MLP:FIM: The Difficulty of Speaking
Title: The Difficulty of Speaking
Fandom: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pairings: Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy
Rating: G
Summary: Rarity prides herself in getting Fluttershy to talk to her, even when her friend has truly momentous news. However, when Rainbow Dash is the one who won't talk, her skills are needed once again.
A/N: Because I re-used Katekyo Hitman Reborn! in the one-shots, I decided to write one extra piece to bring the fandoms to a full 25.
Getting Fluttershy to talk was an art all to itself.
Rarity took some pride in her ability to coax her shy friend into talking, seeing it as a token of their long and deep friendship. While they did have their difficulties, like that absolute fiasco of Fluttershy's modelling career, in most cases she managed to get Fluttershy to talk to her even when she shut out everyone else. It was an honour to be her confidante, even more so as she knew Fluttershy wouldn't talk to just anyone.
She was again making use of her unique talent, figuring out the best way to put Fluttershy at ease. Her friend had been the one to suggest an extra meeting aside from their regular girls' night, which meant there was something Fluttershy wanted to share. However, simply making that decision and being together with her was not quite enough to get Fluttershy ready to talk. As such, it fell on Rarity to use all her usual methods to coax out the big secret.
She'd fine-tuned the process to near perfection over the years. First they went to the spa, to put Fluttershy into a familiar frame of mind, with Rarity talking as usual so she didn't have to feel as though she were imposing herself by breaking a silence, yet with enough lulls that whenever Fluttershy felt she was ready, she wouldn't have to interrupt. Rarity had spent a long time figuring out the perfect rhythm for this, the perfect mix of encouragement and giving her space. It was truly an art form that she had worked hard to master, simply to make things easier for Fluttershy.
It was as they were lying down with chilled drinks, pleasantly relaxed, that she noticed a small chance in Fluttershy's demeanour. The way one of her ears twitched, the slightly different set of her eyes, the little movement of her hoof back and forth as though mentally preparing for a sprint. Rarity took this as a sign to wrap up her current tale of the most demanding customer of all time or at least the last month, bringing them to a momentary silence again so Fluttershy could finally tell her news. She took a sip of her drink, doing her best to appear nonchalant. No pressure.
"I'm going to have a foal."
It took all of Rarity's natural elegance and perfect manners not to immediately spit out her drink. Instead, she somehow managed to swallow it, then squeaked in a very non-elegant voice, "WHAT?!"
Of course, this seemed to startle Fluttershy, who seemed to shrink back. Rarity drew a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "Ah, I'm so sorry, darling. So sorry, I really shouldn't have reacted like that. I was just, ah, surprised."
"It's fine," Fluttershy murmured. "I mean, I suppose it would be quite surprising."
"Quite so. I mean, you don't even have any special stallion." She then narrowed her eyes. "Or do you?" Because if such a thing had escaped her notice for so long, she was indeed a most miserable friend.
"Oh, no! I mean, that's not what I mean!" Fluttershy's eyes flew wide. "I'm not having a foal! I mean, not like that. Not one of my own, except really I am, and really, it's a bit complicated -"
"Fluttershy, darling, calm down. Deep breaths." Once said deep breaths sounded a little less like hyperventilating, Rarity nodded. "Okay, just nod or shake your head when I ask you things, okay?" Nod. "You're going to have a foal? As in, you're going to be a mother?"
Fluttershy nodded, a look of utmost seriousness on her face.
"Oh, that's brilliant, my dear!" Rarity gave her a beaming smile. "So. You say you don't have a stallion friend, so I suppose you're not bearing the foal yourself, right?"
This prompted a very vigorous shake of her head. Wonderful. That made so much more sense than Fluttershy having carried on some secret affair without anyone noticing.
"So you are adopting, then?" A nod. "What prompted this?"
Fluttershy almost made to nod, then realised this question would actually require a proper answer. "Well, I wasn't exactly planning on it or anything," she said. "However, I heard about this absolutely terrible accident up in Cloudsdale. A thunder cloud got overcharged and struck everyone, and a few of the workers were too stunned to get to their wings working when it struck the floor."
"Oh, I heard about that. They said it was the worst accident in the entire history of the cloud factory, right?"
"Right." Fluttershy cast her eyes down. "Now, I was visiting my mother, and she mentioned that some of the workers had children. I looked into it and found out that one of them had a little foal, just a baby, but no remaining relatives."
"And you decided to care for her?"
Fluttershy gave her a tiny nod. "I mean, I'm not sure if I'm the best choice to raise a pegasus foal, really," she murmurs. "But, well, I'm really good at taking care of little things. And everyone in Cloudsdale has jobs or families of their own, it might be a long time before anyone is able to take him in."
"Oh, darling. You've always had such a big heart." Rarity reached to touch Fluttershy's hoof to reassure her. "I'm sure you will do wonderfully, dear. So, has it all been arranged already?"
"Um, more or less." She got the feeling that if Fluttershy hadn't been lying down, she would have shuffled her hooves. "I mean, there's still a lot of paperwork and such, and really I don't think they were happy to hear how badly I did in flying school or that I live down here, but…"
"But what?" Rarity kept her tone carefully gentle. "You convinced them, right?"
"Not exactly me, no." Fluttershy's voice was even quieter now. "I, uh. I might have asked Princess Celestia for references."
"You did what?" Rarity's eyes widened. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised, really, Fluttershy was always more proactive when it came to caring for others, but still, she was shocked to hear that her friend had actually approached the princess personally to ask something for herself. Shocked, and proud.
"I wrote to the princess," Fluttershy murmured. "And then she responded, and it wasn't just her, but Princess Luna and Princess Cadence also gave their word that I'm a good enough pony to care for a foal." She almost seemed embarrassed to admit that.
"Oh, darling, that's because you are! You are so gentle and caring. And I've seen you with Sweetie Belle and her friends often enough to know that you'll do fine even when the foal grows up, too."
"I'm not so sure. I'm really not that good with, uh, discipline."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll learn." Rarity nudged. "Besides, you know we'll all be happy to help you, right? Oh, you must let me make some adorable little outfits for him! And Pinkie will probably throw a party for him, and I'm sure Twilight and Applejack will be of much help, they've been raising Spike and Apple Bloom, after all. And don't you worry about the whole flying thing, you know Rainbow Dash will be absolutely delighted to help with that!"
Fluttershy let her talk on again, a smile on her face. Though she offered no more input, she certainly seemed less nervous.
And that was all that mattered right now.
*
"Rarity?" Fluttershy peeked into the shop. "Rarity, are you here?"
"Oh, Fluttershy!" Her eyes lit up. "Of course, of course. Do come in, my darling. This is perfect timing; do you have Snowflake with you?"
"Ah, of course." Fluttershy stepped carefully into the store, carrying a small foal on her back, not setting him down until she had closed the door after herself. The little colt was perhaps young, but he had rather fast little legs.
"Oh, that's just wonderful. I made him the cutest little hat, I really hope he'll like it." She caught the silvery little foal before he got into anything too fragile, managing to hold him still by setting the small hat on his head. It was good that Fluttershy was so incredibly patient. Snowflake had managed to be quiet and peaceful for perhaps a day or two after he had been finally brought to Fluttershy's care, then busied himself with proving that a little pegasus could dash all through the house even though his wings could only manage little flutters yet. "What brings you here, dear? Not that I'm not always happy to see you!" It was obvious from the shuffling hooves that Fluttershy had something to tell, though it was taking her a bit to get to the heart of it.
"Have you seen Rainbow Dash around?" Fluttershy finally blurted.
"Hm?" Rarity blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, ever since the party Pinkie threw to celebrate Snowflake, I haven't seen her even once." Some more shuffling of hooves. "I mean, I know it's only been a few weeks, and she's probably incredibly busy with her own things and everything, but even when I went to her house to see her a couple of times, nobody answered the door. And, well, Applejack said she's been around the farm, so I'm really trying not to worry about her, but what if she's sick or something, I don't think I've not seen her for this long since we were just little fillies…"
"Oh, Fluttershy, please do calm down." Rarity gave her a smile. "I'm sure there's a perfectly fine explanation that has nothing to do with Rainbow being sick. You're right, she's probably just busy with something. I mean, it is the growing season. Weather ponies are really rushed this time of the year, and it's probably only getting worse since they're short on clouds after that terrible accident."
"Ah, you're probably right." Fluttershy managed a small smile. "I mean, I was hoping to show her how well Snowflake is learning to fly, but I suppose I should have thought about how busy she would be. It's so easy for me to forget those things sometimes, I'm so closed up in my cottage with my animals."
"That's right. I'm sure she'll come visit you herself to see the little one as soon as she has the time." Rarity glanced at Snowflake. The little colt seemed fascinated by his hat. "Now, why don't we have a spot of tea and you can tell me what you two have been getting up to lately?"
And once she had calmed Fluttershy down and then cheered her up, she was going to go have a very serious talk with Rainbow Dash.
*
"Rainbow Dash, I know you're in there!"
There was no response from the cloud house up overhead. However, Rarity was not about to let such details stop herself.
"Don't you dare ignore me, Rainbow Dash!" She put her hoof down, not that Rainbow would hear it up in the clouds, but it certainly made her feel more determined. "Either you fly down here and talk to me, or I'll be forced to take drastic measures!"
"Feel free to try!" As though she needed any confirmation that Rainbow was indeed hiding in her house. "We'll see how well you do coming here!"
"Oh, believe me, I will find a way!" Rarity snorted. How dare Rainbow question her determination! I'll get Twilight to help me, or get balloons from Pinkie. And then you'll be faced with them as well instead of just me!"
There was a momentary silence. Then, Rainbow's head peeked over the edge of the cloud. "What's gotten into you now?"
"Oh, so my behaviour is the matter, now? What about the way you have been treating poor Fluttershy?"
"I don't know nothin' about that." And her head disappeared. How more obvious was she going to get?
"Rainbow, you come down here right now and talk with me, or I'm going to tell Fluttershy that you've been avoiding her on purpose. Not that she would, she would never be quite that cruel to poor Fluttershy after all, but then she also knew such a threat would get Rainbow Dash to reconsider.
At least, she certainly hoped it would.
"You wouldn't dare." And here was the reappearance of Rainbow's head. Great, so her friend hadn't completely lost her heart, then.
"She's worried about you, Rainbow Dash. And unless you come here right now and explain yourself, you'll get to talk directly to her instead." It wasn't ladylike to make threats, but sometimes, one simply had no other choice.
There was another moment of silence. Then, Rainbow Dash flew down to her, a sullen look on her face. "What?"
"You have been avoiding Fluttershy, and I simply cannot stand this." Rarity stomped her hoof. "The poor dear is afraid that you are sick or hurt because she hasn't seen you in weeks. I managed to convince her you have been busy with weather, but I cannot allow this to go on."
"I haven't been avoiding her." Then why couldn't she even look Rarity in the eye?
"Yes, you have. She hasn't seen you since we welcomed little Snowflake, and that was weeks ago! Usually the two of you don't go a few days without coming together!"
"So I've been busy." Rainbow kicked at the ground. "That's not a crime, last time I checked."
"You know very well you haven't been that busy for weeks." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Fluttershy has enough stress right now as it is. She doesn't need to be worrying about one of her best friends just because you decide to be terrible."
"It's not like she needs me around." Rainbow still wouldn't look at her. "She's all busy with her new charge, now."
"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous of a foal. Fluttershy has such a big heart she offers a new home to a poor baby who lost his mother in terrible circumstances, and you think she's doing that just to spite you?"
"I didn't say that." No, but she had certainly implied it. "I just figured she'd be so busy with the foal she wouldn't want me nosing around all the time."
"And when she came knocking at your door several times? And don't even try to tell me you were out every time, darling. I'm not entirely stupid."
Rainbow Dash wouldn't answer. Her wings twitched, and Rarity suspected it was only her still lingering threat that stopped her from flying away.
She knew this kind of behaviour. Sure, she rarely saw it from this particular friend, Rainbow was never too shy about speaking her mind, but that didn't mean Rarity wasn't going to notice it. This wasn't as much a matter of what Rainbow Dash said; there was also something she didn't say, something that was much more important here.
"What is it?" she asked, and now her voice was softer. "What about this bothers you so much? Because I know you, Rainbow Dash. You're rash, but not malicious. It's not like you to begrudge a little foal a loving mother."
There was a murmur of something that she couldn't make out.
"Darling, I can't hear you." Rarity tilted her head. "She really wants your help with him, you know. She thinks you'd be brilliant in teaching him to fly properly. That's why she came knocking on your door, you know. She wanted to show you how well Snowflake is learning to fly."
Another mutter, just as inaudible as the first. Honestly, did she just not know how to enunciate clearly?
"Do you seriously think Fluttershy won't have time for you anymore? We're not little fillies anymore, Rainbow. We all have our responsibilities. Just because Fluttershy is also caring for a foal in addition to her animals doesn't mean she's just going to cut you out of her life."
"It should have been me."
Rarity blinked. "What?" Now finally she heard her, and the words weren't making any sense.
"I always thought it would be me." And now it seemed like the floodgates had opened. "With Fluttershy, you know? That some day I'd get the courage to tell her everything, and then at some point she'd think about foals because that's just how she is, and then we'd together find some poor thing in need of a home and I'd be helping her set up a nursery and get the foal to sleep and watch it with her." A deep breath after the tirade. "But now I see she doesn't need me at all."
Rarity blinked for another moment. Finally, she found her voice again. "Rainbow Dash. Are you telling me you like Fluttershy? That you'd want her to be your… special pony?"
And Rainbow was back to kicking at the ground, not meeting her gaze.
"Darling, you can't expect her to read her thoughts. It's not like she planned this because she wanted to have a family alone; she heard about a foal in need and acted on that. She's not trying to send you a message that she doesn't need you, she's worried that one of her dearest ponies doesn't want to see her."
"What does it matter, anyway?" Rainbow snorted. "Even if I told her, it's not like she likes me, too."
"And how are you ever going to know if you don't tell her?" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. We both know Fluttershy. Even if she doesn't like you," which she found unlikely, even if it was one of the few things Fluttershy could never be coaxed into talking about, "it's not like she's going to treat you any differently. What have you got to lose?"
"Uh, just my dignity?" Finally Rainbow Dash looked at her, and though she was trying to look defiant, Rarity spied a hint of uncertainty underneath the bravado.
"Oh, please. You have nothing to lose, and potentially everything to gain." She huffed. "You've been hiding this how long? A year, two? Ever since you saved her from the bullies when you were both just fillies? You know Fluttershy would never want to impose on you, so if you want to have any hope of getting anywhere, you'll have to go to her."
"I can't do that. Especially not now that I've been a total horse apple toward her."
"Come now, Rainbow. You find a nice little toy, take it as a gift to Snowflake, apologise to Fluttershy for being so very busy and ask if she'd like to go out to eat with you. Then you tell her that you think she's really special, put as much feeling into it as you're comfortable with, and ask her if she feels anything similar for you. But be clear that you don't mean just friends. After treating her like this for weeks, you don't get to be vague anymore."
"And if it all blows up in my face?"
"It won't. Now, if you go check the store now, you should make it there just after Snowflake's naptime."
For a moment, Rainbow eyed her suspiciously. When he turned and left, though, it was towards the town, not her house.
"Good luck, my friend," Rarity murmured.
*
"Mama!" Snowflake giggled, little wings beating hard to keep him afloat. "Mama, look, I'm flying!"
"I can see that, sweetheart." Fluttershy smiled gently as she nudged her softly with her head. "And you're so high up, too!"
Snowflake gave another giggle, circling his dear mother. He apparently found this even more interesting than the picnic Pinkie had spread out for everyone to enjoy after the Run of Leaves.
"That's my little colt." Rainbow Dash sounded proud as one could be, eyes following the foal. Snowflake really had grown a lot since he'd first arrived in Ponyville in the spring. "He'll be an awesome flier in no time!"
"Oh, I'm sure he will be." Fluttershy stepped closer, giving Rainbow a quick nuzzle. "He's got such a wonderful teacher, after all!"
"I'm especially impressed with how well he has learnt to talk," Twilight remarked. "I mean, I know he's close to nine months now, but these next few months are the time of most rapid development for speech in most foals, and he's ahead of the curve right now! It's so exciting to see him learning so fast."
"I think it's just wonderful." Rarity chuckled. Of course, she'd known everything would turn for the better, but it was lovely to see it all with her own eyes. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were such a sweet couple, it was hard to imagine them not being together. "You're a very smart foal, aren't you, Snowflake?"
"Yup!" The little pegasus giggled again, then made a sort of glorified crash landing right to Fluttershy's side. "I'm real smart! Mama doesn't talk much, so I talk to Mama instead!"
"That's so sweet of you, Snowflake." Fluttershy patted him with a gentle wing. "Now, should we get something to eat?"
"Yup!" Snowflake bounced a couple of times, then dived toward the food. "This is so good, Aunt Pinkie! Mama is good at cooking, but Aunt Pinkie is really good, and -"
Rarity chuckled as the foal continued talking even as he practically inhaled pastries and cupcakes, much to Pinkie's delight. At least there was one member of the little family she wouldn't some day have to trick into speaking.
Even if she was really, really good at it.
Fandom: My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic
Pairings: Rainbow Dash/Fluttershy
Rating: G
Summary: Rarity prides herself in getting Fluttershy to talk to her, even when her friend has truly momentous news. However, when Rainbow Dash is the one who won't talk, her skills are needed once again.
A/N: Because I re-used Katekyo Hitman Reborn! in the one-shots, I decided to write one extra piece to bring the fandoms to a full 25.
Getting Fluttershy to talk was an art all to itself.
Rarity took some pride in her ability to coax her shy friend into talking, seeing it as a token of their long and deep friendship. While they did have their difficulties, like that absolute fiasco of Fluttershy's modelling career, in most cases she managed to get Fluttershy to talk to her even when she shut out everyone else. It was an honour to be her confidante, even more so as she knew Fluttershy wouldn't talk to just anyone.
She was again making use of her unique talent, figuring out the best way to put Fluttershy at ease. Her friend had been the one to suggest an extra meeting aside from their regular girls' night, which meant there was something Fluttershy wanted to share. However, simply making that decision and being together with her was not quite enough to get Fluttershy ready to talk. As such, it fell on Rarity to use all her usual methods to coax out the big secret.
She'd fine-tuned the process to near perfection over the years. First they went to the spa, to put Fluttershy into a familiar frame of mind, with Rarity talking as usual so she didn't have to feel as though she were imposing herself by breaking a silence, yet with enough lulls that whenever Fluttershy felt she was ready, she wouldn't have to interrupt. Rarity had spent a long time figuring out the perfect rhythm for this, the perfect mix of encouragement and giving her space. It was truly an art form that she had worked hard to master, simply to make things easier for Fluttershy.
It was as they were lying down with chilled drinks, pleasantly relaxed, that she noticed a small chance in Fluttershy's demeanour. The way one of her ears twitched, the slightly different set of her eyes, the little movement of her hoof back and forth as though mentally preparing for a sprint. Rarity took this as a sign to wrap up her current tale of the most demanding customer of all time or at least the last month, bringing them to a momentary silence again so Fluttershy could finally tell her news. She took a sip of her drink, doing her best to appear nonchalant. No pressure.
"I'm going to have a foal."
It took all of Rarity's natural elegance and perfect manners not to immediately spit out her drink. Instead, she somehow managed to swallow it, then squeaked in a very non-elegant voice, "WHAT?!"
Of course, this seemed to startle Fluttershy, who seemed to shrink back. Rarity drew a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "Ah, I'm so sorry, darling. So sorry, I really shouldn't have reacted like that. I was just, ah, surprised."
"It's fine," Fluttershy murmured. "I mean, I suppose it would be quite surprising."
"Quite so. I mean, you don't even have any special stallion." She then narrowed her eyes. "Or do you?" Because if such a thing had escaped her notice for so long, she was indeed a most miserable friend.
"Oh, no! I mean, that's not what I mean!" Fluttershy's eyes flew wide. "I'm not having a foal! I mean, not like that. Not one of my own, except really I am, and really, it's a bit complicated -"
"Fluttershy, darling, calm down. Deep breaths." Once said deep breaths sounded a little less like hyperventilating, Rarity nodded. "Okay, just nod or shake your head when I ask you things, okay?" Nod. "You're going to have a foal? As in, you're going to be a mother?"
Fluttershy nodded, a look of utmost seriousness on her face.
"Oh, that's brilliant, my dear!" Rarity gave her a beaming smile. "So. You say you don't have a stallion friend, so I suppose you're not bearing the foal yourself, right?"
This prompted a very vigorous shake of her head. Wonderful. That made so much more sense than Fluttershy having carried on some secret affair without anyone noticing.
"So you are adopting, then?" A nod. "What prompted this?"
Fluttershy almost made to nod, then realised this question would actually require a proper answer. "Well, I wasn't exactly planning on it or anything," she said. "However, I heard about this absolutely terrible accident up in Cloudsdale. A thunder cloud got overcharged and struck everyone, and a few of the workers were too stunned to get to their wings working when it struck the floor."
"Oh, I heard about that. They said it was the worst accident in the entire history of the cloud factory, right?"
"Right." Fluttershy cast her eyes down. "Now, I was visiting my mother, and she mentioned that some of the workers had children. I looked into it and found out that one of them had a little foal, just a baby, but no remaining relatives."
"And you decided to care for her?"
Fluttershy gave her a tiny nod. "I mean, I'm not sure if I'm the best choice to raise a pegasus foal, really," she murmurs. "But, well, I'm really good at taking care of little things. And everyone in Cloudsdale has jobs or families of their own, it might be a long time before anyone is able to take him in."
"Oh, darling. You've always had such a big heart." Rarity reached to touch Fluttershy's hoof to reassure her. "I'm sure you will do wonderfully, dear. So, has it all been arranged already?"
"Um, more or less." She got the feeling that if Fluttershy hadn't been lying down, she would have shuffled her hooves. "I mean, there's still a lot of paperwork and such, and really I don't think they were happy to hear how badly I did in flying school or that I live down here, but…"
"But what?" Rarity kept her tone carefully gentle. "You convinced them, right?"
"Not exactly me, no." Fluttershy's voice was even quieter now. "I, uh. I might have asked Princess Celestia for references."
"You did what?" Rarity's eyes widened. Of course, she shouldn't have been surprised, really, Fluttershy was always more proactive when it came to caring for others, but still, she was shocked to hear that her friend had actually approached the princess personally to ask something for herself. Shocked, and proud.
"I wrote to the princess," Fluttershy murmured. "And then she responded, and it wasn't just her, but Princess Luna and Princess Cadence also gave their word that I'm a good enough pony to care for a foal." She almost seemed embarrassed to admit that.
"Oh, darling, that's because you are! You are so gentle and caring. And I've seen you with Sweetie Belle and her friends often enough to know that you'll do fine even when the foal grows up, too."
"I'm not so sure. I'm really not that good with, uh, discipline."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll learn." Rarity nudged. "Besides, you know we'll all be happy to help you, right? Oh, you must let me make some adorable little outfits for him! And Pinkie will probably throw a party for him, and I'm sure Twilight and Applejack will be of much help, they've been raising Spike and Apple Bloom, after all. And don't you worry about the whole flying thing, you know Rainbow Dash will be absolutely delighted to help with that!"
Fluttershy let her talk on again, a smile on her face. Though she offered no more input, she certainly seemed less nervous.
And that was all that mattered right now.
*
"Rarity?" Fluttershy peeked into the shop. "Rarity, are you here?"
"Oh, Fluttershy!" Her eyes lit up. "Of course, of course. Do come in, my darling. This is perfect timing; do you have Snowflake with you?"
"Ah, of course." Fluttershy stepped carefully into the store, carrying a small foal on her back, not setting him down until she had closed the door after herself. The little colt was perhaps young, but he had rather fast little legs.
"Oh, that's just wonderful. I made him the cutest little hat, I really hope he'll like it." She caught the silvery little foal before he got into anything too fragile, managing to hold him still by setting the small hat on his head. It was good that Fluttershy was so incredibly patient. Snowflake had managed to be quiet and peaceful for perhaps a day or two after he had been finally brought to Fluttershy's care, then busied himself with proving that a little pegasus could dash all through the house even though his wings could only manage little flutters yet. "What brings you here, dear? Not that I'm not always happy to see you!" It was obvious from the shuffling hooves that Fluttershy had something to tell, though it was taking her a bit to get to the heart of it.
"Have you seen Rainbow Dash around?" Fluttershy finally blurted.
"Hm?" Rarity blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Well, ever since the party Pinkie threw to celebrate Snowflake, I haven't seen her even once." Some more shuffling of hooves. "I mean, I know it's only been a few weeks, and she's probably incredibly busy with her own things and everything, but even when I went to her house to see her a couple of times, nobody answered the door. And, well, Applejack said she's been around the farm, so I'm really trying not to worry about her, but what if she's sick or something, I don't think I've not seen her for this long since we were just little fillies…"
"Oh, Fluttershy, please do calm down." Rarity gave her a smile. "I'm sure there's a perfectly fine explanation that has nothing to do with Rainbow being sick. You're right, she's probably just busy with something. I mean, it is the growing season. Weather ponies are really rushed this time of the year, and it's probably only getting worse since they're short on clouds after that terrible accident."
"Ah, you're probably right." Fluttershy managed a small smile. "I mean, I was hoping to show her how well Snowflake is learning to fly, but I suppose I should have thought about how busy she would be. It's so easy for me to forget those things sometimes, I'm so closed up in my cottage with my animals."
"That's right. I'm sure she'll come visit you herself to see the little one as soon as she has the time." Rarity glanced at Snowflake. The little colt seemed fascinated by his hat. "Now, why don't we have a spot of tea and you can tell me what you two have been getting up to lately?"
And once she had calmed Fluttershy down and then cheered her up, she was going to go have a very serious talk with Rainbow Dash.
*
"Rainbow Dash, I know you're in there!"
There was no response from the cloud house up overhead. However, Rarity was not about to let such details stop herself.
"Don't you dare ignore me, Rainbow Dash!" She put her hoof down, not that Rainbow would hear it up in the clouds, but it certainly made her feel more determined. "Either you fly down here and talk to me, or I'll be forced to take drastic measures!"
"Feel free to try!" As though she needed any confirmation that Rainbow was indeed hiding in her house. "We'll see how well you do coming here!"
"Oh, believe me, I will find a way!" Rarity snorted. How dare Rainbow question her determination! I'll get Twilight to help me, or get balloons from Pinkie. And then you'll be faced with them as well instead of just me!"
There was a momentary silence. Then, Rainbow's head peeked over the edge of the cloud. "What's gotten into you now?"
"Oh, so my behaviour is the matter, now? What about the way you have been treating poor Fluttershy?"
"I don't know nothin' about that." And her head disappeared. How more obvious was she going to get?
"Rainbow, you come down here right now and talk with me, or I'm going to tell Fluttershy that you've been avoiding her on purpose. Not that she would, she would never be quite that cruel to poor Fluttershy after all, but then she also knew such a threat would get Rainbow Dash to reconsider.
At least, she certainly hoped it would.
"You wouldn't dare." And here was the reappearance of Rainbow's head. Great, so her friend hadn't completely lost her heart, then.
"She's worried about you, Rainbow Dash. And unless you come here right now and explain yourself, you'll get to talk directly to her instead." It wasn't ladylike to make threats, but sometimes, one simply had no other choice.
There was another moment of silence. Then, Rainbow Dash flew down to her, a sullen look on her face. "What?"
"You have been avoiding Fluttershy, and I simply cannot stand this." Rarity stomped her hoof. "The poor dear is afraid that you are sick or hurt because she hasn't seen you in weeks. I managed to convince her you have been busy with weather, but I cannot allow this to go on."
"I haven't been avoiding her." Then why couldn't she even look Rarity in the eye?
"Yes, you have. She hasn't seen you since we welcomed little Snowflake, and that was weeks ago! Usually the two of you don't go a few days without coming together!"
"So I've been busy." Rainbow kicked at the ground. "That's not a crime, last time I checked."
"You know very well you haven't been that busy for weeks." Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Fluttershy has enough stress right now as it is. She doesn't need to be worrying about one of her best friends just because you decide to be terrible."
"It's not like she needs me around." Rainbow still wouldn't look at her. "She's all busy with her new charge, now."
"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous of a foal. Fluttershy has such a big heart she offers a new home to a poor baby who lost his mother in terrible circumstances, and you think she's doing that just to spite you?"
"I didn't say that." No, but she had certainly implied it. "I just figured she'd be so busy with the foal she wouldn't want me nosing around all the time."
"And when she came knocking at your door several times? And don't even try to tell me you were out every time, darling. I'm not entirely stupid."
Rainbow Dash wouldn't answer. Her wings twitched, and Rarity suspected it was only her still lingering threat that stopped her from flying away.
She knew this kind of behaviour. Sure, she rarely saw it from this particular friend, Rainbow was never too shy about speaking her mind, but that didn't mean Rarity wasn't going to notice it. This wasn't as much a matter of what Rainbow Dash said; there was also something she didn't say, something that was much more important here.
"What is it?" she asked, and now her voice was softer. "What about this bothers you so much? Because I know you, Rainbow Dash. You're rash, but not malicious. It's not like you to begrudge a little foal a loving mother."
There was a murmur of something that she couldn't make out.
"Darling, I can't hear you." Rarity tilted her head. "She really wants your help with him, you know. She thinks you'd be brilliant in teaching him to fly properly. That's why she came knocking on your door, you know. She wanted to show you how well Snowflake is learning to fly."
Another mutter, just as inaudible as the first. Honestly, did she just not know how to enunciate clearly?
"Do you seriously think Fluttershy won't have time for you anymore? We're not little fillies anymore, Rainbow. We all have our responsibilities. Just because Fluttershy is also caring for a foal in addition to her animals doesn't mean she's just going to cut you out of her life."
"It should have been me."
Rarity blinked. "What?" Now finally she heard her, and the words weren't making any sense.
"I always thought it would be me." And now it seemed like the floodgates had opened. "With Fluttershy, you know? That some day I'd get the courage to tell her everything, and then at some point she'd think about foals because that's just how she is, and then we'd together find some poor thing in need of a home and I'd be helping her set up a nursery and get the foal to sleep and watch it with her." A deep breath after the tirade. "But now I see she doesn't need me at all."
Rarity blinked for another moment. Finally, she found her voice again. "Rainbow Dash. Are you telling me you like Fluttershy? That you'd want her to be your… special pony?"
And Rainbow was back to kicking at the ground, not meeting her gaze.
"Darling, you can't expect her to read her thoughts. It's not like she planned this because she wanted to have a family alone; she heard about a foal in need and acted on that. She's not trying to send you a message that she doesn't need you, she's worried that one of her dearest ponies doesn't want to see her."
"What does it matter, anyway?" Rainbow snorted. "Even if I told her, it's not like she likes me, too."
"And how are you ever going to know if you don't tell her?" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. We both know Fluttershy. Even if she doesn't like you," which she found unlikely, even if it was one of the few things Fluttershy could never be coaxed into talking about, "it's not like she's going to treat you any differently. What have you got to lose?"
"Uh, just my dignity?" Finally Rainbow Dash looked at her, and though she was trying to look defiant, Rarity spied a hint of uncertainty underneath the bravado.
"Oh, please. You have nothing to lose, and potentially everything to gain." She huffed. "You've been hiding this how long? A year, two? Ever since you saved her from the bullies when you were both just fillies? You know Fluttershy would never want to impose on you, so if you want to have any hope of getting anywhere, you'll have to go to her."
"I can't do that. Especially not now that I've been a total horse apple toward her."
"Come now, Rainbow. You find a nice little toy, take it as a gift to Snowflake, apologise to Fluttershy for being so very busy and ask if she'd like to go out to eat with you. Then you tell her that you think she's really special, put as much feeling into it as you're comfortable with, and ask her if she feels anything similar for you. But be clear that you don't mean just friends. After treating her like this for weeks, you don't get to be vague anymore."
"And if it all blows up in my face?"
"It won't. Now, if you go check the store now, you should make it there just after Snowflake's naptime."
For a moment, Rainbow eyed her suspiciously. When he turned and left, though, it was towards the town, not her house.
"Good luck, my friend," Rarity murmured.
*
"Mama!" Snowflake giggled, little wings beating hard to keep him afloat. "Mama, look, I'm flying!"
"I can see that, sweetheart." Fluttershy smiled gently as she nudged her softly with her head. "And you're so high up, too!"
Snowflake gave another giggle, circling his dear mother. He apparently found this even more interesting than the picnic Pinkie had spread out for everyone to enjoy after the Run of Leaves.
"That's my little colt." Rainbow Dash sounded proud as one could be, eyes following the foal. Snowflake really had grown a lot since he'd first arrived in Ponyville in the spring. "He'll be an awesome flier in no time!"
"Oh, I'm sure he will be." Fluttershy stepped closer, giving Rainbow a quick nuzzle. "He's got such a wonderful teacher, after all!"
"I'm especially impressed with how well he has learnt to talk," Twilight remarked. "I mean, I know he's close to nine months now, but these next few months are the time of most rapid development for speech in most foals, and he's ahead of the curve right now! It's so exciting to see him learning so fast."
"I think it's just wonderful." Rarity chuckled. Of course, she'd known everything would turn for the better, but it was lovely to see it all with her own eyes. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were such a sweet couple, it was hard to imagine them not being together. "You're a very smart foal, aren't you, Snowflake?"
"Yup!" The little pegasus giggled again, then made a sort of glorified crash landing right to Fluttershy's side. "I'm real smart! Mama doesn't talk much, so I talk to Mama instead!"
"That's so sweet of you, Snowflake." Fluttershy patted him with a gentle wing. "Now, should we get something to eat?"
"Yup!" Snowflake bounced a couple of times, then dived toward the food. "This is so good, Aunt Pinkie! Mama is good at cooking, but Aunt Pinkie is really good, and -"
Rarity chuckled as the foal continued talking even as he practically inhaled pastries and cupcakes, much to Pinkie's delight. At least there was one member of the little family she wouldn't some day have to trick into speaking.
Even if she was really, really good at it.