Balance within Harmony

Fluttershy was skipping/floating round her cottage, attending to lunch for all her animal friends. It had been a day and a half since returning from the dragon "incident" and she still couldn't believe she had managed to talk to a Dragon like that. Much nicer to be safe and sound at home with all my small animal friends

Unexpectedly there was a knock on the door. The sun was shinning, the Dragon had gone and so Fluttershy without a care in the world run over to open the door to see who had come to visit. Nothing seemed like it would bring down her spirits today, but as soon as she opened the door she sank back, hiding behind her flowing pink mane.

"Hey Fluttershy, whats up?". Rainbow was hovering at the door, a big grin on his face.

"Oh, Hey Rainbow Dash" Fluttershy replied meekly

"I just wanted to come over and say thanks again for saving all of us from that Dragon!"Rainbow scratched his head "I mean, i probably had it covered, but you really saved the day, like we all knew you could!"

"Thanks" was the soft reply.

Rainbow was picking up the same negative vibes that he had been getting from Fluttershy for weeks, but he continued none the less "And Pinkie Pie's organising a thank-you-from-the-princess party. Apparently this is completely different from a thank you party, and from a princess party, so takes a lot of organising! Pinkie can be so random, hey?"

"Errrm...yes"

"Can i come in, it's been ages since we chatted"

"Ermm, I'm kind of busy right now" Fluttershy responded with a faked forced smile

Something in Rainbow just snapped She's lying to me, that's not the flutters I know. And with that Rainbow dashed inside the cottage and hovered in the middle of the room.

"Look Flutterhsy, somethings up with you. You haven't spent any time with me for weeks and seem to be actively avoiding me. Why?" Rainbow demanded in a tone even more aggressive than usual for the brash pony.

Fluttershy just stood there trembling in the door of her own cottage.

Great, now you're just scaring her Rainbow thought to himself. "Look Fluttershy, I didn't mean to yell" he spoke unusually quiet for him, whilst drifting  slowly towards her. But Fluttershy just backed away from him. "Please Fluttershy, just talk to me. We go way back, what's wrong"

Fluttershy looked up at her friend, seeing the hurt in his eyes. Element of kindness, I'm not being very kind am I?. She sighed, took a very deep breath and "I'm scared of colts!" she yelled in the whispering way that only Fluttershy could.

Rainbow Dash fell out of the air in shock, for the first time since a foal. "What??" Rainbow was just about to stutter out completely caught off guard by the meekest fillies response. He could take on dragons, fly faster then the speed of sound and be the best flyer around, but he couldn't compute what he just heard!

"I'm, I'm sorry Rainbow" Fluttershy apologised "You knew this growing up, How I always ran off when colts asked me out"

You ran away from everything, how was I supposed to know it was because they were colts? I thought you just hated anypony new! rainbow thought "But, but, we've known each other since Flight school. We've been through so much together, are you just going to stop being friends"

"I'm..I'm...sorry" Fluttershy was close to tears "I just can't be near any of you on a one-to-one basis since you've changed. Especially you given how close we were growing up"

Rainbow looked towards his previous best friend, both of them nearly in tears as various memories floated in and out of thoughts. Rainbow racked his brain on what to do next. I can't give up on her, we have way too much history. But she can't stand to look at me any more, and acts like a scared little rabbit. Wait a minute Rainbow remember one of the earth pony magic tricks Pinkie had taught him, namely pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Surely it won't work on Fluttershy as she isn't actually a Rabbit. But perhaps treating her like a small animal is the only way to do this?

"Fluttershy, I you trust me for just a minute. If you still want me to go after then, I promise to go and never make you uncomfortable again" Rainbow pleaded

Fluttershy slowly looked at the colt addressing her. Rainbow was her best friend, neigh, her only friend growing up. And he may be big and scary colt now, but he was one of the Element bearers. And loyalty at that - surely he is one pony you can trust has my interests at heart? "Okay" she softly mumbled.

Rainbow asked Fluttershy to sit on the sofa, and whilst she sat down he flew over to Fluttershy's saddle-stand and picked up a scarf. Slowly approaching Fluttershy he gently blindfolded Fluttershy whilst quietly whispering "Trust me". Fluttershy gave some gentle whimpers but sat still and allowed it to happen. Rainbow stood in silence and gave Fluttershy some time to calm down.

"Fluttershy, listen to my voice. It is me, Rainbow Dash. We grew up in Cloudsdale together, and were best friends."

He watched as the yellow pegasus visibly calmed down, as he had hoped. "I'm Rainbow Dash, the same pony who shared a house with you as we both grew up without our parents around. I'm the same Rainbow Dash that stood up to those bullies for you. And I'm the same Rainbow Dash who you helped heal time and time again when I crashed doing stupid stunts" he laughed at the end.

Fluttershy gave a gentle giggle in response. "Oh, Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry for ignoring you for these past few weeks" she said, almost breaking out in tears.

Surprised by his accurate use of science for once, Rainbow put a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder and the filly didn't flinch away. This is great, I have Flutters back!

He was about to speak but he realised he had a choice to make. If I continue down this route I will become Fluttershy's friend again, but then I will never be able to be her colt-friend...Wait, do i want to be her colt-friend, where did that come from? I mean, she is beautiful and always got the colts interest over me - i would be lucky to get a filly like her if I never change back. But surely there is too much history for anything to happen?

Is that also why they fact she was ignoring me bothered me so much, are we now meant to be together? But how can one of the fastest and greatest flyers in Equestria be in a relationship with a pegasus that can barely fly? I mean, if I was to date an earth pony or unicorn it would be acceptable, but surely Fluttershy could never fit in with the crowd that I would have to hang with?

Thinking hard, Rainbow Dash gulped and continued. "Look Fluttershy. I may physically be a colt now, but I'm still your friend and always will be. Nothing will change between us,  I promise" Rainbow slowly took off the blindfold and looked into Fluttershy's big beautiful eyes which were very watery.

"Oh Rainbow Dash, I'm so sorry" and the filly gave her best friend a long overdue hug.

"So, shall we go and find the others. I'm sure Pinkie needs some help organising this party"

"Lets go, that is, if you want to" Fluttershy giggled and the two friends trotted out of the cottage side by side, chatting about the weather like the good old days. What a silly filly I have been. I mean, it's not like Rainbow is going to be all over you just because she is now a colt. Besides, I'm sue as a future Wonderbolt he wouldn't want to choose a earth-bound filly like me, no matter how much I want him. Wait...