Shy pt. 2: Realization

Shy


Her mind reeling and wings pumping furiously, Rainbow Dash sped away from the clearing.  'It can't be.  I don't believe it, I… WON'T believe it!  Fluttershy wouldn't be like that!  Not for me. '  She tumbled onto a cloud and lay on her back, staring at the sky above her.  'I think I love you…. '  The words kept echoing around her mind and with an enraged cry she tried to push them away.  She didn't want to believe, wouldn't believe that it was true.  It had to be a joke.  She laughed nervously, lodging the idea, a joke!  Fluttershy hadn't really been one for jokes before, so she had to be trying to cover up for something.  The thought was comforting to her, and much easier to accept than a confession of love, so she clung to it and slowly flew back to the picnic to see if her other friends were still there.

Fluttershy stayed in the clearing until she had exhausted her emotions and a small grouping of creatures had gathered around the grieving pony.  She looked at them now and allowed a small smile to work itself onto her face; they would always be there for her, they would always understand.  That didn't help her heartache very much, but gave her the strength to stand and begin walking back to her cottage.  She barely noticed the forest around, too absorbed in her thoughts, and was home before she realized it and barely made it inside before breaking down again.  Why did she have to feel this way?  She should have known it was nothing but stupid to tell Dash her feelings, that she would reject her.  She just hadn't expected it so abrupt.  She curled up on her couch and simply lay there, not sure what to do anymore and also without any desire to find anything to do.  Angel hopped up to the couch, nuzzling her gently and giving her his most inquisitive look.  The pegasus could only blink through her tears and turn away.

Dash settled into a landing between Pinkie Pie and Twilight, fluttering her wings for a moment before tucking them against her body.  Pinkie Pie beamed, " Where did you guys go?  What did you do?  What's up with Fluttershy?  She didn't seem all too happy earlier, but I'd love to try to cheer her up!  Maybe she needs a party! "
Rainbow Dash tried to smile, and laughed nervously, not meeting any of the pony's gazes.  Twilight spoke up, in a slightly more serious tone, " Dash…  Where is Fluttershy? "
Rarity joined too, she had been keeping to herself for most of the picnic, trying to maintain her thoroughly groomed mane in the presence of dirt, cupcakes, and Pinkie Pie.  The unicorn gave Dash a hard stare, as though trying to divine the truth by peering into her soul, " Where indeed is Fluttershy?  She seemed quite down earlier, and I had hoped to learn why. "
Dash put on what she hoped was a calm expression, " She dragged me out there for some joke, and then kinda' just left. " The pegasus winced as soon as she said it, realizing how it sounded.  " I mean… she had things to do at home. "
Rarity noted her nervousness and pursued it with a vengeance, " A joke?  Fluttershy isn't the type to play jokes on ponies.  What did she say to you? "
" She, uh, she kinda' told me that she loves me.  Stupid right? "  It was stupid, and she knew she'd made a mistake, but couldn't let herself show that in front of her friends.
The others gaped, even Pinkie stopped moving for the moment.  Twilight was the first to speak up, " You mean to say she told you she loves you and then simply left?  That doesn't make any sense, and definitely doesn't sound like a joke, especially not from Fluttershy. "
Rarity nodded in agreement, " Dash, dear, we're not trying to accuse you, but it seems like something doesn't fit.  That just doesn't sound like her at all! "
Applejack took the moment to speak up, adjusting her hat first, " Gals, leave her be.  I'm sure she's got her own reasons fer' not tellin' ya'll everything just yet.  Don't ya' Rainbow Dash? "  She eyed the rainbow maned pegasus, telling her that she was far from off the hook.
She nodded nervously, " Yeah. That's right, and I'm sure it was just a joke.  No way that she would mean that! "  She laughed, a brittle sound just barely covering her anxiety, " I know I'm cool and all, but love is a bit strong, right? "
Pinkie Pie shook her head furiously, " No, silly, love is something you have to take seriously!  If you don't wanna' tell us Dash, I'll go talk to her! "  She stood and turned, making to leave.
" NO!  I mean, fine.  I'll tell you what happened… " And she launched into her account of it, stressing that she thought it was a joke and reluctantly telling them about how she had panicked and left.  She ended with, " look, I might have screwed up a little bit, but I still don't think she means that!  I mean how could she love… how could she… "  Dash couldn't finish the sentence.  She had long ago come to terms with her own strange preference of females but had kept it a secret, hiding behind a brave face and bragging, putting her all into her aerial acrobatics to hide it.  
Pinkie simply smiled and left the picnic.  " It's ok Dashie, I'll go talk to her for you.  "
Dash could do nothing, feeling the stares of the other ponies on her.  The tension had almost become too much for her when Twilight broke the silence, " Well… that has given me a lot to think about.  I think I'd better get back to the library.  Dash, " she looked meaningfully at her friend, " come talk to me at some point, please, if this turns out to be… legitimate… I think I'll be able to help. "  With that, the purple unicorn left, saying farewells to Rarity and Applejack.  

The bright pink earth pony was fairly bouncing down the trail to her friend, Fluttershy's house.  Her high amount of energy and seemingly endless well of it was something that only one pony among her friends understood and had sympathy for.  Even Pinkie got worn out sometimes, and Fluttershy was always there to help her through whatever problems she was having.  Because of this, Pinkie felt obligated to help her friend in her own time of need, whether falsified or not, she was determined to find out what was going on with her and help her to find a solution.  As she saw the little cottage belonging to her shy friend, she couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh and smile happily.  She had nothing but relaxing memories in the quaint area.  Beautiful little gardens surrounded the cabin, haunted by any number of small and generally adorable animals, with birds flying in and out of holes in the walls of the house.  A few squirrels poked their heads out of other holes, staring quizzically at her for a moment before darting back inside.  The entire area gave off an air of fresh, happy, bountiful life.  That in itself was rejuvenating.  So Pinkie bounced her way up to the door and tried the knob, which wouldn't budge.  It must be stuck or something, she thought, since Fluttershy hadn't locked the door once in all the time they'd known each other.  She tried it for a few moments more, before coming to the startling realization that it was indeed locked, and looking around, she noticed the curtains were pulled closed too.  That was beyond bizarre.  She tried peaking in one of the windows, but was able to see nothing, so instead she rapped on the glass and called, " Hey Fluttershy!  Are you home?  Can I come in?  I'd like to talk to you! "  She was startled to hear a sob and a plaintive cry issue from the cottage.
"  N-no…  Pinkie, please just…  just go. "  
Pinkie didn't know what to do for once.  She was at a complete loss and just stood, staring at the cottage.  A battle cry disturbed her reverie and she managed only a squeak before she was down on the ground with a fluttering bundle of Scootaloo attacking her.  Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom trotted up and laughed, watching their friend pretend-mauling Pinkie.
Pinkie, realizing what was happening, managed to push Scootaloo off her and flipped over, bouncing upright and giggling at the young ponies.  " What are you 3 up to this time?! "  She was slightly irritated that they had showed up at such a terrible time and wondered how she could get them to leave without hurting their feelings.  Scootaloo grinned at her and showed off her soup pot helmet, " I'm seeing if my special talent is fighting evil! "
Pinkie couldn't help but laughing outright at that, " You think I'm evil now Scootaloo?  Gosh you're sillier than I thought!  Would evil people make cupcakes and throw parties like I do? "  She made an angry face and roared at them suddenly, stomping around, " I mean… OF COURSE I'M EVIL, BEWARE THE TERRIFYING PINKIE PIE. "  The crusaders eeped and bounced around her, giggling the whole time.  Their gamboling was interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and a very confused looking Fluttershy cautiously poking her head out.  " W-what's going on o-out here… you'll, um, scare the animals! "  
She was in a bad way, her eyes red from crying and mane tangled and unkempt.  Pinkie looked guiltily down at the 3 fillies, who had never seen a pony in such a state
"   Look…  You three silly crusaders should go find out if you have special talents in annoying Mrs. Cake over at Sugarcube Corner!  Fluttershy and I need a little bit of time to talk. "  She put on her most serious look, staring each of the rambunctious fillies in the eyes.  
They reluctantly turned and began to head off, stopping only shortly as Sweetie Belle galloped back and hugged Fluttershy, saying awkwardly, " Don't cry Fluttershy!  We're very sorry for sneaking around near your house! "
Fluttershy couldn't help but smiling at the innocent young pony, and gently pushed her off, " Sweetie Belle, it's… um… it's not your fault I'm, um, like I am right now.  "  She tried to smile, and failed, only just holding back a fresh burst of tears.   Sweetie Belle seemed to notice finally how difficult things were for her right then and took her leave, not sure what to say anymore to either of the two.  Meeting up again with her friends, she trotted off back toward Ponyville with them.  Thoughts of Fluttershy's condition still haunted her mind, though she tried to push them out by almost immediately taking up Pinkie's advice and getting in trouble with Mrs. Cake.

Pinkie Pie tried approaching her friend again, cautiously and hopefully asking her how she was doing.  She regretted how the words sounded almost as soon as she said them, and Fluttershy's reaction did nothing to help, once the younger ponies left she had begun backing into her cottage again, fresh tears welling up as she looked at Pinkie Pie.  Not sure what to do, the Earth pony stuck a hoof in the door so that she could not leave and simply ignore her attempts to help.  
Looking Fluttershy directly in the eyes, she spoke quietly, simply, " It's true then?  It's not a joke? "  
Fluttershy nodded slowly, " She… she hates me for it, d-doesn't she? "   
Pinkie sighed, " No…  she doesn't hate you, silly, she's confused.  I think maybe you're confused to.  Can I come in so we can talk? "
Fluttershy wiped at her eyes and stepped aside, allowing Pinkie to step into the house.  She noticed that as the Pegasus shut the door, she also locked it again before moving to the couch and sitting down.  Pinkie sat next to her and simply comforted her friend, before gently explaining how Dash had reacted, what she had said to the others and everything since.  Fluttershy accepted it without a sound, tears streaming down her cheeks and terrible loss still crushing her heart, things seemed better though, maybe they could work through it, maybe she still had a chance.

Twilight paced around the other ponies in the library, they had been discussing how to handle the situation, if they could.  Nopony had any answers to offer, and hardly even an idea had been presented.  It was a situation none of them had ever expected to deal with, and for once, they were at a complete loss as to how to help their friend.  She noticed Spike staring uncertainly at her, and did her best to ignore it, as it was probably disconcerting for the baby dragon to see them in such a state.  He was used to Twilight having the answer every time, as were the others.  
Rarity cleared her throat, causing the others to look at her
" Why don't we simply send a letter to Princess Celestia?  Certainly she'll know what to do! "
Twilight stared at Rarity, dumbfounded, " You can't be serious, a letter to the princess about a crush?!  Not just a crush, but Fluttershy's crush on another MARE?
" Why not sugar-cube? "  Applejack seemed irritated at Twilight's outburst, " Why exactly should it matter that Fluttershy's got a crush on Dash, it only makes sense, and I fer' one can't just stand by while her heart is broken, I think Celestia can help with this! "
Rarity nodded, " Also, really what harm can there be in trying?  At worst the Princess won't have advice for us, and at best, she'll have a solution! "
The purple unicorn sighed softly, defeated, " I… I guess it would be for the best.  It just doesn't seem… right.  Does it? "
" Look sugar-cube, love is love, right?  Why in the hay should it matter if it's between two fillies, two stallions, or anything else?  The love is what should matter here, not gender! "  Applejack stared hard at Twilight, " Now am I gonna' have ta' write this myself, or will you do it? "
Twilight was taken aback by the outburst, " I… no, I guess… I hadn't thought of that.  Love is so hard to understand, there's so little reading about how it works, so I guess I just don't know.  I-I'll write a letter to Princess Celestia " She cleared her throat, " Spike!  Take a letter to the Princess. "  Watching as the dragon scurried to get parchment and a quill, she wondered how Fluttershy could have fallen for the athletic pegasus, they were polar opposites.  It didn't make sense to her, but she had a duty to her friends and knew it, so resigned, she began speaking, " Dear Princess Celestia, One of my friends seems to have a dilemma of the utmost importance, and I would like to request your advice about the situation, as I have very little experience in such matters and would not know where to begin in mending the problem.  You see, Fluttershy has recently admitted her love for Rainbow Dash and Rainbow Dash was… confused about it, at best, and simply left her without a response.  She explained the situation to us and seems to think it's a joke of some sort.  Pinkie Pie has gone to speak with Fluttershy and we haven't heard back from her yet, so we don't know how she is handling it. "  She looked to Rarity and Applejack for approval, and when they nodded, finished, " Your most faithful student, Twilight Sparkle. "
Spike set the quill down and rolled up the parchment but stopped, looking quizzically at Twilight, " Fluttershy did what? "
Twilight glared at him and grumbling, he took a deep breath and sent the letter away in a swirl of green flame and smoke.
   Once the letter was away, Twilight tried to brighten up the mood a little bit, " Hey, so, how would you all feel about some tea? "
Rarity smiled, " Oh, tea sounds absolutely wonderful darling. "
" Some tea would be great, sugar-cube. Somethin' to relax my mind, it's whirlin' with these… things going on with Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.  Do ya'll think that Dash will reject her? "
" No, darling, I believe with my whole heart that Dash will realize what a fool she's been.  Even if I'm not attracted to mares in a romantic way, I can see the qualities that pony has, and anyone would be a complete foal to not see what a wonderful mate she would be. "
They all started suddenly as Spike belched loudly and produced another swirl of green flame that materialized into a scroll bound in a red ribbon.  Twilight quickly snatched it out of the air with magic and opened it, levitating it in front of her.  " That was fast, Princess Celestia must be really concerned… "  She cleared her throat and read,
                  " My Most Faithful Student,
                               Matters of love are not something to be taken lightly, and Fluttershy is the element of kindness after all, so this must be handled accordingly.  First, Twilight, this is not something you can expect to research and learn about from your books, love is an entity to itself, and a very volatile, intricate one at that.  None of us can pretend to truly understand how it works.  Fluttershy is without a doubt heart-broken right now and beyond anything what she needs is kindness from her friends, understanding, and a will to help.  Rainbow Dash will likely be torn in her feelings, as she is the element of loyalty, but don't look down upon her for her reaction.  It is a startling confession to hear, from anypony, and she's likely having difficulties piecing her own emotions together toward Fluttershy.
Now, I have decided that I am going to send my sister, Princess Luna, to Ponyville to help you in whatever way she can.  She in inexperienced in modern ways and as such this will be a wonderful learning opportunity for all ponies involved.  She should be there shortly.
                                                             Princess Celestia. "
Twilight stared at the letter for a few moments, not sure what to make of it. " She's… she's sending Princess Luna to help us? "
  The others were just as astounded as she was, and silence reigned over the group as Twilight re-read the letter, and then read it again, before passing it onwards to Rarity.  None of them were sure what to make of it, but all hoped it would be for the best, and hoped that the Sun Princess knew what she was doing in sending her until recently misguided sister to help with such a delicate situation.

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash was pacing around her cloud house, trying to decide what to do.  She had made a mistake, and was now surer of that than she had ever been of anything else in her life.  The spectrum maned mare had no idea, however, how to resolve the situation, but resolved to keep it between Fluttershy and herself.  ' The others shouldn't have to deal with our issues, I've known Fluttershy since we were fillies together in Cloudsdale, and I'm sure I can come up with a solution, even if I don't love her.  We can still be friends, right? "  She was becoming less and less sure of herself the more she thought about it.
" But what if I do love her?  
The thought echoed around her mind, and she couldn't shake it, no matter how hard she tried.  Angrily, she stomped through her door and dove off the clouds, snapping her wings open at the last second and gliding off in the direction of Fluttershy's house.  What she didn't notice was the black carriage being pulled by four armor covered pegasi barreling at her from the side.