Chapter One
Working Up Courage
Rainbow Dash stood in front of her full-length mirror, giving herself a pep talk. “Today’s the day.” She swallowed nervously before continuing. “Today... today I’m going to tell Fluttershy I love her.” Even admitting the simple fact out loud while alone in her cloud home was difficult. Dash felt her heartbeat quicken and a slight blush crept into her face. She shook her head, trying futilely to dislodge the blood sitting in her cheeks.
“Come on, Dash.” Rainbow admonished herself. “You’re not some little lovesick schoolfilly. You’re Rainbow Dash. The fastest flier in Equestria. Named the Best Young Flier by Celestia herself. Any mare or stallion would be lucky to call you their marefriend. Who’s awesome?” She struck a pose and puffed out her chest. She jabbed a hoof at the mirror as a familiar cocky smile pulled at her lips. “You’re awesome!”
Dash glanced over at the clock, which read almost eight in the morning. She had woken up extra early in an attempt to be on time for work with the Weather Patrol for once. She trotted over to her bed and flopped down, electing to run through her plan one more time before leaving for work. It was Thursday, the day that Fluttershy and Rarity went to the spa. Dash would swing by Fluttershy’s cottage as she got back from her trip and make up some excuse about just being in the area. Her friend would invite her in for a cup of tea, just like she always does, and for once Dash would gladly accept. She let her eyes drift closed as she played out the scenario in her head.
Rainbow saw Fluttershy trot into the cottage ahead of her, and tried to keep her eyes from drifting down to her friend’s flank. Dash walked over to the couch as Fluttershy moved on to the kitchen to start the tea. Now that she was finally here, Rainbow felt her nerves threatening to get the best of her.
“So what brings you out this way, Dashie?” Fluttershy called from the kitchen. “I thought you had work today.” She trotted back into the living room. She jumped up onto the couch and patted the open spot next to her, beckoning Dash to join her.
“Huh?” The question pulled Rainbow out of her mental preparations. “Oh... yea. I got everything done early. Ya know, clearing the sky in ten seconds flat and all that.” She waved a hoof dismissively. Fluttershy giggled and gave her a smile. Dash felt her face heat up as blood rushed to it at the sound. Suddenly she found her mind filled with all the things she loved about Fluttershy. The silken texture of her coat whenever Dash “accidentally” crashed or bumped into her. The soothing, almost angelic, sound of her voice. The adorable way she hid behind her mane when she was nervous.
Rainbow felt a knot of warm tension building in her chest, and other places she was not comfortable thinking about right now. Every muscle in her body screamed to jump on the couch and just kiss the lovely yellow mare sitting there. She was sorely tempted to give in to that impulse, but knew it would not end well.
“Is everything alright, Dash?” Fluttershy’s expression shifted to one of concern. Rainbow shook her head to clear it and realized that she had been simply staring at Fluttershy without saying anything for the past minute.
“Oh, yea... yea.” Dash rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck, trying to play her silence off casually. “I just-” She stopped abruptly. Her big planned speech, her confession that she had spent countless nights perfecting was gone. She couldn’t remember a word of it. Her mouth worked open and closed, but not words came out. After a moment, she gave up and hung her head. She felt hot tears well up in her eyes, but she rubbed them away angrily.
“Oh, to hay with it.” Rainbow mumbled to herself. She took a deep breath, looked up and locked eyes with her friend. “Fluttershy, I love you!” She blurted out. Dash tried to prepare herself for any reaction, good or bad. She tried not to let the rapidly forming twist of worry in her stomach show on her face as she waited for some sort of reply.
Fluttershy’s expression shifted through half a dozen different emotions in a matter of seconds, ranging from confusion to fear to disbelief. Ultimately, she broke out in a huge smile and jumped off of the couch, crushing Dash is a vise-like hug. Fluttershy lay awkwardly on top of Rainbow, their faces mere inches apart. “Oh, Dashie...” Fluttershy moaned softly. “You have no idea how happy that makes me. I’ve loved you for so long, but I’ve always been afraid to say it.”
Dash felt a shiver go down her spine as Fluttershy’s breath played across her face. Every ounce of her wanted to close those final few inches between them and kiss her fillyhood friend with reckless abandon. Before she could, a devious thought ran through her mind. Without warning, Rainbow rolled hard to the side, so that she would end up on top of Fluttershy.
Dash was jolted back to reality as she hit the floor. Her eyes flew open, taking in the sight of her bedroom from ground level. “Oh man, I can’t believe I fell asleep. It all felt so real.” Rainbow was suddenly aware of a distinct heat between her hind legs. Maybe a little too real. She thought to herself. She stood up slowly, her head still fuzzy from sleep and the sudden meeting with the floor. She felt a wave of panic rise up as she looked at the clock. Eight thirty. She was late. “Son of a-” She snorted angrily before turning and galloping down the hall towards the front door.
“And I was actually gonna be on time for once.” She shook her head as she ran. Reaching the front door, Rainbow grabbed her weather goggles from a nearby table, bolted out the door, and took off for work.
Later that day
“Well, the day has finally arrived.” Rarity paced as she spoke aloud to the emptiness of Carousel Boutique. “Today is the day I tell Fluttershy that I love her.” She paused in her pacing to glance around the shop, ensuring she was in fact alone. Once she was assured of her privacy, she trotted over to a table near the door, where a note sat after being delivered by a robin earlier.
A small emergency has come up with some of my animals.
Of course, I still want to attend our weekly spa date.
Could we push back the time a few hours, maybe to five o’clock?
If that’s okay with you, that is.
Just let Ruby know and she’ll tell me what you said.
Fluttershy
Rarity had been more than willing to accommodate Fluttershy’s requested time change in their spa appointment, but the extra time had only resulted in Rarity pacing the shop nervously. Aloe and Lotus will certainly have their work cut out for them this week. She thought to herself. I haven’t been this tense and nervous since... well, I don’t think I’ve ever been this tense and nervous. She glanced at the clock again, it read a quarter to five.
“Close enough.” Rarity pulled open the door with her magic and galloped out of the shop. After a few moments she forced herself to slow down. “A lady does not hurry.” She tried to explain to herself. She tried to adopt a leisurely pace, but her nerves and excitement got the better of her and she settled for a light canter.
Within a few minutes, Rarity reached the spa. She pushed the door open and glanced around the empty waiting room, even Aloe and Lotus were nowhere to be seen. She’s not here yet, that’s fine. You are a bit early after all. Rarity tried in vain to calm herself. She trotted over to one of the chairs along the wall and sat down, levitating a copy of Equestria Weekly over to read. She opened the magazine to an interview with Photo Finish, but found herself glancing at the door every few seconds.
After several minutes that felt more like hours, Rarity almost jumped out of her seat when the spa door opened and Fluttershy entered. “Darling! It’s so nice to see...” Her words drifted off as she got a better look at her spa partner. Fluttershy was covered almost head to hoof in mud and had a number of twigs stuck in her mane and tail. Rarity cleared her throat and brought her magic to bear. “I take it there was quite the emergency with your animals, no?”
“Oh, um, yes.” Fluttershy waited as Rarity used her magic to remove the mud from her muzzle. “You see, Mister Badger broke his paw and couldn’t dig out his burrow after a tunnel collapsed. Normally it wouldn’t have been a problem, but Misses Badger and their children were on the other side of the collapse, so I had help dig a new tunnel.” She winced as Rarity pulled a particularly tangled twig out of her mane. “Thanks again for moving our spa date back, I could really use it after this afternoon.”
“It was, uh...” Rarity shook her head quickly. “It was no problem at all, dear.” She was finding it difficult to focus given her current task of cleaning the mud from Fluttershy’s coat and mane. As her magic flowed along her friend’s coat, Rarity could feel the silken texture as though she were running her hooves through it. She did her best to suppress a shiver from running down her spine, but could do little to contain the heat slowly building in her haunches. Come now, Rarity. Control yourself. She scolded herself silently. You are simply cleaning Fluttershy’s coat. There is nothing even remotely intimate about that, even if you can feel every curve of her exquisite body as you slowly work your way down to her... She paused as she felt an involuntary twitch in her tail. I think we’re done here.
Rarity shifted her magic away from her friend and pulled open the door. She floated the ball of mud and twigs she had removed from Fluttershy’s coat outside and let it fall to the ground unceremoniously. She turned back and cleared her throat. “Shall we?” She asked, motioning towards the door to the steam room. Although, right now a cold shower might be more fitting. She added silently.
Fluttershy let out a contented sigh before she started towards the sauna. “Thank you so much, Rarity. I feel a lot better now, and that felt... nice.” She blushed slightly and ducked behind her mane as she entered the steam room. Rarity stood outside the door for a moment, trying to slow the rapid pace her heart was currently hammering at. She closed her eyes and focused on keeping her breathing slow and even.
An unexpected voice caused her to jump slightly. “Ah, Miss Rarity. It ees so good to see you.” Aloe appeared behind the reception desk. “We were afraid that you and Miss Flootershy were not going to make eet today.”
“Yes, well something came up with one of Fluttershy’s animals, so we agreed to move our... appointment back a few hours.” Rarity explained, trying her best to sound nonchalant. “I hope you don’t mind that we got started in the steam room.”
“Of course not.” Aloe smiled and waved Rarity into the sauna where her spa partner was waiting. The alabaster mare trotted into the room and closed the door. She used her magic to add some water to the hot rocks, sending a burst of steam through the enclosed space.
Rarity slumped down on one of the benches near Fluttershy, who was currently basking in the warmth with her eyes closed. Rarity soon found her eyes drifting over her friend’s body. The soft sweep of her shoulders. The gentle yet tight slope of her stomach. The fashionista felt the heat between her hind legs surge and riveted her eyes to the floor in front of her.
My word, this is getting embarrassing. She mentally chided herself. I’ve had feelings for Fluttershy for some time now, but she’s never... affected me this badly. By the goddesses, you can practically smell it in the air.
Fluttershy sat up from her place on the bench, her nose scrunched up. “Do you smell that, Rarity?” She asked, sniffing the air curiously.
You have got to be kidding me.
Fluttershy hopped down from the bench, still smelling the air. She slowly made her way across the room towards the box of hot rocks that supplied steam for the room. She leaned in close and inhaled deeply. “I think that Aloe and Lotus added bath salts to the rocks.” She looked back over her shoulder and smiled. “It smells like... lavender, jasmine and...” She stopped and took one more deep breath. “Peppermint.” Fluttershy turned and trotted back to the bench, humming happily.
Rarity let out a breath that she did not realize she had been holding. “Thank Celestia.” She muttered under her breath. She let her eyes drift closed and tried to relax in the warmth of the steam. She slowly recognized the tune that Fluttershy was humming and began softly humming it herself. She felt her muscles begin to unwind and her nerves calm down. After several minutes, Rarity noticed that Fluttershy had stopped humming. She opened one eye to find her spa partner staring at her, only to blush and look away when she was caught.
“Is everything alright, dear?” Rarity asked, a look of concern spreading over her face. She scooted down the bench and laid a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.
“Oh, um, yes.” Fluttershy responded, trying and failing to make eye contact. She briefly chewed on her lower lip, as if debating what to say next. “I just got a little, um, distracted.” She forced herself to make eye contact, her blush deepening. “You have a beautiful voice, Rarity.” She almost whispered.
It was Rarity’s turn to blush at the unexpected compliment. “Why thank you, darling. That means a great deal to me, coming from you.” She smiled slightly and let the hoof on her friend’s shoulder lazily drift down her foreleg. An overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss Fluttershy sprang up in Rarity’s mind, but she contained it, barely. There will be time enough for that later, hopefully. Instead, she got off of the bench and made her way across the room to the door. “I believe I have had enough steam for now. Shall we move on to the massages?” Fluttershy merely nodded and followed her.
As they entered the main room of the spa, Rarity and Fluttershy were surprised to see Aloe and Lotus already waiting for them. The latter of the spa sisters moved toward them as they entered. “Ah, Miss Flootershy, vee ‘ave a special treatment for you today.” Lotus smiled and motioned towards her sister. “Aloe ‘as just returned from a special training where she learned ‘ow to preen pegasus feathers. Vee would be so happy if you would be our first customer to receive the service.”
Fluttershy’s eyes shot open in panic. “Ohnothat’sokaythankyou.” She hurriedly mumbled out in one burst. She dropped her head to hide behind her mane, while Aloe and Lotus looked at each other in abject confusion.
Rarity moved closer to her friend. “Whatever is the matter, dear?” She asked in a low voice. “I imagine a nice preening would feel marvelous.” She wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy and pulled her into a light side hug.
“Um, w-well... y-you see... the th-thing is...” Fluttershy stuttered nervously. She stopped and took a deep breath before trying again. “The thing is, preening for a pegasus is a rather... intimate action.” Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. “I’ve never had anypony else preen my wings before.”
“Ah.” Rarity pulled away slightly. “Well if that is the case, then you do not have to do anything you are not comfortable with.” She leaned in and nuzzled Fluttershy, who relaxed visibly. Rarity turned back to Aloe and Lotus. “Just the usual today, girls.” She removed her foreleg from around Fluttershy and trotted over to one of the massage tables.
The rest of the visit passed without incident and an hour later Rarity and Fluttershy left the spa, both of them feeling refreshed. As they made their way down one of the many dirt roads in Ponyville, Rarity ran over her plan in her head. Phase one, have a normal spa... trip. Given her plans, she could not bring herself to call it a “spa date.” Phase two, find a reason to accompany Fluttershy back to her cottage. Rarity racked her brain for some excuse to walk her friend home, but came up with nothing. Before she knew it, the two of them had reached Carousel Boutique.
“I had a wonderful time today, Rarity.” Fluttershy stopped in front of the door to the shop. “Thank you again for letting me move the time back. Although it did make it awfully late when we were done.” She looked off in the direction of her cottage, where the sun was creeping towards the horizon of the Everfree Forest.
Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by an audible growl from her stomach. She felt a slight blush flood her cheeks in embarrassment. “Well, it seems it is rather late indeed. We managed to miss dinner.”
“Oh no!” Fluttershy’s eyes shot open in worry. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean make you miss dinner.” She slumped down for a moment, but perked back up. “I still have some of Granny Smith’s zap apple jam. You could come over to my house for dinner. Um, if you want to that is.” She looked at the ground and scuffed a hoof in the dirt.
Sweet Celestia, she’s adorable when she does that. Rarity thought to herself. She smiled at Fluttershy and resumed walking towards the edge of town. “That sounds lovely, dear.” The pair made their way out towards the Everfree Forest. They walked in companionable silence, simply enjoying the scenery. There was not a cloud in the sky. As she reached the top of a hill near Fluttershy’s cottage, Rarity noticed that there was in fact one cloud in the sky. A cloud with a prismatic tail hanging off of the edge. Rainbow Dash. She groaned internally.
As the spa partners crossed the bridge in front of Fluttershy’s home, Dash poked her head over the edge of the cloud. “Hey Flutters... and Rarity.” She called down, leaping off of the cloud and gliding smoothly to the ground. “Pretty late to be getting back from the spa, isn’t it?”
“Oh, that’s my fault.” Fluttershy replied, her ears flattened back nervously. “I had an animal emergency and had to push our trip back a few hours.” She moved past Dash and opened the front door. “Then we were so late that we missed dinner, so I invited Rarity over so have some zap apple jam. You’re welcome to stay too, if you want.”
Before Rainbow could respond, Rarity was beside her. “What are you doing here?” She hissed quietly.
“I came by to see Fluttershy, and hay, I’m not gonna turn down free food.” Dash shrugged and trotted into the cottage. The alabaster unicorn followed her inside closing the door with a flare of magic.
“Well then, be quick about it.” She muttered. Rarity made her way around the living room while Fluttershy was in the kitchen. After a few moments, she felt hoof poke her in the side.
“What’s up with you?” Dash stepped up beside her, keeping her voice low. “You want me to leave or something?” Her eyes narrowed as she waited for an answer.
Rarity looked over her shoulder to make sure Fluttershy was still in the other room. “As a matter of fact, I do.” She whispered. “Fluttershy and I have some... private matters to discuss. It would be greatly helpful if you could make yourself scarce.” She disliked being so blunt, but was not willing to risk coming so close to her goal and having Dash ruin it.
“Private, huh?” Rainbow grinned wickedly. “Well, now I have to stay. Besides, Flutters would tell me anything you said, anyway.” She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hoof on her shoulder.
“I highly doubt that.” Rarity spat, her temper getting shorter. “Some of us know how to keep a confidence when it is offered to us.” She decided to turn the tables on the prismatic mare. “What about you, why are you suddenly so eager to spend time with Fluttershy?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Dash pointedly looked off to the side. “Maybe I wanted to talk to her about something too. Something personal, so don’t bother asking.”
“Ha.” Rarity barked a humorless laugh. “So I have to divulge my private matters for you, but you get to keep yours hidden from me? That hardly seems fair.”
“Just what is that supposed to mean?” Rainbow turned to face Rarity, both of them glaring at the other.
“Dinner is ready, girls.” Fluttershy came back into the main room, a tray balanced on her back.
“It’s just a little hypocritical, that’s all.” Rarity leaned in a little closer.
“Girls?” Fluttershy stared at her two friends in confusion.
“What could your private news even be about? Some new scarf?” Dash snorted angrily.
“What is yours? Some new silly aerial trick?” Rarity shot back. The two mares glared at each other balefully, each one daring the other to break away first. Across the room, Fluttershy set the tray down and watched her friends with a worried expression.
After several seconds of staring, both Rarity and Rainbow Dash acted at the same time. “Fine!” They shouted at each other. They both ignored the other and turned to face the canary pegasus across the room. They both took a deep breath before almost shouting in perfect unison.
“Fluttershy, I love you!”
A deafening silence filled the air for a few moments, then Dash and Rarity wheeled back to face each other. “What did you just say?” They yelled together.
“Oh... my...” Fluttershy mumbled before passing out.
Chapter Two
The Shocking Truth
As Fluttershy’s unconscious form slumped to the floor, Rainbow Dash and Rarity stood on the opposite side of the room focused solely on each other. The latter stood dumbfounded, her expression one of utter shock and disbelief, while the former wore an angry scowl on her features.
“Just what in the hay was that?” Dash barked the last word. “Do you think this is some joke?” She stomped a hoof in frustration. “I’ve been planning this for months! Then you just come in a blurt out some half-baked confession tryin’ to steal my thunder?” She slowly stalked forward, forcing Rarity to back up against the wall. “How did you even find out? I’ve only told one pony how I feel about ‘Shy, and she Pinkie Promised not to tell anyone.”
“I- you- just- love-” Rarity sputtered futilely. After a moment, her mind refocused enough to form coherent thoughts. She casually reasserted her calm demeanor before responding. “I assure you, Rainbow, I had not one inkling of a clue as to what you were planning, nor how you felt about Fluttershy. The identical timing of our confessions was merely an unfortunate coincidence.”
“Well, I guess there’s one way to settle this. Fluttershy, who do you-” Dash stopped mid-question as she finally turned and saw her friend had passed out. She felt a flare of anger rise in her chest, and she whirled back to face Rarity. “Now look what you did!”
“How in Equestria is this my fault?” The alabaster mare shot back, her temper finally rising from the accusation. “If anything this is your fault for interrupting what would have been a perfectly nice evening meal between two friends.” Unnoticed across the living room, Fluttershy stirred on the floor, slowly recovering from her sudden shock.
“Yea, two ‘friends.’” Dash began pacing back and forth in an effort to bleed off her excess energy. “At least until you threw out some stupid confession of love hoping that she would even go for somepony like you.”
“Wh-What just happened?” Fluttershy sat up, rubbing a hoof against the side of her head. She picked up on the argument taking place on the other side of the room. “Girls?” She uttered tentatively.
“Somepony like me?” Rarity bristled. “Just what is that supposed to mean exactly? If you’re afraid that Fluttershy is not attracted to mares, then I hardly see how you could hope to fare any better than I would.”
“Um... girls?” Fluttershy tried get their attention again as she stood up from the floor.
“Well, no, nothing like that.” Dash suddenly seemed unsure of herself. She stopped pacing and kicked a hoof against the ground. “It’s just that-”
“Maybe you think Fluttershy is some kind of barbaric tribalist.” Rarity cut across Rainbow’s attempted explanation. “Do you think that she is so closed-minded that she would not be interested in me because I am a unicorn and not a pegasus?” She brought her horn to life.
“Girls.” Fluttershy said at a normal speaking volume. “Listen to-”
“Of course not!” Rainbow shot back, flaring her wings in annoyance. “’Shy would never do something like that. I just meant...” Her words trailed off into silence.
“Please, enlighten me.” Rarity’s voice dripped with venom. “Whatever did you mean when you said ‘somepony like me’?”
“Girls!” Fluttershy shouted, finally getting their attention.
“Yes, darl-” The words froze in Rarity’s throat as she turned to face the raw unbridled fury of The Stare. She felt her magic slip away from her control involuntarily. She almost jumped as she felt a slight twinge in her hindquarters. Are you kidding me? Now is really not the time for this. She tried to scold her body. Regardless, she still found herself getting inexplicably excited at the ease with which her normally shy friend could render her helpless. Next to her, Dash meekly folded her wings back to her side and cowered down, a slight whimper escaping her.
“That is enough, from both of you.” Fluttershy’s voice returned to normal levels, but she maintained The Stare. She slowly walked across the room. “Rainbow Dash, you go upstairs and wait in my room. I’ll be up to talk to you in a minute.” Rainbow nodded quickly and galloped up the staircase without looking back. Fluttershy waited until she heard the sound of her bedroom door closing before letting out a heavy sigh. “So much for relaxing after a nice spa visit.” She muttered to herself.
“D-Darling... I-I can explain.” Rarity stuttered as she finally regained the ability to speak. Fluttershy looked at her expectantly. The fashionista opened her mouth to continue, only to realize that she had nothing to say. She chuckled nervously as she felt a meager blush spread through her cheeks. “Maybe not.” She corrected.
“Well, um, did you...” Fluttershy paused to take a breath. She looked up, forcing herself to make eye contact. “Did you mean it? When you said that you l-loved me?”
“Of course I did, dear.” Rarity suppressed an urge to reach out and hug her friend, opting instead to place a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I would never dream of saying something like that if it were not absolutely true.”
“When did you know?” Fluttershy asked, her face impassive.
Rarity felt a wave of panic spread through her chest, but forced herself to answer. “I can’t say for sure. I’ve always had feelings for you, but I can’t pinpoint a specific time when they shifted from platonic to romantic.” She swallowed and felt her heart hammering in her chest. “The best I have been able to do is to identify the moment when I had to admit to myself that my feelings were more than simple friendship. Do you remember that time that you saved Sweetie Belle and her friends from that dreadful chicken-snake-thing?”
“The cockatrice.” Fluttershy supplied, nodding.
“Yes, that one.” Rarity stepped away, turning to look out the window for a moment. “After Sweetie Belle told me about what happened, I was relieved that you had been there to save the day, but I was also angry. I was angry at Sweetie and her friends for putting you in such danger. It was not until a few days later that I ran into Twilight and learned what could have happened to you had you not been able to Stare the cockatrice into submission.” She turned back from the window, a guilty expression on her face. “Please, don’t misunderstand. I love Sweetie Belle dearly, and I am eternally grateful that you were able to keep her and her friends from harm. However, when I learned how close you came to being petrified into stone forever... suffice it to say that I lost my temper. Luckily, Sweetie had returned home to my parents for some time, so I was able to calm down before I saw her again.”
Fluttershy furrowed her brow in confusion. “I’m sorry Rarity, but I just don’t see where in that story you realized that you... loved me.” She blushed and ducked behind her mane.
“Oh, yes.” Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, that particular revelation was during my... little outburst after discussing the event with Twilight. I mentioned a moment ago that I had been angry with the Cutie Mark Crusaders for putting you in danger, but once I learned that we almost lost you forever...” She paused to collect herself as tears rose in her eyes. “After I learned that, my anger returned with a vengeance. It took me several days, but I eventually realized that I was far more concerned with your safety than that of my own little sister.” She shook her head in detestation. “How horrid does that sound? It’s true though, it was at that point that I had to admit to myself that I loved you. The point when I was willing to sacrifice my own sister to a monster in order to protect you.” Rarity’s voice was full of self-loathing and disgust by the end of her explanation.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Fluttershy stepped closer and pulled her friend into a hug. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. That doesn’t change who you are. You’re a wonderful mare and a great friend, no matter what.”
Rarity reached up to return the hug, letting out a small sigh. “Fluttershy, somehow you always know just what to say to make me feel better.” She gave the canary mare one final squeeze and pulled away from the embrace. “Now, I believe I will head home, if you don’t mind. I imagine you need to go have a nice talk with Rainbow Dash, and I need to go curl up in the corner and have a panic attack.” She held up a hoof as she saw Fluttershy’s expression change to one of fear and concern. “I’m only joking, dear.” At least, I hope I am. She added silently.
Fluttershy perked up as she remembered the tray of food on the table near the kitchen. “Oh, you should have something to eat before you go. We did miss dinner after all.” She trotted over and picked up the tray with her forehooves before gently placing it on her back. She maneuvered her way back over to the window and let Rarity look it over. The alabaster unicorn ignited her horn and levitated several pieces of toast along with a knife. She spread zap apple jam over the bread and trotted over to the door, pulling it open with an extra burst of magic.
“Thank you for the food, darling.” Rarity turned back in the doorway, her expression apprehensive. “I know you’ll have to think for a while, but I hope that I can see you soon.” She turned and left without waiting for a response, closing the door behind her.
Fluttershy made her way to the kitchen, sliding the tray of food onto the counter. She stopped and let out a sigh. “One down, one to go.” She left the kitchen and walked up the stairway to her bedroom. As she pushed open the door, she saw Dash pacing around the room, muttering to herself.
“Who’s awesome? You’re awesome.” Rainbow repeated again. “Who’s awesome? You’re awesome.” Fluttershy cleared her throat and Dash finally looked up from her pacing. “Listen ‘Shy, I can explain.” She started. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow quizzically, waiting for her to continue. Her prismatic friend chewed on her lip for a moment before speaking again. “Okay, I can’t really explain, but it sounds better if I say that I can.” She reached a hoof up to rub the back of her neck and chuckled nervously.
“Don’t worry, Dashie.” Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow warmly. “You have nothing to explain. You were honest with me, and I could never be upset with you for that.” She strode over and stood next to Dash, leaning in to nuzzle her reassuringly. She felt Rainbow let out an inaudible sigh and relax at the contact. “I need to ask you something. Did you m-” Before Fluttershy could finish, Rainbow almost leapt forward, turning around in mid-air with a flap of her wings to land facing her.
“Of course I did!” Dash’s voice was insistent, almost offended. “Flutters, I’ve never meant anything more in my whole life. I love you with every fiber of my being, and nothing in Equestria would make me happier than just to be with you.” She reached out and grabbed one of Fluttershy’s hooves in between her own. “If I had to choose between being Captain of the Wonderbolts or being with you, I would pick you every time.”
Fluttershy felt her face heat up as her cheeks flooded with color. “Thank you, Dashie. That was really sweet.” The edges of her mouth twitched up in a slight smirk. “I know how much you hate all of the sappy romantic stuff, so the fact that you’re willing to say that means a lot to me. I just have one more question. When did you know?”
Dash let go of Fluttershy’s hoof and lowered her hind legs to sit on her haunches. “Oh... right. I had this whole big speech planned out... but that didn’t exactly work out.” She paused, looking off to the side. “I guess I first realized it after that whole incident with the dragon on the mountain. The way you got that rampaging dragon to up and leave just by yelling at him was so awesome, like single-hoofedly-saving-Equestria-from-a-thousand-years-of-darkness awesome. The fact that you were able to stand up to your biggest fear to protect us... it was downright awe-inspiring.”
“The d-dragon?” Fluttershy shuddered slightly at the memory. “That was quite a while ago... Have you been hiding this for all that time?”
“Well... kind of.” Rainbow dropped her gaze to the floor. “For a while after I realized it, I tried to convince myself I didn’t really feel that way about you.” She looked up and panicked as she saw tears rising in Fluttershy’s eyes. “No no no... not like... that came out wrong. Do you remember how everypony in Flight School used to make fun of me? They would say I was attracted to other fillies just because I wasn’t interested in any of the featherbrained colts in our class. Well, when I first realized that I liked you in... that way, I just couldn’t bear the thought of all those fillies and colts being right. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t in love with you just to prove them wrong.”
“Oh, Dashie... I’m so sorry.” Fluttershy leaned forward and pulled Rainbow in to a tight hug. She nuzzled into her friend’s neck as her emotions overwhelmed her. Without warning, Dash’s wings shot out to their full extension with a slight *Pomf* sound. Fluttershy immediately pulled away from the hug and stumbled backwards a few steps.
“Eh heh heh... Sorry about that.” Dash chuckled nervously. Her face twisted in concentration as she slowly forced her wings back to their proper places at her side. Once they were firmly anchored in place, she relaxed and pawed at the floor with a hoof. “Again, sorry. You just caught me by surprise with that one.” Rainbow tried to turn and hide her face as it flooded a red deep enough to show through her coat.
“Oh, it’s um... it’s fine, really.” Fluttershy replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Well, if you don’t mind, I think I’m gonna get outta here before I do something else to embarrass myself.” Dash slowly made he way to the door of the bedroom. She looked back over her shoulder at Fluttershy. So close, and yet so far, thanks to Rarity. Part of her wanted to rush back across the room and kiss the canary mare, but Rainbow squashed the impulse before it could gain any traction. “Thanks for hearing me out, ‘Shy. I’ll see ya around.”
Dash left the room and Fluttershy waited until she heard the front door open and close before turning around and flopping down on her bed. “Oh, I could just scream right now.” She complained to the empty air. She lifted her head up and took a deep breath before plunging her muzzle into the pillows and letting out a very quiet, high-pitched scream. Afterward, she rolled over and faced the ceiling. “That never helps.” She sighed.
What do I do now? She wondered to herself. Okay, let’s start with the basics. Both Rarity and Rainbow Dash are in love with me. The next logical step is to figure out how I feel about them, but how do I do that? She sat up in the bed and put her head in her hooves. I have no idea what I’m doing.
Fluttershy hopped down onto the floor and slowly made her way back to the living room. I’ve never even thought about another pony... romantically before. She thought to herself, a furious blush coloring her cheeks. I don’t have any experience with... things like this, and I can’t even ask Rainbow Dash or Rarity for help because they’re the problem! Fluttershy felt herself getting worked up and noticed she was pacing the room. She stopped moving and took several calming breaths.
Everything is fine... everything is fine. She chanted in her head. I just have to choose between my two best friends and break one of their hearts. Her ears flattened back as she realized the full extent of what rejecting one of her friends’ confessions would mean. What if the one I don’t pick doesn’t want to be my friend anymore? What if they don’t feel that they can be around me? Fluttershy imagined Rainbow Dash storming off, hurt and angry. She imagined Rarity turning away from her, choking back sobs as tears ran from her eyes.
“I can’t do this...” Fluttershy protested to the empty cottage. She felt a knot of panic and worry form in her stomach. “I can’t hurt one of them like that. I would never be able to live with myself knowing that I hurt one of my best friends so badly.” She sat on her haunches and let her head fall to stare at the floor. “This would be so much easier if I could just talk to somepony about it. There’s always Applejack.” She held up a hoof. “She’s always supportive of all of us... but I don’t think she would be open to the idea of two mares being together.” She dropped her hoof and held up the other one. “I could talk to Pinkie Pie...” She stopped and imagined the anarchic mare’s reaction to such news. “Maybe not.”
She mulled over her final option. “I guess that just leaves Twilight.” She finally admitted unenthusiastically. “The only mare in Ponyville with less of an idea about romantic relationships than me. At least she can be a neutral third party-”
Fluttershy’s train of thought was interrupted as her front door burst open, the sudden noise and motion sending her diving behind the couch for cover. Tentatively, she peeked out from her hiding place to see a familiar pink party pony standing in her doorway.
“Did somepony say ‘party?’” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. She looked around the seemingly empty room for a moment before spying Fluttershy behind the couch. “Hey Flutters, what are you doing back there?”
“Oh, um, hi Pinkie.” Fluttershy replied as she slowly stood from her position cowering behind the sofa. “I’m sorry, but nopony said ‘party,’ at least not that kind of party. I was just thinking to myself about... something.” She blushed slightly, unable to tell Pinkie about the day’s events.
“Well, somepony should be talking about that kind of ‘party.’” The anarchic mare pulled her trademark Party Cannon out of thin air. She fired off a shot, sending streamers, confetti, and a banner reading “Congratulations!” all across the room. “After all, we have to celebrate!”
“Um... what are we celebrating exactly?” Fluttershy asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“Well, duh! We’re celebrating Dashie telling you that she loves you!” Pinkie rushed over and pulled Fluttershy into a vise-like hug.
“How did you-”
“Dashie told me how she felt about you a while ago.” Pinkie explained, letting Fluttershy out of the rib-crushing embrace. “She made me Pinkie Promise not to say anything, but now that she told you, I can say ‘Congratulations!’” From the kitchen, a bell sounded from Fluttershy’s oven, which she never remembered turning on. Pinkie zipped over to it and opened the door to pull a cake, complete with frosting, decorations and candles, from inside.
“How...” Fluttershy briefly considered questioning how Pinkie could pull a fully baked and decorated cake from an empty and cold oven, but ultimately decided against it. “Listen Pinkie, I have a little problem to deal with right now, and I don’t think a party is going to help.”
The party pony’s smile faded slightly. “What’s wrong?” She asked, a note of concern sneaking into her voice.
“Um... well, you see...” Fluttershy kicked at the floor with a hoof. She took a deep breath and blurted it out. “Rarity confessed that she loves me too!”
Pinkie’s grin grew so big it threatened to split her head in half. She rushed over and pulled the canary mare into a second bone-breaking hug, even tighter than the first one. “Oh wow, Flutters! That’s superfantastamazeriffic!”
“Can’t... breathe...” Fluttershy managed to gasp. Pinkie released her and she drew in a deep breath. “How...” She paused and held up a hoof while she caught her breath. “How is that a good thing?” She finally managed to ask, her eyes trained on the floor. “Now I have to decide between the two of them, and I don’t know who to choose. What about the one that I don’t choose? It would devastate them, and I don’t want to hurt anypony like that. What if they decide they can’t be my friend anymore?” Fluttershy finally looked up to see her friend staring at her in abject confusion.
“Well that’s silly.” Pinkie replied, her head cocked sideways. “Who says you have to choose? If they both love you and you love both of them, then all three of you can be one big, lovey-dovey triangle of happiness.”
It was Fluttershy’s turn to be utterly confused. “Huh?” She tried to wrap her head around what Pinkie was saying. She gave up and shook her head slightly. Leave it to Pinkie to come up with the elegantly simple, if foalishly naïve, solution. She thought to herself. “Listen, I really appreciate the... help, but I’m kind of busy right now. I was just heading out to see Twilight.” Fluttershy walked over to the door and pulled it open.
“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie responded, bounding out the door with her usual manic energy. Fluttershy followed her out the door, pulling it closed before flapping her wings and taking off in the direction of the library.
Chapter Three
On the Fence
Several minutes later, Fluttershy alighted on the ground outside the Ponyville Library. She trotted up to the door and pushed it open. Upon entering the building, she saw Twilight standing in front of a mirror and modeling a familiar piece of headgear. “Is that Applejack’s hat?” Fluttershy asked, walking over to stand next to the mirror.
“Ah!” Twilight jumped at the unannounced intrusion. She quickly pulled the hat off of her head and tried to hide it behind her back. “Oh, um... yes, it is.” She pulled the hat back out and pretended to examine it. “She was just over here and I found it on the table after she left. I wanted to take it over to her, but I’m just so busy here.” She looked over to the other side of the library where Spike was grumbling as he re-shelved a mountain of books.
“I could take it to her, if you don’t mind that is.” Fluttershy offered, scuffing a hoof on the ground.
“That would actually be really helpful, thank you.” Twilight grabbed a nearby saddle bag in her magic and placed the hat in it before draping if over her friend’s back. She turned and trotted over to the pile of books, lifting several in an aura of purple light and examining the titles.
Fluttershy looked to the saddle bag now resting on her back and then to the door of the library. “Um, Twilight?” She slowly made her way over to the busy unicorn. “Before I go, I was hoping I could talk to you about something... personal.” Twilight immediately dropped what she was doing and turned around, her face wavering between concern and curiosity before finally settling on the latter.
“Sure thing, Fluttershy.” Twilight responded before turning to call over to her assistant. “Spike, take a break. I think there are a few leftover amethyst scones in the pantry if you want a snack.” The baby dragon ran into the kitchen, leaving the two in privacy. “Okay, what’s up?”
“Well, you see...” Fluttershy felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks as she tried to tell her story. “Rainbow Dash and Rarity were over at my house last night and they kind of...” She paused, chewing her bottom lip nervously. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. “Theybothconfessedthattheyloveme.” She blurted out in one hurried rush.
“I’m sorry, I missed that last part.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at the flustered pegasus.
“Oh, they um... They both confessed that they love me.” Fluttershy repeated more slowly.
“That’s nice, so what’s the personal issue?” Twilight cocked her head to the side expectantly.
Really? Fluttershy thought to herself. She could only stare in disbelief for a moment, her ability to speak neutralized. “No, Twilight... They love me. As in, they are in love with me... romantically.”
“Oh... Oh.” Twilight finally caught on to her friend’s meaning. She cleared her throat and tried to keep a deep crimson color from flooding her face. “Well, that is... certainly interesting.” She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “Honestly Fluttershy, I’m not all that familiar with... romantic relationships. I don’t really know what you expect me to be able to do.”
“I know.” Fluttershy sighed, her head dropping slightly. “Normally I would talk to Rarity or Rainbow Dash about something like this, but since they’re the ones who... have feelings for me, I can’t exactly do that.” She pawed at the floor nervously. “I thought about going to Applejack, but with her family being as old-fashioned as they are, I don’t think she would approve of two mares being... together.”
“A valid point.” Twilight began pacing back and forth, her eyes darting from side to side in thought. “You could talk to Pinkie Pie, but she’s... Pinkie Pie.”
“Oh, she actually already knows.” Fluttershy suppressed a shiver, remembering the party pony’s frightening entrance and multiple bone-breaking hugs. “She actually suggested that the three of us all be in a relationship together, but...” She trailed off into silence, ducking her head to hide behind her mane.
“Hmm.” Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Polyamory, huh? Certainly a trinogamous relationship would be unusual by societal standards, but if all three parties agree, then there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work.”
“A tri-what?” Fluttershy looked at her friend as though she were making up words.
“Oh, sorry.” Twilight folded her ears back in embarrassment. “Sometimes I get carried away and use excessively big words.” She perked back up at the opportunity to pass on knowledge to another. “A trinogamous relationship is where three ponies are all in a single relationship together. You could be with Rainbow Dash and Rarity, although technically they would have to be in a relationship with each other as well.”
“Oh, I don’t think we could do that.” Fluttershy felt her cheeks warm up and threaten to catch on fire. “You should have seen Dash and Rarity at my house. They were yelling and fighting with each other. I actually had to use The Stare to calm them down.”
“The Stare? It worked on them? Interesting.” Twilight’s mind flew through possible uses for The Stare now that she knew it worked on ponies as well as animals. After a moment she shook her head to clear the thoughts from it. No. Focus. One thing at a time. She scolded herself. “Have you at least thought about bringing it up to them? They were probably angry because each of them planned out their confessions only to have the other say the same thing at the same time. If they knew there was a solution where all three of you could be together, they might actually go for it.”
“I don’t know...” Fluttershy drilled holes in the floor with her eyes, unable to bring herself to look up. “I’ll... think about it.” She finally relented, sighing slightly. She pushed the thoughts of her love troubles, including what a three-way relationship would mean if things got physical, to the back of her mind for the moment. “Well, thanks for the help. I guess I’ll go take Applejack her hat back now.” She turned and began walking towards the door.
“Wait!” Twilight almost yelled as a sudden revelation struck her. She pressed a hoof to her forehead, silently cursing her tendency to miss the blatantly obvious. “We haven’t even talked about the single most important issue here.”
“What?” Fluttershy asked as the turned back from the door. Her heart rate picked up slightly as she feared that she missed some crucial aspect of the situation that would only make her decision more difficult.
Twilight trotted over to her friend and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “How do you feel about all this?”
Fluttershy blinked several times, stunned by the simple question. “Oh. I... I don’t really know.” She fell to sit on her haunches, letting her shoulders slump a little bit. “This has all happened so fast. I haven’t really had a chance to think about it. Both Dashie and Rarity said that I should take all the time I need to figure it out, but I just know that having to wait for me to straighten all of this out is hard for them.” She wiped a hoof across her eyes as she felt tears begin to rise up. “I love both of them, they’re my two best friends. I’m just not sure if I love them in... that way.”
“Unfortunately, you’re going to have to figure that part out by yourself.” Twilight stepped away, turning back towards the pile of books across the room. She stopped and looked of into the distance, deep in thought. “Although, if you’re up to it, I could always try modifying my Pinkie Sense-detecting helmet in the basement into some kind of mind-exploring helmet. That would let me go looking through your brain to see how you feel about them, and then I could just tell you.”
“Um... no, thank you.” Fluttershy stood up and edged backwards towards the door of the library. “I’m just going to go give Applejack her hat back now.” She pulled the handle and was shocked to see night had fallen outside. She glanced over at a clock on the wall and saw it was just past nine o’clock. “On second thought, I’ll give it to her tomorrow. Good night, Twilight.”
“Good night.” Twilight called, already engrossed in her task of re-shelving books. Fluttershy pulled the door closed behind her and took off for her cottage, her head buzzing with thoughts of her conversation with Twilight.
The Next Day
Fluttershy awoke the following morning as the sun crept over the horizon. She quietly slipped out of bed and made her way downstairs. Looking around her living room, she made sure all of the animals were still asleep, especially Angel Bunny, before grabbing the saddle bag she had borrowed from Twilight and leaving for Sweet Apple Acres.
As Fluttershy flew towards the Apple family farm, she took the time to admire the serenity of nature before all the animals woke up. Celestia’s sun crawled ever higher, casting the first rays of light on dew-soaked fields and causing them to glitter like millions of diamonds in the grass. She stopped and hovered in place, smiling at the simple beauty. After a moment, she resumed her flight and soon caught sight of a speck of orange and yellow moving between the rows of apple trees. Fluttershy landed a short ways in front of Applejack, who seemed surprised to see her.
“Mornin’, ‘Shy.” Applejack reached a hoof up to tip her hat, only to belatedly realize it was still gone. She quickly ran the raised hoof through her mane and cleared her throat. “What brings ya ‘round these parts so early?”
Fluttershy giggled, reaching over with a wing tip to open the saddle bag on her back. She pulled out the hat and held it up. “Looking for this?” She asked.
Relief flooded across Applejack’s face, tinged with a hint of worry. “Thanks a bunch, ‘Shy.” She said, trotting over to grab the hat and placing it back on her head. “Can Ah interest you in some breakfast? We got eggs, maybe even some hay waffles if Mac hasn’t eaten ‘em all.”
“Oh no, that’s okay. Thank you, though.” Fluttershy replied, kicking at the dirt. “Um... I did have something to talk to you about, if you have time that is.”
“Sure thing, ‘Shy. What’s eatin’ ya?” Applejack resumed walking down the row of trees, periodically inspecting them for signs of disease. “Some cute lil’ colt caught yer eye or somethin’?” She heard a surprised squeak come from behind her. She turned back around to face Fluttershy, a knowing grin spreading across her face. “That’s it, ain’t it? Ya got a crush on some colt, or maybe the other way ‘round?”
“Um... not quite.” Fluttershy lowered her head to let her mane fall across her face. She tried to gather her courage as she felt her heart beat quicken. “You see, yesterday... somepony kind of confessed that they love me.” She could not bring herself to name Rarity or Rainbow Dash.
“Well Ah'll be, ‘Shy. Just look at you, ya little minx.” Applejack reached out and gave her a playful punch in the shoulder. “Well, don’t keep me in the dark, who was it? Anypony Ah know?”
“It was...” Fluttershy swallowed and forced herself to continue. “Oh, it was, um...” Her voice trailed off into a mumble as she said the names.
“Come again?” Applejack asked, leaning in to hear better. She received only another mumbled response in return. She chuckled and leaned in a little closer. “Ya wanna try that one more time?”
Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “It was, um, Rarity...” She finally managed to say at an audible volume.
“Rare? Really? Ah never-”
“And Rainbow Dash.” Fluttershy continued.
Applejack leaned back, her eyes wide in surprise. “Huh. Rare and Dash?” Her voice broke for a moment and she looked off to the side. “Dash Ah can understand, you two been best friends for Celestia only knows how long, but Rare? Ah always figured she was still waitin’ around fer her Prince Charmin’ to come and sweep her off ‘er hooves.” She paused for a moment and smiled, but the warmth did not reach her eyes. “Even so, that’s great news, ‘Shy. Can’t say Ah envy ya havin’ to choose between ‘em, though.”
“Are you okay?” Fluttershy stepped forward warily.
“Course Ah am. Why wouldn’t Ah be?” Applejack tilted her hat down to partially cover her eyes.
“Really?” Fluttershy asked, a note of skepticism in her voice. “I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but you’re family is sort of old-fashioned.” She dropped her gaze to the ground and kicked the dirt. “It doesn’t bother you that we’re all mares? That we would be... fillyfooling?”
Applejack cleared her throat and adjusted her hat back up. “Nope, not one bit. Ah figure that so long as two ponies love one another, it don’t rightly matter if they’re both mares or both colts.” She looked off to the side as she finished, visibly growing slightly uncomfortable.
“Is that so?” Fluttershy narrowed her eyes. Part of her wanted to end the conversation since it was making her friend uncomfortable, but a larger part of her was curious about what she might be hiding. “I would have thought that Granny Smith would have been too conservative to approve of two mares or colts being together.” Fluttershy took a step forward as she spoke.
“Well, yeah. She don’t feel that fillyfoolin’ or coltcuddlin’ is natural.” Applejack took a step backwards, but held her head up in her best imitation of Rarity. “However, Ah’m like one of them refined city-types. Ah spent lots of time in Manehattan after all.”
“You spent a week in Manehattan before you came back here to run the farm.” Fluttershy countered.
“Well... ya see... the thing is...” Applejack looked around nervously before letting out a heavy sigh. “Alright, ‘Shy. Ya got me. Ah can’t rightly be upset at you fillyfoolin’ on account of the fact that... Ah got a crush on a filly too.” Her cheeks flushed a red as deep as her cutie mark as she made the admission.
“Aww... that’s so cute, AJ.” Fluttershy’s mouth spread into a wide grin. “On who, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Well, that’s the thing, ‘Shy.” Applejack said, her voice suddenly low and sensual. She stepped closer to Fluttershy and looked her in the eye, her own eyes half-lidded. “The sweet, beautiful filly Ah’ve got a crush on... is you.” She accentuated the end of her sentence by reaching up and stroking the back of a hoof along her friend’s jaw line.
Fluttershy’s eyes shot open in panic. Her breathing accelerated to the point of hyperventilation. She was on the verge of passing out when a sound pulled her out of her impending shock.
A single snort escaped Applejack, followed shortly by another. After a few seconds she broke out into unrestrained laughter, falling over onto the ground and clutching at her sides. Fluttershy felt her panic slowly bleed away as she watched the farm-pony rolling in the dirt laughing her flank off.
After several minutes and three resurgences of giggling, Applejack finally stood up from the ground. She took a moment to shake dust from her coat and wipe tears from her eyes before speaking. “Oh Celestia... Ah’m a might sorry ‘bout that, ‘Shy. Ah just couldn’t resist, and the look on yer face was priceless.”
Fluttershy tried to glare angrily at Applejack, but felt a smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth, ruining the effect. “Don’t think that little stunt will get you out of telling me who it is you really have a crush on.” She poked a hoof into the orange mare’s chest. “So, come on. Out with it already. Who is it?”
All of Applejack’s mirth disappeared instantly. “Alright. Fair’s fair, so Ah’ll tell ya, but you gotta promise ya won’t laugh at me.” She stopped for a moment and shifted on her hooves nervously. “It’s... Twilight.”
“Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, slightly shocked. “As in, Twilight Sparkle, Ponyville librarian? The same Twilight Sparkle who wouldn’t recognize a romantic advance if it came up and bit her in the flank?”
“That’d be the one.” Applejack confirmed, a smirk pulling at her lips. “She don’t have a clue, but it’s not like Ah ain’t been droppin’ hints at it. For Luna’s sake, Ah left mah hat at the library yesterday. Mah hat.” She pulled off the headgear in question and waved it for emphasis before planting it firmly back on her head. “Do you know how many times Ah’ve ever forgotten mah hat somewhere? Zero. Ah’ve never lost it ever since Big Mac gave it to me after Ah earned mah cutie mark.”
“Wait... Big Mac gave you your hat?” Fluttershy asked, her curiosity piqued again.
“Huh? Oh, yea. Ah never told y’all that story?” Applejack shrugged. “It was right after I got back to the farm from Manehattan. Ah was tryin’ to help Mac with buckin’ all the apple trees, but Ah was too small to knock ‘em loose. Ah was a might upset about it. When Ah told him what was wrong he gave me his hat and said that as long as Ah wore it, Ah would be just as strong as he was. Ever since that day, Ah’ve only ever taken off mah hat to bathe and sleep. Heck, Ah even snuck it in to Cadence and Shinin’ Armor’s weddin’.”
Fluttershy gave a sniffle as she wiped tears from her eyes. “That was very sweet of him. Maybe if Twilight knew that story she might have seen what a big sign it was that you left your hat there.”
“Maybe.” Applejack sighed and sat down, leaning against a tree. “Ah swear, she may be one ‘o the smartest ponies in Equestria, but sometimes that filly can be denser than osmium.” Fluttershy simply stared at her in confusion. “Ahem. You see, osmium is the densest metal known to ponykind.” Fluttershy merely looked even more confused. Applejack’s cheeks flushed scarlet as she looked off to the side. “Ah may have been studyin’ up on... sciencey stuff to try and impress Twi’.” She turned back to face the yellow pegasus. “And Ah swear to Celestia and Luna that if you tell anypony about that, Ah will buck you clear into next Tuesday.”
Fluttershy pressed a hoof to her lips to stifle a giggle. “Don’t worry, AJ. Your secret is safe with me. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She recited the Pinkie Promise, making the appropriate gestures.
“Thanks, ‘Shy. This makes me feel loads better, bein’ able to get all this off mah chest.” Applejack leaned back against the tree, tilting her hat down to shade her eyes. “So, back to yer little problem. You got any idea on how yer gonna choose between Rare and Dash?”
“Not really.” Fluttershy trotted over and laid down next to the tree. “Pinkie Pie was the first one to find out, and she seems to think I don’t have to choose. She said that the three of us could just all be together. Twilight had some fancy word for it, but apparently it’s not unheard of.”
“Hmm.” Applejack mused over the possibility silently. “Ah see two problems with that idea, and their names are Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Those two ain’t exactly the best of friends. Shoot, Rare’s more friendly to me than she is to Dash, and Ah irritate ‘er every time Ah open mah mouth.” She pushed her hat up with a hoof to look at Fluttershy, who was looking at her with a befuddled expression. She spoke again, this time with a perfect Manehattan accent. “You see, darling, Rarity believes that a proper lady should speak in a more refined manner, such as this. Speaking with an accent such as mine is simply barbaric.” She slipped back into her normal voice. “Just playin’ Discord’s advocate here, but do ya got a back-up plan in case they don’t go for a three-way?”
“No.” Fluttershy let her head fall slightly. Despite talking to all of her friends, she did not feel any closer to solving her initial problem. Her thoughts were interrupted as her stomach audibly reminded her that she had not eaten yet.
“Well, nopony says you gotta decide before breakfast.” Applejack chuckled. “Feel free to head over to the house and grab some food, then take yer time thinkin’ it all over.” She stood up and stretched, preparing to resume her patrol of the orchard.
“I just have one more question, AJ.” Fluttershy spoke up and she rose from the ground. “Why Twilight? I would have figured you would go for somepony like Rainbow Dash. Twilight is the last pony I would have expected you to be interested in.”
Applejack chuckled at the idea, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “Hoo boy, me and Dash, that’d be somethin’. Don’t get me wrong, Ah love Rainbow to bits, but we’re a little too competitive with each other. We butt heads a bit too often.” She paused and shook her head, a light sheen of sweat forming unnoticed on her forehead. “Ah don’t know what it is about Twi’, there’s just somethin’... attractive ‘bout all the way she can solve so many problems just by thinkin’ on ‘em. Look at what she did when those Flim Flam Brothers came to town. When y’all came to help us, she knew right away what part of the cider makin’ each of y'all would be best at. Ah just woulda told everypony to do whatever they thought they were best at, but Twi’ knew everypony’s strengths and weaknesses and sorted y’all out to give us the best chance at beatin’ those two arrogant little-” She stopped herself and took several deep breaths to calm down.
“Sorry, Ah got a bit carried away there.” Applejack admitted after composing herself. “I guess what Ah’, tryin’ to say is that Ah’m attracted to Twi’ for her brains.” She smiled at a thought that came to her. “And ya have to admit it’s kinda cute when she’s clueless about somethin’ and misses it when it’s starin’ her right in the face.”
“Well, I hope that Twilight picks up on the hints you’re dropping, but I wouldn’t count on it.” Fluttershy flared her wings and stretched the stiffness from them. “Thanks for the talk, Applejack. I’ve got some thinking to do, so I’ll see you around.” The farm-pony held onto her hat as Fluttershy leapt into the air, sending a small puff of dust across the ground.
“That was a close one.” Applejack muttered to the empty air once she was alone. ‘Shy almost figured me out. Ah sure picked a heck of a time to finally learn to lie convincingly. Now she thinks Ah got a thing fer Twi’, but at least she Pinkie Promised not to say anything. She slowly plodded down the path between the north and south fields. She reached up and felt the reassuring presence of her hat. Ah still can’t believe Ah forgot mah hat at the library. Stupid, sexy Rainbow Dash. She’s been on mah mind more an’ more lately. Too bad she’s in love with somepony else. Applejack lashed out at a tree with one hind leg, sending several apples cascading to the ground.
“Celestia damn it all.” She growled, a single tear streaking down her cheek.
Three Days Later
Fluttershy paced back and forth in front of her door, glancing at the clock every few seconds. It was almost three in the afternoon, the time that Fluttershy had asked Rarity and Rainbow Dash to come to her house to talk. It’s okay, you’ve rehearsed this. She reminded herself. The plan is to find some subtle way to bring up the possibility of a trinogamous relationship, and if you can’t do that then just blurt it out in a panic. She reached the edge of the room and turned around to walk back to the other side. She briefly thought she could see a small rut in the floor from her pacing, but she was distracted by a knock at her door. She trotted over and pulled it open to reveal Rarity on the other side of the threshold.
“Darling, it’s so nice to see you again.” Rarity spoke first in a slightly-too-cheery tone. “I must admit I was getting a little nervous, not having heard from you in quite some time.” Fluttershy went to speak, but Rarity held up a hoof to stop her. “No need to explain, dear. I understand completely. Now, I assume we’re still waiting on-”
“Me?” Dash supplied, having arrived unnoticed. She lowered her head and began pushing the alabaster unicorn into the cottage. “Hurry up and move your flank. You know how impatient I am... these last three days have been killing me.”
“How rude.” Rarity scoffed. She adjusted her hindquarters to the side slightly, causing Dash to slip and land face first in the dirt. She smirked down at the fallen pegasus. “A lady does not hurry.”
“Girls.” Fluttershy interrupted them, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. “Don’t make me break out The Stare again.” Rainbow stood up and quietly followed Rarity into the house, her ears folded back meekly. Fluttershy sighed and shook her head, pushing the door closed behind them. She turned to see her two friends sitting on the couch, each sliding as far away from the other as possible without falling off. Well, here goes nothing.
Fluttershy walked over in front of the couch and sat on her haunches. She cleared her throat, interrupting Dash and Rarity from shooting each other dirty glares. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past three days, and I talked to the rest of our friends about this... situation.”
“You talked to Twilight?” Rainbow asked. “AJ I get. Maybe even Pinkie, she can be smart when she’s not all hopped up on sugar, which is rare. Twilight, though?”
“Please, don’t interrupt." Rarity shot back. “It will only make things more difficult and delay us getting to find out what decision Fluttershy has made.” She examined one of her hooves disinterestedly. “Besides, I’m sure that with all the books Twilight has undoubtedly read on the subject, she had some valuable information to contribute.”
“Ahem.” Fluttershy cleared her throat and both of the mares on the couch quit speaking. “As I was saying, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I think I may have come up with a solution that will make everypony happy.” Dash and Rarity both looked at her as though she had sprouted a second head. Fluttershy felt her heart beat hammer in her chest as she steeled herself. “I think we should attempt a trinogamous relationship.”
“A what now?” Dash replied, confusion written on her face. “What in the hay is a trig-... trim-.... whatever you just said?”
“Please, Rainbow. Try not to be confused by every word with more than four letters.” Rarity countered. “I think it sounds like a splendid idea, darling.”
“I’ve got a four letter word for you.” Dash muttered to under her breath. She turned and pointed a hoof at the fashionista. “Alright then, Miss suddenly-so-smarty pants, explain to me what a trigonometrous relationship is.”
“Why it’s quite simple. It’s when...” Rarity trailed off into silence, her eyes darting back and forth. “Fine, I don’t know what it is. I just wanted to agree to whatever she suggested.”
Dash practically slammed her hoof against her forehead, letting out a heavy sigh. “Let’s try this again, Fluttershy. This time can you try it in laypony terms? You know, words we wouldn’t have to be Twilight to know what they mean?”
“Oh, um, well...” Fluttershy could feel her nerves beginning to fray. “I was hoping that, um, maybe we could... that is-” She paused and took a deep breath, trying to slow down her heart’s frantic pace. Alright, subtlety failed, time for a panicked outburst. She took one final breath and screwed her eyes closed. “I want all three of us to be in a relationship together.”
Silence.
(Author's Note: Here is where I got the idea for how Applejack got her hat, in case you're curious.)
Chapter Four
Rigging the Game
Time seemed to drag on in endless silence. After a few seconds that felt like hours, Fluttershy peeked out with one eye to see Rainbow Dash and Rarity staring at her from the couch, their expressions somewhere between “stunned silence” and “abject horror.” She involuntarily shrunk down, trying desperately to fall through the floorboards.
“You want to what?” Rainbow and Rarity yelled together, simultaneously regaining the ability to speak. They both started ranting, loudly and animatedly, drowning each other out in a cacophony angry shouting. Fluttershy felt the icy grip of panic rising in her chest. She turned galloped up the stairs, slamming the door to her room. Rarity and Dash continued trying to shout over each other for several more seconds before realizing she had left.
Dash reached over and pressed her hoof over Rarity’s mouth, stopping her mid-rant. “Where’d ‘Shy go?” She asked, looking around the room to see in the easily frightened mare was hiding behind some improvised cover.
“Please, that is not necessary.” Rarity spat after removing the hoof from her lips. “I’m sure that she is up in her room, trying to get away from your dreadful shouting.”
“Hey.” Rainbow shot back, offended. “You were shouting just as much as me. In fact, you were probably shouting more than me.”
“We can sit here and argue about who was arguing more, or we can go try and comfort Fluttershy.” Rarity hopped down from the couch and made her way across the room. She stopped at the base of the stairs and looked back over her shoulder. “Are you coming or not?”
Dash leapt off the couch and flared her wings open, gliding over Rarity and landing partway up the stairs. She looked back down the staircase, a cocky grin on her face. “You coming?” The pearly white mare grumbled to herself as the pair ascended the stairs. She reached out with a hoof and knocked on the door to the bedroom.
“Fluttershy, dear.” Rarity called through the door. “Please do come out. Our little... outburst on the couch was merely an overreaction.”
“I don’t know... I think that an epic level freak-out is a pretty standard reaction to somepony suggesting a three-way relationship outta the blue.” Dash shrugged and leaned against the door frame.
“You’re not helping!” Rarity hissed. Her next comment was interrupted by the bedroom door opening.
“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy immediately launched into an apology, tears welling up in her eyes. “I tried. I really did. I spent days cooped up in my house, pacing around and trying to decide.” A single tear escaped and slowly rolled down her face. “I couldn’t do it. I love you. Both of you, and I could never hurt one of you like that.” Both Rainbow and Rarity stood frozen in place, taken aback by their friend’s heartfelt sentiment.
She’s really torn up about this. Dash thought to herself. I never wanted to do this to her. It could work, right? All three of- She stopped short as her mind filled with images of Fluttershy and Rarity in compromising positions. Several emotions warred within her, jealousy and anger chief among them. Nope... not gonna happen. She stepped forward and reached out to wipe the tear off of her friend’s cheek.
“Listen, ‘Shy. I’m really sorry that we put you in this situation. It’s not fair to you, but it is what it is.” Rainbow looked over to Rarity, who was giving her a slight glare. “As much as I would like for us to find a situation where everypony is happy, I just don’t think that will happen. Somepony is going to get hurt, but that’s just the way it has to be. Love is a dirty, messy, sometimes painful business.”
“That was... unusually poignant, Rainbow.” Rarity admitted, genuine surprise in her voice. “However, I have to agree.” She turned to face Fluttershy. “I’m sorry, dear. I wish that there was a way to solve this without anypony getting hurt, but there isn’t. Dash and I will give you space so that you can decide.”
“I don’t think I can.” Fluttershy murmured.
“I’m sure that you can.” Rarity reassured her. She reached out with a hoof and lifted her friend’s chin so their gazes could meet. “Just remember that no matter what happens, both of us will still be your friends.” Dash nodded in agreement.
“Thanks girls. I’ll... I’ll try.” Fluttershy smiled weakly. Rarity and Dash said their goodbyes and made their way back downstairs and out the front door. After they crossed the bridge in front of the cottage, the silence between them finally broke.
“I think we need to set some ground rules.” Rarity stopped and turned to face Dash, who looked at her quizzically. “First, in order to let Fluttershy make her decision as fairly as possible, I believe we should avoid spending excessive time with her.” She held up a hoof as Rainbow went to protest. “I am not saying that we should actively avoid her as we have these past few days, just that we should not attempt to bias her judgment with our constant presence.”
“Fine.” Dash agreed. “Anything else?”
“Just one more thing.” Rarity narrowed her eyes accusingly. “We should not attempt to curry favor from her with gifts or assisting her with tasks she needs completed.”
“Done.” Rainbow extended a hoof.
Rarity put out her own leg and shook hooves with the brash pegasus. “You have no intention of abiding by these rules, do you?”
“None whatsoever.” Dash replied, a predatory grin spreading across her face. “All’s fair in love and war, Rarity.” Without waiting for a reply, she leapt into the air and sped off into the distance. Rarity coughed as the dust settled from Rainbow’s sudden departure.
“Oh, it is on, Rainbow Dash. It. Is. On.”
Applejack unhooked the collar around her neck and dropped it on the ground. She turned to admire her work. The newest fields of Sweet Apple Acres were all plowed, ready for the next batch of Red Delicious apple trees to be planted. The farm-pony pulled her hat off and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Took all mornin’ and most of the afternoon, but Ah told Mac Ah could get these fields plowed today.” She turned and began making her way back towards the farmhouse for a drink of water, but stopped as a familiar streak of chromatic light appeared over the tree line. Her heart sped up a bit as she realized the streak of light was headed towards her, but the image brought memories of Fluttershy’s visit the other day to the forefront of her mind.
Is this gonna be what it’s like every time Ah see ‘er? Applejack thought to herself, meandering over to lay down under a nearby tree. A rush of excitement and happiness, followed by a kick to the gut when I remember she’s in love with somepony else? She briefly thought about running deep into the stand of trees and trying to avoid her crush, but before she could Dash landed right in front of her.
“Hey there, AJ. How’s it goin’?” Rainbow trotted over and laid down under the tree.
“Oh, ya know... plowin’ fields, buckin’ apples. Just doin’ farm stuff.” Applejack waved a hoof in the direction of the newly plowed fields. Fantasizin’ about makin’ out with yer best friend counts as farm stuff, right? She added silently. “So, how’s yer little love triangle with Fluttershy workin’ out?” She strained to keep her voice level as she asked.
“Oh, right, ‘Shy said she talked to you about that.” Dash lowered her head to rest on her forehooves. “Honestly, not good. She actually suggested that her, Rarity and me could all be together in some kind of weird three-way relationship.” She snorted derisively.
Applejack bit her lip to try and keep a smile from spreading across her face. Look at yerself AJ, sittin’ here hopin’ that yer best friend gets ‘er heart broken, just so you can come in and pick at the pieces. You should be ashamed of yerself. What would Mac say if he knew what you were thinkin’? She managed to pull herself out of her downward shame spiral to hear a question break the growing silence.
“Say, AJ. Do you think you could maybe give me some advice about this whole Fluttershy thing?” Dash lifted her head up, but kept her eyes off to the side. “I hate to pull you into this, but you know how bad I am at all the sappy romance stuff, and I’m up against Rarity, the sappy romance queen.” She finally looked up, her eyes pleading. “Will you help me?”
Celestia damn it. Applejack cursed silently. Ah can’t say no to that face, and those gorgeous eyes. She shook her head slightly as she found herself getting lost staring into Rainbow’s eyes. “Sure thing, sugarcube.” She said, reaching up to wipe a hoof across her eyes. Ah’d like nothin’ better than to help the mare Ah love get with somepony else. She added in her head. She felt a devious smile pull at the edge of her mouth. Although... She asked for advice, but she never said it had to be good advice.
Applejack stood up and began walking around, her feelings of shame and self-loathing resurging. Am Ah really about to try an’ sabotage Dash’s chances with Fluttershy just so Ah can try an’ get with ‘er mahself? Am Ah really willin’ to stoop that low? She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Rainbow laid out beneath the tree. Her friend’s lithe, athletic body was dappled with sunlight filtering through the leaves. Those beautiful eyes looked up at her, waiting expectantly. Yes... yes Ah am. She felt an almost irresistible urge to lunge out and kiss Rainbow, heedless of the consequences, but her iron willpower held firm, barely. She heaved a heavy sigh. Ah can’t believe Ah’m about to do this.
“Alright, sugarcube.” Applejack steeled herself. “The first thing you’re gonna want to do is bring 'er flowers. Fluttershy loves flowers. Ah’m thinkin’ magnolias.”
“Magnolias? Really?” Dash cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Wouldn’t something like roses be better if I’m trying to be all romantic?”
“Nah.” Applejack waved a hoof. “Roses are overdone. Ya wanna be original. Give ‘er somethin’ she’ll remember.” Especially since magnolias happen to be the one flower in Equestria that Fluttershy is allergic to.
“Huh.” Dash furrowed her brow, thinking. “I guess that makes sense. Anything else?”
“Ya need a gift, somethin’ personal that shows ya really know what she likes. Maybe somethin’ to do with her animals.” Applejack felt her confidence wavering. There’s no goin’ back now. She reminded herself. “Ah remember Twilight sayin’ somethin’ the other day ‘bout a rare book on bird diseases an’ how to cure ‘em. You could go talk to her and see if she knows where ya can get it.” Even if the only copy she knows about is in the Canterlot Royal Archives.
“That sounds like a great idea, AJ. Thanks.” Dash stood up and trotted over, giving Applejack a quick hug. “I’m gonna go see Twi’ right now. I’ll let you know how it goes.” She took to the air, angling for Ponyville, and quickly disappeared over the tree line.
Applejack sat down where she was, feelings of shame, disgust, and hope warring in her heart. After a moment, she let out an exasperated sigh. “If Dash ever finds out about this, Ah am so gettin’ banished to the moon.”
Rarity paced around the show room of Carousel Boutique. Several dress forms were scattered about the room, all bare. She had finished all of her outstanding orders during her three day self-imposed solitary confinement and currently had nothing to occupy her mind from creating scenario after scenario of what the future might hold. She stopped her frantic patrolling after a particularly frightening scenario involving crying, maniacal laughter and excessive amounts of ice cream.
“All of this worrying is getting me nowhere.” She trotted over to a sketch pad, an idea forming in her head. “Since I know that Rainbow Dash will be attempting to tilt the scales in her favor, I should do the same.” She grasped a drawing pencil in her magic as inspiration struck. “Of course, a dress. Something natural and flowing.” The pencil flew wildly across the sketch pad as she brought the vision in her head to life. “Something that hugs her curves, but isn’t overly suggestive. Modest. Demure, just like her.” She looked over the drawing, a pleased smile unfolding from her lips. “Now, what material to use? Oh, who am I kidding? I would never dream of making a dress such as this out of anything but the finest silk. Especially if it is to be a gift for Fluttershy.”
Rarity levitated a dress form over to the middle of the room and grabbed several rolls of silk fabric in her magic. Wait a moment. She thought to herself. What am I going to do about measurements? If I’m going to pull this off, it needs to fit perfectly from the first time she puts it on. It can’t be too big, or she might think that I think that she’s fat, and it can’t be too small or she won’t be able to wear it. She set down the rolls of silk fabric and resumed her pacing from earlier.
I suppose I could ask her to come over here and take some new measurements, but that would ruin the surprise. Rarity put a hoof to her chin as a possible solution occurred to her. I could always use the measurements from her dress for the Grand Galloping Gala. I saved everypony’s sizes for those dresses somewhere. She almost facehoofed when she remembered what happened to the measurements. That’s right... they were lost in the fire after Sweetie Belle’s little “accident” trying to levitate a teacup. She let out an exhausted sigh. I still don’t know how she managed to set a porcelain teacup on fire. Maybe her special talent is pyrotechnics.
“Hmm...” Rarity pondered aloud as a second possible solution presented itself. “Now that I think about it, Twilight has a very similar build to Fluttershy. I could get measurements off of her. The fit won’t be perfect, but it’s the best I can do.” She trotted over to the door, pulling it open with her magic and flipping the sign in the window to “Closed.” She shut and locked the door behind her and made her way down to the Ponyville Library.
Two Days Later
Fluttershy was pacing around her living room, following the slight indentation in the floor that she was sure had formed from her nearly incessant walking over the past several days. “Oh, why does this have to be so difficult?” She complained to the empty room. She had asked the same question so many times over the last two days that she lost track of how many times she had said it. “I’m sure I would be happy with either of them. It should be a no-lose situation, but whoever I don’t pick will have their heart broken. No matter what choice I make, somepony gets hurt.”
Fluttershy’s worried pacing was interrupted by a light knock at her door. She trudged over and pulled it open to see a winded Rainbow Dash on the other side. “Oh, hello Dash. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.” She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“Hi... ‘Shy.” Rainbow managed to say between heaving breaths. She took a wobbly step back, her knees shaking slightly. “I... brought you... something.” She pulled open a saddle bag laying across her back and produced a small bouquet of magnolias. “Here... for you.”
“Are tho-... thos-” She stopped and brought a hoof to her nose. “A- Aaa- Choo!” She let out a tiny sneeze. “Are those magnolias?” She finally asked. “I really a- aaa-... appreciate the gesture Dashie, but I’m allergic to magnolias.”
“Allergic?” Rainbow looked down at the bouquet of flowers before flinging them away as if they had bit her. “I’m so sorry, ‘Shy. I had no idea.” She pulled open the other saddlebag on her back and retrieved a large, worn tome. “I also brought this. I heard from Twilight that you were looking for it.”
Fluttershy took the book from Rainbow and held it up to examine the title. “Atypical Avian Ailments and Their Alleviation.” A huge smile spread across her face and she leaned over to pull her friend into a hug. “Oh, thank you so much, Dashie! I’ve been looking for this book for months. Twilight said that the only copy left was in the Royal Archives in Canterlot.” She flipped open the cover, her attention drawn to a stamp on the inside. “Inkpot’s Rare and Hard to Find Books. 503 West Stallion Avenue... Vanhoover?” She looked up, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Did you go all the way to Vanhoover to get this?”
“Yea, I just got back.” Dash replied, her breathing still mildly heavy. “Twilight found some crazy spell that let her magically find any other copies besides the one in Canterlot, and she found this one over in Vanhoover. It’s no big deal though.”
“Just got back?” Fluttershy closed her eyes as she did math in her head. How long does the train take to get out to Vanhoover again? Then factor in time to find the store, get some food, the return train ride... That’s not possible. She opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow with a confused expression. “It should take almost four days to get out to Vanhoover and back by train. How did you do it?”
“Train?” Dash cocked her head to the side. A light blush ran into her cheeks and she stared at the ground, scuffing a hoof on the floor. “Oh, I... I kind of flew there and back.” She looked up, the color in her face deepening. “One of the perks of being able to fly faster than the speed of sound. I can get places in a flash.”
“You flew? To Vanhoover and back, in only two days?” Fluttershy fell to a sitting position, shocked at the seemingly impossible difficulty of the flight.
“Technically it was only thirty six hours.” Dash let her gaze fall back to the ground, her cheeks now a deep scarlet. “I didn’t leave until yesterday morning. I had to get a lot of sleep before trying something like that, not to mention the carb-loading for energy.” She looked back up, locking eyes with her friend. “For you, it was totally worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Fluttershy sat frozen in place, her mouth working open and closed, but no words coming out. Rainbow had flown over halfway across Equestria and back in less than two days just to get her this book. I know that she only did it to get me to pick her, but I don’t care. She felt a sudden, overwhelming urge rise within her, and for once acted without thinking first.
Fluttershy lunged forward, the book falling to the ground. She threw her forelegs around Dash’s neck and planted a kiss firmly on her lips. She felt every muscle in Rainbow’s body tense up at the unexpected contact and heard a slight *Pomf* as her wings shot out to their full extension. Fluttershy broke the kiss and stepped back, giggling as she saw Dash’s frozen expression of shock.
Without warning, her knees gave out and Dash fell to the dirt in a heap. “I’m okay.” She called from the ground, raising a hoof to wave off Fluttershy’s impending concerned outburst. “Just really, really tired... and my brain stopped working after... wow.” Rainbow lay on the ground, a huge grin on her face and occasionally breaking out in fits of giggling like a schoolfilly.
“Good afternoon, Fluttershy dear.” Rarity chirped as she approached, levitating a large object covered by a sheet behind her. “And Rainbow Dash, how lovely to see you.” She added in a markedly less pleasant tone. She watched as Dash stood from the ground, her knees still shaking some. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope.” Rainbow responded before Fluttershy could say anything. “Just came by to see ‘Shy and drop off a book.” She turned and noticed the object floating nearby. “Don’t look now Rarity, but you’re being followed by a ghost.” She held up her hooves and waved them spookily, only to receive an exaggerated eye roll in return. “Well, I’m gonna get outta here, ‘Shy. It’s time for my afternoon nap, and I’ve missed it the last two days.” Dash stopped as she remembered something. “Actually, do you mind if I grab a drink before I head out?”
“That’s fine.” Fluttershy pushed the door open and stepped aside. “You know where everything is.”
“Thanks.” Rainbow trotted into the cottage, closing the door behind her. She paused for a moment until she heard Rarity start talking, then slowly made her way over to a small hutch in the corner of the living room. She knocked on the roof of the hutch and waited for its occupant to come out.
After several seconds, Angel Bunny hopped out of the enclosure. He looked up at Dash with a hostile expression, as if to say “What do you want?”
“Hey there, Angel.” Rainbow said. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that Fluttershy has been kind of upset for the last week or so. Well, I was-” She stopped as Angel began tapping his foot impatiently. “Fine, the short version.” She smirked. “I want you to help Fluttershy choose me, not Rarity.”
Angel Bunny raised an eyebrow, holding out a paw to say “What’s in it for me?”
“Two things.” Dash began, reaching back to open up her saddle bag. “First, if she doesn’t choose me, then Rarity will bring Opal over here, and I don’t think you want that.” She smiled at the brief flash of panic that passed over the rabbit’s features. “Second, I happen to be good friends with a certain pony who works at a certain bakery and likes to make things like this.” She pulled a small, hoof-sized box out of her bag. She put it on the ground and opened it to reveal a small carrot cake. “If ‘Shy picks me, then I might be able to bring things like this over for you.”
Angel hopped over to look at the cake. He sniffed it warily before grabbing a small chunk and tossing it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, an expression of joy spreading over his face. He immediately dove into the cake, pulling off pieces with both paws and eating them.
“So we got a deal?” Dash asked, looking down at the feasting rabbit. Angel stopped long enough to look up and nod before diving back into the cake with a renewed gusto. Rainbow chuckled and began walking back towards the door. “Nice doing business with you.” When she pulled open the door, Dash stopped in her tracks.
“Oh, Rarity. It’s beautiful.” Fluttershy cooed as she craned her head around to try and get a better look at the dress she was wearing. It was made of light green silk that flowed gracefully along her body, ending in a long skirt that ended just short of dragging the ground. Gold piping spread in a swirling vine-like pattern from the two holes on the back where her wings extended. The final piece of the dress was a gold choker with a butterfly identical to her cutie mark made out of gems. “Are these rose quartz?” She asked, running a hoof along the choker.
“Not quite.” Rarity replied, a minor blush rising in her face. “I had a deal of leftover pink diamonds from a previous order, so I used them to make it.”
“P-Pink d-diamonds?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh, my. Rarity, I love it but I could never accept such an exquisite gift.”
“It is just that, dear. A gift. I made it just for you, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Besides, I see that Rainbow Dash brought a gift as well.” She looked down at the book still sitting in the dirt. “So it is only fair that I be able to give you one as well.”
“Um... Thank you, both of you.” Fluttershy reached down and picked up the tome Dash had given her from the ground, taking a moment to dust it off. “I really appreciate the gifts. I know that you’re waiting for me to make up my mind, but-”
“Hey.” Dash interrupted her, trotting over and resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, ‘Shy. I’ve got a tortoise for a pet, remember? I’ve got plenty of patience. You take as long as you need.”
“This from the pony who was trying to forcibly push me into this very cottage not two days ago.” Rarity commented wryly.
“That was different.” Rainbow countered. “At that point, ‘Shy had already made her... decision and we were waiting to hear it. This time, we’re still waiting for her to make her decision.” she turned back to Fluttershy. “Seriously, take all the time you need. We’ll both be here whenever you decide. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a nap to take.” Dash trotted a short distance away before leaping into the air flapping her wings, angling towards a bank of clouds off to the east.
“I suppose I will take my leave as well.” Rarity gathered the sheet she had used to cover the dress and laid it across her back. “I’m so glad that you like the dress. I know that we do not attend many events that you would be able to wear it at, but perhaps we can convince Pinkie pie to host a formal-” She stopped just short saying the word ‘party,’ afraid that it would bring the pink pony down upon them. “A formal gathering.”
“Um... before you go...” Fluttershy trotted over to where her friend was standing. She shifted back and forth on her hooves, glancing around as though making sure they were alone.
“Whatever is-” Rarity’s words were cut off as Fluttershy leaned forward and kissed her. The world ceased to exist. Nothing mattered to Rarity beyond the soft pressure of Fluttershy’s lips against her own. Before she could wrap her mind around what was happening, the pressure disappeared.
“Um... I’m sorry.” Fluttershy mumbled, her cheeks flooding with color. “I kind of kissed Rainbow when she gave me the book, so I um... I thought it was only fair for you to get one too.”
“I... you... kiss...” Rarity stammered, waiting for her brain to resume functioning. After a moment, she partially succeeded in reasserting her normal demeanor, although excited squeals of joy kept threatening to burst from her mouth. “Fair. Yes, everything must be fair. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to... go do something.” She turned and cantered away, narrowly avoiding a fall into the stream due to not paying attention.
Fluttershy made her way back into her house, looking first at Atypical Avian Ailments, and then into a mirror on the wall to admire her new dress. “This doesn’t help.” She sighed to the empty room. “Both gifts are lovely, and they both show how much both Rarity and Rainbow care for me. Kissing them really didn’t help either.” She reflected on each of the kisses. They were different, and both mares were too surprised by them to respond, but they were both enjoyable. She felt her face heat up as she relived the feelings in her head.
“Oh, I’m more confused than ever!” She reached out with a hoof and hit an umbrella stand which wobbled back and forth several times before settling back upright. She flipped the book open, reading the stamp again. Vanhoover and back in thirty six hours... just to get me a book that she knew I was looking for. Fluttershy closed the cover and looked back to the mirror. She reached up and ran a hoof along the choker. Pink diamonds, and the rest of it is silk... how much would a dress like this cost? She closed her eyes and pressed both hooves to her temples. “I can’t do this.” She complained aloud. Her eyes shot open as an idea flashed in her head. “No... I can’t do that. It’s... It’s not right.” She started pacing the room, chewing on her lip nervously. “It wouldn’t be fair to anypony. No, I can’t. I won’t.” She stopped, her gaze falling to the ground. “Well... It is the best idea I’ve had so far. Maybe just one wouldn’t hurt.”
Fluttershy stomped a hoof. “That’s it. I’ll go on one date with Rarity and one with Dashie, and then I’ll be able to decide.” She quickly looked around the cottage to make sure she was alone. Once she was done, she looked at the mirror one more time.
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
Chapter Four and a Half
Hindsight
The Next Day
“That went better than expected.” Fluttershy admitted as she left the Carousel Boutique. She could still hear Rarity jumping around and squealing excitedly inside the shop, doing her best impression of Twilight’s infamous “Yes Dance.” The canary mare began the walk back to her cottage, having completed of her visits to both Rainbow’s cloud home and Rarity’s shop.
Alright, so now both Rarity and Dashie think that I chose them and I’ve set up dates with both of them. Fluttershy thought to herself as she meandered down the dirt road leading away from Ponyville. Now I just have to go on the dates and then I’ll be able to pick one of them to really be with. Wait a minute... She stopped walking as an unforeseen consequence to her plan came to mind. How do I break up with the one I don’t choose? How do I explain going on one date, dumping them, and then being with the other one? Oh no oh no oh no... She let her head fall. This was a horrible, terrible idea. What was I thinking?
Fluttershy resumed her walk home. Well... it’s too late to back out now. She thought, resigning herself to her fate. I’ve got a date with Dashie tomorrow night on Friday, and then one with Rarity on Sunday. I just need to focus on getting through those, then I can freak out about having to choose one of them. She looked up and saw the library ahead of her. Ooh! I can try and see if Twilight is picking up on Applejack’s hints yet. Content to let her own relationship troubles take a back seat, Fluttershy trotted over to the library door and pushed it open.
“Oh, hello Fluttershy.” Twilight called, looking up from a book. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. How’s your little... situation?” She glanced over to where Spike was reading a comic book on the windowsill. She avoided mentioning the details since he was still unaware of Rarity’s confession of love.
“Um... not well, actually.” Fluttershy replied, scuffing a hoof on the wooden floor. She leaned in to whisper. “Can we go talk about it somewhere a little more... private?”
“Sure.” Twilight stood up and began walking towards the stairs to her room. “Spike, Fluttershy and I are going upstairs for a minute. You’re in charge while we’re gone.” The baby dragon looked at her over the top of his comic book, arching an eyebrow. He looked as though he wanted to make a comment, but instead shrugged and went back to reading.
Fluttershy followed Twilight up the stairs and closed the door behind her after they reached the latter’s bedroom. As soon as the door clicked shut, Fluttershy fell to sit on her haunches. “I really messed up, Twilight.” She had not planned on divulging her current dire straits, but they came pouring out regardless. “I’m in way over my head and I don’t know what to do. I... I kind of told both Rarity and Rainbow that I picked them and set up dates with both of them for this weekend.”
“You what?” Twilight almost screamed before remembering Spike’s presence downstairs. “Fluttershy, how could you do that? What could possibly make you think that was okay?”
“I don’t know.” Fluttershy slid to lay on the floor, covering her face with her hooves. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. I couldn’t pick between them, so I figured that going on one date with each would let me get a better idea of what being with each of them would be like. I figured that after that I would be able to choose more easily.”
“What about the one you choose to break up with?” Twilight began pacing frantically. “Don’t you think they’ll find it a little weird for you to go on one date, then dump them, then start going out with the other one who you supposedly broke up with beforehoof?”
“I know!” Fluttershy felt tears rising in her eyes, but wiped them away with a hoof. “I didn’t think about that until after I already told them. What can I do?”
“I don’t know... I just don't know." Twilight shrugged, shaking her head.
Fluttershy's mind flashed back to her initial reason for visiting the library. “There actually was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.” She felt blood flow into her face as she tried to find a way to word her next statement. “With all the thinking I’ve been doing about my situation, I got to wondering, is there anypony that you’re interested in... romantically?” She ducked her head down to let her mane fall in front of her, hiding the crimson color in her cheeks.
“Me?” Twilight asked, still slightly confused from her bout of mild insanity. She swallowed before responding. “Um... n-no, not really. I’ve, uh, never really thought about it.” She put her hoof to her chin in thought as her eyes darted back and forth. “I know that it’s the next logical step up from friendship, but I don’t really know anypony that I feel that way about.”
“Really?” Fluttershy asked, picking her head back up. “No pony at all?”
Twilight shook her head, keeping her gaze off to the side. “N-nope. Why do you ask?” Her eyes shot open as an idea occurred to her “Did somepony say that they like me?”
“Oh, um...” Fluttershy briefly considered recounting her conversation with Applejack, but before she could Pinkie Pie appeared outside the window behind Twilight. She floated up, several balloons tied around her waist, shaking her head and mouthing the word “forever.” Fluttershy could only stare in shock as the pink party pony floated by, disappearing from the window right as Twilight turned to see what she was staring at.
“Is everything okay?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.
“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh, I mean, yes. Rather, no... no pony has said anything about liking you. I was just curious.” She stared at the ground as she spoke. “I-If you don’t mind. I’m going to head home and try to figure out what I’m going to do about my own mess.”
“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, a look of concern on her face. “I could try and help you... “Aha! I’ve got it!” She proclaimed with a flourish. “Cloning!”
“C-Cloning?” Fluttershy asked, peeking out from her study of the floor.
“Yes, cloning.” Twilight confirmed, a slight twitch pulling at her eye. “That way there will be two of you! One of you can be with Rarity, and the other one with Rainbow Dash, everypony wins.” A flash of light filled the room. After it faded a syringe and a pair of tweezers floated next to Twilight, engulfed in a purple aura of magic. “Now, hold still. I need a DNA sample.”
“Um... no thank you.” Fluttershy stood up and backed away. She ran into the door, the crazed unicorn still stalking towards her. “Twilight...” She felt a panic rising in her chest. With an effort, she forced it down and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, unleashing The Stare. “Stop.”
Twilight faltered in her advance, the tweezers slipping from her grasp. She blinked rapidly for a few seconds before shaking her head vigorously. “What just happened?” She asked, pressing a hoof to the side of her head.
“You went a little crazy, like mad-scientist crazy.” Fluttershy explained as she stopped The Stare. “You wanted to clone me.”
“Clone you?” Twilight shook her head to dislodge the fuzziness still clinging to her thoughts. “Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would I want to clone you? What could that possibly accomplish?”
“Well, you...” Fluttershy paused. She doesn’t remember? “I was just... telling you about a little problem I was having, but don’t worry about it.” Her shoulders slumped a small amount. “I got myself into this, so I’ll get myself out... somehow. I’ll see you later.” She turned to open the door to the library’s main room.
“Hold on a second.” Twilight called her back from the door. The lavender unicorn looked off to the side, chewing on her lip nervously. “Um, there was one more question I had for you. I’m sorry if it seems horribly obvious, but you know how I can be with obvious things.”
This could be it. Fluttershy thought to herself. She finally picked up on Applejack’s hints. She suppressed a smile as she trotted back to the center of the bedroom. “What is it?” She asked, trying to keep from sounding excited.
“Well...” Twilight stared at the floor and scuffed a hoof. “Are you even... attracted to mares?” She looked up, having gained some courage by getting the question out. “It just kind of seems like you’re focused on choosing between Rarity and Rainbow Dash to make one of them happy, and not necessarily yourself.”
“Oh.” Fluttershy replied, feeling her spirits fall a little. “Well, I don’t know if I’m attracted to all mares in general, but...” Her mind flashed back to the physical sensations of kissing Rarity and Rainbow Dash, along with several amorous dreams about both of them that she had over the past few nights. She felt her face heat up as it flushed a deep red. “I’m, um... I’m definitely attracted to Rarity and Dashie.”
“Hmm. I guess that makes sense.” Twilight put a hoof to her chin, her eyes darting back and forth as she began thinking. Fluttershy knew that once her friend began thinking about something, it was almost impossible to bring her back to reality, so she chose to make her exit. She pulled open the door and made her way back downstairs, leaving Twilight sitting in the middle of her room deep in thought.
Oh no. Not only is Twilight oblivious to Applejack’s hints, she doesn’t even feel the same way. How am I going to break this to her? Fluttershy wondered to herself as she walked along the path from Ponyville to her cottage. First, I have to make it through this weekend, then I can worry about Applejack.
Chapter Five
Grass Is Always Greener...
The Following Evening (Friday)
Fluttershy stood in front of her bathroom mirror, pulling a brush through her mane and futilely trying to calm her nerves. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. She chanted to herself. It’s just your first date with Dashie... who happens to think you’ve broken up with Rarity even though you haven’t. I’m sure it won’t be anything too bold, we’re just going to... I don’t know. Dashie never told me what our plans were, just to show up at her place at seven. Fluttershy felt her chest tighten and her heart rate pick up slightly. Just a first date... with my best friend... and I have no idea what we’re doing. Why am I not panicking again?
The canary mare jumped as she heard the clock tower start to chime through the open window. “Oh no! It’s already seven!” She threw down her brush and galloped out of the bathroom. “I’m late. I’m late. I’m late.” She skidded to a stop as she got to the front door. Angel Bunny was blocking her path, visibly straining to hold up a bouquet of red roses.
“Angel, what are you doing with those?” Fluttershy asked, reaching down to take the flowers. The small rabbit pointed to her, pantomimed giving something, and then hopped around wildly, flapping his arms. “You want my to give these to Rainbow Dash?” She translated, looking over the bouquet. She briefly considered questioning where Angel Bunny even got the flowers, much less why he would want her to give them to Dash, but did not get the chance as she noticed him frantically waving a pocket watch and pointing at the time.
“Oh, right, I’m late.” Fluttershy pulled the door to her house open and stepped outside. “Um, thanks for the flowers, I guess.” She looked back to see Angel waving a paw, shooing her away, before shutting the door. She shook her head slightly and trotted a short way before leaping into the air and spreading her wings. She flapped them a few times to climb above the tree line and then angled northwest towards Rainbow’s sprawling cloud mansion.
The flight took longer than normal as Fluttershy flew slowly to avoid damaging the roses. Several minutes later, she passed the liquid rainbow fountain in front of Dash’s house and alighted on the porch. How much does it cost to keep that thing running? She wondered to herself as she reached up to knock on the door. Before she could continue that train of through, the door swung open.
“Hey there, ‘Shy.” Rainbow stood on the other side of the threshold, a towel draped over her shoulders. “I was starting to think you might have gotten cold hooves. You’re never late.” Her eyes drifted down to the bunch of roses her friend was carrying. “Are those for me?”
“Y-Yes.” Fluttershy stammered, holding out the flowers.
“Wow, red roses already? Moving pretty fast for a first date, don’t ya think?” Dash took the bouquet and smelled it briefly.
“Oh... um, I-” Fluttershy tried to explain, fighting the urge to hide behind her mane.
“I’m just messin’ with ya, ‘Shy.” Dash chuckled, standing to the side and waving her friend in. “Come on in. Food’s almost ready.”
“Food?” Fluttershy asked warily. The prismatic mare was not known for her culinary prowess. “Um... are you sure about that? Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere?” She asked, tentatively sniffing the air for signs of burning odors. The smell of charred food was absent, but a tantalizing aroma was wafting out into the entryway.
“Nope.” Dash responded, trotting back into the kitchen. “I’ve been working on this all day, and it’s gonna be awesome.” She passed through the doorway into the kitchen, leading to the sounds of lids clanging among pots and pans. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be out there in a second.”
Fluttershy slowly made her way around the living room of Rainbow’s home, taking time to admire the various pictures hanging on the wall, most of them either of The Wonderbolts or Dash performing one of their various aerial tricks. Fluttershy’s attention was drawn to a large black stereo in the corner of the room. She looked over the various buttons and knobs before finding one labeled “On/Off.” She reached up with a hoof and pressed the button, causing a booming rhythm to erupt from the speakers. After a moment, a deep bass voice came out of the stereo, speaking too rapidly for her to understand.
“No no no no no.” Dash appeared next to the stereo, frantically punching the power button until the music died away. “Eh heh... sorry about that...” She chuckled nervously, running a hoof along the back of her neck. “I was going to set up some nice, romantic dinner music, but I got distracted making the food.”
“What was that?” Fluttershy asked, arching an eyebrow in surprise.
“It... was...” Rainbow looked down, a light color rushing into her face. “The newest Fifty Bit song, ‘In Da Stable.’” She reached up and pressed several buttons, causing a slight whirring sound to emanate from the machinery. After several seconds of silence, the soft notes of a string quartet flowed from the speakers, gently filling the room. “There.” Dash said, scrunching her nose up slightly. “That’s... better, right?”
Fluttershy giggled lightly and leaned in to nuzzle Rainbow’s neck. She smiled as she felt a shiver pass through the chromatic-maned pegasus at the contact. “It’s lovely.” She cooed. She felt Dash relax and lean into her for a moment before she pulled away, trotting back towards the kitchen. “Um... Dashie?” She asked nervously.
“What’s up, ‘Shy?” Rainbow turned back.
“D-do you, um, th-that is, if you don’t mind... could you, um...” Fluttershy felt her face heat up and she scuffed a hoof on the floor.
“Calm down, Flutters.” The cyan mare made her way over to her marefriend and leaned in to nuzzle against her neck. “Just take a breath and say whatever it is. I’m sure it’s nothing bad.”
“O-okay.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with Dash. “C-Could you say it again, please? You know, that... well, um, wh-what you said at my house?”
Rainbow cocked her head to the side in confusion. An instant later, she pieced together the meaning behind her friend’s cryptic request. She immediately felt a wave of guilt crash over her. I haven’t told her again since that fiasco at her her house. Some marefriend I am. She broke out of her self-criticism, and reached out to hold one of Fluttershy’s hooves between her own. “I love you, Flutters. More than anything in the world.”
Fluttershy instinctively hid behind her mane, biting her lip to try and suppress a squeal of glee. She felt her already flushed cheeks deepen in color and her heart rate pick up slightly at the other mare’s words. She leaned forward and tentatively pressed her lips against Rainbow’s in a soft kiss. She lingered there, relishing the light contact, before pulling away slowly. “I-I love you too, Dashie.”
“The, uh, th-the food’s ready.” Dash stammered, her own face blushing a light pink through her coat. “You hungry?”
Fluttershy followed her friend into the kitchen, only to be confronted with a veritable mountain of dishes, pots, and pans stacked in the sink, all of them encrusted with charred, black remnants of what presumably used to be food. “What happened here?” She asked, warily extending a hoof to poke at a crumbling ball of thoroughly burnt vegetable matter.
“Oh, yea.” Rainbow replied as she placed a bowl on the dining table. “I finally got this whole cooking thing down... but the first three or four tries didn’t work out so well. That’s why it took all day.” She laid two cushions by the table. “Alright, dinner is served. We’ve got baked eggplant parmesan with spaghetti and garlic toast.” She held up a bottle full of a red liquid. “I even got a nice bottle of wine to go with it.”
“Wow.” Fluttershy looked over the food arrayed on the table, her mouth starting to water slightly. “This all looks amazing. I’m impressed.” She sat on one of the cushions and used her fork to spear a slice of the eggplant parmesan. She jumped slightly as a glass full of wine appeared next to her plate. “Um... I’m not sure if I should be drinking.” She reached out and inched the glass away from her.
“Come on, ‘Shy.’ Rainbow pushed the wine back towards the timid mare. “The nice earth pony at the market said that this wine was supposed to be amazing. Besides, this is a date. One glass won’t hurt.”
Fluttershy picked up the glass in her hooves and sniffed at its contents. The smell stung her nose. She steeled herself and took a small sip. The potent liquid burned slightly as it traveled down her throat, but behind the burn she tasted several sweet and fruity notes to the wine. Well, I guess one glass won’t hurt. She thought to herself. Just enough to take the edge off of my nerves.
Two hours and seven glasses of wine later, Fluttershy stood up from the table and glanced over to a clock on the wall. “Ni -hic- nine o’clock?” She stared at the time piece on the wall, swaying slightly on her hooves. “I... I have to get home. I have to wake up early and... and...” She trailed off into silence as her eyelids slid closed. After a moment, she shook her head and began stumbling back to the living room, bumping into several counters and door frames along the way.
“Are you sure you’re okay to fly?” Rainbow Dash stood from the table as well, markedly less intoxicated since she only drank two glasses of wine. She cantered through the kitchen to catch up with her inebriated date, who was currently attempting to open the grate to the fireplace.
“I’ll be fine. Hic!” Fluttershy responded as she continued to fumble with the grate. “I just need to -hic- get this door open.” She furrowed her brow in concentration, alternating pushing and pulling on the fireplace cover.
“Well, when you’re done trying to get into the chimney, the front door is over here.” Dash stood in the entryway to her home, a bemused smile on her face. She turned and locked the door with a swipe of her hoof. “Not that it matters. You’re way too drunk to fly. You can crash here for the night.”
“Sleep? Here?” Fluttershy looked up from the grate, a confused expression on her face. Soon it was replaced by a predatory grin as she stood up and sauntered over to Rainbow, swaying her hips excessively. “Well well well, now who’s being too forward for a first date?” She stopped walking, her muzzle hovering inches from Rainbow’s and allowing her alcohol-infused breath to play across her friend’s face.
“Huh?” Rainbow asked, confused. Her brain was slow to piece together the drunk mare’s meaning, as it was too busy focusing on her sudden proximity and a desire to lean out and kiss her. After a few seconds, Dash caught on to the meaning and a deep blush flooded her cheeks. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like that.” She dropped her gaze to the ground and pawed at the cloud floor. Although... if she’s offering, it would be rude to say no. She shook her head. “No. You’re drunk, ‘Shy. You can take my bed and sleep it off. I’ll bunk on the couch tonight.”
“Uh huh. Sure you will.” Fluttershy leaned in and nuzzled against Dash’s neck. Mmm... her coat is so soft. She thought to herself. With her diminished attention span occupied, Fluttershy did not notice as Dash nudged her and led her down various hallways to the master bedroom. It was not until she bumped into the bed that she realized she had been walking. “Huh?” She mumbled. She looked up at the bed and quickly climbed in, closing her eyes and reveling in the softness of the cloud mattress. She waited for a minute for the feeling of Dash climbing in the bed with her, but when it did not come, she opened her eyes and looked around the now empty room.
I guess she was serious about sleeping on the couch. Fluttershy thought, feeling herself pout slightly. Well, it’s probably for the best, I did drink a little too much. It was very nice of her to let me take her bed, even if it is a little big for just one pony. Very gentlecoltly of her. Still, I have to admit I was looking forward to at least-
“Are you okay, ‘Shy?” Rainbow’s voice broke in, interrupting her train of thought.
Fluttershy looked around, realizing she was back in the living room. How did I get back here? When did I get out of bed? She quickly gave up on trying to figure out how she had gotten back to the living room, turning her attention back to Dash on the couch. “I was just thinking about how big and lonely the bed is by myself.” Wait... did I just say that out loud? She felt a flood of heat in her face as she waited for a response.
Rainbow closed the latest Daring Do book she was reading with a chuckle. “Ha. Lost the old brain-to-mouth filter, huh?” She let out a heavy sigh. “Listen, ‘Shy. It’s not that I don’t want to join you in the bed.” She paused, blushing through her coat. “It’s just that... you’re drunk, and I don’t want you to do anything that you’ll look back on later and regret because you had too much wine. Besides, this is only our first date. We’ll have plenty of time for that later.”
“Why wait? We have plenty of time now.” Fluttershy replied, causing Rainbow to stare at her with a shocked expression. “That was out loud too, wasn’t it?” She waited for the familiar feelings of panic and embarrassment to flood over her. They never came. She felt oddly comfortable, despite saying things she would never even think under normal circumstances. “Besides, I doubt that there’s anything I could do with you that I would regret.” She added, her mouth still running ahead of her mind.
Dash sat on the couch, stunned silent and blushing furiously. I should get her drunk more often. She shook her head, reprimanding herself. No, don’t think like that. I can’t take advantage of her. Not that she’s making it easy to refuse. She let out an inaudible sigh, silently cursing herself. “Maybe not, but I don’t think that taking things slow for one night will kill either of us.” She tried to give a reassuring smile, hoping that her wavering self-control was not obviously apparent.
Fluttershy pouted and let out a small whimper. “If you say so.” She finally relented. “I’m not really sleepy yet, is it okay if I sit out here on the couch with you?” She batted her eyelashes, trying her best to look innocent.
“I, uh...” Rainbow tried in vain to keep a light twitch from passing through her wings. “S-Sure, that would be okay, I guess.” She attempted to keep her eyes from drifting down to her friend’s flank as she strolled past the couch, failing miserably. She almost dropped her book when a particularly forceful sway of the canary mare’s hips sent her tail off to the side, teasing Rainbow by not quite revealing what lay beneath. Dash immediately opened the Daring Do novel to a random page, burying her muzzle in the paper to hide the immense blush spreading across her face. Sweet Celestia of Equestria, I need a cold shower.
“So, what crazy trouble has Daring Do managed to get herself into this time?” A soft voice asked. Rainbow pulled her face out of the book, only to narrowly avoid colliding with Fluttershy, who was laying on the couch as close to her as possible without actually touching her. Dash suddenly found herself face to face with the mare who had been occupying her dreams recently, with only a scant distance separating them.
“She, uh... I-I can’t remember.” The cyan pegasus was suddenly acutely aware of the situation. The feeling of her crush’s breath playing across her face, carrying with it faint traces of the wine from earlier. Those large turquoise eyes, normally perfect pools of tranquility, locked on her, a rarely-seen fire burning slowly beneath the surface. Dash felt a slight burning in her chest and realized the was involuntarily holding her breath. She inhaled, catching a light floral scent off of the light pink mane in front of her.
Don’t do it. Dash tried to convince herself, though the thundering pulse of her heat beating in her ears almost drowned out her thoughts. Whatever you do, do not kiss her. Her train of thought was interrupted as Fluttershy leaned forward, closing the last inches between them and pressing their lips together, softly but insistently. Well, I guess one or two won’t hurt.
Rainbow dropped her book to the floor, turning and adjusting her position on the couch to fully face her marefriend. She belatedly realized that her own lips were still motionless and began returning the kiss. This elicited a light moan from Fluttershy, who in turn leaned further forward, pressing into the contact and forcing Dash to roll over onto her back and allowing the inebriated mare to climb on top of her.
I’ve never seen her like this. She’s so... aggressive. Dash mused to herself as she reveled in the silken feeling of Fluttershy’s coat pressing against her. She felt the other mare’s tongue dart forward, brushing her lips with the briefest of caresses. Her mouth parted slightly allowing her own tongue to venture out and dance with her partner’s.
Stop. Don’t do this. She’s drunk. A small portion of Dash’s mind tried to argue. The warnings went unheeded as Fluttershy ran a hoof down Rainbow’s side, drawing a shudder and sending her mind in to a haze. The primrose mare pulled away, lightly nibbling at Dash’s lip as they separated.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to join me in the bed?” Fluttershy asked, a smoldering glint in her half-lidded eyes.
Don’t do it. I repeat: DO NOT DO IT! It’s a trap! Dash’s mind railed against the idea, but to no avail. “S-Sure.” The word escaped her almost against her will. Fluttershy gave a predatory grin, knowing she had won, and began climbing down from the couch, pausing to flick her tail across Rainbow’s nose as she clambered down to the floor. They made their way back towards the master bedroom, Rainbow Dash trailing behind and trying to keep her eyes off of the swaying flank in front of her. As they reached the bed, Fluttershy climbed up and beckoned with a hoof for Dash to follow her.
Rainbow stood on the floor next to the bed, her eyes roaming over the seductively reclining figure in front of her. Everything she dared to hope and want out of the night was being presented to her on a silver platter and she felt... scared. The realization that she was afraid of what was happening shattered the hypnotic hold that Fluttershy seemed to have on her. She suddenly found herself able to resist the utterly alluring gaze that her crush was giving her, barely. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to force her heart to slow from its hammering pace.
“Is everything alright, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked, her voice laced with new-found sensuality.
“Yea, everything’s awesome.” Rainbow replied, not risking to look at the mare in her bed. She racked her brain for a way out of her predicament. She opened her eyes and looked up, giving her own best seductive smile. “I just need to visit the little fillies’ room before we get started. You stay there, I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for a response, Dash turned and galloped from the room, careening down several hallways before leaping into a nearby bathroom and slamming the door behind her. The prismatic mare turned on the sink faucet and splashed cold water on her face several times.
I’m... scared? Me? Rainbow Dash is scared? Dash stared at her reflection in the mirror. What is Equestria am I afraid of? Fluttershy is practically throwing herself at me, and I’m shaking like a scared little filly. She paced around the small room. What if she wakes up tomorrow and is mad at me for what we do tonight? What if she’s so angry she leaves and goes back to Rarity?
“Get a hold of yourself, Dash.” Rainbow reprimanded herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror. “You may not have known that Fluttershy turns into some kind of magical, sexy goddess when she gets drunk, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like you’re in heat. Get it together, girl.” She took a break from chastising her behavior to throw some more cold water in her face. “Alright, it looks like I’ve got two options. I can either go back in there and find some way to turn down ‘Shy’s advances, or I can sleep in the bathtub tonight.” She turned to look at the room’s tub. It was of cold, hard, and functional cumulonimbus cloud, just like much of all cloud buildings. Meanwhile, her bed was made of soft, puffy cumulus cloud, complete with a cirrus blanket.
“I never thought I’d say this, but curse my awesome bed.” Dash slowly pulled open the door, trying to make her way back to the bedroom as silently as possible. As she crept around the final corner, she glimpsed Fluttershy’s prone form laying on the bed, her chest slowly rising and falling in the soft moonlight. Rainbow leaned forward slightly, straining her hearing. After several seconds she heard a light, almost dainty, snore escape the now-sleeping pegasus, sending an overwhelming wave of relief through her. She turned and tip-hoofed back towards the living room.
“Okay, option three. 'Shy passes out and I get to sleep on the couch.” She muttered under her breath.
Fluttershy awoke the next morning to find herself sprawled out on an immensely comfortable bed, one far too large to be her own. She briefly wondered where she was before she was struck with a splitting headache and a wave of nausea. Sweet Celestia, what happened last night? She wondered as she reached up blindly, pulling down a pillow to press over her eyes and block out light from the room’s windows.
Wait... last night. Dashie! Fluttershy bolted upright, only to have the pain in her head increase exponentially and the nausea threaten to overwhelm her. She quickly lay back down, curling up into a ball and pressing her hooves to her temples. Oh, why do I feel so horrible? All we did was have dinner. The mere thought of food was enough to make her fee like vomiting. Oh no... the wine. I only meant to drink one glass, what happened? She tried to recall her memories from the previous night, but everything after dinner was hazy. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of what could only be a herd of angry buffalo stampeding through a nearby hallway. She cracked open one eye to see Rainbow Dash coming into the room, a glass of water in hoof.
“Hey there, ‘Shy. You finally awake?” Dash called as she reached the doorway to the bedroom. A light smirk pulled at her mouth as she watched Fluttershy cringe away from the sound. “Hungover, huh?” She guessed, lowering her voice to barely above a whisper. She offered the glass of water. “Here, drink this it will help some. If you feel like you can stomach real food, I made some eggs and hay waffles.”
“What happened last night?” Fluttershy asked after draining the glass of its blissfully cool contents. She sat up, slowly this time, and ran a hoof through her disheveled mane. “I remember dinner, at least the beginning... and then if gets kind of fuzzy.” She paused and felt a rush of blood flow to her cheeks as a memory came back to her, causing her to blush and making her hangover worse.
“What’s with the blush, ‘Shy? Remember something?” Dash prodded her, bouncing her eyebrows.
“Oh, um, no.” Fluttershy dipped her head to hide behind her mane. “I just had some... crazy dreams after you put me to bed.”
“Really?” Rainbow tried to keep a smile from spreading across her face. “What kind of dreams?”
“I... I don’t wanna talk about.” Fluttershy mumbled.
“Is that so?” Dash allowed herself a little knowing grin. “Let me guess... You got out of bed, came to the living room, and seduced me into coming back to the bed with you?”
“Th-That...” Fluttershy tried to respond, all of the color draining from her face. “That really happened?” She stared in horror as Rainbow nodded, then leapt off of the bed towards one of the windows. She gently lifted the window open and tried to jump out, only to be stopped by her tail being pinned in place. She looked back to see Dash holding her in place with one hoof and trying to stifle her laughter with the other.
“Don’t worry, ‘Shy.” Rainbow finally managed to say after calming down. “Nothing happened, not that you weren’t trying.” She added with a wink, drawing another round of blushing from her friend. “It’s cool though, nothing too bad happened in the end.”
“Wait, what?” Fluttershy perked up, her face showing relief tinged with slight disappointment. “N-Nothing happened?”
“Not really.” Dash replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “Sure, we made out on the couch a little bit, but I ran to the bathroom for a second and when I came back you were fast asleep.” She felt her own cheeks flush with color as memories of their activities on the came back to her. “So... you feel good enough to eat?”
“Oh, um... no, that’s okay.” Fluttershy pawed at the ground nervously, wanting only to leave before further embarrassing herself. Before she could attempt to excuse herself, an audible growl emanated from her stomach, betraying her hunger. “Well, maybe just a little bite to eat.” She followed Dash back through the various twists and turns leading to the living room and kitchen. How did I make my way through that drunk? She wondered to herself.
“Here you go, eat up.” Dash dropped a plate onto the table in the kitchen, causing it to sink into the deformable cloud material slightly. A large platter on the table was stacked with hay waffles, and a nearby bowl contained heaps of scrambled eggs.
“I thought you weren’t good at cooking.” Fluttershy said as she lifted a waffle onto her plate. “Where’s the mountain of failed waffles and eggs?” She gestured with a hoof over to the now empty sink that had held mounds of burnt food the night before.
“I’ve always made great hay waffles. They were practically all I ate when I first moved in here.” Rainbow speared her own waffle, taking time to drizzle syrup on it. “The eggs were originally going to be sunny side up, but the yolks kept breaking so I just scrambled ‘em up.”
“Ha ha.” Fluttershy gave a forced laugh before quickly becoming serious. “I’m so sorry about last night, Dashie. I only meant to have one glass of wine, but the glass was always full. I’m sorry if I did anything... inappropriate.” She poked at her waffle, not eating it.
“Seriously, it’s all good.” Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “No harm, no foul.” She stopped for a moment as a light blush rose in her cheeks. “Besides, it was kind of... nice. What with you being so... aggressive. Lesson learned, though. No alcohol on our next date.”
The remainder of breakfast passed uneventfully. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ate in relative silence, occasionally trading bashful smiles and glances. As they finished eating and made their way towards the front door, a lingering question pressed to the front of their minds.
“So...” Dash pulled open the door and stared off towards the horizon. “When do you wanna go out again?”
“Um... I’m busy for the rest of the weekend, but maybe sometime next week?” Fluttershy ducked her head to hide behind her mane. “How about I come by on Monday or Tuesday and we can work something out?”
“That sounds good.” Rainbow smiled, leaning forward to plant a light kiss on her marefriend’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, Flutters.”
“Oh, um... okay. Bye.” Fluttershy made her way out the door, leaping from the take-off pad and flaring her wings. She started flapping her wings, but they twitched and flapped stiffly as she flew.
Well... one date down, one more to go.
Chapter Six
...On the Other Side of the Fence
The Next Day (Sunday)
Fluttershy flitted around her house, putting out food for her animal friends before she got ready to leave. She felt a knot of worry forming in her stomach, but pushed it down. It’s just the spa. We missed our normal weekly trip with all of the excitement and pressure of me trying to choose between them, so Rarity suggested we have a special spa date today as a prelude to our real date. Nothing to be worried about. She placed a bowl of lettuce and carrots outside of Angel Bunny’s hutch before trotting back into the kitchen to clean up.
After tidying up the kitchen, Fluttershy passed back through the living room and noticed that Angel’s food was still untouched. She quickly made her way over to the enclosure and lifted the roof to find the rabbit in question laying in his tiny bed, seemingly uncomfortable.
“Oh my, Angel. What’s wrong?” She leaned down to examine him more closely. Angel placed his paws over his stomach and pantomimed throwing up. “You feel sick? You haven’t even eaten anything yet.” Fluttershy reached into the hutch with a hoof and felt Angel’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm... let me get a thermometer.”
The nurturing mare cantered across the room and opened a drawer full of medical supplies. She rummaged through the contents for a moment before pulling out a thermometer. She returned to Angel’s small house and placed the end of it in his mouth.
“Now, keep that under your tongue and I’ll come back and check on it in a minute.” Fluttershy instructed him as she left to search for a book. Once she was gone, Angel pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and put it in a bowl of hot water hidden in the rear of his hutch. He watched the red liquid climb higher and higher, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure his owner was not coming back yet. The blue one offered food if he helped his pony choose her over the fussy one, so he planned to make sure his pony could not go and see the fussy one today. Soon, he heard hoofsteps approaching. He pulled the instrument from the hot water and hopped back into his bed, placing the end of it in his mouth.
“Alright, let’s see what we have.” Fluttershy cooed soothingly. She pulled the thermometer out and read it. “One hundred and six?” She reached down and felt Angel’s forehead again, shaking the device in her other hoof to cool it down. “You really don’t feel that warm. Let’s try one more time.” She put the thermometer back in his mouth, staying to watch this time. Angel waved his paws to shoo her away, but she only arched an eyebrow in confusion.
After a minute had passed, Fluttershy reached down and pulled the instrument out of Angel’s mouth again. “Ninety seven. Much better.” She smiled down at the rabbit, who crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance. “I’m sorry that you don’t feel good Angel, but there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with you. Now I have to go get ready. You get plenty of rest and I’m sure you’ll feel better in no time.” With that, she turned and trotted up the stairs to her bathroom, while Angel slapped a paw to his forehead. Several minutes later, Fluttershy cantered through the living room, pulled open the door and stepped outside. Angel shook his head, shrugged and laid down to take a nap. The blue one would not be happy.
Some time later, Fluttershy alighted on the ground in front of the Ponyville Spa, surprised to find Rarity waiting for her outside rather than in the building. After landing, she took a moment to readjust her wings and mane before walking over to her date. “Hello, Rarity. Is there a problem? Is something wrong with the spa? You’ve never waited outside for me before.”
“Everything is perfect, darling.” Rarity chirped, an eager grin spreading across her face. “I just wanted to be here when you arrived.” She brought her horn to life and pulled the door open in a flare of magic. “After you, dear.”
Fluttershy stepped through the open door, trying to keep her confusion from showing. “Good afternoon, girls.” She called to Aloe and Lotus. When no response came, she looked around the spa lobby, finding it deserted. “Um, girls?” She trotted over and poked her head into the large main room, only to discover it was empty as well. “I think something’s wrong. Nopony is here, not even Aloe and Lotus.”
“Oh, nothing is wrong, dear.” Rarity replied as she locked the door behind her. “Everything is going just as it was planned. You see, I have rented the spa out for the next two hours. Nopony but you and me.” She strode over to stand next to her marefriend, a light blush showing through her immaculately white coat. “I’ve spent the last four days learning from Aloe and Lotus about all the various services of the spa.” She leaned in, hovering her lips bare inches from her friend’s ear and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Today, you are the sole customer of the spa, and I am your personal masseuse.”
Fluttershy felt Rarity’s breath on her ear, sending bolts of lightning down her spine. She repressed a shiver, trying to focus on the alabaster unicorn’s words rather than the sensation of the breath on her ear. “Th-That... That sounds nice.” She finally managed to say. “O-Only if you really want to, that is.” She face heated up to the point she was afraid her coat might burst into flames. “I could, um... I could give you a massage too, if that’s okay.”
“That sounds positively lovely, dear.” Rarity whispered. She leaned in a planted a light kiss on her marefriend’s ear, smiling as she noticed a twitch quickly pass through her wings before being expertly smothered. “Now, if you’ll follow me. I believe the steam room will be an excellent start.” Rarity stepped over to the steam room door, holding it open for the pink-maned pegasus to enter. She followed her in and closed the door before flaring her horn to life. With a quick flurry of magic, she lit a small pile of coals to a smolder and covered them with rocks.
Hmm... it will be some time before the rocks are hot enough to turn the water to steam. The white mare thought to herself, eyeing a nearby bucket of water that would typically be poured over the rocks to provide steam for the room. She felt a small smirk pull at the corner of her mouth as an idea came to her. One of the advantages of being, or dating, a unicorn... magic. She reignited her horn and began focusing raw magical energy into the water. After a few seconds, the water began to heat up and boil, releasing tiny wisps of steam into the air. Rarity grinned as her plan worked. If a little is good, more must be better. She concentrated her efforts, vastly increasing the energy she focused into heating the water. Without warning, the wooden bucket shattered, sending bits of wood flying in all directions and filling the room with steam.
“Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy called from a bench on the far side of the room. “Are you okay, Rarity?” She squinted, trying to make out her friend’s figure through the steam. “What happened?”
“I’m quite alright, darling.” The fashionista trotted over to the bench and sat next to her date. “I was merely trying to heat up the water and turn it to steam, but I fear I may have gone slightly overboard. I suppose I will need to get Aloe and Lotus a new water bucket.” She reached up to rub the back of her neck, but pulled her hoof away in pain. “Ouch. Hmm...” She reached back up, tenderly feeling around her neck. She stopped as she felt a small piece of wood lodged there.
“Oh dear, you’re hurt.” Fluttershy leaned in closer to inspect the area. She was trying to figure out the best way to remove it when she noticed a quick shudder pass through her friend. “Is everything alright? It doesn’t hurt, does it?” She asked, her voice full of concern.
“No, darling. It doesn’t hurt it’s just...” She paused for a moment as her face flushed with color. “I-I just felt your breath on my neck, and I... it felt nice.” She sat up straighter, reasserting her almost regal demeanor. “My apologies, I will hold still if you think you can remove it.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Fluttershy replied turning back to focus on the task at hand. She hoped that it would help her ignore her own massive blush, along with the increased tempo of her heart. “It isn’t too big, and it doesn’t look to be embedded too deep. There’s no bleeding. It’s not much more than a splinter, really.” She moved her head around looking at the tiny wooden object from various angles. Her already scarlet cheeks deepened in color as she realized how she would have to remove it. “Um, it’s actually too small for me to be able to take out with my hooves. I... I think I’m going to have to-” She stopped and swallowed. When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible. “I think I’m going to have to use my mouth.”
Rarity’s eyes shot open, and all the color that flooded her face drained away instantly. A look of mixed panic and elation flashed over her features before being expertly quenched and replaced with a facade of calm. “If that is what is required, then by all means, dear, please proceed.” She felt more than saw Fluttershy lean in closer and cringed slightly. “Please, do be careful though. I am loathe to admit it, but I am... ticklish.”
“Eep!” Fluttershy let out a small squeak of surprise before she regained her composure. Okay, don’t think of this like a romantic situation. It’s more like a medical procedure. Fluttershy told herself, trying to slow the frantic pace her heart was beating at. Just like removing the thorn from the paw of that manticore. Just don’t focus on the fact that your mouth will be almost pressed up against her neck. Don’t focus on the fact that leaning forward ever so slightly would let you kiss her neck. Don’t focus on... She stopped as she realized her heart rate had spiked even higher and she felt her hooves shaking from sheer nerves.
“Okay... here we go.” Fluttershy said to no one in particular. She leaned in and tried to grasp the splinter in her teeth. As she bit down, her date pulled away and broke out in a fit of giggling.
“D-Did you get it?” Rarity asked, slightly out of breath.
Fluttershy looked down at her marefriend’s neck, seeing that the splinter was gone. She felt the wood in her teeth and dropped it off to the side. A wicked smile spread over her face as an idea popped into her head. Oh, I shouldn’t... but it’s not like anypony could walk in on us, and this is a date after all. She felt a rush of heat in her face that had nothing to do with the steam. Oh, no. I-I don’t think I can, but maybe-
Maybes are for babies. A soft voice in her head whispered, sending a wave of confidence flooding through her body.
“I don’t think so. Hold still and I’ll try again.” Without waiting for an answer, Fluttershy leaned back in and nipped Rarity’s neck, causing the unicorn to shiver and let out an appreciative moan.
“I-I do believe you already got the splinter.” Rarity pointed out, her breathing becoming slightly labored.
“Oh, no. It’s still there.” Fluttershy shot back. She darted in and gave another quick nibble, following it up with a flurry of light kisses. She smiled as she heard her partner inhale sharply. She slowly worked her way up Rarity’s neck, planting a line of kisses and the occasional nip. After several moments, she felt a hoof gently pushing her back. The canary mare let out a slight whine of disappointment, then leaned forward for one last kiss before backing away.
“Not that I am not thoroughly enjoying this-” Rarity began, her breathing ragged and a wild desire burning in her eyes. “-but I feel that we should move on to the next activity on the list.” She hopped down from the bench and made her way across the room, trying desperately to keep her knees from shaking. She levitated one of the remaining water buckets and doused the coals, extinguishing them and sending another blast of steam through the room. She took advantage of the momentary curtain of steam to let out a head to hoof shiver she had been suppressing.
What in Celestia’s name just happened? Rarity wondered to herself. She pulled the door to the steam room open and held it as her marefriend passed through. I’ve never seen Fluttershy be so... forward. She made her way out of the steam room and headed down the hall to the mud baths. Having been second to leave, she was now trailing behind the other mare, giving her a rather nice view as Fluttershy sauntered down the hallway. Rarity tried to keep her eyes elsewhere, but they kept drifting back to her friend’s swaying flank. After a moment she noticed that Fluttershy’s tail was sweeping to the side more than it should have been. Is she... Oh my, she’s doing that on purpose, the little minx.
Up ahead, Fluttershy glanced back over her shoulder and noticed Rarity’s attention. “Enjoying the view?” She asked, throwing in a wink for good measure. She laughed as her date’s face flooded crimson and her eyes locked onto the floor. That was fun. Fluttershy thought to herself as she trotted down the hallway, actively swaying her hips slightly more than necessary. Wait a minute... why am I so calm and relaxed? In a situation like this, I would normally be a nervous wreck. I’m not drunk, am I? She lifted a hoof to her mouth and tried to smell her breath. No, not drunk.
Fluttershy was distracted as she walked into the mud bath room and narrowly avoided falling face-first into the tub. Once Rarity joined her, the pair lowered themselves into the tubs and settled in to relax. The silence rested between them comfortably, allowing both mares to spend time with their thoughts.
Why am I not nervous? Fluttershy wondered to herself as she rested in mud bath. Where did that rush of confidence in the steam room come from? She leaned forward, letting her chin rest on the edge of the tub in front of her as she pondered. A nagging thought pulled at the back of her mind, bringing up the voice that had whispered to her and given her the confidence she needed. I haven’t used any of Iron Will’s catchphrases since that whole “New Fluttershy” incident. Her mind drifted, recalling the feeling of kissing Rarity’s neck and the sounds it drew from her. She felt a warm tingling between her hind legs and shifted her position in the tub. Why do I feel like this? It’s not like I’m... in... Her mind screeched to a halt as the pieces fell into place.
No. Oh no no no. This can’t be happening. Fluttershy maintained a calm exterior, but began panicking in her head. This kind of thing only happens in those trashy romance novels that Rarity reads. It doesn’t happen in real life. What day of the month is it? When was the last time? It was last month, around... Oh no.
Fluttershy felt her chest tighten as she realized what was wrong. I’m in heat.
What in Equestria has gotten into her? Rarity wondered, sitting in her own tub next to Fluttershy. She watched her friend lean forward and relax, looking utterly at peace. Every other time we’ve been to the spa, she’s been relaxed and more open than normal, but this is something else all together. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. She felt a rush of emotion as she recalled her friend’s actions in the steam room. I actually am quite enjoying this new-found boldness. I just wish I knew its source. Oh dear, I do hope that she isn’t doing this because she thinks it is expected of her. She let her eyes drift closed, focusing on the warmth of the mud bath. I suppose a totally private spa date may be a bit forward for our first true “date,” and that little comment about me being her personal masseuse probably didn’t help. Although, we have been doing this for-
“Rarity?” Fluttershy’s voice broke into the white unicorn’s train of thought.
“Yes, dear?” Rarity opened her eyes, glancing around to make sure nopony had seen her drift off before remembering they were completely alone.
“Um, I think it might be time for us to get out. We’ve been in here for almost twenty minutes.”
“Oh, of course.” Rarity peeked at the clock out of the corner of her eye. Twenty minutes? How is that even possible? However, the timepiece confirmed her marefriend’s claim, indicating that their time alone in the spa was almost a third of the way over. She slowly pulled herself out of the mud bath, levitating a pair of towels over as Fluttershy made her way out of the tub. “Here you are, darling.” She floated one of the towels over. “Now, what would you like to do next? A nice massage? Perhaps a hooficure?”
“A massage would be nice, if that’s okay with you.” Fluttershy finished cleaning herself off and trotted over to one of the massage tables. She lifted her forehooves up and prepared to leverage herself onto the table, but suddenly found herself almost paralyzed. Ah, there’s the panic. Why now? I’ve gotten plenty of massages before, this one is no different.
Not entirely true. A small portion of Fluttershy’s mind argued. All of your other massages have been by the spa sisters, whose job it is to give massages and such. This is Rarity, your marefriend... or at least one of them. This is special. Intimate. Ergo, terrifying.
That hardly seems fair. Fluttershy huffed silently. She focused and slowly forced her hind legs up onto the table, laying down and waiting for her heart rate to slow back to normal. She closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even. Any calming effects were negated when she felt a soft pair of hooves land on her shoulders, causing her to almost jump off of the table.
“You’re so tense, dear.” Rarity commented, slowly running a hoof along her marefriend’s spine. “You just relax and let me take care of it.” She saw Fluttershy nod, seemingly incapable of speech at the moment, and began moving her hooves in small circles, pressing into the muscle of the primrose mare’s shoulders. Remember your pointers from Lotus. Rarity thought back to her training sessions with the spa sisters. Apply pressure to massage the deep tissue, but not so much as to be painful. Small circular motions. Look out for knots. She found a knot of muscle just above the wing joint on her friend’s back. The white unicorn redoubled her efforts on the knot, and was rewarded with a contented moan of pleasure from the yellow pegasus.
This is not nearly as difficult as I feared it would be. Rarity thought to herself as she continued working her way down, drawing the occasional sigh from her marefriend. Her coat is so soft, it’s like silk. She marveled at the feeling of Fluttershy’s coat under her hooves as she began working her way back up towards her shoulders. Combined with the appreciative noises coming from the normally reserved pegasus, Rarity soon noticed that her own breathing was becoming slightly heavier and a certain familiar tension was building in her stomach. Oh dear... Her concentration was broken as Fluttershy let out an especially satisfied sigh, allowing her wings to unfold and lay flat against the table. The alabaster mare found her eyes drawn to the feathers as she continued the massage.
Her wings. They’re so... so... messy. Rarity stared down at the pegasus’ unfurled wings in something akin to shock. The primary feathers along the leading edge and all of the feathers near the end of the wing were fine, but further in towards the base, all of the feathers were out of alignment and seemingly unkempt. I suppose it makes sense. After all, Fluttershy said that she does not let anypony else preen her wings, and she can only reach so far by herself. Even so, such a thing cannot be allowed to persist. She stopped her massaging, ending by trailing a single hoof down her marefriend’s back. She steeled herself to make a personal request. “Darling?”
“Hmm?” Fluttershy turned casually to meet the fashionista’s eyes. Her own gaze burned with a slow intensity and her breathing was labored. Every part of her body screamed at her to jump off the table and do unspeakable things to her marefriend, but she forced herself to remain still.
“I, well... I was just wondering if, perhaps...” Rarity tried desperately to complete her thought, although most of her mind screamed at her to simply ravish the stunning pegasus on the table. She paused to clear her throat. “Ahem. That is to say, I was wondering if you would like for me to preen your wings for you.” She tried to hide her anxiety, but could do nothing to stop the blood that flowed into her cheeks, tinging them pink.
“That sounds lovely.” Fluttershy laid her head back on the table, trying her hardest to appear relaxed. For the love of Celestia, do whatever you want, just don’t stop. She pleaded silently.
Really, that’s it? Rarity tried to process her friend’s easy response mentally. No stammering? No attempt at a deflection? Not even a blush? She let out an inaudible sigh and flared her horn to life. Just as she was about to begin, a thought at the back of her mind stopped her. Wait. No. If I am to do this, I will have to get my hooves dirty. She closed her eyes and thought back to the lessons Aloe had given her on preening. Ah, yes. Preening is done with the... mouth. Well, here we go.
Rarity leaned down and picked a feather to start with. Alright, nothing to worry about. She tried to calm herself as she lightly gripped the base of the feather with her teeth. Now, just a slight tug. Pull it into proper alignment. She was rewarded with a soft contented sigh from Fluttershy. That wasn’t so bad. Let’s try another one. She moved over a small amount and grasped another feather, pulling on it and eliciting another brief moan of pleasure.
Rarity built up a steady rhythm and slowly worked her way along the first wing, occasionally drawing a twitch or shudder from the canary pegasus. When she finished with the first wing, she made her way around the table to work on the other one, noticing a light twitch in Fluttershy’s tail. Well, at least it appears I am not the only one who is being... affected by the situation. Rarity thought as she began working on the second wing, which passed much more quickly now that she had a feel for the process. She tried to focus on the task at hand and ignore her own excited state, with little success. “There, I believe I am done.” She said breathlessly as she finished the preening.
Fluttershy stretched and flapped her wings a few times before settling them at her sides. “Thank you, Rarity.” She purred, turning to look over her shoulder at her friend. “That felt amazing.” It felt more than amazing. She thought, her heartbeat thundering in her ears. All her rational thoughts were overrun by a building desire to attack her lover. Well, she’s not my lover yet, but we can fix that.
“You’re quite wel-” Rarity’s words were cut off as Fluttershy leapt off the table and tackled her to the floor, pressing their lips together in a fierce kiss. The pair landed on the ground roughly, but neither noticed. Did she just... are we... oh, forget it. Rarity gave up on trying to process what had just happened and focused on enjoying the situation. She tried to match the passion of her marefriend’s kisses, but found herself distracted by a hoof tracing down her ribs. She broke away from the kiss to gasp, freeing Fluttershy to trace kisses down her neck.
“Fluttershy, dear... whatever has gotten into you?” Rarity asked, trying to keep her voice level as her marefriend nipped at her neck. “I... I’ve never seen you like this.”
Fluttershy pulled away, biting her lip. “I don’t really know.” She lied before darting back down for a quick kiss. “It’s just... I-I love you, Rarity.” She admitted, blushing furiously.
“I love you too, darling.” Rarity whispered. Their reprieve was interrupted by a crash from the lobby of the spa, followed by three familiar voices.
“Ah told y’all the window’d work just fine.” An accented filly pointed out.
No. Rarity thought to herself.
“I still say that if you had let me try the lock I could have gotten my cutie mark in lock-picking.” A higher pitched voice complained.
No no no. Not them. Rarity turned her head to face the door to the lobby.
“Yea right.” A slightly coltish voice shot back. “If you had tried the lock, you just would have set the door on fire.”
For the love of all that is good and right in this world, let me be hearing things. Just please don’t let it be-
“There you are, Rarity. We’ve been looking all over for you.” Sweetie Belle almost shouted as she entered the main room of the spa, followed by Applebloom and Scootaloo. The white filly stopped, cocking her head to the side as she noticed her sister’s position. “Why are you lying on the floor of the spa all alone?”
“Alone?” Rarity repeated, confused. She finally noticed that Fluttershy was no longer lying on top of her. Probably for the best. She thought to herself as she began searching for her missing marefriend. She spotted a trembling pink tail poking out from behind the nearby massage table. The alabaster mare slowly got to her hooves and made her way over to the table. “Fluttershy and I were enjoying a nice, private, spa appointment. There, there, darling. It’s okay, it’s only Sweetie Belle and her friends.” She spoke softly, trying to calm the frightened pegasus.
“Oh, hi Fluttershy!” The three fillies called in unison.
“H-Hi g-girls.” Fluttershy stuttered, still recovering from their sudden entrance. All of her previous arousal was quashed under a layer of terror. “Wh-What brings you three here?” She nestled up against Rarity, feeling herself calm down.
“Well, we were lookin’ fer Miss Rarity, but nopony knew where she was.” Applebloom explained. “So we-”
“We decided to try and get our cutie marks in detectiving!” Scootaloo interrupted.
“For the last time, detectiving is not a word.” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “We tried to get cutie marks in detective work.”
“Be quiet, little-miss-dictionary.” Scootaloo shot back. “Anyway, we snooped around, trying to see if maybe Rarity had been kidnapped by the Diamond Dogs again.” The orange filly seemed a little too excited at the prospect of another kidnapping. “But, then we-”
“We saw Aloe and Lotus out by the Quills and Sofas store.” Sweetie Belle cut in. “We thought it was weird that they weren’t at the spa, so we came here to check it out. The door was locked, so Applebloom suggested we try and come in one of the windows. Then we came in here and saw you lying on the floor.”
“Wait!” Applebloom shouted. “We did some dectiving! Did we get our cutie marks?” All three fillies turned to look at their flanks, only to let out simultaneous disappointed sighs when they did not find cutie marks.
“You three...” Rarity sighed, shaking her head. “It is just as well. We should be on our way.”
“Really?” Fluttershy asked, glancing at the clock and pouting slightly.
“Yes.” The fashionista confirmed. “I know that we still have some time left before Aloe and Lotus come back, but we need to get ready for dinner.” She reached up and placed a calming hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder as her eyes shot open. “Don’t worry, dear. It’s nothing overly fancy. Just a nice dinner at a small Prench restaurant. You go on home and get ready. Meet me at the Boutique at eight. If you would, please wear the dress I made you.”
“O-Okay.” Fluttershy glanced over towards the three fillies who were arguing over how to get their cutie marks next. “I’ll see you later.” She leaned in and quickly kissed Rarity on the cheek before ducking behind her mane and trotting out of the spa.
Rarity held a hoof against her cheek where her marefriend had kissed her, feeling a light blush color her cheeks. She shook herself from her stupor and turned to address Sweetie Belle and her friends. “Alright girls, it’s time to-”
“Cutie Mark Crusaders Spa Operators!”
Chapter Seven
Tough Decisions
Fluttershy made her way out the front door of the spa, closing it just in time to muffle a Cutie Mark Crusaders shout. She had briefly offered to help Rarity corral the energetic fillies, but the unicorn would have none of it and sent her on her way. As she began the walk from the spa back to her home, her wings struggled to unfurl themselves, painfully reminding her of her agitated and unfulfilled state.
I knew preening was an intimate activity, but I had no idea it was so... thrilling. She mused to herself as she fought to keep her wings in check. Memories of the experience flooded her mind, worsening the situation. It felt so good. No, good isn’t a strong enough word for how it felt. It was amazing. She shivered from head to hoof just remembering the sensations, then quickly checked her surroundings to make sure nopony had noticed her struggle with her wings. Okay, no more thinking about this in public. Time to get home. Fluttershy began a brisk trot back to her home, quickly passing by several houses before a familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
“Psst! Hey, Fluttershy!” She looked around for the source, unable to find it. “Up here, you silly filly.” She craned her neck up to see Pinkie Pie leaning out of a window on the top floor of nearby Sugarcube Corner. The party pony waved to her with a hoof. “I need to look for you. No wait, I just found you! How’s it going? Oh, no... I need to invite you in first. Come on in!” She disappeared from the window without waiting for a response.
Fluttershy let out an inaudible sigh. She did not want to refuse Pinkie’s ‘request’ to talk, but dreaded the subject she knew her overexcited friend would bring up. She walked up to the bakery door and pushed it open. The bell above the door chimed as she entered and Fluttershy noticed Mr. Cake helping Derpy Hooves bag a large number of muffins. Not wanting to interrupt, she quickly made her way through the lobby and up the staircase leading to Pinkie Pie’s room.
“There you are, Flutters.” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling Fluttershy into a bone-crushing hug. She pulled away from the embrace and ushered the stunned pegasus into her room, closing the door behind them. “So, how are things with Rainbow Dash and Rarity?”
“Oh, um... well...” Fluttershy stumbled over her words, still trying to recover from the unexpected hug attack. She paused and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next thing she was going to say. “I-I’m dating both of them.”
“Yay!” Pinkie shouted, confetti spraying into the air from an unknown source. “They agreed! Big lovey-dovey triangles of happiness are the best!” She continued bouncing around the room, a huge grin threatening to split her face in half.
“Um, not exactly.” Fluttershy muttered at at barely audible level.
Pinkie immediately stopped her excited bouncing, freezing in mid-air. “What?” She asked, her face twisted up in confusion.
“I kind of... maybe... might have told both of them that I picked them and dumped the other one.” Fluttershy admitted, staring at the ground. She waited for a reaction, but none came. After several seconds of silence, she looked up to see the normally lighthearted mare staring as her smile slowly faded away.
“No, that is not okay, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie rebuked her, grabbing the timid pegasus by the shoulders. “You can’t just go around secretly being with both of them. Secrets and lies aren’t good for anypony, especially secrets about love.” She sat back and crossed her arms. “Now, tell your auntie Pinkie Pie why you decided to try and date both Rarity and Rainbow Dash without them knowing.”
“I’m still a year older than you.” Fluttershy muttered to herself. She gathered her courage and told the story. “Well, I tried to go for the three-way relationship, but they didn’t want to do it. Then they both got me gifts and I was confused and I didn’t know what to do. I thought that maybe I could just go on one date with both of them and decide, but now... I’m more confused than ever.”
Pinkie grinned as a thought sped through her mind. “I just had the most amazeriffic idea, Flutters.” She clapped her hooves together giddily. “I can help you! The problem here is that Rarity and Rainbow Dash don’t want to be in the lovey-dovey triangle, so all we have to do is convince them that it’s a good idea. Problem solved.”
“Oh, um, no. That’s okay.” Fluttershy scooted backwards, staring off to the side. “I wouldn’t want to try and force them into something they don’t really want to do. I-If they don’t want to do it, then I’ll just have to find some way to choose between them.” Her ears flattened back. “I just wish I could find a way to fix this without hurting anypony.”
“Did they at least tell you why they didn’t want to be in the triangle?” Pinkie asked. “If we knew that... it might help.”
“No.” Fluttershy’s head fell as she remembered the chaotic explosion of sound that erupted after she suggested the trinogamous relationship. “They both started shouting a lot, but I couldn’t hear what they were trying to say over each other. I panicked and ran away.”
“Mhmm.” Pinkie nodded, blowing bubbles from a pipe that materialized during the story. She reached into her mane and pulled out a piece of parchment, along with a quill and ink. “Well then, let’s talk about what’s happened so far. How did the dates go? How do you feel about each of them?” She asked as she began scribbling on the parchment.
“Oh, um, well...” Fluttershy fell to a sitting position and felt a rush of emotion as she recalled her date on Friday. “Dash and I had dinner at her house. She cooked a delicious meal and we talked... and I might have gotten a little drunk.” She shrank down, wishing desperately to fall through the floor. “I-I also m- might have tried to d-do some, um, inappropriate things.” She let her mane fall in front of her face as a flood of embarrassment colored her cheeks.
“Really?” Pinkie stared at the blushing pegasus with her mouth agape, although her pipe stayed in its place. After a moment of shock, she resumed writing on her notepad, pausing occasionally to tap a hoof against her chin. “Okay, so what happened after that? Did Rainbow Dash go along with your... advances?”
“Um, well... after a while, yes.” Fluttershy admitted, peeking out from behind her mane. “Dash was really nice and offered to sleep on the couch. She even took me back to her room and put me to bed since I was... drunk.” She cringed on the last word, ashamed to admit that she had let things get out of hoof. “I don’t remember getting out of bed, but the next thing I knew, I was back out to the living room and I kind of... seduced her?”
The near-constant sound of Pinkie’s quill scratching across the parchment stopped abruptly. She looked up from her writing, her expression torn between curiosity and disbelief. “That’s... good, right?” She asked, the beginnings of a smile pulling at her lips.
Fluttershy felt her blush deepen even further. “I-I don’t know. I liked being assertive and being able to get what I wanted, but I don’t like that I had to ignore what Dash wanted in order to do it. Rainbow put me to bed, but I went back out and convinced her to come to bed with me, even though she didn't want to. I kind of passed out on her bed before we really got to do anything. She went to the bathroom for a bit, and the next thing I knew it was morning.”
“Okay, okay.” Pinkie Pie continued scribbling on her parchment. “How would you say that you feel about Rainbow Dash?”
“I love her.” Fluttershy replied without hesitation. “That’s the problem, though. I love Dashie, but I love Rarity too. I love both of them, and I can’t pick one over the other.” She let her head fall slightly and stared at the floor.
“Can I assume that your date with Rarity didn’t go as far as the one with Dash did, physically at least?” Pinkie stopped for a moment to blow a round of bubbles from her pipe.
“Um... about that...” Fluttershy kicked her front hoof on the floorboards nervously.
“Is that so?” Pinkie Pie responded, pausing for a moment to think. “Well, I guess that makes sense. You’re in love with both of them, after all. So, that’s good.”
“I don’t know if ‘good’ is the right word.” Fluttershy replied, a note of frustration in her voice. “It’s just that... well, with Rainbow I was drunk and everything just kind of happened before I could think about it. With Rarity though, I don’t even know how to describe it. She rented out the spa and we had a private little spa date. Nopony else was there, not even Aloe and Lotus. I just felt so relaxed and calm.” She chose to omit the fact that she had cycled into heat. Probably a bit too personal. She mused to herself. Her recently drained face flooded scarlet again. “Sh-She even gave me a massage. It felt so good, and afterward she... she...” The modest pegasus trailed off into silence.
“She... what?” Pinkie prodded. Her quill hovered above the parchment expectantly.
“She preened my wings.” Fluttershy mumbled.
“Oh... um, I’m not sure I get it.” Pinkie cocked her head to the side, a perplexed look on her face. “You, know... earth pony. No wings.” She fluttered her hooves out beside her, imitating flapping wings.
“Well, um, you see...” Fluttershy tried to explain without much success. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “Pegasus wings are r-really... sensitive. Preening is a very intimate activity for a pegasus, and it’s usually something that is only done by very close friends or... lovers.”
“Really? They don’t look that special.” Pinkie reached out with a hoof.
“No, Pinkie. Don- Oooooh.” Fluttershy let out a heavy moan and shivered as her friend stroked a hoof along her folded wing. She suddenly found herself panting lightly as she tried to regain her composure. “Please, don’t do that.”
“Wow, you weren’t kidding, were you?” Pinkie asked, her eyes widening slightly.
“I-It’s usually not that bad.” Fluttershy dropped her gaze to the floor. “It’s just that, well, I’m still kind of... excited from Rarity preening them.” She felt her cheeks heat up to the point she thought they would burst into flames.
“Huh?” Pinkie stared at her quizzically. After a moment recognition flashed across her features, along with a light blush. “Oh. Um, I guess I should let you get back home then. Well, keep working on choosing between Rarity and Dash. The longer you wait, the worse it will get.” The party pony trotted over to the door and pulled it open.
“Thanks, Pinkie.” Fluttershy stood up, her knees shaking slightly, and walked through the doorway. She turned back before leaving. “I promise I’ll figure this out, and I promise I won’t sleep with either of them. Cross my heart and-” Her vow was interrupted by a hoof pressed her to mouth.
“Don’t make a Pinkie Promise you can’t keep.” Pinkie said with a wink. “Just try your hardest to pick one of them soon.” She dropped her hoof from the primrose mare’s mouth and waved as her friend made her way back downstairs. “That girl is certainly in a pickle, although not quite a barrel of pickles.” She blew one last round of bubbles from her pipe before storing it back in her mane and closing the door.
Applejack looked over her shoulder, lining up her rear legs with one of the countless apple trees on her farm. She lashed out at the tree, but an overwhelming urge to yawn distracted her mid-kick, causing her to miss the tree. Consarnit, not again. She cursed silently, unceremoniously flopping down under the tree. Ah just- She stopped as another yawn tried to force its way out of her mouth. Ah just need to rest for a minute. The farm pony pulled her hat down to shade her eyes and rested her head on her forehooves. Her ear twitched involuntarily as she slowly recognized a telltale whine streaking through the air.
Applejack forced one eye open, scanning the sky until she saw a familiar blue streak descending towards the farm. ‘Bout darn time. She thought to herself, letting out a sigh. She slowly got to her hooves as Rainbow Dash glided down. Instead of landing, the cyan pegasus tackled her, throwing both of them to the ground in a tangle of limbs.
“Sorry about that.” Dash apologized after spitting out a mouthful of dirt. “I thought I bled off more speed than I did.” The pair began the arduous process of untangling themselves. Once they were both standing again, Rainbow looked over the orange mare, her expression falling slightly. “You okay, AJ? You look exhausted.”
“Ah-” Applejack tried to counter before a yawn interrupted her. “Ah’m fine. Just been havin’ some trouble sleepin’ lately.” She waved a hoof dismissively.
“Really? What’s up, anything I should know about?” Dash’s expression shifted to one of concern.
“Oh, it’s nothin’, sugarcube.” Applejack tried to give a reassuring smile. It’s just that every time Ah close mah eyes Ah see you heartbroken and cryin’ yer eyes out... and it’s all mah fault. “Just busy thinkin’ ‘bout farm stuff. So, what’s got ya so excited?” Rainbow’s face lit up and she threw her forelegs around the other mare’s neck, pulling her into a tight hug. “Dash?” Applejack asked, trying not to focus on the feel of her crush’s coat pressed against her, causing her heart to speed up. “Ah enjoy a good hug as much as the next pony, but you mind tellin’ me exactly what’s got ya so... huggy?”
“Oh, right.” Dash pulled back to look her friend in the eye, but left her legs draped over her shoulders. “Well, I did what you said. I got ‘Shy the flowers, but it turned out she was allergic to them.”
“That’s a darn shame, sugarcube. Ah’m mighty sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack tried her hardest to sound sad, but a small part of her cheered to hear her plan working.
“Yea, but the book was just perfect!” Rainbow’s cheeks tinged pink. “After I gave it to her, she... well, she kissed me.” She looked off to the side, as if embarrassed by the admission.
“Well, that’s too ba-... Ah’m sorry, but did you say you got the book?” Applejack stared at Dash in disbelief.
“Huh?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “Oh, yea. Twilight said the only copy she knew about was in the Canterlot Royal Archives. I was totally gonna sneak in and... borrow it, but Twi had some crazy spell that let her look for other copies of the book.” She jumped and back-flipped out of the hug, landing with a flourish. “She found one up in Vanhoover, so I flew there and got it.”
“You...” Applejack tried in vain to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. “Vanhoover? You flew to Vanhoover? Fer a book?” She fell to a sitting position.
“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that.” Dash scuffed a hoof on the ground. “It wasn’t just a book, it was the perfect book. She loved it.” She lowered herself to sit down, a huge grin spreading across her face. “You know what happened next? Fluttershy picked me. She picked me!” Dash leapt forward, knocking the farm pony over again and pulling her into another hug. “Your advice worked, AJ. I can’t thank you enough.”
“That-” Applejack started, pausing for a moment as hot tears stung at her eyes. “That’s great news, sugarcube. Ah... Ah’m happy fer ya.” She reached up and returned Dash’s hug, burying her face in her friend’s prismatic mane as tears threatened to overwhelm her. Nice goin’, AJ. Ya somehow managed to buck up givin’ bad advice.
“Sorry about tackling you again.” Rainbow chuckled nervously as they stood up. “I’m just excited. I mean, this is so awesome!” She began pacing back and forth, trying to bleed of excess energy. “We’ve even been on a date already.”
“You have?” Applejack asked, dreading the answer. She listened to Rainbow’s retelling of the date, from burning dinner four times, to the incident with the stereo and Fluttershy getting drunk. As her friend progressed through her tale, Applejack felt her heart sink. When Dash described Fluttershy coming back into the living room and seducing her, she felt a sudden wave of anger. That little hussy. Tryin’ to take advantage of Dash just ‘cause she was drunk. Why, Ah got half a mind to go on over to ‘Shy’s and-
“AJ?” Rainbow broke into her friend’s train of thought, poking her with a hoof. “You okay? You kind of zoned out there for a while.”
“Huh?” Applejack shook herself from her sudden fury. “Oh, yea. Ah’m...” She found herself unable to continue. Come on, girl. Two little words, Ah’m fine. “Ah’m...” Just say it! Ah’m. Fine. She let out a heavy sigh, fighting back tears. “Ah can’t do this anymore.” She looked up to see Dash staring at her in confusion. “Ah ain’t been completely honest with ya, sugarcube.”
“Ha ha ha. Yea, sure.” Rainbow laughed off the confession. “You, Applejack, the Element of Honesty, haven’t been honest with me. Good one.” She reached up to playfully punch her friend in the shoulder, but stopped as she saw a worried and hurt expression on the farm pony’s face. “AJ? What’s wrong... what aren’t you telling me?”
Applejack hung her head, unable to meet the chromatic mare’s gaze. “Ah... Ah knew that ‘Shy was allergic to magnolias when I told you to to get ‘em for her. Ah also knew that the only copy of that book that Twi’ knew about was in the Canterlot Royal Archives and that you would never be able to get it.” She felt tears rising in her eyes, but blinked them away. “Ah gave ya bad advice on purpose, expectin’ it to blow up in yer face.”
“What?” Dash asked incredulously. “You... you’re joking, right? This is all some kind of prank, isn’t it?” It only took one look at the farm pony’s guilty face to let her know she was wrong. “Why?” She demanded, a burst of fury filling her chest. “Why would you do that to me, AJ?”
“Well, Ah... that is...” Applejack pulled her hat off and clutched it to her chest, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
“Tell me!” Rainbow yelled, flaring her wings in frustration.
“Cause Ah love you!” Applejack shouted back. She let her shoulders slump in defeat. “Ah love you.” She said again, her voice breaking. She stared at the dirt, unable to look the cyan pegasus in the eye. “Ah’m sorry, RD. This ain’t the way Ah planned on tellin’ ya. Ah’ve loved ya for a while, but Ah wasn’t sure if ya even liked mares. Then Fluttershy came to me and told me ‘bout how you confessed to her...” She paused and swallowed. “Ah ain’t gonna lie... it hurt. Then you came ‘round askin’ fer help with ‘Shy, and Ah wanted to tell you how Ah felt somethin’ fierce, but Ah just couldn’t do it.” She continued to study the dirt, but heard Rainbow mutter something under her breath. “Ya wanna run that by me again, sugarcube?” She looked up, giving a weak smile and putting her hat back on her head.
“It’s not fair!” Dash repeated, tears glistening in her eyes. “All of this. Rarity and me with Fluttershy. You and me. Celestia’s flank, this would all be so much easier if it weren’t for her.” She spat the last word, venom dripping from her voice.
“Come again?” Applejack raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“You don’t think I want to be cool with a three-way relationship with ‘Shy and Rarity?” Rainbow continued her rant unimpeded, pacing back and forth. “You don’t think I want to be able to do that, and maybe even see you on the side? Heck, you could join us and make it a four-way!” Applejack blushed furiously at the notion, but didn’t interrupt. “Buck it, let’s bring in Pinkie Pie and Twilight, then all of us can be in some crazy six-way relationship where everypony is with whoever they want and everypony is happy. That would be awesome and get rid of all the pressure, but I just can’t do it. Thanks a lot, mom.” Rainbow punctuated her last statement with a kick against a nearby tree, though the apples remained firmly on the branches.
“Not that I don’t appreciate the thought, sugarcube.” Applejack tried to process what she had just heard, images flying unbidden through her mind. “Ya lost me when you brought yer mother into this. What in Equestria does she have to do with all of this?”
Dash huffed angrily, looking up and down the path they were on for any eavesdroppers. “It’s... complicated.” She turned to face the orange mare, staring her dead in the eye. “I’ll explain it, but I’m only gonna say it once, and I swear that if you tell anypony what I’m about to say, I’ll buck you square in the face.”
“Yer secret’s safe with me, sugarcube. Cross mah heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.” Applejack made the appropriate gestures for the promise.
Rainbow nodded, satisfied. “Alright, so I’m guessing you’ve probably noticed that I don’t exactly talk about my family a lot. Heck, just about the only thing I’ve told you guys about my life before coming to Ponyville is that Fluttershy and I were in Flight School together.” She stopped and took a deep breath, letting her shoulders slump. “There’s kind of a reason for that, my mom. Or should I say... my moms.”
The silence drug on for almost a minute before Applejack could bring herself to speak. “Ah think ya might need to explain that just a bit more.” She pressed, keeping her expression neutral.
“I know. I know.” Dash crossed her forelegs defiantly, clearly uncomfortable discussing the matter. She huffed again and uncrossed her legs, staring at the ground. “My home life wasn’t what you would call ‘normal.’ I had two moms and a dad for as far back as I can remember as a foal. Everything was fine for a few years, or at least as close to fine as you can get with two mares being with the same stallion. Then one day, something just... changed. My moms were always yelling at each other. My dad tried to stay out of it, but they kept dragging him into their fights. One day, we woke up and my other mom was just... gone. No explanation or anything. My dad left a few days later to go after her. He said he was going to find her and bring her back, but I doubt he meant it.”
“What happened?” Applejack asked, honest curiosity in her voice.
“I wish I knew.” Rainbow spat, wiping a hoof across her eyes. “It messed my birth mom up, though. She started going out to the club almost every night. She was almost never at home when I got back from school, so eventually I just started going back to Fluttershy’s house after school.” She paused in her story, visibly struggling to maintain her composure. “That wasn’t even the worst of it. For as long as I can remember, she would always go on about how she was a 'free spirit' and that love needed to be 'shared freely'. She started seeing a bunch of different stallions and even a few mares. They all knew about each other and were cool with it. Most of the time she would just see one of them at a time, but sometimes two or even three would come over to our house at once.”
Dash leaned against a nearby tree, tears streaking down her face despite her best efforts. “I could have handled that if it had made her happy, but it didn’t. Sure, she was all smiles and laughter when she was with one of her coltfriends or marefriends, but when she was alone...” She trailed off into silence for a moment, her voice breaking as she resumed talking. “When she was alone, she was always crying. I never had the heart to ask why she was crying, but I always assumed it was my fault. I always felt that I was the reason my dad and my other mom left her in the first place.”
“Dash...” Applejack felt two overwhelming urges pulling her in opposite directions. One wanted nothing more than to reach out and comfort the cyan pegasus and let her know how wonderful she was. The other kept her rooted in place, unsure whether she could trust herself not to try and take advantage of her friend’s current emotional state.
“Don’t worry too much, AJ.” Rainbow gave a smile, but her eyes still held the shadows of pain. “I made peace with it a long time ago. They left us. If they were the kind of ponies who would leave their foal, I doubt they were great parent material. Anyway, my mom just always seemed so... lonely when none of her colt- or marefriends were around. It was like she was an empty shell without them. I promised myself back then that I would never do something like that. I vowed I would never try and be with multiple ponies, no matter how tempting it seemed.”
“Don’t ya think it might be a bit different with Rare and ‘Shy?” Applejack asked, trotting over to sit next to Dash. “Ah can see why ya wouldn’t wanna try it based on how things went with yer parents, but these are two of yer best friends.”
“I know.” Rainbow sighed, letting her head fall. “I just can’t do it though. I saw what it did to my mom, and I could never hurt anypony like that. She was never really happy, even before my dad and other mom left us, and it tore her up even more whenever one of her partners left her. I know that Rarity and Fluttershy are my friends and that everything would probably work out and be awesome, but I can’t take that risk. I’m not worth that kind of heartache.”
“Now you listen here, missy.” Applejack reached down and lifted Rainbow’s chin to look her in the eye. “You are a wonderful mare, and anypony would be goddess-blessed to be able to call you their marefriend.”
“Thanks, AJ.” Dash smiled weakly, still unconvinced.
Desperate times call fer desperate measures. Applejack leaned forward and kissed Dash. She tried to memorize every feeling of kissing her love, knowing that it would likely never happen again. Too soon, she pulled away, leaving a stunned Rainbow Dash staring at her in disbelief. “Sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack muttered sheepishly. “But Ah needed some way to convince you. Don’t worry, Ah know you’re with ‘Shy now, and Ah wouldn’t think of wreckin’ no homes.” She strained to keep her voice from breaking.
Rainbow sat perfectly still, rooted to the ground. “Y-You just...” She stuttered. A small part of her wanted to lunge forward and reforge that connection between them. However, a much larger part of her wanted to reach out and slap Applejack right in her adorable face. Dash shut her eyes and focused on her breathing to calm herself. After several seconds, she opened her eyes to see the orange mare looking at her with a worried expression. “Just what was that supposed to convince me of, exactly?”
“That you’re worth it.” Applejack tried her hardest to sound happy, but her eyes betrayed the deep hurt she felt in her heart, knowing that this wonderful pony she loved thought so little of herself. She reached over and placed one of her hooves on Rainbow’s. “You are one of the most amazing mares Ah’ve ever had the honor of knowin’. If there’s one pony in all of Equestria who’s worth goin’ through somethin’ like that for, it’s you.”
Applejack let the silence hang between them for a moment. She felt her emotions rising in her chest and stood from laying on the ground. “Now, if’n you’ll excuse me, Ah got lots of apple trees to buck. Good luck with ‘Shy. Ah’m happy fer ya, Ah really am.” She turned and meandered down the row of trees, occasionally stopping to look up into the canopy of one and knock on the trunk with a hoof.
Rainbow Dash stood up and reached out a hoof, wanting nothing more than to call her friend back and thank her for everything she had said. The words froze in her throat, unwilling to pass her lips. Eventually, the prismatic pegasus gave up, hanging her head in defeat. She turned and galloped a short ways before leaping into the air and flying into the distance.
Applejack finally turned and looked back as she heard Dash take to the air. Tears streamed down her face, but she had refused to let her love see them. Smooth moves, AJ. She berated herself silently. All ya had to do was say two little words, Ah’m fine. If you’d just said that, then none of this would have happened. Heck, ya coulda avoided all this mess by just tellin’ ‘Shy ya loved Dash in the first place. She stopped dead in her tracks as a thought occurred to her. Oh buck, now Rainbow knows Ah love her, but ‘Shy still thinks Ah’m in love with Twi...
“This is karma, ain’t it?” Applejack asked the empty air, looking off in the direction of Canterlot Castle. “Ah lied for mah own personal gain, and now it’s all blowin’ up in mah face.” She imagined Princess Celestia watching her through some giant telescope, a grin of perverse pleasure on her face. She sat down, letting out a heavy sigh and looking up at the tree she was sitting under.
Suddenly, Ah don’t feel like buckin’ apples. Applejack drug herself to her hooves, looking in the direction of Ponyville and then off towards the west. Celestia’s sun inched towards the horizon, casting the few clouds in the sky in vibrant shades of red and orange. Probably still a few hours of daylight left. Ah think a nice long walk is exactly what Ah need right now.
Ten minutes later, Applejack arrived at the main street of Ponyville. Her breath came in heaving puffs as her “walk” had developed into a trot and eventually a full gallop to town, straining even her formidable endurance. She slowed back to a light canter as she reached the edge of town, not wanting to draw attention to herself. The farm pony felt a pain in her chest that she knew had nothing to do with her recent run into town. Come on, girl. Dash is a grown mare, she can take care of herself. You ain’t doin’ anypony any good worryin’ over her like a mother hen.
Applejack realized she was staring at the ground and she walked and looked up to find herself approaching the Ponyville Library. She stopped in her tracks as a thought forced its way into her mind. Ah ain’t normally one to sit ‘round and talk ‘bout mah feelings, but maybe talkin’ to Twi ‘bout all this might help. She let out a light sigh and adjusted her path towards the library’s door, reaching up and knocking as she stopped in front of it. After a moment, she heard hoofsteps from the other side and the door was enveloped in an aura of purple magic.
“Hello?” Twilight asked, poking her head out the door. “Oh, hi Applejack!” Her expression brightened and she pulled the door open further. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, is everything okay?”
“Oh, yea, everything’s fine.” Applejack tried to sound casual, hoping that her frazzled nerves weren’t evident. “Ah was just in the neighborhood and was wonderin’ if you were free to talk fer a bit.”
“Sure thing.” Twilight chirped. “What’s up?”
Applejack glanced off to either side, noting several Ponyville citizens wandering up and down the main street. “Actually, would ya mind if Ah came in fer a bit?”
“Oh, um, not at all.” Twilight’s expression fell a little bit, a look of concern flashing across her features. She glanced over her shoulder into the library. “Spike’s not here right now, so the library is empty. Come on in.” She turned and trotted back into the building.
“Thank ya kindly, Twi.” Applejack replied as she entered the library. She reached back and shut the door with a soft kick, then continued walking with her eyes trained on the floor, only to run into a massive stack of books.
“Oh, no no no no no!” Twilight exclaimed as the tower of books began swaying back and forth. She quickly lit her horn and wrapped the stack in a cocoon of magic, resetting it upright. She slowly released her magic, making sure the books were stable. “Phew. Sorry about that, AJ. I forgot to mention, it’s a bit of a mess in here.”
“Ya don’t say.” Applejack tore her gaze from the massive heap of tomes and scanned the rest of the building. Many similar mountains of texts dotted the main floor of the library, leaving all of the shelves barren. “Is there a particular reason that all the books are sittin’ on the floor rather than the shelves?” She asked, casting a curious glance at the librarian.
“Semiannual Shelf Dusting.” Twilight stated matter-of-factually.
“Come again?” Applejack chuckled, a smile forcing its way onto her face.
“Twice a year, I take all of the books off of the shelves and dust everything. Even shelves full of books get dusty after six months.” Twilight explained, running a hoof along one of the empty shelves. “I just finished the dusting, but hadn’t gotten around to re-shelving everything when you got here.”
“Uh huh.” Applejack nodded. She suddenly felt like she was intruding on her friend’s work and slowly backed towards the door. “Well, if’n yer busy, Ah can always come back later. Ah wouldn’t wanna keep ya from yer work.”
“Oh, it’s no trouble.” Twilight replied, rolling her neck from side to side. “This will only take a second to clean up... although you may want to come stand next to me, just to make sure you don’t get hit.”
“Hit by what, exactly?” Applejack asked nervously as she made her way over to the lavender unicorn.
“A book, of course.” Twilight flashed a smile before closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She brought her horn to life and took in one final breath. “Just... try not to move.” She opened her eyes, revealing them to be glowing with magical energy. The entire library was bathed in the soft purple shimmer of her magic, causing Applejack to jump slightly. With a sudden flurry of motion, books from all of the stacks began flying back onto the shelves at an incredible speed. After only a hoofful of seconds, the entire library was once again clean.
Twilight let out the breath she had been holding and released the hold she had on her magic. “See? No time at all.” She smiled at her now-clean library floor and turned around. “Now, what did you-” She stopped as she saw the look on her friend’s face.
Applejack stared at the empty floor of the library with her mouth hanging open. “Son of a...” She trailed off into silence, shaking her head slightly. “Just when Ah think Ah’ve seen every trick ya got. That really was amazin’, Twi.”
“Oh, um... Th-Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight cleared her throat, trying not to focus on the blush in her cheeks. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?” She trotted over to the table near the kitchen, levitating a pair of cushions over to it for them to sit on.
Applejack slowly plodded over to the table, biting her lip. Figures. Now that Ah’m here, Ah’m gettin’ cold hooves over this whole Rainbow Dash mess. She sat on the offered cushion, staring down at her hooves while Twilight waited patiently for her to speak. Come on, AJ. Just spit it out. It’s not like she’ll let ya outta talkin’ now. She knows somethin’s wrong, and she’s almost as stubborn as Ah am when it comes to helpin’ a friend. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she remembered how persistent Twilight had been in offering help during Applebuck Season the year Big Macintosh was hurt.
“Alright, here goes.” Applejack looked up, meeting the unicorn’s gaze. “Ya might wanna put on a pot of tea or somethin’. This could take a while.”
Chapter Eight (Part One)
Coming Clean
Applejack took off her hat, placing it on the table and running a hoof through her mane. She watched as Twilight trotted into the kitchen and lit up her horn. In a matter of seconds, she had lit the stove top, placed a full kettle of water on it, and prepared a set of cups with tea bags. The farm pony shook her head, an amused smile on her face. “Sometimes Ah watch you and Rarity and the things y’all can do with yer magic, and I wish Ah were a unicorn mahself.”
“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” Twilight tried to deflect the compliment, blushing again. “Besides, I envy earth ponies like you who can do everything by hoof. Without my magic, I doubt I could make breakfast for myself in the morning.” She came back into the main room and sat down across from her friend. “I think being a unicorn would hurt the whole farming business, too. I can’t count the number of plants I’ve tried to grow that ended up dying. Heck, I’ve even had a plastic plant that just kind of... fell apart after a few days. I don’t exactly have an overabundance of agricultural acumen.” Twilight’s blush deepened as she realized she had started using unnecessarily big words. “Ahem, sorry. What I meant to say was, I don’t exactly have a green hoof like you do.”
“Well, Ah suppose not everypony can be as talented as me and mah family when it comes to growin’ stuff.” Applejack examined a hoof disinterestedly for a moment before the pair devolved into a fit of giggles. Her mood changed drastically as she remembered exactly why she came to the library. She cleared her throat and steeled herself. “Back to the matter at hoof. Ah assume you’ve talked to ‘Shy recently?”
“Oh, um, yes.” Twilight furrowed her brow, trying to figure out where the conversation was headed.
“Well, then ya know ‘bout her little... situation with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, right?” Applejack paused and waited for a nod from the lavender mare. “Well, a few days ago, Dash came to me askin’ fer advice on how to go ‘bout winnin’ ‘Shy over, and Ah kinda gave her some... bad advice.”
The tea kettle whistled from the kitchen, and Twilight magically lifted it without even looking back. The kettle floated into the main room of the library, followed closely by the two cups. “Bad advice? Like, on purpose?” She cocked her head to the side, as though trying to puzzle out how to fit a round peg into a square hole. Meanwhile, the cups settled in front of each of the two mares and the tea pot filled each cup with hot water before gliding to rest off to the side. After a moment, Twilight gave up and shook her head. “Why?”
Applejack swallowed and stared intently at her cup of tea, feeling a rush of heat in her face. “This is where it gets personal.” She looked up and locked eyes with the unicorn. “Before Ah go on, Ah need yer word that what Ah’m ‘bout to tell ya won’t leave this room. Ah don’t need a Pinkie Promise.” She cut across Twilight’s attempt to make the aforementioned vow. “Just a regular promise will do. Yer word that mah secret is safe with you.”
“Of course, AJ.” Twilight replied. She reached across the table and laid a hoof on one of the farm pony’s hooves. The unicorn felt her heart rate pick up at the contact, but tried to ignore it. “I would never dream of breaking your trust in me. I give you my word that your secret is safe with me.”
“Thanks, Twi.” Applejack smiled, feeling some of her burden lifting. She spent a moment in silence before she realized she was staring into Twilight’s eyes. She quickly averted her gaze back down to her cup, fiddling with the submerged tea bag. “Here’s the thing. Ah gave Rainbow bad advice on account of... Well, ‘cause Ah love her.”
Twilight felt her stomach drop as Applejack’s admission passed her friend's lips. She... loves Rainbow Dash? She wondered to herself. Her mind flashed back to Fluttershy’s visit and the timid mare’s stammering, disjointed denial that anypony liked her. I thought, or rather I hoped, that... it doesn’t matter anymore. Applejack obviously doesn’t- She was pulled out of her thoughts by an orange hoof waving in front of her face.
“Ya alright there, Twi?” Applejack asked, putting her hoof back on the table. Her expression one of concern tinged with pain. “Ya kinda zoned out on me. Everythin' okay?”
“Oh, of course.” Twilight answered automatically before catching herself. “No, wait. I mean, of course not. You’re in love with Rainbow Dash-” Saying the words left a bad taste in her mouth. “-but she’s in love with Fluttershy. Did... did you tell Rainbow that you love her?” She asked tentatively.
“Yea.” Applejack sighed, picking up her hat from the table and clutching it to her chest. “She was mighty understandin’ ‘bout it, but...” She drifted into silence as tears glistened in her eyes. “She don’t feel the same. She’s got it bad fer ‘Shy, so Ah told her Ah’d stay outta their way.”
I’ve never seen Applejack this... vulnerable. Twilight felt an urge to to do something to comfort her friend. She needs me, but I don’t know what to do. A hug? A pat on the back?
Kiss her!
Her muscles tensed as the suggestion flew unbidden through her mind. What in the hay? Now is really not the time for that. She needs a friend, not some... rebound fling! Twilight dismissed the thought as quickly as it had arisen. She stood up and walked around to the other side of the table, sitting next to Applejack. “AJ, I... I’m sorry.” Really? That’s the best I can do? ‘I’m sorry?’ She reached out and laid a hoof on her friend’s back, only to have the farm pony turn and throw her forelegs around Twilight’s neck and bury her face in the unicorn’s shoulder.
Twilight sat dumbfounded for a moment before she belatedly brought her own forelegs up to return the embrace. She nearly jumped as she felt small blots of moisture soaking her coat on her shoulder. Wait, she’s... crying? She reached up and began stroking Applejack’s mane.
“It’s going to be okay, AJ.” Twilight whispered soothingly. “I’m here for you.” She leaned down and rested her head against Applejack’s neck, doing her best to ignore the unwanted fluttering of her heart.
The pair sat in silence for several minutes while Applejack sobbed quietly. As her tears stopped falling, she took several deep breaths to calm herself and pulled away from the embrace. “Ah’m sorry ya had to see that, Twi.” She wiped a hoof across each of her eyes to dry any residual moisture before clearing her throat. “Ahem. If’n we could keep this whole cryin’ business just between us, Ah’d be mighty grateful.” She stared off to the side, unable to bring herself to meet the other mare’s gaze.
“Of course, AJ.” Twilight flashed a reassuring smile. “It’s not a big deal, though. Everypony needs to blow off steam every now and then. That’s what friends are for. Talking, laughing, and even sometimes a shoulder to cry on... literally in this case.” She stifled a giggle at her comment.
“Ah know.” Applejack replied. Her expression was still worried, but her body language was markedly more relaxed. “It’s just... you know how proud we Apple family ponies are.” She sat up a little straighter. “It’d be mighty embarassin’ fer everypony to know Ah was over here mewlin’ like a foal just ‘cause Dash is in love with somepony else.” She let out a sigh and gazed out the window. Celestia’s sun had almost reached the horizon, casting long shadows across the streets of Ponyville and bathing the world in a fiery orange glow.
“It’s gettin’ pretty late. Ah should probably head on home.” She stood up and stretched out her hind legs to work out some stiffness from sitting so long.
Twilight felt a wave of sadness well up in her chest at the comment. She prepared for another round of self-criticism, but was interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach. “Ehehe... sorry about that.” She muttered sheepishly, a light red tinge flooding her cheeks.
“No no. Ah should be the one apologizin’.” Applejack picked up her hat from where it had fallen on the floor and placed it securely back on her head. “Ah didn’t mean to keep ya from dinner. Ah’ll get out from under yer hooves so you can get somethin’ to eat.” She picked up her tea cup and drained it in one swift motion. “Thank ya kindly fer the tea... and the shoulder.” She walked over to the door and pulled it open.
Twilight bit her lip, feeling a surging desire to ask Applejack to stay. “Wait!” She called, trotting over to stand next to her friend. “Um, have you had dinner yet?” She pawed at the floor, suddenly nervous. “We don’t really get to spend much time together, just the two of us. Would... would you like to get something to eat with me?”
Applejack opened her mouth to decline the offer, but was preempted by a growl from her own stomach. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “That sounds down right appetizin’, Twi. Ah gotta confess, Ah’m not too familiar with the dinin’ spots in town. Anywhere you can recommend?”
Twilight felt a rush of giddiness. “Oh, I know just the place. There’s a food cart over by Town Hall that makes great oat burgers and has the best hay fries.” She trotted past her friend, pausing to grab a saddlebag and a sack of bits, and out the library door. A portion of her mind recalled a book she had read some time ago on romantic relationships.
“One of the most typical excursions for a romantically-involved couple, also known as a ‘date’, is to get a meal together, commonly dinner.”
She locked those thoughts away in the corner of her mind. That’s the last thing she needs right now. She needs a friend, not a date. If I can help her in some small way by being that friend, then that’s what I’ll do. She thought to herself as she and Applejack wandered down the road.
Fluttershy galloped into her cottage and slammed the door behind her. She swiped a hoof down, locking the door to prevent any intrusions. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, which came in ragged pants that had nothing to do with the fact that she had run almost all the way back to her house. She trotted through the living room, weaving her way towards the stairs before a half-eaten carrot flew in front of her. She turned her head to see Angel Bunny tapping a foot with his arms crossed, his expression conveying his question clearly,“Where have you been?”
“Not now, Angel.” Fluttershy said breathlessly. “Momma needs some... alone time.” She turned and continued her trek towards the staircase, only to feel another partially-eaten carrot softly pelt the back of her head. She turned back to face the small rabbit slowly.
Angel stood his ground in front of his hutch, his displeasure clear on his face. His scowl was replaced by a grin of smug satisfaction as his caretaker adjusted her path to come and tend to his needs. A dreadfully familiar smell assaulted his senses as she approached. She had been smelling slightly of pheromones all season, but today the smell was exceptionally strong. She’s still in heat? He wrinkled up his nose, trying in vain to wave the stench away with a paw. Fluttershy reached down and picked him up, cradling him in her forelegs.
“I’m sorry, Angel.” She cooed, before unceremoniously dumping him out an open window and closing it. She knew she should be more concerned with what he wanted, especially with his antics from before she left for her spa date with Rarity. However, her mind was occupied with other thoughts, or rather one single, overriding thought. She trotted back across the living room and up the staircase to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and moved over the window. Outside, the sun crawled inexorably toward the horizon, but a few hours of daylight still remained. She pulled the curtains closed before sitting on the edge of her bed.
Okay, I can do this. Fluttershy told herself. Everypony does it. There’s nothing to be scared or ashamed of. Regardless of her mental assurances, she still felt a wave of worry and guilt wash over her as she finally released control over her wings, allowing them to unfurl to their full extension. She laid down on the bed and took a deep, calming breath. A thought pulled at her mind, distracting her until she acknowledged it. Hmm... maybe a nice, warm bath would be better for... this. Less cleanup afterward.
(Author's Note: The next portion of the story involves some intimate activities. It [and all subsequent mature-rated portions of the story] will be posted under a separate story, It Takes Three to Tango. To read the next portion of the story, click here. To skip it, simply click "Next Chapter" below. Nothing vital to the story happens in the next portion, but I invite you to check it out anyway.)
Chapter Eight (Part Two)
Dressing Up
Fluttershy lay still, trying to catch her breath and basking in the warm afterglow. That was... was... I don’t even have words to describe how wonderful that was. She settled down lower into the tub, soaking in the remaining heat of the water. After a moment, she grabbed a bar of soap and washcloth, absentmindedly washing herself. When she was done, she noticed a muffled, yet insistent, thumping drifting up to her bathroom from downstairs. Oh, right. Angel. She remembered with a slight smile, reaching down to pull the drain plug. She slowly lifted herself out of the bathtub, taking time to stretch her legs and wings.
She reached out and grabbed a towel to dry off, taking care not to mess up her newly-preened feathers in the process. Once she was dry, Fluttershy draped the towel over her head before flipping it back and expertly wrapping her wet mane in the towel. She cantered out of the bathroom and pulled open the bedroom door to head downstairs.
The thumping noise rose in volume as Fluttershy made her way down the stairs, stopping as she approached the front door. She unlocked the door, pulling it open to reveal Angel Bunny on the other side. The rabbit glared up at her with loathing, as though trying to say “What in the hay was that about?”
“I’m sorry Angel, but momma needed some alone time.” Fluttershy explained as she turned away from the door. She stopped as she found the small rabbit in front of her again, scowling at her with a raised eyebrow and waiting for a more in-depth explanation. The nurturing mare reached down and scratched behind his ears. “Now, don’t look at me like that. It’s nice outside, you should be out there hopping around and enjoying the weather anyway.” She trotted past him, making her way back upstairs to the bathroom.
Fluttershy walked through her bedroom, humming happily. She passed through the doorway into the bathroom and shook the towel from her mane. Maybe now I’ll be able to make it through dinner without jumping all over Rarity. She thought to herself, giggling quietly. She slid a hoofbrush onto her leg and began running it through her mane, singing tunelessly as she worked. She tried to imagine what dinner would hold, picturing a small and dimly lit restaurant in her head. A bottle of wine sat on the table. Ugh. No, no wine. She thought as she felt her stomach flip at the mere thought of alcohol. In her mind, the bottle of wine disappeared from the table, leaving only her and Rarity. Her eyes shot open as she felt a familiar tingle between her hind legs. Okay, that’s enough of that.
Fluttershy threw down the hoofbrush and went back into her bedroom, opening her closet. She carefully removed the dress Rarity had made her and laid it on the bed, eyeing it warily. Hmm... Last time I had Rarity’s magic to help get it on. She moved behind the heap of silk and lifted one side of the skirt. It shouldn’t be that difficult to do by hoof. She thought, ducking her head into the voluminous skirt and trying to wriggle the dress around her.
Several attempts later, including no fewer than three occasions in which she tried to put her head through a wing or foreleg hole, Fluttershy threw the dress across the room in frustration. She glanced over to an antique clock on her nightstand, seeing the time was just past seven thirty. She briefly considered giving up on the dress and simply leaving for Rarity’s home, hoping that the seamstress would have an extra dress or two lying around she could wear. A knock from the living room broke her concentration. She shot one final glare at the offending garment and trotted down the stair case.
“Who is it?” Fluttershy called as she reached the living room.
“It’s me, darling.” Rarity responded through the door.
Fluttershy pulled the door open, a sudden worry coming over her. “Rarity? I thought I was supposed to meet you at your house. I’m not late, am I? I thought you said eight, and so I-” Her apology was cut short by a kiss that washed away any feelings of anxiety she had. She melted into the contact, leaning forward unconsciously and causing the unicorn to smile through the kiss.
After a moment, Rarity pulled away, a light tinge of pink in her cheeks. “Please stop worrying, love.” She cooed, leaning forward again to nuzzle along Fluttershy’s neck. “You are correct, I initially planned to meet at eight at the Boutique, but then I remembered that sometimes non-unicorns can have trouble with dresses, especially pegasi trying to get their wings through the wing-holes. The whole process can be a bit... tricky, so I came over to help.” She stepped around the flustered pegasus, making her way over to the stairs leading to the bedroom.
Fluttershy belatedly pulled herself out of her daze. She closed the door and turned to follow her marefriend up the stairs, trying to keep from staring at Rarity’s flank and failing miserably. Remember, sleeping with her on the first date is bad. She reminded herself. Her mind flashed back to her fantasy from earlier for a brief moment. Although... I don’t know how something like that could ever be considered ‘bad.’
Rarity entered the bedroom, only half-surprised to see her friend’s dress in a heap on the far side of the room. She brought her magic to bear and lifted in the garment in an aura of telekinesis. She was magically pressing the material, removing any wrinkles or creases, when she caught a faint scent in the air. She wandered closer to the bathroom, seemingly the source of the aroma. What is that? She mused silently as the dress continued smoothing itself. Ah, of course. The bath herbs I gave her. Although, there’s something else as well. It smells almost like... No, it couldn’t be. I cannot imagine Fluttershy doing something like... that. Her mind sought to prove her wrong, instantly filling with images of her friend lying on the bed in several compromising positions. The alabaster mare inhaled the air deeply, identifying the musky smell of arousal and confirming her suspicions. Oh my, the mere thought of Fluttershy doing... that. It’s... It’s... rather enticing, actually.
Rarity’s train of thought was interrupted as the pegasus in question entered the bedroom. Oh, I cannot simply come out and ask her about such a sensitive subject. She thought, biting her lip. I also must know the answer... maybe I can wheedle it out of her, subtly of course. “So, did you enjoy yourself after our visit to the spa?” She asked, making sure to keep an affectedly calm tone. She could not help but notice the color drain from her friend’s face.
“Oh, um, well... you see, I just-” Fluttershy stammered, unable to form a coherent thought. Her mind played scenario after scenario of Rarity discovering just what she had done after getting back from the spa and storming out in disgust. She felt the paralyzing, icy grip of terror closing around her heart, but expertly smothered any physical reaction under a layer of false tranquility.
“I must say, Sweetie Belle and her friends were quite the hoofful, as always.” Rarity continued, trying to make small talk to ease her fillyfriend’s more than apparent tension. “Though I appreciated your offer of help, I felt it was more important for you to have some small time to relax before dinner.” She levitated the dress to lay across the back of a chair. She was about to let loose another round of thinly-veiled innuendo when she heard a thud from behind her. She curiously glanced over her shoulder to see Fluttershy passed out on the floor.
Oh sweet Celestia, what have I done? Rarity turned as quickly as she could, reaching down to shake the unconscious pegasus. “Fluttershy, dear? Please wake up.” Nice going, Coltanova. She silently berated herself. A sigh of relief escaped her as her stunned friend stirred, blinking slowly.
“What happened?” Fluttershy asked, taking in her new vantage point from the ground. “Why am I on the floor of my bed-” She stopped as she remembered what had happened before she fainted. “I-I can explain. It... it’s not what it looks like.”
“Come now, There’s no need for that.” Rarity countered, flashing a playful grin.
Tears welled up in Fluttershy’s eyes. “Oh no. You must think I’m horrible. I’m nothing but a disgusting pervert.” She scrambled to her hooves and flung herself on the bed, burying her face in the pillows and sobbing softly.
Congratulations. You managed to make her cry before your first date. Rarity cursed herself in her head. You haven’t even made it to dinner yet and you’ve already ruined everything. She stood from the floor and stepped over to the bed. “I assure you, I think nothing of the sort, darling.” She replied soothingly as she sat on the bed and began stroking her distraught marefriend’s mane. “Such... activities are completely normal. Healthy, even.”
“You’re just saying that.” Fluttershy looked up, her expression still one of hurt.
“Not at all, love.” Rarity leaned down and planted a light kiss on the other mare’s forehead. “In fact, if we are being completely honest, I must admit that I... had a very similar experience at my own home after Sweetie and her friends left.” She admitted, a furious blush darkening her cheeks.
“Really?” Fluttershy asked, all traces of pain replaced with surprise and curiosity. “Oh, um, if you don’t mind me asking, that is.” She quickly amended, ducking to hide behind her mane.
“Well... yes, as a matter of fact.” Rarity dropped her eyes to stare at her hooves. “I was rather... excited after our little spa date, and found myself alone when Sweetie and her friends left to go try and earn their cutie marks yet again.” She fidgeted nervously, worried that revealing too much might cause her marefriend to faint again. “I haven’t had many commissions lately, so I closed up the Boutique early and retired to my room upstairs for a... private reverie.”
“Oh... my.” Fluttershy felt her own face flush with heat as inappropriate images of her unicorn friend flashed through her mind. She felt a familiar warmth start to build in her core. Oh no, not again. She squeezed her hind legs together, hoping to stall any physical effects. “Um... I think it’s time that we get dressed. If that’s okay with you, that is.” She suggested, hoping to change the subject.
“Hmm?” Rarity replied, momentarily confused by the sudden shift in the conversation. She glanced at a clock on the nightstand, seeing the time was a quarter to eight. “I suppose it is. Very well.” She reignited her horn, levitating Fluttershy’s dress and pulling her own dress, a simple blue gown with some golden lace trim, out of a saddle bag draped across her back. The dresses floated toward their respective wearers, hovering open to allow them to maneuver their heads and hooves through the appropriate holes.
Once both mares were comfortable in their gowns, Rarity picked up the golden choker in her telekinetic grasp. “Here we are, dear. We mustn’t forget the piece de resistance.” She stepped over to Fluttershy’s side, carefully floating the choker around her neck and clasping it.
Fluttershy repressed a shiver as Rarity’s magic passed over her coat. “Thank you.” She murmured, trying to keep her mind from wandering into risque territory. She leaned over to nuzzle Rarity’s neck, smiling as she heard a contented sigh escape her friend. She pulled away and turned to leave the room. “Are you ready to go? We should probably head out if we’re going to get to... where are we going, anyway?”
“Oh, I would like to keep that a surprise for now, darling.” Rarity flashed a wry grin. “Please do not worry, though. I am quite sure that you will enjoy it.”
“Um, okay. If you say so.” Fluttershy felt a small knot of worry form in her stomach. No. Rarity cares about me. I’m sure that she knows what she’s doing. She made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, taking care to avoid stepping on the skirt of her dress. She trotted across the living room, pointedly ignoring a fuming Angel Bunny, and pulled the front door open.
“One moment, darling!” Rarity called from the base of the stairwell. She cantered over to catch up with the pink-maned pegasus. “Before we head out, there is one last thing I need to do.” She flared her horn to life and wove a simple spell, targeting both of their dresses. She saw Fluttershy jump slightly as the magical currents passed through the fabric. “My apologies, dear. I suppose I should have informed you before casting the spell.”
“Wh-What kind of sp-spell was that?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes darting back and forth with the barest traces of panic.
“Just a simple enchantment designed to help keep our dresses clean during the walk back to town.” Rarity moved past her marefriend to step outside. She trotted back and forth a few times, purposefully dragging the hem of her gown in the dirt. Afterward, she lifted the edge of her skirt using her tail to show it was still immaculately clean. “See? One simple little spell and you can forget all about trying to keep your dress clean.”
“My goodness, that’s amazing, Rarity.” Fluttershy stepped out of the cottage and tentatively dipped her own dress to brush the ground. She stared in awe as it came away clean. She looked back to the unicorn. “How does it work?”
“Well... honestly, I am not entirely sure.” Rarity admitted, a light blush coloring her coat. “You would need to ask Twilight about that. I am certain she would be able to explain it in all of its fabulous detail. She is actually the one who taught me the spell, although she used it on books to keep from staining the pages.” She rolled her eyes during the explanation. “All I know about it is that it only lasts for about twelve hours and that it has severely cut down on the amount of laundry I have had to do recently.”
“That sounds nice.” Fluttershy replied as she moved to follow Rarity down the road leading to town. The pair fell into a companionable silence during their walk into Ponyville, occasionally trading bashful glances and smiles. Off to the west, Celestia’s sun was just approaching the horizon.
Chapter Nine
Out on the Town
Fluttershy glanced around nervously as she and Rarity arrived at the outskirts of Ponyville several minutes later. Stop worrying. She reprimanded herself, to no avail. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the streets and alleys they passed. Normally, she would be worried about anypony seeing her dressed up, afraid it would spark the mobs that had plagued her during her modeling career. Tonight, she was only worried about three specific ponies seeing her and Rarity on what was obviously a date. With her attention otherwise occupied, she startled when her marefriend spoke up.
“Here we are, darling.” Rarity chirped, angling towards a small Prench restaurant. She glanced up at the sign, which read Le Pâturage in an elegant golden script. Every time I see that sign... She mused to herself. I know that not many ponies in this part of Equestria speak Prench, but I would still hope they could find a better name than “The Pasture.” She pulled the door open with a burst of magic and ushered her date through. “After you, dear.”
“Oh, thank you.” Fluttershy ducked her head and trotted into the restaurant. Thank goodness. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the low light. At least I won’t have to worry about running into Twilight, Rainbow, or Applejack in here. This doesn’t exactly look like the kind of place any of them would frequent.
“A table for two, if you please.” Rarity informed the maitre d’. “I have a reservation under the name ‘Rarity.’”
The maitre d’, a refined unicorn stallion with a light grey coat and a short shock of white hair for his mane and tail, looked down at a list of reservations coolly. After scanning it for a moment, he looked back up, an eyebrow slightly raised. “I am sorry, mademoiselle.” He said with a slight Prench accent. “Zere does not appear to be a reservation under zat name.”
“Is that so?” Rarity put on an exaggerated smile, turning her head to face Fluttershy. “Excuse me for a moment, dear.” She trotted over and leaned in close to the maitre d’, whispering vehemently. “What do you mean there’s no reservation? My younger sister begged me to let her make it.” She even went as far as to break out her puppy dog eyes, which she knows I can’t resist. “She assured me that the reservation had been made for tonight at eight o’clock.”
“I do not know what to tell you, miss.” The maitre d’ responded, unfazed by her thinly concealed anger. “Zere is no reservation for a ‘Rarity’ in the book. I am afraid zat without a reservation, zere is nothing I can do.”
“Oh, Sweetie Belle. When I get home-” Rarity seethed.
“My apologies, miss, but what was zat name again?” The maitre d’ ran his eyes down the reservation list again.
“Hmm? Sweetie Belle?” Rarity repeated, confusion written on her face. “She’s my sister, the one that made... the...” She brought up a hoof and pressed it to her forehead. “Let me guess, she made the reservation under her name, didn’t she?”
“Zat appears to be the case.” The maitre d’ tapped a spot on the reservation list. “Here it is. Table for two, tonight at eight o’clock, under the name Sweetie Belle.” He lit up his horn, grabbing a pair of menus in a white glow of magic. “My sincere apologies for the confusion, mademoiselle. Now, if you and your lady friend would follow me, I can seat you immediately.” He turned and led the pair through the restaurant, weaving among rows of occupied tables and moving towards the rear of the dining area.
Oh, I wonder where he’s taking us? Fluttershy wondered after a time. She glanced off to the side, spotting a single empty table amidst the mostly-full dining room. She looked to the other side, finding a pair of empty tables across the room. He led them through the main dining area, directly past another empty table, and angled for the back wall of the restaurant. She was about make a comment when the maitre d’ stopped and gestured off to the side.
“Your table, mademoiselles.” He gave a slight bow, floating the menus into an alcove in the wall. Rarity turned, not having noticed a table anywhere in the vicinity. Her breath caught in her throat. The alcove held a small table, lit with two tall white candles. A slender glass vase sat in the middle of the table, bearing a single red rose. A window took up most of the back wall, but a maroon and gold curtain covered all of it, save for a small half-moon opening at the top. The uncovered half-moon window let in a small amount of light from the setting sun, bathing the table in a soft glow supplemented by the candles. The alcove made the table secluded, and a retractable curtain afforded a sense of privacy that was missing from the main dining area.
“It looks lovely.” Fluttershy supplied, after waiting several moments for her date to respond. She flashed a warm smile. “Thank you very much.” She stepped past Rarity, craning her neck forward to smell the rose on the table. The maitre d’ nodded, placing the menus on the table and turning to make his leave.
“Thank you, sir.” Rarity watched him walk away. She turned and cantered over to the table, seeing Fluttershy peeking out the window. She made a mental note to thank her sister.
Fluttershy noticed Rarity speaking to the maitre d’ and took the opportunity to walk around their table. She extended a hoof, pulling back the curtain slightly to peek out the window. She glanced up and down the street outside and was just about to step away when a familiar pair of ponies came in to view. Twilight and Applejack! She cringed backward involuntarily, torn between a fear of being seen and an intense desire to keep watching. Oh, I wonder if Twilight finally picked up on Applejack’s hints. She bit her lip to suppress a squeal of glee.
“Darling?” Rarity’s hoof landed on her shoulder.
“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked, dropping the curtain. She turned to face her date, a rush of blood darkening her cheeks. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just, um... admiring the sunset.” She ducked her head to hide behind her mane.
Sweet Celestia, she’s adorable when she does that. Rarity smiled warmly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, dear.” She leaned forward and kissed her marefriend lightly on her rosy cheek, drawing a happy noise from the pegasus. “Shall we?” She gestured toward the table, pulling the chairs out in a soft glow of telekinesis.
The couple sat down just as their waiter arrived. He was a slender pegasus stallion with a light blue coat and a short blond mane. “Good evening, ladies. What can I get for you to drink tonight?”
Rarity glanced over a portion of the menu quickly. “I will have a glass of wine, a nice Marelot should do.”
“Just a rosewater for me, please.” Fluttershy replied, staring at the table.
“I will bring those out for you shortly.” The waiter gave a short bow and trotted towards the door to the kitchen.
Rarity waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “Rosewater, darling? Are you sure you wouldn’t like a glass of wine? It is a special occasion after all.” She reached across the table and held hooves with her marefriend.
Fluttershy looked up from the table, meeting Rarity’s gaze. She felt a surge of warmth spread through her chest. Well, maybe just one glass. Her stomach flipped at the mere thought of drinking alcohol again. The blurry haze that was the memory of her date with Rainbow Dash surfaced. Then again, trying to stick to just one glass didn’t work very well last time. She smiled warmly, giving her friend’s hoof a quick squeeze. “I’m sure. Just rosewater for tonight.”
Rarity pouted, batting her eyes. “Please, for me?”
“Um... well...” Fluttershy felt her already weak resolve crumbling. “I guess just one glass wouldn’t hurt.”
Rarity smiled and dropped her eyes to the menu. “Do you have any idea what you would like to eat? I’ve heard they have an excellent tulip au gratin here. Although, a nice daisy salad sounds delectable as well.”
“Um, I think a salad would be nice.” Fluttershy looked down at the menu, running through the available entrees in the flickering candlelight. After a moment of deliberation, settled on a lily salad with strawberries in it. Her eyes shifted over, glancing at the price. Twelve bits for a salad? Um, well, maybe something else then. She continued down to the tulip au gratin Rarity had mentioned. Fifteen bits? Swallowing, the pink-maned pegasus looked up and down the menu, focusing on the prices instead of the food. Twelve. Fifteen. Fourteen. Eighteen. Twenty four? Oh dear, everything is so expensive. She bit her lip, worrying silently.
“Is everything alright, darling?” Rarity asked, a slight crease in her brow.
“O-Oh, um, w-well...” Fluttershy tried to stammer out an answer, with little success. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat as she met her date’s gaze. Rarity’s eyes shimmered in the dancing light, full of concern. She immediately felt foalish for being concerned. “It’s nothing, really.”
The unicorn gave a sly smile. “Come now, dear. I know something is bothering you. Please tell me. I want to make sure you enjoy yourself tonight.”
“Oh, but I am!” Fluttershy replied eagerly. She immediately shrank back down, self-conscious about the outburst. “It’s just that... well, everything here is so, expensive.” Her voice trailed off, barely audible by the end.
“Is that what you’re worried about, dear?” Rarity’s smile blossomed into a reassuring grin. “Please, do not trouble yourself with that. Tonight is my treat.” Her marefriend did not appear convinced. “It may comfort you know that I recently completed a rather large order for Fancypants and Fleur-de-Lis, so I have a sizable amount of bits saved up. Please do not worry, order whatever you like.”
As if on cue, their waiter returned with the drinks. “Have you decided on your meal choices, or would you like a little more time?” He asked, carefully placing the glasses of rosewater and wine on the table.
“I do believe we are ready.” Rarity lifted her glass in an aura of magic, taking a sip. “I would like the tulip au gratin, please.”
“An excellent choice, madam.” The waiter replied, writing the order down with a quill held in his wing. “For you, miss?”
“Oh, um... I’ll have the lily and strawberry salad.” Fluttershy handed the menu to the waiter. “Um, and, maybe...” She drifted into silence.
The waiter looked at her expectantly. “The lily and strawberry salad. Would you like anything else with that, ma’am?” Fluttershy tried to speak, but only managed a series of quiet squeaks. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t quite hear that.” She let out another barely audible sound, pointing at Rarity’s glass of wine with a hoof.
“She would like a glass of wine as well.” Rarity offered. “The same Marelot should do nicely.”
“Also a wonderful choice. I will go put these in with the chefs immediately.” He bowed quickly and trotted back to the kitchen.
“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy muttered once he passed through the doors to the kitchen.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, dear.” Rarity waved away the apology. “Although, I must confess that I am confused. Is something still bothering you?”
Yes. I’m lying to you and Rainbow Dash because I’m not strong enough to choose between you. Fluttershy railed at herself. Externally, she gave a comforting smile. “No. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”
“You have nothing to be nervous about, darling.” Rarity placed a hoof on her friend’s. “While it is true that this is our first official date, we have spent the past few years together each week at the spa. That has to count for something.”
“Oh, it does. You know how much I love our weekly spa visits.” Fluttershy smiled as a though occurred to her. “I guess now we can call them spa dates.” She let out a soft giggle as Rarity smiled brightly at the idea. “It’s just... this is more public and, um, romantic than the spa. I’m still nervous about other ponies knowing about... us.”
“I understand completely.” The unicorn caressed her marefriend’s hoof, delighting in the shiver that it sent through her body. “I am still somewhat surprised myself. I keep expecting to wake up and have all of this be some wonderful dream. If it will make you feel better, we can keep our relationship private for now, until you are ready to tell everyone.”
Oh, Rarity. You deserve better than this, better than me. Fluttershy felt warring surges of love and guilt flood through her, stealing her breath. You deserve the truth, if only I was strong enough to tell you. She lost herself in her date’s sapphire eyes, marveling at the unconditional love and trust she managed to convey with a simple gaze. “I love you.”
“I love you too, dear.” Rarity squeezed the hoof she held. Just then, their waiter arrived with a second glass of wine. “Well, here’s to a lovely first date.” She lifted her own glass in an aura of magic, clinking it lightly against her friend’s before they both took a sip.
Fluttershy felt her stomach clench as she brought the glass to her lips. The tart liquid splashed across her tongue, filling her mouth with hints of berries and currant. Okay, that wasn’t too bad... one more drink now to help with my nerves, then as long as I can stick to just one glass, I should be fine. She took another drink before resting her now half-full glass on the table.
The waiter returned, a tray of food balanced on his back. He quickly deposited the plates and retreated back to the kitchen, pulling the curtain closed to afford the pair some privacy. Fluttershy looked down to find her wine glass full. Oh no... not again. I just need to keep track in my head. That’s one half of a glass so far.
“Is something wrong, dear?” Rarity asked after finishing her first glass of wine. “The waiter refilled your glass when he brought the food.” She smiled as her date chewed on her lip nervously. “Don’t worry, darling. I won’t let either of us have too much.” She winked suggestively, drawing a blush from the pegasus.
Fluttershy grabbed her fork and speared a strawberry from her salad. She popped it in her mouth, chewing it slowly. She let out a small sound of pleasure as the fresh fruit juices washed over her taste buds. She picked up a lily and ate it as well. Oh, goodness. She stopped chewing and grabbed her wine glass, taking a large gulp to wash the taste out of her mouth. That lily tasted terrible! She scraped her tongue along her teeth, trying in vain to get remnants of the taste off of her tongue. Maybe it was just that one... She stabbed another lily and ate it. Her mouth filled with a bitter, acrid taste. She picked up her wine glass and took another drink.
No, definitely not just the one lily. She glanced up at Rarity, who smiled before taking a bite of her tulip au gratin. Fluttershy looked back down at her salad, biting her lip. I can’t ask for something else... everything is so expensive. Maybe the spinach will be good. She picked up a few leaves of spinach on her fork and placed them in her mouth tentatively. She chewed them a few times, keeping her expression neutral as acerbic and salty flavors ran over her tongue. She reached for her wine glass, finding it full yet again. When did that happen? Okay, that’s two halves... so one glass. She took a small sip of the wine to wash the spinach flavor away.
“How is your salad, dear? It looks positively delectable.” Rarity put down her fork and sipped at her wine.
“It’s... fine.” Fluttershy replied, spearing a strawberry and eating it.
“Is something wrong?” The unicorn set her wine glass on the table. “Does the salad not taste good? Would you like something else?”
“Oh, um, no.” Fluttershy ducked to hide behind her mane. “It’s fine, really.”
“Well, then could I have a taste?” Without waiting for an answer, Rarity floated her fork across the table in an aura of magic, picking up a lily and some spinach leaves before bringing it back to her. She floated the food into her mouth and bit down. Her eyes immediately widened and she grabbed her wine glass, taking a large drink. “My word, dear. That was positively disgusting. Next time the waiter comes by we will get you something else.”
“Oh, no, that’s okay... I don’t want to make a scene.” Fluttershy shrank down into her chair. “Besides... the strawberries are good. I can, um, just eat those.”
“Nonsense, darling.” Rarity pressed. “An establishment such as this should be ashamed to serve such a horrendous-tasting dish. Here.” She levitated her fork and stabbed a bite of her tulip au gratin. “Try a bit of mine, and if you like it we can see about getting an order for you.” She floated the morsel of food over to the pegasus, maneuvering it gently so she could bite it.
“Mmm.” Fluttershy let out a small pleased sound. “That was very good.”
Outside the window, the sky slowly darkened as Celestia’s sun set, giving way to Luna’s moon and stars and allowing silvery moonlight to suffuse the small alcove. The waiter cantered back over to the table, a bottle of wine hanging in a special saddlebag. “Is everything satisfactory, madams?” He asked while refilling the wine glasses.
“Actually, there is something wrong with my friend’s salad.” Rarity spoke up, knowing the pink-maned pegasus would not voice a complaint. “Would it be too much trouble to get her an order of the tulip au gratin?”
“I am terribly sorry about that.” The waiter lifted the salad with a wing, placing it on his back. “I’ll go let the chefs know and get that right out.” He trotted back to the kitchen.
“You see, dear?” Rarity picked up her wine glass. “We just had to let them know and they were willing to fix it. No scene made.” She put the glass to her lips and drank a small bit.
Fluttershy noticed her own glass full yet again. Okay... so a half and a half of a half, that’s... three quarters of a glass? No, that doesn’t sound right. She looked down and counted on her hooves. One, two, three halves, so one and a half glasses.
A few minutes later, the waiter reappeared, a new plate on his back. “Here we are madam. One tulip au gratin.” He placed the food on the table gently, then cleared his throat. “The chefs wanted to express their apologies for the salad, one of the apprentices knocked a bowl of spices meant for the salt-crusted eggplant onto it. To make up for it, we would like to offer you a complimentary dessert tonight.”
“That is most gracious of them.” Rarity smiled warmly. “Thank you ever so much, sir. Please pass my compliments on to the chefs.” He nodded and walked away. She turned back to Fluttershy who was awkwardly trying to coordinate her knife and fork to cut the tulip. She stifled a giggle. “Allow me, dear.” She took the utensils in her magic and cut up the flower into bite-sized chunks.
“Thank you.” Fluttershy fumbled with her fork, eventually picking it up with both hooves. She stabbed a bite of food and brought it to her mouth, smearing a bit of sauce on her muzzle.
“Oh, dear.” Rarity brought a hoof to her mouth to suppress another giggle. “Fluttershy, darling, you have a bit of sauce on you. Right here.” She pointed to just beside her mouth.
“Hmm?” The pegasus looked up. “Oh, thank you.” She stuck her tongue out, trying to lick the sauce off. “Did I get it?”
Rarity felt her heart beat spike as she watched her marefriend. Her mind filled with inappropriate images of the cream-colored mare putting her tongue to use in other ways. No! Bad Rarity! She cleared her throat. “A- Actually... it was on the other side.” Her cheeks flushed crimson as she watched Fluttershy try again to lick the sauce off of her muzzle. “There... you got it that time.” She said breathlessly.
The pair ate in relative silence, with Fluttershy concentrating to properly control her fork and occasionally sipping her wine. Rarity stared intently at her plate and tried to distract herself from various scenarios playing out in her mind that would be entirely unsuitable for a public place. The unicorn startled at the sound of hooves approaching the table.
“Was the tulip au gratin acceptable?” The waiter cantered up to the table, a small black booklet under one wing.
“Oh, yesh.” Fluttershy dropped her fork on the now empty plate with a clatter. “It was very tashty, thank you.” Her words slurred under the effects of the wine.
“I am certain the chefs will be glad to hear that.” He placed the booklet on the table. “Here is the dessert menu. I will get these plates out of the way for you and be back momentarily.” He lifted a plate with each wing, clearing the table. “Would either of you like another glass of wine?”
Rarity drained the rest of her second glass before responding. “No, thank you.” She glanced across the table at her marefriend, who nodded her head.
“Maybe jusht a teeny bit more.” Fluttershy held her hooves a small distance apart, swaying back and forth in her chair a bit. The waiter nodded and retreated to the kitchen. She tried to mentally calculate her wine consumption. Let’s see... there was a half, and a half of a half, then a full glass. No... She started counting on her hooves under the table, giving up after several unsuccessful tries. Math is hard.
Rarity ran through her own count across the table as she perused the dessert menu. Two glasses for me and... a little over two and a half for Fluttershy. Half a glass more shouldn’t hurt. She turned her attention back to the menu as a flash of color caught her eye. “How were the strawberries on your salad, darling? They have a delightful looking dessert of strawberries and cream.”
“Um...” Fluttershy scrunched up her face, trying to think back to the salad. “The strawberries were really -hic- good, it was the spinach and lilies that were bad.” She stuck her tongue out at the memory. “Strawberries and cream sound tasty.”
“Oh. This sounds delicious as well.” Rarity continued her way down the menu. “Pêches Louis. Peaches marinated in whiskey, Apple Family of course, then flambéed. How does that sound?”
“Mmm... peaches are -hic- tasty.” Fluttershy nodded.
“Have we decided on dessert, madams?” As if on cue, the waiter reappeared, pausing to pour half a glass of wine into Fluttershy’s empty glass.
“Yes, we will have the Pêches Louis, please.” Rarity closed the dessert menu and gave it back to the waiter.
“An excellent choice. I will be right back.” He gave a short bow and headed back to the kitchen.
“Th-Thank you for dinner, Rarity.” Fluttershy smiled, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “It was really nice.” She reached out and held her friend’s hoof, giving it a soft squeeze. “I really am sorry that I can’t help pay. I didn’t think to grab any bits before we left, and I-”
“Please stop worrying about it, darling.” Rarity interrupted her explanation, a soft smile on her face. “This is something I wanted to do. What kind of relationship would this be if I could not spoil my marefriend from time to time?”
Fluttershy felt a wave of guilt fighting through the fuzzy haze of alcohol, but it was soon overridden by the sight of dessert arriving. An iron skillet full of peaches floating in a pool of whiskey settled on the table. The waiter lit a match and set the alcohol alight, sending a wave of blue-tinged flames up from the skillet. “Ooh...” Fluttershy gazed into the flickering flames as they danced over the peaches.
“Truly, a fabulous show, sir. Thank you ver-” Rarity’s words were cut off by a shrill beeping from the ceiling. Suddenly, water cascaded down, soaking the three ponies around the table. Everypony in the restaurant jumped from their chairs, sending them clattering to the ground, and galloped for the exit. Fluttershy and Rarity followed suit, keeping to the rear of the herd to avoid being trampled.
Outside, they stood off to the side from the main group of disgruntled diners. Rarity ran a hoof through her soaked mane, brushing it back out of her eyes. “That was certainly... interesting. I suspect that from now on they will flambé the peaches back in the kitchen instead of at the table.” She wiped her hoof down her muzzle, sending droplets of water to the ground.
“Hehe...” Fluttershy giggled, her pink mane plastered over her face, hiding her eyes. She threw her head back, whipping her mane out of her face. “At least our first date will be memorable.” She smiled, trying to fight down another fit of giggles.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, dear.” Rarity leaned in and nuzzled against her marefriend’s neck, holding the contact and letting out a sigh. She pulled away, frowning. “Sadly, it appears it will be memorable for the things that went wrong as opposed to the things that went well.”
“Oh, Rarity.” Fluttershy shifted her position, sidling up to her date. She draped a wing around the unicorn, pulling her into a sideways hug. “It was a lovely dinner, at leasht -hic- until the unexpected shower.” She trailed off as she devolved into another fit of giggles. “Look on the bright shide...” She reared up on her hind legs, flaring her wings for balance. “At least with your spell, we don’t need to worry about our dresses being ruined.” She swayed on her hooves for a moment before falling back to stand on four legs.
A wry smile tugged at Rarity’s mouth. “How many glasses of wine did you have, darling? You seem a little... tipsy.” She pointed a hoof in mock-accusation, wavering lightly on her own hooves. “You weren’t sneaking drinks behind my back were you?”
“Oh, of course not! I only had...” Fluttershy stared down at her hooves, counting. “One... two... three... fou- Whoa!” She fell over as she tried to pull all four hooves off of the ground to count on, landing on her side and blinking in confusion. Rarity brought a hoof to her mouth, suppressing her laughter as the restaurant’s maitre d’ approached.
“Mademoiselle Rarity. I am terribly sorry about zis.” He apologized, standing in a rapidly growing puddle as water dripped from his coat and tuxedo. “We recently had a new magical fire containment system installed, and it seems ze chefs did not understand that any dishes with flammable elements are supposed to be taken care of in ze kitchen.” He glanced over his shoulder at a pair of brown earth pony stallions wearing white aprons trotting out from an alleyway leading behind the building. Both of them were wringing out their toques and pointedly avoiding eye contact with any of the soaked customers. He shifted on his hooves awkwardly before continuing. “In light of the disaster with ze sprinklers, we are offering a fifty percent discount on your meal.”
“That is very kind of you.” Rarity smiled, trying to ease his obvious anxiety. “While the... unexpected shower was an inconvenience, I would hardly refuse to pay for services rendered over it.” She pulled a sack of bits from the voluminous folds of her skirt with her magic.
The maitre d’ relaxed visibly. “Thank you for being so understanding, mademoiselle.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a damp piece of paper. “The total comes to twenty eight bits.”
“That is most generous.” Rarity ran through a mental calculation in her head. One hundred bits. Take out the bill... the waiter... some for the chefs. She sent the sack over to the maitre d’. “Here, this should cover everything.”
He took the bag from her telekinetic grasp, blinking in surprise at the weight of it. He pulled it open with a hoof, staring in shock at the massive mound of bits inside. “M-Miss Rarity, this is...”
Rarity shushed him, glancing over her shoulder to see Fluttershy staring up at the stars. She leaned in to whisper to him. “After you deduct the amount for the bill, I would like an equal amount to go to our waiter, he was simply wonderful. After that, split thirty bits amongst the kitchen staff, please. Then, pass the remainder along to the apprentice who knocked the salt into our salad. Let him know that we all make mistakes, and this particular patron bears him no ill will.”
“Of course, mademoiselle Rarity. Thank you.” He transferred the bag to his back. “We hope zat you will come back for another, hopefully drier, meal.” He bowed curtly and trotted off to speak with another pair of customers.
“The shtars are really pretty tonight.” Fluttershy sighed. She trotted over and nuzzled against Rarity’s neck, reveling in the softness of her coat. She pulled away to see her marefriend biting her lip to keep from laughing. “What’s so funny?”
“I’m not quite sure how to put this... Actually, I know precisely how to put it.” Rarity pointed a hoof. “You have dirt all over your face, dear.”
“Huh?” Fluttershy turned to a nearby window, trying to see her reflection in the dim moonlight. After a moment, she gave up. Turning back around, her eyes were drawn to a dark streak in her friend’s otherwise immaculately white coat. “Yea? Well, you have dirt all over your neck right there.” She pointed a wavering hoof.
Rarity levitated a small mirror out of her skirt, holding it to look at her neck. “So I do.” She returned the mirror. “In that case, let us head back to the Boutique, we can wash up and dry off.”
“Now now, Rarity.” Fluttershy sauntered closer to her date, a goofy smile on her face. “I think you’re supposed to wait until we’re actually at your house before inviting me in.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and began walking down the street toward Carousel Boutique, leaving a temporarily stunned Rarity to follow her a few seconds later.
Chapter Ten
Cheering Up
Twilight and Applejack walked south along Ponyville’s main street toward Town Hall, the latter staring at the ground while the former tried to make small talk. “So you’ve never been to Dine n’ Dash’s food cart over in the food court?” Twilight asked.
“Me and the family don’t exactly eat out a lot.” Applejack kicked a loose rock in the road. “Ah been there a time or two, but Ah ain’t familiar with it.”
“There’s all kinds of food over on the edge of town.” Twilight tried to stay upbeat as the pair passed Town Hall. “There’s restaurants, snack bars, and of course Dine’s food cart. He makes the best hay fries in Ponyville. I don’t know what he does to them, but they’re addictive. Oh!” The unicorn perked up, tapping a hoof in the dirt as she walked. “Remind me to get an order of them to go for Spike. He would be so mad at me if I went to Dine’s cart and didn’t bring him any.”
“Uh huh.” Applejack mumbled, her gaze never leaving the dirt.
She’s really broken up about Rainbow Dash. Twilight bit her lip, casting about for another topic of conversation. A flash of pink passed through the edge of her vision. She looked over, searching for the source. The building across the street was a small Prench restaurant which had all its windows covered in curtains. After scanning the other side of the road for a moment, she gave up and went back to trying to cheer up her friend. “So, how’s Applebuck Season going this year?”
“Fine.” Applejack replied flatly as they approached the food cart.
“Hey there, Sparkle. How’s it goin’?” Dine n’ Dash called out. He was a gruff-looking earth pony stallion, a grease-covered apron hanging from his neck. His light grey mane stood out against a dark brown coat. “The usual?”
“Yes please, Dine.” Twilight chirped. She was such a regular at Dine n’ Dash’s food cart that she rarely had to place an order anymore. As soon as he saw her, the cook knew she wanted an oat burger with cheese and extra pickles with a side of hay fries, and a separate order of hay fries, extra crispy, to take home to Spike.
“Comin’ right up. What about you, miss?” He reached down and picked up a spatula in his mouth, flipping an oat burger onto the grill.
“Ah don’t know.” Applejack lifted her head, glancing at the menu plastered on the front of the cart. She cocked her head to the side as she reached the bottom of the menu. “What in the hay is this one? ‘The Ursa Major. Warning: Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.’” She arched an eyebrow after reading the description.
Dine dropped the spatula and smirked. “Oh, I don’t think you want that one, miss.” He shook his head. “I’ve been selling that burger for almost ten years now, and I’ve only ever seen three ponies finish it.”
“Is that a challenge?” Applejack bristled, a slight feeling of offense rising in her chest. “Just what exactly comes on this darn burger that makes it so special?”
“Well, it starts with a special blend of oats that comes all the way from Neighjing. They’re the spiciest oats known to ponykind. I use those oats to make a burger that’s a full pound, as opposed to the regular quarter pound.” He paused, his eyes flashing momentarily to Applejack’s cutie mark, a grin spreading across his face. “Then I take the patty and soak it for twenty four hours in the highest proof Apple family hard cider I can get my hooves on.”
“The One-Fifty-One?” Applejack supplied, a proud smile creasing her features.
“That’s the stuff.” Dine nodded. “After I cook it up, I top it with the typical stuff: lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. Then comes the kicker. A special sauce from Stalliongrad, the hottest stuff in Equestria. If you can finish it in under forty five minutes, your order’s on the house. But like I said, I’ve sold it for almost ten years, and only three ponies have managed to finish it.”
“Really? Only three?” Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Who were they?”
“The first one was a big, red earth pony stallion.” Dine scratched his chin with a hoof. “Not much of a talker, that one.”
“Mac?” Applejack guessed, a smirk on her face. Of course her brother would be one of the ponies that finished it, what he lacked in conversational skills he more than made up for at the dinner table.
“Yeah, that’s the one.” Dine n’ Dash squinted for a moment before stomping a hoof. “That’s it! You’re Applejack, Mac’s sister. Sorry, I had a feeling I’d seen you around, but I couldn’t remember your name.” He paused to clear his throat. “Anyway, the next pony to finish it was Pinkie Pie.”
“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked skeptically. “I can’t believe... you know what? Scratch that, I can definitely believe Pinkie could finish it. Who was the last one?”
“That mail mare. The grey one with the crossed eyes.” Dine scratched the back of his neck with a hoof. “I still don’t know how she did it.”
“Derpy?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “The mail mare that’s always delivering the wrong mail to everypony?”
“That’s her, all right.” Dine shook his head. “Not only did she finish it, but she ordered another one to go.”
“Well, shoot. You best be ready to make that four. Ah certainly ain’t gonna let Mac beat me. Ah’ll take one.” Applejack shot back.
“Are you sure, AJ?” Twilight eyed the massive oat patty warily as Dine n’ Dash lowered it onto the grill. “It looks really... big.”
“Heck yea, Ah’m sure.” Applejack puffed out her chest. “Ah’ve only met two ponies who can eat more than me, and those are Pinkie and Rainb-” She stopped mid-word, her chest deflating slowly and her head falling back toward the ground.
Oops. Twilight bit her lip. I didn’t picture Rainbow as a big eater, but she probably does burn a lot of energy flying... She shook her head. Focus, Twilight. I need to fix this.
Dine n’ Dash looked back and forth between the suddenly dejected farm-pony and the worried unicorn. “Well, if you don’t think you can handle it...”
Applejack looked up, a competitive fire rekindled in her eyes. “Just cook the burger.” She walked off to sit down at a nearby table.
“Thanks for that.” Twilight whispered, trotting closer to the cart.
“Don’t mention it.” Dine glanced over to where Applejack was sitting, staring at her hooves. “What’s her problem, anyway?”
“Um...” Twilight shifted uncomfortably on her hooves, unsure of how to answer. “Love troubles.” She reached back and pulled the sack of bits out of her saddlebag. “I’m trying to cheer her up, but it’s been more difficult that I thought it would be. So, how much do I owe you?”
“Not yet, Sparkle.” The cook waved a hoof. “We’ve gotta see if Applejack can take down the Ursa Major. If she can, then it’s on the house. For now, you just try and make your friend feel better.”
“Really?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “Okay... thanks, Dine. You’re the best.” She put the sack of bits back in her bag and went to sit at the table, dropping her saddlebag next to her. The pair sat in silence, with Applejack staring at the dirt and Twilight trying to come up with a suitably mundane topic to talk about. After a while she gave up, opting instead for a direct approach. “Are you okay, Applejack?”
“Ah’m fine.” Applejack huffed, crossing her forelegs. “It’s not like the mare Ah love is probably cuddlin’ up with somepony else right now.” She slumped down and let out a sigh. “Sorry ‘bout that, Twi. Ah shouldn’t be burdenin’ ya with this. It’s not yer problem to deal with.”
“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. A thought popped into he head. No. Whatever you do, don’t ask that. It will only make things worse. The silence billowed between them. Applejack looked down, studying her hooves under the table. Twilight cast about for some mundane topic of conversation, anything other than the thought that had planted itself in her mind. After half a minute of silence, she gave in. “Actually, I’ve been a little curious... why Rainbow Dash? Don’t take this the wrong way, but what do you... like about her?”
Applejack shook her head, moisture pooling in he eyes. “No. It’s fine, Twi. Ya don’t need to do this. Ah’ll be alright, Ah just need a little time.”
“Come on, AJ.” Twilight scooted closer around the table. “I told you, I’m here for you. Maybe talking about this will help. It has to be better than just holding it in and letting it fester.” Listen to yourself... At least she had the guts to come out and say it. She watched as Applejack wiped the half-formed tears from her eyes. Then again... she didn’t have to worry about making things worse.
“Well, if ya wanna talk about it that much, Ah will.” Applejack looked up, admiring the sunset. “It sounds mighty shallow, but the first thing Ah noticed ‘bout Rainbow was... well, her figure.” Her cheeks flushed a dark red. “The girl’s fit as a fiddle. You’d be hard pressed to find an ounce of fat on her.” She paused, clearing her throat. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty else Ah love ‘bout her, but she’s certainly easy on the eyes.”
“You look good, too.” Twilight replied without thinking. She glanced down at the table, frowning slightly.
“Thank ya kindly Twi. If’n Ah had a bit fer every time Ah heard that... well, Ah wouldn’t have enough to buy one of them burgers. Ah ain’t exactly got what ya would call a flatterin’ figure. Shoot, just look at mah legs.” She stood up and turned her back to Twilight, displaying her hind legs. “Ah got legs most stallions would envy.”
Whatever you do, don’t look. Twilight kept her gaze on the table. Do. Not. Look.
The farm pony glanced over her shoulder and noticed her friend staring at the table. “Ah’m bein’ serious, Twi. If’n ya only saw mah flank and legs, it’d be pretty easy to mistake me fer a stallion.”
Twilight looked up from the table slowly. Don’t stare at her rump. Don’t stare at her rump. For the love of Celestia, don’t stare at her rump. Her eyes drifted over the powerful legs in front of her, watching as the sinewy muscles bunched and flexed just under the skin as the farm pony displayed her heavily muscled legs. She chewed on her lower lip to keep herself from making several undignified noises. Her gaze darted upwards for a brief instant, passing over her friend’s toned flank before whipping back to study the table again.
“But Dash...” Applejack let out a whistle, turning back and taking her seat. “That girl’s built like some kinda jungle cat.” She looked over to Twilight and saw her slumped over the table. “Don’t take it the wrong way, Twi. You ain’t half-bad lookin’ yerself.” She gave an exaggerated wink. “Ah reckon you’ll make some stallion mighty happy one day.”
I don’t want to make ‘some stallion’ happy. I want to make you happy. Twilight fumed silently. Her eyes drifted down to her own body. Still, going to the gym every once in a while wouldn’t hurt. She cleared her throat. “Ahem. So... what else is there?”
“Well, Dash is a heck of an athlete, and Ah admire that ‘bout her.” Applejack gazed off into the distance. “You remember the Runnin’ of the Leaves a few years ago, when Rainbow and Ah raced? Ah figured Ah’d be able to just wear her out and wait ‘til she ran outta gas, but that girl’s got endurance that gave me a run fer mah bits.” She smiled as memories of the event played out in her mind. “Although, you did beat both Dash and me. Ah never woulda guessed that one. Yer whole plan of pacin’ yerself got ya fifth place, after all.”
“Oh, um, thank you.” Twilight felt warmth spread through her face and hoped it did not show through her coat. Quick, say something before she notices. “Hey, um, speaking of the Running of the Leaves...” Shoot, what about it? “It’s, uh, coming up again this year...” Duh! It happens every year, and we run it every year. Bingo! “And, um, I was hoping to do some... training for the next one. Do you think that, maybe, you could help me train?”
“Oh, uh, sure.” Applejack blinked for a moment. “Ah never really had ya pegged as a racer, but if ya did so well that one year without any trainin’, ya might be able to win the whole thing with a little work.” She paused, putting a hoof to her chin. “If yer free, we can get started tomorrow. We’re ahead of schedule in getting’ things ready for the summer harvest, so Ah can take an afternoon off.”
“Okay, I’ll swing by a little after lunch.” Twilight responded. Excellent. This way, I can spend some more time with her.
“Now, we can’t go forgettin’ ‘bout Dash’s loyalty.” Applejack continued. “No matter what happens, you can rest assured she won’t let ya down.” She shook her head, laughing at a memory. “Granted, it don’t mean she’ll always be there on time, but that girl would move heaven and earth to be there fer a friend.”
Twilight’s heart sank as she listened. I can’t beat Rainbow at loyalty. She’s the Element of it, after all.
“Here ya go.” Dine trotted over to the table, dropping their food on the table. He patted Applejack on the back. “Remember, you’ve got forty five minutes to finish this bad boy if ya want it on the house. Good luck, you’re gonna need it.”
Applejack stared at the mammoth monstrosity before her. The oat burger spilled over the edge of its bun, and an ominous red sauce dripped from it onto the table. She picked up a small dab of the sauce on her hoof and cautiously licked it off. Her eyes shot open and she immediately began coughing. “Sweet Celestia.” She wheezed. “That’s got a kick like a mule.” She picked up the burger with two hooves, taking as big of a bite as she could. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking several deep breaths through her nose before chewing.
“You okay there, AJ?” Twilight asked, already noticing a light sheen of sweat forming on her friend’s forehead. She floated a few hay fries up to her mouth, taking a quick bite as she watched the orange mare try to finish her first bite.
Applejack nodded and kept chewing. After several seconds, she swallowed. She opened her mouth and exhaled, as though expecting flames to pour out. “Sweet Celestia of Equestria.” She took off her hat and tried to fan her tongue. “Feels like Ah just ate a hot coal. Ah need somethin’ to drink.”
“Oh, I know just the thing.” Twilight lit up her horn and wove a quick teleportation spell. She scrunched up her face in concentration as her magic flared brighter. Come on... adjust the leylines... account for distortion, and... A blinding flash lit the air, leaving behind a glass of milk. She smiled as Applejack arched an eyebrow at her. “Hey, milk is much more efficient at counteracting the spiciness from capsaicin than water is. Go ahead, take a sip. If you still don’t think it’s better, I’ll get you a nice pint of Apple Family Hard Cider from Dine’s cart.”
Applejack rolled her eyes and picked up the glass, taking a small drink and visibly relaxing. “Fine, you win this round, Twi.” She put the milk down and picked up the burger again. “Now sit back and watch me work.”
The next half hour passed with Applejack trying to take down The Ursa Major and Twilight barely containing fits of giggles whenever her friend got an especially large bite of the spicy red sauce and turned as red as Big Macintosh before she could gulp down some more milk.. One snort of amusement forced its way out. Oh no. Twilight froze. I laughed at her. I hope I didn’t offend her, I wouldn’t want her to- She stopped as she saw Applejack smile through her coughing fit, an occasional short laugh mixed in her her wheezing coughs. Whew. The unicorn relaxed, tittering lightly. After swallowing the last bite, the orange mare fell over, laying in the dirt and clutching at her stomach.
“Well, I didn’t think ya had it in ya. Guess this one’s on me.” Dine strolled over to the table, a grin plastered on his face as Applejack rolled on the ground. He reached around and grabbed a bag from his back, dropping it on the table. “Here’s Spike’s hay fries. Tell the little guy I said ‘hi’.”
“Thanks, Dine. Will do.” Twilight smiled before turning back to her friend. “You okay down there, AJ?”
“Ah’ll be-” Applejack pressed a hoof against her mouth and hunched over. After a moment, she finally rolled over and stood up. “Ah’ll be fine. Ah just need a minute.” She pulled her hat off and fanned herself. “If’n you’ll excuse me, Ah need to visit the little fillies room.” She quickly trotted off in the direction of a nearby restroom.
Twilight sat at the table, trying in vain not to laugh. A moment later, her ear twitched as a shrill beeping sound drifted over to her. She turned to follow the direction of the sound, and saw mass of ponies stampeding out of the small Prench restaurant down the street. At the rear of the pack, a familiar-looking unicorn and pegasus exited the building, trotting off to the side to get away from the congregation of displaced diners.
Are those... Rarity and Fluttershy? She couldn’t be sure with the dresses they were wearing. Twilight decided to get a closer look, trotting across the street and angling around behind the pair. Why would they be at a fancy restaurant? She ducked into a nearby alley, peeking out over a barrel. Hmm... it’s definitely them. Fluttershy did mention that Rarity likes to go out after the spa sometimes. Wait a second... She squinted. Why are they wet? Right, fire alarm. She scanned the small crowd standing outside the restaurant, many of whom were wringing out their manes or clothes.
Across the road, Rarity leaned in and nuzzled the pink-maned pegasus, holding the contact a little too long to be purely platonic. Twilight jerked backward in surprise. Wait, what? She watched in confusion as Fluttershy hugged the unicorn with a wing, then reared up on her hind legs, narrowly avoiding falling over. Is Fluttershy drunk? Twilight rubbed a hoof across her eyes. When she looked back up, the pink-maned pegasus was inexplicably lying in the dirt, clumsily trying to get back up.
What’s going on here? Twilight ducked back into the alleyway, running through a mental checklist. Fancy dresses. Expensive restaurant. Alcoholic drinks. This has all of the hallmarks of a date, but Rainbow Dash said Fluttershy picked her. She stomped a hoof in the dirt. I need more data. She edged out of the narrow space, but did not find Rarity and Fluttershy where they had been. She scanned along the road quickly and spotted them heading away from her.
Shoot! She trotted out from the alley and after her friends, sticking to the shadows in case one of them looked back. Rarity walked behind Fluttershy, her eyes hypnotically following the other mare’s swaying flank as they swerved along the street. Twilight dove behind a flower bed as the cream-colored pegasus stopped in the road to say something. The lavender unicorn peeked around the edge of the flower box to see the pair staring up into the night sky. Ugh. I wish I could hear what they were saying... but if I get that close they could see me. She stood up and kept following the pair. They’re headed for Carousel Boutique. She ducked into an alleyway as they approached the shop.
Twilight leaned out from between the buildings, keeping to the shadows. She watched as the pair stopped in front of Rarity’s store. Fluttershy’s voice drifted over, but the words were indistinguishable. Gah! This would be so much easier if I could hear them! She almost smacked herself in the face when she remembered a simple spell that would amplify her hearing. She peeked out of the alleyway and quickly wove the spell together, completing it just in time to catch the end of Rarity’s response.
“-am glad that you enjoyed yourself.” Rarity pulled back from a nuzzle and leaned down to kiss the pink-maned pegasus on the cheek, but a yellow hoof pressed against her muzzle to bring their lips together, a flash of pink visible between their moving lips.
Twilight ducked back into the alley, her mind refusing to acknowledge what she had just seen. They k-kissed, and not just kissed but... kissed. Like, tongues and all. But, Rainbow told Applejack... Fluttershy wouldn’t do that, would she? She leaned forward and pressed her forehooves to her face, groaning as she futilely tried to figure out what she had just witnessed. Her ear twitched as more words floated over to her. The unicorn leaned out from her hiding place to watch.
“Fluttershy darling, you’re drunk.” Rarity shook her head, helping up from the ground.
“I’m not as think as you drunk I am.” Fluttershy replied, waving a hoof and pushing open the door to the Boutique. “Now, wee s-sshould-” The rest of the words were lost as the hearing spell ran out of power. Before Twilight could re-weave it, the pair entered the store and the door closed behind them.
Twilght stood up and walked absentmindedly back the direction she came, her mind trying to follow a thousand different thoughts at once. Okay, so Fluttershy was possibly on a date with Rarity, but they were both drunk, so I can’t be sure. If that’s the case, then logically Fluttershy lied to Rainbow Dash and Rarity. She kicked a rock in the street, sending it rolling down the road. What’s my responsibility in this? I can’t say anything without more information... but I shouldn’t butt into their personal lives. So, I can’t get more information, but if I don’t do anything then somepony could get hurt.
“There ya are, Twi.” Applejack called, a slight edge to her voice. “Ah was startin’ to think ya walked out on me, too.”
“Huh?” Twilight looked up, pulled forcibly out of her thoughts. She chuckled nervously as she saw the farm-pony. “Ehehe. Of course not. I just saw... something interesting.” Should I tell her about Fluttershy and Rarity? She sat down and glanced across the street to the restaurant, but only a fraction of the crowd from before was still present.
“Ah guess it’s a darn shame Ah missed it.” Applejack shot back, the edge in her voice growing stronger.
“Look, I’m sorry, AJ.” Twilight fought to stay calm despite her friend’s tone. Okay, now is definitely not the time. “I didn’t mean to make you think I left without you. I thought I would be back before you got out of the restroom.”
Applejack looked ready to snap at her, but stopped herself. She took a deep breath before speaking. “No... Ah’m sorry. It wasn’t fair of me to get all upset. Ah know you’d never leave me out to dry.” She glanced up at the sky, where Luna’s moon and stars shone brightly, and then off in the direction of the farm. “Well, Ah really need to be gettin’ home now. Ah’m sure Granny Smith and Applebloom are worried ‘bout why Ah ain’t back yet.” She paused, a warm and genuine smile on her face. “Ya know, the rest of us sure are lucky to have as good a friend as you.” She trotted over to Twilight and sat down, draping a foreleg across the unicorn’s back and pulling her into a sideways hug. “Ah think we forget that most of the time.”
“Uh, well, thanks for that, AJ.” Twilight stared at the ground. What brought that on?
Applejack turned her friend’s shoulders and adjusted herself so that they were facing each other. “You were such a good friend when Ah really needed one today.” She smiled. “That really means a lot to me. Thank ya, Twi.” She pulled the unicorn into a tight hug, nuzzling her neck against the other mare’s.
Oh my goodness. Twilight froze. Okay, don’t panic. It’s just a friendly hug. She brought her forehooves up returned the embrace. Physical sensations overwhelmed her. Strong legs held her and pulled her close. She felt Applejack’s breath play across her coat as the farm-pony nuzzled against her neck. She almost jumped as she felt the other mare’s heart beating against her chest. She bit her tongue to keep from making any noise. Her friend’s words echoed in her head, sending another spike of guilt through her chest. She thinks I’m only comforting her as a friend. I have to tell her how I feel. This isn’t right.
No! A portion of her mind railed against the idea. She needs a friend, not half-desperate romantic advances.
I’m taking advantage of her! She thinks she’s with a friend, not somepony who’s head over hooves in love with her! It’s not fair to her. Heck, it’s not fair to me. Her train of thought was interrupted as Applejack let out a contented sigh. A shiver raced down Twilight’s spine as the breath swept across the back of her neck.
Applejack pulled away, her smile giving way to a worried look. “Actually, before Ah go, there’s one more thing Ah need to tell ya, Twi.”
“I’m all ears.” Twilight replied, trying desperately to slow her heart rate.
Applejack chewed her bottom lip nervously. “Ya see, when ‘Shy first came ‘round to tell me ‘bout her... little situation, Ah kinda let slip that there was somepony Ah had a crush on, but Ah couldn’t bring mahself to tell her the truth.” She drifted off into silence.
“Okay...” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So I’m guessing you told her you liked somepony other than Rainbow Dash. Who was...” She stopped as the obvious answer presented itself. “Oh.”
“Yea...” Applejack scuffed a hoof in the dirt. “Ah kinda told ‘Shy Ah had a crush on, well, you.”
Twilight felt her heart skip a beat and a wave of giddiness wash over her. No. Don’t do this to yourself. You know she’s in love with Rainbow Dash. She fought to keep a straight face as the reminder brought her emotions crashing back down.
“Sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack looked up apologetically. “Don’t worry, it ain’t true or nothin’.”
The unicorn felt an icy stab of pain in her chest. “Well, that does explain Fluttershy’s visit the other day.” She replied mechanically, straining to keep her voice level as tears threatened to overtake her.
The farm-pony winced. “She came by already, huh?” Her eyes shot open as her mind replayed the evening, highlighting every action that could harbor romantic undertones. “She... she didn’t say nothin’, did she?”
“No.” Twilight shook her head. “She wanted to know if there was anypony I was interested in.”
“Whew...” Applejack relaxed. “Sorry ‘bout that... again. Ah just didn’t want ya thinkin’ anythin’ funny was goin’ on.” She smiled playfully. “So, is there anypony ya got yer eye on?”
Yes, you! Twilight dropped her gaze to her hooves and bit her lip. I can’t lie about this again. It’s one thing to lie to Fluttershy, but AJ... On the other hoof, I can’t tell her without making things horribly awkward.
Twilight looked up and forced a smile. “No. There’s nopony right now. Just me and my books.”
“Well, don’t worry none. Ah’m sure you’ll find yer special somepony eventually.” Applejack stood up and adjusted her hat. “Thanks again fer everythin’, Twi. Ah’ll see ya ‘round.”
Twilight stood up as well, and grabbed Spike’s order of fries with her magic, placing it in her saddlebag and placing the bag across her back. “Take care, AJ.” The pair parted ways and the unicorn headed back toward the library. Why couldn’t I just be honest with her? I’m taking advantage of her while trying to not take advantage of her. She let out a heavy sigh as she plodded down the road, tears pooling in her eyes. An image of Rarity and Fluttershy passed through her mind. I don’t even know where to start with that. I should talk to Fluttershy about it before jumping to conclusions... but I don’t want to stick my nose in other ponies’ business.
She arrived at the library and pulled the door open. The soft sound of snoring drifted down from the bedroom. Looks like Spike’s already asleep. She walked into the kitchen and placed the bag from Dine’s cart on the counter. She quietly tiphoofed up the staircase, trying to avoid making any noise. Twilight sneaked into her room, a smile spreading across her face at the sight of Spike laying in his basket. She made her way over to the baby dragon and leaned down.
“Goodnight, Spike.” She whispered, kissing Spike on his forehead as a single tear fell from her eyes and landed on his nose. She quickly wiped her eyes and climbed into her own bed before letting her feelings run their course. She cried softly as she went through the day, sniffling every time she was hit by another wave of guilt and shame.
“Oh, Applejack...”
Twilight froze, listening for a snore from the foot of the bed. After a few seconds of silence, she heard a single soft snore drift up. She let out the breath she had been holding and descended back into her tears. She tried to be even quieter, but couldn’t quite contain her sniffles. She pulled the blanket tighter around her, imagining the sheets were strong orange forelegs. Her breathing grew deep and even as exhaustion finally washed over her.
“Applejack...” Twilight half-whispered to the empty room, her eyes sliding closed. “I love you.” Moments after the words passed her lips, she drifted off into a fitful sleep.
Chapter Eleven
This Day is Going to Be Perfect
Rarity felt a sense of pride well in her chest, not to be confused with less savory feelings welling up in other areas, as she followed Fluttershy down the street. She stared at the swaying green skirt in front of her, visualizing the yellow flank underneath. It had been the ideal first date, right up until the end. A nice, private dinner at an intimate, albeit slightly expensive, upscale Prench restaurant. She had even been able to convince the cream-colored mare to partake in a couple glasses of wine. The only thing that marred the evening’s perfection was the accidental triggering of the restaurant’s sprinkler system during dessert, dousing them and the rest of the restaurant, and even that was not without its silver lining. Fluttershy looked exceptionally gorgeous in her dress, and the wet fabric only served to accentuate her curves.
Despite winter having been wrapped up several weeks ago, a light chill remained in the night air. Luna’s moon and stars shone down, providing a soft, silver glow to the world. A shiver passed down Rarity’s spine as a breeze washed over her. A warm bath will be fabulous once we get home. Her eyes were drawn back to the swaying flank before her, the green skirt of the dress seeming to flow in an ephemeral breeze as the pink tail hidden beneath it twitched.
Fluttershy stopped in the road, her eyes drawn upward. “Ooh... look, Rarishee.” She pointed a hoof skyward. “It’sh the... the...” She paused for a second, blinking. “The Luna! No...” She squinted up at the silver disk, leaning forward shakily to get a closer look. “Oh, it’sh the moon!”
Rarity followed her inebriated date’s hoof up to the full moon which shone down on the sleepy town, surrounded by glittering stars. “Indeed, Princess Luna has done a wonderful job with the night sky tonight.” She looked back down, only to see that Fluttershy had already resumed walking back toward Carousel Boutique. She rolled her eyes and broke into a trot to close the distance. She watched as the pink-maned pegasus simply stood in front of the door, knocking on it.
“Pinkie?” Fluttershy called out, dropping her hoof from the door before she fell over. “Pinkie, open up. “M’ hungry. I wanna cupcake!” She reached up to knock again, but stumbled to the side.
“What is going on, dear?” Rarity focused all of her calm to keep from breaking into a fit of laughter. She sidled up to the pegasus, providing her a surface to lean against.
“S’locked!” Fluttershy tried to wave a hoof at the door, but slipped and ended up headbutting it.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t quite catch that.” The unicorn felt her poise slipping as a smile pulled at her lips.
“Door!” The other mare flailed a foreleg toward the Boutique, her head still resting on the door. “It’sh locked! Pinkie won’t open it!” She stood up and looked around, seeming to finally notice she was not at Sugarcube Corner. “Bout... Booties?” She turned to face her marefriend. “I had a really... nicshe time tonight.” She leaned in and nuzzled the other mare, bumping into her with a little more force then she meant to. “Thanksh.”
“You are quite welcome, darling.” Rarity returned the affectionate nuzzle. “I must confess that I was initially worried that it all might be a little... much for a first date, but I am glad that you enjoyed yourself.” They pulled apart, and she leaned down to kiss her marefriend on the cheek. However, a hoof pressed against her muzzle and redirected it so that their lips met. She felt a brief moment of shock as Fluttershy’s tongue forced its way into her mouth. After too-brief a moment, they separated, a light pink tinge coloring both of their cheeks.
“That was -hic- fun.” Fluttershy dropped her hoof to the ground, but it slipped, sending her sprawling to the ground.
“Fluttershy, darling... you’re drunk.” Rarity shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as she helped the other mare back to her hooves. She unlocked the door with a quick flare of magic.
“I’m not as think as you drunk I am.” Fluttershy waved a hoof dismissively, coming dangerously close to falling over. She pushed open the door. “Now, we s-sshould go sho... shoe... shushhh... shusher...” She gave up on trying to pronounce the word ‘shower,’ and pouted. “Take a bath.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned and trotted inside, heading for the staircase. Before she got halfway however, she tripped over the hem of her skirt, and fell to the floor with a surprised squeak.
“Are you alright, dear?” Rarity followed her date inside, closing the door behind her. She watched as the inebriated mare tried to right herself, and her eyes were drawn down to the skirt of her friend’s dress. It had bunched up around the pegasus’ legs during the fall, revealing the curve of her rear legs. The unicorn traced the gentle sweep of her date’s legs with her eyes, following them tantalizingly high before they disappeared under her voluminous tail. What am I doing? She shook herself, taking a step toward her floor-ridden friend. We don’t normally wear clothes. I’ve seen them countless times. Still... She stopped, finding her gaze wandering up the cream-colored calves again. They’ve been covered all night. Seeing them now is... rather enticing.
“I’m okay!” Fluttershy waved a hoof from her place on the floor. She awkwardly clambered to her hooves, taking care not to step on her skirt again.
“Perhaps you should take your dress off first. Rarity watched the other mare sway on her hooves unsteadily. “On second thought, allow me.” She trotted over to her drunken friend, loosening the laces on her dress with a brief pulse of magic. She grabbed on to the shoulders of the gown. “Here, I’ll hold onto this end while you back out.”
“Okay.” Fluttershy began pulling backward, her hair bunching up around her head as she backed out of the dress slowly. She lowered her front end, extending her forehooves to pull them through the leg holes.
Rarity smiled, stifling laughter as her marefriend tried to maneuver her way out of the dress. The laughter died in her throat as a yellow rump protruded from the other end of the fabric, wiggling in the air as its owner slowly backed up. The unicorn looked off to the side, blushing furiously as she fixed her gaze on the wall. Although... Her eyes drifted back. She should be the one mare I am allowed to... admire.
“There we g-whoa!” Fluttershy broke free of the dress, stumbling backward and falling to a sitting position. She brought her hooves to her mouth, swaying slightly as she tried to hold in a fit of giggles. “Oopsh.” She managed to get out between dainty snorts. She stood up, a playful smile on her face.“Your turn!” She chirped, trotting over and pulling at the shoulder straps of Rarity’s dress.
Rarity held up a hoof to ward her off. “Perhaps it would be best if I took care of this.”
“Aww...” Fluttershy sat down. “But... I jusht wanted to help.” She sat down and pouted, letting out a small whine.
“Very well, darling. Just, please do be careful.” Rarity tried to use her magic to help, but insistent tugs on her gown kept breaking her concentration. The tugs slowly moved down the dress, causing her to startle as a hoof snaked up under the skirt. “Hold on, darling.” She gently pushed her marefriend away with a hoof, color blooming in her cheeks. “As much as I appreciate your... enthusiasm, I don’t think that pulling on the waistline of the dress is going to work. There’s a zipper on the back. Undo it for me, if you could.”
“Oh, zhipper, right.” Fluttershy reared up and planted a forehoof on her friend’s back, leaning most of her weight on it. She fumbled around and stepped on a dress hem again, only this time it was Rarity that stumbled. The pegasus grasped blindly at the first object she found, pulling on what turned out to be a lock of the unicorn’s mane. On the second try, she located the zipper and pulled it down.
“Thank you, darling.” Rarity’s voice was slightly strained under the sudden addition of weight. “I can handle it from here.” She held in a soft moan as the pegasus stepped down, dragging the hoof on her back. The action pulled the dress off part way, the silk sliding over her coat sending shivers through her body. With a few more well-placed pulls, the gown fell to the floor in a heap. “There we ar- ah!” She jumped as she felt a light smack on her flank.
Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth, trying in vain to suppress the laughter bubbling out at the look her marefriend was giving her. “Washn’t me...” She slurred, looking around for a scapegoat. “It waaaash... Opal.” She pointed a hoof at the cat, who was laying on the other side of the room. Opalescence glared at them, clearly upset at being woken up by their drunken stumbling.
“I am certain it was.” Rarity deadpanned, a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth. She cast an apologetic look over to her pet, who hissed in response. “Now, let’s head upstairs and we can get cleaned up.” She took a few steps toward the stairs, but paused to look over her shoulder at the two dresses on the floor. They both lay discarded on the ground, crumpled haphazardly in ways that promised significant wrinkling come morning. “Actually...” She sighed. “You go on ahead, dear. I’ll take care of the dresses and be up shortly.” She turned back to find her marefriend already gone.
“Rarishee!” Fluttershy called from the top of the stairs. “Thish door ish locked too!” She pressed against the door, leaning all of her weight into it. Her wings fluttered in agitation. After several more pushes, she gave up, turning to look down at the show room. “S-sssee?”
“Try giving it a pull, darling.” Rarity suggested.
The pink-maned pegasus reached out with a hoof, pulling the door open with ease. “Oh.” She walked into the room, followed by the sound of her bumping into a number of surfaces. After a few moments of silence her voice drifted down, somewhat muted by the distance. “Wow... It’sh really... big.”
Rarity ran through a mental list of objects in her bedroom, wondering what the pegasus could have found to elicit such a reaction. She panicked as she thought about a box hidden under her bed. Oh no. Please, please, don’t let her have found that... She swallowed and tried to keep her voice steady as she called up the stairs. “What is, dear?”
“Bathtub.” Fluttershy yelled back.
Rarity let out a breath. “It is one of the luxuries I have afforded myself.” She replied loudly to ensure her voice would carry. She grasped the discarded dresses in an aura of telekinesis, floating them over to a pair of empty equinniquins, opting simply drape them across the backs.
She turned to head upstairs but a portion of her brain refused to let her leave dresses she had so lovingly crafted in such a state. She sighed and floated a pair of hangers over from a nearby clothing rack. She picked up her dress, but a shocked squeak broke her concentration, followed by a thump and splashing water. “Fluttershy?” Rarity called up the stairs, taking a step toward them. When she didn’t receive an immediate reply,, she tried again. “Darling, is everything okay?” This time, when only silence drifted down to answer her, she felt the sting of rising panic and she galloped across the show room. Her hoof landed on a stray piece of fabric and slid along the tile. She fell forward, crashing headfirst into the wall. A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her, but she shook her head to try and clear it. Darkness clouded her vision as the dizziness increased. She didn’t even made if up the first few steps before the darkness swallowed her, making her sink to the floor in an unconscious heap.
Rarity felt a throbbing pain in her head as she came to. She brought a hoof to her forehead, gently probing the area. What was I... Fluttershy! She scrambled to her hooves and bolted up the staircase, two steps at a time. She rounded the turn into her bedroom at a full sprint, slamming into the door frame. Grunting, she galloped into the bathroom, only to see Fluttershy’s unmoving hindquarters hanging out of the tub.
Oh, goddesses... Rarity skidded to a stop, sliding along the slick tile and banging her head on the tub. She lit her horn and carefully pulled Fluttershy from the tub. She stared at her marefriend’s still body, her mind overwhelmed with the horrific sight until a single thought pushed through the panic. The hospital! She rushed downstairs and out the front door, galloping off in the direction of the Ponyville Hospital. Buildings blurred by her as she ran. A soft light poured out the library’s windows as she sped by, the hooting of Owlowiscious calling after her. The bright colors of Sugarcube Corner, subdued in the faint silver light of the moon, came and went in an instant. The hospital appeared before her, and she ignored the burning in her lungs as she poured the last of her remaining energy into a final burst of speed. She crashed through the door of the Emergency Room, the unconscious pegasus floating behind her.
“Help!” Rarity screamed at the shocked doctors and nurses before her. She lowered Fluttershy gently onto an empty gurney. The pegasus’ unnatural stillness brought a fresh wave of panic over her. “She fell... into the tub. She’s not... breathing. Please, do something!” Her words were broken up by heaving breaths, and her vision fogged over as tears filled her eyes. “Please, you have... to save her!”
One of the doctors, a yellow unicorn stallion with a badge reading “Doctor Stable”, was the first to recover. He grabbed the gurney’s handle in a field of magic, pulling it across the room and down an adjacent hallway. “Nurse Redheart, get me an ECG monitor to Room 104, stat. Nurse Tenderheart, with me.” With that he disappeared down the hall, followed by one of the nurses. Rarity moved to follow, but was blocked by a large earth pony stallion with a brown coat, a white mohawk mane, and a police badge cutie mark.
“Sorry, miss.” Vigilance extended a hoof, holding her back. “They’re taking her back to the Intensive Care Unit. No visitors allowed.”
“You don’t understand.” Rarity looked over his shoulder to see the gurney disappear around a corner down the hallway. “I have to-”
“Doctor Stable is going to do everything he can to help your friend.” Vigilance placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I know you’re scared, but he and the nurses have trained for this. At this point, you would only get in the way.” He finished with a tone that suggested he was speaking from experience.
“I... but...” Rarity stammered. The enormity and the reality of the situation caught up to her now that it was out of her hooves. Her lower lip quivered as tears pooled in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, but she’s in good hooves.” Vigilance stepped up and placed a hoof on her shoulder, gently turning her around. “We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.”
Rarity let herself be led back to the waiting room, where she paced back and forth as her mind tried frantically to erase the images of Fluttershy hanging limp in her telekinetic grasp. Time dragged on at an excruciatingly slow pace. The white mare completed her fourth circuit of the waiting room. Or was it the fifth? Sixth? Tenth? She could only guess since she hadn’t been keeping track. A hoof landed on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts.
“Ma’am?” Doctor Stable was standing behind her, his expression carefully neutral. “I’m afraid... she’s... she’s gone.” He looked down at a chart floating in his magical grasp. “Her brain had been without oxygen for too long, causing her death. There was nothing we could do. I’m sorry. There was no way to save her.”
“Gone?” Rarity breathed the word, refusing to acknowledge it. She stepped back, shaking her head. “No.... no, she... she can’t be. She-” Words failed her, and her world came crashing down around her. She turned and ran, bursting out the door and galloping down the road.
Closer to her home, a single cloud drifted above the streets of town, on which Rainbow Dash snored. She rolled over, grumbling, as the sound of hooves striking the ground floated up to her, mixed with heaving breaths and choked sobs. She peeked over the edge of the cloud, her eyes cracking open as she saw Rarity sprinting down the road, crying. The soft cloud beneath her beckoned, pulling Dash’s eyelids down as she traced the unicorn’s path backward. Her gaze fell on the Ponyville Hospital, the only building with any signs of activity. Her mind sluggishly put two and two together. Something was seriously wrong. She stood up, stretching her legs and flapping her wings to work out some lingering stiffness. She looked back to Rarity, who was nearing her home, and back to the hospital. She knew how difficult the unicorn could be when she was emotional, and she was in no mood to deal with that at this goddess-forsaken hour. She leapt from the cloud and angled toward the hospital.
Back on the ground, Rarity threw the door of the Boutique open, careening inside and up the stairs. She threw herself onto the bed, devolving into an endless stream of incoherent sobs. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the physical fatigue aching in her muscles would drag her into unconsciousness of dreams, but every time she began to drift away, visions of Fluttershy’s lifeless body flooded her mind. Distantly, she heard the clock tower in chime twice, and exhaustion finally pulled her into a fitful sleep, though she tossed and turned as the events of the night replayed endlessly in her nightmares.
She was awoken by the sound of shattering glass. She rolled away from the noise reflexively, landing on the floor with a dull thud that knocked the air from her lungs.
“You!" A familiar voice shouted from the other side of the room. The unicorn scrambled to her hooves to see Rainbow Dash standing in front of the now broken window with her wings flared and trembling in anger. “How... you... when...” She had trouble putting words together in her rage. She took a deep breath, expelling it violently. “How could you let this happen? You should have been taking care of her!” She bounded over the bed, pressing her snout up against Rarity’s own. A vicious glint flashed in her eye. “Where were you?” She punctuated the last question by jabbing a hoof into the white mare’s chest forcefully.
“I... I-I was downstairs, taking care of our dresses before heading up here to join her.” Rarity took a step back, matched by the other mare taking a step forward. “It wasn’t my fault! When I realized something was wrong, I came as quickly as I could. I slipped on a piece of fabric and hit my head. When I came to and got up here, it was too late.” She glanced over the prismatic mare’s shoulder to see dawn breaking over the horizon. Lovely shades of pink played across the scattered clouds, reminding her of Fluttershy’s mane and causing her heart to break yet again.
“So you just left your drunk marefriend alone while you were worrying about some stupid dresses? If you had been there, you could have done something. Anything!" Dash was outright sneering now, a twitch in her eye hinting that she was inches away from losing control. She raised a trembling hoof, visibly restraining herself from lashing out. Blood was seeping from several shallow cuts, giving her a truly vicious and dangerous appearance. “Then, you didn’t even have the guts to tell us about what happened yourself! I only found out after seeing you running from the hospital!” In a blaze of motion, Rainbow struck the other mare, hitting her on the nose.
Rarity stumbled back from the blow, feeling blood start to leak from her nostrils. “I-I don’t know what else I can... possibly...” She tried to match the pegasus’ passion, but wilted under the intensity of her glare. The pure, unfiltered rage and hatred of Rainbow’s expression hit her like a physical force, driving her back until she ran into her dresser. Her mind filled with things she could have done differently to keep Fluttershy alive. What if I had never said anything to her? What if none of this had ever happened? What if I hadn’t insisted she drink? Oh, Celestia. Why couldn’t I just leave those accursed dresses alone?
“I-I’m sorry. Is that what you want?” Tears rose unbidden in her eyes as the cyan mare stalked closer. “You’re right, this... this is all my fault, and I’m sorry.” She summoned her remaining courage and straightened up, draping a thin veneer of poise over barely-concealed panic. “I loved her just as much as you did.” Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “At least, I thought I did.”
“You could have... You should have been there!” Dash yelled, her tone going from angry to hysterical. Another hoof flashed out at the unicorn’s head, almost too quick to be seen, but missed by mere inches. A dull crunch sounded as the hoof connected with the dresser, leaving a dent behind. “But no! You were too worried about your precious dresses!” She whirled around, swinging her strong legs and hitting the unicorn’s chest with a sickening crack and sending her sprawling to the side.
Rarity took a breath and gasped as a sharp pain surged through her ribs. She slowly rose to her hooves, faltering and falling back to the floor. She took a deep, painful breath and struggled into a sitting position, taking a moment to truly look at Rainbow. The pegasus’ eyes were blazing with fury and she showed no signs of slowing her assault.
She lifted her head, fighting the urge to cower. A few errant tears silently made their way down her cheeks as she waited for Dash’s next attack. Her body trembled as her guilt fought with her instinct for self-preservation.
Run. Hide! Her mind screamed at her. She’s going to kill you!
She ignored it, closed her eyes and waited for her fate to arrive. Time slowed to a crawl as a feeling of serenity settled over her.
So this how it all ends? It’s no less than I deserve...
I’m so sorry, Fluttershy... Will I see you again, I wonder?
Her mind drifted to her remaining friends as she waited for the next blow to land. I never got to say goodbye to the others.
At least they’ll take care of Rainbow... They won’t let anything happen to-
Time returned to its normal flow as a hoof hit Rarity in the gut, making her double over with a pained grunt. She took in a breath, renewing the pain in her side and causing her to cough. Flecks of blood splattered the floor. Again, she sat up and raised her head in what could easily be mistaken for defiance. She wanted Dash to continue, if only for the other mare’s peace of mind. She waited for the final blow to land, hoping the pegasus would be merciful enough to give her a swift end.
“Fare well, Rainbow Dash. I-” Rarity’s throat tightened with emotion. “I am truly sorry...” I hope that you can find somepony to be happy with. She closed her eyes and waited.
The next hit sent her reeling, her mind to be exact. It was something she hadn’t expected: a slap.
Opening her eyes, she saw Dash staring at the floor, her body shaking and her wings drooping as she cried. The pegasus collapsed into a heap, tears streaking down her face and mixing with the rivulets of blood from her many cuts.
Seeing Rainbow crying hurt her more than any of the physical blows had. Rarity rushed forward, draping her forelegs around the weeping mare and pulling her close as her own tears spilled over. The calm acceptance with which she had been willing to face her punishment faded away, and in its wake, the pain of losing Fluttershy returned with a vengeance.
“I-I know that I can never undo this.” Rarity choked out between pained breaths. “I’ll understand if you never want to see me again, but... I promise I will do anything I can to help you...” She froze, afraid that her next words would reignite the fury and hatred that had burned in Rainbow’s eyes so recently. She immediately felt foalish, remembering her willingness to give her own life for the other mare’s peace of mind. I’ll do anything I can to help her move past this.
Rainbow Dash and Rarity sat together and cried. Neither of them knew or cared how much time had passed. When their tears finally ran dry, Rarity broke the growing silence. “The-” Her voice was raspy after crying for so long. She swallowed and cleared her throat to try again. “The others should know.” She stood up, stretching the soreness from her legs.
Dash nodded her head, unable to respond verbally. She wiped a hoof across her face, trying to get rid of her tears, and stared at her foreleg when it came away bloody.
Rarity looked at the other mare, and realized her physical injuries were worse than they had seemed. The cuts on her face were shallow, and mostly clotted by now, but there were several deeper, longer gashes along her sides, one of which was still bleeding. The pegasus cradled her right foreleg gingerly, not putting any weight on it.
The unicorn trotted through to the bathroom door and up to the sink. She splashed a few hooffuls of water on her muzzle and scrubbed away the dried blood, then lifted a washcloth in her magic and soaked it in the sink. She came back into the bedroom with the wet towel, noting that the pegasus sprawled on her carpet looked nothing short of exhausted. She forced a smile and grasped the wet cloth with a hoof, gently brushing it along her friend’s muzzle to remove the drying blood trails, then repeated the process with the cuts on her sides.
She then helped the other mare to her feet and guided her to the bed. The pegasus climbed in wordlessly and curled up as Rarity pulled the covers over her. The unicorn sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hoof through her friend’s prismatic mane. She began humming a lullaby she used to get her sister to sleep as a foal, watching as Dash’s eyes fluttered closed and her breathing grew deep and even.
When she was sure Rainbow was asleep, Rarity slipped off of the bed and made her way out the bedroom. She tiphoofed down the staircase and exited the Boutique, locking the door behind her. Hundreds of thoughts whirled through her mind, but she pushed them away and focused on how to gather her friends. A hint of motion drew her attention down the road, where Pinkie Pie was exiting Sugarcube Corner.
“Hiya Rarity!” Pinkie chirped, giving a her warm smile. “Is... is everything okay?”
“Actually, Pinkie... c-could you do me a favor?” Rarity put on a smile, hoping that something about her appearance or posture hadn’t betrayed her beleaguered mood. “I need you to go get Applejack and bring her to the library. I have... some news for you all.”
“I know!” Pinkie replied. “I was upstairs just now, and my ear twitched!” The pink pony pointed at her ear, which twitched as if on cue. “That means that somepony has news to share. Oh, ow!” She pulled her left rear leg off the ground. “Leg cramp. Leg cramp! Oh no. That means that the news is bad.” She looked at the unicorn pleadingly, and she saw a haunting look in the other mare’s eyes. Pinkie stepped forward and wrapped a foreleg around her friend. “That’s okay though, Rarity. We’ll all do our very bestest to help, no matter what it is. So smile, okay?”
“Thank you, dear.” Rarity hugged her friend, feeling tears rising in her eyes again. “I knew I could count on you.” She pulled away from the hug and tried to smile, but it cracked and fell away. “Bring Applejack to the library, I’ll be there with Twilight.” Pinkie opened her mouth to say something, but nodded instead. She turned and galloped off in the direction of the farm.
Rarity continued slowly down the road, passing the bakery and Town Hall, until she arrived at the library. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Shortly afterward, it opened without magic, revealing Applejack on the other side.
“Mornin’, sugarcube.” The farm pony smiled briefly at the dumbfounded expression on the unicorn’s face. “Ah was on mah way into town already when Ah ran into Pinkie, who said ya had some mighty important news to share,” She explained before the inevitable question was asked. She turned and walked into the main room. “C’mon in.”
Rarity followed her friend inside, only slightly surprised to see Twilight and Pinkie already sitting at the table. She belatedly realized that she had not spent any time thinking about what she was going to say. She took a seat at the table and stared at her hooves, wracking her mind for some gentle way to bring up the subject.
Across the table, Pinkie shifted uncomfortably. “Are you super sure you don’t want me to go get Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” She asked, lowering her head to try and meet the unicorn’s eyes. “It won’t be as fast as getting Applejack, but it won’t take too long, especially with Dash flying all ‘whoosh’.” She whipped a hoof through the air.
“No.” Rarity whispered, shaking her head slightly. “Rainbow... already knows. As for F-” The departed mare’s name stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her, but she pressed on. “As for Fluttershy... Well, this concerns her.”
“Is she okay?” Twilight cut in, a worried expression falling over her face. “Did something happen? Do we need to-”
“Calm down, sugarcube.” Applejack reached over the table, placing a hoof on Twilight’s. “We’re all curious, but throwin’ a bunch of questions around ain’t gonna get us anywhere when we don’t know what happened yet.” She patted the other mare’s hoof and turned back to Rarity. “You were sayin’?”
“Thank you, dear.” The alabaster mare took a deep breath. “Y-You see, last night... Fluttershy and I... she...” She felt her emotions threatening to overtake her yet again. “W-We were a-at the Boutique, a-and...” The next words lodged themselves in her throat, refusing to pass her lips. What if they blame me like Rainbow did? What if they all hate me? Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her once again. No. They... deserve to know. Whatever comes of it, I will accept. The same sense of calm from her encounter with Rainbow Dash returned and made it easier to speak.
“What happened, sugarcube?” Applejack leaned over and placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “Ya can tell us, we’re here fer-”
“She’s dead.” Rarity said the words flatly. Her calm demeanor shattered as tears flowed once again, matting the fur under her eyes. “I-It was an accident, I swear. Sh-She fell into the bathtub and...” The rest of her words were lost as sobs shook her body. The room grew quiet, her crying the only sound any of them made.
After over a minute of stunned silence, Twilight ventured to speak. “D-Dead?” She breathed the word. “F-Fluttershy is...” She could not complete the sentence, but a nod from Rarity made the last word unnecessary. “H-How?”
Rarity took a moment to compose herself before answering. She sat up, trying to portray a real serenity, even though tears continued to stream from her eyes. She briefly wondered where her tears kept coming from, she thought she would have run out long ago by now. “She drowned.” Her voice wavered, but she managed to speak without pausing or stammering. “We went out to dinner, and we had a few drinks. We ended up back at my home and went to take a bath. I heard her fall from downstairs, but in my rush to reach her, I slipped on a bit of fabric and hit my head. When I woke up, I got upstairs as quickly as I could, but... I was too late. I took her to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do.”
The other three mares sat quietly, letting the news sink in. The only movement came from Pinkie, as her mane deflated slowly down to its straight, depressed state. No one dared to speak, or even breathe, fearing it would somehow make the situation real. Applejack took her hat off, holding it to her chest.
“Y-Ya said Rainbow already knows?” She asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could manage. Rarity nodded. “How ‘bout her parents? Anyone gotten a hold of ‘em yet?”
“I-I don’t know.” The white unicorn replied. “Wh-When the doctors told me, I... Oh, Celestia, I ran away.”
“No one’s blamin’ ya, sugarcube.” Applejack scooted around the table and put a foreleg around her friend, who shied away from the contact for a moment. “Any one of us woulda done the same. It’s... it’s a lot to hear.” She hesitated, taking a deep breath. “We need to let her parents know. Does anypony know where they are? Where they live?” She looked around the table. Pinkie stared at her hooves, muttering incoherently under her breath.
She... doesn’t blame me? Rarity let her gaze drift over Pinkie Pie and Twilight, both of whom appeared to be in shock, but not angry. None... none of them blame me? They’re trying to... help me. Her heart swelled painfully, forcing yet another wave of tears to cascade from her eyes. Oh Celestia, I... I don’t deserve you all as friends. She leaned into Applejack’s side to ride out the latest wave of emotion.
“No, sorry.” Twilight rubbed a hoof against her temple. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find them, though. All we need to do is take their names to... Does anypony know Fluttershy’s parents’ names?” She looked around the table as each of her friends shook their heads. The lavender mare stood from the table, a look of thoughtfulness on her face, and walked over to a stand with ink and a quill on it. “I’ll send a letter to the Princess, she can help us find them.”
“Good thinkin’, Twi.” Applejack interjected. “Ah’d write this one yerself though, we’ll need to be gentle breakin’ this to Spike.” She looked back down to Rarity, surprise registering on her face. “What happened to yer nose, Rare?”
“Hmm?” The unicorn pressed a hoof to her nose, which came away bloody. “Oh. It’s... nothing, trust me.” She glanced around the room and levitated a box of tissues over to her, grabbing one in a hoof and pressing it to her nostrils.
Twilight looked over from her podium. “Ponies don’t start bleeding from their noses for no reason. Did you run into something?”
“Really girls, it’s nothing.” Rarity grabbed a fresh tissue, wiping under her eyes before swapping it out with the one on her nose. “I’ll be fine.” She got a look from Twilight that said ‘I’m not buying it’. “Fine. My nose is bleeding because... Rainbow Dash punched me.”
“She what?” Twilight and Applejack said in unison while Pinkie continued muttering to herself.
“I assume she saw me leave the hospital crying and went to see what had happened. She broke into my bedroom through a window and had some... choice words for me.” A terrified shiver ran through her body as she remembered thinking that Dash would kill her. “It was nothing I didn’t deserve.”
“And just why in Equestria would you deserve something like that?” Twilight asked.
“Because it’s my fault that Fluttershy is... dead.” For once, tears did not start running from Rarity’s eyes at the thought.
“It most certainly ain’t.” Applejack held her friend tighter with the hoof draped over her shoulders. She paused to sniff and wipe away the tears from her eyes before they could fall. She leaned her head down to nuzzle the alabaster mare. “Ya did nothin’ wrong, and ya did everythin’ ya could to save her. This ain’t anyone’s fault. It was an accident.”
“I-If I had been there...” Rarity whispered.
“Don’t do that to yerself, Rare.” Applejack used her free hoof to bring the other mare’s head up and look in her eyes. “Don’t go torturin’ yerself with ‘what if’s’. It ain’t worth it.” Her voice grew hoarse as she spoke, but she held herself together. Rarity nodded, shutting her eyes against tears that her eyes could no longer produce. Applejack turned to Pinkie Pie, eyeing her nervously. She walked around the table and pulled the pink pony into a hug.
“Huh?” Pinkie looked up, blinking in surprise. “Oh, don’t worry about me, Applejack.” She patted the farm pony on the back and pulled away slightly. “I... I’m fine, really.” She smiled, a fake and glassy smile that looked as though it would shatter at the slightest word.
“No, Pinkie.” Applejack’s voice was tight with emotion, and she wiped a hoof across her eyes again, forestalling any tears. She put her hooves on the other mare’s shoulders. “Yer not fine. None of us are, but it’s okay to be sad or scared at a time like this. We’re all here fer each other.”
Pinkie slowly brought her forelegs up and returned the embrace. Her smile faltered and cracked, giving way to flowing tears and sobs. “I... I didn’t get to... say goodbye.”
“Ah know.” Applejack stroked a hoof down her friend’s back. “None of us did.”
Pinkie broke away, dragging a hoof along her nose. “Hey, um... would you guys mind if I planned her fu-” She stopped, as though the word were physically painful to say. “Her farewell party?”
“No.” Applejack spoke with such force that even Twilight looked up from writing her letter. “Don’t do that, Pinkie.” She shook her head. “Ah know it hurts, but ya can’t do things like that. It’ll only make it worse in the end.” Her eyes filled with moisture, but not a drop fell.
Rarity mastered herself enough to speak again. “Yes, dear. You can plan her... her funeral.” A renewed wave of grief washed over her as the last word passed her lips. “I... I think she would like that.” She sat up straighter. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Ah don’t think so, not right now.” Applejack gave her a small, warm smile, but her eyes seemed haunted. “Get some rest, if’n ya can, sugarcube. Ya had a rough night. We can handle things fer now if ya wanna grab a few winks. I’m sure Twi would let ya use her bed.” Twilight nodded her ascent, not looking up from her podium.
“Thank you, but no.” Rarity stood, taking a moment to stretch her legs. Her mind flashed back to Rainbow Dash at her house. “Actually, I should be heading home. Rainbow is still there,and I can’t very well leave her by herself. I’ll go and let her know how things are going over here.” She trotted over to Twilight and nuzzled her, then did the same with Applejack. She walked over to Pinkie Pie, who pulled her into a tight hug.
“I love you, Rarity.” Pinkie whispered, tears still running freely down her face.
“I love you too, Pinkie.” Rarity returned the hug, holding it for a few heartbeats before pulling away and making her way out the door. She walked back in the direction of Carousel Boutique, her eyes wandering as her hooves followed the path she had walked countless times before. All around her, the residents of Ponyville were stirring to life and going about their daily business, completely unaware that one of their peers was no longer among them. She passed by Lyra and Bon Bon’s house, where an upbeat tune from the former’s lyre floated out. Something in Rarity wanted to burst into the house, screaming hysterically that Lyra stop playing, but enough of her rational mind had returned that she knew they wouldn’t understand. She plodded down the dirt road until the notes were lost on the wind.
When Rarity finally reached her home, it was quiet. She tiphoofed up the stairs, unsure if her chromatic friend was still asleep. She opened the bedroom door and peered inside, spying the gentle rise and fall of Rainbow’s chest under the covers. The unicorn stepped into the room and shut the door silently. She made her way over to the bed and slid under the covers, next to Dash. Though she was totally exhausted, her mind continued to buzz with activity. She lay in bed for hours, tossing and turning as images of Fluttershy hanging limply in the air floated inside her eyelids. She eventually gave up and dragged herself out of the bed and back down to the show room.
She did the only thing she could think of to stave off her lingering thoughts of the previous night. She grabbed a roll of black fabric in her hooves and began draping it across a blank equinniquin. She poured all of her focus into the project, using her hooves instead of her magic simply for the distraction. Occasionally, she noticed the light coming in the windows had shifted in color, but she never deigned to look at a clock to see the time.
After a time, her exhaustion got the better of her, and she found her eyelids growing heavier. A yawn forced its way out of her mouth and she placed the last pin in the fabric, dropping the pincushion in her hoof. She trudged over to the stairs and up to her bedroom, throwing open the door. She looked to the bed, surprised to find it empty. I hope she’s okay. She flopped onto the bed, sinking into the blissfully soft mattress. She closed her eyes and fell into a restless, fitful sleep.
Rarity awoke the next morning as sunlight streamed through the broken window. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but it eluded her once again. She sighed and got out of the bed, making her way down to the show room. She lit her horn, bringing her sewing machine to life. She carefully removed the dress from the equinniquin and brought it over to her work table, feeding a pinned seam into the sewing machine. She sat in front of the machine, watching the needle run through black fabric. She focused on the rhythmic thrumming of the machine, letting it drown out her thoughts. The fabric ran all the way through the machine, leaving it clicking against air for a time before the unicorn realized it. She let go of her magic and the sewing machine slowed to a stop. She held up the fabric in her hooves, inspecting the simple black dress one last time with a dispassionate, professional eye before its purpose came rushing back to her. She levitated a small pair of scissors and cut the thread hanging from the recently sewn seam.
A simple black dress. For a funeral.
Fluttershy’s funeral.
A wave of irrational fury washed over her, and she ripped the dress to shreds, dumping it into a nearby trash can. Tomorrow. I’ll make the dress tomorrow. A noise from outside grabbed her attention as she slid the trash can under a table. She trotted over to the door and pulled it open with a faint pulse of magic, just in time to catch the end of an argument between a light grey pegasus stallion and another pony she could not see yet.
The stallion trotted after the other pony, trying to talk to them. “-but, boss... The schedule says-”
“I don’t give a flying feather about the schedule!” Rainbow Dash whirled around to face the other pegasus. She grabbed a piece of parchment in his hoof and ripped it in half, then ripped the resulting pieces again. “It is not going to be sunny on Friday! Overcast. Rain, but no lightning. That’s final.” She turned and resumed walking away.
“B-But...” The stallion faltered for a moment before following her. “W-We don’t have enough clouds for that! That’s why it was scheduled to be sunny all weekend. We used up too many clouds during last week’s storm, there are barely any in the storage lockers as it is.”
“Then get more!” Dash yelled, turning back to face him. “I don’t care how, just do it. Write to Cloudsdale and request more. Borrow some from the system heading out to Baltimare. I don’t care if you have to go all the way up Princess bucking Celestia to do it, just get it done!” Her wings ruffled in agitation. “But so help me, if it’s sunny on Friday, I will fire every last one of you!” The stallion took a step back, his mouth working without any words forming. Eventually, he just nodded and took off, flying away as quickly as he could.
Fluttershy’s funeral arrived sooner than anypony had expected or would have wanted. Rarity stood in the cemetery, watching her lover’s casket slowly lower into the ground as rain pelted her. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the rain water. Rainbow Dash stood next to her, a wing draped over her back. They did not say anything, leaving only the soft patter of rain hitting their coats to break the deafening silence. The rest of their friends stood slightly off to the side, trying to give the pair a modicum of space.
“Fluttershy was...” Twilight tried to say something, but words failed her momentarily. She took a moment to gather herself and tried again. “Fluttershy was a kind and loyal friend. One who would stand up for those she cared about, those who needed her, even in the face of danger.” She looked over to Rarity and Dash, but neither of them met her gaze. “Sh-She knew that... that-” She stopped again, unable to say the words she had written beforehoof. She had worked tirelessly on preparations for days on end to make sure that everything was perfect. Now that there was nothing left to plan or organize, the emotions she had worked so hard to avoid finally caught up with her. She began shaking as her tears made themselves known.
Applejack moved to stand next to the lavender mare, clutching her hat to her chest as she allowed her tears to fall for once. Throughout the planning, the farm pony had remained strong and held her emotions in check. Now, she gave in to her grief, crying openly and leaning on Twilight for physical, as well as emotional, support. The farm pony nuzzled against the unicorn, trying in vain to comfort her. Behind them, Pinkie Pie sniffed, brushing her straightened mane out of her face.
Pinkie watched the casket descend into the ground, muttering under her breath. Every few seconds, she would smile. They were wooden, fake smiles that crumbled and faded quickly. She slowly drifted away from the grave site without saying anything. Twilight and Applejack followed her, stopping to offer some small words of encouragement or condolence to Rarity and Dash. Rainbow did not acknowledge the words of their friends, and Rarity offered only token, mechanical responses. They stared down into the hole in the ground. Soon, they stood alone in the cemetery, and Rarity finally broke the silence between them.
“I... I’m so sorry.” She whispered, her voice tight with emotion. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but... I am, truly.” She leaned over to nuzzle Dash, who tensed up at her touch. She pulled back, a knot of fear building in her chest. She looked over to see the pegasus looking away slightly, her eyes clenched shut. “R-Rainbow...” She reached out to hold the other mare’s hoof, but it pulled away.
“I can’t...” Dash paused, wiping a hoof across her eyes. “I’m sorry, Rare. I just... I need some time.” She turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks as her friend jumped in front of her.
“Please, don’t do this, Rainbow.” Rarity pleaded, her voice shaking. “Don’t... don’t push me away.” She felt a wave of fresh tears pour out, but they were lost among the raindrops. She... she still blames me. “I... I don’t think that you should be alone right now.”
The prismatic pegasus smiled, but it was a cold, sad smile. “Don’t worry about me, Rare.” She reached up to stroke the other mare’s cheek, but even that small action felt distant and forced. “Like I said, I just need a little time... alone.” Her voice dropped to a barely audible level. “It... it’s all my...” She shut her eyes against a renewed stream of tears. “I-If only I... I had listened instead of yelling...”
“No!” Rarity lifted the prismatic mare’s head to look in her red-rimmed eyes. “This was not your fault. I was the one who made the mistake, you can’t blame yourself for it.” She felt her own emotions rising as she looked into Dash’s haunted eyes. Please, don’t make me carry that as well. The fear in her chest fought against a reborn wave of self-loathing. “I just wish we could have realized our mistakes before...” The rest of her words trailed off into silence.
“I... I’m sorry, Rare.” Dash’s voice broke as she muttered the words. “I-I’ll see you around.” Before the unicorn could respond, Rainbow stepped around the other mare and strode away, leaving Rarity alone with Fluttershy, just as she had been on that fateful day.
Rainbow Dash changed after that day. No longer was she bold, daring, and full of reckless energy. Instead, she spent more and more time in the clouds, staying away from Ponyville, and away from her remaining friends. Days passed without the familiar sight of Dash’s prismatic mane and tail hurtling through the skies. Her friends questioned the local weather pegasi, who reported only fleeting encounters with the estranged mare after she resigned as the weather team leader. It also seemed to rain more often, to the bafflement of the weather team, who could never figure out where the clouds had come from, even though they knew who brought them there.
It became harder and harder for Rarity to watch, until one overcast morning she pulled the prismatic pegasus down from one of her clouds and dragged her into the Boutique. She wheeled on her friend, ready to deliver a verbal tirade about how her behavior was not what Fluttershy would have wanted. The harsh words died in her throat as she saw the haunted expression in Rainbow’s eyes. The unicorn bit her lip, wracking her brain for a gentler way to phrase her concerns.
“Rainbow, darling, this isn’t what...” Her departed friend’s name stuck in her throat, but she forced herself to continue. “This isn’t what Fluttershy would have wanted. Isolating yourself, distancing yourself from the rest of us.” She reached out, lifting Dash’s chin to see tears in her eyes.
“Yeah...” Dash whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what...” She paused, swallowing. “What ‘Shy wanted. We messed up, Rare.” Tears started running down her cheek. “Y-You should have been there with her.”
“Rainbow Dash, I’m so s-” Rarity’s words were cut off by a hoof pressed to her mouth.
“I... I should have been there.” Dash’s voice was barely audible.
Rarity swatted the hoof away. “I am not going to stand here and lis-hmph.” The hoof returned.
“She was right, ya know?” Dash stared at the floor, and all the frustration Rarity felt at her friend's behavior melted away as she tilted her head in confusion. "She wanted you and me. Not just one, both of us. None of this would ever have happened if we'd both been there." On the floor below Rainbow, a pool was forming, fueled by the steady stream of tears the pegasus had been feeding it. The hoof she held against the unicorn’s muzzle fell to the floor.
“I... you’re right.” Rarity stepped forward and leaned down to nuzzle against Dash, who was shaking. She sat down on her haunches, wrapping her forelegs around the pegasus and pulling her friend into an embrace.
Rainbow succumbed to her grief, breaking down into heaving sobs as tears continued to pour down her face. “I’m... so sorry...” She choked out between sobs. They sat like that for a time, Dash cried into the other mare’s shoulder while Rarity simply held her and stroked her mane. After what felt like an eternity, Rainbow’s sobbing slowed, and she pulled back from the embrace, looking up with an expression the fashionista couldn’t quite place.
“Rainbow? Wha-hmmph!” Rarity’s words were cut off as Dash leaned forward, closing the distance between them and pressing their lips together. The kiss did not move any deeper, staying just a light brush of contact, but the pair let all of their hurt and anger, directed both at each other and themselves, drain away. Rarity felt a massive burden lift from her chest, and she felt Rainbow pushed a little further into the kiss, extending her tongue to brush Rarity’s lips. She let her mouth open a small amount at the contact.
Dash responded eagerly, sending her tongue into the unicorn’s mouth to dance. A soft moan escaped her, and she pulled the other mare up to stand on their hind legs, flaring her wings for balance. A blue hoof trailed down the alabaster mare’s ribs, sending shivers through her body, but stopped just above her flank. Rainbow felt the need to say something, anything, but knew that words were not needed.
Rarity lost herself in the kiss, not knowing or caring whether seconds or hours had passed. She pulled away reluctantly after a time, drawing a disappointed whine from the cyan pegasus. They locked gazes, each of them trying to wordlessly express their feelings. “Bedroom?” Rarity offered.
A predatory grin spread across Dash’s face as a long-lost spark lit in her eyes. “Bedroom.” She replied breathlessly. They raced up the stairs, unable to contain themselves as they reached the soft, comforting embrace of the bed. The pair dove into the silken sheets and turned to face one another, laying side by side, their breathing labored.
Rarity waited for Rainbow to make the first move, as she had downstairs, and she didn’t have to wait long. The reckless bravado that had reignited in Dash’s eyes burned brighter, and the pegasus leaned in for another kiss. Rarity lay back on the bed, more than content to let her friend take the lead.
She shifted her position, allowing the other mare to climb on top of her. She broke the kiss, planting a line of soft, light pecks down the pegasus’ neck. A moan broke free from her as Rainbow trailed her tongue along her ear, but it became a sharp intake of breath as the languid lick ended with a quick nip on the sensitive appendage. She reciprocated, mixing an occasional nibble into the kisses along the light blue fur. She was rewarded with a throaty purr that vibrated through the skin below her lips. Another bite landed on her ear, firmer than the first, that sent a shiver of pleasure racing down her spine.
Rarity gasped as Dash shifted on top of her, the feeling of their coats sliding together was like a thousand tiny caresses across her chest and stomach. Without warning, a bolt of unbearably intense pleasure coursed through her body, racing from her horn, down her back, and out to her hooves. She recoiled from the other mare, letting out a sharp hiss of discomfort.
“Sorry... sorry.” Rainbow lifted herself up, a worried expression on her face. “You okay?”
“I am... quite alright.” Rarity took a deep, calming breath, letting the residual waves of stimulation fade. She gave her best seductive gaze. “Now, where were we?” She asked, batting her eyelashes.
“Oh, you know...” Dash broke out in another predatory grin. “Right about here.” She leaned back down for another kiss, fiercer than any of the previous ones. Rarity met her lips eagerly, parting her lips to allow the other mare’s tongue into her mouth. Unnoticed by either mare, the room slowly brightened as sunlight broke through the clouds and poured in the window. The pair fought back and forth, content to let the outside world pass them by. The movement of their coats against one another grew progressively slicker as both of their coats were matted with a light sheen of sweat. The silence was broken only by occasional moans and gasps as each mare’s wandering hooves found sensitive spots. They were eventually drawn out of their reverie by a far-off rumble of thunder.
“Huh?” Dash pulled away, resulting in a disappointed whine from the unicorn under her. She glanced around the room in a sudden panic. “Shoot, what time is it?” She grabbed a clock from the nightstand. “Ten thirty? Oh no oh no oh no.” She jumped off of the bed and bounded over to the window. She threw the pane of glass open and looked back over her shoulder. “Sorry, Rare. I’m late for work. I’ll... swing by later, okay?” She smiled nervously.
“That sounds lovely, dear.” Rarity replied before watching the chromatic mare leap out the window. After her friend disappeared from sight, she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the events of the morning replayed in her mind. She still felt the icy stab of grief in her chest from losing Fluttershy, but now it was countered by a pleasant warmth. She knew that while she missed the pink-maned pegasus, and would for the rest of her life, she and Rainbow Dash had grown closer in sharing the burden of the departed mare’s death. If only it hadn’t taken such a horrific event for us to realize it. She thought. A knock drifted up from the show room, pulling her back to reality. Ten thirty? The store. It’s still closed. I should have opened hours ago. She scrambled out of the entangling silk sheets of the bed and raced out of the room. “One moment, please!”
Rarity and Rainbow Dash walked down the streets of Ponyville, the sun passing directly overhead as they headed for toward the center of town. “Are you sure about this?” The former asked yet again. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”
“For the last time, yes, I want to do this.” Dash replied, rolling her eyes. “You’re the one who’s been asking for us to do it. What’s the matter, having second thoughts?” She stepped over and bumped into her marefriend’s flank playfully.
“Of course not.” Rarity feigned offense, sticking her nose in the air. “It is simply that you have requested time and again that we keep our relationship secret, and now you want to tell Pinkie Pie. Pinkie. Pie.” She reiterated the last words. “You realize that if we tell her today, then by tomorrow everypony from Manehattan to Los Pegasus will know about us.”
“I know.” Rainbow looked off to the side for a moment. “But it’s been nine months, and I can’t-” She stopped mid-sentence and cleared her throat. “Ahem, I mean... I think our friends deserve to know about us... even if everypony else gets invited to the party.” She looked up as they approached Sugarcube Corner. She laid a hoof on the door handle and took a deep breath. “Well, here we go.” She pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“There y’all are.” Applejack called as the tinkling of the bell over the door died away. “We were startin’ to get worried.” She leaned back in the booth she sat in. A plate in front of her held the last few remaining bites of an apple fritter. Twilight sat across the table her nose buried in a book. Her horn flared briefly as she flipped the page.
“Whatever for, dear?” Rarity asked, her head cocked to the side in confusion.
“Oh, uh... no reason.” Applejack threw the rest of the apple fritter into her mouth, forestalling any more discussion.
“It’s just that Rainbow Dash doesn’t exactly have the best history with punctuality.” Twilight offered, never looking up from her book. “She’s even just not shown up on occasion, although... she does seem to have gotten better about that in the last few months or so.” A twitch of a smile flashed across her face for the briefest moment. She lit her horn again, placing a bookmark and closing the tome in front of her.
“So she has.” Rarity eyed her marefriend, who trotted over to the booth with a forced casualness and sat next to Applejack. She followed suit and sat next to Twilight, who bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. She turned to Applejack, who stared out the window as she swallowed the apple fritter in her mouth. Finally, her gaze fell on Dash, who gave her an artificial smile. “You’ve already told them, haven’t you?”
“No, of course not.” Rainbow replied with a smile that screamed ‘blatant lie.’ She held the smile for several seconds before dropping her gaze to the table and speaking again. “Okay, yeah, I did.” She peeked up to see her marefriend’s reaction.
Rarity sighed, shaking her head. “After all the resistance, you went ahead and told them without me.” She reached across the table and gave the pegasus’ hoof a light squeeze. “Very well, if you’ve already told them, why are we gathered here today?”
“Hey, all of that was real.” Dash shot back, visibly relaxing at the contact. “I only told them a few weeks ago.”
Pinkie Pie interrupted the discussion, coming out from behind the counter with a plate in her teeth. “Here yu guh.” She dropped the plate on the table in front of Rarity. “Made it just for you.” She looked over at Dash and winked. The fashionista stared at the pastry, her mouth agape. It was a cupcake, but a monstrously huge one. It was at least a foot across and just as tall. The base was made of chocolate with white frosting, complete with three blue diamonds resembling her cutie mark.
“What are these made of, Pinkie?” Rarity poked at the blue diamonds with a hoof. “They are not actual gemstones, are they?”
“Of course not, silly.” Pinkie patted the unicorn on the head. “They’re made of sugar glass. Looks just like glass or crystal, but it’s a lot tastier.” She reached behind her back and pulled out another sugar crystal, this one in the shape of a balloon, and popped it in her mouth, the sweet treat crunching loudly as she munched on it.
“How intriguing... Even so, this is far too large for me to eat alone.” Rarity looked around the table. “Would any of you like a piece?”
“Sure.” Twilight chirped, her smile a little too big.
“No, thanks.” Applejack waved a hoof. “Ah just had a bite to eat.”
“Um... yeah, sure thing, Rare.” Rainbow replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.
“Very well...” Rarity arched an eyebrow at her marefriend. “Does anyone have a-”
“Knife?” Pinkie finished the question, pulling a knife from behind her back. “Oh, and yes, please.”
“Thank you, Pinkie.” Rarity took the knife in her telekinetic grasp and hovered it over the cupcake. She lowered it into the pastry, slicing it in half. As the knife neared the bottom, it met resistance. She looked quizzically at Pinkie, who appeared to be fighting a head-splitting smile and vibrating slightly, then across the table at Dash, who shifted uncomfortably. The unicorn cut the cupcake around the resistance and pulled the two halves apart, revealing a long black box in the bottom. She shifted her magic and hovered the box in front of her. She heard her heart rate speed up and begin to roar in her ears.
“Pi-Pinkie Pie.” Rarity’s voice shook slightly. “Wh-What is this?” She looked to the party pony, who shook her head and kept her mouth shut tight. She turned to her marefriend. “R-Rainbow Dash?”
Rainbow got out of the booth, her wings fluttering in anxiety. She reached up and grabbed the box out of mid-air. “Well... i-it’s a gift, f-for you.” She sat down and opened the box with a hoof. Inside was a single cyan pinion, a flying feather. Rarity clapped a hoof to her mouth in shock. “I-It means-”
“I-I know what it means, Rainbow.” Rarity cut her marefriend off, worry in her eyes. “Are... are you sure?”
Dash smiled, reaching out to hold the other mare’s hoof. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” A hint of uncertainty flashed over her features. “What do you say?”
“Yes!” Rarity blurted the word. “Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!”
In a blur of motion, Rainbow stood and swept Rarity up in her forelegs and leapt into the air, flying a quick circuit around Sugarcube corner before stopping to hover a few inches above the floor. “Y-You mean it?” Her voice wavered slightly.
“Of course I do.” Rarity’s spirits soared as she floated in the air, held aloft by only the hooves of the mare she had come to love so dearly. She’s... getting better. She leaned in for a quick kiss. When she pulled back, she saw an all-too-familiar pain in her marefriend’s beautiful eyes, but it was softer than before. She idly wondered if that same pain was present in her own gaze.
“I love you, Rarity.” Tears glistened in Dash’s eyes.
Rarity’s heart swelled, just as it did every time she heard those words. “I love you too, Rainbow Dash.” She briefly thought back to the first time the pegasus had said those words to her. Dash, normally so confident and sure of herself, had stuttered and blushed for nearly three minutes before she managed to get them out.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you two!” Pinkie Pie nearly exploded in excitement, jumping onto the floating mares and dragging them slowly back to the ground. She somehow wrapped her hooves all the way around them. “When Dashie told me about what she was planning I wanted to throw a party about it soooo badly, but she made me Pinkie Promise not to say or do anything until she asked you. Now she has and I can say ‘Congratulations!’”
“Ah’m mighty happy fer ya, sugarcube.” Applejack patted both mares on the back before joining in on the group hug. Twilight piled on to the group hug, not saying anything but letting out a small squeal of excitement. Rarity and Dash merely looked into each others eyes as they filled with tears once again. For once, they were tears of joy.
The weeks and months leading up to the wedding blurred by in a haze of preparations, and before she knew it, Rarity was standing next to Rainbow Dash in the Grand Hall of Canterlot Castle. She looked down, taking one last chance to admire her exquisite white dress, which she made herself, of course. Beside her, Dash was dressed in a gentlecolt’s tuxedo. She ran a critical eye over the tuxedo, smiling as she noticed Dash had finally remembered to make sure her tie was straight, something she had constantly had trouble with in the weeks before. Princess Celestia stood before them, flanked by the rest of their friends. Applejack, wearing her hat despite strenuous objections from Rarity, stood proudly to one side as Rainbow’s best mare. On the other side, Twilight and Pinkie Pie stood as Rarity’s bridesmares. The princess smiled warmly, brightening the hall before speaking.
“Mares and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of Rarity and Rainbow Dash in marriage.” She looked out among the crowd. “If anypony has a reason that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.”
“If anypony has an objection...” A dreadfully familiar voice sounded in the silence. “It should be the groom... or one of the brides in this case.” All eyes turned to the source of the disturbance. At the end of the front row stood a white unicorn stallion with a blond mane and a compass rose cutie mark. He smirked as everyone in the Grand Hall turned to stare at him.
“Honestly, Rainbow Dash, what were you thinking?” Prince Blueblood asked mockingly. “Asking such a low-born, commonplace pony to marry you? Hardly befitting of a future Wonderbolt.” He took a step forward, moving away from the rest of the crowd. “Even worse, you chose to marry the very mare who is responsible for the death of somepony you professed to love. That pretty little pegasus, what was her name? Flut-”
“Don’t you dare say her name!” Rainbow Dash leapt from the dais, flaring her wings to glide and land in front of the prince. She jabbed a hoof into his chest. “And don’t you dare say another word against Rarity! It wasn’t her fault, it was a mistake!”
“Of course, a mistake.” Blueblood sneered, towering over Dash. “Just a little slip up that happened to kill your best friend. Something like that...” He paused, making a tsk sound. “It seems unforgivable.”
“You think she didn’t lose just as much as I did?” Rainbow reared up on her hind legs, extending her wings. “You think she didn’t blame herself for it? That she didn’t spend nights crying her eyes out and wishing that somehow, someway she could take back what she did?”
“Oh, but she can’t, can she?” Blueblood poked a hoof in the cyan mare’s chest, knocking her back onto all four hooves. “No one can. She’s gone forever, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”
“I don’t care!” Dash bellowed, a feral snarl on her face. “I love her, and that’s all that matters!” She stalked closer to the prince. “And I swear, with Celestia, Luna, and Cadence as my witnesses, if you say one more word against Rarity, I will buck your teeth in.”
“Is that so?” The stallion smirked. “Well, I-”
“Blueblood.” Celestia broke in, unleashing the full power of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Every eye in the hall turned to face her. A twitch at the corner of her mouth was the only indication that she was upset. “I believe it is time for you to leave.”
“Of course, aunt Celestia.” Blueblood gave an exaggerated bow and made his way slowly to the exit. Rainbow Dash trotted back up to the dais, taking a moment to smooth her ruffled feathers and mutter under her breath.
“Rainbow...” Rarity whispered, her voice thick with emotion as tears filled her eyes.
“Sorry about that, Rares.” Dash looked over her shoulder to where Blueblood had left and snorted.
“You-” Rarity cut off her response before her emotions overtook her. She simply leaned over and kissed her soon-to-be wife on the cheek.
“Ahem.” Celestia cleared her throat quietly. She leaned down. “I do believe you’re getting ahead of things. You’re not supposed to kiss her until after I pronounce you married.” She whispered with a wink.
“My apologies.” The alabaster mare felt her cheeks flush with color.
“No no, it is I who should be apologizing, but there will be time for that later. For now, let’s get this show on the road.” Celestia stood up, flaring her wings and speaking so her voice would carry. “Now, for the vows.” She turned to Rarity. “Do you, Rarity Belle, take Rainbow Dash to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?”
“I do.” Rarity felt a warmth spread through her chest as the words passed her lips.
Celestia turned to Dash. “And do you, Rainbow Dash, take Rarity to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?”
“You bet I do.” Rainbow said, a huge grin spreading across her face.
The solar princess smiled beatifically. “Then, by the power vested in me as ruler of Equestria, it is my great honor to pronounce you mare and wife. Now, you may kiss the bride.”
The couple turned to face one another. They leaned in, sharing a simple, chaste kiss. Rarity felt a joyous tear run down her cheek. This is... perfect.
Love you, Rarishee...
Chapter Twelve
And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
“-Love you Rarishee... Wake up! Rarisheeee!”
The first thing Rarity became aware of was a horrible headache, the second thing was that her wife was shaking her forcefully. She shook her head, trying to clear it of all the cobwebs and cotton somepony had stuffed in it. She tried to open her eyes, but the light shining down threatened to blind her, so she clamped her eyes shut. What is wrong with Rainbow? Why in Equestria is she shaking me? She forced an eye open, trying to see through the blinding light. “D-Dash?”
“Yoo’re okay!” A yellow and pink blur tackled her to the floor and peppered her with kisses. “I wash... sooooo... worried.” It said, the words broken up by pecks around her face.
“Wh-What happened? I remember... I remember...” Rarity’s words trailed off as she tried to think about what she had just been doing. Rainbow Dash? It concerned her. At that moment, her brain re-engaged, attaching a name to the blur that had tackled her. Fluttershy? Fluttershy! She gently pushed the pegasus, who was still kissing her, away to get a better look at her. She stared at the cream-colored mare in front of her while her mind screeched to a halt. How? I remember... Oh, Celestia, my head. Images and emotions came flooding back to her She struggled to sit up, pressing a hoof to her head as her mind tried to reconcile the pegasus sitting before her with the events of the past months. “What happened, dear? How... How long was I unconscious?” She asked in an effort to buy herself time to think.
“Well...” Fluttershy paused, looking down and counting silently to herself. “I don’t really know... I was turning on the... the waters. Then, I... um... falled in.” She scrunched up her face in concentration. “I got out, and... uh... came down here, and there you were!” She glanced around, but found her vision blocked by her wet mane. She decided then and there that the best way to get it out of her face was to shake her head vigorously, flinging water all over the room. She looked around at the now wet walls and floor. “Oopshie.” Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and she ducked to hide behind her mane.
I... How did I get here? Rarity wondered, although the pounding pain just under her horn made coherent thought difficult. The last thing I remember is... Bits and pieces came back to her. Canterlot. Rainbow Dash. A wedding dress. She tried to think further back, remembering a funeral and Fluttershy’s death before that. But... This all has happened already. Hasn’t it? She recalled hitting her head the night her filllyfriend had died. I... hit my head, yes. But... it all seemed so real. So much time passed... Rainbow and I- Oh Celestia. She pressed a hoof to her forehead as scenes of Rainbow Dash and her in bed flashed before her, each one punctuated by another wave of pain. She looked up and realized her marefriend was still shielding herself behind her mane, afraid that the unicorn would be upset about the water she splashed everywhere.
“It’s quite alright, darling.” Rarity pulled the other mare into a tight hug. She... she really is here. Alive. While a minor alcoholic haze still clung to the edges of her mind, the adrenaline coursing through her system, combined with the rapidly escalating pain in her head, sobered her up immensely. Was it... could it have been a dream? Some sort of vision? She closed her eyes, listening to the beating of Fluttershy’s heart as though it were the most magnificent symphony ever composed. Rainbow Dash’s voice floated through her mind. “So you just left your drunk marefriend alone while you were worrying about some stupid dresses?”
Her eyes fell on the dresses, laying across the back of a nearby equinniquin. A fresh wave of guilt rolled over her. How could I have been so foalish? It could have cost me... Her emotions welled as tears pooled in her eyes. She buried her head in the other mare’s mane, letting the tears stream from her eyes. She struggled to control her breathing and held the pegasus tighter, to the point that Fluttershy began straining to breathe. The image of a casket slowly lowering into the ground filled Rarity’s mind, threatening to send her over the edge, but she was pulled out of the depths of her mind by a noise from upstairs. “Darling, did you turn the water off before coming downstairs?”
Fluttershy cocked her head to the side, angling an ear up to the bedroom door. “Water?” She put a hoof to her chin. “What water?”
“Oh, dear.” Rarity climbed the stairs, forcing the image from her mind and leaning against the wall for support, and heard a telltale splash of water hitting the ground. She trotted into the bathroom and lit her horn reflexively. It felt like an ice pick had been driven into her skull. She twisted the water spouts closed before clamping her hooves to her head, a hiss of pain escaping her. “Perhaps...” She paused, taking a calming breath. “I am not as fine as I thought.”
“Yoo’s hurt.” Fluttershy walked into the bathroom, wavering dangerously, and galloped over to the sink. She opened the medicine cabinet and swept up all of the contents in her forelegs. She made her way back across the room unsteadily, on only her hind legs, extending her wings for balance. Her hoof landed in the puddle of water next to the tub, sliding a bit and upsetting her diminished sense of balance. She stumbled forward, then leaned back before falling to sit across from her fillyfriend. “Don’t worry, Rarishee. Momma Fluffer... Momma Flusher...” She stopped as her drunken state once again precluded proper pronunciation. “I’s gonna make it allll better.” She dropped the items from the cabinet on the ground in front of her.
“I appreciate the effort, dear.” Rarity smiled as her marefriend surveyed the materials before her. “However, I do not know how you plan to fix my head using the makeup from my medicine cabinet.”
“Um...” Fluttershy picked up a tube of lipstick. “I could, um...” She dropped it and grabbed a loose eyeliner pencil. “Maybe thish could... no.” She put the pencil back on the floor, tapping a hoof to her chin as she looked over the remaining beauty products. “Oh, I don’t... aha!” She picked the tube of lipstick back up and opened it, leaning forward to smear some across her marefriend’s lips and up her muzzle. She darted in and kissed the other mare on the lips, giggling as she pulled away, then stood up again and planted a light kiss on the unicorn’s forehead. “There. I can just kish it and make it better.”
Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent as the kiss sent a light wave of warmth through her. It may not be the most helpful course of action... She smiled as her marefriend took her silence for consent and peppered the injured area with kisses. But it certainly doesn’t hurt. The kisses slowly made their way downward, journeying along her muzzle before arriving at her lips. After half a minute or so, the unicorn pulled away from the kissing. “Thank you, dear, but I-” Her words were cut off as Fluttershy started making small whimpering noises and pouting.
She shook her head, a bemused smile on her face, and pulled her fillyfriend into another kiss. The other mare resumed her journey south, moving down the unicorn’s neck and onto her chest. She reached down as the trail of kisses passed along her stomach and pulled the pegasus’ head back up. “Darling, your kisses are helping a great deal, but I believe an ice pack might make them even more effective.” She prodded at the sore area below her horn, searching for any significant damage. She let out a sigh of relief as she found her horn to be intact.
She stood up, putting one hoof to her pounding head and using the other to brace herself against the bathtub for balance. A small splash of water fell to the floor, drawing her attention to the full tub. “Fluttershy, dear, could you get me one of those towels?” She pointed with a hoof to a rack of towels across the room and the pink-maned pegasus trotted off to grab one. Meanwhile, Rarity reached a hoof down into the tub, sending another wave of water over the edge, and fumbled around for the drain plug. After several seconds of searching, she found the chain and gave it a pull, opening the drain.
“Hmph mph mmm.” Fluttershy came up beside her, carrying one of the towels in her mouth.
“Thank you, dear.” Rarity grabbed the towel and using it to dry her foreleg. She wiped it across her face, inhaling sharply as she hit the tender spot below her horn. “Come, darling, let’s head down to the kitchen and we can get an ice pack.” She lowered the towel to see her date vanish through the doorway. Oh Celestia, the stairs! An image flashed through her mind of Fluttershy lying on the floor, her legs and spine twisted and bent at unnatural angles. She threw the towel to the ground and ran after the cream-colored mare, skidding to a stop as she passed through the doorway out of her bedroom. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her marefriend still on the staircase, slowly making her way to the kitchen. She followed her date down the stairs and into the kitchen.
“Icshe...” Fluttershy trotted around the kitchen, pulling open various drawers and cabinets in her quest for an ice pack. “Icshe... Icshe...” She dug into the cabinets under the sink, shoving aside various household cleaners as she searched.
Rarity leaned against the doorway and watched the pegasus explore the kitchen with a disbelieving smile. She’s back. She’s alive. I... I can’t believe it. After a minute, she cleared her throat. “Darling, perhaps you should try the freezer if you are looking for ice.” She pointed a hoof to the refrigerator.
“Hmm?” Fluttershy pulled her head out from under the sink and followed the direction of her friend’s hoof. She stared at the refrigerator for several seconds, blinking. “Oh, yesh. Icshe.” She trotted over, stopping for a moment to grab a loose towel from the counter, and pulled the door to the freezer open. After several seconds of rummaging, she backed out from the icebox, holding a carton of ice cream in one hoof and licking her lips. “Mmm... Icshe cream.”
“Um... darling?” The unicorn grabbed the other mare’s attention. “What happened to the towel?” The pegasus simply stared at her uncomprehendingly. She pointed to her forehead. “Towel. For ice, for my head.”
“Oh, right.” Fluttershy ducked back into the freezer and emerged a few moments later with an ice-filled towel in her mouth. “Hrrr ooo guu.”
“Thank you, dear.” Rarity took the ice pack in a hoof and pressed it to her forehead.
“Now, off to beds with yoo, young lady.” Fluttershy pointed a hoof out of the kitchen dramatically. “No excushes.” She added when the unicorn opened her mouth to protest.
“Darling,” Rarity persisted, trying to distract her fillyfriend from sending her off to bed like a foalsitter. “Before we head off to sleep, would you care for a cup of tea?”
“Ooh.” Fluttershy perked up at the suggestion, her earlier stern demeanor completely forgotten. “That does shound nicshe.” She placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Yoo s-sssit there and I’ll get everything ready.” She turned and pulled open a random cabinet, rummaging through it and emerging with a medium-sized iron pot. She trotted over to the sink and filled it with water before dropping it on the stove. After a minute of drunken fumbling and hitting, the pegasus managed to light the stove.
Rarity stood up. “Actually, dear, the tea kettle is...”
“Shh... Just ss-sit down and let me take care of it, okay?” Fluttershy wheeled around, the tip of her tail passing through the flame of the stove. The end of her tail caught fire, burning with a tiny flame that slowly grew as it crept up the hairs.
“Your-” Rarity froze as she saw the fire on her fillyfriend’s tail. “Your-”
“Shh...” The pegasus raised a hoof, trying to calm her date. “It’sh okay.” The flame on her tail grew.
“Your tail is on fire!” Rarity screeched.
Fluttershy turned her head and stared at her tail, taking a few seconds to realize it was, in fact, on fire. She turned around to look at it, but glanced around in confusion as her tail disappeared. She looked behind her and spotted her tail again. “Ooh... pretty.”
Rarity jumped up from her seat and ran to the stove. She grabbed the pot of water in her mouth and moved behind the other mare. She turned the pot over, dumping water onto the floor and the flame. It went out with a sizzle, sending up a trail of smoke.
Rarity dropped the pot to the floor with a clang and grabbed her date by the shoulders to turn her around. “Are you hurt, darling? Did you get burned?” She trotted around her marefriend, inspecting her singed tail and looking for any further injuries.
The cream-colored mare flicked her tail around to look at it. “No. I’m okay.” She noticed the pot on the floor and picked it up, filling it at the sink and placing it back on the stove as though nothing had happened.
Rarity sat back down and watched the scene before her unfold, shaking her head slightly. I can’t believe she’s not hurt. Her eyes flitted down to the blackened end of her date’s tail. Thank Celestia. She watched her marefriend searching through another set of cabinets and emerge with a pair of water glasses. Oh, the tea cups were right there! She bit her lip, wanting to let her date take care of her. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as the inebriated mare successfully found the container of sugar and brought it to the table.
“Tea...” Fluttershy stepped into the pantry, followed shortly by the sounds of jars and bottles clinking together. She emerged after several seconds of searching with two small bags in her teeth. She walked back over to the table and dropped one bag in each water glass.
Rarity chewed on her lip, hesitant to say anything. “Darling... this isn’t tea.” She lifted the packet out of her cup and examined it for a moment.
“Hmm?” Fluttershy leaned in and squinted, staring intently at the packet. “Insh... Inshtant Oats... Oatmeal. Oh.” She kicked a hoof on the floor. “Um, where ish the tea?”
“It’s on the middle shelf, left-hoof side.” Rarity explained.
“Left... left...” Fluttershy stared at her hooves for a moment, looking back and forth between them. “Middle shelf.” She trotted back to the pantry, rummaging through it noisily. After another minute of searching, she reemerged with two tea bags clenched in her teeth. “Rrr thee thmm?”
“Yes, dear. That’s the tea.” Rarity took the bags from her marefriend in a hoof, dropping one in each water glass on the table. Meanwhile, Fluttershy walked back over to the stove and picked the pot up in her mouth. She balanced it carefully on the way back to the table. She tilted her head above each cup, pouring a generous helping of the boiling water into them. A splash of water flew out of Fluttershy’s glass, landing on her hoof.
“Ow!” She yelped in pain, letting the pot fall toward the floor.
Rarity grabbed the pot with her magic reflexively, which sent a spike of pain through her head. The aura of her magic wavered as the pain made her concentration falter. She released the pot as the pain grew to feel like her head was splitting open. She pressed the ice pack more firmly against her forehead so that the ice could numb it. “Are... are you alright, darling?”
“Mmm fhmm.” Fluttershy replied, the burned portion of her hoof in her mouth. “Hmph rrr yph?” She pointed her unburned hoof across the table.
“I’m fine, dear.” Rarity grimaced as the pain in her head reduced to merely a pulsing ache. She watched her glass as the tea bag floated on the bottom and the water slowly changed color. She picked up the spoon in the sugar container and sprinkled a small amount of sugar into the glass. Her gaze frequently drifted up to the pegasus sitting next to her, afraid Fluttershy would disappear at any moment. After a minute, the steam rising from the glasses reduced to small wisps and she lifted the cup to her mouth with both hooves. She took a sip of the tea, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Mmm... a wonderful job, dear.” She took another drink, glancing over to the other mare, and immediately spit the liquid out in a fine spray, followed by a mixture of coughing and laughing.
Fluttershy looked up from where she was bent over her own glass, lapping at her tea, just in time to be sprayed by her marefriend. “Whassat?” She wiped a hoof along her face, sending droplets of tea falling to the table and floor. “Wha... wha’s wrong?”
“Why-” Another bout of coughing interrupted Rarity’s question. When it subsided, she tried again. “Why were you drinking your tea like that, dear?”
“Huh?” Fluttershy tilted her head to the side in confusion. She stared at the glass in the unicorn’s hoof for a moment. “Oh, yeah.” She placed a hoof on each side of the glass and picked it up, bringing it to her lips. She tilted it back to drink, but it turned too far and spilled some tea along her muzzle. She tilted the glass back down and dropped it on the table. “Oopsh.” She mumbled, wiping a hoof across her face.
Rarity chuckled and sat back to take another sip of her tea, reveling in the warmth as it traveled through her body. She nestled deeper into her chair, letting her eyes close momentarily as the calming nature of the tea took effect. “It’s fine, dear. Just finish your tea and then we can go to bed.”
“Ooh... I like bed.” Fluttershy smiled, with a blatantly suggestive tone, before going back to lapping at her tea. When the liquid got too low for her to reach, she gripped the glass in her teeth and picked it up off the table, tilting her head back to dump the rest of the tea in her mouth. She swallowed the tea and dropped the glass on the table. “Ahh... that was tashty.”
Rarity lifted her own cup and drained the remaining liquid, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Are you ready, dear?”
“Mmm, yesh.” Fluttershy purred. She hopped down from her chair and sauntered around the table. She leaned in and nuzzled her marefriend’s neck for a moment before planting several light kisses trailing up to her ears. She turned and walked away, heading for the staircase and swaying her hips.
The pair exited the kitchen and ascended the stairs again, somewhat awkwardly due to the pegasus’ inebriation and the unicorn walking on only three legs to hold the ice pack to her head. When they reached the second floor, Fluttershy meandered over to the bed while Rarity trotted into the bathroom to throw the ice-filled towel into the sink. A nagging thought pulled at the unicorn’s mind as the ice settled in the sink.
Rarity fixed her eyes to the tile floor, her brain resuming the internal battle she had been having ever since she realized that Fluttershy was alright. She’s... alive. She really, truly is here. She closed her eyes, and the hauntingly familiar image of the pegasus lying limp and still floated before her. Could it... could it have been a dream? A resurgent throbbing in her head certainly lent an amount of credence to that theory.
“Rarishee?” Fluttershy called from the other room.
“Coming, dear.” Rarity tossed the towel over the edge of the bathtub and walked back into the bedroom. Her marefriend was lying on the bed, patting the spot next to her. She climbed onto the silken sheets warily, leaving a space between them. She extended a hoof cautiously, afraid that this was the dream, and that the pegasus would vanish at the lightest touch. She shook her head and scooted closer, laying down next to her date and running a hoof through her still slightly damp mane.
“Mmm...” Fluttershy let out a contented sigh and leaned forward to nuzzle the unicorn. “I love you, Rarishee.”
“I love you too... Fluttershy.” Rarity pulled her marefriend into a hug, and a sudden wave of emotion threatened to bring tears to her eyes before she corralled it. “I... I’ve missed you, so much.” She whispered, feeling Fluttershy’s ear twitch in her direction. She nestled into the bed, content to merely hold the pegasus, if just to remind herself that she was real. The fog of sleep encroached on her, only to be driven away by an unforeseen sensation. She startled as her marefriend kissed her neck and began trailing upward while a hoof simultaneously wandered down her side. “Darling?”
“Hmm?” Fluttershy pulled away reluctantly, a barely concealed desire smoldering in her eyes. “Wha’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, per se.” Rarity chewed on her lip for a moment, searching for a way to dissuade the other mare gently. It would be so much easier without this accursed head- she mentally facehoofed at the obvious answer. “You see, dear, I am not feeling terribly well.” She pointed a hoof at her injured forehead, where the red welt was darkening into a purple and blue bruise. “Perhaps we should simply go to sleep.”
“Oh no.” Fluttershy looked up at the afflicted area, scrunching up her face in concentration. She perked up as an idea struck her. She craned her head up and kissed the bruise, just as she had earlier.
Rarity smiled as the wave of warmth from before passed through her. She lay on her back and motioned for her marefriend to curl up next to her. The other mare obliged, and slid over to snuggle, laying her head on the unicorn’s chest. Rarity leaned down and kissed her fillyfriend on the forehead, making her tilt her head up so their lips could meet.
Fluttershy shifted, rolling onto her stomach and reaching a hoof up to lay it on her marefriend’s shoulder. She stretched up, pressing into the kiss and increasing her tempo as her partner reciprocated. Her tongue darted out, wiggling between the soft lips pressed against her own for a moment before they parted. A moan slipped out of her as a hoof ran through her mane. She tried to return the favor and trailed a hoof along the other mare’s ribs, smiling as a shiver of pleasure ran through her body. Her hoof continued its journey downward, briefly flitting across the white flank below her before being pulled back.
Rarity pulled the yellow hoof back up and trailed her own down her fillyfriend’s side, smiling as tensed up and let out a series of giggles between kisses. They lay together for a time, content to merely hold each other and steal the occasional kiss. Every few minutes one of Fluttershy’s hooves would wander too far down, forcing Rarity to pull it back up and redouble her efforts to distract the inebriated mare with kisses. Eventually, Fluttershy’s movements became slower and uncoordinated, and her head would droop as her eyes slid closed.
Rarity pulled away from their latest kiss, drawing a disappointed whine from her marefriend. “Are you tired, dear?” She leaned down and kissed the pegasus on the nose. “Would you like to get some rest?”
“I’m not really tired yet.” Fluttershy protested halfheartedly, trailing a hoof down the alabaster mare’s stomach. She yawned cutely and rubbed at her eyes.
“Is that so?” Rarity smiled and reached down to pull the covers over them. She ran a hoof through her fillyfriend’s mane and started humming “Hush Now, Quiet Now.” She felt the other mare nestle deeper into the bed, and after barely a minute had passed, the sleeping pegasus let out a small, dainty snore.
Rarity lay back and stared at the ceiling for a moment before closing her eyes. She waited for sleep to take her, but her mind refused to shut down. Something was missing, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it. She shook her head, being careful not to wake Fluttershy. What could possibly be missing? She’s back. She’s here, in my hooves. I... I have a second chance. Despite her mental assurances, she couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that plagued her. Something is missing... but what?
You have your marefriend sleeping next to you after a wonderful, if unorthodox, first date. What more could you ask for? Her mind questioned.
That’s just it... I don’t know. Rarity sighed. I have everything I could have hoped for, and yet... Next to her, Fluttershy stirred, wiggling around for a few seconds before settling back down with a small sigh. It still feels... empty. She thought idly as she leaned down to kiss her marefriend lightly on the forehead.
Maybe it’s just exhaustion?
Maybe... Rarity closed her eyes. But with this goddess-forsaken headache, I fear sleep may prove elusive. She pressed a hoof to her temple, the introspection was making her headache worse. She took a free pillow from the bed and put it in her mouth, biting down, then focused her magic to grab a bottle of pills in her medicine cabinet. The pain in her head doubled as she floated the bottle into the room and over to the bed, causing her to bite down harder. As it floated closer, her concentration faltered, breaking the spell and letting the bottle fall. She quickly re-wove the spell and stopped the pills inches above the floor. She grasped the container as it drifted into her reach, letting go of her magic and fighting to keep silent as she spit out the pillow. She popped it open and dumped a few of the pain-relieving pills into her hoof before tossing them into her mouth and swallowing them. She placed the bottle on her nightstand, then turned her attention back to the ceiling as she waited for them to work. She brought her free hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn as her eyes slid closed and she fell into the peaceful realm of sleep.
“Morning. How’re ya feeling?”
Rarity rolled over, draping a foreleg over her eyes. It’s too early for this. She grabbed a pillow and put it on top of her head. “Ugh... my head. What time is it, Fluttershy?”
“Rares...” The voice sounded infinitely sad.
Several things registered for her at once. The softness of the bed. The lack of sheets. Her eyes snapped open and she turned to face the source of the voice. “R-Rainbow?” She breath caught in her throat. “Oh goddesses, it was a dream after all.” She leaned forward embracing her wife with a foreleg.
Dash returned the hug for a moment before pulling back. “What was it about?” She asked, cocking her head to the side.
Rarity rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. “It was...” She hesitated, realizing it the truth would hurt Rainbow as sure as it had hurt her just now. “It’s not important, love.” She reached down to hold one of Dash’s hooves. “I had a dream, and I woke up a little muddled... and with a terrible headache for some reason.” She pressed her free hoof to her temple. “Did we have wine last night?”
“No, we didn’t.” Rainbow brought the hoof she was holding up and kissed it lightly. “So, what did you dream about?” She asked again, a little more insistently.
“Please, love, let it go. It was a dream. That’s all it was.” She rolled onto her side and draped a foreleg across the other mare’s shoulder. “Now, come here. I want to kiss my wife good morning.”
The kiss didn’t last long enough, not nearly long enough.
“It was about Fluttershy, wasn’t it?” Dash asked after she reluctantly pulled away.
“Wha-” Rarity’s eyes flew open. “N-No! Why would-” She stopped, trying to tone down her reaction a bit. “I’m sorry, throbbing headache. No, dear. It was nothing important. I’ve already forgotten it.” She moved to the edge of the bed and hopped to the floor, experiencing a moment of vertigo as she sunk into the cloud surface slightly. “Come now, let’s get some breakfast. You really wore me out last night.” She looked back over her shoulder, winking.
Rainbow smirked, but didn’t get up. “When you woke up just now, you asked ‘what time is it, Fluttershy?’.” She patted the spot next to her on the bed.
“Oh...” Rarity’s ears folded back, and her cheeks flushed with color. She climbed back into the bed and lay down.
“How do you know?”
Rarity raised an eyebrow at the question. “How do I know what, exactly?”
“How do you know it was a dream?” Dash propped herself up on an elbow and ran a hoof along the unicorn’s chest and stomach.
Rarity closed her eyes, smiling as the feather-light touch sent a shiver through her. When it passed, she opened her eyes again, gazing lovingly at her wife. “Because... What I have here, with you love, what I feel for you... that is real. The dream...” She dropped her gaze to stare at the bed. “It was just my mind wishing for things.”
Rainbow reached down and lifted the other mare’s chin. “Are you sure?”
“That I love you?” Rarity asked, searching desperately for a way out of the conversation. “Oh yes, love. I am very, very, sure.” She did her best to impersonate Dash’s predatory grin.
Dash smiled, but tapped a hoof on the other mare’s stomach in annoyance. “Stop deflecting, Rarity. Are you sure that it wasn’t real, and this is?”
“A-As sure as I can be.” Rarity shifted uncomfortably, a knot of worry forming in her stomach, yet a corner of her mind wondered if her partner was right. “Why are you doing this? I just want to forget-”
“No!” Rainbow pounded the mattress with a hoof, sending up small wisps of cloud. “Don’t forget her! Never even think about forgetting her. We both love her.”
“Well, yes.” Rarity admitted. “But, she’s... gone.”
“Are you sure?” Dash placed her hoof against her wife’s muzzle. “What if she wasn’t? What if it was real?”
Rarity didn’t answer for a time, and her voice was small and shaky when she finally did. “Th-That would be... horrible.”
Without warning, Rainbow drew her foreleg back and slapped Rarity across the face. The unicorn flinched, but there was no pain, only the same nagging headache that had been present when she woke up. She stared at the pegasus, her emotions rapidly fluctuating between hurt and angry. “What did you do that for?”
“Because you needed it.” Dash replied flatly. She placed her hoof against the spot she had just hit, rubbing it gently. “Did it hurt?”
“Well, no.” Rarity looked at the other mare warily, unsure where the conversation was headed. “I don’t see what-”
“Doesn’t that seem you as a little, I don’t know, weird?”
Rarity gently pushed the hoof rubbing her cheek away, her mind working feverishly. After a few moments of silence, she arrived at the only conclusion that made any sense, but immediately discarded it. “Please, stop this. I love you, Rainbow. Don’t... don’t do this.” Her vision grew blurry as her eyes filled with tears.
“Rarity...” Rainbow smiled sadly. “You already figured it out. This isn’t...” She drifted into silence, as though finishing the thought was physically painful for her.
A single overwhelming thought filled Rarity’s mind. “Why?”
Rainbow lowered her eyes. “Did you think I was worth marrying?” She asked, her voice wavering.
“O-Of course!” Rarity lifted her wife’s head to look into her eyes. She gazed into those rose-colored orbs and memories came flooding back to her. Their first kiss. The first time Rainbow said that she loved her. The proposal. Dash standing up to Blueblood at the wedding. “How can you even ask that?”
Dash smiled and leaned into the hoof pressed against her cheek. “Then isn’t she, the real me, worth fighting for?”
This time, Rarity looked away. “But... she doesn’t...” Her words were silenced by a cyan hoof.
“You didn’t think that ‘Shy did, either.” Rainbow tapped the unicorn on the nose. “You had to work up the courage to ask. Now come on, you have to go back now. ‘Shy’s waiting for you.”
Rarity felt tears spill over from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks, and she choked back a sob. “But... Rainbow, th-the real one... she doesn’t love me.”
Dash pulled the alabaster mare into a hug, wrapping her wings around the unicorn. “She just doesn’t know what to look for yet. Give it some time. She’ll love you, just like I do.”
Rarity buried her face in the prismatic mane before her, trying and failing to slow her tears. “B-But... what about you?”
“Don’t worry about me.” Rainbow ran a hoof through her wife’s mane. “If you ever need me, I’ll be right here.”
Morning came after a fitful night’s sleep. Rarity jolted back into consciousness with a start, the feeling of Rainbow’s hug lingering in her mind. She opened her eyes as sunlight tried to force its way through her eyelids. She looked upon the still sleeping form of the love of her life, torn in indecision. That feeling of something, or somepony, missing was back, and she was doing her best to ignore it. She shook her head, being careful not to wake Fluttershy. “What could possibly be missing?” She voiced the question aloud, unable to ignore it any longer and keeping her voice low.
You know exactly what’s missing, Rarity. She scolded herself. You’re just afraid that admitting it will somehow soil or diminish this, even though you had a dream that told you everything you would care to know. Coward.
“It’s a perfectly rational fear.” She bit her lip and looked out the window, gazing at the full moon as a languidly trekked across the sky. “Rainbow and I forced Fluttershy to choose between us. She didn’t want to, but we made her do it. We made her hurt one of us. Now I suddenly want to tell her it was all for nothing? What would they think of me?”
She grimaced, feeling the combination of headache and hangover squeezing her head like a vice. She shut her eyes, and a pair of rose-colored eyes floated in her vision, their beauty marred by a haunting pain. She squeezed her eyelids shut tighter. None of that happened! None of it! A knot of tightness formed in her chest as she continued along the train of thought. It wasn’t really Rainbow. It was a construct that my mind... made up. That’s what I have feelings for, not the real Rainbow Dash.
“But, are the two really mutually exclusive?” She wondered aloud, thinking back to the reasons she had fallen in love with Rainbow in her dream and comparing them to the real Dash. “They’re all there. She just has... other tendencies that get in the way.”
Rarity opened her eyes, if only stop the memory of Rainbow’s gaze from hovering in her vision. “Memory...” Her ear twitched as a bird chirped outside. “Is it still a memory if it never happened?” Next to her, Fluttershy stirred, wiggling around for a few seconds before settling back down with a small sigh. Keep quiet! She rebuked herself, waiting for a sign the pegasus was asleep before continuing. Several seconds later, she heard a soft snore from the mare in her hooves, and her mind drifted back to her dreams. Not that all of this makes a difference. She sighed and leaned down to kiss her marefriend lightly on the forehead.
A niggling thought at the back of her mind forced its way to the front. Of course it makes a difference, fool. She chided herself. Just look at why you didn’t agree to the trinogamous relationship when Fluttershy brought it up.
Rarity snorted, not looking forward to revisiting that particular event, then checked to make sure her date was still asleep. She sighed and stared at the ceiling, thinking back to when Fluttershy suggested the three-way relationship. “In order for it to work, Rainbow and I would have to be... together. I wasn’t sure if I could do that. I was in love with Fluttershy, and I... never thought that I could truly love another pony, much less at the same time.” She whispered.
Well, problem solved, no? She asked herself. I’m in love with Rainbow- She stopped herself from completing the thought. No. Don’t think that. She pressed a hoof to her temple, the introspection was making her headache worse again. She glanced over to the nightstand, where the bottle of pain-relieving pills sat. She reached out with a foreleg, stretching as far as she dared without waking her marefriend, but the bottle sat just out of her reach. She strained to extend the last few inches, but Fluttershy stirred lightly, mumbling in her sleep.
She edged back to her original position, snuggling up to her fillyfriend. Though, I... am right, in a way. The Rainbow in my dream may not have been the real one, but... She turned her head to watch the sunlight crawl across the floor. Even though I love Rainbow, she was also opposed to the idea, rather vehemently.
A wry smile pulled at her lips as she got an idea. Well, I could always hit her over the head, knock her out, and hope that she has a dream like I did and wakes up in love with me. She rolled her eyes, bringing her free hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn. Yes, I’m sure there’s no possible way that could backfire. She giggled as an image of that scenario played through her mind. Her gaze was drawn back to the mare laying in her hooves. “Perhaps I should go talk to her.” She sighed, running a hoof through the pegasus’ mane. “It seems so unfair. Dash loves her as well, after all. We could be so happy, just like I was.”
She frowned as she realized she had used the past tense. “I... was, but am I still?” She watcher her marefriend sleep for a moment, her smile returning as the other mare mumbled in her sleep before sneezing. “I am, but it’s... different now. Before, I was ecstatic being with Fluttershy. Now, though?” She went back to staring at the ceiling, her grin faltering slightly. “I’m still happy, but I know how much better it could be with Rainbow here.”
Would she even consider it? She wondered. Could she ever accept such an offer, or would it just be cruel to even ask?
Rarity bristled. “I want her to be happy as well.” She whispered, a bit of vehemence creeping into her voice. “So what if it wasn’t really her? The Dash in my dream was every bit as loyal and loving as she is in the real world.”
Even so, that doesn’t mean that she’ll say yes if I ask her to give me- us, give us a chance.
She sat up, a fiery determination burning in her stomach, and flinched as Fluttershy rolled over, mewling something unintelligible. She glanced down at her fillyfriend, making sure she was still asleep. I have a second chance here, a fresh start. I’ll just have to make her fall in love with me. She nearly clopped her hooves in excitement as she got an idea. Oh! I could beat her to the punch on the proposal this time!
Doubt tugged at her thoughts, eroding the confidence she had in her own words. Life doesn’t work like a romance novel. You can’t just tell somepony you had a dream and now find yourself in love with them. She lay back down, pressing herself against Fluttershy’s back and wrapping a foreleg around her. She held in a snort of laughter as the pegasus’ wing twitched, sending the feather tips brushing across her stomach, and laid her chin on the sleeping mare’s shoulder.
“Actually, why not?” A spark of hope lit in her chest. “Love is inspired by so many things. Rainbow is a wonderful friend, one who has saved my very life without hesitation not once, but twice, and that’s ignoring the various times she has saved me indirectly. Dash has a very big heart. Just look at how quickly she forgave all of us for the Mare-Do-Well incident, not to mention how much she cares for Tank despite the fact that he can’t fly without his heli-pack. I just hope that she can find room for one more pony in there. Besides, it would make Fluttershy happy as well, I see no downside.”
She was immediately confronted by a glaring flaw in her logic. The downside is that if she refuses, we’ll be no better off. She followed that line of thought, the knot of worry in her stomach growing. If she refuses... There may be only one way to make her happy. Could I make that sacrifice?
She blanched, as much as an already white unicorn can blanch, anyway. The fear took root in her mind and she looked down at Fluttershy.“G-Give her up and let her be with Dash?” She swallowed nervously.
If you love them, it may be the only way you can make both of them happy.
Her attempt to wrap her mind around that possibility was interrupted as the mare laying on her chest stirred.
Fluttershy woke up slowly, her head once again pounding in the vise grip of a hangover. That’s it. I’m never touching alcohol again. She brought her free foreleg up and draped it over her eyes to shield what little sunlight filtered through her eyelids. Her hoof landed on an expanse of soft fur, and she belatedly realized her head was lying on the same coat of fur. Hazy memories of the previous night came back to her. The last thing she remembered clearly was Rarity persuading her to have a drink of wine, everything after that was fuzzy. She vaguely recalled falling down a lot, and something about a bathtub.
“Good morning, darling.” Rarity cooed, smiling lightly as her marefriend cringed from the sound. She felt her own hangover pulsing at the back of her head, but it paled in comparison to the resurgent pain in her forehead. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’m sorry. Are you hungry?”
“Ugh...” Fluttershy’s stomach flipped at just the thought of food, but she hoped it would help her hangover. She struggled up to a sitting position, waiting for the accompanying wave of nausea to pass. “Kind of, um, if you are, too.” She cracked an eye open, but shut it again as the sunlight seared her retina. “So bright...”
“Allow me, dear.” Rarity offered, holding in a chuckle. She lit her horn, sending a minor surge of pain through her head, and tried to pull the curtains around the closed. She focused, but the curtains remained where they were. She concentrated harder, but only succeeded in giving herself a worse headache. She moved to the edge of the bed and hopped to the floor, walking around the room and pulling the drapes shut. She climbed back on the bed and lay next to the other mare. The pain’s not as bad as last night. She lifted a hoof to probe her forehead, wincing as she poked the bruised area. Although, it will be weeks before this heals properly.
“Oh my goodness, what happened to your head?” Fluttershy stood on the bed, ignoring the pounding her head caused by the sudden movement. The room swam around her, and she fell back to the bed. She paused to take a deep breath and pushed herself back up. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? We need to get some ice on it.” She trotted to the edge of the bed, but was held back by her marefriend’s hoof.
Rarity smiled apologetically. “It’s alright, dear. We iced it down last night, and I took some painkillers. It just needs to heal now. Speaking of painkillers, do be a dear and grab that bottle, won’t you?”
Fluttershy turned to the bedside table, spotting a bottle of pills on it. She scooted to the edge of the bed and grabbed it, bringing it back to her marefriend.
“Thank you, darling.” The unicorn took the container and popped the lid off, dumping a pair of pills into her hoof before handing the bottle back to the pegasus, who dropped it back on the table. She tilted her head back and swallowed the pills. “Could I interest you in some breakfast? I believe I could manage some scrambled eggs and toast.”
“That sounds nice, thank-.” Fluttershy pressed a hoof to her mouth as her stomach threatened to empty its non-existent contents at the thought of food. “On second thought... maybe not. I think I should just head home, if that’s okay with you.” She dropped her eyes to stare at the bed, glancing up occasionally to gauge her marefriend’s reaction.
“That’s quite alright, dear.” Rarity moved to the edge of the bed and hopped down, heading for the bedroom door. She made her way down the stairs, looking back over her shoulder every few steps to make sure her friend was still following her.
Fluttershy stepped out of the bedroom, raising a foreleg to shield her eyes from the light streaming through the many windows on the ground floor. “Nnng... bright.” She moaned, fighting the urge to get back in bed and bury her head under a pillow for a few hours. She stepped to the edge of the staircase and leaned against the wall, sliding along it as the went down the stairs.
“Here, darling.” Rarity held out a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses as the pegasus reached the bottom of the stairs. After the other mare had donned them, the pair made their way slowly toward the front door.
“Thank you for last night.” Fluttershy said as they reached the entryway of the shop. “I had a really nice time. I’ll... see you around?” She reflexively tried to hide behind her mane, but her hat obscured her face as she ducked her head.
“Of course, dear.” Rarity lifted her marefriend’s chin with a hoof and leaned it to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. She pulled the door open and stood aside to let the pegasus pass. A small portion of her wanted to walk the other mare home, but she knew that it was unnecessary. As Fluttershy began her trek home, Rarity couldn’t help but call after her. “Be careful, darling.” She immediately felt foalish and closed the door, turning to trot into the kitchen for a light breakfast.
Chapter Thirteen
Expected Confections
Twilight dropped her fork onto the table, sitting back with a contented sigh. A few splotches of pasta sauce on her plate were all that remained of the spinach lasagna that had been there minutes earlier. “Mmm... that was delicious. Thanks for lunch, Spike.” She stood up and made her way back to the stack of books she had been reading before the aroma of her assistant’s meal lured her away.
“No problem, Twilight.” Spike waved a hand, deflecting the compliment. “We both know that if I didn’t pull you away from studying every now and then, you’d read until you started eating the pages.” He chuckled to himself, picking up the plates and utensils from the table and carrying them to the sink. When he turned back around, the unicorn was staring at him, aghast.
“Eat... a book?” She looked at him like he had suggested she try and overthrow Princess Celestia. She lifted the book she had been reading, The Magic of Mathematics, glancing between it and her assistant for a few moments. “Why would anypony even do that? While paper is made from plant fibers, the process of turning the fibers into sheets of paper destroys virtually all of the nutritional value. Also, ink can be harmful if ingested in sufficient quantity, causing-” She stopped, belatedly noticing Spike giving her a disbelieving look. She cleared her throat and trotted over to the couch, hopping up onto the cushions. “Right.”
Chapter Fifteen: The Various Varieties of Vector Calculus and Their Effects on Gravitational Theory. She couldn’t help but smile at the opportunity for new knowledge. She settled into the cushions of the couch and began reading. Vector calculus, also known as vector analysis, is a branch of mathematics concerned with differentiation and integration of vector fields, primarily- She startled as a clawed hand landed on her shoulder.
“Ah!” Twilight turned, facing her assistant. “What was all that about?”
“Sorry.” Spike pulled away, rolling his eyes. “I tried calling you, but you were too busy reading.” He walked back toward the kitchen, talking over his shoulder. “Didn’t you say you had to head out to Sweet Apple Acres after lunch?”
Twilight quickly compiled a list of possible reasons she could need to go out to the farm before remembering her training session with Applejack. “Oh shoot, I’m going to be ta- late. I’m going to be late.” She placed a bookmark in her mathematical text and closed it with slightly more force than necessary, floating it over to rest on top of the nearby pile. She hopped down from the couch and trotted over to the door, pulling it open with a brief pulse of magic. “I should be back in a couple of hours, you’re in charge until then.” She shut the door behind her, leaving the baby dragon alone in the library.
“Alright, Spike’s in charge.” He rubbed his claws together, looking around the room. “What to do... What to do?” He continued gazing around the main room for a moment before walking over to a beanbag near the window and flopping down. He grabbed a comic book off the floor and flipped it open.
Twilight walked down the dirt road to Sweet Apple Acres, basking in the sunlight as it shone down from the mostly cloud-free sky. A nagging thought tugged at her mind, but she pushed it away. Not yet. Instead, she focused on identifying the various flowers along the road that had already bloomed. A splotch of color in the sky caught her attention, drawing her gaze upward. She spotted a familiar rainbow-hued tail hanging off one of the few clouds in the sky, and the sight brought the image she had spent fourteen chapters of advanced mathematics trying to suppress to the forefront of her mind. The memory of Rarity and Fluttershy kissing flashed through her head. She gulped, looking at the cloud for any signs that its occupant was awake.
A small green head poked over the edge of the cloud, a smile growing slowly on its face. Tank activated the magical device strapped to his shell and lifted off of Rainbow Dash, floating down to Twilight. The sudden absence of her pet’s weight caused Rainbow to stir, rolling over on the cloud.
“No, Tank. Go back to Dash.” Twilight whispered. She chewed on her lip as he kept falling. Can’t use normal telekinesis. No idea how it will react with the magic powering his heli-pack. She lit her horn and sent a light wave of telekinetic force skyward, hoping to lift the tortisecopter back to the cloud. Tank merely slid along the wave of force until he fell off, and continued his gentle descent to the ground. The wave kept going upward and clipped the edge of Rainbow’s cloud, bumping it off to the side. The pegasus stirred again, scooting to peek over the edge of the cloud as she cracked an eye open.
“Hmm?” Rainbow gazed down, looking for anything that could have woken her. She saw Tank floating down to the ground, headed for Twilight. “Oh, hey-” She stopped as the urge to yawn overpowered her. “Hey, Twi. How’s it goin’?” She stood up and stretched, flapping her wings a few times. She lifted a rear leg and kicked the cloud, causing it to burst into a fine mist, and spread her wings to join her pet in gliding to the ground.
“Fine.” Twilight replied, narrowing her eyes at Tank as he finally reached the ground. Her gaze shifted as Rainbow landed next to him. “Don’t get up on my account. I’m just passing through.”
“Nah, it’s cool. I needed to get up anyway.” Dash rolled her neck, eliciting a series of cracks. She glanced around, getting her bearings, and spied the top of the Apple family barn over a hill behind her. “Headed out to the farm, huh? Does AJ need help with something? Or do you need to buy some apples?” She perked up as an idea struck her. “Oh! Did AJ find a hidden barrel of cider leftover? Can I have a cup or two... or five?”
“Wait, what? No.” Twilight tried to think of a possible excuse, but came up with nothing. “I... asked Applejack to help me train for the Running of the Leaves this year, and today is our first session.”
“Really?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “No offense, Twi, but don’t you have a book to read or something? Racing doesn’t really sound like your thing.”
“Well, I did beat both you and Applejack in the Running of the Leaves that one time.” Twilight replied with a smile.
“Beginner’s luck.” Dash snorted.
Twilight nodded. “Exactly, which is why I want to actually train this time... believe it or not, I enjoy the Running of the Leaves and getting to race with you girls. It would be even better if I could actually keep up with you two.”
That got a smile out of Dash. “You know, Twi, you’re pretty cool... for an egghead. Anyway, that sounds like fun. You mind if I tag along? I could use a good run.”
Twilight wanted to refuse. This was supposed to be her time alone with Applejack. She quashed that impulse as quickly as she could, knowing she couldn’t stop Rainbow from coming along if she wanted to. Besides, saying no would just be impolite. “Sure thing, Rainbow. The more, the merrier.” She fell into step next to the pegasus as they headed off in the direction of the farm.
Dash looked back over her shoulder and called to her pet. “Come on, Tank. Up, boy.” The heli-pack on his shell powered up, lifting Tank off the ground to fly over and land on Rainbow’s back. “Good boy.” She flexed a wing around and patted him on the head. She turned her head to talk. “So... what’s with the sudden urge to train? You’ve never really cared about where you finished in the past. Something about the journey being more important than the destination, or some other philosophical thing.”
Because I want to spend time with Applejack. Alone. Twilight commented to herself as she searched for a less awkward reason to share with her friend. “Well, over the years I’ve finished fifth and fourth most of the time, and even third one year, but I’ve never been able to beat you two. I don’t think that I’ll be able beat either of you with just a few days or weeks training, but I could at least finish third consistently.” She shrugged as best she could while trotting. “Just wanted to try and push myself, I guess.”
“Yea, I get that.” Dash nodded, a familiar smirk creasing her features. “Although, if you really wanna push yourself, you should’ve come to me. AJ will wanna start off slow, build up your endurance... blah blah blah.” She rolled her eyes. “It’ll take months before you’re ready to actually run the Running.” She puffed out her chest. “Me on the other hoof, I’d have you ready in a week. Granted, you probably wouldn’t be able to walk after the first few days, but hay... no pain, no gain.”
“Maybe, but Applejack’s way is better.” Twilight snickered at her friend’s look of disbelief. “I read a book on training before our first Running of the Leaves. Her way is, quite literally in this case, the textbook method of training for a race. You have to start small and work your way up.”
“Whatever.” Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned back to the road.
They crested the last hill, bringing Sweet Apple Acres into view. She looked out over the rows and rows of trees, searching for a telltale speck of orange among the sea of green. Calm down, Twilight. She chided herself. You just saw her yesterday. Hay, you had dinner with her. It was practically a da- She stopped short. The mere thought of the word ‘date’ brought several things she would rather not think about to mind. The image of Rarity and Fluttershy kissing in front of Carousel Boutique flashed through her head again, followed by several dreams from the night before, mainly featuring a certain blond cowpony. The pony in question stepped out from between two rows of trees, pulling her hat off to wave as Twilight and Rainbow trotted down the hill. Tank started up his heli-pack, lifting off of Dash’s back and buzzing along a row of apple trees for a few seconds before Winona burst out from between two trees and started chasing him.
“Well, howdy there, Twi.” Applejack called as she pulled her hat off and wiped a leg across her forehead. She put her hat back and noticed the pegasus. Her face lit up for a brief instant before she spoke, her smile now a little tighter than before. “And... Dash. Ah, uh, wasn’t expectin’ you. Not that yer not welcome or anythin’, of course.” She paused to clear her throat. “The, uh, more, the merrier, right?”
“Yeah, I guess. I just ran into Twi on her way here and figured I’d tag along.” Dash shrugged and frowned, furrowing her brow. “You okay, AJ? Do you... want me to go?”
“No!” Applejack responded before realizing she had nearly shouted. “Ah mean, no ya don’t have to leave.”
Seriously? Twilight looked back and forth between them, watching Applejack glance around nervously while Rainbow frowned. How can she not see it? Rainbow knows Applejack is in love with her, but it’s like she can’t see how much just being nearby affects her. She pressed a hoof between her eyes as the irony of her thought became apparent. Says the pony who’s only in this situation because she couldn’t handle a simple compliment.
“Well, it’ll be, um, nice to have ya around.” Applejack shifted uncomfortably before walking past the pegasus, who made an affirmative noise. Her face fell as she kept moving, passing by Twilight. “How ya feelin’, Twi? Ready to get a good workout in?”
“Huh?” The unicorn blinked, having gotten lost in her own thoughts. “Oh, yea. I had a nice lunch, so I’m all fueled up and ready to go.”
Applejack wrinkled her brow. “When’d ya eat?”
“Um...” Twilight shifted on her hooves, suddenly afraid she had done something wrong. “About... twenty minutes ago? Is that a... problem?”
“Not a problem, but not really a good idea, either.” Applejack started walking again, turning to talk over her shoulder. “First lesson: Don’t eat anythin’ fer an hour or two before yer gonna work out. It’ll sit in yer stomach like a rock. It’s uncomfortable and it’s gonna make everythin’ a little harder on ya. Now, come on. Ah figured we could run along the trail out by the eastern fields.” The other two mares fell in step behind her, letting silence reign for the next few minutes.
Eventually, Rainbow grew frustrated with their pace and cantered ahead, grumbling in frustration. She turned around and skillfully trotted backward to face the other two ponies as she spoke. “Come on we’re going so slow...” Her wings fluttered in agitation. “If we’re out here to train and run, why don’t we g-whoa!” The rest of her question was cut off as she tripped over a root and landed on her back in the dirt.
“That’s why, sugarcube.” Applejack replied, stopping to lend the downed pegasus a hoof up. She held onto the contact a bit too long, staring at the cyan mare for an instant before dropping her hoof and looking off to the side. “The road out to the eastern fields has roots stickin’ out all over, and if we try and run down it, we’re liable to trip over ‘em like you just did.” She resumed walking down the path, a distinct weariness creeping into her voice as she spoke. “Don’t you fret none. The trail’s just a ways up ahead, right round this bend.”
Really? Twilight watched Rainbow, who showed no indication of noticing anything out of the ordinary.
Dash huffed dramatically and followed the farm pony, falling into step next to the unicorn again. “See? What’d I tell ya?” She whispered. “Slow. If it were just you and me, we’d be done by now... or you would have passed out from exhaustion. One of the two.” She shrugged, trying to contain her confident smirk.
“Maybe.” Twilight agreed as she tried to keep her gaze from settling on the orange flank in front of her for too long. “On the other hoof, your whole ‘fast approach’ did land you rump-first in the dirt.”
“That’s only because I was going backwards!” Rainbow shot back, her wings ruffling again, this time in annoyance. “If I had been facing forward I totally could have avoided that root.”
“Just like you avoided all those roots and rocks during our first Running of the Leaves, right?” Twilight quipped, enjoying the back and forth. The only one of her friends who she could regularly have this kind of banter with was Pinkie Pie, but she cheated by throwing out random non-sequiturs when she was losing. Dash opened and closed her mouth a few times, searching for a witty comeback, but was interrupted before she came up with one.
“Here we are.” Applejack announced as the path they were on ended at a junction with a wide dirt trail. She pointed down the road, explaining their course. “’Bout half a mile down that way, there’s a stream and pond just off the trail. Ah figure we can run down there to get warmed up, then just follow the trail ‘til it loops back ‘round to the farm house.”
“How far is that?” Twilight asked, squinting to make out any sign of the supposed stream down the path.
“Right about two miles overall. Good for a first day.” Applejack pulled off her hat and ran a foreleg through her mane. “Next time we can-” She stopped, turning back in the direction they had come as a faint ringing drifted over the trees. She chewed on her lip, glancing at Rainbow longingly. “Shoot. Dash, you take Twi and run down to the stream. I’ll go see what that’s all about and catch up with ya there. Ah reckon Twi’ll need some rest by the time you get there.” She smiled at the unicorn before galloping off toward the source of the ringing.
Twilight watched the cowpony go, silently cursing until Applejack disappeared around a bend in the dirt path. She turned back to the trail, still unable to see the stream. She gave up searching for it and started stretching her legs, loosening up before the run ahead.
“Uh... what’re you doing?” Dash watched the unicorn with a raised eyebrow.
“I’m -nnng- stretching.” Twilight replied as she limbered up. “It’s important to -nnng- make sure you don’t pull anything -nnng- while running.” She finished up, shaking each leg individually before stepping to the middle of the trail.
“Sure, okay.” Rainbow trotted over and took her place next to the other mare. She took a second to shake her own legs loose before digging her hooves in to get a good first step. “Ready?” She asked, smiling as she got a nod in reply. “Let’s go!” Dash bounded off, galloping as fast as she could and pulling away from her running partner after only a few seconds. She glanced back over her shoulder to see the unicorn sprinting down the trail, but rapidly falling even further behind. Turning back to the front, she saw the stream coming up in the distance. Letting out a light sigh, the pegasus spread her wings and leapt into the air, flapping several times and pulling up into a loop that would bring her down close to her running buddy.
“What’re... you... doing?” Twilight asked between heavy breaths, looking over at Dash as the landed and broke into a canter to keep pace with the lavender mare.
“Well, I didn’t wanna leave you in the dust.” Rainbow’s breathing was barely strained as she ran. “Besides, the whole point of this is to run together, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to run on ahead.” She glanced ahead, spotting the stream finally coming up ahead. “Come on, the pond is up here.” She jerked her head off to the left and drifted over to the side of the trail. She leapt into the air again, somersaulting as she flew over the stream and splashed down into the pond just beyond it. She surfaced moments later, spraying a jet of water into the air. “Come on in, Twi.” She waved a hoof, beckoning the unicorn into the pond. “The water’s great.”
“Can’t... breathe...” Twilight gasped as she trudged over to the stream, flopping down on the bank. She lowered her head and lapped at the flowing water, drenching her parched throat. She rolled over and clutched at her sides, groaning.
“Don’t worry, Twi.” Dash snickered as she swam around. “It’s a mistake you’ll only make once.”
After spending a minute to catch her breath, Twilight finally managed to speak again. “We have to do that three more times?” She scooted forward and dipped her head under the water, shaking the excess from her face and mane after she resurfaced.
“Huh?” Rainbow looked up from where she was floating across the pond. “Uh, maybe?” She shrugged, moving into a backstroke through the water. “I’ve never been good at math.”
Twilight shook her head, still waiting for her heart rate and breathing to return to normal. As she watched the pegasus swimming happily around the pond, feeling another pang of guilt and questioning yet again if she had any real right to tell Rainbow about what she had seen. She looked over her shoulder, down the trail, checking to see if Applejack had caught up to them yet. After finding the dirt road empty, she turned back to the pond, just in time to see Dash climbing out to come and lay next to her. “Hey, Rainbow... can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Dash ran a hoof through her mane, pushing the wet strands out of her eyes. “What’s up?”
“Um... well...” Twilight dropped her gaze to the ground, staring at a small clump of grass between her front hooves. “Let’s say that, hypothetically, you had this friend, and they’re in l-love with somepony.” She silently berated herself for stuttering, but kept going. “But, the somepony they're in love with is in love with somepony else. What would you do?”
Rainbow furrowed her brow, trying to follow her friend’s hypothetical situation. “So, your ‘friend’ is in love with somepony who’s in love with somepony else, huh?” She tapped a hoof to her chin as the hypothetical began to sound eerily familiar. “Do you mind me asking who this ‘friend’ of yours is? Anypony I know?”
Twilight’s heart rate picked up at the question, but she maintained her calm demeanor. “Uh, nope. Sh- They’re not from around here. They live out in Fillydelphia.” She watched the pegasus’ reaction out of the corner of her eye, then glanced across the pond. She started subconsciously running calculations for a teleportation spell, in case she needed to make a break for it.
“Calm down, Twi.” Rainbow laid a supportive hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “AJ already told me everything.”
“Oh, uh... okay.” Twilight pawed at the grass, confused by Dash’s statement. “Told you what? What did she say?” Dozens of possibilities ran through her mind, and word came flowing out of her mouth. “I know she told Fluttershy she was in love with me, but then she told me that wasn’t true when I talked to her. Did she say something else to you?” She looked up hopefully.
“Wait... what?” Dash arched an eyebrow. “AJ told me she loves me, not you.” She shook her head, sending droplets of water into the grass. “I mean, I don’t know how she feels... about...” She looked over the unicorn carefully, noting the slightly frantic look in her eyes and the light blush under her coat. “Twi... how do you feel about AJ?”
“She’s, uh...” Twilight went back to staring at the ground in front of her. “She’s a good friend, and, um, she loves you a lot. She didn’t want Fluttershy to find out, so when Fluttershy asked her, she said she had a crush on me instead.”
“Huh. ‘Shy talked to AJ?” Rainbow gazed across the pond, deep in thought. After a while, she shrugged. “Sorry, Twi, but I can’t help ya. AJ never said anything about you.” She gave a friendly, if somewhat teasing, smile. “Although... it’s pretty clear that you’ve got it bad for her.”
“I... don’t know what you’re talking about.” Twilight looked back across the lake. Thirty feet to cross the lake. Another fifteen to the tree line. She started crunching numbers in her head, frowning as she realized her friend’s immense speed and inequine reaction time would allow her catch up after a teleport with ease. She toyed with the idea of layering multiple teleportation spells to jump several times in quick succession, but abandoned it when she realized Applejack would come back to find her gone with no explanation.I can’t just run off on her. What would she think? Especially after last night.
Dash’s smile grew a bit predatory. “I’m talking about how you kept staring at AJ’s flank on the way out here.” Her smile broke into a full-fledged grin as the unicorn blushed uncontrollably.
“Oh, was it that obvious?” Twilight asked, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her voice. “Because the one pony that I want to notice... just won’t! She just keeps going on and on about you! One of the main reasons I asked if I could train with her so that I could get some time alone with her, but all she can think about is you!” She realized she was nearly shouting in frustration and her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, that’s not fair. It’s not your fault that she loves you, but it’s just so... frustrating!” She crossed her forelegs in front of her and laid her head on them. “I’ve been driving myself crazy over this. Though, you might be one of the few ponies who can understand, I mean, being a part of a love triangle yourself.”
“Yea, although that one kinda worked itself out before it really got going.” Rainbow rolled over onto her back, folding her forelegs behind her head. “I really should swing by Rarity’s place. She put up a good fight, but the better mare won.”
The image of Rarity and Fluttershy kissing flashed through Twilight’s head again, and she bit her lip, unsure of whether to say something. It will hurt her if I tell her... but it could hurt her more if she finds out later. She imagined herself in Dash’s position and wondered if she would want her friends to tell her. Yes, I would... She sighed and picked up her head, turning to face the pegasus. “Rainbow?”
“Hmm?” Dash looked over and sat up, seeing the worried expression on her friend’s face. “What’s up, Twi?”
“Well, I, uh... you see...” Twilight went back to staring at the ground as she searched for the right words. “I was out getting dinner last night and I saw...” She trailed off, wondering one last time if she wanted to do this. She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. “I saw Rarity and Fluttershy together.” She watched the other mare expectantly, prepared for a myriad of reactions, but got one she didn’t expect.
Indifference.
Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. “Okay, so?” She looked at the unicorn as though she had just said she saw an apple fall from a tree. “It’s cool that they can still be friends. I’m not gonna make Rarity stay away from ‘Shy or anything.” She lay back down, basking in the dappled sunlight as it filtered through the trees.
Twilight sat frozen for a moment, her mind churning as she tried to process Dash’s response. “No... not just together, in the same place...” She explained further. “I mean they were together, as in, I think they were on a... a date.”
Dash didn’t move, but she visibly tensed up and her mouth set in a hard line. “Why do you think that?” She asked, keeping her eyes closed and her voice carefully neutral.
“Well, I was out getting dinner last night, like I said.” Twilight pretended to gaze out over the calm waters of the pond, but she watched the pegasus out of the corner of her eye. “I happened to see them coming out of a restaurant together.” She paused, her nerves getting the better of her momentarily.
“That’s it?” Rainbow relaxed again, cracking an eye open to look at the unicorn. “They go to dinner after the spa sometimes. ‘Shy’s told me about it before, it’s not romantic.”
“Yeah, okay.” Twilight wanted desperately to just let the conversation end, but her conscience wouldn’t let her back out now. “This one seemed awfully romantic, though.” She watched for another reaction from Dash, but the pegasus merely shook her head. “They were at a small Prench restaurant and dressed up nicely.”
Dash bolted upright, bringing a hoof to her face in shock. “Rarity? Dressed up?” She feigned surprise for a few more seconds before letting loose a fit of laughter. She spoke again after she calmed down. “No offense Twi, but Rarity gets dressed up for no reason all the time. It’s not exactly cause to freak out.”
“I, uh, I guess she does.” Twilight chuckled nervously, remembering her earlier plan to teleport across the pond and run. “But, uh, that’s not all that I saw...” She swallowed, gathering her last scraps of courage to continue. “I also saw them... kissing.” She braced herself for a more animated, possibly more violent, reaction than she got last time.
She didn’t get one.
Rainbow sat frozen in place, not even blinking as she turned the other mare’s words over in her mind. Eventually, she brought a hoof to her head and rubbed her ears, convinced she misheard. “Ya wanna run that one by me again, Twi? I coulda sworn I heard you say Rarity and ‘Shy were kissing.” Her mouth pulled up into her trademark confident smirk.
Twilight opened her mouth to repeat herself, but the words stuck in her throat, so she just nodded. Dash’s smile disappeared with such speed that the unicorn had to wonder whether it had ever been there to begin with. She tried to talk again, pushing the words out by sheer force of will. “They were, in front of Rarity’s house. I kind of... followed them. They kissed, t-tongues and all.”
Dash was on her feet before the other mare even realized she had moved. She paced back and forth along the stream as it fed into the pond, wracking her brain for an innocent scenario that Twilight could have misinterpreted as a kiss. She couldn’t think of one, especially not one for the kind of kiss the unicorn claimed to have seen. She shook her head as her pacing slowly moved her closer to the trail next to the stream. “No. They... ‘Shy wouldn’t do that. She dumped Rarity. She picked me.” She stopped her pacing, now in the middle of the dirt road, and flapped her wings a few times as her eyes darted back and forth.
“Rainbow...” Twilight got to her hooves, taking a cautious step toward the pegasus. “Please don’t do anything reckless. Let’s just talk about this.”
“Reckless?” Dash flashed a confident smile. “I prefer ‘adventurous’ or ‘daring’. Don’t worry, Twi. I’m gonna talk about it, just with Rarity.” She dug her rear hooves into the ground and checked the sky for any obstacles.
“Rainbow...” Twilight repeated, a little more forcefully. She lit her horn, prepared to stop the pegasus if she had to.
Dash sighed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Twi. I’m just gonna go talk to her. I’m not mad or anything. I just wanna find out what was going on. You know, get all the facts and get everything sorted out instead of overreacting to something that isn’t true.”
“That’s... actually very well thought-out and rational.” Twilight blinked a few times in surprise. “Who are you, and what have you done with Rainbow Dash?” She pointed in mock-accusation.
“First, you got me reading, and now you’ve got me actually thinking before I do things.” Rainbow smirked. “I think you’re a bad influence on me, Twi.”
Twilight still felt like Dash going to see Rarity wasn’t a good idea, but the cyan mare seemed remarkably calm about the situation. For now. “Well, go ahead then.” She conceded.
“Thanks, Twi. Sorry for bailing on ya.” Rainbow looked over her shoulder just as Applejack appeared a ways down the trail. “Looks like AJ’s back, anyhow. Have fun training.” With that, she galloped a short ways down the trial and leapt into the air, spreading her wings and flapping them to climb above the tree line before angling toward Ponyville.
Twilight turned and greeted the farm pony as she trotted up. “Hey, Applejack. What was the ringing about?”
Applejack just shook her head, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Well, Apple Bloom and her little friends decided to try their hooves at makin’ chili... darn near set the whole kitchen on fire.” She reached up and adjusted her hat. “Nopony got hurt, but we’re gonna need a new stove, and some new drapes fer the window... and a new window.” She shook her head, letting out another sigh, and looked around the clearing. Her expression fell as she realized Rainbow wasn’t there. “Where’d Dash run off to?”
“Um, well...” Twilight glanced around nervously, searching for an answer. “Something came up. It’s not a big deal.” She walked back out onto the trail and got ready to get moving again. “So, you ready to run?”
“Oh.” Applejack’s entire body slumped. “That’s... fine.” She mumbled, though her tone suggested it was anything but. After a few seconds, she straightened up again. “Alright... how’d ya feel after the first half mile?”
AJ... Twilight wanted nothing more than to run over, embrace the other mare, and confess everything she felt. She ached to let Applejack know that she was loved, even if it wasn’t by the mare she wanted it from. “Not too bad.” She lied. When she fell down next to the stream after the ‘warm-up’ run, it had felt like her lungs were on fire and someone had dipped her muscles in acid.
“Good, cause Ah don’t wanna have to carry ya back to the house after ya collapse halfway through.” Applejack winked playfully, bumping the lavender mare with her flank as she got ready to run. “Ya ready?” She waited for a nodded response and then took off down the trail, kicking up a small plume of dust in her wake. She glanced back over her shoulder to see her partner running after her, but falling behind, so she slowed down a bit to let the unicorn keep up, but not quite catch up, with her.
Twilight felt the burning in her lungs returning, but pushed through it. Even though they had been running for less than a minute, she was already gasping for breath. Her eyes fell on the orange flank in front of her as it bobbed in time with the cowpony’s running. She tore her gaze away, focusing on the path in front of her and scanning for potential hazards. She tried to avoid it, but her eyes frequently drifted back to watching her friend’s rump as they ran. She was hypnotized by it, feeling her already hammering pulse spike ever higher each time the blond tail in front of her drifted off to the side a little bit. The hypnotic trance was broken when the farm pony jumped over a branch laying in the path. Twilight leapt over the fallen tree limb, forcing herself to keep running as every muscle in her body screamed for a break.
It can’t be that much farther, can it? She craned her neck up to look past Applejack and down the path, searching for the farmhouse in the distance. It feels like we’ve been running for- The rest of her thought was cut off as her foot hit a rock in the path, sending her tumbling forward. She scrambled to try and catch herself, but came down on the edge of her left forehoof, twisting it off to the side awkwardly as pain shot through her leg. She curled up, landing hard on her shoulder, and rolled several times before coming to a rest on her side.
Applejack looked over her shoulder to see her friend lying on the ground. “Twilight!” She skidded to a stop and galloped back over to the fallen mare. “Ya alright? Are ya hurt?” She knelt down next to the unicorn looking her over for any serious injuries.
“I’m okay.” Twilight rolled onto her stomach, craning her neck around to look herself over. She gathered her hooves under her to stand. “A few scrapes, but nothing bad. I’ll be-” She stopped as she stood up, pain shooting through her left foreleg. Okay... it’s not that bad. “Are you ready to- Ah!” She took a step and fell back to the dirt, cradling her forehoof.
Applejack lay down next to the injured mare and gently grabbed her hoof to look it over, twisting it lightly and feeling along the ankle for a few moments. “Well, good news, it ain’t broken.” She let go of the hoof and rose to a sitting position. “Bad news, it’s a pretty nasty sprain. Come on, let’s get ya back to the house and we’ll get some ice on it.” She snaked a hoof under the unicorn’s chest and helped her stand up.
“Thanks.” Twilight took a step, making sure to keep her injured leg off of the ground, and nearly tripped again. She tried again, letting out a grunt of frustration.
The farm pony shook her head and walked over to her friend. “Alright. Hold still for a second, Twi.” She lowered herself to crawl under the other mare and picked her up in one smooth motion, depositing the unicorn on the small of her back.
“Wha- hey!” Twilight flailed her legs momentarily as they rose from the dirt.
“Quit squirmin’, sugarcube.” Applejack shifted to keep her passenger from falling off. “We need to get ya back to the house and get that ankle taken care of. This’ll be fastest, seein’ as how yer not in a fit state to be walkin’ there. So, hold still.”
“A-Are you sure?” Twilight continued to paw at the empty air, her recently slowed heart rate rocketing back up to full throttle while her cheeks flooded with color. “I mean, I appreciate the offer but... I’m afraid I might be a little too heavy for you. Spending days on end studying hasn’t exactly done my flank any favors.” She fixed her eyes on the ground in front of her. Wait... did I just call myself fat? She immediately dismissed the thought, finding it preferable to her real, much less innocent, reasons for objecting.
“Seriously, Twi?” Applejack looked back, raising an eyebrow. “Ah make a livin’ buckin’ trees and haulin’ carts chock full of food between here and Ponyville. What part of that makes ya think that Ah can’t handle a little extra weight? Besides... like Ah said last night, ya may not be an athlete, but Ah’d be surprised if ya had an ounce ya didn’t need.”
Twilight froze, her mind searching for an alternate meaning to her friend’s words, other than the obvious one. She felt her own face heating up and was sure that it was visible through her coat. Did she just...
Applejack cleared her throat. “Well, let’s get goin’, then. Ya comfortable back there?” She asked, reaching up to readjust her hat.
“Not really.” Twilight replied. Her position, lying across her friend’s back, forced her to support all of her weight on her stomach and sternum, making it difficult to breathe. Although, I can’t complain about the view. Her gaze flitted back to the orange flank that was now barely a foot away. She ran through several possible alternate positions before settling on one. “Hold still for a minute.” She said as she lit up her horn. She lifted herself into the air and turned so that she was facing the same direction as the other mare, then lowered herself back down, straddling her hind legs and wrapping her forelegs lightly around Applejack’s neck. “There. Much better.”
“Alright then, hold on tight.” Applejack took off, galloping down the road and eating up ground in chunks.
Twilight reflexively shut her eyes as they blazed down the path and held onto the farm pony’s neck a little tighter. The wind roared in her ears and through her mane, making her feel like she was flying. After a few seconds, she forced her eyes open and watched the scenery around her blur by. She broke out in a big grin and let out a small whoop of excitement, noticing the running mare’s mouth twitch up in a brief smile. In what felt like an impossibly short time, the Apple family farm house came into view, growing closer at an alarming rate. Applejack slowed as they approached the door, kicking it open with practiced ease and trotting through without breaking stride.
“Here we go.” She stepped up to a cushion on the floor, turned around, and reared up, dropping the unicorn onto a pillow with a surprised yelp. “Now, lemme get ya some ice fer that ankle.” She moved over to the sink and pulled open a cabinet below it, emerging with a small burlap sack and heading over to the freezer.
“Uh, Applejack? Won’t the water leak as the ice melts?” Twilight asked after readjusting herself following her unceremonious arrival on the cushion. She glanced idly around the room, eventually reaching the stove, or what was left of it. Several sections of the iron appliance sagged toward the floor as though they had nearly melted. Impossible. She stared at the drooping metal, her mouth slightly agape. Iron doesn’t melt until twenty-eight hundred degrees. She looked up at the wall, which was now a charred black mess. The window was gone, though streaks of melted and cooled glass trailed down the wall below it, and any drapes that had adorned it had been reduced to cinders. What in Equestria were they cooking?
“Nah.” Applejack replied from inside the ice box. She backed out, holding the sack full of ice in her teeth by a drawstring. She walked over and laid the bag on her friend’s injured ankle. “Things like this happen pretty often ‘round here, so Ah asked Rarity to make an ice bag that wouldn’t leak. She just lined it with some rubber, but Ah had to fight with her fer half an hour to keep her from makin’ some frilly bag outta silk and lace.” She shook her head.
Twilight raised her good hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle. She shivered as the ice pack chilled and then numbed her ankle. “So, how long do we leave this on?”
Applejack shrugged. “However long ya feel like.” She smirked as her friend raised a questioning eyebrow. “It ain't exactly science, Twi. Just keep it on there until yer ankle feels better, simple as that.” Her smirk became a snicker as the other mare rolled her eyes playfully. She leaned against the table and pretended to gaze out the window, but instead watched the unicorn out of the corner of her eye. “So, where’d ya say Dash ran off to again?”
Twilight froze for an instant, then glanced off to the side. “She just had to go get ready for her date.”
“Twi, don’t lie.”
“Huh?” She blinked in surprise. “How did- I mean, why would you say that?” She asked, trying her best to sound nonplussed.
“Well...” Applejack pushed her hat back. “Normally Ah’d go fer the whole ‘Element of Honesty’ bit, but this time Ah’m gonna say it’s ‘cause Ah know Dash barely ever bothers with a brush. Her idea of gettin’ ready is flying through a rain cloud.” The cowpony smirked and leaned forward. “Now, the real question is: What could Dash be doin’ that you would feel the need to lie about?”
Twilight’s gaze roamed the kitchen, looking everywhere but her friend’s eyes. “She’s... modeling dresses for Rarity!”
“Twi...”
“Helping Fluttershy take care of a bear!”
“Twilight!”
“Baking cupcakes with Pinkie!”
“Celestia damn it, Twilight Sparkle! Just tell me what she’s up to!”
“She’s... she’s...” Twilight gave up and dropped her head to lay on the table. “Fine, she went to go talk to Rarity.”
It was Applejack’s turn to arch an eyebrow in confusion. “Now why in the hay would ya lie ‘bout somethin’ like that?” She sat back and thought for a moment before a dawning realization spread over her face. “Dash went to talk to Rarity about Fluttershy, didn’t she?”
Twilight briefly considered lying again, but knew the other mare would see right through it. “Yes.” She admitted. “I kind of... saw Fluttershy and Rarity together while you were in the bathroom last night. That’s where I went off to. I followed them for a bit and I saw them... kiss.”
“Kiss?” Applejack repeated the word as if were her own foal’s first word. “Ya mean... ‘Shy was cheatin’ on Dash?”
“No!” Twilight sat up, but then slumped. “Well, I don’t know. I didn’t hear much of what they were saying, and it sounded like Fluttershy was drunk.” She pressed her hood hoof to her temple. “Anyway, Rainbow went over to talk to Rarity and find out what was going on.”
“Is that so?” Applejack tried and failed to keep a grin from her face. “Feel free to stay as long as ya like, Twi. Ah gotta... go do somethin’.” She got up from the table and practically galloped for the door.
“Oh no you don’t.” Twilight lit her horn and slammed the door shut, locking it and placing a protective shield over it for good measure. “I know what you’re trying to do. You’re going to go over there and try and blow up the situation so that Rainbow will break up with Fluttershy.”
“Ah was not!” Applejack shot back. She gathered herself and lashed out at the door as hard as she could with both legs, to no visible effect, then sat down and let out a defeated sigh. “Look, Ah don’t want things to go bad, but from what yer tellin’ me, it seems like they already are. Ah promised Dash Ah wouldn’t do anythin’ to trouble her and ‘Shy again.” She looked up at Twilight with a pained expression. “But Ah gotta be there if things do go south. This might be mah only chance, Twi!” She looked away, moisture glistening in her eyes. “Ya don’t know what it’s like. Seein’ her every day, wantin’ nothin’ more than to just hold her and let her know that you’d do anythin’ to make her happy. Knowin’ that at the end of the day, she’s got somepony to come home to, but all you’ve got is an empty bed.”
Twilight tried to keep calm, but her frustration finally got the better of her. “AJ, think about it. Rainbow will never love you the way she loves Fluttershy, you would always be her second choice, her safety net. Don’t you want better? Don’t you deserve somepony who loves you for you?” She snorted and stamped a hoof. “But what would some bookworm shut in know about that, right? I obviously have no idea what that’s like.” She stood up from the table, the ice pack falling to the floor. “I have no idea what it’s like to be in love with somepony who loves someone else. I wouldn’t know about crying yourself to sleep at night, wishing they were there to hold you, or that you could wake up and have them be the first thing you see in the morning.” Despite her sudden anger, tears pooled in her eyes and blurred her vision.
“I... I...” She choked back and sob and grabbed a hold of her magic, weaving a quick teleportation spell to get her outside the house. She cast the spell and, in a flash of light, found herself outside the farm house, but now she was moving. In her haste, she had overcompensated for gravity, and came out of the spell with residual velocity. She slammed into a rapidly approaching tree, letting out a pained grunt. After climbing to her hooves, she galloped down the road that led back to Ponyville, ignoring the resurgent pain that shot up her leg with each step and a stinging in her side every time she took a breath.
Back in the kitchen, Applejack merely stared at the spot her friend had been standing in a moment ago, listening to hoof steps and sobs fade into the distance. She sat down as her brain tried furiously to figure out what had just happened.
Chapter Fourteen
The Cat’s Out of the Bag
“Thanks, Twi. Sorry for bailing on ya.” Rainbow looked over her shoulder and spotted Applejack coming out onto the path behind her. “Looks like AJ’s back, anyhow. Have fun training.” She shot one last glance at Twilight before galloping down the trail and leaping into the air. She beat her wings to climb above the surrounding trees and angled toward Ponyville. She beat her wings harder, picking up speed and blurring the ground beneath her. Twilight’s words echoed in her mind.
“They kissed, t-tongues and all.”
Dash sped through the air ever faster, trying to outrun the words in her head. Come on, Dash. Calm. Down. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding. She flared her wings to slow down as she reached the edge of town. Fluttershy wouldn’t do that. No way. She noticed several ponies on the ground waving up at her as as she passed overhead, but didn’t bother to respond. Twilight’s words continued to plague her like an itch she couldn’t scratch.
“They kissed-
She pulled her wings in, going into free fall for several seconds and nearly clipping a thatched roof before she caught herself. She pumped her wings to climb back above the buildings.
“- t-tongues and all.”
She shook her head, trying to dislodge the memory. ‘Shy wouldn’t do that... would she? No, no way. She banked to avoid a cloud, scanning the ground for any sign of her target as another possibility dawned on her. Fluttershy wouldn’t... but Rarity? She lowered her gaze and spotted Carousel Boutique almost directly below her. She pulled up and looped over to dive straight down, flaring her wings to land with a dull thud a few feet in front of the door. Her confusion festered in her stomach, slowly building into anger. Whatever’s going on here, somepony had better have a bucking good explanation.
Dash stepped forward and knocked on the door.
Rarity hummed tunelessly to herself as she worked, listening to the scratching of her pencil as it flew across the page. She pulled back and looked at the sketch, pausing to massage her temple. Her head still hurt, but inspiration had struck, and she needed to get it down on paper. The design was wispy and flowing, something that would look wonderful in flight, yet didn’t inhibit the flier’s movements. Fluttershy would surely love it, even if she rarely took to the air. Rainbow might like it as well. She pulled her pencil away from the paper and admired her work. Still needs a few finishing touches, but- She froze as her eyes reached the back end of the design. The tail of the model was eerily familiar, even in monochrome, as was the short, ruffled mane. Oh dear. Her gaze drifted down to the model’s flank, where a three-tone lightning bolt cutie mark was clearly visible through a part in the skirt. Oh goodness. Well, it’s not like she’ll ever see it.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. She got up and trotted over to it, opening it with a faint pulse of magic as she cleared her throat. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic-” She stopped as she recognized the pony standing outside. “Rainbow, lo- dear. How are you?” She went to step forward and hug the pegasus, but caught herself. Careful, Rarity. She moved aside. “Please, come in. This is a lovely coincidence, I was hoping to speak with you.”
“Thanks.” Rainbow trotted inside, watching the unicorn cautiously. “I wanted to talk to you too.”
“Oh?” Rarity walked back over to her work table and collected her sketches, trying to hide the familiar model from her visitor. “By all means, go ahead.”
“No no, you first.” Dash trotted over and leaned against the table, waiting expectantly.
“Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Rarity motioned for the other mare to speak. “Please, darling. I insist.”
Silence filled the room, each of them waiting for the other to speak. Honestly, Rainbow... trying to wait me out? Seconds dragged on into one minute, then two. Rarity smiled. Three, two, one...
“Fine.” Dash stood up from the table. “Have you seen Fluttershy lately?”
That’s it? Rarity took a moment to recover before responding, much to her friend’s annoyance. “Well, yes, as a matter of fact. She and I stopped by the spa yesterday before having a nice, quiet dinner.”
Rainbow let out a short, irritated huff. “So, why were you kissing her? Are you trying to steal her away from me?”
“Excuse me?” Rarity pulled a hoof to her chest.
Dash moved forward and pressed her forehead to Rarity’s, trying to overpower her through sheer force of will. “Why. Were. You. Kissing. Her?” She asked, venom dripping from her words.
A million responses flooded the unicorn’s mind, ranging from indignant to conciliatory. Her friend and former rival was acting as though kissing one’s marefriend was a problem. Is she jealous? She backed up a step to put some space between them before responding. “That is the typical thing one does when ending a date, dear. I’m sorry if it upsets you.”
“If it upsets me?” Dash yelled, flaring her wings and making herself even more imposing. “’Shy’s my marefriend, and you’re not going to steal her away from me!”
“Y-Your...” Rarity pressed a hoof to her temple, where her headache was making a comeback. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I... am not at my best this morning, so I may be misunderstanding you. Come, let’s sit down and talk about this so we can get it all sorted out.”
“Rares.” Dash growled, her lip pulling back into a sneer. She stepped forward, stopping inches from the unicorn’s face. “Twilight told me that she saw you making out with ‘Shy, after she picked me. There’s no bucking way I’m letting you get out of this by calling is a misunderstanding.”
“Well, yes.” Rarity nodded. “As I said before, Fluttershy and I had just eaten dinner. She had a bit too much to drink, so I brought her back here to get some rest. Yes, we did kiss, although that was the extent of it, if it makes you feel any better. First date, you know. It’s not proper to do much more, no matter how tempting it is.” She shook her head, straining to keep a straight face as she remembered Fluttershy’s actions from the previous night. “Regardless, that isn’t what’s confusing me-”
“Are you confused about what the word ‘dumped’ means?” Dash flapped her wings once, sending stacks of papers floating to the ground. She arched her wings up, ringing her head like a spiked halo. “Fluttershy picked me, and dumped you!” She snarled. “If you’re still confused, that means you can’t go out and get her drunk so that you can make out with her!”
Rarity backed away reflexively, her thoughts freezing as her mind conjured images of her dream. Dash’s bloody, vengeful scowl flashed before her, threatening to sap her resistance. She dismissed the image, focusing on the less bloody but equally furious mare in front of her. “I-I don’t...” She stuttered uselessly, her brain working furiously to reconcile her friend’s words with reality. Fluttershy did pick me. She came by and told me she had broken it off with Rainbow.
Suddenly, the pieces clicked, and Rarity’s world shattered around her.
Rainbow was telling her that Fluttershy had dumped her, but that wasn’t true. Oh no. Both Dash and Rarity thought that Fluttershy had chosen them. Oh no, please not that. That meant that in all likelihood, neither of them were right.
Nopony had been dumped. Fluttershy was dating both of them.
Oh, sweet Celestia. Have I become an adultress in my own relationship? Rarity stared ahead blankly. How? She belatedly remembered that Dash was still present. “Rainbow, darling, you are clearly owed an explanation. Just... give me a moment, please.” She dropped her eyes to the ground, unable to look at the cyan pegasus. “I need a moment to gather myself. I-I’ll go make some tea. How does that sound?”
Rainbow growled for a second, but took a few deep breaths and walked over to sit at the kitchen table with a huff. “Whatever.”
“Thank you, dear. I am terribly sorry I upset you. Just give me one moment, please.” She trotted into the kitchen, taking several deep, calming breaths of her own. This isn’t right. It was supposed to be different. She had meant to ask if Dash would reconsider joining Fluttershy and her, forming the trinogamous relationship they had both initially rejected. Well, that’s out of the question, now. She she chewed on her bottom lip as she started pacing the kitchen, making sure to stay away from the doorway. This had gotten incredibly awkward. In Rainbow’s mind, Rarity was the interloper, the third wheel. She had nothing to offer because she had already ‘lost.’
Still... there might be a way out. One that doesn’t break three hearts. She could see now why Fluttershy had been so distracted during their date. She had been worried they would be discovered, and with good reason. The poor dear didn’t want to break it off with either of us... but how could she have thought this was a good idea?
No, you can salvage this. There’s a way, there has to be. Think. She stopped pacing as inspiration stuck. Of course! I can frame it as a misunderstanding. I asked Fluttershy to dinner to see if she would talk to Rainbow about the three-way relationship again. I hoped that now that she had ‘won,’ she might be more inclined to agree to it. We got a little drunk, and yes, there was kissing, but that was the end of it. The whole point was to come back to Dash with the proposal from both of us this time.
Rarity’s spirits sank as she noticed a flaw in her logic. However, that does still put me in the position of trying to wedge myself into their relationship behind Rainbow’s back. She bit her lip, trying in vain to work around that particular aspect of her story. So be it. If that is the worst I must endure to make this work, I shall count myself lucky. She pounded one hoof into another in determination. I will make this work. She walked back out into the main room. “Sorry to keep you waiting, darling.”
Rainbow raised an eyebrow, a look of cool displeasure on her face. “Where’s the tea?”
Shoot! Rarity froze in her tracks. “Tea. Right. One mom-”
“Don’t bother.” Dash cut across her, motioning to the seat across the table. “I think we both know that neither of us really wanted any.”
“O-Of course.” The unicorn resumed her walk to the table, her nerves threatening to undo her at any moment. “Well, then it’s explanation time, I suppose.” She sat down and tried to drown out the thundering rush of her pulse in her ears. She looked at Rainbow, who was glaring at her with thinly veiled contempt, and launched into her story. “You see, I... asked Fluttershy out to dinner after our weekly spa da- appointment, though I assure you it wasn’t meant to have romantic implications.”
She shrunk back under the intensity of the other mare’s scowl, finding her silence more frightening than her earlier verbal tirades, but Rarity forced herself to continue. “I had hoped to discuss the idea of the trinogamous relationship with her again. After all, we both love her, and it seems silly to fight over her when she loves both of us back.” She swallowed as Dash’s glare reached new heights. “I admit, we both had a bit too much to drink, and yes, I kissed her. I’m sorry, but I do love her, as you know. That’s the whole reason we got into this mess in the first place. We-” She faltered under the ferocity of the pegasus’ gaze, feeling the urge to put a very solid barrier between them. “W-We were planning to speak with you about this later today, but... the cat’s out of the bag, as it were. Could you ever-”
“No.” Rainbow’s tone brooked no possibility for argument or persuasion, but her eyes softened ever so slightly.
Rarity leaned back in shock. No... Just like that? You couldn’t even... Am I truly so undesirable? “Rainbow, darling, I really don’t understand. When Fluttershy first broached the subject, I was appalled. I love Fluttershy, and I was unsure if I could love anypony else, much less at the same time. Naturally, I said ‘no’ to the idea, but...” Do not tell her about the dream. At best, it will come off as remarkably creepy, and at worst it will make you seem absolutely mad. “I-I’ve been thinking, in the wake of Fluttershy’s decision. I’m not saying that I love you,-” Even though I do. “-but I truly believe that I could, and would like to, if you would give me the chance.” She turned away to keep the other mare from seeing the tears welling in her eyes. “Am I truly so detestable that you would not even entertain the idea of being with me?”
“Thinking, huh? Funny how all this thinking happens after you lost.” Dash watched as the unicorn cringed at her words and saw a tear fall to the ground, followed swiftly by several more. Really, Rares? Gonna try the water works on me? She rolled her eyes and prepared another remark, but paused as she realized the alabaster mare was choking back sobs and trying to slow her tears. Wow, she really is torn up about this. Wait, she tried to steal ‘Shy from me! Her anger welled up again, but it was drowned out by concern for her friend. Well crap, now I feel like a total mule. She sighed and flexed her wings slowly, trying to bleed off excess tension. “Listen Rares, you’re not ‘detestable,’ whatever that means. I just don’t love you.”
“I’m not asking you to, not out of the blue, at least.” Rarity rubbed a foreleg across her eyes to dry them, only to have more tears flow out. “All I’m asking for is a chance, Rainbow. We’ve been friends for quite some time now, and though we don’t always see eye-to-eye, I have always been patient with you whenever you ask for my help, and you have done the same with me in return.” She stood up and walked around the table, sitting down next to the pegasus, who shifted nervously but didn’t move away. “For Celestia’s sake, you saved my life, even after my positively horrid behavior almost cost you your victory. Then, you did it again, with Fluttershy’s help no less, without ever asking so much as a word of thanks.” Her tears redoubled as she began to question her own worth. She’s done so much for me, time and time again. What have I done for her? Upstage her on the biggest day of her life? Make some paltry dress for that dreadful Gala?
She forced the thoughts from her mind, focusing on her current situation. “We both know how we feel about Fluttershy, but take her out of this for a moment. I’m asking if I can be with you.” She reached out to hold Dash’s hoof, but the pegasus pulled it away. Even that simple, unintentional act of rejection crushed Rarity’s spirits even further. “That’s the only way that all of this will work. I love her, you love her, but unless we also love each other...” She dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to bear looking into the other mare’s eyes anymore. “It will only end badly for everypony.”
“I-I’m sorry, Rares.” Dash stammered, all traces of her earlier anger evaporating. “I can’t do it. I love Fluttershy, not you.” She stood up and walked away from the table, pacing the room and working her mouth open and closed in an effort to find the right words.
“Things like this...” She stopped and looked at her former rival, pangs of guilt striking her as she saw the hurt in those large, sapphire eyes. She swallowed and forced herself to continue. “Three-way relationships always end badly. Period.”
“How can you say that?” Rarity stood up and walked over to her friend, who turned to avoid her gaze. She trotted around to try and meet the other mare’s eyes, but Dash kept turning away. “You couldn’t possibly know that, unless...” She stopped, bringing a hoof to her mouth in shock. “Rainbow, have you been in a trinogamous relationship before?”
“No!” Dash barked. She finally faced the unicorn, tears glistening in her eyes. “No.” She repeated, softer. “I’ve never done it, but I’ve seen it.” She noticed the other mare’s gaze turn inquisitive and shook her head. “It was a long time ago... I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Rarity took a step back. “I-I see. If it’s too painful to discuss, I understand completely. It was never my intention to hurt you. I’m sorry.” Her ears flattened back and she pawed at the floor nervously.
Rainbow stared at the unicorn, debating her next words. She let out a sigh. “Don’t be. It was... my parents.” She couldn’t help but smile at the shocked expression on her friend’s face. “Yea, that’s pretty much always the reaction.” Her smile faded as quickly as it arose, replaced by a fresh round of tears. “I’ve seen what this can do to ponies, Rares. It takes ponies who love one another and pits them against each other, day after day.” Her voice wavered, and she rubbed a foreleg across her eyes. She smiled weakly. “I-I’m sorry. I just can’t do it. It’s not that I don’t like you...” Her smile faded and her eyes welled with tears again. “I just know where that road leads. We might be fine for a while, but it won’t last. I don’t want that to happen to us. It was hard enough just watching it happen. I don’t think I could handle actually being a part of it.”
Every fiber of Rarity’s body and mind screamed at her to pull the other mare into a comforting embrace and assure her that nothing like that would ever happen, but she knew it wouldn’t make a difference. She looked down at her hooves, uncertain what else to say. What else could she say? That's it. You gave it your best. Now, for the hard part. Do you break her heart, and Fluttershy's, by forcing a confrontation? Or do you let them be happy?
She made a decision then, by far the most difficult in her life. Before she acted on it, morbid curiosity made her ask a seemingly random question. “Rainbow, you don't have to answer if you don't want, but...” She paused, hope and fear warring in her chest. “Were it not for Fluttershy, could you have loved me? Did we ever have a chance?"
She shook her head ruefully before Dash could respond. "Nevermind, that was unfair of me. Look at me, causing all this turmoil in your new relationship. Hardly generous of me, is it?" She looked resolutely, if tearfully, at Rainbow. "Tell her... I will always love her and that I am sorry we couldn't work it out. I-I had hoped...” She shook her head again. “But no, it was foolish. I think that may be the thing I love most about you, Rainbow. Loyal to a fault. Go, be happy. I won't stand in your way. You have my blessing, and my love, both of you." She stepped forward then, and kissed Rainbow gently on the cheek. "I am so sorry, my love." Both of you.
Rainbow looked stricken, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She touched her cheek softly, tears in her eyes. “Rares...”
Rarity nodded primly. “J-Just promise me you will love her enough for both of us, won’t you? Go now, before I make a bigger fool of myself.”
Rainbow turned, getting ready to leave. She walked toward the door, stopping halfway and looking back, her expression torn. She started to turn back, but thought better of it and kept moving toward the exit. She laid a hoof on the doorknob and looked back over her shoulder. “If I could, I would, Rares. I just... I can’t. I’m sorry.” Then, she opened the door and sped off.
Rarity reached out, as if to call Rainbow back. The world seemed drained of color, the mare who had sped off had taken it all with her. She trudged up the stairs, laying down on her bed. She eyed the painkillers on the nightstand. Not quite what I was looking for. Then again, my head does still hurt a bit. She grabbed the bottle, popped the lid off, and took a dose. She lay down and closed her eyes, but her mind refused to shut down.
She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, pulling open her medicine cabinet. She scanned the shelves until she found a bottle of sleeping pills. Her horn glowed in an aura of magic, resulting in only a miniscule spike of pain, and she floated the container down from the shelf, pulling the lid off with a thought. Hmm... only three left. I’ll have to get more soon. She dumped a pill into her hoof and popped it in her mouth, placing the bottle back in the cabinet.
She trotted back into the bedroom and lay down, but kept seeing Dash speeding away, taking with her the shattered remains of the unicorn’s heart. Rarity rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around her. I just hope Fluttershy doesn’t take this too hard. Her intentions were pure, even if her methods were not. She sniffed back tears as she felt the painkillers start to take effect. Her mind finally wound down, and she fell into the comforting embrace of sleep.
She woke up in the deep, cushioning softness of a cloud bed. She felt the mattress shift next to her, and she opened her eyes to see Rainbow lying next to her. She moved forward and held her wife tightly. “I tried, love. I did all that I could, but she just wouldn’t listen-”
Dash silenced her with a kiss, then wiped away her lover’s tears before they could fall. “I know, I saw. I’m sorry, Rares.” She smiled glumly. “We both know how stubborn I can be.”
Rarity nodded, burying her face in the prismatic mane before her. “Something happened with her parents. I can’t just ask her to forget that.” She nuzzled into her wife’s neck, her tears soaking the chromatic hairs. “I had no other choice. I... I gave up on her. I let Rainbow be with Fluttershy. If we can’t all be together, I at least want them to be happy.”
Rainbow covered her wife with a wing and kissed her on the forehead. “I know, and I’m proud of you.” The pair nestled down into the bed, content to merely spend time holding one another and let the outside world pass them by.
Some time after Rarity had fallen asleep upstairs, the bell above the door chimed as it opened. An earth pony entered the building hesitantly, pausing to glance around the empty show room before entering and closing the door behind her.
“Rarity?” Applejack called tentatively, walking over to the doorway into the kitchen. “Dash?” She tried again, a little louder. No reply came, and she took a seat at the table, pulling her hat off and setting it down. “Well, shoot.” She rested her chin on a hoof and drummed the other on the table. Ah guess Dash ain’t here no more. As fer Rarity...
She glanced up the staircase to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. Ah could just pop up there and check- She shook her head, banishing the idea. No way, not again. Not after last time. A shudder passed through her as she remembered the last time she had entered the unicorn’s room unannounced. Ah coulda lived just fine never seein’ her do that. Then that durn uppity cat jumped all up in mah face, fangs bared and claws flyin’. She lifted a hoof to her cheek, where a small scar was hidden by her coat, a gift from Opalescence. And after all that, Rare still had the guts to make me model dresses fer her. Those monstrosities ain’t clothes, they’re silk and lace prisons.
Applejack stood up and placed her hat back on her head. “Well, Dash ain’t here, might as well get goin’.” She turned and started for the door, but stumbled as her hoof slipped on something. She looked down to see that she had stepped on a stray piece of paper. Never known Rare to be messy. She noticed several more sheets laying nearby, so she gathered them up and flipped them over. It took a few seconds of glancing over the drawing before she recognized it. These are... She flipped to the next page, and the next, and the next. Our Gala dresses. She smiled, remembering the fiasco that the Grand Galloping Gala had been until Fluttershy had burst in with all of the animals from the garden. She flipped to the next page and her breath caught in her throat.
“Whoa, nelly.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She dropped the papers onto the table and simply stared at the sketch, examining it piece by piece. The plunging neckline. The gentle slope of the saddle. The slippers that seemed to shimmer and glow even on paper. It was gorgeous. It was ineffably alluring. It was classy and elegant, yet somehow managed to be enticing and seductive at the same time. It was...
Twilight?!!
She backed away in sudden alarm. How would Twilight feel if she knew Applejack was leering over a sketch of her like that? Although, Ah gotta admit... She crept back toward the table warily, as if afraid it would bite her. Rare’s sure got a gift fer detail. Her eyes drifted along the drawing, ignoring the dress and focusing on the model beneath it. For the first time, she noticed just how toned Twilight was. Nothing on Dash, of course, but... Her gaze lingered on the sketch’s flank for a few seconds before she tore it away. She did herself wrong last night, sayin’ she was gettin’ a little pudgy. Kinda surprised Ah never noticed before, especially since Twi’s been goin’ outta her way to hang around.
She chuckled lightly, then pressed a hoof into her face. Ah really gotta check up on her... She’s a big girl, but she needs a friend somethin’ fierce right now. Applejack stepped away from the table and headed for the door. She pulled it open and looked back over her shoulder. After a moment of deliberation, she flipped the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’ and trotted outside. That outburst looked to have been a long time comin’. Maybe Ah can help her out, or at least give her a shoulder to cry on. She started down the road to the library, a renewed energy in her step.
She was there fer me when Ah needed her. Now it’s mah turn.
Chapter Fifteen
A Comforting Touch
Rarity and Rainbow Dash lay together on the latter’s bed, neither feeling the need to speak. Outside, the sun crawled ever closer to the horizon, bathing the room in a warm orange glow. Rarity glanced around the bedroom from her position laying on her wife’s chest. The walls were adorned with numerous Wonderbolts posters and weather charts, although the charts were all dated from several months ago. The mare below her noticed her restless movement and gave her a quick squeeze.
“Looking for something, Rares?” Dash asked, leaning down to give her lover a quick peck on the forehead.
“Hmm? Mmm.” Rarity’s response lost it’s questioning tone as she shivered after the light kiss. It took her a moment to remember that the other mare had asked her a question. “Oh, no. I was merely... exploring.” She rolled over, snuggling up to the pegasus and sighing as a comforting cyan hoof wrapped itself around her middle. “I’ve never actually been up to your house, yet it’s exactly what I expected it to be.” She found more posters on the far wall and a pile of dirty flight suits and goggles in the corner.
“Well, duh.” Rainbow leaned forward, resting her chin her the unicorn’s shoulder.
“I beg your pardon?” Rarity turned her head just in time to see the other mare roll her eyes.
“You just said you’ve never been here, and all of this is happening in that adorable little noggin of yours.” Dash paused to plant a kiss on her wife’s cheek. “So, it’s only natural that somewhere you’ve never been looks the way you imagine it would in your head.”
“Oh.” Rarity paused as the reality of the situation came back to her. “Oh, of course...” She mumbled, her gaze falling to stare at her hooves. I had almost forgotten. This is just... so nice. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a nuzzle from the pegasus behind her.
“Hey. Sorry about that.” Rainbow muttered, her voice muffled by her lover’s hair.
“About what, darling?” The unicorn rolled back over to face her wife, wrapping a foreleg around her and pulling her closer. “You did nothing wrong.”
“Yeah, I did.” Dash extended a wing, wrapping it around the other mare. Her normal confident smile was replaced by a downcast one. “I made you sad.”
“How did-” Rarity’s words were silenced by a kiss.
“I’m from up there too, Rares.” Rainbow punctuated her statement by tapping her wife on the nose. “I know everything you know.”
“Oh, right.” Rarity absently stroked the wing draped over her, marveling at the feel of each individual feather. An errant thought tugged at the corner of her psyche, but Dash moved before she could even voice the question forming in her mind. A gentle kiss against her neck turned whatever words had been forming into a contented sigh. “Mmm... I think I could get used to this.”
“Used to what, exactly?” Dash asked before planting another kiss on the swath of silken fur before her.
“You being so... attentive.” Rarity shivered as the kisses started moving along her neck, leaving small wet patches that chilled in the open air. She ran a hoof along the leading edge of the wing laying across her, smiling as its owner let out her own sigh of pleasure.
“Believe me, I think I-” Rainbow paused to lay down another kiss, slowly working her way up toward the unicorn’s muzzle. “-could get used to it too.” She made her way up the unicorn’s jawline, inching ever closer to her lips. She stopped just before reaching them, drawing a disappointed whine from her lover, but she trailed a hoof along the alabaster mare’s side and turned the whine into a moan. The pegasus began moving back along her lover’s muzzle, angling up toward her horn.
Rarity bit her lip, not wanting to say anything and risk spoiling the moment. Not the horn, love. I’m not quite... ready for that, yet. On cue, her wife changed course, headed for her ears instead. I’ve never understood the fascination with ears. She stifled a giggle as the edge of Rainbow’s mane tickled her ears, causing them to flick back and forth. Though, I shan’t knock it until I’ve tried it, as it were. She tried to keep from squirming as the trail of kisses rose ever higher, leading to more of her lover’s mane brushing her ear. After several excruciating seconds, the other mare reached her ear, but then stopped.
“You know, I don’t even really need to read your mind.” Dash whispered, grinning as her wife shuddered. “You do that cute little lip bite whenever you don’t like something, but you don’t want to say anything about it.” She leaned forward and kissed the ear in front of her, giggling as it flicked around and tickled her nose. “But... you could speak up and tell me what you do want. Unless you want me to occupy you with some kisses, of course. That would be fun, too.” She nipped her wife’s ear playfully, then moved back down to look her in the eye. “So? What’s it gonna be?”
Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but immediately lost herself in the other mare’s magenta eyes and the words dried up in her throat. In those eyes, she saw boundless depths of unconditional love, but there was something else. Just beneath the surface was a smoldering desire that she found contagious. She decided to forgo words and leaned forward, closing the final distance between them and pressing their lips together.
Rainbow pushed forward into the kiss hungrily, forcing the unicorn to roll onto her back and allowing Dash to climb on top of her. Rarity tried to keep pace with her wife, but quickly found herself being enveloped in a flurry of rapid-fire kisses that peppered her mouth and the surrounding area. Her lover once again started to trail pecks down her muzzle toward her neck, so she contented herself with laying back and enjoying the attention. She reached up and ran a hoof through the other mare’s mane, squirming on the bed as an occasional nip was mixed in with the kisses moving down her neck.
Dash paused for a moment, nuzzling into the expanse of white fur below her. She felt her wife’s tail twitching underneath her and entwined it with her own. She resumed kissing a path down the alabaster neck before her, but she glanced up and noticed her lover’s eyes were closed. Grinning playfully, she slowly unfurled her wings, taking care not to make any noise by ruffling her feathers. She gave a slow, languid lick down the unicorn’s collarbone, drawing a low moan from her. Rainbow moved back up slightly as her wingtips settled just above the other mare’s sides. She brought both wings down, dragging the primaries across her wife’s ribs, and paired them with a slightly more forceful nibble.
Rarity inhaled sharply. The twin sensations battled for supremacy, sending bolts of pleasure racing through her body before settling in her haunches, where a warm knot of tension was slowly forming in response to her paramour’s ministrations. Her tail tried to fidget back and forth, but it was tied up in her partner’s chromatic one, so the attempts only tugged at her hindquarters. She opened her mouth to speak, but the feather strokes returned and danced along her sides, tracing delightfully erratic patterns across her ribs. Any thought that had been forming in her mind dissolved amidst a surge of ecstasy, leaving only a satisfied moan to escape her lips.
She reached down and gently pulled her wife back up to eye level, wrapping a foreleg around her and bringing her in for a kiss. Dash was more than happy to oblige, darting her tongue between her lover’s lips. The unicorn fought back, running a hoof through Rainbow’s wing in an effort to distract her. The cyan mare moved the other wing lower, brushing it across her partner’s stomach. Their make-out session was interrupted as Rarity pulled away, trying in vain to stifle a round of giggles.
“What are you-” She stopped to let out one last chuckle. “-doing, love? She covered her stomach with a foreleg as the tittering laughter faded. “I’m a little ticklish there.”
“Oh, really?” Rainbow gave a predatory grin. “I think I’ll have to investigate this further.” She slid downward, nuzzling along her partner’s chest and forcing the protective hoof out of the way. She brushed her snout across the swath of fur and began planting kisses.
“No no no-oooo.” Rarity’s protests turned into a contented sigh as she let her wife continue to lavish her with attention. “Mmm... that feels wonderful, darling.”
Dash paused in her task to look up, smiling impishly. “You think this is good? We haven’t even gotten started yet.”
The world slowly came back into focus, though whether it took seconds or hours Rarity didn’t know. A sheen of sweat matted her coat and stung her eyes, forcing her to close them and wipe a forehoof across her face. The cloud-mattress shifted as her wife climbed back up the bed, laying down and snuggling up to her. She looked down to see the other mare smiling back up at her smugly.
“Enjoy yourself?” Rainbow asked, licking her lips.
“I... You... My...” Rarity sputtered incoherently for a few moments before deciding to forgo words and leaning down to give her lover a passionate kiss. She only pulled away when her lungs started to burn and remind her she needed to breathe. She lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling while her mind treated her to a replay of recent events. “That was... was... Goodness, I don’t even know what to say.”
“Yeah, I tend to have that effect on ponies.” Dash examined a hoof disinterestedly for a few seconds before snickering and burying her face in the unicorn’s chest. They laid there for a time, content to bask in the slowly fading sunlight as Celestia’s orb made its final descent below the horizon outside. The stars had just begun to twinkle into existence when Rainbow stirred, rolling onto her stomach and reaching up to stroke her wife’s cheek.
Rarity smiled and gazed into her lover’s eyes, seeing a pure and unconditional love in them that was every bit as warm as their coats pressed against one another. Her mind wandered, contemplating whether it might have been preferable for this existence to be the real world rather than the reality she wanted so desperately to escape. Fluttershy wouldn’t choose either of us for fear of hurting the other, and Rainbow won’t give me a chance. Do I even have a place there anymore?
“Don’t do that!” Dash snapped, rising up on an elbow and frowning.
The unicorn winced, knowing she had been caught, but resolved to play innocent. “Don’t what, darling?” She tried to pull the other mare back down to the bed.
“You know darn well what.” Rainbow shot back, pushing herself up. “Sweetie Belle would miss you, and so would your parents. You can’t just run and dream your life away. It’s not fair to everyone who depends on you.” She slumped down, and her voice softened. “I know it hurts, and I wish there was something I could do to make it better. You still have your friends, your family, and your life to go back to.”
Rarity pouted. “You know, it’s very difficult to have a good sulk around you.” She couldn’t help but smile as Dash stuck her tongue out playfully, but her mood quickly soured again as she thought about returning to the real world. “I suppose you’re right. It would hardly behoove a lady such as myself to run from her problems. Besides, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash need to see that I am happy for them, not that their being together is hurting me.” Despite her words, a stab of regret, tinged with a hint of jealousy, pierced her chest at the thought of her friends.
No. Don’t think that. She immediately rebuked herself. Your happiness isn’t worth more than theirs. They have every right to be happy, and now they can. Now that you’re... out of the way. Tears welled unbidden in her eyes, and she tried futilely to wipe them away. Wings enveloped her in a tight hug.
“Shh... It’s okay.” Dash stroked her wife’s mane as she tried to calm her. “You can be sad. Hay, I’d be surprised if you weren’t. The trick is that you can’t let it win. You have to be better than it. Stronger than it.” She pulled back and lifted the unicorn’s chin. “You’re too awesome to let something like this get you down.”
Rarity sniffed and wiped the residual tears from her eyes. “You... you really think I’m awesome?”
“Well, yeah.” Dash flashed one of her characteristic smiles. “You’d have to be to score a mare like me, don’tcha think?”
The alabaster mare rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible, love.” She wiggled out of the embrace and hopped down to the floor, stretching the stiffness from her legs. “Though, you are right, I suppose. I should be heading home.” She looked around the room for a moment. “Um... How do I get home, exactly?”
Rainbow jumped down from the bed and walked over to stand next to her wife. “You could always try falling. That usually works... for non-pegasi anyway. You fall, and then you wake up right before you hit the ground.”
“And how would you suggest I do that, hmm?” Rarity arched an eyebrow and gestured toward the window. “Do you propose I simply leap from the balcony?”
“You could.” Dash shrugged. “But if you’re chicken, we could just do this.” Without warning, she spun around and stomped the floor with her hind legs, knocking a large hole in it directly underneath the other mare.
Rarity’s eyes bulged for an instant before gravity overtook her and pulled her through the hole in the floor. She screamed on her way down, flailing her legs wildly as the wind whipped at her mane and tail. She dared to look down and saw the hard, unforgiving ground rushing up to meet her. She squeezed her eyes shut and let loose one final terrified scream.
Rarity was falling.
Dash could see it in her terrified expression. Despite the fact that she was now speeding after her with every bit of thrust her wings could manage, she wasn’t getting any closer. She could feel the strain all around her, the air before her was trying to hold her back. A familiar white cone formed before her, elongating and closing in on her ever tighter. The pressure built until it felt like it would crush her, but her hooves inched ever closer to it. All she had to do was reach it and the barrier would break. She knew she could do it, she had done it before, after all.
Actually, yeah. I have done this before... huh. She brushed the feeling off. She had a unicorn and some Wonderbolts to save. Her hooves touched the cone of compressed air and it parted, falling away with a resounding boom as she breached the sound barrier. A cocky grin crossed her face as she closed in on a familiar orange mane. Easy peasy. First Spitfire. She pulled the Wonderbolts’ leader onto her back. Then Soarin’. She grabbed the stallion as she sped past him. Finally, Misty Fly. The last stunt flier settled onto Rainbow’s back and she looked ahead. Just one more to go. Her smile faded. Something was horribly wrong.
She was still too far away. I should be closer by now. She quickly glanced between the ground and the falling unicorn. I’m still at least thirty feet away... should be less than five. A wave of fear washed over her as she tried to will herself to go faster, inching slowly closer. Her lungs ached, her muscles burned, and she let loose a feral scream. The world ceased to exist outside of her friend and the ground that was seconds away from obliterating her. No. I’ll save her. I have to.
Rarity looked up at her, smiling sadly as tears were pulled away from her eyes. She spoke, and somehow Dash heard her whisper over the roar of the wind. “J-Just promise me you will love her enough for both of us, won’t you?”
Dash yelled back, but the wind tore her voice away. No! I can’t let her down! I won’t!
“Rarity!” Rainbow screamed, bolting upright. She was covered in a cold sweat and her heart hammered in her chest. She looked around frantically, confusion replacing her panic as she realized she was sitting on a cloud. She remembered laying down to take a quick nap after leaving Carousel Boutique. That memory started a train of thought that she had tried to escape by napping. She flopped back down on the cloud, letting out an exasperated sigh and replaying her conversation with Rarity in her head yet again.
Were is not for Fluttershy, could you have loved me? Did we ever have a chance?
Dash pulled a bit of cloud off in her hooves and toyed with it absently. What did she mean? She grunted in frustration and squashed the bit of cloud she was playing with, a more pressing concern rising in her mind. Why the hay did she kiss me? The scene replayed in her head. Rarity leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, whispering softly before she pulled away.
I am so sorry, my love.
Rainbow slammed a hoof on the cloud below her, knocking a portion of it off to float away. Why did she call me that? Question after question flew through her mind, but she didn’t have any answers. When did this get so... complicated? She shut her eyes and draped a foreleg over them. A vision of Rarity falling at the end of her dream swam behind her eyes, but something tugged at the back of Dash’s mind. She had seen that same sad, resigned look before. She spent a few minutes pondering the situation before the answer leapt to the front of her mind.
It was the same look Rarity had given her right before she left the Boutique.
She looked like she wants to say something... important. Why didn’t she? What was it? She looks like I let her down somehow. But, I’m Rainbow Dash. I don’t know how to let ponies down. All of the deep, thought-provoking questions were giving Dash a headache. She kicked the cloud she was laying on with a hind leg, hitting it hard enough to destroy it. She fell through the air, savoring the wind whipping through her mane for a few seconds before rolling over and flaring her wings. She banked into a glide, angling for Fluttershy’s cottage.
She shook her head in irritation, dropping lower as she neared the cottage. That can't be right. I'm just feeling guilty. I mean... if Shy hadn't picked me I might try what Rares did myself. She alighted on Fluttershy's doorstep. That's all it was, stupid conscience. Rare's gonna be fine, she said so herself! Right now though... She looked nervously at the door. Right now, I need to get some things straight with Shy. After that, maybe we can both sit down and lay out some ground rules with Rares. I may not want to date her, but I still want us to be close friends. She smiled happily. Yeah, that's what we should do! She nodded, satisfied. Hey, I'm pretty good at this intro... interspec... um... self-talking-to thing! Yeah!
Rarity jerked awake in her bed, gasping for breath and feeling her heart race in her chest. Looking around frantically, it took a few seconds for her to realize she was safe in her bedroom and not, in fact, plummeting to her death. She stared at the ceiling and waited for her heart rate to return to normal.
“Very funny, Rainbow Dash.” She grumbled, though she couldn’t keep a slight smile from her face. Rolling over, she glanced out the window and saw the sun moving inexorably toward the horizon. Oh, dear. What time is it? She grabbed her alarm clock from the nightstand. Seven thirty? I slept for almost seven hours? She dropped the clock onto the bed and pressed a hoof to her forehead. Looks like I’ll be burning the midnight oil tonight, as it were.
She got out of bed and began compiling a list of projects that could occupy her time. Her gaze fell on the door to the bathroom and she remembered the nearly empty bottle of sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet. Hmm... I should probably get those refilled before the pharmacy closes. She trotted out of the bedroom and down the stairs. As she entered the show room, an errant thought ran through her head. Oh Celestia, I forgot to close the store! She looked around the empty room and broke into a canter over to the door. She stopped in the entryway as she saw the sign in the door had been flipped to ‘Closed’, though the bolt was still unlocked.
Odd... She grabbed a pair of saddlebags with her magic and pulled the door open, walking through it and flicking the lock shut before trotting toward the road. She passed Sugarcube Corner, but for once the bakery was dark and quiet. A few delectable aromas lingered in the air, but they were easily carried away by a slight breeze in the air. Her stomach growled as the wind died down and she caught a whiff of one baked good or another. She picked up her pace, turning a corner and crossing the street to a small store with various plants in the window and a sign above the door reading simply ‘Pill Pusher’s Pharmacy’.
Rarity pushed the door open, causing a bell above the door to jingle, and she stepped into the store. Numerous small lanterns hanging from the ceiling lit the room, revealing shelves packed with flowering plants, bottles of various colored liquids, and even a few small stones and crystals. The alabaster mare weaved around a display with a vial of bright green liquid that claimed to cure the Cutie Pox and stepped up to the counter at the back of the store.
“Good evening, miss. What can I do for you?” The stallion behind the counter asked. He was a slender unicorn with a muted green coat and a white mane streaked with several stripes of amber. The cutie mark on his flank was a white mortar and pestle.
“Oh, good evening.” Rarity looked him up and down. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, mister...?”
“Red Filler, but please, call me Refill.” Refill gave a short bow. “Mr. Pusher is on vacation this week, so he hired me to watch over things while he’s gone. Now, what can I do for you, miss...?”
“Rarity.” Rarity replied, dipping into a light curtsey. She glanced down at the pharmacist’s coat and bit her lip, trying to silence the question bubbling up in her mind by sheer force of will. After several seconds of deliberation, her curiosity finally got the better of her.
“I’m sorry. I know it’s dreadfully rude of me to ask, but I simply must.” She gestured in his direction with a hoof. “Red?”
“Yes.” Refill chuckled, turning and looking down at his leaf-green coat. “Don’t worry, I get that all the time. You see, my father was out of town on business when I was born, and my mother is colorblind. She can’t distinguish red from green, and she thought I was red when I was born, so that’s what she named me. If nothing else, it makes for an interesting story.” He finished with a shrug.
“Indeed it does.” She agreed, taking a moment to giggle at the notion before remembering her reason for visiting the pharmacy. “Anyway, I have a prescription for some sleeping pills, and I’m running out. Could you be a dear and refill it for me?” She pulled open her saddlebag with a pulse of magic and levitated a small scroll out of it, dropping it on the counter in front of the stallion.
“Let’s see what we’ve got here.” Refill picked up the scroll in an aura of light green telekinesis and unrolled it. He scanned down the parchment for a few seconds, nodding to himself. “Nighty-night Sleeping Pills, simple enough.” He leaned down, rummaging around under the counter for a bit before coming back up with a small orange bottle floating next to him. “Here we are. That’ll be five bits.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Filler.” Rarity floated the appropriate amount of coins from her saddlebags and dropped them onto the counter. “I appreciate you helping me at such a late hour.”
“It was my pleasure, Miss Rarity.” Refill pulled the bits across the wood, dropping them into a bag below the table. “Again, call me Refill, please.” He added, waving as the alabaster mare trotted out the door and into the night.
Chapter Sixteen
Getting Burned
Fluttershy reached the east wall of her living room and stared out the window, looking at the tops of Ponyville’s taller buildings which were barely visible from her house. She bit her lip and turned around to pace the length of the room yet again, just as she had been doing all morning. She walked mindlessly, forcing herself to move only because she couldn’t bear to stand still. Her hooves ached, her muscles burned, and she tasted the metallic tang of blood on her tongue from chewing on her lip so hard that she broke the skin. Despite all of this, she continued to pace her living room while her thoughts followed the same tired loop they had been since she got back from Rarity’s house.
What should I do? I have to choose. The longer I put it off, the worse it’s going to be... but how can I? If I pick one, I’ll have to break up with the other. That would hurt them. She stopped her pacing and turned to Angel’s hutch, where the rabbit was currently glaring at her over an empty food dish. “Oh Angel, what should I do?”
Angel began hopping around, gesturing in her direction, and squeaking angrily. After several seconds of ranting, he kicked the empty food dish, sending it sailing directly at his caretaker’s head. The pegasus mare dodged it easily, fixing the irate rabbit with a stern gaze.
“Angel Bunny, such language is not acceptable in this house.” Fluttershy trotted over to where the dish had landed and picked it up with a wing, never breaking eye contact with her favorite furry friend. “I know it’s lunch time, but if you can’t ask nicely, then you’ll just have to go without food for the day.” She waited patiently, engaging in yet another battle of wills with the rabbit. They stared at each other for nearly a minute before Angel caved in, huffing and pressing his paws together while looking up at his owner pleadingly.
“That’s better. Thank you.” She nodded and walked into the kitchen, pausing to drop the bowl on the table before she opened her refrigerator and pulled out a head of lettuce, a couple carrots, and a cucumber. She tore a few big leaves off of the lettuce and was cutting up the carrots when a new thought froze her in her tracks.
What if one of them figures it out? What if they discover I didn’t really pick one of them? Her mind immediately filled with images of Rarity and Rainbow Dash, but both of them wore pained expressions. She cowered, trying to hide under her table and escape the hurtful things her marefriends were saying in her head.
Not cool, ‘Shy. Rainbow spat, her face a mixture of anger and sadness. After all we’ve been through, you try this? Going behind my back? I didn’t even ask you to pick me, did I? Just to pick one of us. She blinked away tears forming in her eyes, her shoulders slumping. Did you ever stop to think about what would happen when we found out? Did you even think about how much it would hurt us? She sniffed and looked away. I can’t believe you would be so cruel.
Darling, please understand. I’m not angry, but I am disappointed. I expected better from you. I cannot and will not, be somepony’s mistress. Rarity explained, looking down on her with thinly veiled disgust. I shall have to reevaluate our friendship after this. She looked off to the side and shook her head. How could you? She and Dash turned and walked away, pausing only to throw one last dejected gaze over their shoulders.
A slice of carrot smacked her in the head, pulling her back to reality under her table. Fluttershy looked up to see Angel leaning down to look at her, his growing frustration clear on his face. She sheepishly crawled out from under the table and quickly finished chopping up the vegetables.
“Here.” She pushed the bowl across the table, where the rabbit was tapping his foot impatiently. He looked over the contents carefully before diving in, any earlier irritation forgotten.
The cream-colored mare walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch, burying her face in the pillows. She pressed her hooves over her ears, but the words continued to echo in her head.
I can’t believe you would be so cruel.
I expected better from you.
Every repetition broke her heart a little more. Her eyes welled with tears, which spilled over and trailed down her cheeks. She would have preferred them to be angry. She could hide from anger, but disappointment? The look of hurt and betrayal in their eyes cut her like a knife and crushed her. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, taking deep breaths to try and sooth herself. Calm down. They don’t know yet. I just have to choose soon and this will all be over. She stood up and started pacing the room again, weaving around her furniture.
Right. All I have to do it pick one... and break up with the other. I have to break the heart of one of my best friends after lying to them and building up their hopes. She fretted in her usual quiet way. Oh, I’m a horrible pony. Maybe I should just move away and send both of them a letter explaining what I did... but that would make both of them sad instead of just one. I don’t deserve either of them. She stopped and leaned forward, resting her head on the wall. Oh Celestia, I can’t do this. I should just-
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door which made her jump a little. She edged closer to the entryway cautiously calling out to her visitor. “Wh-Who is it?”
“It’s me, ‘Shy.” Rainbow’s voice carried through the wood. “You, uh... you got a minute?”
Fluttershy seized up, her heart rate rising and her ears flattening against her skull. She knows! She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath. No. Calm down. She just wants to talk. She doesn’t sound angry. There was something in Dash’s voice that gave her pause. She sounds... sad? Oh no. She took a moment to recover and trotted over to the door, pulling it open. “Hi, Rainbow Dash. Please, come in. What did you need?”
“Nothing.” Dash shrugged and walked through the doorway, though her step lacked its normal cocky swagger. She made her way over to the couch and took a seat, avoiding making eye contact. “I haven’t seen you in a couple days, so I just came by to check up on you.” She finally looked over at the other mare, giving a small smile. “Do I have to have a reason to see my marefriend?” She nestled down into the cushions and patted the spot next to her. “So, whatcha been up to?”
Fluttershy froze at the question. Relax. She just wants to talk. She doesn’t know... hopefully. Taking a deep breath, she walked across the room and sat down on the couch, leaving a small space between her and Rainbow. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears, and she had to fight the urge to hide behind her mane. She hated it. She didn’t want to feel this way around Rainbow Dash. She loved Dash, but that was the problem, wasn’t it? I love them both, so why can’t I be a good marefriend and just choose one of them? “Oh, um, I haven’t been doing any- Eep!” She let out a squeak as a cyan wing fell across her back and pulled her closer to her fillyfriend.
“What’s wrong, ‘Shy?” Dash asked, lifting her wing slightly.
“Oh, nothing!” Fluttershy responded, a little too quickly. She stared down at her hooves while she tapped them together. “You just, um, s-scared me a tiny bit.” She bit her lip, tasting a hint of blood again. I... I should tell her. I have to tell both of them. She looked up, running a hoof through her mane to move it out of her eyes. “Um, Dashie? I... I have something I need to tell you.” She felt Rainbow tense up next to her, causing her racing heart to spike even higher. She jumped. Why did she jump? Does she know? Oh Luna, she knows and now she’ll hate me!
After a moment, Dash relaxed again, but her eyes darted around nervously. “You don’t have to worry, ‘Shy. You can tell me anything, I promise I won’t get mad.” She smiled, but her voice betrayed her concern. “What kind of marefriend would I be if I wasn’t there for you?”
“Um, well, you see...” Fluttershy felt her already weak resolve crumbling in the face of Rainbow’s support, but she tried to press on. “It’s like this... I kind of... last night, Rar-” She stopped, wanting nothing more than to simply fall through the floor. I know she won’t get mad, but she’s going to be so disappointed! That’s worse. She squeezed her eyes and tried to blurt the truth out before she lost her nerve, but all that came out was a high pitched squeak. She let her head fall, silently cursing her own cowardice.
“It’s okay, ‘Shy. You don’t have to worry.” Dash gave her struggling marefriend a squeeze, trying and failing to keep an amused little smile off of her face. “I know what you’re trying to say.” She leaned over and kissed the other mare on the forehead.
“You do?” Fluttershy bolted upright, bumping into Dash’s nose as she sat up. Oh Celestia, she knows! The images and words her mind had conjured earlier came back, causing her to cringe in anticipation of the verbal assault her fillyfriend was surely preparing. “I’m sorry.” She whimpered.
Rainbow shook her head, chuckling to herself. “Seriously, ‘Shy. It’s fine. I’m not mad.”
Oh no! She’s not mad; she’s going to say she’s disappointed,that she hates me!
Dash reached out and laid a comforting hoof on the pink-maned mare’s cheek, then pulled her into a hug. “Stop worrying. Rarity told me everything.”
Fluttershy froze as her brain tried to process what she had just heard. Rarity... knows? Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. She looked into her marefriend’s eyes, feeling tears well in her own. “Please, Dashie. I can ex-” Her explanation was cut off by a pair of cyan lips.
“There’s no need.” Dash ran a hoof through her friend’s mane and leaned forward for another quick kiss. “Rarity already told me all about your dinner and your little plan.”
Plan? Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but couldn’t find any words. What plan? “Wh-What did she tell you?”
Rainbow leaned back into the couch, pulling the other mare down to snuggle. “She told me about dinner, the kiss, and how you two were going to talk to me about the three-way relationship again.”
“How did you find out about our... dinner?” Fluttershy asked, her mind working frantically to try and figure out whether Dash knew the dinner had been a date or not.
“Twilight saw you two leave the restaurant and kind of... followed you for a bit. That’s how she saw you kissing.” Dash shifted for a moment, then shook her head. “That doesn’t matter though. Like I said, Rarity told me about your plan, but I told her that it wouldn’t work, so she bowed out.”
Fluttershy felt like her head was going to explode. She needed time to process what she had just heard. She scooted to edge of the couch and hopped down. “Could you, um, excuse me for a moment?” Without waiting for a response, she galloped up the stairs to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She started pacing, trying to sort out all of the information she had just gleaned from Dash.
Okay, Rainbow Dash knows about Rarity and me having dinner, but doesn’t think it was a date. Rarity told her it was part of some “plan,” but why? She stopped as something Rainbow had said hit her. Rarity... bowed out? She gave up? Why? Does... does she not love me anymore? She sat on the edge of the bed. No, that’s not it, but then what is? A thought took root in her mind, but she tried to ignore it. Maybe she... no. What if... no.
She put her head in her hooves as the realization hit her like a kick to the stomach. Rarity gave up so that Dashie and I could be happy together. She sacrificed her own happiness for ours. She rubbed away the tears forming in her eyes, feeling her chest tighten as another thought struck her. Her legs gave out and she slid off the bed, landing on the floor with a dull *thud*. She took the blame so that Dashie wouldn’t be mad at me. She figured out that I was dating both of them, but she made it look like last night was her idea. She sniffed and closed her eyes, causing a tear to roll down her cheek and fall to wet the fur on her stomach. No. No crying. Not while Dashie is here. She’ll know. She got back to her hooves slowly, taking a moment to dry herself with the blanket from her bed.
Sweet Celestia, what have I done? I’m sorry Rarity. I won’t waste this chance you’ve given me. She trotted over to the door, pausing to take a few calming breaths, and went back downstairs, where Rainbow was still sitting on the couch.
“Everything okay, Shy?” Dash asked, leaning forward and hopping down from the couch. “You got out of here in a hurry.”
“Oh, yes. Everything’s fine.” Fluttershy ducked her head to hide behind her mane. She belatedly realized she needed an excuse for her rapid departure. “I just... really had to go to the bathroom.” An audible growl sounded from her stomach, and she felt an embarrassed blush bloom in her face. “Sorry. I, um, haven’t eaten lunch yet.” She perked up as a new idea came to her. “Would you, um, like to stay for lunch?”
“Sounds great.” Rainbow trotted toward the kitchen, licking her lips. She reared up on her hind legs, flaring her wings for balance, and started pulling open random cabinets. “I’m actually starving.” She looked over her shoulder and saw her marefriend giving her a questioning look. “I went running with Twi earlier today and missed lunch to go see Rarity. Whatcha feelin’ for lunch?”
“Well, um...” Fluttershy crept up behind Dash, watching the other mare rummage through every cabinet in the room. “I picked up some fresh daisies this morning, so I could make us some sandwiches.” She winced as her marefriend knocked a glass out of a cabinet, but let out a sigh of relief when the speedster caught it before it hit the floor.
“That sounds good. Where’s the bread?” Rainbow pulled open another cabinet and poked around, knocking a large porcelain bowl over. She dropped down onto all four hooves and lunged out with a wing to catch it, laying it on the counter gently. She made her way over to the table and sat down. “On second thought, I’ll just stay out of your way.”
Fluttershy busied herself with making lunch, heaping daisy blossoms onto a couple slices of bread. She tried to focus on the task, but something that her fillyfriend had said kept running though her head.
Like I said, Rarity told me about your plan, but I told her that it wouldn’t work, so she bowed out.
She put the sandwiches onto some plates and added a generous helping of baked oat chips. Then she grabbed a pair of glasses and filled them with water before balancing all of the food and drink on her back. She walked carefully over to the table, where Dash helped her unload the plates, eyeing her sandwich hungrily.
I told her it wouldn’t work...
“Dashie?” The word was out of Fluttershy’s mouth before she realized it. The mare in question looked up at her with a mouth full of sandwich, arching an eyebrow questioningly. “I was just, um, wondering...” She poked at her own sandwich with a hoof, doing her best to avoid eye contact. “Earlier, you said that Rarity told you about... our plan, and you told her it wouldn’t work.” She gathered her courage and looked up, meeting her fillyfriend’s gaze. “Why wouldn’t it work?”
Rainbow slumped down and pushed her food away. “It’s... a long story, and one I don’t really like to get into.” She picked up her glass, taking a quick drink before poking at her sandwich.
“Well, um...” Fluttershy put down her food and rubbed her hooves together nervously. “I would really like to know, if that’s okay with you.” She saw that Dash was still unconvinced, but her resolve was wavering. She leaned forward and pouted slightly, batting her eyelashes. “Pretty please?”
Dash chewed on her lip for a second before letting out a resigned sigh. “Ugh. Fine.” She grabbed an oat chip and popped it in her mouth, then pointed a hoof at her filly friend in mock-accusation. “That’s not fair, by the way. Nopony could resist that.” She lapsed into silence for a moment, taking one final deep breath before launching into her story.
“You remember my mom from when we were in Flight School, right? Did you ever wonder why you never met my dad?” She asked, earning a timid nod from the other mare. “Well, it’s because he ran off... with my mom.”
Fluttershy froze, the oat chip she had picked up falling back to her plate. She blinked a few times in confusion, trying to piece together what she had just heard. “So, your father ran off with... your mother?”
“Yeah... you know Moonshine, my birth mom. You never met Sunny Day, my other mom.” She chuckled as her fillyfriend stared at her in disbelief. “Oh jeez, that reaction never gets old, but yeah, I had two moms growing up. Moonshine was my biological mom, but I had another mom. They both loved my dad, and they were friends at first, I guess.” She shook her head. “Not that you could tell by the way they acted around one another. My mom, Moonshine, was always putting Sunny down because... she was sterile.” She smiled and moisture pooled in her eyes. “It didn’t matter. Sunny loved me like I was her foal. Hay, she was a better mom to me than Moonshine was. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to have a mom leftover after Sunny and my dad ran off, but Moonshine never loved me like Sunny did.”
“Things got bad the year before I started Flight School.” Dash picked up another oat chip and tossed it in her mouth. “Moonshine saw how close Sunny and I were getting, since she was helping me with my flying. Moonshine put Sunny down every chance she got, calling her worthless because she could never have a foal of her own and accusing her of trying to steal me, like I was a piece of property.” She wiped a hoof across her eyes, removing the tears there before they could fall. “Later on, I realized that she was scared. She was afraid that she was losing me, that I loved Sunny more than her. You know what? She was right. Sunny was a way better parent than she was, and I loved her more.” She grabbed her water glass, just to have something to do with her hooves. “It sounds horrible, but there were times that I wished I was Sunny’s foal. You could see it in her eyes how much she cared, how much she wanted a foal of her own, but she couldn’t have one.”
Rainbow blinked, not bothering to try and stem the tears flowing from her eyes. “I should have said something... done something. Maybe if I had, she wouldn’t have...” She shook her head, trying to dislodge the treacherous thoughts. “No. What happened, happened, and me beating myself up over it won’t change that. Anyway, Moonshine just kept giving Sunny a hard time, but she didn’t stop there. She started monopolizing my dad. They had been sharing him, but Moonshine started pulling him away from time with Sunny for ‘emergencies’ that didn’t exist. She did anything she could to keep him away from her.”
Her voice cracked as she kept talking. “Even that didn’t hurt her. All mom cared about was me, and making sure that they didn’t fight in front of me. After a while, Moonshine figured that out and started keeping me away from Sunny. That’s what finally broke her. That’s why she left.” She looked down at the table as a box of tissues slid toward her. Looking up, she saw her marefriend smile timidly. “Thanks.” She said, grabbing one to wipe her eyes.
“You’re welcome.” Fluttershy mumbled, taking a tissue for herself to dab at her own moist eyes. “So she, um, Sunny Day, just left your real mom and dad?”
“Yeah.” Dash nodded, pulling another tissue from the box. “She left me a note. It s-said that she w-wanted me to know that she l-loved me, and that she... she left so that I wouldn’t have to be around her and Moonshine arguing all the time. A few days later, my dad left too.” She wiped the tissue across her eyes as a fresh round of tears flowed out. “He said he was going to find Sunny and bring her back, but we never saw him again.”
“Dashie, I... I’m so sorry. So, that’s why Moonshine was always... seeing new ponies?” Fluttershy asked, dropping her gaze to the table.
“Seeing them?” Rainbow scoffed. “I don’t know about that, but that’s why she slept around so much.”
“Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy reprimanded the cyan mare. “Now, I know that you didn’t like the way your mom chose to live her life, but it was just that, her choice.” She paused, and her voice was softer when she started speaking again. “I know you were disappointed in how she chose to... sleep around, but surely you could see that it was the way she dealt with her pain.”
“Her... pain?” Dash looked up questioningly. Her gaze hardened as the meaning behind those words hit her, and her upper lip pulled back in a snarl. “Her pain? What about my pain? What about how I lost my mother? The one pony in the world who really cared about me. What about-” She stopped, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. “No. That’s not important. This isn’t about the past, it’s about us. It’s why we can’t do this. I like Rares, I really do. I like all you girls, but we’d only be doing it so that we could both be with you, so that we could share you. It might work out at first, but it wouldn’t last.” She shuddered as the conversation brought up more painful memories. “Rares and I would start arguing and fighting because one of us thought we’d been cheated on some stupid little thing. We’d both be jealous of the time you spent with the other... I can’t do that. I won’t do that.” She got up and stalked over to the couch to sit down, letting her head lay on the arm rest.
Fluttershy joined Dash on the couch and extended a wing over her shoulders. "Nopony wants to make you do anything, Rainbow. I never realized what you went through as a foal, it really helps to have it explained. Thank you for trusting me." Even though I really don't deserve it. No, stop it now. Be worthy of her trust. They snuggled together on the couch for some time after that.
Rainbow finally lifted her head from the embrace, clearing her throat. "I was supposed to tell you something... um... Rares said she still loves you. She gave us her blessing. I dunno, like I needed it, but it felt kinda nice... Like she was saying no hard feelings, you know?" She smiled at that, but it was a very sad smile.
Fluttershy didn't know what to say, it was all too much for her to process right then. It's okay? She still loves me, even knowing I was dating them both, and she just wants me to be happy? She was fighting back tears, Rarity loved her. No matter that she had messed everything up, Rarity loved her enough to do this for her.
Dash seemed nervous at her lack of response. "Shy, do you... want to be with her instead?” She paused, visibly struggling to maintain her composure. “I-I mean... I love you, and I want you to be happy. If you need to be with Rares... It would hurt, I won't pretend it wouldn't, but I would be happy for you as long as you were happy. I love you, and even though I don't love Rares... I know she loves you, she would make you happy.” She looked into her marefriend’s eyes as tears welled in her own. “I-Is that what you want?"
Fluttershy had to choke back a sob. She was being offered a choice again, after Rarity had effectively taken it from her. Looking down at the morose mare in her embrace, however, it was not a real choice. Rarity was the strongest of them, she had taken the burden. Oh, I wish I could be as strong as she is. She had taken her chance at happiness and selflessly given it to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, giving up to let them be happy. Rarity knew what she had done, and still loved her. She even gave her blessing for this to happen. Rainbow and Fluttershy needed one another to be strong.
"Thank you, but I made the right choice. If it can't be all of us... you need me, and I need you." Fluttershy smiled and pulled Dash closer and they nestled down into couch.
“I love you, ‘Shy.” Rainbow whispered, giving her marefriend a quick squeeze.
“I love you too, Dashie.”
Chapter Seventeen
Two of a Kind
Twilight finally slowed down as she reached Ponyville. She reached up and rubbed the last of her tears away from her eyes with her hurt foreleg. She looked around, noticing an occasional sideways glance being thrown her way. Her mind tried to run a hundred different directions at once, but any thought that fought its way to the forefront of her mind was erased by the pain of each step on her injured leg. What had started out as a twinge of pain with each step had rapidly escalated to a searing agony whenever she put any weight on it. She briefly considered trying to avoid walking on it, but figured that hobbling through town would draw more attention than trying to bear the pain.
Ow. Ow. Ow. She grimaced rhythmically as spikes of pain shot through her leg with each step. I hope nothing’s broken in there. She glanced over her shoulder, looking back down the road she had just come running down, and shook her head. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I run on it? I should know better. Her mind tortured her with images of Applejack trying to kick down the door and explaining how she wanted to go find Rainbow Dash, as if to say Yes, you should, but you weren’t thinking, were you? Her breathing finally returned to normal as she approached the library, though each breath was accompanied by a sharp stabbing pain in her side. Celestia, I think I broke a rib. She took a deep breath, wincing as several spots along her side flared in pain. Maybe more than one. She took a moment to run a hoof through her windswept mane before opening the door.
Twilight quickly glanced around the library quickly, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized that Spike wasn’t around. She hobbled into the main room and slowly made her way along one of the bookshelves and scanning the titles. J... K... L... Here we go, M. Magic, general. Magic, talent. Metaphysics. Ah, medicine. She reached up with her injured hoof and gingerly pulled a tome from the wall. She placed it on the floor and read the title. The Marvelous Multitudes of Medical Magic. Just what I was looking for. She flipped open the cover to check the table of contents, but a spot of color in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She craned her head and saw a note on the table in the middle of the room.
Calling on her magic, she floated the parchment over to her, nearly dropping it twice as the pain in her side and leg surged. She tried to focus through it, but the pain only reminded her of her outburst in Applejack’s kitchen, and the memory in turn brought back a flood of emotions. She squeezed her eyes shut against tears that were forming in them. A soft fwoosh sounded in the empty library, and Twilight opened her eyes to see the charred remains of the paper floating down to the ground.
Horseapples! Okay... no magic. She closed the book she had taken down and placed it back in the empty spot on the shelf. She stood up, holding her injured leg off the ground, walked across the room, and started climbing the staircase. About halfway up, her good foreleg slipped out from under her, and she reflexively extended her injured leg to catch herself. She landed hard on it; she heard a sickening crack and felt something snap in her ankle as it crumpled under her, sending her sprawling out on the staircase. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and tears streamed down her face.
She lay on the stairs and sobbed, though whether her tears came more from the pain in her leg and side or the one in her heart, she couldn’t tell. Minutes passed, and she faintly heard the bells of the Ponyville clock tower chime the beginning of a new hour, but still she couldn’t summon the willpower to move. Eventually, the front door opened and admitted a baby dragon into the building.
“Hey Twilight, I’m ho—” Spike’s words died in his throat when he saw his caretaker lying on the stairs, crying. “Twilight!” He rushed over to the staircase, dropping the brown paper bag he was carrying at the door. “What happened? Are you okay?” He reached out to help her up, but stopped short, not wanting to aggravate any potential injuries.
“I-I’m fine, Spike.” Twilight rubbed at her eyes with her good foreleg. “I just tripped and fell.” She braced herself to stand, not wanting to worry her assistant, but she remembered the pain of her injured hoof landing on the staircase and thought better of trying to get up by herself. “Actually, I think I might have... sprained my ankle when I fell. Could you help me up to my room?”
Spike opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and nodded. “Okay.” He squatted down and draped the unicorn’s hurt leg across his shoulders, taking care to be as gentle as possible, but the movement still made Twilight wince in pain. “Ready?” She nodded, biting her lower lip and squeezing her eyes shut. “Alright, on three. One. Two. Three.”
They stood together slowly, and Twilight drew in a pained hiss of breath. She lifted her good foreleg and planted it on the next step, pushing herself up as Spike climbed up alongside her. The pair ascended at a snail’s pace, and each step was a fresh wave of agony. The pain shooting through her leg made it difficult for Twilight to focus on anything other than the next step. However, one thought was forced through the discomfort, and in her mind she saw Applejack standing before her, tears glistening in her eyes.
Ya don’t know what it’s like. Seein’ her every day, wantin’ nothin’ more than to just hold her and let her know that you’d do anythin’ to make her happy. Knowin’ that at the end of the day, she’s got somepony to come home to, but all you’ve got is an empty bed.
Twilight gritted her teeth and pushed up onto the next step, a lance of pain running up her leg as Spike climbed the step a little too quickly next to her. Well, I suppose I should have seen this coming. She winced, letting out a pained grunt as they rose to the next step. I knew Applejack was in love with Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t expect her to just forget about that because I have some... The rest of her thought seemed to catch in her throat, and she swallowed as if to clear it. Some silly little crush on her.
“Twilight?” Spike tapped a claw against the unicorn’s chest, startling her out of her thoughts. “Could you get the door?” He waved a hand in the direction of the door, not quite able to reach the handle.
She hesitated, remembering the charred parchment on the floor from the last time she tried to use magic. “Sure, one sec.” She leaned on Spike’s shoulder, drawing a strained grunt from the baby dragon, and lifted her good foreleg to press the handle and open the door. She glanced down to see her assistant looking at her with a confused expression, but she started walking again before he could say anything. They hobbled over to the bed and Twilight climbed up onto it, wincing as the movement stretched her injured ribs. She settled into the mattress while Spike pulled the covers up over her then laid an extra pillow down for her to rest her hurt foreleg on.
“Do you need anything, Twilight? Something to eat or drink?” He tapped a claw from each hand together. “Do you want me to go get Nurse Redheart?”
Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but realized she didn’t have an answer. The rational portion of her brain knew that she needed to get her leg looked at, and having her ribs checked out wouldn’t hurt, but the emotional side of her brain just wanted to lie in bed and cry for a few hours.
“Later.” She eventually said, laying her head back on the pillow behind her. “Right now, I just want to get some rest.” She paused and an errant thought came to mind. “Where were you, anyway?”
Spike shrugged. “I was at the market, getting some fresh alfalfa and wheat for dinner tonight.” He waddled over to the door, pulling it partway closed and getting ready to head back downstairs. “I left you a note on the table. Didn’t you get it?”
Twilight bit her lip, unsure whether she wanted to tell him about the parchment’s fate and worry him further. “No. I must have missed it.” She gave an exaggerated stretch, hiding a wince as it tweaked her injured ribs. “Anyway, I’m gonna get a little rest. Let me know when dinner’s ready, please.” She nestled into the bed, turning her face away from the door.
“Alright.” Spike eased the door closed and started down the staircase, several different thoughts vying for attention. Part of him wanted to march back up to Twilight’s room and demand to know why he had found her crying on the staircase when he got home, but another portion of his mind knew he needed to go find somepony to look at the unicorn’s leg. He paused a few steps down from the door, tapping a claw to his chin, but his thoughts were interrupted by a sound from Twilight’s room.
That sounded like... no, I’m sure it wasn’t. He went to resume his descent of the stairs, but stopped as he heard the noise a second time. Curiosity won out over his desire to give the injured mare some privacy, and he crept back up the stairs, pressing an ear to the wood. His stomach dropped as he listened to the sounds coming from the other side.
Twilight was crying, and Spike had a feeling it wasn’t because of her leg.
He backed away from the door and quietly retreated down the staircase. He hopped off of the bottom step, a plan forming in his mind. I’ve gotta go find Nurse Redheart. Once she’s looked at Twilight’s leg, I can get some answers. He waddled over to the front door and left the building, heading off in search of help.
Meanwhile, Applejack plodded her way down the road between Carousel Boutique and the Golden Oaks Library, though she had yet to decide exactly what she was going to say to Twilight. She quickened her pace, breaking into a light trot. Her mind continued to whirl, replaying the unicorn crying in her kitchen before running away.
Consarnit. She slowed back to a walk, dragging her hooves in the dirt. What’s gotten into that girl? She kicked a pebble on the road, sending it clattering ahead of her. She glanced back over her shoulder at the empty Boutique, then shook her head and replayed the entire encounter in her mind, her spirits falling with each step. Ah guess Ah was leanin’ on her pretty hard. Blowin’ her off to chase after Dash was just the apple that tipped the cart. Her head fell a little, causing her hat to slide forward. Ah reckon Ah owe her one doozy of an apology.
Applejack knew Twilight well, and she had known she'd gone too far the moment the words passed her lips. Thinking back now however, it didn't fit. She'd expected the snarkiness, hay, she'd even expected the anger. But there had been something else there.
"I wouldn't know about crying yourself to sleep at night, wishing they were there to hold you, or that you could wake up and have them be the first thing you see in the morning..." Twilight's voice had pitched there; And she'd had something in her eyes that had confused Applejack until she convinced herself that she must have been imagining it.
Hurt. A mixture of frustration, hurt and raw sadness had been there and she'd just discarded it because she couldn't understand why Twilight could be feeling that way...
She kept walking and almost stumbled over a rock in the path. She looked around and realized she was nearing the library, so she trotted over to a bench and lay down. Well, Ah think that it’s obvious she’s pinin’ after somepony somethin’ fierce... but who? And how’d Ah miss it fer so long? She thought back to their dinner from last night, only to realize that she barely remembered anything that Twilight had said, other than asking to train together. She tried to recall anything from their training session earlier, but again she couldn’t clearly place anything the unicorn had said before finally admitting Rainbow had left to go talk to Rarity.
Some friend Ah’ve been. She slumped down, resting her head on her forelegs and letting out a heavy sigh. Her eyes drifted shut, but snapped back open when a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning.
What if it’s Dash?
The earth pony swallowed. It was one thing to be competing with Fluttershy for Rainbow Dash’s affections. She knew that Fluttershy had Rarity nipping at her heels, so even if Dash chose Applejack over her, Fluttershy would still have the fashionista to fall back on. Oh Celestia, that sounds horrible. The orange mare pulled her hat down over her face.
Her initial reaction was to dismiss the idea; they were simply too different, like an apple and an orange. She chuckled silently to herself. Ah don’t think that metaphor is quite up to the task of tellin’ how far apart Dash and Twi are. They’re more like night and day. Her mirth died as she realized that the degree of difference between the unicorn and pegasus moved them out of the ‘It’ll never work because they’re too different’ category and into the ‘They’re so opposite that it works beautifully’ one. She swallowed and could feel herself starting to break out in a cold sweat.
If Twilight was interested in Rainbow, though, that... complicated things. There were certain things she could do that the farm pony just couldn’t compete with. First and foremost among them was her magic. She could do unbelievable things just as easily as she could breathe. Hay, she can even magic up some wings and fly if’n she wants to. Girl might as well be one of the princesses.
Applejack ran through the situation again mentally. Let’s start with the one thing we know fer sure; Twi’s got a mighty serious crush on somepony, but who? Snippets from the earlier training session flashed through her head. Rainbow unexpectedly showing up with Twilight, then leaving just as abruptly. Twilight being evasive, then outright lying about where Dash had run off to. The unicorn stopping her from following Dash over to Carousel Boutique before breaking down, crying, yelling, and running away. Each image drove a spike of pain further into her heart as a seemingly insurmountable pile of evidence stacked up against her.
It... fits. She bit her lip to keep a disappointed whine from escaping her throat. An urge to simply turn around and make the lonely trek home rose up in her chest, but she pushed it down and hopped down off of the bench, suddenly uncomfortable sitting still. She trotted up to the library and knocked on the door. While she waited for somepony to answer it, another rogue idea pulled at her thoughts.
It ain’t me, is it?
She chuckled and turned back to focus on the door before her. Nah, it can’t be me. What could an amazin’ mare like Twi possibly see in some plain ol’ Ponyville apple farmer? She stared at the wood grains, and her mind briefly flitted back to last night’s dinner and the morning’s training session again. So then, it’s probably one of Rarity, Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash... maybe even Pinkie Pie. She reached up and adjusted her hat, wiggling it around for a few moments before leaving it exactly where it had been.
Her eyes widened as the last piece clicked into place: her anger with Twilight for running off during their shared meal, the problems that morning in the farmhouse, all the little strains in Twilight's expressions... Oh Celestia, Ah really have been a lousy friend recently. Ah wasn't just leanin' on her, she was leanin' on me too!
After a while, she blinked and realized she had been standing in front of the closed door for nearly five minutes after knocking. Well... it is a library. She pressed a hoof to the wood and it opened easily.
“Twi?” She poked her head in and looked around the deserted main floor of the library. “Spike? Anypony in here?” She stepped through the threshold and gently kicked the door shut behind her with a soft click. She walked over to the kitchen and glanced inside, then called down into the basement, her expression becoming more and more confused with each empty area she checked. She moved back out to the middle of the main room, her hooves striking the wooden floor the only sound breaking the silence.
“Ah don’t think Twi’d leave the place empty, least not without a note on the door.” She thought aloud to herself, pacing around the table in the middle of the room. After three laps of the table and no new ideas about where to look for Twilight, Applejack let out a sigh and started for the door. Oh fer two today. She laid a hoof on the handle, but stopped as a faint noise caught her attention. She swiveled an ear around back toward the center of the room, listening for it again.
Squeak.
She stepped away from the door, turning to follow her best guess of where the noise had come from. She found herself facing the staircase, and by extension the door to Twilight’s bedroom. Well, it is the one room Ah haven’t checked yet... She took a step toward the staircase, then stopped. Then again, maybe Ah shouldn’t. She started to turn away, but her curiosity held her back. What if somethin’s wrong? Better safe than sorry, right? It was faulty reasoning, and she knew it, but it was enough for her to press onward. She waited, waiting to hear the sound one more time before going up the stairs. Time stretched on into one minute, then two, and just as she was about to give up and leave, she heard something.
“Achoo!”
Gotcha. She trotted over to the staircase, climbing it in a matter of seconds. “Twi? Can Ah come in?” She waited for an answer, but none came. She tapped her hoof, her patience rapidly waning. “Come on, Twilight. Ah know yer in there, and Ah ain’t leavin’ ‘til ya let me so we can talk.” She sat down and leaned against the wall, pulling her hat down over her eyes. “Whenever yer ready, sugarcube.” She waited and heard a few more squeaks and creaks that she assumed were from the bed springs, followed by a soft voice through the door.
“Come in.”
Applejack stood up and opened the door, pushing her Stetson further back on her head. Inside, she found Twilight sitting in bed and looking out the window, her injured leg resting on a pillow. The fur on her cheeks was wet and matted. She’s been cryin’ again... or maybe she never stopped. She walked up to the side of the bed, suddenly unsure of what to say. “H-hey, Twi.”
“What do you want?” Twilight spat, never turning away from the window.
The earth pony winced at her friend’s sharp tone, but pressed on regardless. “Ah wanted to come by and say Ah’m sorry fer how Ah was actin’ back at the farm.”
“Apology accepted.” Twilight didn’t even look at her, keeping her gaze firmly out the window and shrinking away as Applejack stepped forward. “Although, I don’t know why you would feel the need to apologize.” She continued quickly. “It’s not like you did anything wrong, did you?”
Applejack bit her tongue against the pure sarcasm dripping from the unicorn’s words, but she didn’t reply and took a deep breath instead. “Anyway, Ah just wanted to see if’n ya wanted to talk about it.” She smiled. “Seems to me we’re in the same boat, after all. So, who’s the lucky stallion?”
Twilight turned back to the window, her mouth set in a hard line, but after a moment she let out a sigh. “I... don’t want to talk about it.”
“Maybe not a stallion... a mare, then?” Applejack sat down and lifted her forelegs to rest them on the bed. “Do Ah know her?” She waited for an answer, but the other mare only shifted on the bed, edging over to the far side. “Is it Miss Cheerilee? Ah could just see you two all cozied down in front of the fire with a good book.”
“No.” The unicorn replied. She bit her lip and shot a worried glance at the other mare. “Really, AJ, it’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it.”
“Come on, Twi. Ah bet it’ll help to get it off yer chest.” Applejack reached across the bed and laid a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, but felt the other mare tense under her touch. She thought silently for a few moments before continuing. “What about Carrot Top? You’ve always been friendly with her.” She leaned forward, waiting for an answer, but Twilight merely went back to looking out the window. Her ears folded back as she stared out at the town, as if she were trying to will Applejack into giving up. “Or maybe Roseluck? Ah’ve seen ya talkin’ to her a good deal lately.” A shake of the head was her only answer. The farm pony kept wracking her brain for more possible ponies her friend could be interested in. “What about one of them spa sisters, Aloe or Lotus?”
“No.” Twilight finally spoke again, but her voice was more akin to a growl.
“What about Carrot Top? You’ve always been friendly with her.” Applejack leaned forward as she spoke.
Who? Twilight turned to look back out the window in order to cover her momentary confusion. She wracked her brain for a face to match with the name. She must mean Golden Harvest. Well, at least she’s on the right track. Right profession, wrong produce.
“Or maybe Roseluck? Ah’ve seen ya talkin’ to her a good deal lately.” Applejack kept trying, despite the unicorn’s wishes that she wouldn’t.
Roseluck? Really? Twilight shook her head, but as she did, her mind flashed back to several conversations she’d had with the rose salespony over the last few weeks. Though, she has a point... too bad I was only talking to Roseluck because I was trying to work up the courage to buy a bouquet of roses for you, you beautifully dense mare.
“What about one of them spa sisters, Aloe or Lotus?”
Oh, for the love of Luna! The unicorn gritted her teeth and could hear them grinding in her ears. The spa sisters? Do I look like a pony that goes to the spa a lot? Okay, Rarity used to invite me along every week, then it started getting really obvious that she had a thing for Fluttershy, but didn’t have the courage to tell her. I didn’t want to get involved with that again, not after the mess with 'Shy's modeling. She tried to remain calm, but the farm pony’s repeated and increasingly off-the-mark guesses were wearing on her patience. “No.” She growled.
Applejack glanced off to the side, seeming to wrestle with herself. After a second, she made a decision and took a deep breath before speaking. “Is it... one of our friends?” She asked, forcing herself to keep looking at her friend.
Twilight cringed at the question. She finally turned away from the window and looked at the other mare pleadingly. “Please, AJ. Just drop it.” Her gaze fell down to the bed. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. S-She’s head-over-hooves in love with somepony else.” She peeked back up and saw the other mare take a deep breath.
“Is it... Fluttershy?” The farmer ventured, rubbing a hoof along her foreleg.
The unicorn rolled her eyes, but didn’t raise her head from looking at the sheets. Sure, because she doesn’t have enough trouble with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I should throw my hat in the ring, then Fluttershy could have herself her own little harem. She sighed, letting the thoughts run their course and die out before she tried to speak. “No, it’s not her.”
“Maybe Rarity then?” Applejack’s voice was barely above a whisper.
Rarity? Oh sure, because she's a unicorn too, right? Maybe you think I'm stuck up because I grew up in Canterlot? Is that why you never... Ugh! No, it's not Rarity you stubborn, blind, adorably stupid pony! Twilight bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping at the floundering earth pony and simply shook her head.
She saw some of the color drain from Applejack’s face out of the corner of her eye. The other mare seemed to take a moment to gather her courage. When she spoke again, her voice had a slight tremor to it. “Look, Ah hate to pry like this, but it ain’t Dash, is it?”
“What?” Twilight’s head whipped up, and a spark of anger flashed in her eyes. “No, it’s not Rainbow! It’s not enough that you and Fluttershy are chasing after her, so I have to be in love with her too?” She snarled and went back to staring out the window, fuming silently to herself. In love with Rainbow Dash my flank.
“P-Pinkie Pie?” The farm pony muttered the last name halfheartedly, and the glare it earned her told her all she needed to know about that possibility. The lavender mare huffed, silently cursing her crush’s mental density.
Should I... tell her? The question gave her pause as she considered it.
What if she says yes? What if she agrees? She swallowed, trying to remove her heart from its new residence in her throat. Images flashed through her mind of her and Applejack together: the two of them resting under a tree during Applebuck Season, sitting around the dinner table at the farmhouse, and curled up in front of the fire with a good book in the dead of winter. She spared a quick glance over at Applejack, who was looking around the room, her mouth alternating between a concerned frown and a relieved smile.
The image in her head shifted, turning back to the afternoon with Applejack in the kitchen. That same wonderfully infuriating earth pony was yelling at her and trying to buck down the door to go after Rainbow Dash. Oh, who am I kidding? Twilight let her head fall, squeezing her eyes shut against tears that she could feel stirring in her chest. She loves Rainbow, plain and simple. Telling her wouldn’t accomplish anything. It would only make things awkward between us. She sat up a little straighter, making sure she had a firm hold on her emotions before speaking. “I’m sorry AJ. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. You were just trying to help.” She gave the best fake smile she could, turning to face her friend. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but some things we have to face alone.”
“Twilight...” Applejack tried to form a response, but she couldn’t find anything to say. She stood up and walked over to the door, stopping before heading back downstairs. She turned back, concern clearly etched on her face. “Just remember, Ah’m here fer ya, if’n ya wanna talk about it later.” She waited a few moments for an answer, but received only a small nod in response, so she stepped out and closed the door behind her. As she made her way down the stairs, the door to the library opened to admit Spike, who was talking to someone behind him.
“—know those three can be a hoofful, but this is a new level of carnage, even for them.” He stepped aside and held the door for a white earth pony mare with a light pink mane and a white hat. She was carrying a lumpy bag on her back with a large red cross on it. “There are only what, two, maybe three hills in the White Tail Woods, aren’t there? How do you cause a rock slide with three hills?”
“I don’t know and quite frankly, I don’t care.” Nurse Redheart stopped once she was through the doorway, pressing a hoof between her eyes and shaking her head. “All I know is that one minute I’m enjoying a nice quiet afternoon, and the next thing I know, twenty-five little fillies and colts come limping into the Emergency Room, headed by none other than Miss Cheerilee and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were somehow completely unharmed.”
“Howdy there, Spike, Nurse Redheart.” Applejack reached up and tipped her hat to the two new arrivals, earning a surprised gawk from the baby dragon and a raised eyebrow from the nurse. “Ya here to check on, Twi? She’s waitin’ fer ya.” She hurried down the stairs and stepped aside, making room for Redheart to head up to Twilight’s room.
“AJ, I thought I told—” The unicorn’s words drifted down through the open door, cutting off as she realized her visitor was not Applejack. “Oh, Nurse Redheart. What a pleasant-” The door swung shut yet again, muffling the rest of the conversation.
Applejack turned away from the bedroom door and back to Spike, who was now eyeing her with his lip drawn back in a sneer. She cleared her throat and tried to smile, but it came off as forced and nervous. “Well, Ah just came by to check on Twilight, so if’n you’ll excuse me, Ah gotta be headin’ back to the farm.” The baby dragon only narrowed his eyes slightly, so she edged her way around the room and left the building.
Well, Ah guess that settles that. She trudged away from the library, her head hanging low. She thought about how Twilight had tried to dissuade her questions, then vehemntly denied that Dash was the object of her affections. If’n it really weren’t Rainbow, Ah don’t think she’d have been so... forceful about it. After several seconds of walking, she heard the door open and close again behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Spike jogging to catch up with her.
“Hey, Applejack! Wait up!” He called after her, his clawed feet scrabbling across the cobblestones as quickly as he could move them. He came to a stop a few feet from the earth pony, crossing his arms and letting out an annoyed huff that sent a wisp of smoke curling through the air. They regarded each other coolly for a few seconds before Spike spoke up again. “Just what do you think you’re doing, AJ?”
“Uh, beg pardon there, sugarcube?” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “Ah was just visitin’ Twi, is all. Ah wanted to check up on her after she bolted from mah house like a cat with its tail caught in a wheat thresher.”
“Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage for one day?” Spike shot back, a tiny lick of flame spilling forth before vanishing into the air. He kept going before the earth pony could respond. “It was bad enough when she was crying herself to sleep at night, but then I come home today to find her crying on the staircase, unable to even stand up.” He began pacing, trying to burn off some of his angry energy, and his rant was accompanied by a steady stream of smoke from his nostrils and an occasional flicker of dragonfire. “Then, while I’m out trying to get Nurse Redheart to come take a look at her, you just show up out of the blue.”
“Whoa there, Nelly.” Applejack took a step back, raising a placating hoof. “What’s this ‘bout Twi cryin’ herself to sleep?” A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, but it was just Nurse Redheart walking past. She looked back to Spike, who was simply staring at her. “It’s like Ah said, Ah was comin’ by to check on her since she left mah house with a bum leg, but ya beat me to it.” She shook her head and sighed, looking up at the window to Twilight’s room. “Ah tried to get her to talk about it, but she was ‘bout as tight lipped as Big Mac playin’ charades. A blind mule could tell that she’s got it bad fer somepony, but Ah can’t get her to tell me who it is.”
Spike’s anger drained away instantly. “You don’t...” He ran a hand through the spikes on his head. When he spoke again, his tone was one of disbelief. “You don’t know?”
The earth pony shook her head. “Nnope. Ah was able to get her to admit that it was... one of the five of us.” Spike arched an eyebrow at this, so she clarified. “One of our friends. Though, Ah guess it’d be four rather than five, on account of she started yellin’ at me when Ah brought up Dash’s name.” She pulled her hat off and ran a hoof through her mane. “Mah bits are on ‘Shy. Celestia knows that mare could melt the heart of a Wendigo, but Ah reckon Twi doesn’t wanna say anythin’, what with ‘Shy already bein’ in the middle of a mess and all.”
Spike’s confusion disappeared in a flash as his anger returned with a vengeance. “No.” He growled through gritted teeth. “It’s not Fluttershy.”
“You know who it is?” Applejack moved to take a step forward, but froze in the face of the baby dragon’s intense glare. She swallowed nervously. “W-well, don’t leave me sittin’ in the dark, sugarcube. Who is it?” He didn’t respond, so she ventured another guess. “It ain’t... Rarity, is it?” She toyed with the idea. Twilight and Rarity were both very detail-oriented, obsessively so, and they were both unicorns, if that counted for anything.
Spike just shook his head, a new line of smoke trailing from his nostrils.
“P-pinkie Pie?” The orange mare suggested, wracking her brain for a way those two could work together. Like with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Twilight fell into “They’re so opposite that it works beautifully” category, but most, if not all, of Applejack’s memories with the pair centered around Twilight being upset or frustrated with one of the party pony’s nearly endless quirks and eccentricities.
“No.” The baby dragon growled, the rumble of a draconic roar echoing in his chest.
Applejack’s heart sank as she realized she only had one friend left to name. She shrank in on her self, falling to sit on her haunches. “It... it’s actually Rainbow and she was just sayin’ it wasn’t to spare mah feelin’s, isn’t it?” She stared at the dirt, unable to watch for a reaction.
Spike finally snapped, yelling in frustration. “No!” He roared, a font of green flame spilling from his mouth. It leapt forward, curling through the air toward the pony seated across from him. Applejack scrambled backward, nearly tripping over her own legs, and felt an immense heat as the flames licked at her chest, singing her coat. He stalked forward, pulling a clawed fist back as if to strike her. His hand trembled for a moment before stabbing one finger forward into the earth pony’s chest. “It’s you! You, Applejack!” He turned on his heel and started walking away. “All of this... all of it is thanks to you!”
Chapter Eighteen
Whiny Little Birch
“It’s... what?” Applejack looked up, the gears in her mind grinding to a screeching halt. “I... She...” She ran a hoof through her mane, knocking her Stetson to the ground behind her. “No, it’s—” The words died in her throat as she remembered the pleading look the unicorn had given her, asking her to give up. “Spike, Ah— How? How do you know?”
That stopped Spike in his tracks. He turned his head, but didn’t face her. “How do I know?” He wheeled around and stalked back toward her. “Do you know what she does at night when she thinks I’m asleep?” He looked away for a moment, but turned back even angrier. “Do you?”
“Course not.” She answered, wary of Spike’s response. “How would Ah—”
“She cries, Applejack!” He yelled, his voice breaking partway through. “She cries, and looks out the window, whispering to herself about how she wishes you would notice her. That’s all she wants; for you to notice her. But noooo! You’re too busy chasing after Rainbow Dash. You― I just... Gah!” He kicked a rock and stomped back to the library without another glance at the befuddled earth pony.
Applejack sat in stunned silence for a time, just staring at the door and occasionally lifting her gaze to Twilight’s bedroom window. Part of her wanted to run and not stop until she reached the farm, but she knew that she needed to go back inside and talk to Twilight again. She needed to try and make things right, if such a thing were even possible.
Her mind whirled on, moving through the past few months at breakneck speed and flashing images through her head. There were numerous little glances, sheepish smiles, and accidental brushes of contact that she had just written off as unimportant. However, in light of Spike’s revelation, she had to concede that there might have been more to them than she wanted to admit..
Whispers at the edge of her hearing finally tore her eyes away from the library, and Applejack belatedly realized that several ponies were staring at her following Spike’s tirade. She didn't know how much time had passed before she managed to rehinge her jaw and pick up her hat, but she knew she'd messed up big time. She quickly stood up and trotted down the road, away from the Golden Oaks Library. She pulled her hat low to shield her eyes and focused on the ground in front of her, letting her hooves carry her along the well-trodden path between Ponyville and the farm while her mind wandered.
Soon, the shops and houses on the outskirts of town gave way to open fields, then rows of apple trees. She decided against walking all the way down to the gate and hopped over the fence separating the farm from the road, meandering down a row of Red Delicious trees and peeking up at the fruits. She tapped one of the trees with a light kick, knocking a single apple loose. Catching it with practiced ease, she quickly inspected it and took a bite.
Yep. Ready to come down. Applejack finished off her snack in a couple more bites and made her way back to the end of the row by the road. She lined herself up with the first tree and lashed out with her hind legs, listening to the telltale thwack of her hooves connecting with the trunk, followed shortly by the apples falling into baskets underneath the canopy. She walked mechanically to the next tree and set up to repeat the process in an autonomy born from years of applebucking.
Thwack!
How’d Ah miss this? Her mind continued to churn as she made her way down the row of trees. Lookin’ back on it, Twi was about as subtle as a brick wall. She stepped over a root sticking out of the ground as she approached the next tree.
THWACK!
Ah guess Ah have been a little... preoccupied with Dash recently.
THWACK!
“AJ?” Big Macintosh appeared a ways down the row and started heading toward his sister. He stopped a few trees down from her, glancing back and forth between her and the tree she was set up in front of. Her kick had shaken it to its roots and cracked the bark. “Ya doin’ okay there, sis?”
“Ah’m fine.” She replied shortly, digging her front hooves into the dirt and bracing herself for another kick. “Just gettin’ some work done.” She reared up and lashed out, unaware of the fact that she had forgotten to move on to the next tree. She shot a look over at the stallion. “Speakin’ of which, shouldn’t you be workin’ too?”
Big Mac mulled the question over, looking up into the nearby trees. “Eeyup.” He eventually concluded. “But, Ah don’t think you should be.”
“And just why the hay not?” She accentuated the end of her question with another kick.
“Well, for starters, you’ve bucked Franklin three times now.” He smirked as she turned around and noticed the cracked bark from her first kick. “Now, what’s got ya so flustered?”
“Ah ain’t flustered.” Applejack shot back, trudging over to the next tree. “Like Ah said, Ah’m fine.”
Big Mac took a few steps forward and laid a hoof on his sister’s shoulder. “Come on now, AJ. Ah ain’t seen ya this distracted since Braeburn brought Bloomberg back with all them bugs.”
“Those were wood-borin’ weevils!” She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “They were eatin’ poor Bloomberg from the inside out. It was a miracle we were able to save him!”
“That it was.” He nodded solemnly, but pressed on his original line of questioning. “Ya know Ah won’t say nothin’ to anypony, so fess up. What’s wrong?”
“Ah... don’t wanna talk about it right now.” She dropped her eyes to the ground.
Big Mac was silent for a time, chewing on the ever-present piece of hay in his mouth. “Well, that’s yer choice, but Ah think you’d feel better if’n ya talked ‘bout it.” He turned and kicked at the tree next to him with one leg, knocking all the fruit loose with a solid thunk. “Ah’ll take care of this. Why don’t ya head inside fer a spell.”
“Ah can—” Applejack started to protest, but looked back at the tree she had just bucked three times, wincing as a chunk of broken bark fell off of the trunk. She sighed. “Alright. Thanks, Mac.” Moving back to the previous tree, she laid a hoof on the trunk and patted it gently. “Sorry ‘bout bein’ a little rough with ya, Franklin.” With one last nod back to her brother, she made her way toward the farmhouse. She heard the raucous laughter or three fillies coming from the next field over and couldn’t help but smile.
After a few more minutes, the farmhouse came into view as she reached the edge of the field. Granny Smith was sitting out on the front porch in her rocking chair, her head slumped forward as she took her customary pre-dinner nap. Applejack climbed the steps up onto the porch, eliciting a series of creaks from the old wood. Granny stirred for a moment, muttering incoherently, but settled back into her nap with a snore.
The orange mare pushed through the front door and made her way up to her room, tossing her hat onto the back of a chair and flopping onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling and sighed. Dagnabbit, Twi. Did ya really have to spring this on me now? Right when this whole mess with Dash and ‘Shy might be blowin’ up? She squirmed on the bed, uncomfortable with choosing Twilight as the target for her frustration.
That ain’t fair... Twi tried her darndest to keep this from me, even when Ah was buttin’ mah nose in it. She ran a hoof through her mane and turned to look out the window across from her bed. The sun was inching toward the western horizon, so she could see the house’s growing shadow as it stretched out.
Hay, she didn’t even try and undercut me like Ah did to Dash. She cringed a bit at the memory, guilt and shame surging within her. Ah can’t believe Ah actually did that. Ah’m lucky she’s still friends with me... not that Ah’ve done to be worthy of the title. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but her mind refused to shut down.
If’n she really does... love me— She felt her chest tighten at the thought. —then wouldn’t she have tried to do something to help me... get over Dash, as opposed to just bein’ there fer me? Bein’ the friend Ah needed? She squeezed her eyes shut and just lay there, taking a rare few minutes to rest. However, when those few minutes had passed, a gentle, rhythmic snoring drifted up from her prone form.
Spike slammed the door behind him as he reentered the library, still fuming after his outburst. Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, even Pinkie Pie— He huffed in annoyance. —but she refused to even consider that Twilight might be interested in her. How could she- His train of thought derailed as the bedroom door opened and Nurse Redheart came trotting down the stairs, carrying her supply bag in her mouth. He waddled over to the bottom of the staircase, wringing his hands together. “So, how is she?”
Redheart dropped her bag when she reached the bottom of the steps and shook her head slightly. “That girl’s tougher than she looks, I’ll give her that. She’s got a broken left front ankle and three cracked ribs. I was able to get her leg in a cast, thanks to her having the necessary materials in an emergency kit in her closet, but she’s officially on bed rest for the next seventy-two hours.” She gave the baby dragon a serious look, pointing a hoof at him. “She is not to leave that bed for three days. Is that understood?”
Spike swallowed, but nodded grimly. “Yes ma’am.” He gave a salute, determination burning within him. A moment later, that fire petered out when he thought of something. He looked from side to side as the question worked its way from his mind to his mouth. “Um... What about when she has to... you know.” He waved a hand, but the nurse just raised an eyebrow. He dropped his gaze to the floor and continued. “Go to the little fillies room?”
Redheart shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll think of something, and if not, just bring her a nice, big pot or bowl.” She smirked at his aghast expression. “Hey, I never said it was gonna be pretty. Tell you what, come by the hospital later this afternoon and I’ll get you a bedpan for her.”
He shuddered, letting out a disgusted sound. “Isn’t there any other way? What if she uses her magic to float herself to the bathroom, then she won’t have to walk.” He looked up at the earth pony, a combination of hope and worry on his face.
“No.” She replied firmly, shaking her head. “She’s got a hairline fracture halfway up her horn. It’s nothing serious, but it could mess with her magic if she tries to do too much. However—” Spike had been slumping over, but perked up. “—starting tomorrow, depending on how she feels, she can use her magic to float the bedpan to the bathroom and save you the trouble, but only if she feels up to it.”
“Right, right.” The baby dragon wiped a clawed hand across his forehead and glanced up at the bedroom door. “Did she say how this happened? She told me she hurt her leg when she tripped going up the stairs, but how did she break her ribs?”
“I’m not entirely sure.” Redheart shrugged, then reached down and grabbed her bag, throwing it up onto her back. She started walking toward the door. “She told me she messed up a teleportation spell somehow and ended up slamming into a tree. Magic is really more... well, her department, so if that’s what she said happened, that’s good enough for me. Either way, her leg is more important. Remember, bed rest for three days.” She pulled the door open and walked outside.
“What about after the three days?” Spike asked, standing on the threshold of the library.
“Then she’ll need to come by the hospital so that we can check and make sure her leg is healing properly. She can’t walk on it until we get it checked, though. After that, she’ll be fine to walk on it as normal, assuming everything checks out.” She sighed and looked at the clock. “Now, I really need to get back to the hospital. Was there anything else you needed?”
“Nope. Thanks for coming by to check on her.” He waved as Nurse Redheart nodded and kept walking. He closed the door and waddled back over to the stairs, climbing them as quickly as he could on his short, stubby legs. Once he reached the top, he pushed the door open gently and poked his head in.
“Oh, hi Spike.” Twilight smiled, turning away from the window to see her number one assistant. “Thank you for going and getting Nurse Redheart. I know I told you I wanted to wait before getting my leg looked at—” She looked down at the bed, pausing to let out a small sigh. “—but it was important that it be properly set and bandaged. So, thanks.” She perked up. “Oh, that reminds me. We’re out of calcinated gypsum and cotton bandages for the Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit, so I need you to pick up some more.”
“Right. I’ll swing by the pharmacy and get some when I run to the hospital later.” He grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill, scribbling the two items onto it along with the words ‘crutch’ and ‘bedpan.’
“The hospital?” Twilight cocked her head to the side, glancing down at the white cast on her leg. “Why?”
Spike turned the parchment around, showing of his budding shopping list. “Nurse Redheart offered to give us a crutch and bedpan so you can walk around and...” He trailed off, waving a hand in the direction of the bathroom.
“Ah, right.” The unicorn chuckled sheepishly and cast about for a different subject. “Say, I heard you shouting outside while Nurse Redheart was up here treating my leg. What happened?”
“Oh, that.” Spike rolled up the parchment and put it under his arm, scratching the back of his neck with his now free claw. “Well, I ran into the Cutie Mark Crusaders... or they ran into me, actually.” He huffed an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. “It didn’t help that they were covered in tree sap... again.”
“Really?” Twilight cocked her head to the side. “You seem awfully clean for somepony who just had a sap covered-CMC collision.”
“Uh, yeah.” He coughed into a clawed hand. “Sweetie Belle had some towels and she let me use one to clean up before they went zooming off again.” He started toward the door, hoping to make an escape before the bedridden mare could poke too many more holes in his excuse. “Well, I should really head out and get that stuff if I’m gonna be back in time to make dinner.” He waved the feather end of the quill at her menacingly. “Don’t make me use this.”
She lay back down on the bed, chuckling. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Well, in that case I—” Her words were cut off by a yawn. “I’m gonna take a quick nap while you’re out.”
“Alright, I’ll be back in a while.” Spike headed back downstairs, leaving Twilight to snuggle down into her covers and drift off to sleep. Her dreams were filled with visions of a certain orange earth pony, as they always were.
Applejack was awoken by the dinner bell ringing out over the farm. She stretched out on her bed, slowly waking up from her unexpected nap and catching a whiff of something delicious on the air. Smells like... She took a deeper sniff. Apple strudel, maybe with a few apple dumplings. She hopped down from the bed and made her way to the kitchen, expertly sidestepping the loudest creaking floorboards.
“Well there ya are, girl.” Granny Smith looked up at the staircase as her granddaughter came down it. “Ah was wonderin’ where ya’d gotten off to. Come on, grab a bite while it’s still hot.”
The orange mare sat down at the table and looked over the spread. She had been right; apple dumplings littered the table and at the center was a great heaping platter of apple strudel that threatened to collapse on itself. She grabbed a plate and started filling it with food, looking across the table to the empty spots remaining there. “Where are AB and Mac? Never known ‘em to miss dinner. Hay, Mac’s usually waitin’ at the table fer the food to be laid out.”
Granny Smith took a moment to finish chewing a bite of food before answering. “Well, Apple Bloom is still off with her friends doin’... whatever it is they’re tryin’ to get their cutie marks in this time.” She shook her head and chuckled before continuing. “As fer Mac, he ain’t back from haulin’ in the East Field yet, but he should be—” As if on cue, the front door opened and Big Macintosh walked in.
“Hey Mac, just in time.” Applejack grabbed a dumpling and popped it in her mouth, savoring the taste.
“Eeyup.” The hulking stallion sat down at the table, eliciting a groan from the chair and floorboards, and piled some food onto his plate. He picked up a strudel and ate it in one bite, barely bothering to chew. The family ate in silence for a few minutes before Mac opted to speak again. “So, AJ, you wanna talk ‘bout whatever was botherin’ ya today?”
Applejack coughed violently, trying to dislodge a dumpling that had taken the wrong exit and ended up in her windpipe. When she settled back down, she stared at her brother. “Ah don’t know what yer talkin’ ‘bout, Mac.” She said through gritted teeth. “Like Ah told ya earlier, Ah’m fine.”
He arched a disbelieving eyebrow and swallowed the dumpling he had been eating before responding. “Really? ‘Cause Ah’m not sure Franklin feels the same way.”
She deflated slightly at the mention of the tree she had abused earlier. “Ah don’t— You wouldn’t— Just... let it be, okay?” She looked off to the side. “Ah ain’t in the mood to talk ‘bout it.”
“Now hold on just a minute.” Granny Smith joined in the conversation, leaning over to stare intently at her granddaughter. “What did you do to poor Franklin? He was planted out there in the East Field by my grandpappy, so Ah don’t wanna hear anythin’ ‘bout you treatin’ him badly.” She grabbed the wooden spoon they were using to scoop the dumplings and waved it threateningly.
“Well...” Big Mac began, smirking at the desperate, pleading look his sister gave him. “She was out in the East Field, buckin’ some of the trees, but she was bein’ a little too forceful with ‘em, so Ah stopped by to see how she was doin’. When Ah got there, she was buckin’ poor lil Franklin so hard she was breakin’ his bark.”
“You were doin’ what now?” Granny narrowed her eyes, causing Applejack to squirm uncomfortably.
“Ah... had a lot on mah mind.” She winced, hearing how feeble her excuse sounded. “Ah got distracted, especially when Mac showed up and started tryin’ to talk about it.”
“And just what in Equestria could’ve distracted ya so badly that ya started buckin’ the stuffin’ outta poor ol’ Franklin?” The old pony sat back in her chair and waited for her granddaughter’s response, but the other mare only looked away and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Granny Smith smiled to herself, recognizing signs she had seen many years ago. “You got yer eye on somepony, don’t ya girl?”
“Wh-what?” Applejack sat up straight, dropping a dumpling she had been holding. “N-no, of course not! Why would ya even say that?” She glanced rapidly from side to side, her face scrunched up as if she was trying to physically hold the truth in.
“It ain’t no use, filly.” Granny leaned forward and patted the orange mare’s foreleg. “Yer Ma was the exact same way when she was interested in yer Pa. So, spill the beans. Who is he?” She asked, smiling reassuringly.
“Ah don’t—” Applejack looked the table to Mac for help, but he had stopped eating mid-bite and was staring at her with half an apple strudel sticking out of his mouth. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate. “It... ain’t a he. It’s a she, and...” She looked down and stared at the table, pushing her plate away. “Ah just don’t know what to do.”
“Well, why don’t ya tell yer granny all about it?” Granny Smith scooted her chair around the table and wrapped a foreleg around her granddaughter’s shoulders. “Let’s start with the basics. Who is it that ya got yer eye on?”
“Rainbow Dash.” Applejack muttered, not looking up from the table.
“That’s the blue, fast one, right?” Granny ventured, earning a nod from the morose mare next to her. “Well, have ya told her how ya feel?” Another nod. “And? How’d she take it?”
Applejack sighed, took her hat off, and ran a hoof through her mane. “Well enough, except fer the fact that she’s already got her eye on ‘Shy.” She looked up to see her family staring at her in confusion and apprehension. “Alright, this part is where things get a might... complicated.” She launched into her tale, everything from Rainbow’s situation with Fluttershy and Rarity, to her own confession to Dash, training with Twilight that morning, and finally Spike’s outburst in front of the library. When she finished, she laid her head on the table, accidentally landing on an apple dumpling in the process.
“Well...” Granny Smith looked to Big Mac, who just shrugged. “That’s quite the yarn to spin.” She patted the younger mare on the back. “So, are ya gonna give Twilight a chance?”
“Ah don’t know.” Applejack lifted her head off of the table and wiped away the squished bits of apple dumpling. “Ah’ve never really thought of her... like that. Dash is... she’s like me. She’s fast, loyal, fun to hang out with, she’s the only pony who can keep up with me physically—”
“And she’s in love with somepony else.” Mac replied without missing a beat. “So, yer sayin’ that Miss Twilight ain’t fun to be around, or that she ain’t loyal?”
“Ah guess...” Applejack trailed off, frowning. “Ah don’t know. This is all so... confusin’.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “What if Dash finds somepony else while Ah’m tryin’ to figure it out? What if—”
“Now young lady—” Granny poked her granddaughter in the chest. “—yer Ma, Pa, and Ah didn’t raise you to be some homewrecker.”
“Ah know, Ah know.” She raised her hooves defensively. “Ah’d never dream of breakin’ Dash and ‘Shy apart...” She trailed off, biting her lip. “But, if’n they were to break up all natural-like, then Ah could be there fer Dash.”
Granny Smith just looked at her sadly. "Ah can't believe it, child. Ain'tcha got no pride? Yer gonna wait ‘round like some stinkin’ vulture fer yer friend to get her heart broken, and in the meantime yer ignorin’ a filly that actually loves ya!" She spit on the floor contemptuously. "Well fine! Ah'm sure you and that Rainboot Splash will get along jus’ dandy, right up to the moment when that other filly— Flittersly was it?— changes her mind and comes back to get what hers. Because mark my words, she'll never really be yours."
“B-but— A-Ah—” The orange mare sputtered uselessly for a moment as Granny’s words sunk in. She slammed a hoof on the table, determination shining in her eyes. “Ah have to try! If’n Ah don’t, Ah’ll spend the rest of mah life wonderin’ ‘bout what mighta been. Ah’d always be askin’ mahself ‘what if Ah’d of been there fer her?’”
“And how do you think Miss Twilight’ll feel?” Big Mac finally joined the conversation. “How’ll she feel when she sees the mare she loves trippin’ over her own hooves to run off and chase after somepony else?”
Applejack winced, remembering Twilight’s tear-filled outburst earlier in the very room they were now sitting in. “So, what? Am Ah supposed to get with Twi jus’ to make her feel better? Am Ah jus’ supposed to pretend that it’s what Ah want and string her along?” She shook her head. “That’s just... cruel.”
“’Course not, but ya can’t—” He stopped, thinking before starting again. “How do ya grow a tree?”
“Now what kind of darn fool question is that?” She looked up, confusion etched on her face. “It ain’t got nothin’ to do with anythin’ we’ve been talkin’ ‘bout.” She crossed her forelegs and huffed in annoyance.
“Hear me out, AJ.” Mac pressed on, leaning on the table despite its rather vocal protests. “How do ya grow a tree? Where do ya start?”
“Easy. Plant a seed.” She arched an eyebrow at her brother, as if to ask ‘where are you going with this?’
“Do ya just leave it be after that?” He asked, shrugging. “Just drop it in the ground and walk away?”
“Course not, ya big dummy!” Applejack pressed a hoof between her eyes. “Ya gotta water it, make sure it gets plenty of sunlight, and watch out fer any bugs that might wanna make a snack outta it.” She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “If’n ya got a point with this, Mac, Ah’d appreciate it if’n ya’d jus’ hurry up and make it.”
Big Mac shook his head. “Mah point is that ya can’t rightly expect anythin’ to grow ‘less yer willin’ to put some work in. Don’t matter if’n it’s a tree, a crop, yer mane... or love.”
“Listen to yer brother, Applejack.” Granny laid a shaky hoof on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “Just think, how’re ya gonna feel when yer still sittin’ here waitin’ fer Celestia only knows how long, and that poor thing finally gives up on ya? That Rainboot filly made a choice, and you got somepony lovin’ on you jus’ as hard as yer lovin’ on her. Are you jus’ gonna let that be? Gonna let her wonder all her life, jus’ like yer afraid of doin’?”
She could only stare at her family, her mouth hanging agape. After several seconds, she got up from the table and walked over to the staircase. “Ah... guess Ah got some things Ah need to think about. A lot of things.” She climbed the staircase, too lost in thought to bother avoiding the creaky steps. Halfway up, she turned back, looking at Big Mac. “When’d you get to be so... profound, anyway?” He just shrugged, and she resumed her march up the stairs.
Once the sound of Applejack’s bedroom door closing echoed down the staircase, Granny Smith sighed and picked up a dumpling. “Ah love her to bits, but that filly ain’t got the sense Celestia gave an apple seed.” She looked at Big Mac, who was only looking back at her with a confused expression. “She’s chasin’ after some lazy, no good, layabout pegasus, when she’s got a filly chasin’ after her who could harvest an entire field of trees in five minutes without breakin’ a sweat.”
The stallion rolled his eyes. “Ah don’t think AJ’s worryin’ ‘bout which of ‘em will be the most help ‘round the farm, Granny.”
Up in her room, Applejack lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The gears in her head churned ever onward, but her family’s words echoed in her ears, stalling her mind any time she started to make progress on a train of thought. After completing her fourth loop of circular thinking, she pressed her hooves to her temples. Alright, let’s start from square one... again. She held out her left forehoof and looked at it, though it was becoming harder to focus on it in the rapidly fading sunlight.
On one hoof, we got Rainbow Dash, who’s likely still neck deep in her little situation with ‘Shy and Rare. On the other— She looked at her right forehoof. —we got Twi, who technically ain’t said nothin’ yet. She shivered, remembering Spike’s angry, fiery tirade outside of the library. Though, Ah reckon we can give her a pass fer that. She glanced back and forth between her outstretched hooves, as if willing them to provide the answer. Giving up, she laid her head down on the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately hoping that sleep would rise up and drag her down. However, her mind continued to whirl, keeping the peace of sleep at bay. She chuckled to herself as a new thought occurred to her.
Well, Ah suppose now Ah know how ‘Shy feels, what with havin’ to choose between two of yer best friends. Her spirits dropped as she belatedly recognized the one key difference between her situation and Fluttershy’s. Except fer the part where Dash doesn’t love me. She forcibly cut off that train of thought before it could gather steam. No. Ah can’t think like that. It’s like Mac said, Ah can’t expect anythin’ to grow ‘less Ah’m willin’ to put the work in fer it. She smiled a little despite herself. Never thought Ah’d be jealous of ‘Shy fer anythin’, but it must be nice, havin’ two mares practically throwin’ themselves at ya.
Applejack tossed and turned as the clock slowly ticked onward, her mind racing one path for a few moments before jumping in a different direction. Celestia’s sun slowly slid below the horizon, giving way to Luna’s moon and stars, yet she found herself no closer to a course of action than when she had first lain down. Frustrated, she grabbed her pillow and pressed it over her head, letting out an irritated groan. Finally, after several hours of fruitless self-debate, she settled on a plan. She still didn’t know what to do, but she knew someone she could ask.
Chapter Nineteen
Dressed for Success
Rarity awoke slowly, taking time to stretch each of her legs before she even considered getting out of bed. She cracked an eye open and saw the sun peeking around her new blackout curtains. She sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling and sighing. I never feel as rested as I should after a good nap. Her thoughts flashed back to her most recent dream, bringing a smile and a blush to her face. Then again, I suppose I haven’t been having the most peaceful of dreams lately.
She rolled back over onto her stomach again, running a hoof along her silk sheets while her smile quickly vanished. Though, a change of scenery would be nice. While the privacy of her bedroom is appreciated for our... occasional amorous activities, it would be nice to have a walk through a forest or beside a lake for the times we simply talk. Finally resigning herself to getting up, Rarity moved to the edge of the bed and hopped down onto the floor. She trudged into her bathroom and grabbed her favorite brush, floating it up to straighten her bedraggled mane.
If only there was somepony whom I could ask about this. She smirked as the obvious answer sprung to mind. Well, somepony other than Princess Luna. Another rush of color spread across her face as she thought about the lunar princess’ reaction if she ever saw one of her more risqué dreams. However, talking to her couldn’t hurt. Who better than the mare responsible for overseeing the dreams of everypony in Equestria? Her brush froze in mid-air as a thought occurred to her.
It may prove... challenging... to speak with Princess Luna, though. She tapped the brush against her chin, running through what would need to be done. I’d have to go to Canterlot, obviously. Hope that she’s not too busy and that I don’t have to wait too long to meet with her, although it could be several days. After all, it’s not like I can just show up and expect her to drop everything to see me. I’m no Twilight.
Twilight...
She continued her preparatory rituals, deftly applying a touch of eye shadow as she considered the living repository of knowledge that lived down the street. Hmm... I wonder if Twilight could tell me anything about this. I wouldn’t be surprised, given how much she reads. Although, it is a rather niché subject. Twilight might not have a book in stock even if she’s familiar with the subject. At the very least, I could ask for her help in getting permission to check the Royal Archives. Shaking her head, she hopped off of that particular train of thought. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Rarity. The first item on the list is paying Twilight a visit. Satisfied that she now had a plan of action, she finished getting ready, wishing that there were some sounds to break up the oppressive silence of her home other than the brush running through her mane.
Once she had finished making herself presentable, she made her way downstairs and trotted over to the door. Before she could open it, however, a knock came from the other side, followed shortly by an overly cheerful voice.
“Hi Rarity!” Pinkie Pie leaned forward, peering through the window and waving. The unicorn questioned her friend’s impeccable timing, but ultimately resorted to the commonly accepted explanation of ‘It’s Pinkie Pie’ and moved on. She took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh before putting on her best smile.
“Pinkie, dear. What a pleasant surprise.” Rarity greeted the pink pony as she pulled the door open. “I’m sorry, but the Boutique is closed at the moment. What brings you here?”
“Oh, well I just realized that I hadn’t seen you the last two days.” Pinkie sat down, freeing her front hooves to perform elaborate motions alongside her words. “I figured that you were just working super duper hard, like the time you made all of us dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala. Then I was afraid that maybe you thought we had all forgotten about you and didn’t want to be friends anymore, and that you were having a party with a bunch of inanimate objects. But then, I remembered that only I do that and mmph mmn mphmmm—” The rest of her words were cut off by a white hoof pressed against her mouth.
“I know, dear, and I’m terribly sorry. I’ve just been so busy lately.” She turned her smile up a notch and hoped it would be enough to satisfy her friend. “I’ve been working nearly day and night on a rush order from Fancypants up in Canterlot.”
“Canterlot?” Pinkie broke out into a grin that threatened to split her face in half. “Oh my gosh, that’s so super duper exciting! You know what this calls for?” She ducked down, gathering herself for a jump.
“Please not a party, darling.” Rarity lifted a hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn. “I’m afraid that I am simply too exhausted for one today.”
“A par—” Pinkie stopped in mid-jump, as did the explosion of confetti that had spawned behind her. She zipped back to the ground, and the colorful bits of paper inexplicably returned to wherever they had exploded from in the first place. Rarity’s eye twitched before she regained her composure enough to reassert her expression of polite patience that she normally affected around Pinkie.
“Okie doki loki. We can have the party tomorrow.” The party pony smiled broadly.
Rarity winced, knowing that any Pinkie Pie party would invariably include Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash as guests. “Tomorrow may not be ideal either. I’m sorry.” She watched as the other mare visibly deflated. “How about this, dear? You can have the party, and I simply won’t be able to attend.”
“Aww... it won’t be a very fun party without the guest of honor.” Pinkie poked at the dirt with a hoof for a moment, then looked up and smiled. “But, if you’re too busy, we’ll just have to have extra fun to make up for it. Maybe I can even bring you a piece of cake. That way you won’t be totally missing out.”
“That sounds lovely, darling. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a run over to the library.” The unicorn moved to walk past her friend, only to have the pink party pony turn and begin bouncing alongside her.
“Ooh, me too!” Pinkie chirped, rebounding back to her normal exuberace. “I just finished a super interesting book and I know that Twilight wanted it back because it was on loan from the Royal Canterlot Library. It was about—”
Rarity rolled her eyes and tuned the other mare out as they walked, finding herself in no mood to deal with Pinkie’s proclivity to prattle on. She looked around and let her mind wander, subconsciously searching for inspiration for a new design. She spotted a pastel purple flower growing in a roadside garden. Instantly, her mind was off, crafting a flowing dress that hugged its wearer’s curves without being overly suggestive or revealing. Oh, it would look absolutely perfect on Flutter— The thought died in her head, and the dress she had been planning unraveled. A wave of pain and sorrow washed over her, but she carefully kept her expression neutral and kept walking.
“—just then I remembered that I had put the cake batter in the confetti cannons and the confetti in the cake oven, again, but it was too late to do anything. It was a mess, a big, tasty mess.” Pinkie’s endless chatter finally died down as the pair reached the library. She reached out to knock, but the door simply fell open as her hoof hit it, sending a bell above it ringing.
Rarity stepped through the doorway first, her brow furrowed. Odd. The library door never had a bell in the past. Nor did it have a... rather large pile of cushions where the table used to be.
“Good afternoon, how can I— Oh, hello, Pinkie, Rarity.” Twilight was seated in the middle of the mountain of pillows and looked up from the book she was reading, closing it with a thump. “What can I do for you girls, today?”
“Twilight?” The alabaster mare raised an eyebrow and looked over the heap of cushions, grimacing internally at the clashing colors scattered throughout. “My dear, what is all of... this?” She waved a hoof at the librarian’s throne of pillows.
The lavender unicorn chuckled and smiled sheepishly. “Well, I kind of fell and injured my leg yesterday—” She lifted her foreleg from a cushion, revealing it to be wrapped in a cast. “—Nurse Redheart put me on bedrest for the next three days—”
“And you came trudging down the steps less than an hour after she left.” Spike grumbled as he walked by.
“I did not!” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. “It was an hour and a half, and I had you there to help me every step of the way. Plus, I’m plenty comfy down here thanks to the throne of pillows that someone built for me. For the last time, Spike, I’m fine.” Her assistant mumbled something unintelligible and disappeared behind a large stack of books. “Anyway, I was going stir-crazy being cooped up in there and Spike kept coming back upstairs needing help to find books for customers—”
“I only did that once!” The baby dragon’s irritated voice drifted out from behind the books.
“But... how?” Rarity craned her neck up to try and see her friend’s injured leg among the pile of pillows. “Whatever happened to your leg, dear?”
Twilight winced, looking down at her leg and then off to the side. “I’d... rather not talk about it right now.” She reasserted her professional demeanor. “So, how can I help you two today?”
“I just came by to return a book I borrowed.” Pinkie pulled a thick, black, leather-bound book from her mane and dropped it onto the base of the mountain. Twilight leaned forward, squinting to try and read the title of the book.
“You had my copy of Deep Thinker’s Theoretical Metaphysics?” The librarian pressed her good hoof between her eyes. “Why would you even— No. I don’t even want to know.” She let out a sigh and looked to her other visitor. “What about you, Rarity?”
The fashionista had been too busy staring at the tome Pinkie had pulled from her mane to think about why she had come to the library in the first place. Twilight’s question snapped her back to reality. “Hmm? Oh, yes. I was just wondering if...” She trailed off, belatedly realizing that she hadn’t thought of a good way to phrase her request. “I was curious if you knew anything about... dreams.”
“Yes?” The lavender mare cocked her head to the side and ran a hoof through her mane. “Was there a... specific aspect of dreams you wanted to know about?”
“Well, yes... though I’m not quite sure how to put it.” Rarity pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. “What do you know about dream manipulation?”
Twilight stared at her in confusion for a few moments before realization dawned on her face. “Oh, you mean lucid dreaming. There’s actually been a good amount of research done on it. It’s not quite dreamwalking, but nopony other than Princess Luna has had that ability in millenia, if ever. Most of the historical records from back then aren’t as... detailed or as trustworthy as more recent works, so it’s—” She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head.
“Sorry.” Tapping her uninjured hoof to her chin, she looked around the library while she ran through a mental list of all the books there, chewing on her lip as she did. “Hmm... I don’t think the library has anything on lucid dreaming.” She shot a furtive glance up to her bedroom door, then down at Rarity, who looked crestfallen. “Although... Spike!”
“Yeah?” The baby dragon poked his head out from behind his stack of books, which was noticeably smaller.
“Can you get my copy of Nighty Night’s Dream Mechanics and Machinations from my personal collection?” Twilight asked, motioning up to her bedroom with a nod of her head. “Oh, and could you put my copy of Theoretical Metaphysics back while you’re at it?”
“Sure thing. It’s not like I was in the middle of re-shelving those books you asked me to or anything.” Spike grumbled to himself and waddled over to grab the book Pinkie had returned before trudging up the staircase. The scrabbling of his claws on the wooden floor faded, stopped for a moment, then grew louder again as he reemerged from the doorway with another book, this one bound in brown leather. He hopped down the stairs and handed it to the white unicorn, sneaking an extra glance at her while she was examining the book.
“I had no idea there was... this much on the subject.” Rarity held the tome in her magical grasp and turned it over.
“Oh, that’s nothing.” Twilight responded, waving a hoof dismissively. “Nighty Night’s works are the gold standard on the subject of lucid dreaming, but there are all kinds of more advanced and in-depth studies on it. Princess Luna has even authored a good number of books about dreams. They’re mainly about how to prevent nightmares, but from there it’s fairly easy to move to actively changing a dream in progress.”
“Well, thank you for the book, darling. I’ll be sure to bring it back as soon as I’m done.” Rarity looked up, laying her borrowed text on her back. “Though, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you need to ask Spike to get it? Wouldn’t it have been easier to use your magic?”
The librarian winced again and brought a hoof up to her head. “Usually yes, but part of why I’m... like this.” She used her hoof to pull back her mane, revealing a hairline fracture a few inches from the base of her horn. “I hurt my horn when I miscalculated a teleportation spell and slammed into a tree. I can’t do any magic until it heals.” She smiled a bit and let her mane fall. “Well, I can do magic, but it hurts and I do my best Sweetie Belle impression, setting anything I grasp on fire.”
“Oh, dear.” Rarity shivered at the thought of being unable to do magic. “So, how long will you have have to do this? When will you be up and about again?”
“I have to head to the hospital the day after tomorrow to get my leg looked at. As for my horn, it’ll probably be seven to ten days until it heals.” Twilight replied, shrugging. “In the meantime... I’ve been catching up on my reading.”
“Oh yes, because you did so little of that before.” Rarity countered playfully. The librarian stuck her tongue out for a moment before giggling. “Anyway, as I said, thank you for the book, but I really must be getting back to the boutique. Pinkie, I—” She turned to where the earth pony had been standing, but found only empty air. “Where’d she go?”
“I... don’t know.” Twilight stared at the spot the party pony had stood moments ago. “She was standing right there just a—” The bell above the door sounded again as it closed, and Pinkie could be seen vibrating down the street. “Huh... maybe she felt a doozy coming?
“Well, in any case, I believe I have some reading to do. Thank you again, darling.” The fashionista trotted out the door and pulled it shut behind her, sending the new bell tinkling. She lifted the book from her back and flipped it open to the first page, skimming it as she walked home. Well, it looks like I have some homework for tonight. She flipped through the whole book rapidly, grimacing slightly as she saw nothing but page after page of dense text, broken up only by headings and titles for new chapters. Though, it’s nothing a nice glass of wine won’t help solve.
Rarity arrived back at her home and ducked inside, locking the door again and slipping into the kitchen for a nice glass of marelot before heading upstairs. She pulled back the drapes on her windows and lay down to read her new book with a focus usually reserved for when inspiration struck, stopping only to light a pair of candles on her nightstand when the sun finally set. Several hours later, she laid the book on her nightstand next to a glass of water and her sleeping pills, then nestled down into her bed, letting the implications of what she had just read sink in.
I could do anything with this...
Anything...
A sly smile spread across her face. This night was going to be... how did Rainbow put it? At least twenty percent cooler.
Rarity opened her eyes and saw the now familiar sight of the ceiling of Rainbow Dash’s room. She ran a hoof over the mattress, marveling at its plushness just as she did every time she visited her dreams. Her hoof travelled a short ways before meeting an obstacle that recoiled when she poked it.
“Hey!” Rainbow’s voice sounded from beside her, barely contained giggles bubbling toward the surface. “Careful, that tickles.” The unicorn turned her head to see her wife lying next to her. She smiled for a moment before rolling over and hopping down onto the floor.
“Rares?” Dash sat up, watching the other mare with a worried look. “What’re you...” The rest of her question died in her throat when Rarity turned and gave her a predatory grin.
Rarity turned back to face the bed, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She focused, picturing what she wanted in her head as clearly as she could. She felt the floor under her hooves shift and change from cloud to polished marble. One last touch... She shifted her focus, almost afraid to open her eyes and see if it worked.
“Oh, come on!” Rainbow’s outburst echoed slightly, but her agitation was clear. “You can’t possibly be—” She groaned, and a light clip clop echoing through the room suggested that she had started pacing. “Is this some kind of cruel joke?”
Rarity opened her eyes and examined their new surroundings. They were in the suite of the Royal Palace that she had stayed in during the fiasco with Twilight’s birthday. She took a moment to admire the exquisite room before bringing her gaze to Rainbow. The pegasus was hiding on the other side of the bed and blushing fiercely.
“Of course not, love.” She began walking around the bed and over to the flustered mare, drinking in the luscious sight before her. Dash was dressed in a Prench maid outfit with a skirt that barely covered her flank, complete with a pair of black shoes for her hind legs.
“But this... thing is too short.” Rainbow kept reaching up to pull the skirt down, but it would just snap back up to its original position every time.
“I think it looks stunning, dear.” Rarity reached out and ran a hoof up the back of her lover’s leg, causing the other mare to squirm. Smiling to herself, she sauntered over to the bed and lay down on it. “Now, I think you’ll be needing this.” With a brief glow from her horn, she floated a feather duster over to her wife, who gave her a deadpan ‘are you serious?’ look. She merely smiled until Dash rolled her eyes and took the duster in her mouth, only to drop it as soon as the magical aura disappeared.
She smiled down at the exhausted pegasus, dispelling the magical shackles with a quick wave of her horn, snuggling up next to her wife, and laying her head on the cyan chest next to her. She nuzzled her cheek into the other mare’s neck, eliciting a contented sigh. “So—” She purred. “—did you... enjoy yourself?”
“Wow.” Dash muttered, staring blankly at the ceiling. “That was... wow.” She finally realized her limbs were free and wrapped her forelegs around the unicorn next to her. Deliriously happy giggles bubbled out of her, and she leaned down to nuzzle the top of her lover’s head. The motion caused her skirt to pull at her, reminding her that she was still wearing the maid outfit. “Uh, Rares? You mind?” She pulled at the hem of the skirt.
“I don’t know... I think it looks rather fetching on you.” Rarity ran a hoof down Rainbow’s side, earning a stifled giggle and an exaggerated eye roll. She heaved an overly dramatic sigh. “Very well, if you insist.” She closed her eyes and focused, giggling to herself as the outfit’s fabric disappeared and gave way to the fur underneath.
Dash wiggled on the bed for a few moments, readjusting to get comfortable again. “No offense, Rares, but could we not do that too often? It’s not the most... awesome feeling.”
“Duly noted, love” Rarity chuckled into a hoof. She closed her eyes and prepared to settle in for some quality cuddling, but the warm knot of tension in her core had returned after her earlier release. Watching Dash squirm on the bed, controlling her pleasure, had rekindled the fiery desire inside her. She idly trailed a hoof down her wife’s side, biting her lip and trying to decide whether she should say anything. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a chuckle at her side.
Rainbow nuzzled into the unicorn’s mane, then pulled back and looked down at her with a lecherous grin. “Somepony’s still a little worked up, eh?” She leaned down and kissed the white ear poking out, nibbling on it afterward. “Well, if you can keep up, I’m down for another round. Just say the word.”
Rarity stretched up and kissed Dash on the muzzle, pulling herself tighter against the other mare’s lithe, athletic form. They lay together for a moment, perfectly melded together. Around them, the scene changed again, and their bed with it. Dash wiggled around in alarm, cracking an eye open to find them laying on a cloud high above Canterlot, the vast blue expanse of sky broken only by the occasional small cloud.
Rarity finally pulled away from the kiss, smiling and opening her eyes to reveal a playful glint. She stood up to stretch her legs, straddling her lover in the process. “Very well, I’m ‘down for another round,’ as you put it, but—” She crouched down, coming just low enough that their chests brushed together. “—you’ll have to catch me first.” She whispered into her wife’s ear before pushing off in a jump, arching her back to dive head-first off the edge of the cloud.
Dash watched the other mare disappear past the cloud, stupefied, before scrambling toward the edge, ready to leap off and catch her. “Rarity!” She cried as she looked down at the sprawling city below them, her eyes searching for and locking onto a rapidly falling white form.
The unicorn in question glanced up, laughed fillyishly, and spread a pair of white wings from her side, banking into a wide arc before pulling up into a hover. She looked up at the cloud she had just leapt from. “Well? Are you going to come and catch me or not?” She called, giggling at the dumbstruck expression on her wife’s face. She waited a moment for the pegasus to recover and dive off of the cloud before turning and flying off as fast as she could.
She let out a giddy squeal of delight as the wind whipped through her mane and tugged at her tail. On an impulse, she pulled up into a loop, catching a glimpse of Dash speeding by below her. She abandoned her loop halfway through, rolling over to right herself and taking off in the opposite direction. She pumped her wings as hard as she could, not caring what the wind was doing to her mane or how so much exertion would work up a sweat. All that mattered was the feeling of pure, unadulterated speed as she tore through the sky.
Rarity heard a laugh carry over the roar of wind in her ears, and she looked back to see Rainbow catching up to her. The alabaster mare folded her new wings and dove straight down, aiming for a cloud below her. At the last moment, she reopened her wings and landed on the cloud. Using her momentum to gather herself, she leapt back up and flapped her wings as hard as she could to gain speed. She angled just below Dash’s rapidly approaching form, rolling to brush a wingtip along the cyan pegasus’ stomach as she passed.
They kept flying for some time, with Rarity narrowly escaping her wife’s grasp and even managing to plant a kiss or two on the other mare’s cheek as they blazed past one another. Eventually, her wings began to tire, and she landed on a nearby cloud, flopping onto her back and breathing heavily. A second later, a chromatic blur landed next to her and Dash fell down, heaving ragged breaths.
“Not bad... for your first... time.” Rainbow managed to get out between gasps for air. She rolled onto her side, resting her head on a hoof. “Pretty darn good, actually.” She added, her breathing already returning to normal.
“I’m so... glad you approve... love.” Rarity panted. She got up on her side and lunged at the other mare, knocking her over and laying on top of her. She nuzzled into her wife’s neck and planted a line of kisses, starting up toward her jawline and then back down.
Dash shivered and let out a moan. After a moment of reveling in the attention, she decided to reciprocate. “T-two can play that—Ah!—game.” She muttered before craning her neck forward to lick and nibble the leading edge of her lover’s wing, but to no effect. She blinked in confusion, then tried again, laying a single slow lick along the white wing then biting on the wing joint. When there was still no noticeable response, she gently pushed the other mare away with a hoof.
“Is something the matter, dear?” Rarity asked, worry clear in her voice as she took a step back and sat down.
“Not really, no.” Rainbow sat up and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, suddenly feeling bad for distressing her partner and silly for worrying about what was on her mind in the first place. “It’s just that... The thing is...” She sighed and shook her head. “It’s your wings. Doesn’t it feel good when I play with them?”
Rarity extended a wing and looked at it, sighing slightly. “I appreciate the thought darling, I really do, but...” She trailed off and flapped the wing once, still feeling a schoolfillyish rush of excitement that she actually had wings.
Dash cocked her head to the side in confusion, which after a moment was replaced by understanding. “Right... you’ve never had wings, so you don’t know what they feel like, so this isn’t gonna do it for you.” She finished, running a hoof along the leading edge of Rarity’s wing.
The unicorn tried and failed to suppress a chuckle. “No, love, I’m afraid not.” Her mirth vanished as she saw her wife’s eyes fall to her hooves. She reached out and brought her head back up with a hoof. “I guess that means you’ll just have to find other ways to give me that kind of pleasure.” Without waiting for a reaction, she leaned forward and kissed Dash, breathing an internal sigh of relief when the pegasus began kissing her back. She pressed into the contact, slowly moving forward until Rainbow was laying on her back and she was once again standing over her.
Rarity awoke slowly and groggily, as she did most mornings. She went to stretch her legs, but found herself to be tangled in her sheets. Belatedly, she also realized that her sheets were damp with what she hoped was sweat. Looks like it’s laundry day... again. After disentangling herself from the bed, she trudged into the bathroom and ran a comb through her mane, trying to restore it to some semblance of order.
A crash from outside made her trot back into her bedroom and look out one of the windows, where she saw a grey-coated, blonde-maned pegasus mailmare standing next to an overturned fruit cart, apologizing profusely. Ditzy’s early today. She mused before glancing at the clock. Eleven in the morning? Maybe she’s not as early as I thought she was. Glancing back out the window, she saw the flag on her mailbox had been raised, so she headed for the staircase and made her way downstairs. The store bell rang as she pulled the door open, and she flipped the ‘Closed’ sign over to read ‘Open’ instead.
Peeking up at the sun to verify the time, she shook her head and walked out to her mailbox, pulling it open with a brief flare of magic and revealing a single lumpy scroll inside. She unfurled it, taking a moment to admire the elegant horn-writing before reading it.
Fleur and I are going to be otherwise engaged for an upcoming Wonderbolts show in Canterlot. We have box seat tickets that are going to go to waste, and we thought you might like to go since you enjoyed yourself so much when we last saw each other.
You'll note the spare, feel free to bring a friend... or somepony special, eh? Do drop us a line when you have the chance, we'd love to have you over for dinner sometime.
Respectfully yours, Fancypants.
P.S. Fleur tells me that she’s dropped another size, which I didn’t think was possible, so we’ll have to have her measurements redone... again.
A pair of tickets emblazoned with the Wonderbolts logo and featuring portraits of Spitfire and Soarin’ were attached to the letter. Rarity pulled them off and lifted them up to get a better look. Platinum level. Right in the middle. Oh Luna, if these seats were any closer you would be a part of the show. A sad smile tugged at her lips as she rolled the tickets and letter back up.
I think I know just who could make use of these.