Chapter 22 – A Day with Fluttershy

On a lovely, quiet evening in the far outskirt of Ponyville, where there is a sliver of bright orange at the horizon of a concluding sunset, the hovering Rainbow Dash leads Fluttershy to a special place she planned out for quite some time. It took a lot of time and research to find that spot she was looking for, but Rainbow is just as anxious to reach there as her friend.

Well… more or less to say the least.

“Are we almost there, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy asks in her usual, timid manner.

“Not too far, Fluttershy!” she confirms excitedly. “Just a little further!”

But the yellow Pegasus didn’t share her friend’s enthusiasm as she admits in a fretful tone, “Okay, well... I hope I don’t sound too fussy, but umm… couldn’t we come out here when it’s daytime, and not when it’s… gulp… night?”

“No way! The best time to be out here is when it’s completely dark outside!”

“Sigh… I was afraid you would say that.” she mutters mostly to herself.

“Come on, Fluttershy. This isn’t your first time venturing out at nighttime. What’s there to be afraid of?”

“That’s what I’m afraid to find out.” she answers halfheartedly.

“Hey, don’t worry, pal.” Rainbow Dash reassures as she wraps a foreleg around the nervous mare’s shoulders. “You got me here to protect you, right? And you’re a lot tougher than you give credit for.”

“What makes you say that, Rainbow?”

“Well, you certainly set my husband straight that one time when we abruptly finished my foal shower months ago.” she replies nonchalantly with a chuckling smirk.

This catches Fluttershy by surprise as the speechless pony becomes extremely wide-eyed before stammering out her response, “Y-you knew?! I’m so sorry, Rainbow! I-I-I didn’t mean to hurt him like that! I was just so mad at him for leaving you in such a miserable state like that and I… well…!”

“Relax, Fluttershy. We’re not mad at you.” she eases the discomforting mare’s mind with an amusing smile. “In fact, we were quite amazed on how you were able to pull off such a mean hook like that. So I doubt anypony would want to mess with two pregnant mares, especially two angry ones for that matter.”

As Dash states that, she knowingly points it out with a fore hoof at Fluttershy’s exposed stomach. Comparing the two of them, Fluttershy has a small yet noticeable baby bump since her pregnancy’s confirmation three months ago. But for Rainbow Dash’s case, she is in the final stage of her pregnancy as the curved surface of her bulgy belly nearly reaches her kneecaps.

“Hey, this is it! We’re here!”

Upon Dash’s gleeful announcement, the two Pegasi stopped in front a large field of unidentified flowers. It’s hard to tell much on what kind of flowers they are since their floral heads are fully closed up. While Rainbow smiles over their destination, Fluttershy is slightly puzzled by all of this as well as over her best friend’s reaction.

So Fluttershy asks mildly, “Okay, but what exactly are we supposed to look for?”

“Wait for it~!” she grins slyly.

As Fluttershy stares at the flowers with continuous bewilderment, Rainbow Dash keeps her eyes on the twilight’s horizon instead. Soon enough, the sliver of orange sunlight vanishes completely, and the entire sky gradually shifts into a dark, bluish-purple color with hundreds of stars scattered across the nightly canvas.

And with the closing of nightfall, something begins to stir the sleepy flowers as they gradually open up. Slowly but surely, their blossoming heads take the shapes of bells as they emit a soft, blue light. With the nocturnal flowers fully bloomed, Fluttershy gapes with amazement over the flora’s sudden development as her big, teal eyes light up as much as the fluorescent flowers.

“Oh my goodness!” she gasps in astonishment with a wide smile. “These are Luna Bellflowers, aren’t they?”

“Yep.” Rainbow Dash confirms with a simple nod. “They’re one of the few flowers in Equestria that only bloom at night.”

“Oh thank you, Dashie! They’re so beautiful!”

Rainbow stares at Fluttershy with deadpan eyes and an arched eyebrow before she snorts out a short laugh and clarifies sharply, “What? I didn’t bring you out here for some pretty flowers!”

This causes Fluttershy to perplex greatly over Dash’s vague reaction, and she expresses her confusion gently, “You… you didn’t? Then what are we here for?”

With a clever grin, Rainbow Dash aims her foreleg up and simply answers, “That.”

Following Rainbow’s pointing foreleg, Fluttershy looks up at the nightly sky to see what her friend is referring to, but all she could see are the twinkling, little stars. But all of a sudden, they see something moving in the background as a large cluster of stars become animated. Steadily, the supposed living stars come closer to the field of glowing bellflowers, but once they are close enough, the two mares see some distinctive features on these fluorescent creatures. Most notably are their fluttering wings that encompasses glowing green with thin, bright, blue outlines around them and gleaming, yellow markings centered on each wing. Most of the yellow shapes resembling moons ranging from full to crescent.

Upon the majestic creatures’ graceful landing, Fluttershy remains completely awestruck with extremely wide eyes, and eventually, she inquires in the form of a soft whisper, “Rainbow Dash? Are those what I think they are?”

“I don’t know.” Rainbow replies with a sarcastic, silly giggle. “You’re the animal expert here, so you tell me.”

And after a moment to compose herself, Fluttershy lets out a huge gasping smile as she happily reveals the identity of these delicate creatures, “Luna Butterflies! I-I can’t believe this! There are so many of them! How in the world did you know that they would be here?”

“I did some reading in my spare time.” Rainbow mildly shrugs with a smile, “They’re a bit tricky to track down since they migrate at nighttime and only gather together to feed off of these flowers right here. But with a little research, I found a whole field of Luna Bellflowers nearby, and as luck would have it, it’s that time of season for these little guys.”

“But why would you go to such great lengths just for me?” she baffles in disbelief.

“You mean besides the whole ‘because you’re my best friend’ shtick? Well… I was kind of a bit of a sourpuss to you the last time you took me on a butterfly migration.” Dash confesses with regret over that event. “So I figure I should return the favor by taking you to this one.”

Overwhelmed with so much joy and gratitude, Fluttershy quickly wraps Rainbow in a great, big hug, and the blue Pegasus hugs her overjoyed friend in return with a few soft pats on the back. Afterwards, the surprisingly ecstatic Fluttershy strongly pulls Rainbow Dash into the blooming meadow to frolic amongst the butterflies.

In the middle of the native garden, Fluttershy oohs and awes over the marvelous spectacle of the Luna Butterflies while Rainbow Dash gradually enjoys herself from seeing the wondrous beauty of these astonishing insects as well. Seeing these rare butterflies certainly reminds Dash on the times she used to spend with the fireflies, whether it was a time when she was just a filly chasing after them with her dad or during that fateful night where she and Ford Mustang enjoyed their moment while it last during their first anniversary as a couple.

No too long, the glowing insects warm up to their new visitors, especially with Fluttershy’s animal magnetism. As Fluttershy sweetly nuzzles some of the butterflies, one of them lands right on Rainbow’s nose. This briefly catches her by surprise, but Rainbow casually laughs it off, especially how ticklish it felt on her muzzle. Soon, more Luna Butterflies gather around the multicolored mare as they make individual landings on Rainbow Dash. At first, she didn’t mind the few butterflies sitting on top of her, but eventually their numbers grew and now there are dozens of them nearly covering the top portion of her body, stretching from her mane and all the way to her tail. From seeing this silly display, Fluttershy takes mild amusement over the butterfly-clad Rainbow Dash, but the opposite could be said for the blue, deadpan mare. And having all she could take, she shakes them off like a dog drying itself off and the butterflies leave her be to reassociate with each other.

With things calming down, Fluttershy turns to her friend and expresses her deepest gratitude, “Oh Dashie, I can’t thank you enough for doing all this for me! I’m sorry you had to go through all of this trouble since you would consider this to be… well… boring.”

“Hey, it’s no trouble at all, Shy. Really.” she replies with a reassuring smile. “And besides, I don’t see this as boring. It’s kind of pretty actually. But don’t tell this to anypony else, okay? This is our secret spot and nopony else’s!”

“Of course, Rainbow.” she nods after stifling her soft giggling. “I promise.”

As Fluttershy resumes to watch the Luna Butterflies, Rainbow Dash becomes hesitant on what she needs to say, but eventually, she speaks up to gently get her friend’s attention, “You know, since we’re already out here, there are a few things I need to tell you.”

“Oh, like what?” she inquires softly.

“Well… I’ve been giving this a lot of thought lately, regarding with the twins, I mean.” Rainbow says in a slightly sheepish manner. “On what could happen if Ford and I are longer around to take care of them. So, we talked about this, and we decided… to make you and Big Macintosh our foals’ godparents.”

From hearing that unexpected revelation, Fluttershy stutters in shock, “M-m-me?! A godparent?!” In response, Rainbow nods simply, which causes the yellow Pegasus add in stammering disbelief, “B-b-but why me?! I mean, why not anypony else? Most of our friends already have some experience when it comes to taking care of foals! And my first foal will not be born for another several months!”

“Yes, but you’ve looked after foals before like the Crusaders for instance.” Dash explains with a casual smile. “Plus, your husband is a pretty caring guy since he along with Applejack took care of Apple Bloom ever since she was born. Not to mention you’re an awesome caregiver when it comes to tending all kinds of animals, so tending foals shouldn’t be a problem for you. And above all else, you’re the kindest pony I’ve ever known; it’s your Element for pony’s sake. So Ford and I know that you and Big Mac will be the perfect candidates as our twins’ godparents.”

After taking all of this in, Fluttershy breaks into a trembling yet very ecstatic smile and she happily accepts her friend’s offer, “I’m… truly flattered that you would think so highly of me, Rainbow Dash. So yes, I would be honored to be your foals’ godmother! Of course, I would have to talk to Big Mac about this first. Umm… you don’t think he will disagree with this privilege, do you?” she asks with a tiny hint of worry.

“Does he go on a day without saying ‘eeyup’ at least once?” Rainbow Dash comments with a crafty smirk.

This causes Fluttershy to giggle alongside Rainbow before she says with a smile of relief, “Well, it’s not something I should be too worried about at this point. After all, it’s not like anything bad is going to happen to you or Ford at any time soon, right?”

Of course, that involuntarily inquire makes Rainbow Dash cringe subtly, and she looks away before sheepishly rubbing the back of her head while responding in an awkward manner, “Yeah… about that. There’s else something I need to tell you.”

Fluttershy notices the hint of uneasiness in Dash’s tone and replies with dreadful confusion, “Wh-what…?”

“Now I’m not one-hundred percent certain about this…” Rainbow states strongly to make sure it’s not taken the wrong way before continuing in a slower, quieter manner. “…but there is a somewhat strong possibility that I might not make out alive when the twins are born.”

Fluttershy pauses on what she just heard from Rainbow Dash as her eyes widen in horror, and not much to the Dash’s surprise, the sensitive mare frets in quaking fear as she asks, “B-but does that mean I might die from childbirth too?!”

Frantically, Rainbow waves her forelegs in a rapid motion as she assures in a panicky tone, “No no! You’ll do fine, I’m certain of that!” Then, she takes a quick breath to calm herself down before explaining in a softer voice, “It’s just that… well… remember what happened after my foal shower? Well you see, the reason why my husband was acting so distant was because he had this recurring vision a month earlier, about me well… dying. So, we talked about this months ago, and recently, we decided to make some preparations for ourselves, including our choosing for godparents.”

There is a longer pause between the two as the thunderstruck Fluttershy contemplates on this earthshattering information she just received from the shamefaced Rainbow Dash. And as Dash expected, Fluttershy breaks down into soft, heartfelt tears over to this troubling revelation, but thankfully for Rainbow’s sake, this didn’t turn out as bad as a similar confrontation she had with Scootaloo a week ago.

While Fluttershy gently weeps to herself, Rainbow wraps her kindhearted friend in a warm embrace and adds in a considerate tone, “Look, I know you don’t want to hear this, but I figure it’s best to let you know about this as soon as possible.”

Much to Dash’s relief so as to not suffer as much heartache as the last time she shared this with someone, Fluttershy ceases most of her crying as she sniffles out her response while wiping away her remaining tears, “I do understand, Rainbow Dash. I really do. But how am I supposed to carry on with my life without you? You’ve given me so much strength over the years that I would never achieve it myself!”

“You’re wrong, Fluttershy!” she retorts strongly toward the self-doubting pony’s claim. “I may have giving you a leg up every now and then, but you were the one to find your own courage, not me! Remember how you discovered your Element of Kindness by removing that thorn from that Manticore’s paw?”

“Oh, that poor thing was in so much pain that I was merely compelled to help him out!” Fluttershy clarifies sweetly over that memorable incident.

“Or how you stood up against that dragon when his smoky snoring became a major hazard to our health?”

“Well I couldn’t allow him to hurt anyone of my friends, so I had to be firm with him!”

“And who could forget on how you manage to convince Discord, the Master of Chaos, to turn over a new leaf?”

“Well… I was only doing what Princess Celestia commanded from me, and I didn’t want to let her or anypony down. But thankfully, I was glad Discord saw the error of his ways and became friends with us in the end.”

“Still, you’ve come a long way since you were a filly at flight camp. Believe me, I’ve seen you change so much since then! I can’t tell you on how lucky I am to have you as one of my best friends!”

From Rainbow’s strong examples of their adventures together as well as her latest declaration over their friendship, Fluttershy smiles gradually over this recollection as she realizes on how much has changed since she was a scrawny, little filly. And truth be told, she felt a little pride over that fact, but not too much to overtake her usual humbleness.

Happy to see her friend smiling once again, Rainbow Dash then pleads to her, “So please, for my sake, don’t lose that pluck of yours. Because even I do leave this world someday, I want that part of me to live on inside you for always.”

After a quick moment of thinking to herself, Fluttershy beams reassuringly to her friend’s request, “Okay, Rainbow Dash, I promise to be brave for you no matter what.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

Without a second thought, Fluttershy follows the usual motions of that sacred promise with a cross of her fore hoof and then placing that same hoof over her eye before answering with a comforting smile, “Pinkie Promise.”

Satisfied upon hearing that, Rainbow uses her wing to give the yellow Pegasus another hug as she says contentedly, “Thanks, Fluttershy.”

Wrapped in each other’s embrace, Fluttershy redirects her attention to the mesmerizing swarm of Luna Butterflies, and in a meek voice, she asks with a humble smile, “Dashie? Can we stay here for just a little bit longer?”

Unable to refuse such a softhearted pony, even if she attempted to do so otherwise, the grinning mare complies with that simple request, “Sure thing, pal. We can stay here for as long as you like.”

Silently, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy resume their observation over the magnificent display of these rare-sighted creatures as they enjoy their special time together. With no need to keep track of time, the two Pegasi carry on with their personal activity before the butterflies make their leave sooner or later. All in formation of one big line, the Luna Butterflies flutter towards the heavens as their soft radiance in their florescent wings become smaller, until finally, they disappear into nightly sky… almost merging with the twinkling stars themselves.

With the migration of the Luna Butterflies completed, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash get up from their seats and steadily fly back to their homes in Ponyville. In the midst of their smooth flying, a thought crosses Rainbow’s mind before she asks her friend for something.

“Hey Fluttershy. When do you and Rarity have your weekly spa get-togethers?”

“Umm… next Friday I believe. Why?”

With a small, meaningful grin, Rainbow Dash intends to carry out the next item on her list. “I’m going to need to ask a favor from you.”

Author's Notes:

Originally, it was going to be Luna Moths instead of butterflies. You know, like how the show features Fruit Bats but are not portrayed like the actual animals in our world. Anyway, upon my research, I was looking into on what Luna Moths eat just to make sure if putting them in a field of flowers would seem legit or not. But through my research, I found a disturbing fact about them and moths in general.

Adult Luna Moths do not eat at all. In fact, they don't have mouths to begin with once they finished their pupae phrase.

Oh, and get this, once they reached their recognizable adult forms, they only have a few days to live, roughly less than a full week. So basically, they spend the remainder of their short lives to find mates and have the females lay their eggs before they die and beginning the cycle anew.

So yeah, that's the reason why I made these nocturnal, glowing creatures into butterflies instead of moths like I originally intended.

On a more positive note, I am opened to any suggestions in mind for Rainbow and Rarity's day at the spa! The more ideas you share with me, the easier it will be for me to write the next chapter down! Also, I'm considering on a location on where their spa day should take place. Should it be in Ponyville, Manehatten complete with a shopping spree, or at the privileged Canterlot where they get the Princess-treatment? Help me out on which would seem like the best location for them. Thanks.