Silent Ponyville 2 - Ending 6

Ending: Face Your Fears

Unlock condition: View all the memories and encounter Pinkie and Rainbow Dash in the Otherworld.



Twilight was doing her best to understand what the three pictures before her meant. Each picture was a distorted mess of color and shapes. At times she thought she had been able to make out the vague shape of a pony or some other shape that she could identify as an object, but it quickly moved back into being a distorted blob.

"I can't make heads or tails of this." Twilight as groaning as she looked back and forth, "How exactly does this spell work? This is my second time doing it and I'm STILL confused." The book didn't explain any further than how to perform the spell and its purpose. Was it supposed to be easy to figure out? Should something have been obvious to her? There were no instructions on how to interpret the pictures, or what she could do to help!

It really seemed like she was purposely being kept out, as if she wasn't allowed to see what each of her friends were experiencing.

"If I had something to write with I could maybe take better notes…but I have nothing to compare this to! I only have the other two pictures! Ugh! I can't learn like this!" Twilight groaned sitting down as she stared a little frustrated at the pictures. She wanted nothing more than to figure this out and learn so she could help her friends better, but without a frame of reference it seemed pointless.

Just as she was getting frustrated, each of the pictures began to radiate with a bright white light. Twilight tried to look at this development, but the light became too much for her to bear. She covered her eyes just as she felt the familiar tug of the spell ending.

She was dragged backwards, out of the spiraling darkness that carried the three paintings, before finding herself thrust back to reality.

"Uuuggghh…" Twilight groaned as she rubbed her forehead, it was an unsettling feeling to be pulled about like that. "Everypony okay?" She asked, opening her eyes to look at her three friends.

"Yay! It worked! We're back!" Pinkie said excitedly jumping up, smiling happily as she looked around.

"Haha! Take that you creepy world you!" Rainbow Dash grinned.

"That was…really eye opening." Fluttershy smiled softly, putting a hoof to her chin in thought.

"So…the spell worked? You were able to figure out why you were having nightmares Fluttershy?" Twilight asked looking at her friend curiously.

Fluttershy felt herself become the center of attention as every mare looked at her in anticipation. She blushed softly.

"Uhm…yes…I found out the reason." Fluttershy admitted slowly.

"Well, don't leave us in suspense, what was it?" Rainbow asked eager to figure it out.

"Whoa, hold on Dashie!" Pinkie said stepping closer, "If it's anything like me finding out I lost my sister, we shouldn't force her to say it if she isn't ready…though I admit, I am really curious as to what it was…it's probably something hug worthy."

"Oh…uhm…" Fluttershy rubbed her leg awkwardly with her hoof, "Well…I…" Fluttershy stumbled in thought, "T-Tell you what…there's…something I need to do…something I need to take care of…then I can tell all of you…I hope…" she said the last part quietly.

"And that's completely understandable." Pinkie said embracing Fluttershy into a big hug, "Just know that whatever it is, we're always here for you."

"Yea, sorry, I didn't mean to sound pushy. Tell us when you're ready." Rainbow smiled supportively.

"…Thank you…all of you." Fluttershy said smiling, with tears at the edge of her eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you girls." She embraced Pinkie Pie back.

"Well…I'm glad I could help." Twilight smiled.

"…Yea…about that…" Pinkie said letting go of Fluttershy and looking at the other two.

"…I think we're in agreement here Pinkie Pie." Rainbow said nodding at Pinkie.

"Yes, I do think we are." Fluttershy nodded as well.

"Twilight…" Pinkie started.

"Huh?" Twilight asked confused. The three mares before her each took a deep breath, before in one big cry, they unanimously shouted,

"DON'T EVER USE THAT SPELL AGAIN!"





"So…why are we going to Cloudsdale?" Rainbow Dash asked curiously looking at Fluttershy as the two of them were flying towards the city in the clouds.

"Well…I guess I can tell you." Fluttershy said before letting out a soft sigh and smiling, "I'm going to see my father."

"Your father?" Rainbow asked curiously, "I don't think I've ever met him…heck, you haven't told me much about your family. You always avoided the subject when I asked."

"That makes sense." Fluttershy said softly.

"…Does…this have something to do with that freaky nightmare-version of Ponyville?" Rainbow asked hesitantly, the gears turning in her head as she thought.

"…It does." Fluttershy said softly, trying not to alarm Dash. She wasn't ready to say too much about what she saw, not until she'd at least confronted her father. Rainbow looked at Fluttershy as they flew quietly; waiting for her to say more though she realized it wasn't coming. Rainbow let out a soft sigh.

"You ARE going to explain things right? Pinkie didn't explain anything more than she lost her sister to some serial killer…she didn't mention the monsters in that town. I…I really want to know what happened to you Fluttershy. After you got separated from us, I was so worried…" Rainbow said, still feeling guilty about having yelled at Pinkie Pie.

"…I…I promise Dash…I'll tell you everything…" Fluttershy looked down sadly, "Just…promise me you won't…you won't think I'm a monster…"

Rainbow looked shocked, as if she was almost offended at the idea.

"How could I ever think THAT!? You're the nicest, kindest, most gentle pony in all of Ponyville! Heck, maybe in all of Equestria! How could I think you're a monster?" Rainbow shook her head confused.

"…Thank you Dash." Fluttershy held back a tear from spilling, "We're almost there…" Fluttershy said as they were now flying close to the cloud city.

Cloudsdale was busy with its normal buzz of pegasi ponies all around. Some were working on new construction, some were delivering packages, other were simply out enjoying the weather while others seemed to be in a hurry. It was a normal day for Cloudsdale.

Fluttershy looked at the school house in the distance as they flew past it. She could hear the familiar bell ringing from there as the school house suddenly poured out with excited young foals that were eager to be out of school for the day and go off to play. It brought smile to Fluttershy, seeing all the happy faces of youth seemed to lift her spirits.

"There it is, the place my father works, Cloudsdale General." Fluttershy said after a few more minutes of flying, pointing to the large white building with the large red cross on it. It had several pegasi flying in and out of the building, some healthy, some sick, some with bandages on their limbs. There was an emergency vehicle that sat parked next to it that would be pulled by a team of pegasi should an emergency call be made.

"Is your father a doctor?" Rainbow Dash asked as they set down just outside the front doors before walking inside.

"…You could say that." Fluttershy said smiling softly. The lobby was large, very large. There was a huge open space above their heads for pegasi to fly around, a large fountain in the middle that seemed to have a few bits floating at its depths, a receptionist desk that had lots of ponies checking in, a waiting area for ponies to fill out paperwork and wait for them to head where they were needed, and the most noticeable part of the room was a very large picture over the receptionist desk of a light amber Pegasus with a dark red mane in a white lab coat with imposing blue eyes. Underneath the picture was a plaque, though it was difficult to read from affar.

"Well that's a large photo." Rainbow said chuckling at the size of it, "They must really like that Doctor."

"Well, he has saved hundreds of pony lives. He's the best doctor in the whole hospital." Fluttershy stopped where she was walking, making Dash stop and look back at her curiously. "His name is Lance…Lance Strongshy…and he's my father."

Rainbow's mouth hung agape, before looking quickly at the large picture, then back at Fluttershy, doing this several times in disbelief.

"You…You mean your father is THE Lance Strongshy!? I…Oh my gosh…he's the most famous doctor in ALL of Cloudsdale! Even I'VE heard of him! It was said that when a terrible lightning storm broke loose from the Weather Center and injured at least thirty ponies, that Lance was able to save ALL of them, when all the other doctor's couldn't have saved them!"

"Yes…I'm familiar with that day." Fluttershy said nodding slowly, all of her memories from her foalhood had returned now. She could remember almost everything about it.

"He's always been one of the best Doctor's! I heard he only got even better when he poured his passion into studying medicine after his wife died of a disea-" Rainbow Dash stopped in her tracks as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She was speaking about Fluttershy's mom.

"O-Oh…Fluttershy…I…I had no idea…I'm…" Rainbow started to apologize.

"It's okay Dash." Fluttershy said with a sad smile as she walked past Dash, heading for the counter, "There's…a lot I have to tell you…you'll understand soon."

"Hello, welcome to Cloudsdale General, how can I hel-" The nurse behind the desk began to say, having been nose deep in paperwork before looking up to shock, seeing Fluttershy standing there.

"…Hello Nurse Soft Cure, covering for the receptionist today?" Fluttershy offered as genuine a smile as she could looking at the white coated Pegasus with a blonde mane, after all, it was the first time she'd seen her personal foalhood nurse since she'd last visited the hospital so many years ago.

Nurse Soft Cure narrowed her eyes immediately, giving Fluttershy a rather nasty glare.

"…What are YOU doing here?" The nurse almost hissed. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow at the nurse's behavior. This seemed very rude, considering she was talking to the daughter of the best doctor in the hospital.

"I've come to see my father today…if he's not busy, that is." Fluttershy explained simply.

The nurse's hooves banged hard against the desk. Almost everypony turned their heads to look at this, not having expected a loud bang in the middle of a hospital. Nurse Soft Cure looked around quickly before offering a weak smile and a soft laugh, as if it had been an accident. The other pegasi just seemed to shrug before continuing with their own duties. Once she was sure nopony was paying full attention to them, she went back to glaring at Fluttershy.

"…So what…after all these years you just come waltzing in here, not only expecting an audience, but expecting me to believe that's all you're here for!?" Soft Cure was trying to yell, but her voice came out in a harsh whisper.

"Hey! Who do you think you're talking to!?" Rainbow Dash said, feeling her fur start to stand on end, but was stopped by a hoof put out by Fluttershy.

"I swear to you Ms. Cure…I'm only here to talk with my father." Fluttershy smiled in the face of the hate that was coming from the nurse.

"Oh, yea, like I believe that." Soft Cure growled, "You're just here to smear Lance's good name aren't you? Try to interfere with his life-saving work because of some bitter vengeance you want."

Again, Rainbow Dash went to speak up but was stopped by Fluttershy.

"You can accompany me if you want…I really want nothing more than a chance to talk to my father. I won't say a word to anypony else, I promise." Fluttershy explained calmly.

Nurse Soft Cure just glared at Fluttershy, but seemed to be thinking the situation over in her head. Her eyes wandered over to Rainbow Dash, who seemed to be giving her glaring daggers back. It took a while, but the nurse finally responded.

"…Fine…I'll escort you to his office." The nurse got up from her sitting position behind the desk before spreading her wings. She began to fly down one of the hallways, towards the air paths to fly to upper levels.

"Yeesh, what's HER problem!?" Dash growled as the two of them followed after the nurse.

"It's…a long story I'll tell you later." Fluttershy smiled softly. Rainbow Dash didn't seem pleased, but listened to Fluttershy as they flew. The nurse directed them up several stories, before stopping at the ninth. She flew down a long hallway that barely had a soul in it, they only passed a single other pegasi as they drew closer.

"Here. His office." Soft Cure stopped outside one of the doors, turning to face the two mares, "I'll let him know you're here to see him." She explained, before turning to knock on the door.

"Come in." came a gruff voice. Nurse Soft Cure opened the door and walked in before closing the door behind her.

"…I don't like the feel of this Fluttershy…" Rainbow whispered his displeasure with the situation, "Something doesn't feel right…"

"I understand Dash…I promise, this'll be over soon. Just…let me talk to my father in private for now please…if I need you, you'll know." Fluttershy said nuzzling against Rainbow Dash for support.

"…I'd rather go in there with you…but…if you say so." Rainbow said softly nuzzling her back.

The door opened once more, nurse Soft Cure coming out.

"He'll see you now." She said standing next to the door, glaring at the two of them.

"Thank you." Fluttershy smiled softly, before walking up to the door. She took in a deep breath to draw strength, before carefully opening the door and walking inside.

The office wasn't too different from the last time she'd seen it. There was still the desk, with books lining the walls, many of the books stacked on top of each other around the office as if recently read. One book lay open on the desk as it was currently in the middle of being read.

There behind the desk, looking up at her with tired eyes was the familiar amber coat and dark red mane of her father. He looked up at her, almost as if in disbelief that she was actually there, standing before him after all these years.

"Hello…Father. It's me…Fluttershy." Fluttershy said as nicely as she could.

"…So…so you're here." Lance let out a soft sigh, moving out from behind his desk and walking around to get a better look at her, "You've…certainly grown a lot since I last saw you." He looked her up and down, scanning her, "You resemble your mother so much now…"

Her father turned his head away from her, closing his eyes, "…Why are you here?"

"I…I came to talk." Fluttershy spoke softly, "About…what happened between us."

"…What's there to say? You killed your mother…and I hurt you because of it." He said the words coldly, as if he didn't care to say them, let alone think them. "You remember all that don't you? So what's there to say."

"…I guess…I came to apologize." Fluttershy smiled a soft, sad smile.

"…Apologize?" Her father said looking almost confused as he turned to his daughter.

"I'm…I'm sorry I killed mom…" Fluttershy lowered her head softly, "I can never take back what I've done, and no amount of apologies will bring her back…but I…I did kill her…and so…I'm sorry."

There was silence in the room. Fluttershy could feel the cold stare of her father as he looked at her, as if trying to figure out what was going on.

"…Are you trying to seek redemption now?" He finally spoke up in his cold voice, "Trying to make up for what you did so long ago? After all these years…you came back for this?" Anger was starting to rise in the back of his voice.

"…I guess…that's not all…" Fluttershy admitted, lifting her head up and smiling, "I also came…to let you know that…I forgive you as well."

This seemed to stop the older stallion where he stood.

"You punished me for what I did to mother…and I still feel…that it was a worthy punishment. I did a terrible thing, so it only is befitting that I had a fitting punishment…and I don't hold any anger for what you did to me. In fact…I was able to find a wonderful life thanks to what you did. I have so many friends who love me so much now…I take care of the animals in Ponyville you know, I put the knowledge I learned from your medical books to use." Fluttershy smiled happily as she thought back to her life in Ponyville.

"I…was even able to find love in Ponyville. I don't know where it's going to head, but it's a journey I'm going to enjoy all the way…and I wouldn't have met my love if you hadn't done what you did. I owe everything in my life to you Father…and…I want to thank you." Fluttershy gave a small bow.

"Thank you for everything."

Lance just stared at his daughter. He could still remember the night his wife was taken from him, the monster that had ended his wife's life. He remembered how much pain and suffering he had inflicted on that monster, how after that he had put so much work into studying medicine and practicing his craft so that he could save anypony, regardless of their condition or disease…

But now that monster was bowing before him, thanking him for everything that happened in her life, apologizing for taking the mare that had brought him the greatest amount of happiness he'd ever known.

He grit his teeth as he felt anger swelling inside of him. He stared at her with maddening intent. He saw her slowly lift her head to look at him with a smile. That smile…it felt like it was digging into his very soul.

He took a step forward, as he took a deep breathe out of his nose, raising his hoof into the air. He wanted to strike her, he wanted to make her hurt more, and he wanted her to know that what happened still tore at his soul as he looked into the face of every patient he ever had saved…

Fluttershy smiled softly, looking at her father. She closed her eyes, ready to be struck. She would take any punishment he seemed befitting for her as she always had, it was the only thing she could do to make amends for their past, for having taken her mother out of this world.

She waited for the blow, expecting it to come.

But the strike never came.

Instead, what Fluttershy felt next surprised her.

Her father gently placed his hoof down on her back, drawing her in close to embrace her, wrapping his hooves around her. She blinked in surprise, when she felt him start to shake. She wasn't sure how to react, when she suddenly felt something cool and wet hit her back.

He was crying. Her father was crying as he embraced her.

Fluttershy couldn't help herself, she moved her hooves up around her father and hugged him back, closing her eyes as she let him cry into her as he needed.

The two of them stood there in that embrace for what seemed like an eternity, when her father finally broke away from it, rubbing his face as he turned away from his daughter.

"…Fluttershy…" He finally said after clearing his throat.

"Yes?" She asked curiously.

"…I think…it's best if we never see each other again…" He muttered quietly, "Please…don't ever come visit me again."

"…Alright…I understand…" Fluttershy slowly nodded her head, "Just know that…I love you Dad…"

"…I…I love you too…" He choked out, "Now…get out of my office."

Fluttershy didn't need to be told twice. She gave one last bow before moving to his door and opening it, heading out.

"…Well that was a quick visit." Soft Cure said looking at Fluttershy curiously. Fluttershy's emergence was the only thing that had stopped the constant glare battle between Soft Cure and Rainbow Dash.

"Yes…but don't worry Ms. Cure, you won't ever be seeing my again." Fluttershy smiled to her nurse.

"…What? Really? You're not going to smear his name?" The nurse said surprised.

"Ms. Cure…I understand now…you did what you did because you didn't want anything bad to happen to my father. If something had happened, he couldn't save all the lives he's saved over the last few years." Fluttershy smiled, but Soft Cure just turned her head, almost as if she was being stabbed by Fluttershy's words. "I don't blame you…he's saved so many lives, the one he hurt seems insignificant in comparison." Fluttershy chuckled softly.

"…Get on with it." Soft Cure growled.

"I'm sorry, I just needed to say it." Fluttershy smiled, "Please, have a wonderful life…and look after my father." Fluttershy gave a bow, before walking off.

"…Fluttershy…" Rainbow Dash spoke up after a while, "What the HAY was that all about?"

"…I guess I can explain to you now Dash." Fluttershy smiled happily, "But…let's go somewhere more private first."





Rainbow and Fluttershy landed at the top of a hill in the middle of a large field that expanded far out into the horizon. One could see the mountains in the distance and the flowers blooming in the field bellow, it was a beautiful sight, one that was tranquil, without another pony around to be seen.

"This seems like a good place." Fluttershy smiled as she laid herself down, turning to look over at the nearby forest, "You know…over there is where I fell from Cloudsdale and learned my special talent of taking care of animals." She gave a soft chuckle.

"Huh…it is, isn't it?" Rainbow Dash sat down next to Fluttershy looking at the forest. The sight did bring back fond memories, but that's not what she was concerned about at the moment.

"Okay Fluttershy, will you tell me now that we're alone? That nurse was glaring daggers at you and I didn't like it one bit. Also, what did you see in that other Ponyville that warranted a trip to Cloudsdale?" Rainbow Dash quickly asked, wanting answers.

Fluttershy could only offer a sad smile as she felt the wind blow through her mane. She closed her eyes as she began to speak.

"I suppose you know that my mother died of a disease, right?" Fluttershy asked, just wanting to double-check what Rainbow knew.

"Y…Yea…I was too young to remember it but it was big news one day. And of course everytime I heard ponies talking about him, they almost always mentioned how he tragically lost his wife and it made him want to become an even better doctor." Rainbow explained slowly.

"Well…then here's the truth Rainbow Dash. My mother didn't die of a disease." Rainbow looked at her curiously, "It's true that she was sick with a disease to which we had no cure, and it likely would've killed her eventually. But that's not what killed her. For, you see…I killed her. I killed my own mother Rainbow dash."

Rainbow Dash's mouth fell open once more as she stared at Fluttershy. Fluttershy wasn't even looking at her, she was just staring out into the field with the soft, sad smile. Any question of doubt that ran through her head was hit by that sad look. She wasn't lying, Fluttershy had actually done what she said…

"…But…But…why? Why would you…" Rainbow stuttered trying to process it, "What…what would drive you, the kindest pony EVER to…to kill your mother?"

"…She asked me to." Fluttershy replied slowly.

"Whu…" Rainbow said in shock once more, "You mean…your mother asked her young daughter to KILL her!?" Fluttershy just slowly nodded her head.

"Fluttershy…that doesn't make YOU the killer here!" Rainbow stomped her hoof, "You were too young to know the difference! If she made you kill her then you had no ability to stop yourself! You didn't kill your mother! She kill-"

"But I did kill her Rainbow Dash." Fluttershy closed her eyes slowly, "Even if she told me to and as a child I had to listen to her, I still had enough sense in me to know that what I was doing was wrong, that it didn't feel right…but I choose to not want to disappoint my mother. I took the knife she gave me and I stabbed her repeatedly.

"No matter how you look at it, the motives or the reasons, my mother died because I stabbed her multiple times. If I hadn't had the knife, if I hadn't moved my legs in the stabbing motion, if I hadn't listened to her, then she'd still be alive today." Fluttershy's smile stayed on her face, that sad smile that said she was forcing herself to be okay with everything she said.

"I'm simply a monster Rainbow Dash."

"NO!" Rainbow shouted stomping the ground before grabbing Fluttershy by the shoulders, much to her surprise, and turned the sad looking Pegasus to face her, "You're not a monster! You're mother forced you to do that Fluttershy! As the most gentle pony in all of Equestria you're not capable of murder unless you didn't know what you were doing! You're not a monster!" Rainbow breathed heavily as she ranted.

Fluttershy looked in shock for a moment, before smiling gently. She was so happy that Rainbow cared for her so deeply, despite having admitted her monstrous truth to her. She could feel tears burning at the edges of her eyes, but she held them back as she closed her eyes.

"Well…my father told me I was." This seemed to shut Rainbow Dash up again as she stared at Fluttershy in shock, "He didn't just tell me I was a monster…he punished me as the monster I was. After all…you don't argue with the best doctor in all of Cloudsdale…he knows what's best for you. I don't have any scars because he knew what he was doing, but I visited the hospital so often because of his punishments." Fluttershy let out a small laugh; she apparently found that statement to be funny.

"That's where nurse Soft Cure comes in…she was my father's head nurse. Whenever I came in for one of my 'accidents' she was the one who helped me. However, she was loyal to my father…if I tried to tell her that my father was the one who had been doing all this to me, she only hurt me in return, forcing me never to speak the words that said my father was a horrible person.

"And I understand why now…she was protecting the people my father was caring for. I remember passing by the rooms of his patients one day…at the time he was attending to a cancer patient who all the other doctors said they had no chance of healing her, but my father said he wasn't going to give up on her till the very end. Another patient needed a complicated organ replacement that other surgeons were too afraid to perform because one wrong move would kill her, but my father took it upon himself and saved her life."

Tears were beginning to flow down Fluttershy's cheeks as she spoke of the deeds her father had accomplished,

"There was a little filly with a weakened immune system…she had given up on life and was dying when my father gave her a hope she hadn't had before…she made a full recovery. There was even a time when he was able to help a mother who was going to kill her baby in labor, but because he was there and knew what to do the baby came out healthy as could be…"

Rainbow could say nothing; she was staring at the crying mare before her as she poured her heart out about her father.

"These were all patients I saw with my own eyes Rainbow Dash…I saw him smile and laugh and help them all. Even after I had killed my mother he never once showed that sign of sorrow to them…so what else can I be but a monster Rainbow Dash? I deserved everything that happened to me. I did the unforgiveable and killed my mother." Fluttershy closed her eyes, giving a small laugh as tears continued to stream down her face.

"…no…no…no, no, no, NO, NO, NO!" Rainbow Dash began to scream as she lowered her head. Fluttershy looked at her in surprise. Rainbow Dash began to shake as she felt the tears burning at the edges of her eyes.

"Fluttershy…YOU'RE NOT A MONSTER!" Rainbow Dash looked straight into Fluttershy's water-filled cyan eyes, "Even if it's true…even if you DID kill your mother, that doesn't make you a monster! You could never hurt a fly unless you were given no other choice, no other option! Unless your back was to the wall you'd never do anything to harm another living being!

"So…so stop saying you are…" the tears ran down Rainbow Dash's cheeks unhindered now, "Stop…speaking like your some…horrible pony that deserves to be punished…when you're not…when you're the nicest, gentlest, kindest pony whose ever lived." Rainbow's shoulder shook as she spoke.

"…Rainbow Dash…" Fluttershy muttered quietly, looking at her through sorrowful eyes. The two sat on the grassy hill, looking into each other's eyes as they sat there crying. There were no words to be had at that moment, just the bond that was between the two mares set up.

As the sun began to set in the horizon, between two breathless mares, they shared a deep kiss on that hill. Each mare could feel the passion that radiated from the other through the kiss; it wasn't just a kiss out of longing or lust, or of a simple understanding or care…

It was a kiss out of deep love, a love that was rooted in their hearts.

The night sky began to become visible when the two finally broke apart their kiss, Fluttershy nestling herself into Rainbow's coat.

"…Thank you Rainbow Dash…" Fluttershy said quietly. Rainbow Dash just smiled at her marefriend, petting her coat softly. The two stayed that way for a short while. It was Fluttershy that broke the silence between them.

"…We're not done yet though…" She said softly.

"Huh?" Rainbow asked curiously as Fluttershy sat up.

"This time…we need to talk about you." Fluttershy wiped her face as she smiled, "About…your dream to be a Wonderbolt."

"Oh…" Rainbow Dash grimaced, not wanting to have brought the topic up just yet. She looked up at Fluttershy, who was smiling at her, then up to the sky, then down to the ground and gritted her teeth as she closed her eyes before letting out a soft sigh.

"I'm…not going to-"

"I want you to tryout for the Wonderbolts." Fluttershy smiled happily.

"Huh?" Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion, "But…but I told you before…if I join the Wonderbolts…I'll be abandoning my friends, the ponies I care about…" Rainbow Dash felt like she was shrinking as she spoke, "That I'd be abandoning you…"

"I've been thinking it over despite my own thoughts." Fluttershy smiled, "And…there's a one year training program right? Well…as far as I know, they're not allowed to keep you away forever. By law, they must give you opportunities to rest, breaks from working. You get sick days, vacation days, rest days, holidays…and even once you're part of the main flight team; they don't do shows during the winter. And not every team member flies during every show. All that down time you'll have, you can use to spend with us."

Rainbow Dash blinked.

"How…How do you know all this?" Rainbow said, flabbergasted at Fluttershy's level of knowledge about the Wonderbolts. Fluttershy could only laugh.

"I've been listening to you rant about them since we were fillies Rainbow Dash, I've remembered most of what you said about them. I just took important details from each rant and brought them together." Fluttershy nodded slowly, "Just because you'll be gone for a while at a time doesn't mean you'll be abandoning your home or your friends. And you especially won't be abandoning me."

"…I…I hadn't thought about it like that…" Rainbow said thinking it all over in her head now. In that other Ponyville, it had been presented to her in such a black and white way that she couldn't help but feel what she was shown was true…but here was Fluttershy mixing that black and white line, causing it all to be an ambiguous gray blur.

"…You're right Fluttershy…you're absolutely right!" Rainbow Dash said as her enthusiastic grin came back to her face, "YES!" She cried out, jumping into the air, doing a flip and pumping her hooves into the air, "The dream is alive! I'm going to be a Wonderbolt!" Rainbow cheered.

"That's wonderful Dash!" Fluttershy laughed happily watching Dash, "I've come up with my own dream too…one I want to make come true very soon."

"Oh? What's your dream Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash flew down to Fluttershy, smiling happily.

"I've decided…that I'm going to be a mother." Fluttershy explained.

Rainbow Dash's wings stopped moving as she fell to the ground before Fluttershy.

"B-But…what…I…I can't' give you a child!" Rainbow Dash cried out in a panic. Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh.

"I meant, I'd like to adopt a little filly or colt of my own." Fluttershy explained more clearly.

"…Oh." Rainbow Dash sat up, understanding now. "I don't know Fluttershy…a foal is a LOT of work…a lot more than trying to be a Wonderbolt is...plus with me being your marefriend you know I'd have to help take care of it…" Rainbow rubbed the back of her head in thought, "I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of responsibility…"

"It's okay Dash, I wouldn't ask you to do anything you're not comfortable with." Fluttershy smiled happily.

"…Ugh…you have a way of twisting my heart." Rainbow put a hoof to her face, before smiling, "but if a foal is what you want…then I can't do anything but say to go for it…just uh…let's consider our options first."

"Options?" Fluttershy blinked, tilting her head a little.

"You know…ah…we could…" Rainbow Dash thought about what she was going say, "…Well I WOULD say we could ask Twilight about…you know…pregnancy spells between two mares…but I think I want to avoid Twilight's spells for a little while." Rainbow grimaced. Fluttershy couldn't help but laugh at this as well.

"It's alright. Whether its from you or from someone else, all I know is…I want to give some little filly or colt a wonderful foalhood, one I didn't have growing up." Fluttershy nuzzled up against Rainbow Dash.

"…I know." Rainbow let out a soft chuckle as she embraced her marefriend, "Hey, it's getting late, we should probably head back to Ponyville." Rainbow said, as a cool breeze blew through her mane, reminding her of the time.

"Alright, let's go." Fluttershy smiled up at Rainbow.

The two of them soon took off from the hill, flying back to Ponyville together.




-End-