The rain was always a welcome sight for Fluttershy. While most ponies loathed its coming, scamping inside as to not get wet, the yellow pegasus thought it was very calming. It was a good time to curl up inside with her animals beside the fireplace, as well as a perfect opportunity to get some reading done. A large stack of short novels about animals was always taken out at times like these, and they made the evenings where water fell from the sky all the better.
On this particular evening when the weather pegasi decided to schedule a downpour was different, however. Fluttershy would not be spending her time reading Silver Paw and The Reef Dwellers, nor would she be curled up by the fire, basking in its warmth while Angel Bunny pulled on her wings until she got him some dinner.
No, instead she had spent the afternoon gathering up oats, daisies, making various food items, blankets, and other survival gear. Twilight had looked at her funny when she had checked out two books on camping and one on wilderness survival, but the unicorn reasoned that Fluttershy was probably going out to look for some rare(and most likely harmless) animal. Fluttershy had nervously agreed to this, and left quickly after.
As the night descended upon Equestria, though one could hardly tell with all the rain, Fluttershy had everything she needed. Putting on her rain outfit generously donated to her by Rarity(Fluttershy had done away with the useless feathers and sequins some time ago), the yellow mare trotted out into the rain. Heading down the path from her house into town, the little stream which lay not too far from her home raged violently with the excess of water being channeled into it. Fluttershy worried for a moment about the well-being of the fish who inhabited the stream, but remembered that there were more pressing matters to attend to.
Once in town, the shy pegasus kept to the north side of Ponyville. She went out of her way to avoid anypony who was still out at the time, but was blessed with the fortune not to come across more than a soggy Pipsqueak, who was splashing in a large puddle outside his home, laughing gleefully.
As Fluttershy went on, the winds picked up. She could tell this storm was to be a fierce one. Pushing on forward, a soaked piece of paper was blown into her face. Lifting a hoof up to wipe it away, she was that it was a wanted poster of a criminal who had just arisen recently. Fluttershy gasped her small gasp, and trotted away quickly from the paper once it had been removed from her muzzle.
Heading in a northwest direction, her destination was to be the pinewoods that stretched in between Canterlot Mountain and Smokey Mountain, just south of Unicorn Range.
The rain pressed down even harder, and Fluttershy felt pangs of doubt. It would probably be in her best interest to turn back now... instead, she banished these thoughts, thinking of the pony who needed her right now.
The woods looked dark and foreboding, and Fluttershy once again began to feel that dreaded feeling of uneasiness that assailed her so many times before. She should just turn back, who knows what sort of scary things could be lurking in that deep, dark forest?
Fluttershy closed her eyes, and felt on the verge of tears. She gritted her teeth, opened her eyes once more, and slowly began to press forward.
My friend needs me right now, she thought determinedly, And nothing will stop me from from helping her. I’ve backed down too many times before...
The woods were indeed dark, and had the snippid smell of wet leaves. The overwhelming scent of pine needles filled the dank air as well, and the yellow pegasus wrinkled her nose at this. She found the scent of pine needles relaxing, but too much of a good thing...
The ground sloped upward, and Fluttershy climbed slowly up the muddy side of the wooded hill. Water ran down in small streams, carrying hundreds upon hundreds of pine needles. Small frogs poked their heads out from under rocks, and hopped merrily about. Fluttershy smiled fondly at them, as they took an edge off of the creepiness of the area.
The rain had some trouble forcing itself through the pines, but enough of it still got through to keep Fluttershy in a state of constant dampness. Her hooves occasionally slid in the mud, and she nearly lost her balance several times. However, thanks to her wings, she was able to keep herself upright through the entire ordeal.
After some time, Fluttershy came across her destination. Well, not quite her destination yet, but rather, above it. It was a small ravine, barely big enough for somepony to squeeze into, and the perfect hiding place. Water that streamed from further uphill funneled into the break in the earth, creating small waterfalls which tumbled into the darkness.
Well, almost darkness.
A small light was at the bottom of the cave, very faint, and constantly flickering as though it were on the verge of going out at any second. Fluttershy swallowed hard, feeling dizzy by the almost-total darkness, and the general creepiness of the cave.
Fluttershy knew she had to go down there. So why weren’t her legs working? She hadn’t come all this way to back out now...
Fluttershy closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, and slowly opened them again. She carefully took her first step onto the rocky ledge which would take her down to her destination. Putting the rest of her hooves down onto the moist rock, she took a few more deep breaths in preparation of the next step.
The next step involved squeezing down into the cave. Fluttershy sucked in her gut, and tried with all her might to get down into the fissure. The rocks ground against her, muddying up her raincoat where they touched it, and even ripping a small tear on the left side. Breathing rapidly, Fluttershy twisted her leg so she could get a better position for going down.
With a heart-stopping crack, one of the rocks keeping Fluttershy from going down broke loose, and sent the yellow mare tumbling down into the earth. Screaming, Fluttershy closed her eyes, prepared to die right then and there, when she recalled being able to fly. Stretching out her wings and flapping hard, she slowed her descent, allowing her to alight the wet cavern floor unharmed.
The water poured into a small pool, in which Fluttershy was currently standing. It was about four inches deep, immersing her hooves completely. The area of the cave which she was in was small, but branched out on the left side into a medium-sized cavern where the dim light emanated from.
Fluttershy slowly walked towards the light, which was from a now nearly entirely melted candle. It feebly held onto its last flame, which barely illuminated the battered form of another pegasus mare laying down next to it.
Rainbow Dash had seen better days. One of her closed eyes was black, her left wing was bent at a funny angle, and her multi-chromatic hair was messy and muddy. Several cyan feathers lay around her, and by the way she was laying, Fluttershy could tell she had a cracked rib or two. Her breathing was laborious, and painful to listen to.
“Dashie?” Fluttershy’s voice was soft, and the other pegasus’s ears twitched at the sound of it. Fluttershy took a step back, then spoke a bit louder.
“Dashie? You awake?”
Rainbow Dash said nothing for a few moments, and Fluttershy considered leaving when the mare spoke.
“Yeah, I am now.”
Fluttershy smiled in relief. “Oh good! I didn’t want my trip over here to be wasted...”
Rainbow Dash attempted to roll over, cringed in pain, then smirked at Fluttershy. “What, so if I were asleep, you woulda just left me here?”
Fluttershy looked down at the cave floor. “Well, when you put it that way...”
Rainbow Dash’s smile softened, but there was still a strong sense of pain about it. “Well, don’t just stand out in the cold, sit down!”
Fluttershy headed the mare’s words, and sat down close to the dying candle. Putting her pack down, she pulled out a candle she had packed earlier, and lit it. The cave was now more properly illuminated.
It was around the size of Fluttershy’s cottage in width, but the ceiling only hit six feet at it’s highest. The place where Fluttershy currently sat only hit about four feet, and Dashie lay under an overhang that kept the ceiling at three.
“So, I um... brought you some food...” Fluttershy took out the small bag of oats, as well as the sack of hay. Dashie eyed them both hungrily, and once Fluttershy had opened them and put them on a tin plate she had bought, Rainbow Dash dug into the food like she would never eat again. Fluttershy watched sadly as her rainbow-maned companion tore through the food, her magenta eyes wide and hollow.
Rainbow Dash swallowed, and allowed a satisfied smile to grace her lips momentarily before cringing in pain yet again. Fluttershy felt another pang of sadness from watching her friend hurt, and decided to move on to the next phase of her plan.
Pulling a blanket from her pack, Fluttershy threw it over Rainbow Dash, who was shivering a bit. A pleasant expression alighted Rainbow’s face, followed by a surprised one when Fluttershy snuggled up beside her.
“What are you-AH!” Rainbow Dash cringed as Fluttershy bumped into her chest. Fluttershy gasped, and her hooves flew to her mouth.
“I’m so sorry Rainbow Dash! I didn’t mean to-” Rainbow Dash shook her head with a pained smile, and put her hoof up to Fluttershy’s, dragging them from the soft pink-maned mare’s mouth.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, I’m fine.” Dashie leaned in to Fluttershy, and completely surprised the mare by kissing her softly on the mouth.
It wasn’t much of a kiss, just a small soft peck on the mouth that lingered slightly before ending, Fluttershy blushed furiously, and looked down at the cave floor, where a blind cave cricket was traversing its way to parts unknown. Finally looking up again, Fluttershy confronted Rainbow Dash earnestly.
“Look, Dashie... we can’t do this anymore. Not since...” Fluttershy trailed off, and traces of anger lined Rainbow Dash’s face.
“You don’t think I did it, do you?” Years later, Fluttershy would remember answering this question as one of the hardest things she had ever done in her life.
Rainbow Dash continued to look at Fluttershy with a slight air of contempt when she was met with silence. “Well, Fluttershy?”
“...”
“WELL?” Rainbow Dash’s sudden raised voice scared the small cricket, which bounced away off into the dark. Fluttershy wished she could follow it, sink away into the shadows, and return to Ponyville. But she couldn't, and she would have to answer Rainbow eventually.
Taking a deep breath, the yellow pegasus responded to the cyan one, with tears slowly sliding down her face.
“No. Well, I mean, I don’t know. I wasn’t there, Dashie...” Rainbow Dash’s anger had since faded.
“I’m so sorry Fluttershy, I didn’t mean to yell...” The rainbow one moved her hoof through the yellow one’s mane. She didn't do it very gracefully, and Fluttershy cringed when Rainbow Dash accidently caught her hoof on a snag, but was happy with the intention of the gesture.
Rainbow Dash moved her mouth closer for another kiss, but Fluttershy pushed it away before it could make contact.
“No, Rainbow Dash. I’m sorry... we can’t go back to the way things were. I’m not a pushover like I used to be.”
Rainbow Dash’s magenta eyes shone in the candlelight. A tear was forming in the left one. They always started to the left. She whispered softly to Fluttershy, barely breathing the words.
“Can’t we just pretend?”
Fluttershy felt these words sink into her mind, confusing her, taking her, warping her mind. Instead of answering, she snuggled closer to Rainbow Dash, this time watching out for her hurt ribs, and closed her eyes. Rainbow Dash soon felt the mare fall asleep, and her eyes grew heavy too. She had missed the nights when she and Fluttershy had fallen asleep together.
It had been several weeks after the Royal Wedding and the invasion of Canterlot. Everything had seemed normal, except for the occasional Changeling straggler here and and there. Rainbow Dash had left Tank with Fluttershy to make sure he got his shell rot cleaned up, and was now heading to her friend’s house to retrieve her pet.
Rainbow Dash knocked on the door twice, then let herself in. Before her stood Fluttershy, who was laying down on the couch, her hair laying lankily across her face.
Dashie trotted over to her friend. “What’s the matter, Shy? You look down! That’s no place for a pegasus to be!” Rainbow Dash grinned over her friend, who sighed drearily.
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asked quietly. “Do you love me?”
Rainbow Dash was taken aback by this, and let that become evident by the surprised look on her face. “Of course I like you! Why else would I-”
Rainbow Dash stopped when Fluttershy rolled over, and gazed up at her with those beautiful aquamarine eyes. “I didn’t ask if you liked me, Dashie.”
Rainbow Dash began to sweat a bit. She wasn’t used to being forced into this sort of predicament, and it made her uncomfortable. Fluttershy removed herself from the couch, and walked hauntingly to the window. A slight rain began to patter against the pane of glass, and Fluttershy smiled for a moment. She loved the rain.
“It’s funny, being around a friend for so long and then just... realizing your feelings for them.” Fluttershy turned back to look at Rainbow Dash, who had been slowly edging towards the door. She stopped once the yellow mare’s gaze fell upon her once again. “I’ve been far too scared to say it before, but... but...” Fluttershy’s eyes fell, gazing intently at the floor. “I... I think I’m in love with you, Dashie.”
Things moved almost too quickly for Fluttershy right after that. However, Rainbow Dash had a need for speed...
There was no way of telling if it was the morning when Fluttershy awoke. All she knew was that it was still raining, as the sound of running water filled the cave, and that Rainbow Dash was currently laying on top of her. The cadel was still flickering, but it was nearly gone. Fluttershy wanted to move, but at the same time didn’t want to wake Dashie up. She compromised by letting herself get lost in Dashie’s breathing, which caused the cyan’s one chest to move gently into her.
No matter how irregular it was, the breathing comforted Fluttershy. At least her friend was still alive.
Rainbow Dash blinked wearily as she awoke from her slumber. Fluttershy gasped with a slight eek as the mare yawned.
“Morning, Shy! I slept great last night! It felt real nice to have you sleep by my side again...” Rainbow Dash purred. Fluttershy began to feel uncomfortable. “But honestly, we should take it a bit further then-” Rainbow Dash winced as she moved towards Fluttershy in a very awkward fashion.
“Um.. no, that’s fine, thank you.” Fluttershy said, looking off to the side. “But really, we have to deal with your injuries! You’ll just get worse unless somepony helps you...”
“You’re no fun, you know that?” Rainbow Dash groaned, and allowed Fluttershy to remove the blanket that was currently sprawled over her. The timid pegasus shuddered as she looked over the extent of Rainbow’s wounds.
Heading over to the backpack she had brought with her, Fluttershy took to the first aid kit. It wasn't going to be very helpful, but every little bit counted.
“I can’t really do much about your ribs, but I can put a salve on your black eye, if that’s alright with you...” Fluttershy gently dabbed her hoof over Rainbow’s swollen eye, spreading the pale orange salve. The pegasus cringed, but soon sighed in relief as the slave began to work its magic.
“Now let’s see about those wings...” Fluttershy examined the left one first, and cringed at what she saw. It was bent at an odd angle, and looked very painful. She knew Rainbow Dash was tough, but... she had to hoof it to the mare this time around. That was honestly one of the most painful things she had ever seen.
“Oh Dashie... what did you do to yourself?” Rainbow Dash looked at the other with her good eye tentatively. Fluttershy blushed and went back to examining the wing.
She didn’t have a splint to work with. But she couldn’t just leave it like this... she’d become crippled. Fluttershy didn’t know if she could live with herself if she let her friend become flightless. Especially since this was Rainbow Dash. She’d never forgive herself.
“Wait here,” Fluttershy told Rainbow, who rolled her eye.
“No, I thought I’d just pop out for a bit of fresh air.”
Fluttershy looked down at the cave floor, embarrassed. Rainbow Dash looked slightly embarrassed at this as well, and avoided looking at the yellow mare.
Fluttershy walked back into where the cave opened up to the rainy sky. Water splashed against her face, running down off her coat, soaking her completely. The cool, cleansing feel calmed her, and distracted her from the situation. It was so nice to have this feeling...
“Hey! Fluttershy! I’m glad you’re enjoying the rain, my wing’s not gonna fix itself,” Rainbow Dash called out irritably to the yellow mare.
Fluttershy snapped back to reality, and felt her face grow hot. The cool rain did nothing to help this, and the pegasus took off, flying timidly up to the surface.
She immediately regretted not bringing her rain gear, as the winds had picked up since yesterday. The rain was not coming down as hard as before, but the combined blast of the winds, it made for an ultimately more miserable day.
Fluttershy searched around in the mud for a few moments, before luck decided to grant her a particularly straight stick. While not perfect, Fluttershy had improvised with sticks such as these before when tending to wounded animals deep in the Everfree.
Thanking Celestia silently, the yellow mare returned to the fissure, and slipped on in. Rainbow Dash still lay where Fluttershy had left her, staring at her with her open eye. Her other one, the black eye, seemed to be faring a bit better. The swelling had gone down some, and she looked less like she were about to die any moment.
“Well, that was quick. almost as quick as me!” Rainbow Dash laughed for a moment before cringing and coughing.
Fluttershy said nothing to this, and set to work on Dashie’s wing. Taking the wing and extending it, she put the branch vertically to Rainbow Dash’s appendage.
“So, um...” Fluttershy knew it was now or never, and she had to address this problem. “What happened?”
Rainbow Dash, who was clenching her teeth through the pain, looked up, giving Fluttershy a quizzical look.
“What do you mean what happened?”
Fluttershy used one hoof to hold the stick in place, while taking some bandages from the pack with the other. “I mean... what happened? You know, with him.”
Rainbow Dash began to look uncomfortable. “So... how bad is my wing? Am I ever gonna fly again?”
Fluttershy stopped tending to her former marefriend’s wing. “Dashie... please. You can tell me what happened.”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t uncomfortable anymore. Now she was angry. She glared at Fluttershy through her good eye, and seemed to radiate contempt.
“Look, you have no business asking me-”
Fluttershy dropped the bandages, and gave Rainbow Dash a stern look. “I’ve come here and risked so much to help you, and you won’t even-”
Rainbow Dash rolled over, groaning in pain all the way, and feebly stood up. “Now listen here, Fluttershy! You have no business pry through this. I don’t care if we were marefriends once, or are normal friends now! There are some things you weren’t meant to know! This is one of them, so STOP!”
Fluttershy stared at the ground, her lip trembling. A single tear leaked out of her left eye, and she turned away from the angry cyan pegasus in front of her. She walked away slowly at first, but then broke out into a trot, taking flight and leaving the cave, her sobs echoing once before the rain drowned them out.
Rainbow Dash sighed, and picked the bandages back up, applying them herself. She did a sloppy job, and her wing hurt more than before.
“I’m sorry, Shy...” Rainbow Dash whispered, and fell to her knees. “But some things are better off without you knowing them.” Crawling over to the place where she had slept the night away with her former marefriend, she looked down on the only thing that had been underneath her beside the cave floor.
It was a photograph of a blue stallion with a rust-red mane, smiling happily. It was torn and water splotched, but if one looked hard enough, they could see that smiling happily next to him was none other than Rainbow Dash.
