//------------------------------//
// Fluttershy's Secret 
// Story: The Mysteries of Love 
// by MysteriousStranger 
//------------------------------//

Rarity's P.O.V.

"Excuse me." I said before checking my phone to see who it was. "It's Fluttershy. I have to answer." I headed to another room to have a private conversation. I answered my phone once I closed the door behind me.

"Fluttershy, hello!"

"Rarity... I... I..."

"Something's wrong?"

"I... I need to tell you something..."

"Oh?" She sounded really nervous. More than usual. Just like she did in that cafe a month ago. "Of course. I'm all ears."

"I can't on the phone. Meet me at 'Piazza', the cafe we met the last time."

"Okay, Fluttershy. I'll see you there."

"Thank you..." She hang up and I remained with my eyes on my phone for a few moments. What could be making her be so nervous? I rushed to my room to pick up the purse Trixie bought me before walking towards the living room. I interrupted Sweetie Belle when I walked in.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Fluttershy asked me to meet her now. It seems important."

"I won't stop you." Trixie said. I looked at her.

"You can stay and talk with my sister if you want. You'll do me a huge favor. She won't rest until she asks you everything she wants."

"That's true!" Sweetie Belle said with a grin.

Trixie laughed softly. "I'll stay. I'll see you on Monday."

"Goodbye, Trixie. Sweetie Belle, don't abuse." I pointed at my sister, who nodded and I left the living room. I approached to the front door and walked out, heading towards that cafe.





'I'm outside Piazza.' I sent her the text, and received a reply within moments.

'OK. I'm almost there.'

I put my phone away after reading her reply. I stared at the sky, then, inside the cafe. This place wasn't so bad. Maybe I could bring Trixie here one day. My friends didn't normally come here, so, our secret friendship would be safe. It's funny, but being alone with Trixie actually excites me. I don't know why, but I really enjoy spending time with her. Sometimes, I enjoyed it more than with my friends. Not that I don't like spending time with the rest of my friends. 

Trixie was... special. I have completely forgiven her past actions towards me and my friends the day we became friends. I was partly glad that the rest of my friends don't know about us, yet. She's all mine. *Bump* *Bump* What was that? What did I just say? Why did my heart acted weirdly when I thought that? Why are my cheeks burning? It was like when... no, that's impossible. It couldn't be what I think it was.

"Uh... Umm... Rarity..."

I gasped and quickly turned. Fluttershy was here, and she got startled by my reaction. "Fluttershy!"

"Oh, I'm sorry I scared you."

"No, no. Don't worry about it." I smiled at her to calm her down. "I was distracted. Shall we go in?" Fluttershy nodded and followed me inside in silence. We found a table for two and sat before putting our purses between our legs. I gave Fluttershy time to speak, but she didn't say anything. Not even when the waiter came to ask our orders. I ordered tea for both of us and waited for the waiter to reach the cash register before speaking to my friend again. "So... what's in your mind, darling?" Fluttershy had her head down. She looked at me from the corner of her eyes.

"I... I hope I can show you..."

"Show me what?" She didn't answer me. She just hugged herself. She didn't look anywhere in particular. I decided to give her the time she needed. I knew I should never push Fluttershy. She remained silent for a while, even after our orders arrived. I served her tea, but she did take the cup. 

I watched her closely. She moved her head to focus on the door. Was she expecting someone? I shifted my eyes down to my cup to take a sip of my tea, when I noticed Fluttershy moved abruptly. I quickly darted at her and I saw her looking at the opposite direction, trying to hide her face with her hair. "What's wrong, Fluttershy?" My best friend didn't say anything, but she did point her finger at the direction of the door. I returned my attention to the door and gasped. The surprise almost made me drop my cup of tea. A familiar face just walked into the cafe. I would recognize her anywhere. "Is that...?"

Fluttershy nodded and muttered. "T-Twilight..."

Our friend from another world just casually walked in, holding Spike between her arms. I suppose the policy allows it as long as the pet remains calm. She looked different, though. She was wearing glasses, her hairstyle was different and she was wearing the school uniform of a private school. Could it be? "Fluttershy... is that... is she... the human Twilight... from our world...?"

"I-I think so..." Fluttershy kept hiding her face with her hair.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" I said while my eyes remained on Twilight. She sat by one of the windows, far from us.

My best friend nodded slowly. "Y-Yes..."

"I'm confused." I focused my attention to Fluttershy again. "Why are you so nervous? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"B-Because... I... umm..." I studied her expression. She was stuttering a lot. She always spoke in a barely audible tone, but she didn't normally stutter this much. Also, her cheeks changed of color. They were turning red. Could it be...?

"Fluttershy... do you... do you have feelings for... her?"

She closed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip. Then, she nodded slowly. "I... I did feel something for the other Twilight. But... she wasn't from here and I knew she had to return to her true home... so I never said anything. Then... one day, after my volunteer work at the animal shelter, I saw her... this Twilight."

"So, you followed her?"

Fluttershy nodded. "She comes here every Friday and Saturday to study."

"Every Friday and Saturday... That's why you asked me to come here last time."

"Yes, but she didn't show up."

I smiled warmly at her. "Fluttershy, darling, you could have told me earlier. You know you can trust me. Especially when it comes to love."

Fluttershy's cheeks turned even more red. "L-Love...?"

"Yes. This is what it is. You have feelings for her. Now, we can think on a way you can confess."

"Confess? Oh, no. No, no, no. I can't do that. I don't have the confidence to do it."

"Have you tried introducing yourself?"

"I wouldn't know where to begin. Rarity, you know I'm not good at this."

"You can't follow her forever. You'll have to talk to her eventually." I put my hand on my chin. "I'll find a way to help you."

Fluttershy didn't seem too happy to hear this. "Don't talk to her, please! I-I'm not ready!"

"Okay, okay, I won't." I smiled widely. "This is exciting!" I took both of Fluttershy's hands with mine. "I never thought you would get your eyes on someone, darling. I'm so happy for you!"

"P-Please, Rarity... Don't... don't make a big deal of this. I'm really, really nervous."

"I promise to take it easy, Fluttershy."

"Rarity, I appreciate what you're trying to do, and I will let you help me, but... be discreet."

"I will." I smiled at her. I knew just the right person to help me with this situation. Fluttershy probably thought on her as well, but she could only reveal her deepest secret with me. Fluttershy hasn't asked me not to tell anyone, so I think she wants me to talk to our common friend about it. "Let's finish our tea, shall we?" I glanced at Twilight from time to time. I wonder how different from the Twilight we know can she be. Does she has friends? I would love to go over there and say hi, but a promise is a promise. Patience is a virtue, Rarity.





"I have to go back home, darling. I can't leave my sister alone much longer." We were outside the 'Piazza' cafe. I still had problems with the name. It was the only thing I disliked from this place.

"Okay. I'll see you later. Goodbye, Rarity."

"Goodbye!" we waved at each other and I set my course back to my home. I will call Sunset as soon as I get there to ask her to come and discuss this matter. I still can't believe that Fluttershy has a crush. It's so... so... adorable! She deserves to be happy. Easy, Rarity. They're still not a couple. They haven't even interacted with each other. I need to remain calm about it, but I can't help it. I love romance! I always hoped that Fluttershy would set her eyes on someone.

I can't imagine how hard it must have been for her to repress her feelings on the other Twilight, but she did the right thing. Luckily, she found the human one. Her patience was rewarded, and with help from her friends, she will talk to her. 

When I reached my destination, I headed towards my door. But, before I could reach it, I spotted Trixie in the distance, she wasn't alone. Sunset Shimmer was with her.

"Sunset, what are you doing? I asked you not to talk to Trixie." I muttered to myself. Sunset, you better know what you are doing.

"Sis!" I quickly moved my head towards the door to find Sweetie Belle.

"Sweetie Belle!"

"You're back? That was fast. I thought you would return in a few more hours. You just missed Trixie."

I moved my gaze towards the area I saw Trixie and Sunset earlier, but I couldn't see them anymore. "That's fine. I'll text her later." I couldn't help but to worry. Trixie didn't really like Sunset for some reason. "I have to go to my room. Do you need anything?"

"Nope! I'm good."

I smiled at my sister and walked in. Sweetie Belle closed the door and walked to the living room. I took the chance to dash towards my room upstairs. I closed the door before taking my phone to text Trixie.

'I just got back. Are you walking home?' I waited for what it felt several minutes for a reply, pacing around the room, completely nervous. Sunset, Sunset, Sunset... I really hope you didn't break my Trixie... *Bump* *Bump* There it goes again. Why do I keep treating Trixie like if she was my property? Why do I keep feeling this way towards her? She's my friend, a close friend, but she's not my only friend. But... I keep having these strange feelings coming and going. Was it because the secrecy of our friendship? I could only come up with one explanation, but I rejected it. I know what I am. I'm surely mistaking these feelings for something else... right?

My phone vibrated and the notification sound effect played. I gasped and threw my phone into the air. I was so focused on my thoughts that I forgot what was I doing. I looked into the air and managed to grab my phone. Sighing, I checked my messages.

'Are you kidding? I just won a volleyball game and walked all the way to your mansion. I'm taking the bus 😊'

I sat on my bed, relieved that she was still in a good mood after Sunset intercepted her. I still needed to have a word with Sunset, though. I wrote to her again.

'Come on, I'm sure a little more exercise won't hurt 😉'

'Nooo, thank you! I plan on taking my trainers off and play videogames, oh, and perhaps, a nap. I earned it 😎' 

'Enjoy yourself! 😄'

'Thank you. Have a nice weekend! I'll call you if I get bored.'

'Oh, so, I'm just your backup plan now?'

'Yup! 😏' 

I giggled and didn't sent her another reply. She was definitely fine. I sighed happily and laid my back on my bed before removing my sandals. It has been a long day, and it still wasn't over. I needed to relax, at least a bit, before calling Sunset. What am I going to do with Fluttershy's situation? She might never talk to Twilight on her own. I wanted to help her, but how? What to do? Sunset surelly will know what to do. "So much for relaxing..." My mind wouldn't rest until I could think on something. I took my phone and texted Sunset.

'Sunset. I need to talk to you about something. Come to my place.' I received a reply within minutes

'I'm on my way.'

I put the phone on my night table and waited. After talking to Sunset, I think I'm going to spend the day with Sweetie Belle. I often rejected her invitations to do anything. I either have plans with my friends or I just want to be by myself. What kind of sister was I?

My phone vibrated, but no sound played. I had it in vibration mode. Could it be Sunset? She was already here? It could be since I saw her nearby not long ago. I read the text message I got, but it was from someone else.

'My internet connection is dead, so I suppose you'll have to entertain Trixie 😑'

A smile instantly appeared in my face. Trixie was so needy. I jumped from my bed and sat in my computer. I was feeling like playing with her. Trixie convinced me to install a program a week ago. She was the only one I added so it was easy to find the proof that she was not telling the truth. 

'Is that so? Or you just miss me? I can see through your lies 😊'

'You are not capable of reading Trixie's lies! No one can! Except for her brother, maybe.'

'Trixie, I have your Stream account, remember? You were the one who asked me to install it. I can see that you're logged in.'

There was no new message for a little while. I caught you in the crime scene, Trixie!

'That's my brother. He has it opened in his girlfriend's house.'

'Why would he log in with your account in his girlfriend's house? Hmm?'

'Fine, you got me. You're so persistent. You couldn't give me this one? 😒'

I giggled. I just loved playing with her. 'What do you need, darling?'

'I just remembered that you said that you wanted to jog with me.'

'True. When would that be?'

'How about tomorrow afternoon? I used to jog on Saturdays, but since I do sports now, I had to move it to Sundays. Does that work for you?'

'Afternoon? Why not in the morning? It would be a good way to start the day 😊'

'Because mornings are evil! Besides, it's Sunday! Sunday mornings are meant to sleep.'

'Come on, Trixie, it will be fun, you'll see!'

'OK, OK! But just for you, and only tomorrow.'

'I don't know. We could do it every Sunday 😉'

'You hate me, don't you?'

I laughed to myself. She couldn't refuse my requests. I was completely adapted to the new Trixie. But she was still a mystery. I will never forget when she first smiled at me. From corner to corner, like any person. Her smile, her laughter... the way she gazes at me with those lavender eyes of hers. I can't describe the feeling. It's like... I feel I could fly... She's... she's... *Bump* *Bump* There it goes again. What's going on with me? Somebody, please, explain me what's going on! Why was I having these weird thoughts?!

"Sis?" My sister called from the other side.

I gasped and darted to my eyes towards my door. I was dwelling too much in my thoughts... again! "Yes, Sweetie Belle?"

"Sunset Shimmer is here."

"Oh! Let her in." Finally! I could keep my mind focused on something entirely different from my strange thoughts. My door opened and I calmed down upon seeing my friend walking in with a warm smile. "Sunset. I'm glad you came so fast."

"You sounded serious... Please, don't tell me that you just asked me to come to give my thoughts on your new outfit again."

"Oh?" I looked down at my clothes. "This? No, I didn't... but now that you mention it..."

"I think you look great." My friend said as she crosed her arms and smirked.

"Why, thank you." I smiled brightly before getting serious and using my hand to point my to bed. "Please, sit." Sunset obeyed. I didn't sit. I remained standing in front of her, holding my chin with my hand. "First, I want to ask you something. When I was coming home, I saw you with Trixie. Did you just happen to bump into her by accident or did you do it deliberately?"

"Umm, well..." She scratched the back of her head, nervous. "A bit of both. I came to look for you, but I saw her and decide to... 'accidentaly' bump into her. I'm sorry. I did it without thinking."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." I crossed my arms shook my head in disapproval. "Sunset... that wasn't nice."

"I don't know what came to me. But I did manage to have a proper conversation to her. Kind of."

"Kind of?" I unfolded my arms and adopted a worried face. "Did she insult you? Hit you? What did she do?"

"She doesn't likes me because of how manipulative I was before. She really hates when someone fakes love to get what they want. You didn't know?"

"I suppose I should have." My hand held my chin as I thought. "She has mentioned problems regarding love. But she told me it was a personal matter. I can't tell you."

"I understand. She's... a nice girl. I used to think she was a huge bi...!"

"I got the message, Sunset." I raised my hand to my friend, showing her my palm, to fully stop her. "She's my friend, and I won't tolerate insults."

"Noted. I apologize."

I smiled again to assure her that no harm was done. "You said you came to look for me. What for, darling?"

"Oh, yeah. I wanted to ask you if you know if something's going on with Fluttershy. I noticed acting strange lately, and since you're her best friend..."

"Fluttershy?" My eyes widened in surprise. "You noticed...?"

"You know something, then? Is it serious? Is she sick?"

I chuckled and shook my head again. "She's not sick... not in that way. She actually asked me to see her today to tell me a secret. The reason I called you here is to ask you for help to solve this matter, but you must not tell anybody about this. I'm serious, Sunset. Please, try to keep your promise this time." I pointed a finger at her as I said the last.

"I'll keep my mouth shut." Sunset raised her hand, performing an oath. "Stuff a cupcake in my eye and... whatever Pinkie Pie says!"

I laughed softly before opening the door of my room real quick to make sure my sister wasn't around before closing it again. I walked towards  my friend. "Fluttershy... has developed a crush on someone."

"She did?" Sunset smiled, but it was a weird smile. She shook her head before speaking again "G-good for her! Who is it?"

Her behavior was odd. But I didn't think it was important to ask why. "Try to control your reaction. You'll never guess who... it's Twilight."

"Twi-Twilight?" Sunset took a hand to her chest. I knew she would be surprised. "Twilight Sparkle. The Equestrian Twilight that kicked my butt? The Twilight I pleaded to give me a second chance? That Twilight?!"

"Shh! Not so loud!"

"I'm sorry. But TWILIGHT?!" 

I covered her mouth with my hand. "Yes, and no..." her eyes showed confusion, so I removed my hand. "She did fall in love with her, but she recently found our Twilight. The human one. She goes to a cafe called 'Piazza' far from our school every Friday and Saturday."

"She does? Is she still there? I have to meet her..."

Sunset ran towards my door, but I grabbed her arm to stop her. "Sunset, no! You'll scare her! We have to help Fluttershy to confess her feelings. I want to meet the human self of our friend too, but Fluttershy's needs comes first. You have to control yourself!"

Sunset remained immobile for some moments before sighing. She spoke without looking at me. "You're right. I guess I got a little carried away..."

"A little?" I joked and she laughed.

"I'll think on something... I'll call you when I have an idea."

"Thank you." I let her arm go. My friend looked at me again. She was... smiling. But it was a weird kind of smile. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just... you're so focused trying to help your best friend with her love problems, that you don't stop to think if someone is into you."

"Huh?" I was puzzled. "Sunset. Do you know something I don't?"

"I'm just saying." She said, raising her arms to her shoulders level, closing her eyes. "You're always checking boys out, you never wondered if someone was admiring you from afar." Sunset opened her eyes, and chuckled when she saw my confusion. "I'm going to leave, now. See ya." She walked out, still smiling from corner to corner. I followed her to the stairs and watched her until my eyesight was blocked. I heard the front door open and close.

"Sunset..." I remained alone with my thoughts. What did she mean? She's right, though. I 've never wondered if anyone has been watching me, but why bring it up now? Was it because of the situation, or she knows that someone had a crush on me? I shook my head with frustration. 

"Sometimes I think you're still evil!" I closed my door and jumped on my bed. I wouldn't be able to stop thinking of what did my friend mean with her words. I'm going to kill her!