A Quiet Confession

"No Pinkie," Rainbow said, "I'm not doing it!"

"But Dashie," Pinkie protested, "If you don't tell her you'll never be happy."

"I know," Rainbow said looking down, "But Fluttershy's been my friend since we were fillies. She knows everything about me." There was more to it than that. Fluttershy was the only pony who Rainbow could drop the brave face and allow herself to be vulnerable. 'Fluttershy let's me just be me,' Rainbow thought, 'I love her, but I can't.' She shook her head and said flatly, "I ask too much from Fluttershy as it is. I can't ask this from her."

"But," Pinkie said, "What if she likes you too?" She remembered the day Rainbow told her she was in love with Fluttershy. Rainbow had returned from a picnic with Fluttershy and looked sad. When Pinkie asked her what was bothering her, Rainbow swore her to secrecy and told her that she was in love with Fluttershy. Pinkie was stunned and asked if she told her and she began to cry. Pinkie had never seen Rainbow cry and this just confused her. Rainbow said that she was scared to lose Fluttershy, and did not want to risk it. That was two months ago and Rainbow has only grown sadder since then. Pinkie knew that she had to tell Fluttershy and said, "That's it Dashie. I'm sorry but if you don't tell Fluttershy, I will. I know you don't want to risk your friendship with her, but this is making you miserable and I will not let anypony be unhappy."

Rainbow looked at the pink pony and just stared. 'Darn it Pinkie,' she thought, 'why are you doing this?' "No," she said flatly, "You promised that you wouldn't tell anypony, and that includes Fluttershy."

"But Dashie," Pinkie said, "You're so sad. Think about it. If you tell Fluttershy how you feel, even if she doesn't feel the same way, why would she stop being your friend? She's so nice that you won't lose her, and you never know she may feel the same way!"

'Fluttershy liking me,' Rainbow asked herself, 'No way. She'd never go for me.' Rainbow was always confident and knew that anything she wanted she could just seize, but for some reason the idea of 'seizing' Fluttershy made her feel sick to her stomach. 'She isn't a competition or a prize,' she scolded herself, 'She's a pony.' She let out a heavy sight, 'A beautiful kind and loving pony.' She felt tears in her eyes and her chest was growing heavy. She looked to Pinkie and nodded, "Ok Pinkie. I'll head over to Fluttershy's and tell her how I feel. I just hope she'll still be my friend after this."

Pinkie hugged Rainbow, "I know she'll still be friends with you, and I hope she'll feel the same way." 'That was harder than I thought,' Pinkie thought to herself, 'I hope she tells Fluttershy.' Pinkie knew that if Rainbow told Fluttershy how she felt then at the very least it would be off of Rainbow's chest. She smiled as Rainbow took to the air and flew towards Fluttershy's cottage.

'What am I doing,' Rainbow thought to herself, 'I can't tell her. I'll just fly far enough so Pinkie can't see me and head somewhere else.' That would have been a good plan except she felt a sharp pain in her chest. She froze hovering feeling her chest wondering what it was. The pain passed but she recognized it. 'Great. Now my body is against me.' She frowned and continued her way to Fluttershy's home.

The flight was short as she was the fastest in all of Equestria, and she landed on Fluttershy's front porch and knocked on the door. She waited for a few minutes, knocked again, and went inside. 'Fluttershy,' she thought' Why don't you ever lock your door?' She looked around the living room and was shocked at the state of it. The normally clean room was a mess. Almost everything was knocked over and there were splashes of a drying red liquid on the wall and floor.

Rainbow quickly scanned the room and heard something in the kitchen. She ran into the room and saw Fluttershy lying on the ground. Her yellow coat was matted with the same liquid that splattered the walls of the living room, and she was not moving.

In a panic Rainbow rushed to her and was whispered, "Fluttershy! Are you ok?"

"Shh," whispered the yellow pegasus.

"Did you just shush me," Rainbow asked.

"Um, yes," Fluttershy said softly, "I'm sorry Rainbow but I don't want to scare the bird away." She motioned with her hoof under the cabinet and said softly, "It's alright little friend. I am not mad. It was an accident after all." Fluttershy smiled as the 'little' bird crawled out from underneath the cabinet.

"It's a hawk," screamed Rainbow, "Why is a bird of prey here? Did that thing attack you?" She was getting angry still thinking that Fluttershy was hurt.

"Rainbow," Fluttershy scolded softly, "It was an accident." She helped the hawk and guided it back to the window. With a flap of its wings, it soared out of the cottage. Fluttershy sat down and with a relieved smile said, "That was exciting. Now I have to get this cleaned up. She groaned slightly as she got back to her hooves.

"Fluttershy," Rainbow said, "You're hurt and need help." She ran to Fluttershy's medicine cabinet and ignored the timid pegasus pleas. She returned and Fluttershy was boiling some water. The lights in the kitchen were on and Rainbow was stunned when Fluttershy was smiling at her.

"Rainbow," Fluttershy said, "I'm fine." She motioned for Rainbow to take a seat and she poured her some tea. "It's your favorite," she said.

Rainbow smelled the tea and yes, it was her favorite. It was sweet apple tea. Fluttershy always made it the right temperature so Rainbow could gulp it down and not burn her, and that is just what she did. She drank the sweet warm beverage and blushed when Fluttershy poured her some more. This cup she drank slower, and asked, "If you're fine then what is all that on you?"

Fluttershy blushed and said, "Oh I was making Spike some ketchup and the poor hawk flew right in the window. He crashed right into the bowl, flew in a panic all over the living room, and slid right under the cabinet. You came in when I was trying to get him out."

"So," Rainbow asked, "That's ketchup? I panicked for nothing?"

Fluttershy looked ashamed, "I'm so sorry for making you worry." She looked up to Rainbow and had tears in her blue-green eyes, "I always make you worry. I wish I wasn't so useless."

Rainbow put her hoof to Fluttershy's cheek, "Hey you are not useless! I know you may feel that way since you prefer to be on the ground and are so shy, but to me Fluttershy you are the kindest and gentlest pony I know." She smiled and felt relieved when Fluttershy returned the smile.

Both friends enjoyed their tea in a quiet that they always enjoyed. Most ponies thought the quiet was awkward but for them it was just peaceful. They enjoyed each other's company and did not need an endless stream of words to fill any voids. Their friendship ensured that there were no voids.

After they were done with tea, Fluttershy said softly, "Rainbow can I tell you something?"

"Of course Fluttershy," Rainbow said relieved that she could hold off on telling Fluttershy her feelings.

"It's important and I don't want to lose you as a friend," Fluttershy said sniffing back tears.

"Fluttershy," Rainbow said wiping a tear from her friend's face, "There is nothing you can ever do or say that will end our friendship. You could beat a pony to death with your bare hooves and I will still stand by you."

"Why would I ever do that," Fluttershy asked.

"I dunno," Rainbow said, "Some bronies are weird like that."

"Ok," Fluttershy said. 'What would Rainbow do,' she thought, 'She would just say it a quickly and plainly as possible.' Fluttershy took a deep breath and said, "Rainbow, I'm gay." She cringed as she waited for Rainbow to be disgusted or laugh at her, but instead felt relief when the rainbow maned pony hugged her.

Rainbow looked at her friend and said, "That must have been very hard for you to say. When did you know?"

"Well," Fluttershy said, "a colt asked me out and he was very nice and friendly, but for some reason I could not see him like that. It was weird, but I tried to see him as a colt friend and felt nothing. A young mare walked by and I felt my skin tingle a bit. That's when I knew colts weren't for me." She looked to Rainbow and smiled, "Thank you Rainbow, I knew you were the only pony I could tell. I hope you won't think I'm, um weird now."

Rainbow could not feel more relieved, 'She's like me,' she thought happily, 'Maybe we can be together!' She cleared her throat and said, "Well Fluttershy you're not alone there." She felt her face become very warm and knew she was blushing. "In fact, there's a certain filly that I'm in love with, but I can't tell her how I feel."

Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow, "What about your motto that if you want something you just take it?"

"Cause you're not some prize," Rainbow shouted before she shut her mouth with her hooves. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'Please tell me I only thought that.' She turned to run out of the cottage and stopped when she heard Fluttershy.

"You like me," Fluttershy said softly. Rainbow turned to her friend and saw Fluttershy smiling. "I never thought you would like a pony like me." Fluttershy sniffed back some tears and said happily, "You're always so brave and strong I thought you would want a pony just as tough as you. Not a nopony like me."

Rainbow put her hoof to Fluttershy's chin and said softly, "Hey you're plenty tough and I love you because I know that what ever I'm thinking or feeling when I'm around you is the honest truth. I can be myself and not be afraid for it. I feel…"

She was unable to finish because Fluttershy closed the distance and began to kiss Rainbow gently. Rainbow eagerly returned the kiss and both ponies were blushing and smiling broadly.

The sun was setting and Rainbow and Fluttershy were resting on a hill. They spent the rest of the day merely sitting and talking. The topics did not matter. They were enjoying their time together and made a game whenever the subject changed whoever changed it had to kiss the other pony. It was not long before Rainbow was changing topics mid-sentence much to Fluttershy's amusement and pleasure.

"Rainbow," Fluttershy said as she rested her head on Rainbow's belly, "Thank you for today. I know it was boring for you."

"It wasn't boring," Rainbow said, "Ok sure it's not something I want to do all the time, but I spent it with you and that made it special."

Fluttershy snuggled closer to Rainbow and said, "Well for you Rainbow I promise to get braver. That way we can do things you like to do, and, um I love you." She kissed Rainbow and put her head back on her belly.

"I love you too," Rainbow said. 'I can't believe it,' she thought happily, 'of all the ways to tell her. I thought I would be having an adventure and confessing my love to her, but here we are. Together after a simple quiet confession.' She hugged her fillyfriend and smiled as the sun set and a new future began for the two pegasi.