her mind, wondering where Lemon had been running off to after school lately. It was quickly drowned out by darker thoughts.
The final bell rang for Crystal Prep’s classes. As students filed out, off to their homes or afterschool activities, they worked their way around an unusually slow obstacle in the middle of the hallway.
Indigo drooped like a wilting flower, clutching a stuffed white rabbit in her hands. Her head was buzzing with static, trying in vain to come up with some apology for Fluttershy, and some other way to make up for her mistake than a stuffed animal. She’d kept herself from crying all day because she hated to cry, but it hadn’t made things easier.
She didn’t notice how far she had trudged when a voice called out to her.
“Hey! Indigo! Over here!”
Indigo looked up to find herself by the entrance to the school. And the voice belonged to Sour Sweet, who was standing among their group of friends off to the side. Each one bore a puzzled scowl.
“Oh, hey girls,” Indigo said, walking over.
“Alright, what’s going on?” Sunny asked, arms crossed.
“What’s with the rabbit?” Sour asked, squinting.
“You’ve been in a funk all day,” Lemon remarked.
“It’s...” Indigo let out a defeated sigh and hung her head. She walked over and sat down in an empty spot next to Sugarcoat. “I’ve been dating Fluttershy since the spring dance.” She winced, then looked up to see the other Shadowbolts looking at her, still perplexed. “You, uh, don’t seem as shocked as I was expecting.”
“Yeah, that ship kinda sailed when we learned Sugarcoat and Pinkie were dating,” Lemon said with a shrug. The others, beside Sugarcoat, gave slight nods.
“Well, that’d explain why Pinkie has been bothering Fluttershy lately,” Sugarcoat sighed, adjusting her glasses. “She knew something was up.”
“I can’t believe you and Fluttershy would even date,” Sour Sweet remarked, before muttering. “Then again… I could say the same thing about me and Coco…”
“Wait, Fluttershy? The same Fluttershy who stole the win from me and Trixie at the Talent Show with her bird-brained—” Sunny’s angry tirade was cut off by Lemon slapping a hand over her mouth.
“Ya know, Wallflower did say Fluttershy was looking happier than usual,” Lemon remarked.
Indigo blinked, looking between them. “Wait… are we all dating someone from CHS?”
One by one, Sour, Sunny, and Lemon quietly nodded, looking a little bashful.
Indigo’s shoulders slumped and she sat back. “Huh… and here I thought students would think less of me for dating her.”
“That’s pretty hypocritical of you,” Sugarcoat pointed out. “Considering how interested you were in hearing about me and Pinkie dating.”
“Indigo,” Sunny said after removing Lemon’s hand. “We were never going to judge you for who you dated. And… admittedly, CHS has some good people there.”
The group went quiet, painful memories returning as they scowled, nodding in silence.
Indigo sighed. “Man… feels like a weight’s been lifted off my shoulders,” she said. “I’ve been worried about that for so long…”
“Uh, Indigo,” Lemon said. “You never answered why you were in a funk all day.” The others leaned in and nodded.
That painful feeling in her chest, once abated, came flooding back. “Oh. That,” Indigo muttered, drooping once more. She held the plush rabbit in front of her and sighed. “Fluttershy’s not speaking to me, not until I told you guys we were dating.”
“WHAT?!”
Indigo winced, her head snapping up at once at the collective shout. A few passing students briefly took notice of them before moving on.
“Don’t just sit there, you dolt! Tell her you told us!” Sunny exclaimed.
“Good grief! What are you waiting for?!” Sour added. “Christmas?!”
“Go, go go!” Lemon urged.
“You’re not going to be any use moping around for weeks on end,” Sugarcoat pointed out, though she bore a small smile.
Indigo chuckled nervously, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone. She quickly got to her feet, the pep in her step returning.
“Thanks, girls,” she said, waving to them as she left. She quickly typed a text message to Fluttershy as she headed out the door, plush in hand.
“I told the girls.”
Indigo bit her lower lip as she waited for a response. She nearly bumped into several other students before Fluttershy started typing.
“You did? What did they say?”
“They were a little surprised, but they didn’t care.”
“See? I knew they wouldn’t. Not if they’re your friends.”
Indigo smiled softly. “I’ll be at CHS shortly. I’m so sorry I waited so long, but I need to tell you in person.”
Fluttershy paused for a moment. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”
Indigo held the phone to her chest, a tear threatening to leak from her eyes. That fluttering feeling in her heart was coming back.
Author's Note
Date of Creation (D.o.C.): 8/18/24
Took me a little bit to figure out the ins and outs of this ship. A major shoutout to Scholarly for helping me nail down a ship for Indigo and helping me work it out. This may (or may not) be the last of the Shadowbolts ships.
I'm just hoping that Indigo's logic makes sense.
The song I listened to while writing this was Sleeping Phoenix's guitar cover of "Cloud Country" from the game Stardew Valley.
-yours truly,
The Legendary Bill Cipher, Equestria Enthusiast
14-1-13-5: 9-14-4-9-7-15 26-1-16
8-15-13-5-20-15-23-14: 2-1-12-20-9-13-1-18-5
3-1-12-12-19-9-7-14: 19-8-1-4-15-23-2-15-12-20 15-14-5
16-15-19-9-20-9-15-14: 19-17-21-1-4-18-15-14 12-5-1-4-5-18
2-12-1-3-11 1-14-4 2-12-21-5, 6-12-25 20-18-21-5
