Thirty Minute Pony Stories

“Oh, Rainbow Dash, this music is so beautiful, so moving!” Fluttershy exclaimed, her leg draped over her forehead in a dramatic gesture. She looked expectantly at the pegasus seated across from her at the table.

“Yeah, it is pretty catchy, for an old song,” Rainbow Dash replied with a nod, before she caught on to the look Fluttershy was giving her. “Wait, am I supposed to be doing something here?”

“Ugh! Angel, cut the music.” As the rabbit obediently pulled the needle off of the record, filling Fluttershy’s cottage with silence once again, the normally timid pegasus placed her napkin on the table and then lifted out of her chair with one mighty stroke of her wings. Glaring at Rainbow Dash – but not staring, the teaching wouldn’t be effective if she just stared Dash into learning – Fluttershy ranted, “That was the easiest possible cue, Rainbow Dash! If you can’t react properly when I am lobbing softballs at you, how do you expect to get through a real date where you actually have to fly by the tips of your wings?”

Dash was startled by the sudden change in Fluttershy’s behaviour, sputtering before she said, “Well, it’s hard! There’s all these rules and signs and customs and why can’t she just say what she wants like a normal pony?!” Dash threw her hooves in the air in frustration. “I don’t even know why I’m bothering. I’ll never be good enough in her eyes.”

Fluttershy had known Rainbow Dash for nearly her entire life, and she’d learned long ago to recognize when the normally cocky pegasus’ inferiority complex was kicking in. Changing her tack, she settled back down on the ground near Dash, placing a hoof on her friend’s thigh to show that she did care. “I think she’ll think you’re ‘good enough’ for her even without proper manners, without sweeping her off her feet in a grand romantic gesture. You’re the one who wanted to do this, to practice all this. We can always stop this if you want, but I won’t let you give up on your heart, Rainbow Dash. I truly won’t.”

As much determination as Fluttershy could muster was in her voice, and it paid off as Dash nodded solemnly, right before pulling her friend into a hug. “Thanks, ‘Shy. I’m so lucky to have a friend like you… and I’m pretty lucky you’re such good friends with Rarity as well.”

Fluttershy returned the hug enthusiastically, only letting the momentary sorrow she felt at those words register on her face where Dash couldn’t see. “You deserve to be with the pony you love, Dash, and I’ll help you however I can.” By the time she pushed out of the hug, her hooves on Dash’s shoulders, she was all smiles again. “So, are we done? We can go through it all again… if it’s alright with you.”

Dash thought for a moment. “Hmm… yeah, I do. I know what you’re saying, ‘Shy, but I really do want to impress Rarity with this. Practice makes perfect, right?”

“Okay, then, from the top.” Fluttershy stepped away from Dash, walking back a few hooves before closing her eyes and, taking a deep breath, once again immersed herself in the personality of her friend. A friend who had somehow won the heart Fluttershy herself had longed for, but the kind pegasus had sworn that she wouldn’t hold it against either Rarity or Dash.

Opening her eyes, Fluttershy allowed herself to look at Rainbow Dash with the love she genuinely felt, even as she said in her somewhat-overwrought affected accent, “Hello, darling! I see that you are late, but fashionably so!”

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BSB Comments:

How very sad. Fluttershy helping Rainbow Dash woo Rarity even though she pines after the multi-hued menace. I think you did a really good job with the emotion throughout, and the ending with Fluttershy showing “the love she genuinely felt” was both beautiful and devastating. This was a good piece. Well done.