“Is it normal for a mare to like other mares?”
This question had hung in the corners of Fluttershy's life since she was very young. She had come home to it nearly every afternoon proceeding a hard, confusing day of school. It was one of the many things that had surfaced, like a shameful confession, through the bullying and neglect. She didn't know the answer. She did not want to know the answer. To know the answer was to be trapped in wrongness.
Fluttershy first noticed it when she was around thirteen years of age. She tried not to pry, but her observation skills were beyond her control. She saw them every single day, those fillies obsessing over colt bands, speaking enthusiastically about the various stallions they were attracted to, exchanging stories about their first kiss with their chosen coltfriend. Yet when Fluttershy's eyes came to rest on these same colts and stallions, she felt nothing in either her heart or her mind. She could never even pretend to find them attractive for the sake of the other schoolfillies. Her inability to be normal and her realization of her own puzzling abnormality were striking. She retreated further into her shell, latching onto her only real friend, Rainbow Dash, for comfort, yet never truly releasing her problems.
School continued. Among the flamboyant emerging talent of the time came a subtle spark. A tiny flash of modesty in a market being dominated by bright lights and attention-seeking gimmicks. Her name was Midnight Melody. Although she made only the slightest impact on the music world, her small yet loyal fan base carried her influence well into adulthood. To Fluttershy, Midnight Melody's songs about the effects of social anxiety, the difficulty in speaking up, and hidden strength seemed to have been written just for her. Fluttershy held all of these songs close to her heart, obsessively purchasing every little thing to do with Midnight Melody that she could afford. In her eyes, Midnight was the most beautiful, the most sweet, and the most relatable pony in existence. She admired her greatly. But it wasn't merely admiration, she realized after months of listening to Midnight's music. Her dreams told her of something more. She dreamed of meeting Midnight, of having lunch with her, of singing on stage with her, of being held by her while she sobbed, of standing next to her during their perfect, beautiful wedding. She dreamed of things she dared not think of the next morning, things that left her sweaty and blushing as she awakened, clutching her Midnight Melody body pillow. At the end of the year, Fluttershy gave away all of her Midnight Melody merchandise. But the dreams persisted.
When she was fourteen, Fluttershy's mother sat her down and gave her a talk. Honeydew, a prudish parent, had been reluctant to speak to her daughter about this particular subject. In her day, fillies and colts preserved their innocence until they'd fully entered their adult years. But times had changed, and Honeydew decided she'd have to adjust herself accordingly. She was unaware that Rainbow Dash had already given Fluttershy a through description of how reproduction worked, much to the more timid filly's shock.
“When a stallion and a mare love each other very much…,” Honeydew had begun.
The explanation was a long one, even though Fluttershy did not interrupt. She recalled later how it was filled with such phrases as “after marriage” and “healthy foals”. It differed quite a bit from how Rainbow Dash had described it. Specifically, Rainbow Dash had made it out to be something ponies could do either for fun or for purpose, whilst Honeydew was intent on claiming the latter was the only valid, acceptable way to go about it. Needless to say, Honeydew's view of sex was a lot more strict and confined. To Fluttershy's worry, her mother did not once mention how one was supposed to go about any of the things she'd mentioned if they weren't attracted to stallions to begin with. And Fluttershy was too shy to ask any questions.
For her remaining school years, Fluttershy tried not to think about Midnight Melody or the words Honeydew had spoken to her. She committed herself to her schoolwork. Rainbow Dash jokingly referred to her as an “egghead”, but Fluttershy ignored the comment. Yet even as she threw herself deeper and deeper into her education, thoughts of Midnight Melody, of her soft fur and gorgeous blue eyes, kept drifting into her mind. The dreams became more vivid, more frequent and insistent. Every night she would find herself living another wonderful, yet horrible, fantasy. Sometimes they were innocent, other times they played with Fluttershy's knowledge of sexual relations. She tried to turn Midnight Melody into a stallion, to rearrange her body and face into the thing she was supposed to want. But her dreams always rebelled, bringing her back to that fur, those eyes, and everything else she secretly wanted. She didn't understand. And there was nopony she felt she could ask.
“Is it normal for a mare to like other mares?”
Princess Celestia returned her teacup to the table, her eyebrow raised. She had been rather suspicious, although understanding, when Fluttershy showed up suddenly. The shy pegasus had muttered something about “a rare visit to Canterlot” and requested they have tea together. She had apparently broken away from Twilight Sparkle, who was there on official business, in order to do so. That in itself told Celestia that there was more to the visit than mere courtesy. However, her duties currently weren't too severe and she did like the kindhearted pegasus.
“I am not sure what you are asking,” Princess Celestia replied slowly. “I believe it is only natural for a mare to like other mares, although there are exceptions. You like all of your friends, do you not?”
Fluttershy blushed, nervously tapping her hooves together.
“Y-Yes,” she stammered. “I mean like as in…..liking them as more than friends. I mean, in the same way mares like sta-stallions sometimes… Like...Princess Cadence and Shining Armor...”
She began to feel silly. She felt terrible for having barged into Princess Celestia's busy life with her absurd questions. However, there was a reason she had chosen to accompany Princess Twilight to Canterlot for this sole purpose: The dreams had begun again, more vivid than she could remember them being when she was in school. Something had awakened that desire, that wrongness she had buried with her work. But this time, she wanted answers.
Princess Celestia smiled knowingly.
“You mean love, Fluttershy,” Celestia told her gently. “You are asking me if it's normal for mares to love other mares.”
Fluttershy's cheeks reddened even further. The word “love” hadn't really entered her mind. “Love” seemed like such a serious word, a word of finality and sureness. But Fluttershy was not sure of any of her feelings. She only knew what she felt in her chest, the increase in her heartbeat, and the deep sense of want she was trying to subdue.
Princess Celestia took a sip of her tea, regarding the yellow pegasus carefully. Even as an adult, Fluttershy looked so innocent and delicate, as if she might break if somepony were to touch her. Yet there was strength behind that fragility, knowledge behind the innocence. Considering this, Princess Celestia put down her teacup once again.
“No, Fluttershy, it is not normal for mares to love other mares,” she explained calmly.
Fluttershy's heart sank. It was exactly as she'd feared, except worse. If one of her friends or even her mother had said it, she would have accepted the cruelty of the truth eventually. But this was not Applejack or Honeydew. This was Princess Celestia, one of the all-knowing rulers of Equestria. A mother and father to all of her subjects, a symbol of intelligence and poise. Fluttershy, feeling as if she was diseased, put her face in her hooves and wept quietly.
Princess Celestia slid a hoof under Fluttershy's chin, tilting her head up. When Fluttershy reluctantly uncovered her eyes, she saw that the white alicorn was smiling tenderly.
“It is not normal,” Princess Celestia repeated. “But it is natural.”
Fluttershy sniffed, gazing at the princess with a confused expression.
“Yes, Fluttershy,” Princess Celestia continued gently. “It might not be normal, but the way you feel is completely natural. There is nothing wrong with you in the slightest, my sweet little mare. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”
Celestia removed her hoof from Fluttershy's chin. She lifted the teacup with her magic again and drained the contents, smiling encouragingly at the startled mare.
Fluttershy started to wipe away her tears. She was embarrassed that she had begun sobbing so easily, but Princess Celestia's words had shone a light into her thoughts. For the first time in years, she allowed herself to rediscover those youthful fantasies about Midnight Melody. But this time, rather than making her want to cry, they made her smile slightly. However, her smile turned into a frown after a moment.
“But...but my mother told me that love is a special thing,” she revealed, puzzled. “She told me it was a beautiful experience between a mare and a stallion.”
Princess Celestia chuckled.
“It is indeed a special thing,” she agreed. “But it does not have to be between a mare and a stallion for it to be beautiful. You cannot control what your heart wants, Fluttershy.”
Fluttershy pondered this. Her mother had told her a lot of things that had turned out to be false. Honeydew had warned her daughter to stop hanging around Rainbow Dash, as “that sort of filly” was destined to end up in jail or worse. She had told Fluttershy that she should not leave Cloudsdale or else horrible things would befall her. She had told her that she wasn't strong enough to survive out in the big, scary world of Equestria. But Fluttershy hadn't listened. And by rebelling, she had become a hero, a friend, and an inspiration.
“I do not think your mother was a bad pony,” continued Celestia. “She raised you well, did she not? She was just a little misguided. But that is one of the reasons we grow up. To decide for ourselves what is wrong and what is right.”
She seized the teapot in her magic and began to refill Fluttershy's cup.
“I suspect there is something else on your mind,” Celestia informed her.
Fluttershy stared into her teacup, refusing to meet Celestia's eye. She had reached the end of her courage. She was happier, but she wasn't sure she could continue in this manner.
“You're wondering about how to tell your friends, aren't you?” Princess Celestia surmised.
Fluttershy took a long sip of tea to avoid answering, but her eyes gave everything away.
Reading her expression, Celestia felt sorry for her. She could imagine the poor mare having spent years in this prison, trapped inside of her own feelings. She knew what that was like. She was perfectly aware how much it tormented one's mind to believe what they felt in their heart was wrong.
“Telling me was a bold first step,” Princess Celestia assured the pegasus. “By doing this, you have proven that you are brave enough to share this information with your friends.”
Fluttershy nearly spat out her tea in surprise. She lowered the teacup, her expression one of frantic embarrassment. While she had been worried about telling her friends, she hadn't expected Princess Celestia to endorse her doing so.
“I-I can't!” Fluttershy objected. “What if they laugh at me? What if they feel uncomfortable and don't want to be my friends anymore?”
Princess Celestia laughed, although not cruelly.
“A true friend will realize that you're still the same pony you were before,” she assured Fluttershy. “A true friend will admire you for trusting their friendship enough to reveal one of your biggest secrets.”
Fluttershy wasn't utterly convinced. But she felt a little better knowing that at least Princess Celestia was on her side.
Fluttershy returned to the hotel room later than she'd planned. She had been in such a happy mood after visiting Celestia that she had simply wanted to walk around and enjoy the city. She had found herself less intimidated by the amount of ponies going about their business. She'd even smiled at a few of them as they passed her. She'd also stopped by one of the local bakeries and purchased two doughnuts.
Twilight was lying on her bed reading a scroll. At Fluttershy's arrival, she rolled up the scroll and looked up to smile at her friend.
“I was wondering when you'd be back,” she told her. “I ordered room service. They'll be sending up a couple of daffodil sandwiches and some nachos.”
Fluttershy spat out the bag she was carrying in her mouth. She flopped down on the bed, giggling quietly.
“Oh Twilight!” she practically sang. “Isn't Canterlot beautiful?”
Twilight glanced out of the window. The clouds had burst, sending aggressive torrents of rain down on the unsuspecting city. Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, punctuated by flashes of lightning in the dim evening sky.
“Um…..sure,” Twilight replied, giving the pegasus a questioning look.
Fluttershy rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
“Hey, Twilight,” she uttered suddenly. “Have you...ever had to tell somepony something, but you weren't sure how they'd react?”
Twilight rolled onto her back as well, laughing at the question.
“That's part of being a princess,” she responded, somewhat dourly. “I'm always meeting with dignitaries from other countries with strange customs. I try to do my research, but sometimes I end up offending them by accident. It's better to play it safe.”
She turned to Fluttershy. She saw that the other pony's expression had turned from buoyant to sorrowful. Realizing she didn't necessarily mean the question in a hypothetical sense, Twilight rushed ahead.
“U-Um, but that doesn't go for everything and everypony!” she adjoined quickly. “If you're with friends you trust, you should just worry about getting whatever it is off your chest!”
Twilight paused pointedly, waiting for Fluttershy to speak. Unfortunately, the words “play it safe” had taken their toll. There was now obvious hesitation and fear on Fluttershy's visage, as if she regretted beginning the discussion. Twilight furiously backpedaled through her thoughts, desperate to reverse her mistake. However, Fluttershy broke the silence before Twilight could string together a hasty apology.
“I've been playing it safe my whole life,” Fluttershy admitted in a near-whisper. “The hardest decision I ever made was moving away from Cloudsdale and living on my own. I...I believed all of my mother's stories about the terrible things that would happen to me if I lived by myself. She said that I was too fragile and precious to ever survive in the world without her...”
Twilight leapt off of the bed, wings spread. She swooped forward and landed gently next to Fluttershy. She lay beside the yellow pegasus, wrapping a comforting wing around her.
“My parents told me the opposite,” Twilight uttered with a smile. “They said that if Princess Celestia was training me, I must have a destiny that went beyond anything they could provide for me. They were sad when I left home, but they understood. I'm sorry your mother wasn't supportive.”
Fluttershy immediately shook her head in firm objection.
“No, no, no!” she protested. “My mother was supportive! She encouraged me to excel in school and to pursue a career as a weather pony. She had a lot of faith in me. But….”
Fluttershy looked away. She didn't want to admit such things to anypony, even one of her closest friends. But it was too late to stop the flood. She thought it was about time somepony knew about her home life.
“After Father left, she became really overprotective of me,” Fluttershy explained. “I think she was afraid that if she didn't hold on tight enough, I'd leave as well. When I told her I wanted to move away from Cloudsdale and live somewhere else, she did everything she could to get me to stay. But….I didn't want to spend my whole life in a place where I'd never felt as if I belonged. It...was the first time I saw her cry.”
The memory had been tormenting her for years. Taking that final step away from her old life had been difficult, almost heartbreaking. Fluttershy had wondered over and over again if she was doing the right thing or if she was simply hurting her poor, lonely mother for no good reason. Fluttershy knew exactly what Honeydew wanted in life: A normal, well-behaved, innocent daughter who'd eventually give her a house full of healthy foals. But Fluttershy wanted other things, things that waited for her on the ground.
“How is your mother doing these days?” Twilight asked gently.
She thought briefly that it was an intrusive question, but Fluttershy answered it promptly.
“She misses me, but she's stopped asking me to come back,” Fluttershy uttered. “She's devoting more time to her hobbies. She's even thinking about renting my old room to a lovely couple she met at work. I still visit her from time to time.”
Twilight smiled. At least the story had a moderately happy ending. But there was clearly still something on Fluttershy's mind. Whatever she had desired to confess, it didn't have to do with her mother.
“What...were you talking to Princess Celestia about?” Twilight asked slowly.
Fluttershy's gaze, which had been wavering shyly during the conversation, abruptly focused on the purple alicorn. Stricken, she stared at Twilight for a few seconds. Then she hastily turned away, her cheeks ablaze with embarrassment. She'd nearly forgotten about her earlier question and her discussion with Princess Celestia.
“How..how did you know about that?” Fluttershy demanded.
Twilight looked sheepish.
“Undercover guards,” she explained. “They trail us every time we come to Canterlot. It's a standard security measure for important visiting ponies. After you slipped away, I asked one of them where you'd gone and he told me you'd last been seen heading toward the palace.”
Fluttershy didn't particularly like the idea of being followed, even if it was for security reasons. But she ignored that for the moment.
“Princess Celestia just gave me some advice,” she explained.
Twilight raised her eyebrow.
“About what?” she inquired.
If it required Fluttershy to sneak away from her, it must have been more than simple animal care. In addition, Twilight had visited the palace herself proceeding Fluttershy and Celestia hadn't mentioned anything about the shy pegasus.
Fluttershy opened her mouth, her eyes darting around frantically for a distraction. She jumped as there was a loud knock on the door.
“Room service!” called a stallion's voice from the other side.
Relieved, Fluttershy hopped off the bed and trotted to the door. She refused to look back at Twilight, but she could feel her puzzled stare on the back of her head. She hurriedly opened the door to reveal a unicorn stallion attired in a concierge outfit. He was holding three covered trays in his magic. Fluttershy noticed that he was pulling a cart behind him.
“Two Daffodil sandwiches, a plate of nachos, and a bottle of sparkling apple cider,” the stallion announced.
Fluttershy thanked him profusely, both for the food and for the distraction. She then galloped across the room and began rooting through her dresser for bits.
Meanwhile, Twilight took the food and drink from the stallion, gave him a decent tip, and sent him on his way. She carefully placed everything on Fluttershy's bed. When everything was suitably arranged, she turned to the frantic and oblivious pegasus.
“He's gone,” Twilight informed her, slightly amused.
Fluttershy halted in the middle of pulling out the bottommost drawer in frustration. She blushed, remembering that all of her bits were in her saddlebags. She also remembered that all the food they ordered would be paid for by Princess Celestia, along with the room. Feeling idiotic, she returned to her spot on the bed.
Twilight uncovered the nachos. Breathing in the aroma of melted cheese, she detached one from its sticky home with her magic and levitated it to her mouth.
“Can you please tell me what you and Celestia were talking about?” Twilight demanded. “Keeping it in is making you act a little crazy.”
Fluttershy closed her eyes. It was true. She felt as if all the emotions in her brain were swarming together into one immense storm of feeling. Her stomach was churning as if she'd eaten a spoiled slice of beet.
“Twilight, what do you know about...love?” she asked.
Twilight, who'd expected something more dramatic, couldn't respond for a minute. She turned the query over in her mind, scowling as she went through several years' worth of research.
“Love is the result of a series of chemical reactions in the brain,” Twilight replied at last. “It's really an abstract concept directly connected to our core desire for reproduction. Naturally, the desire for sexual and emotional contact with other ponies varies and in some rare cases is nonexistent, therefore….”
She rambled on in this manner for approximately five minutes. Fluttershy listened patiently without interrupting.
“That's all I know about love!” Twilight concluded with some triumph. “Why do you ask?”
Fluttershy, who'd zoned out near the end of the first minute, abruptly refocused her brain.
“Well, have you ever heard of…..different kinds of love?” she asked reluctantly.
Twilight tapped her chin with a hoof, absentmindedly chewing a flower petal. She swallowed the petal and started to pace in front of the beds.
“In ancient Pone, different kinds of love were both celebrated and encouraged,” Twilight uttered thoughtfully. “It was common for stallions to have relations with other stallions and mares to have relations with other mares during wartime when they were away from their wives and husbands. However, historians disagree as to how many ancient Poneians were attracted to the same sex and how many were just doing it because it was normal behavior at the time. Same sex orgies between big groups of mares or big groups of stallions were also quite….”
She paused, remembering that she was talking to a friend and not giving a lecture at Celestia's school.
“What's an...orgy?” Fluttershy asked curiously.
Twilight waved her hoof as if brushing away the topic, blushing furiously.
“N-Never mind!” she stammered hastily. “Um, why do you want to know about different types of love?”
Fluttershy, her heart pounding, couldn't look Twilight in the eye anymore.
“What..what if one of your friends was attracted to mares instead of stallions?” she asked, practically whispering. “Would that be okay?”
Twilight again lay down on the bed next to Fluttershy. When the other pony turned to her, she gave her an understanding smile.
“I wouldn't care,” she told her truthfully. “They'd still be my friend.”
At this, Fluttershy turned and buried her head into Twilight's side. She sobbed, Twilight's wing wrapped comfortingly around her.
Twilight glanced at her shy pegasus friend nervously.
“Are...are you sure you're ready to do this?” she asked for the seventh time. “If you don't feel comfortable, you don't have to do it. I'm..I'm not saying you should be ashamed or anything, but if you feel like you just don't have the bravery to do this, I understand!”
Fluttershy took a deep breath. The entire journey from Canterlot to Ponyville had been a mental debate, punctuated by her own memories of school. She told herself that speaking to Twilight in such an honest manner was a good start and that doing it again with all of her friends shouldn't be too challenging. Yet her stomach felt as if it had seized up in panic.
Twilight wrapped a wing around Fluttershy and pulled her close.
“It will be fine,” she told her softly. “Princess Celestia believes you can do this. I believe you can do this.”
Fluttershy smiled, comforted by Twilight's kindness and warmth. She realized that she was not in school anymore. There were no fillies obsessing over colt bands or an overbearing Honeydew trying to guide her toward her own image of a “perfect” life. This was her life now, her decisions and her happiness.
Twilight led the smiling pegasus into the castle, holding her close. The pair of them entered the main room and stood before the circle of thrones. Their friends were each seated at their respective throne.
“What's this “emergency meeting” all about?” Rainbow Dash asked boredly. “Is Equestria in danger….again?”
Twilight rolled her eyes, but smirked.
“No, Rainbow,” she replied. “Fluttershy has something to tell us.”
She turned pointedly to the slightly trembling yellow pegasus. She gave her an encouraging smile, gesturing towards the center of the room. She expected her to leap at the chance to finally get this secret out of her system, but to her surprise Fluttershy merely stood there. Her smile wavering, Twilight gave her friend a little nudge. She was trying to be patient and understanding, but she knew they had to take advantage of this small window of near-complete bravery. If it closed, Fluttershy would regret it for the rest of her life.
“I-I….,” Fluttershy stammered in a whisper.
She was rapidly forgetting everything she'd been meaning to say. The words perched at the edge of her mind, but refused to come out. She gulped, aware of the many pairs of eyes staring at her expectantly. She noticed that Rainbow Dash appeared to be growing a bit impatient, whilst Rarity and Applejack seemed confused.
Twilight gave her friend another nudge, this one more forceful.
Rather than moving forward, Fluttershy took a step backward, breathing heavily. She was in school again, staring ruefully at her classmates. She was afraid. So afraid of what would happen if she spoke up. Afraid of being judged, afraid of being bullied again, afraid of losing her mother's love if she dared say those words aloud.
I'm...alone…., she thought, no longer able to feel Twilight's warmth. I'm completely alone. There's nopony here….
She closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the darkness. But it wasn't merely the darkness behind her eyelids. It was the darkness of hopelessness, of pain, of an unending hallway inside of her own thoughts. It was suffocating her. If she didn't open her eyes soon, she was going to drown. But she couldn't open her eyes, or else her nightmares would become real….
“Fluttershy, are you alright?” a gentle voice asked.
Fluttershy recognized that voice. She had heard it countless times in her youth. That lovely, serene voice that sang about heartbreak and shyness. The voice of Midnight Melody. Fluttershy imagined she could feel a hoof affectionately touch her face.
“No, I'm not alright,” she informed the voice sadly. “I thought I could do this! But...I guess I wasn't ready. I'll never be ready.”
Fluttershy started to weep quietly.
“Princess Celestia and Twilight promised it would be okay, but I don't know anymore!” she admitted tearfully. “I've always been scared of ponies hating me. I've always been scared of being judged for something I have no control over. I...I've come so far, yet I can't e-even admit this little thing that's been haunting me since I was a filly….”
Now she felt the hoof tenderly rubbing her side.
“There, there,” the voice soothed. “Some things are easier to do than others, no matter how far you've come. A lot of us try to hide things about ourselves, perfectly harmless things, 'cause we're afraid of being judged. But you know what? I think, deep down, you know that you'll feel a lot better if you just get this off your chest and move on.”
The hoof returned to Fluttershy's face and began wiping away her tears. Despite her lingering sadness, she smiled. When she'd dreamed about Midnight Melody touching her, it had been just like this. The darkness was no longer trying to suffocate her. It was embracing her, filling her with warmth.
“I….I'm attracted to other mares,” Fluttershy uttered, her voice surprisingly strong.
The voice chuckled, the hoof continuing to wipe away her tears.
“There you go,” it uttered reassuringly. “I knew you could do it. I'm proud of you.”
At last, Fluttershy opened her eyes. The darkness evaporated before her vision, revealing the throne room. It was just as it had been prior to her closing her eyes, except the thrones were empty. She blinked, realizing that all of her friends were gathered around her with concerned expressions. Even Pinkie Pie had abandoned her usual grin to appear worried, although it returned when she saw that Fluttershy was no longer weeping.
Applejack was standing closest to Fluttershy. She was brushing away the remainder of Fluttershy's tears with a hoof, a patient smile on her features.
“Don't you feel better?” she asked.
Fluttershy realized that it was Applejack's voice, not Midnight Melody's, that she had heard.
“Thank you,” Fluttershy uttered sincerely, smiling at her friends. “Thank you all.”
Rarity stepped forward. She cleared her throat, choosing her words carefully as she regarded the somewhat shaken pegasus.
“Darling, I think I speak for all of us when I say that it doesn't matter if you're attracted to mares, stallions, both, or neither,” she uttered confidently. “We just want you to be happy with who you are.”
Fluttershy's eyes filled with tears again. But this time, they were tears of gratitude.
Three years later, Fluttershy wrote a letter to Honeydew. It was the first actual letter she'd written to her in a long time. Honeydew had neglected writing to her daughter in recent years, as she was caught up in her job, the new friends she'd made, and a house that somehow never seemed to be empty due to the tenants constantly moving in and out. Fluttershy herself had been caught up in her own life. Gradually, her “once a week” had extended to once a month, then once every two months, and finally just one or two times in a single year. But this was an important letter that she was certain her mother would be happy to get.
Dear Mother,
How are things in Cloudsdale? Are you enjoying your promotion? I hope you are happy and healthy. I am doing fine, in case you are wondering. In fact, I have some excellent news that I could not wait to share with you during my next visit. I'm getting married! The wedding is kind of last minute, but my fiance insisted that we not spend a lot of money. We managed to organize a decent ceremony with only one hundred bits. All of my friends pitched in to help. Pinkie Pie and the Cakes are handling the catering, Rarity made a lot of beautiful dresses completely free of charge, Rainbow Dash is going to be the Best Mare, and Twilight is making sure everything goes smoothly. The wedding itself is in three weeks. I hope you can come. My fiance really wants to meet my family. I invited Father as well, if you don't mind. Twilight looked through the seating arrangements to make sure he doesn't end up sitting next to you. The seating arrangements were actually the worst part of the whole thing! My fiance has a big family and we didn't want to leave anypony out. Again, I hope you can make it. It won't be the same without you. I know you don't approve of me being with a mare, but please come anyway. It would make me happy. Also, me and my fiance are going to adopt a foal after we marry. We've already chosen one from an orphanage in Canterlot and filled out the paperwork. The poor thing's parents died right after she was born. She doesn't even have a name. I think we're going to call her “Sunlight Sonata”. I hope you'll visit us sometimes.
Love,
Fluttershy