A Gift for 'Shy
By Blazewing
Rainbow Dash was preoccupied.
Now, this was hardly anything noteworthy. Rainbow Dash had always been a mare of her own agenda, a girl who followed her own instructions more often than those of others, a pegasus who, for lack of a better term, always had her head in the clouds.
This, however, was different. She had something pressing on her mind that wouldn’t go away by simply ignoring it. No amount of practicing moves that would make the Wonderbolts’ jaws drop, or reading the latest Daring Do book, or kicking clouds into vapor, or even napping could force away the inevitable.
Fluttershy’s birthday was only two days away.
Of course, the meek pegasus had said nothing about it, and quite possibly, it’d have gone unnoticed if Pinkie Pie’s extensive photographic memory hadn’t had the date locked away in the recesses of her eccentric mind. Her closest friends knew when it was, of course, but Rainbow Dash didn’t see it as something to look forward to this time around. Why?
She had no idea what to get her for a gift.
Rainbow Dash gave her cloudy sofa pillow a frustrated punch. The growl it was punctuated with disturbed the slumber of Tank, her pet tortoise, who peered out from his shell and gazed at his owner through the glass of his, well, tank. Seeing that there was nothing the matter, he drew his head back in.
Rainbow sighed, wishing she could be as carefree about this situation as Tank seemed to be about everything. Tortoises took life one slow step at a time, but she was the type of mare who took life by the horns, ripped said horns clean off, and mounted them over her fireplace as a trophy. But this?
Those more intimately affiliated with the fillyhoods of Rainbow Dash and her friends knew the cerulean speedster and the butter-yellow animal lover had been friends back in their flight school days, ever since the former had defended the latter from the taunts of bullies. Even after they’d earned their cutie marks, Fluttershy still endured teasing from the crasser and nastier foals, but belligerent Rainbow Dash would always be there to make them back off. In Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy had more than a friend, she had a sister, a protector, someone she could look up to in her time of need.
But then came the flip of the coin, a flip that made Rainbow’s insides clench to remember what it meant. There had been all those times she’d been short with or rude to Fluttershy, all the snarky comments, brash yelling, and overall pushiness she made the poor thing endure. It had been especially bad during that fiasco with the dragon, more serious than the aggression backing her cheering coaching when she was prepping for the Best Young Fliers Competition. Right from the start, she had doubted Twilight’s decision to even bring Fluttershy along, and was the most impatient with her hesitations, especially when she accidentally caused an avalanche. That wasn’t the half of it, however. Rainbow, out of impatience only heightened by Fluttershy backing out, had kicked the dragon in the jaw, making it attack them all, and it was Fluttershy who tamed it, reducing it to tears before sending it on its way. Rainbow had praised her friend for her brave act at the time, but she’d never truly apologized for being such a jerk to her. Fluttershy never brought it up, true, but that was the Fluttershy way: never bring up something troubling if no one else is going to. That was no excuse for not making amends, however.
Fluttershy had always been there for her. She was a voice of comfort, a shoulder to lean on, a pair of forelegs to bestow a hug. It was she who led the first cheers when Rainbow performed her Sonic Rainboom at the Best Young Fliers Competition. It was she who provided that extra kick of wing power to power the tornado that brought water to Cloudsdale. It was she who had given Rainbow a pet of her own.
How could she repay any of that?
“What am I gonna do?…” muttered Rainbow. “What am I supposed to get her that she doesn’t already have, that I haven’t already given her?” An especially troubled look came across her face as she said this, as of some unpleasant remembrance. She looked at Tank, who poked his head out again. With a sigh, she crossed over and patted his shell. “What do I do, fella? You’ve lived with Fluttershy, haven’t you? Do you know what she’d want?”
Tank blinked slowly and shook his head. Rainbow gave a small groan and turned her head away.
“Well, at least you were honest, but it still doesn’t help.”
Tank reached up his foreleg and patted her hoof. When he got her attention, he turned his head towards the window. Specifically, it was the window that commanded a widespread view of Ponyville. Rainbow Dash stared at it fixedly for a moment, before her face lit up with a sudden inspiration.
“I got it! I’ll ask the others! Maybe they’ll have some good ideas! Thanks, Tank!”
She gave the tortoise a noogie on his skull, bringing a smile to his wrinkled face, and soared out the front door, making a beeline for, well, for any of her pals, whomever came first.
***
Perhaps she should have rethought that when the first pony she bumped into…was Rarity.
Rainbow had taken a rather aimless course, which somehow brought her near the fashionista’s boutique, and she saw the prim unicorn strutting homewards toward it, probably from the spa.
And that’s when it hit her: the spa. Rarity and Fluttershy had spa get-togethers every week. Next to Rainbow Dash, the one pony the meek pegasus had the strongest connection with was Rarity. The two would spend their spa afternoons having their bodies refreshed while they comfortably chatted about this or that. If anypony knew what Fluttershy liked best, it was Rarity. She was the best one to start with!
But as soon as she landed beside the boutique, and Rarity caught sight of her, Rainbow felt a shudder go through her frame as she saw her eyes light up. That particular eye-light was reserved for when she had an outfit inspiration, and the way it looked, she, Rainbow Dash, was the catalyst of that inspiration. That only meant one thing: playing dressmaker’s dummy.
“Rainbow Dash, darling, delightful to see you!” said Rarity as she strolled up. “I was just thinking of you!”
“Er, you were?”
“Absolutely! I have this new ensemble that I think you’re really going to enjoy! I made it with you in mind, after all!”
“Uh, gee, Rarity, that sounds great, but I’m kinda in a hurry to-”
“Oh, come, this won’t take any time at all, but the merest second!”
And before Rainbow could protest, Rarity was already bulldozing her inside from behind (thankfully taking care not to prick her rump with that horn of hers), so all she could do was let out a resigned sigh as she was led onto a modeling podium.
“Now, I know you aren’t much for frilly, glittery outfits,” said Rarity, with the tiniest hint of regret in her voice, “but I also know how much you liked the designs I made for your Gala and bridesmaid dresses.”
“Heh, yeah, they were pretty awesome,” said Rainbow, earning a kind smile from the unicorn.
“Which is why I tried to incorporate as much of that into something more, well, you.”
With a brief glow of her unicorn’s magic, Rarity whisked a privacy screen in front of the two of them, hiding off what was going on behind it.
“Ah! Hey, what the-?! Whoa! Watch it! Eep! Easy, I’m ticklish there!”
“And done!”
Rarity whisked the screen back and led Rainbow Dash to look at herself in a nearby mirror. She was…quite surprised. Rarity hadn’t put her into a dress, but a track outfit: a tank top cut off at the base of the wings, striped with red, orange, and yellow, a pair of shorts striped with green, blue, and violet, and a winged sweatband, decorated at the front with a stitched imitation of her cutie mark.
“Whoa! This is…Wow!”
“Do you like it?”
“Do I! This is awesome! I dunno what to say!”
“You’re very welcome, darling. It’s the least I could do.”
As Rainbow admired her sleek, sporty self, however, it only reminded her of why she had really come to see Rarity, and her face dropped. Rarity noticed.
“Rainbow Dash, what’s the matter?”
“Well, see, I kinda had an actual reason for wanting to see you.”
“Yes?”
“You know Fluttershy’s birthday’s coming up?”
“But of course! While she’s never introduced it into conversation herself, Pinkie Pie hardly talks about anything else when a birthday’s coming up.”
“Well, I don’t know what to get her for her birthday.”
Rarity blinked, then smiled.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, is that what worries you? Dear, you know Fluttershy would never hold it against you. She knows it’s the thought that counts.”
“But I want to make it a thought worth counting!” said Rainbow Dash. “I’ve got to show her what a great friend I think she is, and I can’t do that unless it’s something really special, not something that was just scraped together at the last minute.”
“Rainbow Dash, I’m sure-”
“So that’s why I wanted to see you. You’ve got a big heart, and money’s usually no object with you. If it were you, what would you give Fluttershy as the perfect birthday present?”
Rarity tapped her chin with her hoof in contemplation.
“Hmm…if it were me, it would certainly be a nice new bottle of Aloe and Lotus’ latest mane product.” She gave a delighted squeal. “It simply works wonders, Rainbow Dash! When the sun catches on the glistening, smooth locks of your mane, it’s simply fabulous…”
“Uh-huh,” said Rainbow, nonplussed. “Well, I’m not much for that kinda stuff, but since you guys spend so much time at the spa, it makes sense. So, how much does a bottle of this stuff cost?”
“Normally around 30 to 40 bits.”
“WHAT?!” Rainbow cried, jaw dropping. “40 bits for one bottle of shampoo!”
“Not just any shampoo, Rainbow Dash,” chided Rarity, “but made from only the finest herbs and minerals. It isn’t just a shampoo; it’s an experience!”
“Jeez. Well, money may not be an object for you, but I don’t exactly have that many bits to burn. Besides, I wouldn’t wanna just copy off of you, with the spa being your thing and all.”
“I completely understand, Rainbow Dash, and I do sympathize with your predicament, but don’t run yourself ragged over this. Fluttershy won’t think any less of you no matter what you give her.”
Somehow, this didn’t offer Rainbow the comfort she had been hoping for, but she didn’t give voice to this feeling.
“Well, thanks anyway, Rarity, and thanks for the outfit. I really do like it.”
“Anytime, dear. Good luck with your ‘mission’.”
She tipped Rainbow a wink, which she greeted with a grin, and she soared out of the boutique, back to square 1...
***
“Welcome to Sugarcube Corner! How can I- Oh! Dashie! Hi! Nice outfit!”
As much as Rainbow didn’t want to admit it, she couldn’t avoid a talk with Pinkie Pie, so she might as well get it over with as soon as possible. Still clad in her new outfit, she walked into Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie was tending the front counter for a big crowd of ponies. After doing a quick visual sweep to make sure Fluttershy was nowhere in sight, Rainbow joined her behind the counter.
“Hey, Pinks. Busy day?”
“Boy, is it! I can’t remember the last time-That’ll be 3 bits. Thank you, have a nice day!- we’ve been this busy.”
“Well, I kinda wanted to talk to you about something important.”
“Of course, Dash! You know you can-There you go, you got the last one! Thank you!- talk to me about anything.”
“But, shouldn’t we wait until it’s a little less crowded? I don’t wanna distract you.”
“Distract me? I don’t know what you’re-Yes, I know, no walnuts in this one. You’re welcome, sir!- talking about.”
Rainbow blinked. Pinkie hadn’t lost a single beat in any of those sentences. She could hear her perfectly, but still had half an eye and ear on the waiting customers. Now that was efficient.
“Well, you know everypony in Ponyville’s birthday, right?”
“Yeppy-deppy!”
“Then do you know whose is coming up this week?”
Pinkie giggled. “Rainbow Dash, you’ve gotta get up pretty early to try and trip ol’ Pinkie Pie up with a question like that! Fluttershy’s birthday’s 2 days away!”
As she said this, she expertly bounced a tray of cinnamon rolls sitting on her rump, which sent the sticky pastries flipping into the air, landing onto paper plates set right in front of expectant customers, who applauded her dexterity. Rainbow Dash merely stared, but didn’t dare ask how she did that; Pinkie always managed to avoid a direct answer to ‘how’ questions.
“Why did you wanna know?” Pinkie asked.
“Because I can’t decide what to get Fluttershy as a present.”
“Oh, is that all? I give everypony the same thing for their birthday: a party!”
“Yeah, I know, but doesn’t it ever get, you know, old after a while, giving them the same things over and over? Don’t you ever feel like you wanna change it up a bit?” She asked this with an odd sort of eagerness, as if particularly desperate to know the answer.
“Oh, no-no-no, Dashie, that’s not what I meant,” said Pinkie, in a slightly more serious tone than what she was used to adopting, “Yeah, they’re all parties, but they’re all tailored for any and everypony. Each is specially made for them. It’s the Pinkie Pie Code: ‘never throw the same party twice’.”
“Specially made, huh?…” Rainbow’s ears flattened against her skull.
“What do you usually get her?” asked Pinkie, who was now doling out cookies for eager little foals. Rainbow flinched.
“Uh, that’s not important,” she said, quickly. “So, you’d give Fluttershy a party?”
“Yep! Since she’s so quiet and sensitive, I make it a nice, calm, tea party kind of a party, outside in a meadow, with all her critter friends.”
“Heh, yeah, that sounds like a Flutter party, all right.” She remained silent for a few moments, then said, “Well, I should get going, if I’m gonna find something for her.”
“Okie-dokie-lokie!” said Pinkie. “Thanks for stopping by, Dash, and don’t worry, you’ll find it. You just gotta look in the right place.”
“Uh-huh, right. Thanks, Pinkie.”
Before Rainbow could move, however, the pudgy pink pony grabbed her up in a bone-cracking hug by way of goodbye, which Rainbow reciprocated with a pat on the back. As she made her way out, making sure her wings hadn’t broken by that affectionate assault, she heard Pinkie say, “Oh, you wanted a baker’s dozen! My mistake.” She still hadn’t lost an ounce of focus on her task.
***
Two friends down, and still no leads. Maybe what Rainbow Dash needed was advice from somepony more in Fluttershy’s neck of the woods, and she knew only one pony within that category: Applejack.
She found the amiable farm mare locking up the doors to her apple cellar, and touched down as she turned around.
“Howdy, Rainbow Dash! Nice getup.”
“Thanks. Rarity made it for me. Listen, can I have a word with you?”
“Of course, sugarcube. What’s on your mind, ‘sides that sweatband, I mean?”
“Very funny,” said Rainbow, dryly. “You know Fluttershy’s birthday’s coming up, right?”
“Yup! Why?”
“Well, I’m kinda hung up on what to get her. I don’t wanna just give her something common and be done with it.”
“Hmm…Ah don’t really think Fluttershy’s the type of gal to look a gift horse in the mouth, so to speak.”
“Exactly! She never speaks her mind about anything, so how do you know what she expects of you? I wanna give her something she’d really want, maybe something she doesn’t even realize she wants. You get what I’m saying?”
“Yeeeeaaaaaaahhh-no.”
Rainbow clapped a hoof over her eyes in frustration.
“Look, I wanna get her something that lets her know how much of a great friend I think she is, something a lot better than crummy homemade-”
Realizing she was about to spill some incriminating beans, she stopped where she was.
“Homemade what?” asked Applejack, a touch of suspicion in her voice as her brows lowered.
“Er, nothing,” said Rainbow, whose brow began to sweat.
“Sugarcube,” said Applejack, levelly, “Ah know Ah’m not the best liar, but you sure ain’t an expert at it, either. Now, what’s wrong with somethin’ homemade? Are you sayin’ Ah’m bein’ ‘crummy’ by making stuff by hoof the old fashioned way?”
“What? No! Why would I think that?”
“Well, you sure jumped the gun when Flim and Flam came chuggin’ in on their Super Speedy Cider Squeezey…”
“Are you still on that?!” snapped Rainbow Dash, hooves on hips. “I was desperate for cider, ok?! Is it my fault I never got any when I followed your rules?”
Applejack sighed. “Ah know, Ah know, and Ah’m sorry you had to go through all that, but that’s just the way it goes, Rainbow. The best things come when you take your time and do it right.”
Rainbow Dash blanched. Something in AJ’s words had struck home in the recesses of her heart. Her expression drooped noticeably.
“Sugar?” asked Applejack, in a concerned tone. “Ah didn’t hurt your feelin’s, did Ah?”
“Huh? No, no, of course you didn’t,” said Rainbow, trying to rally herself back. “Just…got a lot to think about. So, what do you give Fluttershy for her birthday?”
“Easy!” said Applejack, with a smile. “Her birthday comes up soon after Zap Apple season, so I save a nice big jar of Zap Apple Jam for her.”
“Mmm-MMM!” grunted Rainbow, with a lick of her lips. “Now that’s what I call a treat!”
“Darn tootin’! Between you an’ me, though, Ah think the poor girl could do with a few extra meals. Have you seen how skinny she keeps herself?”
“I guess she lives light from taking care of all those critters,” said Rainbow with a shrug. “Unlike someponies I know.”
Applejack’s eyes narrowed in a glare.
“And just what is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing, just saying that all that apple pie’s gotta go somewhere,” said Rainbow, innocently, though she accompanied this with an elbow nudge to Applejack’s side.
The farm mare’s verdant eyes could have melted stone if given that kind of power at that very moment, but the athletic pegasus remained blissfully aloof of the death-glare.
“Well, thanks for the talk, AJ, but I’ve gotta get going. I’ll see you later, ok?”
“All righty, but one more thing, Rainbow.”
“Yeah?”
“If you call me fat again, Ah’ll buck your backside into next Tuesday.”
“Duly noted…Applefat.”
*WHAM!*
Rainbow had hesitated a second too long. Applejack had whipped herself right around and kicked her, both legs, right in the stomach. She felt the wind knocked right out of her, and also felt a dull, throbbing ache where those hooves, powered by apple-bucking muscle, had made contact.
"Ah warned ya," said Applejack, sternly.
"Still...worth it..." Rainbow wheezed.
***
“Hold it steady, Spike. Little longer…”
Twilight’s horn kept a steady glow as she concentrated on the book held in her draconic assistant’s claws. The entire book was bathed in the soft glow, but the pages within shone the brightest. Finally, after about 10 seconds, the glow dissipated.
“There! That’s another one down! You can put it back now.”
“Gladly,” muttered Spike, as he ascended a stepladder sitting by the shelves, putting the book back where he’d gotten it. “But I still don’t get why you can’t just mass-cast that bookmark spell. It would make this a whole lot faster.”
“I told you, Spike, this is a very delicate spell. Each book has to be marked individually. If two or more books are hit with the same spell, they’d all stop on the same numbered page.”
“Oh.”
“Exactly. No sense in casting a spell if it’s not done the way it was meant to be.”
“Like your Want-It-Need-It Spell?” asked Spike, wryly. Twilight’s cheeks flushed.
“Just grab another book…”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Spike, snickering.
As Spike approached the ladder, however, an odd sound filled the air, growing louder and louder each second. Twilight’s ear twitched; she heard it too. It was a jet engine roar, the signal of an incoming Rainbow Dash.
“Spike?”
“Way ahead of ya, sister,” said Spike. Scampering to the window, he swung it open, just in time for a multi-colored blur to blaze through and skid to a halt on the wooden floor. It was indeed Rainbow Dash.
“Hey, guys!” she said, bold as brass.
“Hello, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight. “So nice of you to drop by, in your usual fashion.”
“Yeah, haven’t you ever heard of a door?” asked Spike, coming back to Twilight’s side. “Nice outfit, by the way.”
“Who’s got time for doors when you’re me?” asked Rainbow, giving the long back of her messy mane a casual flick.
Spike and Twilight rolled their eyes, and it was either this or another thought in her head that checked Rainbow’s brazen attitude, as she dropped it immediately for a more serious tone.
“Actually, Twi, I’ve got something I need to ask you about.”
“Of course, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight, “you know I’m always here for a pony in need.”
“Do you want me to grab the psychiatry couch?” asked Spike.
“Nah, that’s not gonna be necessary,” said Rainbow Dash, remembering the last time Twilight tried to play psychiatrist with her. “See,” She looked about to see if anypony else was around to hear before saying, “It’s about Fluttershy.”
“Fluttershy? Oh! Isn’t her birthday coming up?”
“Exactly, but I have no idea what to get her! What would you get her?”
“Me? Well-”
“Up-bup!” interrupted Spike. “I can already give you a few hints as to what it is, Rainbow Dash. 1., Twilight is an expert on it. 2., it’s right before your eyes. 3., it’s a book.”
Rainbow burst out laughing, followed by the little dragon, though Twilight did not appreciate the humor at all.
“All right, all right, laugh it up, but what would you have given her, Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow immediately stopped laughing. She was hoping Twilight wouldn’t have asked. She’d avoided it with Pinkie, barely managed to avert it with Applejack, but now…
“Well?”
“…” Rainbow muttered something inarticulate, fidgetting with her hoof.
“What was that?” asked Twilight, leaning closer.
Again, inarticulate.
“One more time?”
Rainbow sighed with exasperation. “A hoof-made card. Just like last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.”
Unicorn and dragon stood, blinking, in puzzlement.
“That’s what you’re so worried about?” asked Twilight. “Rainbow Dash, I think a homemade card’s a wonderful, personal sentiment.”
“Yeah!” said Spike, proudly, “I make them for Twilight all the time!”
“And I’ve always appreciated the thought that goes into them,” said Twilight, giving Spike an affectionate nuzzle.
“But that’s just the thing!” said Rainbow, exasperated. “I can’t keep giving her simple little things like that! I want to get her something she can really use, really appreciate! I want it to be something that shows her what a great pal I think she is!”
“Why would you need to worry about that?” asked Spike, puzzled. “Everypony knows what great pals you two are.”
Something in Spike’s words really seemed to hit Rainbow Dash where it hurt. She turned her head away in discomfort, not looking at the two.
“Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight, gently, “is there something more to this? Something you’re not telling us?”
“Well…see…Look, ever since we became the Element Bearers, it feels like things have changed. Fluttershy and I have always been pals, but that whole Nightmare Moon thing kinda cemented it. We’ve been spending a lot more time together, more than I thought I would with anypony. She’s been with me ever since we were fillies in flight school. But it’s not just that. It’s all those times I was being a big jerk to her, like when we went to stop that dragon, or when I was pressuring her to cheer harder for my performance at the Best Young Fliers Competition. I feel like I’ve been a lousy friend to her, because I never really apologized for all those times. She never brought it up, but it’s still been bugging me. I wanna make up for it by giving her something she’ll really appreciate, something that’s not just the same thing I give her every year…I just can’t believe it only took me now to think of it. All these years, I give her the same thing: a hoof-made greeting card that I slap together because I couldn’t think of something better…What kind of gift is that to your best friend? Some Element of Loyalty I am…”
Rainbow Dash had hung her head, eyes to the floor, so as to possibly hide the tears forming in them, but she looked up when she felt Twilight put a foreleg over her shoulders.
“Rainbow Dash, don’t say that about yourself. If anything, you’re being a wonderful Element of Loyalty, because you’re still willing to make amends for what you think you did wrong.”
“…You think so?”
“I know so. Fluttershy will always think of you as a good friend, I’m sure of it. The very fact that you think she deserves an especially spectacular birthday present is proof of that.”
Rainbow dabbed at the tears still lingering in her eyes, and finally allowed herself a smile.
“Heh, I guess you’re right…Thanks, Twilight.”
“Anytime, Rainbow Dash. If you’ve got another problem, you know where to go.”
“The window will always be open,” said Spike, dryly.
“Thanks, guys. I guess I’d better get going. See ya!”
With a flap of her wings, Rainbow soared out through the open window, off towards home. After she was out of sight, Twilight turned to Spike.
“Now, where were we?”
“Uh…” Spike looked at the packed shelves uncertainly. “Oh, shoot. I lost track of which books were marked or not.”
“Oh…Well, I guess we’ll just have to wing it.”
“Yeah…Yippee…” And Spike trudged unhappily over to the shelves to try and salvage his derailed train of thought…
***
While Rainbow Dash was pretty much back where she started, she didn’t feel quite so heavy-hearted. Talking with Twilight had helped alleviate some of the burden she’d felt weighing down her conscience. She was right, after all: Fluttershy was not the type of pony to hold anything against her friends, and always appreciated even the smallest and simplest of gestures. If hoof-made birthday cards were the best Rainbow Dash could do, then she had to exert the remaining time she had in making it the best she’d ever made…
Suddenly, she froze to a halt, the blood in her veins turning to ice. Fluttershy was right outside her cloud home, hovering by the door!
Quick as a blink, she hid herself behind a lone cloud, which had conveniently stopped there, and peered out from behind it. Fluttershy seemed to be waiting for something or somepony, and the answer became clear when she saw Scootaloo trot to the doorway from inside.
“I don’t think she’s home,” said the filly.
“Well, she shouldn’t be away long,” said Fluttershy. “She’s usually home around this time for her afternoon nap. Are you sure you’ll be ok with me leaving you here by yourself?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks again for giving me a ride, Fluttershy!”
“It was my pleasure, Scootaloo. Goodbye!”
“Bye!”
And with a cheery wave, Fluttershy floated off back towards home. Rainbow Dash still remained concealed from her sight. A moment later, Scootaloo headed back inside.
Ever since that eventful camping trip at Winsome Falls, Rainbow Dash had allowed Scootaloo to visit her whenever she wanted, which was usually around the clock when not occupied by school or Cutie Mark Crusading. Rainbow didn’t mind it at all, however. Now that she’d gotten to know her little idolizer better, she saw a little second edition of herself: adventurous, bold, and fun-loving. She was like the sister she’d always wanted, which fit so perfectly with Scootaloo’s own wishes.
A sneaky smile crossed the cobalt pegasus’s muzzle; it had been a while since she’d had some good old playtime with Scoot, and figured she was just about due…
Softly and swiftly, she swooped through her bedroom window, took off her new outfit and put it away, and then crept quietly downstairs, until she could just peep into the living room. Scootaloo was feeding Tank a leaf of lettuce, so her back was turned: a perfect set-up. With the silence of a ghost, Rainbow soared across the room and settled down on the sofa, on her back, closing her eyes all but a mere slit, a slit her eyelashes hid well. She could just see Scootaloo round the corner of the sofa, then pause in surprise as she saw the older pegasus on the couch, when she hadn’t been there before. Surprise soon gave way to a conspiratorial grin; no doubt she was itching for a sneak attack too.
Rainbow had to suppress a snicker as she saw Scootaloo heave herself onto the further armrest, giving herself a vantage point to pounce on the bigger pegasus’s exposed belly. The orange filly’s wings buzzed as she crouched, wriggling her little hindquarters like a cat…but she never got the jump she planned for. It was interrupted as Rainbow’s tail flicked up and tapped her from behind.
Scootaloo gave a yelp and toppled forward, right into Rainbow Dash’s waiting hooves. Laughing, she swept Scootaloo under one leg, then used the hoof of the other to bestow a vigorous noogie that made the filly burst into giggles.
“You can’t get me that easily, squirt,” said Rainbow, triumphantly. “You’ve got to get up super-early to get the drop on Rainbow Dash. Give up?”
“Never!” crowed Scootaloo.
“Oh yeah? Then how about this?”
She flipped Scootaloo onto her back and dug her hoof into her tummy, switching from a noogie to a tickle. Scootaloo went from giggles to hearty and loud laughter.
“Y-You-You can’t make me give up that easily-hee-hee-hee!!”
“Is that so? Ok, Scoot, you asked for it…” said Rainbow Dash, raising her second hoof dangerously in mid-air. The prospect of a double tickle attack was too much for Scootaloo.
“Ok! Ok! Uncle! Uncle!”
“That’s better,” said Rainbow Dash, removing her hoof from Scootaloo’s belly. The little filly lay back, catching her breath and still giggling, as Rainbow settled herself more comfortably against the couch. “Good day at school?”
“Yeah. Thanks for all those tips on historical fliers, by the way. Miss Cheerilee was talking about the great Cloudsdale Wars, and she called on me to list the great heroes during those wars. I got them all right!”
“That’s my girl!” said Rainbow, drawing Scootaloo under one foreleg and tousling her mane. “There’s one thing sitting through boring history classes gave me that I actually cared about.”
“I did learn a lot from it, though,” said Scootaloo. “She told us about a war tactic that ended up saving Cloudsdale in the end.”
“And what was that?”
“The element…of surprise!”
And to Rainbow Dash’s astonishment, Scootaloo twisted herself around and used all four of her hooves to tickle the older pegasus’ belly, a bigger and easier target for such small hooves. The speedster burst into great guffaws of laughter as she writhed on the couch. Released from her grip, Scootaloo leaped off the couch and zipped over to the stairs. When Rainbow Dash finally regained herself, the little filly blew a raspberry at her. Rainbow reacted with an astonished look, which slowly gave way to a playful grin.
“Oh, you’re so gonna get it, pipsqueak.”
“Ya gotta catch me first!” taunted Scootaloo, scampering up the stairs.
“It’s like she forgot who she’s talking to,” said Rainbow, wryly, spreading her wings for emphasis.
She chased after Scootaloo, who dashed, giggling madly, into her bedroom. Rainbow soared in and landed on all fours on her bed, standing like a jungle cat, ready to pounce. Scootaloo took a similar stance, and the two spent several minutes staring each down, feinting this way and that, but neither moving an inch.
At last, Rainbow dived, but Scootaloo jumped to the side, causing Rainbow to land on her face, but the little pegasus misguided her leap, as she knocked against a dresser standing by the wall. It wobbled from the impact and knocked against the wall to its left, knocking a big dent into its top corner. Scootaloo gasped, and looked fearfully at Rainbow Dash, who was regaining her senses.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, Rainbow Dash! I didn’t mean to damage your dresser!”
“Hey, hey, relax, kiddo,” said Rainbow, in a placating tone, “I’m not mad at ya. Cloud furniture’s easy to put back together. Watch.”
She flapped over to the damaged side and, with her hooves, molded it back into its former shape, as if it were Play-Doh. Scootaloo stared, amazed.
“Oh, yeah. Guess I forgot about that. I’ve spent my whole life on the ground, so I never learned how cloud furniture worked.”
“No big deal, Scoot. Let’s just take it easy now, all right?” Rainbow stretched and yawned. “All this horsing around’s made me ex-”
She paused, her attention grabbed by something on the floor. It looked like a little book, sitting right by the dresser. How had she not noticed it before? It must have fallen behind it, and was knocked into view from Scootaloo’s antics.
Without saying another word, she swooped down and scooped it up, hovering as she flipped it open. It was a small book, about the size of a diary, one that looked like it hadn’t been touched in ages, given the coating of dust on its cover. As she flipped through the pages, her eyes grew wider and wider, her lilac irises expanding until they almost filled her entire sockets. When she reached the last page, she seemed especially taken aback, and tears began to fill her eyes.
“Rainbow Dash?” asked Scootaloo, looking up at her. “You all right? What’s that book?”
Rainbow didn’t answer. She just kept staring at the book, sometimes flipping back to previous pages, lingering on them. To think how long it had lain hidden, ignored, when the contents within were-
“Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow softly touched down, closed the book, carefully set it aside, and scooped Scootaloo up into a warm hug, catching the filly by surprise.
“Erk! Rainbow Dash? Are you ok?”
“Better than ok, Scoot…better than ok…You just gave me a great idea, and there’s not a moment to lose!”
***
“Happy birthday, Fluttershy!!”
Fluttershy gave an “Eep!” of surprise as she came out into the clearing. All of her pony friends (and critter friends) had gathered together in said clearing, all wearing big party hats, the trees festooned with balloons and streamers, and a large table set up with tea, presents, and party eatables on top. A large cake, decorated with yellow and pink frosting, stood as its centerpiece, its top decorated with frosting butterflies.
“Oh, you all didn’t have to go to so much trouble,” said Fluttershy, modestly swinging her foreleg and averting her eyes.
“You’re worth the trouble, Flutters!” said Pinkie, bestowing a big hug onto her.
“Another wonderful year with a wonderful friend,” said Rarity, sweetly.
Applejack and Twilight nodded warmly in agreement.
Even Angel Bunny was wearing an oversized party hat of his own, and he blew into a noisemaker to ‘voice’ his appreciation of his owner’s birthday.
“Thank you…thank you all very much,” said Fluttershy, smiling.
“Present time!” called Spike, trotting forward to hand her a homemade card, depicting a crayon drawing of the little dragon and Fluttershy, with the words “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FLUTTERSHY” written across the top half in huge letters.
“Oh, Spike, it’s beautiful! Thank you!” She leaned down and nuzzled his cheek, bringing a big smile to his face.
When Spike had yelled ‘Present time’, Rainbow Dash had felt an urge to leap forward and present her gift, but had to hang up as the others stepped forward to give their gifts. She wanted to save hers for last, for good reason…
As her friends had told Rainbow, Fluttershy received the card from Spike, a bottle of Aloe and Lotus’s latest spa shampoo from Rarity, a big jar of fresh Zap Apple Jam from Applejack, a book on Equestrian fauna ancient and current from Twilight, and of course, the party from Pinkie Pie. Even Angel gave her a drawing made by himself, which his mistress accepted very gratefully and even rewarded with a little motherly kiss which made him squirm like a little kid.
Now, it was Rainbow’s turn. She stepped forward and handed her a squared, wrapped bundle she had hidden under her wing, with a paper card taped to its top. Fluttershy took the card and read it aloud,
“‘Happy Birthday to my best friend and number one flier, Fluttershy. Your pal, Rainbow Dash.’ Oh, Rainbow Dash, that’s so sweet of you to say…”
“Heh, thanks, Fluttershy. I know it’s the kind of thing I say every year, but I think you’re gonna like your Part 2 a lot better.”
Curious from this hyping-up of her actual gift, Fluttershy opened the bundle, looking astonished to see the little book it had formed a covering over.
“Rainbow Dash, what is this?”
“Open it and see.”
Slowly, Fluttershy flipped the pages open, and gasped.
Every page was lined with photos taken of Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash during their fillyhood days at flight school. Some were of the shy little pegasus by herself, looking very camera-shy, while some were of the frizzle-maned flyer, who was all up in the camera’s face and loving every minute of it. A good chunk of them, however, were of the two together, playing around, laughing, settled side by side. Fluttershy’s eyes grew wider and wider as she flipped through the pages, but she gave a sharp gasp as she reached the final page, the one that had struck so much emotion into the strong-willed Rainbow Dash.
It was a photo taken at a sort of on-stage ceremony. Off to the sides, several pegasus foals were standing, wearing little mortarboards. Center-stage, looking very shy, but still smiling, was Fluttershy, a tiny diploma held in her wing. The picture had been taken from a back row, so that it was just barely discernible. Scrawled in clumsy lettering at the bottom were the words: “My best friend, Fluttershy. - R.D.”
Fluttershy looked up, unable to articulate a single word. Rainbow waited, a warm smile on her face. The others looked at each other, perplexed, unable to fathom what was going on.
“Rainbow Dash…” Fluttershy finally managed to say, “I thought you dropped out before graduation…How did you possibly get this picture at the end?…”
“I snuck in, of course,” said Rainbow Dash. “Did you really think I was gonna miss my best friend graduating flight school? Of course, you understand why I couldn’t stick around to congratulate you personally…That little book’s been waiting for today.”
Fluttershy’s lip quivered.
“I…I don’t know what to say…”
“Then I’ll say it,” said Rainbow, gripping her by the shoulders. “Fluttershy, you’ve been my best friend ever since we were fillies, ever since I raced for your honor, made you fall out of the sky, and helped us both earn our cutie marks all at once…Wow. I can’t believe I said all that and believed it…Anyway, we’ve been through a lot together, you and I, and I wanted to show you just how much it means to me that you’re my friend. More importantly, though, I wanted to make up for all those times I acted like such a jerk to you. I’m sorry I didn’t trust in you when we went to get rid of the dragon. I’m sorry I pushed you when I needed support for the Best Young Fliers Competition. I’m sorry for all the times I’ve ever been short with you when you never did anything wrong. Most importantly of all, though…I’m sorry it took me so long to finally get you a birthday present that wasn’t just a simple, hoof-made card. You deserve better than that and more, Fluttershy…”
Fluttershy sniffled and wiped at her eyes, a smile on her muzzle.
“Rainbow Dash,” she finally said, “you don’t have to apologize for all of that. I’d already forgiven you long before, and even then, I didn’t think there was anything to forgive, because I’d always considered those problems my fault. How could I ever think of you as doing any wrong? Above all, the greatest gift I could ever ask for is having all of you as my friends…especially you, Rainbow Dash.”
It was too much. Rainbow couldn’t hold it back much more. The tears flowed down her cheeks as she fought to keep from blubbering like a school filly. Pinkie was already crying waterfalls as Rarity dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and Applejack and Twilight merely watched with dewy, tearful smiles. Spike was doing his best to hide his own emotion, but was failing miserably at it.
“Darn it, Fluttershy,” said Rainbow, with a choked laugh, “you’re the only pony I’ve ever known who could make me feel sappy…”
Fluttershy giggled and opened her forelegs. “Come here, you…”
Rainbow didn’t need asking twice. She threw her forelegs around Fluttershy in a tight embrace, the yellow pegasus’s closing around her in turn, both nuzzled cheek to tear-damp cheek. While Fluttershy wasn't very strong physically, Rainbow could feel all of her warmth, love, and gratitude being translated through that one hug, and she reciprocated gratefully with equal vigor.
The two remained locked in that warm embrace for several minutes before they finally broke apart, still smiling warmly at each other. Fluttershy picked up the book again and clasped it to her heart.
“Thank you, Rainbow Dash,” she said. “I’ll treasure it always…”
“You’re welcome, Fluttershy. Happy birthday.”
She felt a hoof on her shoulder at this moment. Turning around, she found herself faced with her other friends.
“I’m very proud of you, Rainbow Dash,” said Twilight. “I certainly wasn’t expecting something like that.”
“It was the perfect gift,” said Rarity. “It didn’t cost a cent-”
“It was in the right place-” said Pinkie.
“And came at the right time,” said Applejack.
“Thanks, guys,” said Rainbow Dash, still beaming.
"Well, come on, everypony!" said Pinkie, bouncing happily in place. "We've still got a whole lot of party left!"
Everypony laughed, but in the midst of it, Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at each other. A warm smile passed between the two of them. The weight on Rainbow's conscience was lifted: she'd given her best friend the perfect gift, the perfect way to express the way she truly felt about her, and Fluttershy had gotten the message loud and clear.
***
“Dear Princess Celestia,
I’m writing to you today on my good friend Fluttershy’s birthday. She and my other friends helped me learn that it doesn’t always matter what gift you give to your friends, as long as the thought counts, something I ought to have known long ago. I was worried that I wouldn’t have been doing my friendship justice with a simple, easily-made gift, and wanted to go all out, but a little guiding from my pals helped show me that sometimes, the simplest gifts can carry the biggest meanings.
Your loyal subject,
Rainbow Dash”
