Unending Slumberby tyionChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 1“Woo-ho” Fluttershy screamed out as loud as she could while watching Rainbow Dash’s usual practice moves. Nothing too spectacular, she had seen everything already, but nevertheless the timid pegasus enjoyed watching her more athletic friend train. Dash landed next to Fluttershy when she finished one of her routines. “Did you see that Shy? I was like five seconds faster than last time! I think today I am even more awesome than usual!” Dash stated excitement and adrenaline still rushing through her veins. “Yea, that was pretty nice,” Fluttershy replied in her usual, shy demeanor. The cyan pegasus felt like her friend wasn’t enjoying herself as much as she usually did. “Is something wrong Shy?” Dash asked, concern filling her voice. “Uhm no everything is fine.” The canary yellow pegasus responded, blushing lightly at the thought of Dash being worried about her. “Mhm, doesn’t sound like it. I bet you are bored. You saw all these tricks at least a hundred times,” Dash concluded, thinking about a way to make Fluttershy enjoy their practice training more. “I know!” Dash suddenly spoke up “How about you do those tricks with me?” “What? No! You know that I can’t fly nearly as well as you can,” Fluttershy responded, but that was only half of the truth. She would probably faint in the middle of the air when she flying so close to Dashie. “Pegasusfeathers! You have wings don’t you? So you can fly, come now!” Rainbow insisted and grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof, dragging her into the air. Okay Shy, you got this. Keep calm and breathe… Oh Celestia how do you breath? Oh my goodness I can’t breathe! “HEEELP!” Fluttershy screamed out, causing Dash to scream out in panic as well. “Shy what happened?!” Dash asked, worrying if she had done something wrong. “Uhm… nothing … I just forget to… Uhm…” everything which was said by Fluttershy past those words were just silent squeaks of embarrassment. “Now come on Fluttershy, don’t be so tensed! Relax a little bit, let your wings do their job,” requested Dash. Easier said than done, Fluttershy thought as she tried to calm herself down. Her heart was beating ever so fast. She could swear that it was about to break through her chest. Nonetheless she tried to keep up with her rainbow maned friend, flapping her wings faster than she was used to. “Ok good, now we do some loops!” Dash screamed out and swiftly grabbed one of Fluttershy’s hooves. “Dashie wait!” Fluttershy screeched, but it was too late. She was being dragged by the cyan Pegasus flying in front of her. The wind was rushing through her hair and fur; she could barely keep her eyes open. All of the sudden Dash dragged her up; all Fluttershy could see were some blurry blue colors, and of course her friend, who just looked back at her and gave her a reassuring smile. After what felt like an eternity for the canary yellow pegasus they slowed down. “That was awesome, wasn’t it Shy?” Dash asked with a grin from ear to ear. Fluttershy couldn’t release any words from her lips; she was trembling slightly and adrenaline was surging through her entire body. “That was…” Fluttershy began. “Awesome?” Dash finished her sentence. Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement and also started to grin now. She felt so happy, so alive. Just then she realized that Dash was still holding her hoof, causing her to blush into a deep crimson. “Shy? Are you alright? Do you have fever?” Dash inquired, completely oblivious about the true reasoning behind Fluttershy’s weird behavior. Raising her free hoof, Dash touched Fluttershy’s forehead in order to check her temperature. Due to this unexpected movement of the cyan pegasus, Fluttershy’s wings immediately stretched to their fullest and she lost her balance. Fortunately Dash was still there and kept her up. “You are really acting odd today. You should let yourself get checked by Nurse Redheart, or at least Twilight,” Dash suggested as she pulled Fluttershy back up, until she was able to fly on her own again. “Uhm… everything is alright Dash…” “So… up for another round?” Rainbow asked her. Fluttershy simply nodded her head and they both started to fly again, side by side. The pegasi nearly spent the entire afternoon flying around, both of them experiencing euphoric happiness. But all the flying took its toll on the not so athletic yellow pegasus. “You’re tired Shy?” Dash asked her friend as she realized that Fluttershy was panting. “Mhm,” Fluttershy responded. She was completely drained from all the physical effort. “One more flight and then we can call it a day and get some dinner?” Dash wondered, nearly begging her for another round. “I’m not sure Dash, my wings are pretty tired,” Fluttershy replied. “Don’t worry Shy; I will be there to catch you if anything happens!” Dash stated proudly. Fluttershy blushed and agreed that one more flight couldn’t hurt. ==== “Thank you again, Rarity,” Twilight Sparkle said while carrying a few baskets of purple flowers with her magic. “Oh it’s quite alright, Dear. I am always happy to help you. What do you want with those flowers anyway; they must be rather important if you voluntarily travel into the Everfree Forest to gather them,” Rarity asked. She was also carrying a few of the mentioned flowers. “Well, I need them for some research on growing magic. They are perfect because they can absorb a large amount of magical energy without withering,” the lavender unicorn explained. “I am just happy that we got through this dreadful forest this easily. I can’t wait to get out of here” Rarity added. ==== Meanwhile Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were flying their last round of the day. They flew way faster than Fluttershy usually did, but for some reason she wasn’t afraid. She could only see the rainbow mane of the pegasus in front of her and the confident smile Dash gave her every time she looked back at her. Suddenly there was a loud noise to be heard. “What was that?” Fluttershy asked her voice filled with anxiety. “I don’t know,” Dash replied. What could that noise be? Lightning? No today was no storm or lighting scheduled. Again a loud impact was echoing through the trees around them. Wait… Trees? Oh no, this is bad. Dash thought, she had no idea that they were already in the Everfree Forest, did they really fly that far? On the spur of the moment, lightning materialized right next to them, luckily Dash didn’t got hit. “Ahhhhhhh,” a timid voice whimpered behind her. The pain filled voice of Fluttershy shook Dash to the core; did she got hit? Dash had to gather all of her courage to look back at the yellow pegasus. Fortunately most of her body seemed fine; the lighting only scratched one of her wings. “Dashie, it hurts, I can’t …” before Fluttershy was able to finish her sentence, she lost control over her flight and fainted, falling towards into the hard ground beneath her. Dash didn’t lose a second and immediately burst off to her, catching her before any more harm was done. Rainbow was now flying upside down, holding Fluttershy tightly with both her hooves. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to fly but she promised Shy that she would protect her, and by Celestia she would. But lady luck wasn’t on her side, more lightning struck the tree in front of her. She was able to avoid it in the last second, yet the movements to evade the burning tree made her lose control over her wings, and she fell down together with Fluttershy, who landed a few inches away from her. Dash checked her body parts: her head seemed fine, she could still think. Her fore hooves were also still working, her left wing didn’t obey to any commands she sent it, and she could not feel her rear hooves. Great, I can’t even move now… Wait, what about Shy? Dash thought and looked in front of her; she was lying in front of her, covered in blood. From this distance Dash was not able to tell if the injuries are minor or maybe even lethal. So she did the only thing she could think of, using her working fore hooves she tried to crawl next to her. On the other hand, the tree which caused her crash landing was still burning, and the stump was weakening, it could no longer hold the weight of the tree and fell down, towards the crawling pegasus. Dash heard a cracking sound next to her and inspected it, only to discover that her death is nearing with rapid speed in from of a falling tree. With one swift, desperate movement she pushed herself away to her left, but it was not enough. A heavy branch landed on her hind hooves and another, luckily airier, branch impacted with her spine, causing Dash to let out an agonizing cry. “Did you hear that Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Yes… it sounded like somepony needs help” Twilight replied and started heading towards the direction of the noise, Rarity following her. ==== Everything Dash could see was blurry; she saw fire, she saw trees, animals running away in fear and most importantly, she saw Fluttershy lying unconsciously in front of her, possibly hurt. Dash mobilized every bit of energy that was left in her and tried to release herself from the massive branch that was immobilizing her, without any success. Damn, I told her I would protect her, she can’t die here. I need to save her somehow. Dash did the only thing that came to her mind, she took a long breath and tried to scream out for help as loud as she could, but it didn’t work. She coughed a few times and spitted out some blood before she tried again. This time she was prosperous, a loud call for help was resounding through the forest. The only thing that Dash could do right now was pray that somepony, someone, something heard her. Dash was barely conscious anymore when she witnessed a familiar voice, everything seemed surreal to her, but when she heard the name Twilight and Rarity drop a few times, a smile formed on her face. Save her, please Twilight, Rarity were the last thoughts before Rainbow drifted into unconsciousness. Chapter 2“What happened?” Applejack asked immediately upon entering the waiting room, the orange earth pony ran all the way from her farm to the hospital and was completely out of breath. “We don’t know,” Twilight began, standing up from her chair “me and Rarity heard a scream coming from the Everfree forest, so we went there to check what the source was.” Twilight hesitated with the last part as images of the unconscious, blood covered bodies of her friends caught her breath. “We found both of them… lying unconsciously on the ground, so we released Dash from the tree, which had fallen on her, and brought them here as fast as ponily possible” Rarity continued, her voice lacking every bit of emotion. “How are they now?” Applejack asked with an unsteady voice. “Shy-Shy is alright, but Dash was brought into surgery, and now we have to wait until she comes out” Pinkie replied, not in her usual overjoyed manner, but in a voice which sounded shocked and overwhelmed. It broke Applejacks heart to see her juvenile pink friend like this; it didn’t fit her, not at all. The room was shrouded in silence for a long time, no one dared to break it, the information they had just received distressed the four ponies to a point, where they were all on the verge of reality, and they just couldn’t believe what had happened. They all sat there, silently, waiting for good news to arrive. After around three hours, which felt like an eternity for the four ponies, a nurse walked inside. Everypony tensed up and prepared themselves for the worst. “As we told you, the yellow pegasus is relatively unharmed, she has a broken wing and some minor injuries on her head, but all she needs to recover is some rest and time.” Rarity let out a relieved sigh, before further inquiring “And what about Rainbow Dash?” “The nurse shook her head and took a long breath before replying “As for the other pegasus. We did the best we could but her injuries were too severe, we were able to stitch the open wounds and prevent more blood from being lost. However her lungs were damaged to a point where we cannot fix it, not even with magic.” “Does that mean Dashie is?” Pinkie inquired, being at the verge of tears. “No, she is not dead; she is in artificial coma from which she likely won’t wake up. I am sorry.” The nurse stated Everypony was trembling, they couldn’t believe it, and they didn’t want to believe it. Dash would never wake up again? That had to be a joke, a big cruel joke. From the four ponies in the room, Pinkie seemed to have taken it worst. Her fluffy, pink hair was straight now and her eyes were empty, she was blankly staring into the room. No pranks with Dashie anymore? No sleepovers with her best friend? Tears started to form in her emotionless eyes; she only wished that she could wake up from this dreadful nightmare. “Can we see them?” Twilight asked the nurse, who was silently standing in the corner of the room. “But of course, they are both lying in room 102” she responded. Twilight lead the way to the mentioned room, the others following closely the sight presented in front of them upon entering shook them to the core. Dash was lying on a white bed, wired on many gadgets and tubes which were the only thing keeping her alive. Rarity was not able to oppress her grief anymore, Applejack tried hard not to join her in her silent whimpering. Twilight didn’t know how to react; it was like something was torn apart from her. She felt sadness, but it didn’t seem real. While shock and anguish still nagged on the four ponies, the sun started to vanish from the horizon and the moon was beginning to travel across the sky. Time flew by in a strange way, every minute felt like an eternity, yet it passed by so quickly. Twilight let out a long, exhausted sigh before speaking out “Well, girls I think we should all head home and get ourselves some time to think. I will also check if there is really nothing we can do and write a letter to the princess, so don’t dismiss your hope just yet.” Applejack gave an agreeing nod. “I will stay here in case Fluttershy wakes up” Rarity stated “Alright, Sugarcube,” Applejack replied “wha about ya Pinkie?” she asked. Pinkie didn’t give an answer; she seemed to be miles away with her thoughts. “Hey Pinkie” AJ said while shaking the pink pony slightly. “Huh, what?” Pinkie asked as she looked around the room. “Are you alright on your own for the night?” the farmer pony further inquired. “I… Uhm” “She can stay here with me, I wouldn’t mind some company” Rarity suggested “Okey” Pinkie replied “Well, then. See ya’ all tomorrow” Applejack dryly exclaimed before leaving alongside Twilight. Rarity and Pinkie sat down between Rainbows and Fluttershy’s bed. Rarity quickly realized what was wrong with Pinkie, she was in a form of denial, she tried to detach herself from reality so she wouldn’t have to face the truth. The white unicorn knew that this wouldn’t end well, since sooner or later she would have to face it. “It’s okay Pinkie, you are free to cry” Rarity broke the silence attentively “What do you mean?” Pinkie didn’t understand. “You don’t have to hide or oppress your sorrow in front of me. The only thing it will do is bottling up your emotions.” Pinkie kept silent, but as she felt Rarity’s hooves wrap around her, she felt how tears started to roll down her cheeks, and soon she found herself crying into her friends shoulder. It was only a matter of minutes until depletion got the best of Rarity and Pinkie. They both fell asleep on each other’s shoulders, snoring silently. Not long afterwards Fluttershy was starting to wake up. Slowly opening her eyes, she immediately felt her wounds aching. Her forehead was pounding profusely and the incineration on one of her wings was also a pain to endure. Nevertheless she slowly switched to a sitting position. Fluttershy was inspecting the room with half-open eyes. Once she was Dash lying on the bed next to her, she started to remember what lead to their current situation. She was flying together with Dash when she felt a burning pain on her wing, that’s when she lost control over her flight and shortly after fell unconscious. It was only then Fluttershy realized all the tubes and gadgets which were wired on Dash. The yellow pegasus let out a short scream due to the shock. This scream did not remain unnoticed by Rarity, who was rubbing her eyes while letting out a yawn. “Fluttershy?” she asked dozily, “Fluttershy! You’re awake!” Rarity suddenly burst out and hugged the yellow pegasus. To her surprise she did not feel any kind of reaction from Fluttershy. “Is something wrong?” the unicorn asked “What happened to Dashie?” Fluttershy stammered. “Oh…” Rarity’s mood immediately morphed from joy into woe. “She didn’t have luck on her side, a tree fell on her and severely damaged her lungs,” Rarity began to explain before being interrupted by Fluttershy “Will she be alright again?” she asked with a shocked voice, tears already forming at the edge of her eyes. Rarity intended to lie to her, it would make her healing process easier, but upon seeing the despairing face of her best friend, she wasn’t able to. “It is likely that she won’t wake up.” Rarity confessed. Fluttershy’s eyes widened I in shock and her tears started to freely flood down her cheeks., she felt how her heart was being torn apart, creating a void which could never be filled again. Her stomach twisted, she just wanted to fall back into coma so she wouldn’t have to deal with the pain. Rarity’s hears broke, seeing Fluttershy like this, but it was inevitable that Fluttershy finds out about Rainbows fate. “Calm down, Shy. You still have friends who care about you. Me, Pinkie, Twilight and Applejack are here for you” “It’s not fair. Dash was always there for me, why would she leave me alone?” Fluttershy sobbed out. “I know its not, but we are going to get through this together.” Rarity said, a single tear excaping her eyes as she embraced Fluttershy into a comforting hug. ==== No this is not the end :D Chapter 3At some point in the night Fluttershy convinced Rarity that she would be fine and told Rarity to get some rest, the white unicorn reluctantly gave in and lied down next to Pinkie again. Fluttershy however was not fine like she told Rarity, she was everything but fine, but she required some time to think, alone. She gazed upon Luna’s night sky, silently praying that some kind of miracle would save Dash. But who was she kidding? She shouldn’t get her hopes up for no reason, if they are most likely going to get shattered. Hoping is like running away from reality, if you can’t cope with something you hope it won’t happen, but reality would catch you sooner or later. Yet, Fluttershy didn’t care, simply the thought that Dash might be alright again brought a faint smile on her lips. Also as bad as running away might seem, she wouldn’t have met Dash in the first place without it. Back then, in flight school when she was just a filly. ==== It was the day of the practical exam and Fluttershy was feeling nervous, actually, scratch that, she felt terrified. The yellow pegasus had to pass this test otherwise she was going to get kicked out of flight school. Last year she barely made it and the punishment she received from her father because of that was rather unpleasant, who knew what he was going to do if she gets kicked out? Fluttershy made her mind up that, if she wasn’t going to pass this, she won’t be able to show herself around her home, especially her father, anymore. “Number 27, it’s your turn” one of the examiners shouted out. “Yea, yea, no reason to scream,” a rainbow maned pegasus said as she leisurely stretched her wings and hooves. She seems so relaxed Fluttershy thought, of course she did, she could probably do the practical exam in her sleep. Only two minutes passed until she returned, obviously she passed the test with ease. Fluttershy looked back at her number “32”, she gulped, only four more pegasi until it was her turn. The other four students all passed the exam, not as good as the cyan pegasus, but they passed it nevertheless. “32 it’s your turn!” Fluttershy took a deep breath as she started to move towards the practice area. Just before she disappeared behind the door she heard a rough voice “Good Luck” number 27 said. The yellow filly blushed slightly; no one has ever wished her good luck, not to speak of believing in her. With newly acquired courage she stepped into the room. “Hello, Miss Fluttershy,” one of the examiners spoke up “please step on the red line and start with the course whenever you feel ready” Fluttershy stepped forward; it took her some moments to finally start flapping her wings. She started beating them as fast and hard as she could. She needed to pass this, no matter what. She was already through ¾ of the course when her wings started to ache. She was barely able to keep herself up in the air anymore. She mobilized every bit of energy left to stride through the finish line, and after half a minute of soring pain she succeeded I did it! She thought Suddenly one of the instructors spoke up “Sorry, Miss. But you were 12 seconds to slow.” “I…what?” Shy couldn’t believe it. “I am sorry but it’s how it is, you had 3:30 to reach the finish line and it took you 3:42. Also as far as I can see from your files your last year’s practical exam was also disappointing?” “Huh?” was everything Shy could squeak out at this point. “I am sorry but it seems like we have no choice but to dismiss you from flight school.” “Come on, Miss, you have to leave the practice area to make way for the others.” One of the pegasi instructed her. Fluttershy was lying on a cloud, bawling her eyes out. There is no way she could go home now, but where can she go then? What can she do? Everything seemed lost, no options were left. “Hey, what are you doing there?” a familiar voice asked. “Are you uhm..? talking to me?” the yellow pegasus stammered “No, I was actually talking to the cloud you’re on” Dash replied sarcastically. “Oh… ok.” “Of course I was talking to you.” Shy replied sheepishly. “You should head home; it’s going to rain soon.” Dash suggested before flying off again. “Yea, home…” Fluttershy murmured and rested her head back on the cloud. Meanwhile Dash was practicing her flying skills again, she flew some rounds around the academy before letting the wind carry her towards home while she relaxed and let herself get absorbed in thoughts. “Argh!” Dash rubbed her head and flew off back to the academy. “She probably flew home, like I told her. Why should I care anyway?” despite her inner argument proving that there was no reason for her to be concerned, Dash still flew back to her location. To her surprise she was still lying on the same cloud. A couple of raindrops had already started to pour down from the sky and it was getting palpably colder. “Hey what are you still doing here, you’re gonna catch a cold!” Dash screamed while approaching the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy quickly tried to hide her tears when she heard Dash’s voice. “You should really go home or are you trying to get sick?” Fluttershy just kept silent and avoided Dash’s gaze at all cost. “You do have a place to go, don’t you?” Dash wondered. The following silence was response enough for the rainbow maned pegasus. Letting out a sigh, she grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof and spoke up “Come with me then.” “Huh?” Fluttershy was confused. “You can stay at my place; otherwise my conscious would probably kill me.” Dash explained. “I wouldn’t want to impose…” Shy replied in her sheepish demeanor. “You would give me a harder time if you stay here, because that would mean that I have to stay here with you to make sure you don’t die or something.” “Why would you do that?” Fluttershy inquired. “Well, uhm…. Because I’m a nice pony? Or something like that… Look just say yes and make it easier for both of us, alright?” “Mhm, okay.” Fluttershy finally agreed and they both departed, heading for Dash’s home. They arrived there alter than Dash thought, probably because she had to fly more slowly so Shy could keep up. “Are your parents okay if I stay here?” Shy asked as Dash unlocked her home. “Well, one advantage of not having any, right?” Dash replied dryly, striding though the door. “You can sleep in my bed; I’ll just lay down on the couch or something.” “Oh no, I will sleep on the couch, I don’t want to bother you any further.” “Well, that’s a pity,” Dash said and jumped on the couch “I was here first, you’ll have to take the bed now, first comes first serves,” she grinned teasingly. “Thanks.” Shy said and trotted into the only room she saw, which she assumed was Dash’s room. “I don’t think that the bathroom is more comfortable than my bed,” Dash called out casually. After a brief moment Fluttershy reappeared in the room with a slight blush on her face. “It’s the room behind me,” Dash explained before turning around and making herself more comfortable. “Okay, good night then.” Shy said before disappearing in the other room. Chapter 4The next morning Dash woke up due to a sweet scent that filled her nose. “Sweet Celestia this smells good!” Dash murmured dozily as she made her way to the source of the smell. She ended up in the kitchen (who would have guessed) where she looked at the pegasus with a blank expression. “Did you cook this?” Dash asked as she inspected the food on the table. “Uhm, yes, but you only had milk and cereals so I just made you some cloud pancakes” Fluttershy explained. “Just? Mare, please. The only thing I ate for the last months were cereals” Dash explained as she sat down. Just before she started to devour the tasty treat in front of her, she realized that the other pegasus gave her a look of inquiry. “Yea, I’m not much of a cook” Dash stated with a nervous laugh. “However, time to eat!” Dash called out in anticipation of the “feast” in front of her. As she threw the first slice of a pancake in her mouth she was completely blown away by its amazing taste. “Aren’t you eating ehm…, what’s your name by the way?” Dash asked. “Uhm, my name is Fluttershy” she replied sheepishly. “Fluttershy was it?” Dash asked, she just barely heard what the yellow pegasus said. Fluttershy simply nodded. “I’m Rainbow Dash, so, aren’t you eating, too?” “I’m not that hungry.” “Pegasusfeathers! They are delicious, now sit down and eat some.” Dash commanded. Fluttershy did as she was told to and took one of the pancakes. As they both were silently munching, Dash spoke up again “Where did you learn to cook this good anyway?” Fluttershy hesitated for a brief moment “Well, my parents weren’t at home most of the time so I had to learn how to take care of myself really early” Shy explained. “Oh,” Dash simply commented. The next couple of days went pretty much the same, but Fluttershy felt a rising unease with every passing day, she felt like she was too big of a burden for the pegasus who took her generously in. It was the night of the sixth day when Fluttershy decided to leave. She was silently approaching the door, being very careful not to wake Dash up. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and took a few steps inside. “Where are you going?” a rough voice suddenly called. “Uhm… I don’t want to impose anymore, so I am leaving…” Shy explained. Dash let out a long sigh “Close the door and come in, it’s getting cold” she responded. Fluttershy gave her a look of confusion. “Listen, this is as much your home now as it is mine, so close that door and go back to sleep.” Dash explained. Fluttershy couldn’t understand the cyan pegasus “But why? I am just some stranger, why are you so kind to me?” Dash couldn’t think of an answer, after all, she didn’t even know why she was so nice to her. “Look, I don’t know why but I just can’t let you go now. You have nowhere to go and simply the thought of you freezing outside makes my stomach twist, so just come in now, jeez” Fluttershy realized a warm feeling around her stomach; it was a feeling she couldn’t quite explain she felt happiness and like she was welcome, like somepony cared for her. This pegasus saved her from the coldness of the world outside, just because she is so kind to her. She slowly made her way to the couch Dash was laying on. “What is it?” Dash asked. “Thank you,” Shy said, being on the verge of tears. “No problem, you’re always welcome, but that doesn’t mean you need to cry now” Dash replied with a grin. Fluttershy nodded and wished Dash a good night before going back to her (well, Dash’s) bed. She laid down and for the first time in a long while she did not need to think about what to do next, she had a home now, one in which she was welcome even though she got kicked out from flight school. After a while the door in her room opened just a crack, revealing Dash who was dozily standing there with a pillow in her hooves. “Hey Shy, I was thinking, now that you’re gonna stay here I was just, well you know, thinking that I could sleep on a bed too? I mean, the bed of my parents is more than big enough for two ponies. Or would that be awkward for you?” Dash asked with a nervous smile. Shy didn’t respond but simply moved away in order to make room for Dash. “I knew you were cool” Dash said with a grin as she jumped on the bed. The following minutes were the most awkward in Dash’s life; neither of them moved a single inch. I should’ve just slept on the couch Dash thought. “Dash you’re still up?” Shy asked. “Yea” “I was just wondering, uhm... where your parents are anyway?” “I wish I knew, they just kind of disappeared. One day I came back from flight training and they were just gone. Can’t say I didn’t see it coming though, they made it quite obvious that they don’t want me.” “I’m sorry to hear that” Shy commented. “It’s fine I guess that’s probably a reason why I didn’t want you to leave. Since that incident I just don’t want to lose anyone, I know how painful disloyalty can be.” Dash explained, unsteadiness filling her voice. All of the sudden Fluttershy turned around towards Dash and wrapped her hooves around the cyan pegasus. Dash was surprised by this motion but didn’t do anything to prevent it. “Night, Dashie” Fluttershy murmured. All the awkwardness was suddenly gone. “Dashie, really?” I hope that nickname isn’t going to stick, Shy” she giggled. “Can’t promise that” Fluttershy chuckled . After this event the two of them were pretty much inseparable, except for the two days after the race where Fluttershy fell off a cloud, but luckily Dash decided the leave flight school shortly after and moved to Ponyville as well. At first she saw Dash like the bigger sister she always wanted. Then Twilight moved to Ponyville and since that day the bonds of their friendship thickened with every passing day. They went through so much as six friends, but Fluttershy always felt a different kind of connection towards Dash. And just when she realized that these feelings were… love fate decided to take Dash away from her. It just didn’t seem fair. She would never know if these feelings are mutual. A smile formed on Fluttershy’s tear covered face as she considered that Dash may have held the same feelings for her.
Chapter 1“Woo-ho” Fluttershy screamed out as loud as she could while watching Rainbow Dash’s usual practice moves. Nothing too spectacular, she had seen everything already, but nevertheless the timid pegasus enjoyed watching her more athletic friend train. Dash landed next to Fluttershy when she finished one of her routines. “Did you see that Shy? I was like five seconds faster than last time! I think today I am even more awesome than usual!” Dash stated excitement and adrenaline still rushing through her veins. “Yea, that was pretty nice,” Fluttershy replied in her usual, shy demeanor. The cyan pegasus felt like her friend wasn’t enjoying herself as much as she usually did. “Is something wrong Shy?” Dash asked, concern filling her voice. “Uhm no everything is fine.” The canary yellow pegasus responded, blushing lightly at the thought of Dash being worried about her. “Mhm, doesn’t sound like it. I bet you are bored. You saw all these tricks at least a hundred times,” Dash concluded, thinking about a way to make Fluttershy enjoy their practice training more. “I know!” Dash suddenly spoke up “How about you do those tricks with me?” “What? No! You know that I can’t fly nearly as well as you can,” Fluttershy responded, but that was only half of the truth. She would probably faint in the middle of the air when she flying so close to Dashie. “Pegasusfeathers! You have wings don’t you? So you can fly, come now!” Rainbow insisted and grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof, dragging her into the air. Okay Shy, you got this. Keep calm and breathe… Oh Celestia how do you breath? Oh my goodness I can’t breathe! “HEEELP!” Fluttershy screamed out, causing Dash to scream out in panic as well. “Shy what happened?!” Dash asked, worrying if she had done something wrong. “Uhm… nothing … I just forget to… Uhm…” everything which was said by Fluttershy past those words were just silent squeaks of embarrassment. “Now come on Fluttershy, don’t be so tensed! Relax a little bit, let your wings do their job,” requested Dash. Easier said than done, Fluttershy thought as she tried to calm herself down. Her heart was beating ever so fast. She could swear that it was about to break through her chest. Nonetheless she tried to keep up with her rainbow maned friend, flapping her wings faster than she was used to. “Ok good, now we do some loops!” Dash screamed out and swiftly grabbed one of Fluttershy’s hooves. “Dashie wait!” Fluttershy screeched, but it was too late. She was being dragged by the cyan Pegasus flying in front of her. The wind was rushing through her hair and fur; she could barely keep her eyes open. All of the sudden Dash dragged her up; all Fluttershy could see were some blurry blue colors, and of course her friend, who just looked back at her and gave her a reassuring smile. After what felt like an eternity for the canary yellow pegasus they slowed down. “That was awesome, wasn’t it Shy?” Dash asked with a grin from ear to ear. Fluttershy couldn’t release any words from her lips; she was trembling slightly and adrenaline was surging through her entire body. “That was…” Fluttershy began. “Awesome?” Dash finished her sentence. Fluttershy nodded her head in agreement and also started to grin now. She felt so happy, so alive. Just then she realized that Dash was still holding her hoof, causing her to blush into a deep crimson. “Shy? Are you alright? Do you have fever?” Dash inquired, completely oblivious about the true reasoning behind Fluttershy’s weird behavior. Raising her free hoof, Dash touched Fluttershy’s forehead in order to check her temperature. Due to this unexpected movement of the cyan pegasus, Fluttershy’s wings immediately stretched to their fullest and she lost her balance. Fortunately Dash was still there and kept her up. “You are really acting odd today. You should let yourself get checked by Nurse Redheart, or at least Twilight,” Dash suggested as she pulled Fluttershy back up, until she was able to fly on her own again. “Uhm… everything is alright Dash…” “So… up for another round?” Rainbow asked her. Fluttershy simply nodded her head and they both started to fly again, side by side. The pegasi nearly spent the entire afternoon flying around, both of them experiencing euphoric happiness. But all the flying took its toll on the not so athletic yellow pegasus. “You’re tired Shy?” Dash asked her friend as she realized that Fluttershy was panting. “Mhm,” Fluttershy responded. She was completely drained from all the physical effort. “One more flight and then we can call it a day and get some dinner?” Dash wondered, nearly begging her for another round. “I’m not sure Dash, my wings are pretty tired,” Fluttershy replied. “Don’t worry Shy; I will be there to catch you if anything happens!” Dash stated proudly. Fluttershy blushed and agreed that one more flight couldn’t hurt. ==== “Thank you again, Rarity,” Twilight Sparkle said while carrying a few baskets of purple flowers with her magic. “Oh it’s quite alright, Dear. I am always happy to help you. What do you want with those flowers anyway; they must be rather important if you voluntarily travel into the Everfree Forest to gather them,” Rarity asked. She was also carrying a few of the mentioned flowers. “Well, I need them for some research on growing magic. They are perfect because they can absorb a large amount of magical energy without withering,” the lavender unicorn explained. “I am just happy that we got through this dreadful forest this easily. I can’t wait to get out of here” Rarity added. ==== Meanwhile Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash were flying their last round of the day. They flew way faster than Fluttershy usually did, but for some reason she wasn’t afraid. She could only see the rainbow mane of the pegasus in front of her and the confident smile Dash gave her every time she looked back at her. Suddenly there was a loud noise to be heard. “What was that?” Fluttershy asked her voice filled with anxiety. “I don’t know,” Dash replied. What could that noise be? Lightning? No today was no storm or lighting scheduled. Again a loud impact was echoing through the trees around them. Wait… Trees? Oh no, this is bad. Dash thought, she had no idea that they were already in the Everfree Forest, did they really fly that far? On the spur of the moment, lightning materialized right next to them, luckily Dash didn’t got hit. “Ahhhhhhh,” a timid voice whimpered behind her. The pain filled voice of Fluttershy shook Dash to the core; did she got hit? Dash had to gather all of her courage to look back at the yellow pegasus. Fortunately most of her body seemed fine; the lighting only scratched one of her wings. “Dashie, it hurts, I can’t …” before Fluttershy was able to finish her sentence, she lost control over her flight and fainted, falling towards into the hard ground beneath her. Dash didn’t lose a second and immediately burst off to her, catching her before any more harm was done. Rainbow was now flying upside down, holding Fluttershy tightly with both her hooves. It wasn’t the most comfortable way to fly but she promised Shy that she would protect her, and by Celestia she would. But lady luck wasn’t on her side, more lightning struck the tree in front of her. She was able to avoid it in the last second, yet the movements to evade the burning tree made her lose control over her wings, and she fell down together with Fluttershy, who landed a few inches away from her. Dash checked her body parts: her head seemed fine, she could still think. Her fore hooves were also still working, her left wing didn’t obey to any commands she sent it, and she could not feel her rear hooves. Great, I can’t even move now… Wait, what about Shy? Dash thought and looked in front of her; she was lying in front of her, covered in blood. From this distance Dash was not able to tell if the injuries are minor or maybe even lethal. So she did the only thing she could think of, using her working fore hooves she tried to crawl next to her. On the other hand, the tree which caused her crash landing was still burning, and the stump was weakening, it could no longer hold the weight of the tree and fell down, towards the crawling pegasus. Dash heard a cracking sound next to her and inspected it, only to discover that her death is nearing with rapid speed in from of a falling tree. With one swift, desperate movement she pushed herself away to her left, but it was not enough. A heavy branch landed on her hind hooves and another, luckily airier, branch impacted with her spine, causing Dash to let out an agonizing cry. “Did you hear that Twilight?” Rarity asked. “Yes… it sounded like somepony needs help” Twilight replied and started heading towards the direction of the noise, Rarity following her. ==== Everything Dash could see was blurry; she saw fire, she saw trees, animals running away in fear and most importantly, she saw Fluttershy lying unconsciously in front of her, possibly hurt. Dash mobilized every bit of energy that was left in her and tried to release herself from the massive branch that was immobilizing her, without any success. Damn, I told her I would protect her, she can’t die here. I need to save her somehow. Dash did the only thing that came to her mind, she took a long breath and tried to scream out for help as loud as she could, but it didn’t work. She coughed a few times and spitted out some blood before she tried again. This time she was prosperous, a loud call for help was resounding through the forest. The only thing that Dash could do right now was pray that somepony, someone, something heard her. Dash was barely conscious anymore when she witnessed a familiar voice, everything seemed surreal to her, but when she heard the name Twilight and Rarity drop a few times, a smile formed on her face. Save her, please Twilight, Rarity were the last thoughts before Rainbow drifted into unconsciousness.
Chapter 2“What happened?” Applejack asked immediately upon entering the waiting room, the orange earth pony ran all the way from her farm to the hospital and was completely out of breath. “We don’t know,” Twilight began, standing up from her chair “me and Rarity heard a scream coming from the Everfree forest, so we went there to check what the source was.” Twilight hesitated with the last part as images of the unconscious, blood covered bodies of her friends caught her breath. “We found both of them… lying unconsciously on the ground, so we released Dash from the tree, which had fallen on her, and brought them here as fast as ponily possible” Rarity continued, her voice lacking every bit of emotion. “How are they now?” Applejack asked with an unsteady voice. “Shy-Shy is alright, but Dash was brought into surgery, and now we have to wait until she comes out” Pinkie replied, not in her usual overjoyed manner, but in a voice which sounded shocked and overwhelmed. It broke Applejacks heart to see her juvenile pink friend like this; it didn’t fit her, not at all. The room was shrouded in silence for a long time, no one dared to break it, the information they had just received distressed the four ponies to a point, where they were all on the verge of reality, and they just couldn’t believe what had happened. They all sat there, silently, waiting for good news to arrive. After around three hours, which felt like an eternity for the four ponies, a nurse walked inside. Everypony tensed up and prepared themselves for the worst. “As we told you, the yellow pegasus is relatively unharmed, she has a broken wing and some minor injuries on her head, but all she needs to recover is some rest and time.” Rarity let out a relieved sigh, before further inquiring “And what about Rainbow Dash?” “The nurse shook her head and took a long breath before replying “As for the other pegasus. We did the best we could but her injuries were too severe, we were able to stitch the open wounds and prevent more blood from being lost. However her lungs were damaged to a point where we cannot fix it, not even with magic.” “Does that mean Dashie is?” Pinkie inquired, being at the verge of tears. “No, she is not dead; she is in artificial coma from which she likely won’t wake up. I am sorry.” The nurse stated Everypony was trembling, they couldn’t believe it, and they didn’t want to believe it. Dash would never wake up again? That had to be a joke, a big cruel joke. From the four ponies in the room, Pinkie seemed to have taken it worst. Her fluffy, pink hair was straight now and her eyes were empty, she was blankly staring into the room. No pranks with Dashie anymore? No sleepovers with her best friend? Tears started to form in her emotionless eyes; she only wished that she could wake up from this dreadful nightmare. “Can we see them?” Twilight asked the nurse, who was silently standing in the corner of the room. “But of course, they are both lying in room 102” she responded. Twilight lead the way to the mentioned room, the others following closely the sight presented in front of them upon entering shook them to the core. Dash was lying on a white bed, wired on many gadgets and tubes which were the only thing keeping her alive. Rarity was not able to oppress her grief anymore, Applejack tried hard not to join her in her silent whimpering. Twilight didn’t know how to react; it was like something was torn apart from her. She felt sadness, but it didn’t seem real. While shock and anguish still nagged on the four ponies, the sun started to vanish from the horizon and the moon was beginning to travel across the sky. Time flew by in a strange way, every minute felt like an eternity, yet it passed by so quickly. Twilight let out a long, exhausted sigh before speaking out “Well, girls I think we should all head home and get ourselves some time to think. I will also check if there is really nothing we can do and write a letter to the princess, so don’t dismiss your hope just yet.” Applejack gave an agreeing nod. “I will stay here in case Fluttershy wakes up” Rarity stated “Alright, Sugarcube,” Applejack replied “wha about ya Pinkie?” she asked. Pinkie didn’t give an answer; she seemed to be miles away with her thoughts. “Hey Pinkie” AJ said while shaking the pink pony slightly. “Huh, what?” Pinkie asked as she looked around the room. “Are you alright on your own for the night?” the farmer pony further inquired. “I… Uhm” “She can stay here with me, I wouldn’t mind some company” Rarity suggested “Okey” Pinkie replied “Well, then. See ya’ all tomorrow” Applejack dryly exclaimed before leaving alongside Twilight. Rarity and Pinkie sat down between Rainbows and Fluttershy’s bed. Rarity quickly realized what was wrong with Pinkie, she was in a form of denial, she tried to detach herself from reality so she wouldn’t have to face the truth. The white unicorn knew that this wouldn’t end well, since sooner or later she would have to face it. “It’s okay Pinkie, you are free to cry” Rarity broke the silence attentively “What do you mean?” Pinkie didn’t understand. “You don’t have to hide or oppress your sorrow in front of me. The only thing it will do is bottling up your emotions.” Pinkie kept silent, but as she felt Rarity’s hooves wrap around her, she felt how tears started to roll down her cheeks, and soon she found herself crying into her friends shoulder. It was only a matter of minutes until depletion got the best of Rarity and Pinkie. They both fell asleep on each other’s shoulders, snoring silently. Not long afterwards Fluttershy was starting to wake up. Slowly opening her eyes, she immediately felt her wounds aching. Her forehead was pounding profusely and the incineration on one of her wings was also a pain to endure. Nevertheless she slowly switched to a sitting position. Fluttershy was inspecting the room with half-open eyes. Once she was Dash lying on the bed next to her, she started to remember what lead to their current situation. She was flying together with Dash when she felt a burning pain on her wing, that’s when she lost control over her flight and shortly after fell unconscious. It was only then Fluttershy realized all the tubes and gadgets which were wired on Dash. The yellow pegasus let out a short scream due to the shock. This scream did not remain unnoticed by Rarity, who was rubbing her eyes while letting out a yawn. “Fluttershy?” she asked dozily, “Fluttershy! You’re awake!” Rarity suddenly burst out and hugged the yellow pegasus. To her surprise she did not feel any kind of reaction from Fluttershy. “Is something wrong?” the unicorn asked “What happened to Dashie?” Fluttershy stammered. “Oh…” Rarity’s mood immediately morphed from joy into woe. “She didn’t have luck on her side, a tree fell on her and severely damaged her lungs,” Rarity began to explain before being interrupted by Fluttershy “Will she be alright again?” she asked with a shocked voice, tears already forming at the edge of her eyes. Rarity intended to lie to her, it would make her healing process easier, but upon seeing the despairing face of her best friend, she wasn’t able to. “It is likely that she won’t wake up.” Rarity confessed. Fluttershy’s eyes widened I in shock and her tears started to freely flood down her cheeks., she felt how her heart was being torn apart, creating a void which could never be filled again. Her stomach twisted, she just wanted to fall back into coma so she wouldn’t have to deal with the pain. Rarity’s hears broke, seeing Fluttershy like this, but it was inevitable that Fluttershy finds out about Rainbows fate. “Calm down, Shy. You still have friends who care about you. Me, Pinkie, Twilight and Applejack are here for you” “It’s not fair. Dash was always there for me, why would she leave me alone?” Fluttershy sobbed out. “I know its not, but we are going to get through this together.” Rarity said, a single tear excaping her eyes as she embraced Fluttershy into a comforting hug. ==== No this is not the end :D
Chapter 3At some point in the night Fluttershy convinced Rarity that she would be fine and told Rarity to get some rest, the white unicorn reluctantly gave in and lied down next to Pinkie again. Fluttershy however was not fine like she told Rarity, she was everything but fine, but she required some time to think, alone. She gazed upon Luna’s night sky, silently praying that some kind of miracle would save Dash. But who was she kidding? She shouldn’t get her hopes up for no reason, if they are most likely going to get shattered. Hoping is like running away from reality, if you can’t cope with something you hope it won’t happen, but reality would catch you sooner or later. Yet, Fluttershy didn’t care, simply the thought that Dash might be alright again brought a faint smile on her lips. Also as bad as running away might seem, she wouldn’t have met Dash in the first place without it. Back then, in flight school when she was just a filly. ==== It was the day of the practical exam and Fluttershy was feeling nervous, actually, scratch that, she felt terrified. The yellow pegasus had to pass this test otherwise she was going to get kicked out of flight school. Last year she barely made it and the punishment she received from her father because of that was rather unpleasant, who knew what he was going to do if she gets kicked out? Fluttershy made her mind up that, if she wasn’t going to pass this, she won’t be able to show herself around her home, especially her father, anymore. “Number 27, it’s your turn” one of the examiners shouted out. “Yea, yea, no reason to scream,” a rainbow maned pegasus said as she leisurely stretched her wings and hooves. She seems so relaxed Fluttershy thought, of course she did, she could probably do the practical exam in her sleep. Only two minutes passed until she returned, obviously she passed the test with ease. Fluttershy looked back at her number “32”, she gulped, only four more pegasi until it was her turn. The other four students all passed the exam, not as good as the cyan pegasus, but they passed it nevertheless. “32 it’s your turn!” Fluttershy took a deep breath as she started to move towards the practice area. Just before she disappeared behind the door she heard a rough voice “Good Luck” number 27 said. The yellow filly blushed slightly; no one has ever wished her good luck, not to speak of believing in her. With newly acquired courage she stepped into the room. “Hello, Miss Fluttershy,” one of the examiners spoke up “please step on the red line and start with the course whenever you feel ready” Fluttershy stepped forward; it took her some moments to finally start flapping her wings. She started beating them as fast and hard as she could. She needed to pass this, no matter what. She was already through ¾ of the course when her wings started to ache. She was barely able to keep herself up in the air anymore. She mobilized every bit of energy left to stride through the finish line, and after half a minute of soring pain she succeeded I did it! She thought Suddenly one of the instructors spoke up “Sorry, Miss. But you were 12 seconds to slow.” “I…what?” Shy couldn’t believe it. “I am sorry but it’s how it is, you had 3:30 to reach the finish line and it took you 3:42. Also as far as I can see from your files your last year’s practical exam was also disappointing?” “Huh?” was everything Shy could squeak out at this point. “I am sorry but it seems like we have no choice but to dismiss you from flight school.” “Come on, Miss, you have to leave the practice area to make way for the others.” One of the pegasi instructed her. Fluttershy was lying on a cloud, bawling her eyes out. There is no way she could go home now, but where can she go then? What can she do? Everything seemed lost, no options were left. “Hey, what are you doing there?” a familiar voice asked. “Are you uhm..? talking to me?” the yellow pegasus stammered “No, I was actually talking to the cloud you’re on” Dash replied sarcastically. “Oh… ok.” “Of course I was talking to you.” Shy replied sheepishly. “You should head home; it’s going to rain soon.” Dash suggested before flying off again. “Yea, home…” Fluttershy murmured and rested her head back on the cloud. Meanwhile Dash was practicing her flying skills again, she flew some rounds around the academy before letting the wind carry her towards home while she relaxed and let herself get absorbed in thoughts. “Argh!” Dash rubbed her head and flew off back to the academy. “She probably flew home, like I told her. Why should I care anyway?” despite her inner argument proving that there was no reason for her to be concerned, Dash still flew back to her location. To her surprise she was still lying on the same cloud. A couple of raindrops had already started to pour down from the sky and it was getting palpably colder. “Hey what are you still doing here, you’re gonna catch a cold!” Dash screamed while approaching the yellow pegasus. Fluttershy quickly tried to hide her tears when she heard Dash’s voice. “You should really go home or are you trying to get sick?” Fluttershy just kept silent and avoided Dash’s gaze at all cost. “You do have a place to go, don’t you?” Dash wondered. The following silence was response enough for the rainbow maned pegasus. Letting out a sigh, she grabbed Fluttershy’s hoof and spoke up “Come with me then.” “Huh?” Fluttershy was confused. “You can stay at my place; otherwise my conscious would probably kill me.” Dash explained. “I wouldn’t want to impose…” Shy replied in her sheepish demeanor. “You would give me a harder time if you stay here, because that would mean that I have to stay here with you to make sure you don’t die or something.” “Why would you do that?” Fluttershy inquired. “Well, uhm…. Because I’m a nice pony? Or something like that… Look just say yes and make it easier for both of us, alright?” “Mhm, okay.” Fluttershy finally agreed and they both departed, heading for Dash’s home. They arrived there alter than Dash thought, probably because she had to fly more slowly so Shy could keep up. “Are your parents okay if I stay here?” Shy asked as Dash unlocked her home. “Well, one advantage of not having any, right?” Dash replied dryly, striding though the door. “You can sleep in my bed; I’ll just lay down on the couch or something.” “Oh no, I will sleep on the couch, I don’t want to bother you any further.” “Well, that’s a pity,” Dash said and jumped on the couch “I was here first, you’ll have to take the bed now, first comes first serves,” she grinned teasingly. “Thanks.” Shy said and trotted into the only room she saw, which she assumed was Dash’s room. “I don’t think that the bathroom is more comfortable than my bed,” Dash called out casually. After a brief moment Fluttershy reappeared in the room with a slight blush on her face. “It’s the room behind me,” Dash explained before turning around and making herself more comfortable. “Okay, good night then.” Shy said before disappearing in the other room.
Chapter 4The next morning Dash woke up due to a sweet scent that filled her nose. “Sweet Celestia this smells good!” Dash murmured dozily as she made her way to the source of the smell. She ended up in the kitchen (who would have guessed) where she looked at the pegasus with a blank expression. “Did you cook this?” Dash asked as she inspected the food on the table. “Uhm, yes, but you only had milk and cereals so I just made you some cloud pancakes” Fluttershy explained. “Just? Mare, please. The only thing I ate for the last months were cereals” Dash explained as she sat down. Just before she started to devour the tasty treat in front of her, she realized that the other pegasus gave her a look of inquiry. “Yea, I’m not much of a cook” Dash stated with a nervous laugh. “However, time to eat!” Dash called out in anticipation of the “feast” in front of her. As she threw the first slice of a pancake in her mouth she was completely blown away by its amazing taste. “Aren’t you eating ehm…, what’s your name by the way?” Dash asked. “Uhm, my name is Fluttershy” she replied sheepishly. “Fluttershy was it?” Dash asked, she just barely heard what the yellow pegasus said. Fluttershy simply nodded. “I’m Rainbow Dash, so, aren’t you eating, too?” “I’m not that hungry.” “Pegasusfeathers! They are delicious, now sit down and eat some.” Dash commanded. Fluttershy did as she was told to and took one of the pancakes. As they both were silently munching, Dash spoke up again “Where did you learn to cook this good anyway?” Fluttershy hesitated for a brief moment “Well, my parents weren’t at home most of the time so I had to learn how to take care of myself really early” Shy explained. “Oh,” Dash simply commented. The next couple of days went pretty much the same, but Fluttershy felt a rising unease with every passing day, she felt like she was too big of a burden for the pegasus who took her generously in. It was the night of the sixth day when Fluttershy decided to leave. She was silently approaching the door, being very careful not to wake Dash up. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and took a few steps inside. “Where are you going?” a rough voice suddenly called. “Uhm… I don’t want to impose anymore, so I am leaving…” Shy explained. Dash let out a long sigh “Close the door and come in, it’s getting cold” she responded. Fluttershy gave her a look of confusion. “Listen, this is as much your home now as it is mine, so close that door and go back to sleep.” Dash explained. Fluttershy couldn’t understand the cyan pegasus “But why? I am just some stranger, why are you so kind to me?” Dash couldn’t think of an answer, after all, she didn’t even know why she was so nice to her. “Look, I don’t know why but I just can’t let you go now. You have nowhere to go and simply the thought of you freezing outside makes my stomach twist, so just come in now, jeez” Fluttershy realized a warm feeling around her stomach; it was a feeling she couldn’t quite explain she felt happiness and like she was welcome, like somepony cared for her. This pegasus saved her from the coldness of the world outside, just because she is so kind to her. She slowly made her way to the couch Dash was laying on. “What is it?” Dash asked. “Thank you,” Shy said, being on the verge of tears. “No problem, you’re always welcome, but that doesn’t mean you need to cry now” Dash replied with a grin. Fluttershy nodded and wished Dash a good night before going back to her (well, Dash’s) bed. She laid down and for the first time in a long while she did not need to think about what to do next, she had a home now, one in which she was welcome even though she got kicked out from flight school. After a while the door in her room opened just a crack, revealing Dash who was dozily standing there with a pillow in her hooves. “Hey Shy, I was thinking, now that you’re gonna stay here I was just, well you know, thinking that I could sleep on a bed too? I mean, the bed of my parents is more than big enough for two ponies. Or would that be awkward for you?” Dash asked with a nervous smile. Shy didn’t respond but simply moved away in order to make room for Dash. “I knew you were cool” Dash said with a grin as she jumped on the bed. The following minutes were the most awkward in Dash’s life; neither of them moved a single inch. I should’ve just slept on the couch Dash thought. “Dash you’re still up?” Shy asked. “Yea” “I was just wondering, uhm... where your parents are anyway?” “I wish I knew, they just kind of disappeared. One day I came back from flight training and they were just gone. Can’t say I didn’t see it coming though, they made it quite obvious that they don’t want me.” “I’m sorry to hear that” Shy commented. “It’s fine I guess that’s probably a reason why I didn’t want you to leave. Since that incident I just don’t want to lose anyone, I know how painful disloyalty can be.” Dash explained, unsteadiness filling her voice. All of the sudden Fluttershy turned around towards Dash and wrapped her hooves around the cyan pegasus. Dash was surprised by this motion but didn’t do anything to prevent it. “Night, Dashie” Fluttershy murmured. All the awkwardness was suddenly gone. “Dashie, really?” I hope that nickname isn’t going to stick, Shy” she giggled. “Can’t promise that” Fluttershy chuckled . After this event the two of them were pretty much inseparable, except for the two days after the race where Fluttershy fell off a cloud, but luckily Dash decided the leave flight school shortly after and moved to Ponyville as well. At first she saw Dash like the bigger sister she always wanted. Then Twilight moved to Ponyville and since that day the bonds of their friendship thickened with every passing day. They went through so much as six friends, but Fluttershy always felt a different kind of connection towards Dash. And just when she realized that these feelings were… love fate decided to take Dash away from her. It just didn’t seem fair. She would never know if these feelings are mutual. A smile formed on Fluttershy’s tear covered face as she considered that Dash may have held the same feelings for her.
