Thanks to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy it was a cloudless sunny day in Ponyville, and the Elements of Harmony lounged together on a large checkered blanket on the outskirts of town. Pinkie Pie and Applejack had both worked really hard on the picnic lunch that overflowed from wicker baskets, and Rarity had supplied silky soft pillows for all six mares to rest on.
Rainbow Dash rested her head in Fluttershy’s lap while the yellow pegasus gently stroked strands of her wild rainbow mane out of her face. Rarity and Applejack exchanged idle barbs; Applejack snorted and gestured at Rarity’s large pile of pillows while Rarity turned her nose up at Applejack’s refusal to sit on anything but the ground itself.
Pinkie Pie babbled in Twilight’s ear, but it was apparent that the unicorn was distracted. Her gaze darted from one pair of ponies to the next, her eyebrows lowered, and her mouth turned down into a frown.
Pinkie Pie poked Twilight in the side. “You okay, Twilight?”
Twilight turned to look at the earth pony who cocked her head to the side with a puzzled expression.
She continued before Twilight could respond, “I mean, I thought you’d be really really happy. You planned all this and put it together and I kinda thought that meant that you wanted it to happen.”
Twilight bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I’m just kind of thinking.”
Pinkie nuzzled up under Twilight’s chin. “You’re always thinking, silly filly!” When Twilight didn’t reply, Pinkie continued, “What’re you thinking so hard about now? We’re on a date!”
Twilight absent mindedly began rubbing Pinkie’s shoulders; the pink pony sighed in contentment.
“I guess,” Twilight mused, “I’m just wondering how this is even possible.” She gestured a hoof at the rest of their friends. “How are we all going to be in a relationship at the same time? This is ridiculous!”
Pinkie giggled. “I should’ve known. I can explain it to you if you’d like, Sparkle Butt.”
Twilight grinned and buried her face in Pinkie’s voluminous mane. “Oh please do, Professor Pinkie Pie. I await your wisdom with bated breath.”
“What?”
“It’s an expression. I just mean that I’m excited.”
Pinkie laughed. “Why didn’t you just say so?” Pinkie righted herself and pointed to each of their friends in turn. “It’s actually really simple, Twilight, you see we’re all friends, right?” Twilight nodded. “And it was never hard for us all to be friends with each other at the same time was it?”
“But this is-”
Pinkie cut her off with a hoof to the lips. “It’s not different! We’re all still friends! It’s just that now we’re all friends who can do this!” Pinkie planted a big sloppy kiss on Twilight’s cheek.
Twilight couldn’t help the smile that spread the corners of her mouth. “I guess that makes sense.”
Pinkie nodded. “But there’s still something on your mind?” She lowered her eyebrows and stuck out her lower lip.
“Actually,” Twilight’s gaze rested on Applejack and Rarity who were now beating each other with the pillows, “there is. How do we make sure everypony is getting the same amount of love and attention? What if one pony starts feeling left out? What if somepony gets more love than everypony else? Do we make schedules?”
Pinkie grabbed Twilight’s face in her hooves and locked eyes with her. “Twilight. I know you’re a really smart smarty smarticorn, but there’s something that Pinkie Pie knows most of all. And you should trust her on this.” Twilight’s worried frown melted into a small bashful smile. “As long as we all love each other, there’s nothing that we can’t get past.”
“So is it a communication thing? A book I was reading said that relationships are all about communication and-”
Pinkie drew Twilight’s face closer to hers until they were a mere breath apart. Pinkie smiled and planted and small kiss on the tip of Twilight’s nose. Twilight’s breathing became shallower and her heart picked up tempo.
“Everything’s gonna be just fine.”
Twilight leaned forward just enough and their lips met, soft and yielding. Twilight savored Pinkie’s taste and pushed back trying to drown in Pinkie’s sweetness and flavor; Pinkie tumbled over backwards and Twilight followed her.
Rarity held up a dainty hoof, an eyebrow arched high on her brow, and a small smirk gracing the gentle curves of her lips. Applejack paused in her assault and peered over to see what had caught Rarity’s attention.
Applejack snorted. “There they go again. I swear those two go at it at the drop of a hat.”
Rarity chuckled. “I think it’s just darling. Really, Pinkie has brought Twilight so far. I don’t think that the poor dear would have ever considered this arrangement if it hadn’t of been for Pinkie’s gentle encouragement.”
Applejack pushed her hat back with a sly grin. “There ain’t nothing gentle about Pinkie’s brand of ‘encouragement’ and you know it.”
“True true.”
Applejack looked around at the mess they had made with the pillows, and winced when she noticed that one of them had feathers bursting out of a tear in its seam. She set about gathering them up.
“Shoot. I’m mighty sorry, Rarity. I didn’t mean to tear up your pillows.”
Rarity tutted, “Oh Applejack, darling, don’t you worry about it at all! I’m perfectly capable of fixing a small rip like this.”
Rarity grabbed a small pouch with her magic and drew out a needle and thread. She grabbed the pillow and made short, deft stitches.
“And besides,” she continued with a smirk, “when you apologize it makes our tiffs much less fun.”
Applejack finished stacking the pillows and began dusting them off. “I know. I know. I just get a mite worried that these little scuffles will become real problems if I’m not honest about it.”
Rarity sidled up to Applejack and gave her a gentle nuzzle on her cheek. “I think we’ll probably know if one of our ‘scuffles’ take a turn for the worst.” She met Applejack’s clear green eyes with her own bright blue ones. “And then Fluttershy will get upset and Rainbow Dash will yell at us and Pinkie will throw us a ‘Making Up Party’ while Twilight lectures us on how best to go about reconciling our differences.”
Applejack cracked a grin. “Sounds about right now doesn’t it?” She raised a single eyebrow. “Although, I think you and I both know what the best way to settle a fight is.”
Rarity shivered as Applejack dragged her tongue slowly up the unicorn’s cheek.
Applejack whispered right in Rarity’s ear, “You wanna join em on the blanket or…?”
Rarity wrapped her forelegs around Applejack’s neck. “On the pillows if you please. I’d prefer not to get any dirtier than I have to.”
Applejack wrenched the unicorn off her hindlegs and twirled around, landing the two of them on the top of the pillow pile, locking lips before they tumbled off the side of the pile and back onto the ground.
Rainbow Dash cracked open an eye and peered around at the two unicorn and earth pony piles. She cocked an eyebrow up at Fluttershy.
“Gotta love their enthusiasm.”
Fluttershy smiled, one of those small smiles that exuded pure happiness and seemed to have a direct line to Rainbow Dash’s heart. She filled with a certain kind of warmth that spread outwards into her limbs, making her wings tingle slightly.
Fluttershy continued stroking at Rainbow Dash’s mane. “I’m just glad that everypony is happy.”
Rainbow Dash flipped around so that she was on her stomach instead of her back, looking right up into Fluttershy’s eyes. “Hey.” Her eyes darted to the ground and then back up to Fluttershy. “Thanks for agreeing to do this.”
Fluttershy nodded. “It’s no problem. Not at all. I know that you liked Pinkie too. And Applejack. And that small thing with Rarity…”
Rainbow Dash leaned up to plant a slow kiss on Fluttershy’s mouth. When she drew away, Fluttershy’s cheeks were flushed. Rainbow Dash loved it when that happened.
Rainbow Dash stood up and stretched her limbs in turn. “I love them, yeah.” She flashed Fluttershy a bright grin. “But not more than you.” She gave Fluttershy a quick nuzzle. “I love you all the same.” She flapped her wings and tossed her mane. “You all are just the right kinda ponies for me. You know what I mean?”
Fluttershy paused, and then nodded slowly. “I think so.”
Rainbow Dash gestured to Twilight and Pinkie Pie who were rolling around, playfully nipping each other and squealing. “What do you say we grab us some ponies and make us a big old pile?”
Fluttershy grinned. Rainbow Dash loved it when she grinned that way, it was slightly mischievous with a glint of naughtiness that Rainbow Dash liked to claim as her influence on the shier pegasus.
With just a few moments to devise a plan, the two pegasi barreled over and yanked Applejack and Rarity apart. The grunts of disappointment were short lived as they made a crash landing right on top of Twilight and Pinkie.
Twilight looked utterly mortified as did Rarity. But Pinkie Pie locked gazes with Rainbow Dash who nodded once, and let loose a squeal of joy. It didn’t take long for Pinkie to show Applejack what the new plan was. And it didn’t take long for the rest of the ponies to get the hint either.