About ten months into pregnancy...

In the darkness of the early morning, Rainbow Dash woke up from an unusual disturbance from the other side of the bed. First, she glanced at the clock that rested on the nightstand of her side of the bed which indicated that it was about 5:20. It took her a minute to comprehend what was going on. With her eyelids drooping down, she turned around to the disturbance that woke her up.

A low sound started coming from the figure next to her. She could barely feel the blanket shaking but right away did she know that something was not right. The noise sounded just like a pony crying and there was no doubt that it wasn't. Panic and alarm almost took control of her actions but she decided to be subtle about it.

With a gentle hoof, she carefully touched the shoulder of her lover. "Hey, what's going on over there?" she whispered in concern for her.

Unexpectedly, the mare shook off the hoof and shifted under the covers. "Leave me alone," she muttered.

"C'mon, don't be like that," Rainbow Dash begged. "Just tell me... please."

To her surprise, Fluttershy turned around, bursting into tears. She was quickly brought into a close and comforting hug as the sappy pegasus tried to make her feel better.

Confused, worried, and tired, Rainbow Dash wrapped her hooves around the sobbing pegasus and began to slowly rub her back. It was cold to the touch but she sought to massage it to make it warmer. After all, this early morning was unusually chilly but she hoped that her smooth touches would calm down Fluttershy.

In a slow movement, Rainbow Dash rubbed up and down on the contours of Fluttershy's back. Deftly, she moved her hooves away toward her soft sides. This elicited a soft sigh from the distraught Fluttershy. Feeling confident that progress was being made, Rainbow Dash made an even more careful move of her hooves. Remembering to be gentle with her sensitive wings, she slid a hoof under each wing and began to rub very slowly.

It did seem to work well though because the crying was replaced with more soft, light sighs from the muzzle of the creamy pegasus. Rainbow Dash had to admire herself for being an expert with her gentle touches and caresses. Still, it didn't change the fact that she was tired and just wanted to get this sorted out as soon as she could.

Finally, Rainbow Dash tried again to get an answer. "Look, what's wrong, Flutters? You know that you could tell me anything in the world," she cooed in a weary voice.

"I'm scared..." Fluttershy squeaked through the rainbow mane.

"What?" Rainbow Dash asked back in confusion. Oh no, she's probably freaking out about it again, she worried to herself.

"I can sometimes feel it moving," Fluttershy whimpered. "I'm tired of living like this," she complained.

"Does it like, hurt?" Rainbow Dash whispered, no longer having the strength or will to talk louder.

"No, but it just... feels so strange," Fluttershy replied and wiped some tears away.

Rainbow Dash breathed out a sigh. "I know that you're still worried about giving birth and I wish I was the one who could take that pain for you..." she paused for a moment and sighed again. "But, you're going have to be strong. I promised that I'll be there with you the whole entire time."

"I know..." Fluttershy sighed. "I'm very thankful of you for that. It's just that thinking about it makes me more and more and worried about it," she explained.

"Yeah, I know it's scary when you don't know when to expect it, Fluttershy. I really do... but you really need to go to sleep," Rainbow Dash whispered, getting even quieter.

With a sigh, Fluttershy gave in and turned her body around. She said nothing but welcomed the hoof that slowly wrapped over her side. Rainbow Dash pulled up the blanket and pressed her chest against Fluttershy's back to help her keep it warm. She was the first one to fall asleep while the creamy pegasus relished in the comfort until she too disappeared into the dream world.

The morning couldn't have felt any more stranger for Rainbow Dash. Waking up, she found that her hooves were longer wrapped around a certain pegasus. She paused on the cushy mattress for a few seconds before reluctantly opening her weary eyes. What stood out in her temporarily blurred vision was that the clock that showed it was ten-something. A sigh of frustration escaped her muzzle as she realized that she was late for her weather duties. What was more bothering was that Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen in the room. Considering the previous event, it was somewhat worrisome too.

Knowing that her very special somepony might not be okay was enough to convince Rainbow Dash to get up on her hooves. Letting out a frustrated moan, she remembered that a storm was scheduled for this already gloomy day. It was sad to think that the day had been going downhill.

Hurrying downstairs, Rainbow Dash stopped to see that her worries were confirmed. There was a figure slightly leaned over on the couch, holding something flat between her hooves. No doubt, there also was the sound of quiet crying to prove that something was not right here. It pained Rainbow Dash to stumble on such a scene, especially with little time to resolve a problem.

Slowly, Fluttershy turned her head towards the pony who had made quite a bit of noise on the way down. "Rainbow..." she attempted to speak but everything after her mane became jumbled up. It was clear though, that something was definitely bothering her very much.

"What's wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked in a hushed tone. Looking at what Fluttershy was holding only made her more confused. From where she stood behind the couch, she could see that it was a letter she was holding. This was a more recent letter from the captain of the Wonderbolts describing the available position in the ranks. "What are you doing with this?" she asked with a curious look.

"Don't you understand?" Fluttershy sniffled.

Resting a comforting hoof on the distraught pegasus, Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I don't get it. This is like the best news I've gotten. Why would you be upset over this?"

This however, made Fluttershy feel even worse. "I-I'm sorry, Rainbow... I should have told you..." she trailed off.

"Wait..." Rainbow Dash started, now thinking back to the past. "I thought we talked about this a long time ago. We were engaged, and about to get married," she said, sounding a bit more serious.

"How could you think I would be over this?" Fluttershy suddenly accused. Her tone was now a mixture of anger and despair. "It's not that simple, Rainbow," she cried.

Unsure of either being annoyed by this or guilty, Rainbow Dash was taken back. "What? But I need this! This is pretty much what I've always dreamed of. If I make this, I get to be part of the team that does shows for Canterlot and Cloudsdale. I even could get the chance to go somewhere like Baltimare or Manehatten! Why are you so upset about this?" she demanded.

Leaning against the sidearm of the chair, Fluttershy shook her head. "Everything's going to change so much. Soon, you'll be training and before I know it, you're off with the Wonderbolts and I'm alone, worrying that after all those dangerous tricks you might not come back home," she sobbed.

"I thought you knew things were going to change a little. You seemed pretty eager to have children. Look at us now!" Rainbow Dash shot back, letting her temper get the best of her.

Just as things were getting heated, it was Fluttershy's turn to lash out. "How can you say that?!" she yelled. Before the bold pegasus could retort back, she stopped her. "Just leave me alone," she quietly muttered before turning away.

Whether or not this was Fluttershy unable to handle her emotions or her true feelings of the situation, Rainbow Dash found herself in an even bigger problem. Not only had she failed to comfort her lover but she only had made it much worse. There was a silence in the cottage except for the continuous crying of the pregnant mare. Rainbow Dash almost said something back before making an important decision. She wasn't sure if anything said would help and instead decided it would be best to leave and tend to her duties. Hopefully, Fluttershy would calm down and be open for some honest talking after a few things were taken care of.

Even after completing her weather duty Rainbow Dash felt no less guilty for losing her cool. It would have been easy to keep it, had she not felt her lifelong dream being threatened. There was only less than a hour of time left before a member of her weather team started a storm that was scheduled for the day, but she was confident that it was enough. With that in mind, she was off to Sugarcube Corner to pick up something sweet and tasty for Fluttershy; preferably something that was vanilla flavoured.

Before Rainbow Dash could open the door, a voice called out for her name.

"Aha! Just the pony I was looking for!" said an unusually giddy Rarity.

"Uhh.. what?" Rainbow Dash asked as she turned around. Surprised, she stopped walking and stood waiting with her hoof scratching the back of the head since she had no idea what her close friend wanted nor was she in the mood for talking.

"Why, I was on my way to go talk to Pinkie Pie about the wedding arrangements and then I was going drop by for a visit," Rarity explained, glancing around the bold pegasus. "Although, it would have been nice if Fluttershy were here with you."

"Oh yeah, I guess," Rainbow Dash shrugged, feeling uncomfortable about mentioning the pony in question. "It's too bad she's sound asleep right now," she lied. Hesitant, she sought to quickly move on with the conversation. So... you're getting married now? It took you guys long enough," she teased with a laugh. "Is the wedding like next month?"

"Hardly! These things take well over a month to plan you know," Rarity scoffed at her. "And to clarify things, we will be getting married the day before Hearth's Warming Eve. It's not like I didn't already send invitations out."

"That's too bad we'll have to wait," Rainbow Dash teased. "So, uhh what did you want me for again?" she asked, confused but eager to find something to distract herself.

"Well, I needed to ask for a few favors from Pinkie but since it seems I've bumped into already. Why don't you join us?" Rarity replied and offered a hoof towards the door.

"Sure," Rainbow Dash shrugged.

Although she had originally intended to go inside, Rainbow Dash felt uncertain. She didn't expect to be stopped by Rarity to have a little chat but it wasn't really a bad idea. After all, two of her closest friends were now engaged. It would be the perfect distraction Rainbow Dash needed to give herself time to be relaxed and loose.

Putting on a fake smile and brushing her mane with a hoof, Rainbow Dash nonchalantly strolled through the doors with her friend. As half-expected, there was nopony else around inside but their goofy kind-hearted friend, who was busy cleaning one of the round wooden tables. Just by look on Pinkie Pie's face it seemed like she somehow was enjoying the rather dull task.

This of course, lasted only for a few seconds because the wild pink pony jumped in surprise at the sight of her friends and rushed to greet them.

"Oh my gosh! Dashie and Rare-bear!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed with a mouth wide open in surprise.

Rainbow Dash shared embarrassed looks with Rarity before she simply brushed it off and greeted back, "Oh hey, Pinks! What are you up to?"

"Oh just cleaning and listening to Mr. Cake snoring upstairs," Pinkie Pie replied as she sat in front of her friends with an amused grin. "But what are you guys doing here? I wasn't expecting that anyone would come right before a storm." she asked.

Before Rainbow Dash could answer, Rarity approached Pinkie Pie and laid a hoof on her shoulder. "Sorry to intrude on you like this, Pinkie Pie, but I was hoping that I could discuss some of the wedding planning with you," she apologized.

"Silly Rarity!" Pinkie Pie teased as she squeezed the unicorn in a fuzzy hug. "I just wanted to know what you and Rainbow were doing here. You don't need to be sorry!"

Rainbow smirked at the sight and settled herself at a nearby table. "Oh you know… Miss Sappy-for-Applejack here apparently needs us to help with the wedding," she teased.

Pinkie Pie gasped as she released Rarity from the hug. "You want me to help set up the wedding?" she asked, excited and eager.

"Well, of course I'd like my best friends to help out," Rarity replied while she recovered. "I thought if I ran into Rainbow Dash, she would have at least been with Fluttershy-no doubt kissing her on the snout and calling her 'my beautiful little butterfly'," she added with smirk towards the rainbow mare's direction.

"Uhh… no I didn't," Rainbow Dash weakly argued back as her cheeks turned pink.

"Hah," said Rarity before she joined her at the table. "I take that as a 'yes' you've done that quite a few times in the past."

Before Rainbow Dash could try to say something witty or come up with something to embarrass her romance loving friend, the bitter memory flashed in her mind. She still was angry with Fluttershy and guilty at the same time. It seemed only fair if she allowed her partner her dream of becoming a family, that she could continue on chasing her own dream of becoming a Wonderbolt. However, she had been slowly picking up that Fluttershy wasn't as enthusiastic about that anymore. It was like she secretly wanted to hold her back.

A hoof was now resting on her shoulder and concerned eyes looking at her face. "Are you alright?" asked a worried Rarity. "I was merely teasing with you. It's really not like we look down at you for how you show your affections."

With a quick jolt back to reality, Rainbow Dash blurted out, "Huh?" before she realized the face that she was making. She had suddenly gone from a goofy grin and a lax attitude to a frown and a sorrowful stare at nothing. This would explain why her friends were now sitting at the table with concern in their eyes.

"Aw… it's nothing to get yourself down about, Rainbow Dashie. Everypony understands how you feel and act around the one you love," Pinkie Pie added in.

"It's n-nothing!" Rainbow Dash stuttered as she tried to wave it off.

"Are you sure, dear?" Rarity asked. "You've really been giving us a lot of reasons to be worried about you. I mean this past month, I've been seeing you so in so much stress, it's like you've really been working yourself up!"

"It's nothing," Rainbow Dash repeated with a shake of her head. "Look, I appreciate the concern but everything is fine… I just was looking to take my mind off things."

"Like what?" asked the unicorn as she furrowed her brows

A sigh escaped Rainbow Dash's lips as she hesitated to answer, "I… I kind of lost my cool this morning… so I left to come here for a while and maybe get something for Fluttershy."

The room became silent as her two close friends nodded, mostly likely to show they understood what was going on. It was enough to make Rainbow Dash almost regret partially divulging what happened but she trusted them.

It was little obvious what had been happening and was happening again. Here she was, going through a rough patch again with the mare she loved. Now Rainbow Dash was the one who was starting to crack under the stress that was building up. She was prepared to embrace parenthood but obviously not Fluttershy attacking the dream that she carried throughout her whole life. It was the one dream which started when she was just a little filly, sitting on her father's back watching Wonderbolts.

"So that's why she didn't come with you," said Rarity in a soft voice.

"Yeah… I got mad at her all of a sudden so I took off," Rainbow Dash admitted. One of her hooves was in her mane as she nervously scratched the back of her head. "I feel so stupid for doing that but I totally lost it! I didn't get any sleep the night before and last night she woke me up crying so I was awake, rubbing her back until she fell back to sleep. I didn't want to get mad at her."

"I see," Rarity simply said before nodding again with Pinkie Pie, who was quiet as well. "Didn't we mention that you've been too stressed these days?" she added with a curious look.

"Yeah, you did," Rainbow Dash deadpanned.

"Well, that's what the problem is, dear! It's never good to let so much stress build up. No wonder you snapped at the poor dear-and you could have told us sooner to help you!" Rarity exclaimed with both hooves on the table.

"Rarity is right, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie agreed. "You should've told us that you needed some relaxing. We would've treated you to whatever you wanted; a trip to a sauna, ice cream, a game of bowling, some of Applejack's delicious baked goods-"

Shaking her head, Rainbow Dash cut off her pink friend. "I get it… I should have talked to you guys and taken some time to relax," she sighed.

"Hmm…" thought Pinkie Pie out loud, as she quickly put on a thoughtful face. "What if you stay here for a little while longer before you go back home? I could go get us some punch to drink!" she offered.

"Why yes," Rarity nodded in agreement. "I haven't even told you two the news about how you'll be helping with the wedding!"

Outside Sugarcube Corner, it was a gloomy day. Dark gray clouds blocked the warm sunlight that brightened all the ponies. A drizzle of rain was coming down, slowly damping the ground. It was a slight downfall; the beginning of downpour that would soon drench the village with cold rain. Even the wind was starting to pick up as a signal that a greater storm was approaching. Today wasn't going to be as bright and sunny as the others.

Rainbow Dash knew it before the day started. The whole day was scheduled to be rainy, even through the night. It was a rather unusual arrangement but this had to made to make up for last week's mix-up with the monthly schedule. Three rainstorms were missed and Rainbow Dash had taken the blame for it, despite that it wasn't her mistake to begin with.

Besides a rainstorm to dullen the day, there was also the force of guilt raining down on Rainbow Dash's day. However, she was distracted from all of that. Inside the little bakery the sounds of the rain and wind could not be heard. Here she was, chatting with two good friends and with a glass of refreshing punch. Scattered around the table were crumbs of the muffins and cupcakes they had eaten. Fluttershy had been forgotten because something new and more interesting had taken Rainbow Dash's attention.

"C'mon, tell me already!" Rainbow Dash was practically begging to hear what her unicorn friend had to say for her. She was leaning on the table with her hooves, excited and curious. "Is it my signature sonic rainboom?"

"No way! You want Dashie to do her rainboom at your wedding! That's totally awesome!" Pinkie Pie butted in.

"Well sort of," Rarity replied. A sly grin formed on her face. "Actually, I would like her to help with the fireworks display-and perform her sonic rainboom at the end of it."

Rainbow Dash lifted herself from her chair and hovered in the air above them with a strong sense of pride. "I knew it! The sonic rainboom is perfect for everything!" she boasted above her two friends. Though a thought brought her back down to hover slightly above her chair. "But I've never done anything with fireworks!" she realized out loud.

"That's why I got special permission from the Wonderbolts-"

Before Rarity could continue to explain, she was interrupted by a sudden squeal from Rainbow Dash as the pegasus was overcome with excitement just by the name. With a vigorous flap of her wings, she sent herself higher and quickly spun in the air above, rolling with a new found energy.

"Darling, I haven't finished telling you," replied Rarity, who was still calm sitting down. She paused to wait for Rainbow Dash to contain herself enough to lower back to the ground. "I have their permission to let you join the training, and of course help with the fireworks display."

Rainbow Dash was in the air again, this time holding her friend in a tight hug. "This is so awesome! Like, this best thing in my life ever!" she stated as she hugged Rarity in gratitude.

This reaction wasn't exactly expected by Rarity but she all could do was squeak a few words out in surprise and try to wiggle of out of Rainbow Dash's grip. Being the goofy pony she was, Pinkie Pie leaped in the air with an unrealistic jump and hugged both of the ponies. Rainbow Dash was without a doubt, a very strong flier but two ponies was too much. The weight made them sink back into a mess of hooves.

Pinkie Pie emerged first from the wreckage. "Oh my gosh that was so fun!" she said as she bounced in place at Rainbow Dash and Rarity, who were both in confusion because of the collision.

Quick to recover, Rainbow Dash picked herself up and blushed in embarrassment. "Heh, sorry about that…" she weakly apologized to Rarity, who was still in confusion. Trying to make up for her total loss in composure, she offered a hoof to the white unicorn.

Rarity accepted the offer and with a groan, she was slowly helped up back on her hooves. "Dear, a simple hug would be appreciated next time," she muttered as she was being pulled up.

"Yeah… sorry, Rarity," Rainbow Dash apologized again with bright cheeks.

Without warning, a sudden flash of lightning brightened the world outside, immediately followed by a crack of thunder that took everypony by surprise. The three friends yelped and hurried to a window to look outside at the town. The sight was a buzzkill to Rainbow Dash's excitement. It was pouring outside and leaves were being blown around with various bits of garbage left out in the streets.

As Rainbow Dash looked out with her friends, a sudden sense of despair overcame her. The rain reminded her of a memory she shared with her wife. It was a dreary day that they were having; the week before she moved her belongings in and settled with Fluttershy in the cottage. There was a terrible thunderstorm that she couldn't forget. Fluttershy was scared senseless because of the loud thunder and Rainbow Dash had to spend that rainy day comforting and holding on to her. She could feel the timid mare's heart racing as she cuddled her under the blankets of the bed.

Just looking back at that memory, Rainbow Dash was reminded of what was more important. She knew Fluttershy wasn't afraid of storms anymore like that but she was alone at the cottage. It didn't matter if she still was unsure about returning so soon. This would be the best opportunity to patch things up and make up for what she did.

"I really should go."

"What?" asked a surprised Rarity. "Darling, it's pouring outside! You'll get absolutely drenched in that rain!"

"I know…" Rainbow Dash sighed. "But I really need to get back home. Plus, I can't just leave her alone like this." With a grateful look, she turned to her friends. "Thanks though, but I'll see you guys later."

Goodbyes were quickly exchanged as Rainbow Dash hurried to ready her wings and make her way back home. She almost felt guilty for leaving her friends like this but there was some pony more special to her that she let down. Determined, she took off and flew through the rain and the wind. Whatever it would take, she was going to make things right again with her very special somepony.

Back at the cottage, Fluttershy was up in their bedroom staring out the only window in the room. She could only see the back of their yard with the chicken coop painted in a bright pink color and the Everfree Forest close by behind it all. The sight of the dark clouds and the trees starting to shake in the background were the sad warning to her that a storm was coming, one that Rainbow Dash didn't even warn her about.

She sighed and lowered her down, unwilling to look anymore out the bedroom window. "This is all my fault," she told herself quietly. "It's all my selfish fault she's mad at me."

A tear dripped down from her face as she moved herself away the window. She had been pacing about for some time, hoping she would catch glimpse of Rainbow Dash's return. It had been almost an hour since she stormed off and left. Fluttershy wished she hadn't brought up the whole issue of leaving for tryouts and training but it was bound to surface soon enough. After all, she knew that Rainbow Dash relied mostly on her for emotional support to help succeed in her expert flying skills.

With an even longer sigh, she settled herself on the bed and laid out on her back. "Some Element of Kindness I turned out to be…" she muttered to herself.

In front of her sat the reminder of the promise they made long ago to each other. If Rainbow Dash agreed to become a parent and be there at her side along the way, she would do the same to support her to become a Wonderbolt. It was the greatest plan they came up with. As a Wonderbolt, Rainbow Dash would be able to make enough bits so they could afford to rebuild their home to fit another bedroom. The downside was that she would be performing dangerous tricks and flights. Already she had a few accidents in the past while training, proof enough for Fluttershy to believe that something worse could happen.

Another sigh escaped her muzzle as reached down to her tummy. "I don't want you to think that we've suffered," she whispered as she rubbed the bulge below her stomach. "I know Rainbow Dash loves me very much and I love her too. I just wish that everything could work out like it used to between us."

"Do I really believe in her?" she asked out loud to herself. With that thought, something sparked in her mind. It wasn't a matter of simply worrying about Rainbow Dash getting hurt, it was trusting Rainbow Dash to do her best and succeed. It truly was believing in Rainbow Dash. She had been doing that for such a long time it seemed strange that she was questioning herself now.

"I know she's one of the best fliers. She's a great pony and the greatest friend I ever had. I thought somepony so wonderful like her would never fall in love with me. I thought I wasn't good enough for anypony… but Rainbow said the exact opposite… She told me that I never was worthless, that I was the best thing that happened to her life."

Within mere seconds of remembering that fond memory, Fluttershy burst into tears and curled up. "I love her so much!" she cried into a pink pillow. Even now she could remember the exact face and words Rainbow Dash made.

"You're not worthless, Fluttershy."

A few tears dripped down from her face as she looked up at her fillyfriend. Rainbow Dash wasn't frowning or making a scary angry face. She was smiling. It wasn't one of the big grins that she would sometimes give and it wasn't one of the most serious faces she ever made. It was a simple smile, yet the most complex face. It was everything to Fluttershy: serious, comforting, warm, and honest.

"W-what?" Fluttershy sputtered out.

A hoof reached out and rested on her shoulder.

"Why do you think you're worthless?" Rainbow Dash asked, raising an eyebrow. "Fluttershy, I never thought you were too weak or not good enough for me. I mean, it really doesn't bother me that you can be really shy sometimes… but I want you to open up to me-I want to open up to you. I really trust you, Fluttershy and I know you would never take advantage of me. I wouldn't either. So please… please don't act like you're worthless to me."

Words failed Fluttershy and instead, she was reduced to tears out of surprise and relief. It didn't stop Rainbow Dash from hugging her with both her hooves and her wings. In that moment, Fluttershy never felt so content or comfortable with her life. Her fillyfriend was there like she promised and that was all she needed to feel okay.

"I'm so stupid for not believing in her," Fluttershy cried out. "I should have been stronger for her," she declared as she rose up from the bed. "I have to talk to her again."

A bright light filled the room as a flash of lightning passed in the distance, followed by the distant sound of thunder. It took Fluttershy by surprise a little but it wasn't enough to send her under the blankets. All she could do was hope for Rainbow Dash to return home, and she believed she would.

A/N: I apologize for this story not coming out a few days earlier but I had a great deal of trouble reformatting so it was organized neatly so I apologize again if it appears wrong. Also, I want to apologize to those who sent messages about the story that I did not respond to, as I do not check my old email much. Anyway, I appreciate feedback and I am getting back to writing. Many thanks to Frostfairy for helping out a lot.