Mending Fences
Unexpected Confessions
Chapter Twenty
Mending Fences
“Come on, slowpokes. Keep up!” Rainbow called over her shoulder before pouring on a burst of speed and streaking up into the sky. Behind her, a falcon, eagle, owl, and bat all struggled to keep up with her blistering pace. They followed her across the sky, banking around clouds and zooming through some simple flying maneuvers like loops and barrel rolls.
Down on the ground below them, Fluttershy carried a bag of feed on her back, walking out to the chicken coop. Sliding the bag off of her back and onto the dirt, she reached a hoof in and began tossing feed out to the chickens as they came scurrying out of their coop. She spread several hooffuls around and watched them eat with a smile. When she was sure that they had enough to eat, she picked the bag of feed up, placed it on her back again, and headed for her cottage.
“Not bad guys... not bad.” Dash swooped down and landed next to her marefriend, breaking into a light trot as her hooves hit the ground. The animals following her arrived a moment later and landed on their backs. The falcon, owl, and eagle flopped down on Rainbow’s back while the bat slumped onto the bag of feed on Fluttershy’s back. Their caretaker looked back over her shoulder at them, an amused half-smile on her face .
“Dashie, I thought I asked you to take them on a relaxing morning flight.” Fluttershy chided her marefriend playfully as they approached the cottage, moving ahead of her to open the door.
“I did. Tell her, guys. That wasn’t—” Rainbow’s protest died in her throat as she looked over her shoulder and saw her flying buddies panting on her back, nearly passed out from exhaustion. She chuckled sheepishly and rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck. “Well, it might have been a bit much.” Stopping just outside the cottage’s threshold, she craned her neck back around to say goodbye. “Sorry about that, guys. I didn’t mean to push you so hard. Go take a nap or something. You’ve earned it.” The birds looked up at her in exasperation for a moment, but each got up and nuzzled her before flying off.
“Well, that’s the last of the animals.” Fluttershy dropped the bag of feed against the wall near the door and glanced up at the clock, which read a quarter to noon. “What do you want to do now?”
Dash grinned playfully and sauntered over to her marefriend with half-lidded eyes. “I think you know.” She purred.
“Again?” Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you get enough last night?”
“Oh, come on.” Rainbow whined, pleading with her eyes. “You know I didn’t get to finish last night. Please?”
Fluttershy sighed and shook her head slightly. “Fine. I guess— Eep!” Her response was cut off with a squeak as her marefriend caught her in a vice-like hug.
“Thanks, Flutters.” Dash released the other mare and pulled away with a huge grin on her face. “Bed or couch?” She asked.
“Cou—” Fluttershy didn’t even have time to finish her answer before Rainbow hopped around her and disappeared up the stairs in a blur of color. A moment later, she raced back down the staircase, stopping just above the couch and slowly floating down to land on it softly. She patted the spot next to her, waiting for her marefriend to join her.
Fluttershy let out another exasperated sigh, though she couldn’t help but smile at the cyan mare’s enthusiasm. She crossed the room, hopped up onto the couch next to Rainbow, and snuggled up to her, kissing her on the cheek.
“You ready?” Rainbow asked, an eager grin on her face. She got another nod from her marefriend, so she leaned in for a quick kiss, then nestled down into the couch and flipped open the latest Daring Do book laying in her forelegs. “Okay, chapter seventeen...” Dash squirmed in her seat, barely able to contain her excitement as she started reading aloud. “Daring Do slogged her way through the damp undergrowth, keeping a lookout for signs of any of the jungle’s lethal predators. A bush up ahead rustled, forcing her to dive for cover behind a fallen tree. Peeking through a rotted out hole in the trunk, she watched the bush shake with bated breath, only to let out a relieved sigh when a squirrel scampered out from the foliage.”
Fluttershy leaned over, resting her head on Dash’s shoulder and just listening to her voice as she read. The Daring Do novels had always been a little too scary for her tastes, but she liked listening to her marefriend read them, enjoying the passion and energy that Rainbow’s voice carried. She closed her eyes and simply listened, sighing happily when she felt one of Rainbow’s wings drape across her back.
After several minutes of reading, Dash nudged her marefriend, rousing her from the half-asleep state she had drifted into. “Uh, Flutters? I think something’s wrong with Angel.” She motioned to the front window, prompting the sleepy mare to follow her hoof and find her pet bunny hopping frantically on the window sill.
“Hmm?” Fluttershy rubbed a foreleg across her eyes to clear the sleep away and stepped down from the couch. “Whasit, Angel?” She moved toward the window, yawning and stretching each of her legs as she walked. When she reached the window that Angel was pointing out of, she perked up, a fleeting wave of worry racing through her. “Oh, it’s... it’s Rarity?!”
“Really?” Dash closed the book and got down off of the couch, trotting across the room and nuzzling into her marefriend’s neck before looking out the window. Outside, Rarity was walking down the road to the cottage, but every now and then she stopped, seeming to question whether or not she should keep going.
“I wonder what she wants.” Fluttershy asked softly, acutely aware that Rainbow might not respond well to the unicorn. However, she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Rarity since she figured out that the alabaster mare had given up on their relationship, and questions that she desperately wanted answers to burned in her mind.
Dash, to Fluttershy’s surprise, was more confused than angry. “No idea, but we’ll get to find out in a minute.” She chuckled to herself as the unicorn reached the bridge, stopped, started to turn around, and finally stomped a hoof in the dirt, talking to herself before crossing the bridge.
Fluttershy squeaked and backed away from the window when Rarity glanced in their direction, while Rainbow simply waved. She trotted over to the door and pulled it open as soon as Rarity stepped up to it, welcoming her in with a wave of her hoof. “Hey, Rares, good to see you! What brings you by?”
“I was actually hoping to speak to you, lo— dear.” Rarity stepped through the doorway, taking a moment to search for the other pegasus in the room, who she eventually located peeking out from behind the couch. “Hello, Fluttershy. How are you this fine morning?”
The timid mare started to respond, but at that moment, the clock struck twelve and the wooden bird inside popped out to announce the hour. The sudden noise startled Fluttershy, who ducked back behind the couch, emerging again a few seconds later. “H-hi, Rarity.”
Rarity smiled with more cheer than she felt, then noticed the book on the couch. “Oh dear, I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I’d hate to be a bother.” She glanced back at Rainbow to make sure that she wasn’t upset.
“Nah, it’s fine.” Dash grinned as she walked across the room to stand next to Fluttershy as she came out from behind the couch. “We should have done this sooner. So, what’s—” Her question was interrupted by a growl from her stomach, making her smile sheepishly. “Eheh... Sorry about that. I took the gang on a morning flight, guess I worked up a bit of an appetite.
“Oh, um, I can make us some lunch.” Fluttershy offered, looking warily between her marefriend and her former love interest. Dash licked her lips at the idea, but Rarity looked torn. “Do you want to stay for lunch, Rarity? I have a nice almond and hazelnut soup.”
“No thank you, dear. I had a large breakfast, so I’m not terribly hungry yet.” The unicorn fought to keep her smile up, but it was getting harder as time went on. Seeing her two loves together tore at her insides. She had known it would hurt when she decided to visit them, but the knowledge didn’t make it any easier. This may have been a mistake. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dash giving her an odd look. “S-some tea would lovely, though, if you have any.”
“O-of course.” Fluttershy nodded and headed for the kitchen, sparing a final glance back at her friends, worried about what might happen in her absence. In the kitchen, she busied herself with preparing the soup and tea, but it couldn’t stop her mind from over-analyzing and questioning everything that Rarity had said.
Back out in the living room, Rarity took a closer look at the Daring Do novel on the couch and browsed the cover. “Daring Do and the Dragon’s Diadem? Don’t tell me you’re forcing poor Fluttershy to read this. You know how she feels about dragons.” She half-glared at Dash for a moment before her expression softened and she reasserted her faux-cheerful demeanor.
“Nah.” Rainbow waved a hoof, smiling. “She just likes to listen to me read them.” When Rarity arched an eyebrow, she blushed and stared at the floor. “Well, I kinda got into the habit of reading out loud when I’m at home since I live alone and it never bothered anyone. I started doing it here last night, and I stopped when I realized ‘Shy was watching me, but she asked me to keep going.” She scuffed a hoof on the floor and her cheeks burned even redder. “She kinda... fell asleep cuddled up against me while I was reading.”
The unicorn smiled at her, but it didn’t look quite right, as though her face was refusing to cooperate. “Oh, so you can be romantic when you want to be, hmm?” She teased.
Rainbow shrugged, but her face was still as red as a tomato. “I-it wasn’t, really. I was just reading, she was listening, and we happened to be laying next to one another.” She couldn’t contain the smile tugging at her lips. Simple though it may have been, just being close to Fluttershy felt awesome.
Rarity’s smile faltered for a moment as the image played in her head. She saw Fluttershy and Rainbow cuddling on the bed, the former slowly drifting off to sleep while the latter read aloud. Her heart wrenched in opposite directions, both elated that they were happy yet dejected that she could never partake in the experience.
“You doin’ okay there, Rares?” Dash stepped forward, concern etched on her face. Moving closer, she reached up and laid a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder, feeling it tense under her touch. Rarity’s smile was firmly affixed, but her eyes lacked the same warmth or joy. The sound of running water came from the kitchen, so she leaned in closer. “Come on, let’s talk outside for a bit.” She whispered, gently guiding the other mare back toward the door.
“What did you want to talk about, darling?” Rarity asked once they were out on the grass of Fluttershy’s front garden. She looked at a few hyacinths in full bloom and, for a moment, she could pretend that the world was still just as beautiful and just as colorful as the week before. Her mind refused to let her dwell on it, so she shifted her gaze back to Rainbow and waited patiently for a reply.
Dash just looked at her for a moment, holding her gaze. “What’s going on, Rarity?” She asked plainly, consciously choosing to use the other mare’s full name. “Something about you seems... off today.”
“I’m sorry, dear, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rarity shook her head, staring at Rainbow’s nose to avoid looking into her gorgeous magenta eyes. “Everything’s perfectly fine.” Her chest tightened and a lump formed in her throat as she lied through her teeth to one of the mares she loved.
“Look Rares... I—” Dash caught herself and sighed, fluttering her wings to relieve some pent up tension. “I don’t want things to be weird between us, you know? I still wanna be friends.” She watched the unicorn for a reaction, and saw her smile become a little more strained. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I-I...” Rarity trailed off, unable to force anything else past the tightness in her throat. She swallowed to try and clear it, then decided to jump right to her reason for visiting. This was a bad idea. I’m not ready for this. “Well, I have a... gift for you and Fluttershy.” With a flick of her horn, she pulled the tickets from her mane and floated them over to Dash, waiting for the pegasus to realize what they were.
Rainbow stared at the tickets for a second before her eyes went wide and her mouth formed a perfect little ‘O’. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Rarity, where in Equestria did you get these?” Her eyes darted between the tickets and the unicorn, unsure of where to stop. Eventually, she let out a fanfilly squeal and leapt at Rarity, wrapping her up in a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! This— You are so awesome!”
Rarity felt her heart rending in her chest, and she bit her lip to choke back a whimper. She wanted nothing more than to return the hug, but it felt as if her forelegs were made of lead. Mustering every ounce of strength she had, she brought her forelegs up and embraced Dash, her composure threatening to crack like glass. “Th-thank you, dear.” She murmured, praying to Celestia that her voice sounded stronger than she felt.
“Seriously though, how did you get these?” Rainbow asked as she held the tickets up to the sun, looking in disbelief at the Wonderbolts watermark that indicated the tickets were genuine. She brought them back down and her mouth fell open as she read the seating information. “Platinum level, Suite 103, Seats 1A and 1B.” Hardly able to believe they were real, she simply stared at the tickets and shook her head. “Why?”
“Honestly, Rainbow...” Rarity chuckled into a hoof, feeling the tiniest bit better that Dash found her gift so impressive. “I give you two tickets to a Wonderbolts show and you ask why? You are still Rainbow Dash, are you not? The Wonderbolts’ biggest fan? The same pegasus who has been training for years to one day join their illustrious ranks?”
“Well, yeah.” Dash’s ears folded back and she looked at the tickets again, indecision written plainly on her face. After some internal debate, she held the tickets back out to the other mare. “Here. I can’t take them.”
Rarity’s mouth fell open in surprise, but she didn’t move to take the tickets back. “Whyever not, dear? They’re excellent seats, are they not?” She asked.
“Well, yeah.” Rainbow pulled her foreleg back a tiny bit as she replied.
“And you want to go, do you not?” The unicorn pressed, arching an eyebrow.
“Duh.” Dash responded, the beginnings of a cocky grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.
“Well then, I simply can’t see the problem, lo— dear. You want to go, and I’m giving you the tickets...” Rarity shook her head and smiled softly. “Why do you say that you can’t take them?”
“Because I can’t! These things are worth almost as much as I make in a year!” Rainbow cried in exasperation, her wings snapping out and flapping once before folding back to her sides. She looked back at the tickets, her resolve visibly wavering at the sight of Spitfire and Soarin’ smiling back up at her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she thrust the tickets back toward the unicorn. “Just keep them, alright? If you sold them, you could expand your shop. Hay, you could probably build a whole new shop. I... I can’t take them.”
Rarity stepped forward and reached up, as if she was going to take the tickets back, but instead pushed Dash’s hoof back toward her. “No, dear. They’re my gift to you. Take them, and enjoy them. Please.”
Rainbow opened her eyes, looking back and forth between the unicorn and the tickets, her expression fluctuating between frustration and euphoria. She sputtered incoherently for a few moments before she found words. “Rares, I... thank you.” She stored the tickets under a wing and pulled Rarity into another hug, this one more tender and heartfelt than the previous one. “I mean it. Thank you so much.”
“You—” Rarity felt her composure threatening to crack again. Wrapping her forelegs gently around the other mare, she returned the embrace, savoring the feel of Dash’s heart beating against her own chest. The lump in her throat returned with a vengeance and she felt tears welling in her eyes, but she tried to choke out a response anyway. “You’re welcome.” Her voice cracked partway through, and before she could register it, Rainbow had pulled away and was looking her dead in the eye. Stupid, weak fool. She cursed herself.
“I knew it. You’re not okay.” Dash held the unicorn’s chin up with a hoof when she tried to look away. “What’s wrong? Tell me, please.” She pleaded, her voice conveying how hurt and concerned she was.
“I—” Rarity’s voice cracked again, so she stopped and took a deep breath, wiping away her half-formed tears with a hoof. “I’m sorry you had to see that, darling. I had hoped to hold myself together better than that.” She smiled sadly. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll be fine.”
“No.” Dash countered, stomping a rear hoof. “Tell me what’s wrong. I’m your friend. I want to help.”
The alabaster mare felt her heart break even further at the earnestness and raw desire to help that Rainbow expressed. "I am... hurting, Rainbow Dash. I appreciate the concern, but..." She sighed. "There is nothing you can do. It will take some time before that pain fades." If it ever does... "The best thing you can do right now is to be there for Fluttershy, make sure that she's happy with her choice." She tried to smile, but once again her face wouldn’t cooperate. With a little more effort, she managed to make her smile seem genuine, or at least real enough for Dash to buy it. “It’s better to have loved and lost, as they say.” Feeling her smile start to falter, she turned to begin her slow trek back to the Boutique.
“Rares!” Dash called after her as she reached the bridge.
Rarity winced, but turned back, unable to bring herself to ignore Rainbow, despite desperately wanting to get back home, where the same pony would whisper sweet nothings into her ear, however false they might be. “Yes, dear?”
Rainbow chewed on her lip for a moment, but finally said what was on her mind. “I want you to come by and visit whenever you want. You, ‘Shy, and me...” She paused, as if searching for the right words. “We all need to stay friends. I know we had a... thing over ‘Shy, but that’s over now. So, don’t think we don’t want to see you, even if you don’t have amazing tickets or something, okay?”
Rarity found that her smile came a little easier. “Of course, darling. I just need... some time to sort myself out. You understand, don’t you?”
Dash nodded and trotted up to her, hugging her one last time before she could react. “It’s okay to be sad, Rares, but you’re too awesome to let it keep you down. Tell you what, when you’re ready to look for somepony again, I’ll be your wingmare, okay? I bet we can find at least one other sweet, shy pony in this town.”
The words stung, and Rarity’s smile faltered, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. She thanked both Celestia and Luna that the hug kept Dash from seeing it. At the same time, she had to bite back a venomous retort. As if anypony could ever replace Fluttershy... or you. “Thank you, darling. I’ll... think about it.” As she backed away, she planted a feather-light kiss on Rainbow’s cheek. “Now, please apologize to Fluttershy for me. I don’t believe I’ll be able to stay for that tea.” She excused herself, knowing that she couldn’t bring herself to face Fluttershy in her current state.
Looking away, she started walking back toward town, leaving the other mare to watch her go in silence. When she crossed the bridge, she stopped and glanced back, keeping her mane covering her face. “Oh, and do make the most of your visit to Canterlot. Take her to a nice restaurant or the Canterlot Royal Gardens. She’ll like that. Don’t be afraid to stop by the Boutique if you need anything at all.” Without waiting for a reply, she broke into a trot and made her way back to her home.
Rainbow watched the unicorn leave, a feeling that she couldn’t identify settling uncomfortably in her chest. To try and shake it, she pulled the tickets out and looked them over again, hoping the excitement of seeing the Wonderbolts would help her feel better. However, the sight of them only increased the uneasy feeling that twisted at her stomach. Scanning down the tickets, she noticed the date of the show. Celestia, tomorrow afternoon? Her eyes darted around, making a mental list of things to do.
“Girls?” Fluttershy stuck her head out of the cottage door, looking around until she found Rainbow standing off to the side, facing away from her and looking at something. “Dashie? Where’s Rarity?” She waited for a moment as her marefriend quickly stashed whatever she was looking at beneath her wing, then turned around, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof.
“Hey, Flutters. Rarity had some... stuff to do, so she had to run. I gotta go too, sorry.” Rainbow looked off in the direction Rarity had left and bit her lip.
“She... just left? You too?” Fluttershy shrunk back, hiding behind her mane while tears welled in her eyes. “D-did I do something w-wrong? A-are you two m-mad at me?” A tearful sniff escaped her and she started to inch her way back inside.
“Wha— No! Of course not.” Dash galloped over and pulled her marefriend into a hug, planting a series of kisses on her cheeks to dry the few tears that had escaped. She pulled the other mare closer and nuzzled into her cheek, doing everything she could to try and calm the distraught pegasus. “Shh... It’s okay, ‘Shy. You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.”
“Th-then wh-why...” Fluttershy trailed off, more tears slipping from her eyes.
“Rarity... had to take care of something, but trust me, she’s not mad at you.” Rainbow brushed her marefriend’s mane behind her ear so that she could look into her eyes. “And me, I’ve got a surprise for you, but I need to make some arrangements first. I’m sorry that I have to bail on you, but I promise it’ll be worth it. You don’t have any plans for tomorrow do you?”
“J-just feeding my animals.” Fluttershy sniffed one final time, wiping a hoof across her nose. “Why?”
“I told you, it’s a surprise.” Dash responded, darting in to plant a quick kiss on her marefriend’s nose. “Is there any way you can have someone else watch your animals for tomorrow?”
“I suppose.” Fluttershy smiled as the kiss tickled her nose. “Do you want to come in for lunch before you go?”
Before she could answer, Rainbow’s stomach let out a growl that rivaled Harry the bear. She coughed into a hoof to cover up the slight blush in her cheeks. “That sounds great.” The pair headed back inside and sat down at the table, where three bowls of soup were laid out along with a pot of tea. Dash picked up a spoon and dipped it in the soup, absentmindedly taking a bite while she continued to make mental plans. As the liquid splashed across her tongue, she bolted upright. “Ah! Hot hot hot!” Fanning her burning mouth with a hoof, she looked around for something to cool it with, but only found the steaming cup of tea sitting in front of her.
“Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy got up and scrambled over to a cabinet, pulling out a glass and filling it at the sink. “I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry.” She hopped back over to the table with a flap of her wings and handed the glass to her marefriend, who quickly drained it.
“No, it’s—” Rainbow’s words were cut off by a cough. “—it’s fine. It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.” She fanned her mouth one last time, letting out a relieved sigh. Picking up another spoonful, she blew on the spoon several times to cool it down before drinking it, perking up again. “Mmm. Wow, ‘Shy, this smells delicious. I wish I could taste it, but I’m pretty sure I burned off all my taste buds with that first spoonful. Where’d you learn to make it?”
“Oh, um, my mom taught it to me when I was little.” Fluttershy took her own dainty bite of soup, blowing on it before drinking it. “I’ve made some changes to it over the years, like putting in fewer almonds and more hazelnuts. Oh, I also added a few things like a bit of nutmeg and a pinch of salt, but I’ve kept it mostly the same.” She stirred her soup, waiting for it to cool. “I don’t make it very often, though.”
“Why not?” Dash asked after downing another spoonful. “I’m sure it tastes great. I’d make it all the time if I knew how.”
“Yes, well, whenever I do try and make it, all of my little squirrel, chipmunk and mouse friends eat it before I really get the chance to enjoy it.” Fluttershy pointed over to the kitchen window, giggling. Dash followed her hoof and looked out the window, where half a dozen of the aforementioned animals were standing with their paws and faces pressed up to the glass.
“Hehe, I can see why.” Rainbow picked up her bowl and drained it in several large gulps, setting back down with a contented sigh. “Sorry, Flutters, but I really gotta run. Lots of things to do before tomorrow.” She stepped around the table and gave her marefriend a hug with her wing. “I’ll be by tomorrow morning, okay?”
“Oh, okay.” Fluttershy leaned into the embrace, nuzzling into the other mare’s neck before darting up and kissing her on the cheek. When she pulled away, a light blush stained her cheeks. “I’ll, um, see you later then, Dashie.”
“Yeah...” Rainbow responded, staring off into space for a second before shaking her head and trotting over to the front door. “Later, ‘Shy.” She called back as she pulled open the door, running outside and taking to the air while making sure to grab the Wonderbolts tickets as her wings spread. Pumping her wings, she climbed into the sky and let out a whoop of excitement that, for once, had nothing to do with her racing through the heavens. Even with the wind racing across her face, she could still feel the spot on her cheek that Fluttershy had kissed tingling. Dash pulled into a loop with a goofy grin on her face, her body completing the move automatically while her mind wandered for a moment.
This is so awesome! She banked into a lazy turn to catch a rising thermal, shooting ever higher on the column of warm air. First, a sleepover with Fluttershy, and then Rarity shows up with these? Can you say ‘best day ever?’
Rainbow could feel the tickets whipping back and forth against her foreleg and chest, constantly reminding her of the unicorn’s exorbitant gift. She couldn’t help the grin plastered to her face, and she pulled up into a loop to try and burn off some of her excited energy. Scanning the town below, she spotted Carousel Boutique and considered going there to thank Rarity again, but ultimately decided against it with a shake of her head. Adjusting her flight path, she angled toward the library and began gliding down to the ground.
First item on the agenda: The Canterlot Royal Gardens.
Landing a few feet in front of the door, Dash replaced the tickets under her wing and pushed the door to the library open, sending the bell above it ringing. Wait, what be— Sweet Celestia, what is that? Her eyes were drawn to a mound of cushions piled in the center of the room. Out of instinct, she flapped her wings, remembering to grab the falling tickets at the last second, and rose up to inspect it. Halfway up, she found the librarian napping with her face resting on an open book. She carefully poked the sleeping mare with a hoof. “Uh, Twilight?”
“No, AJ... I don’ mind... ‘s a drought... gotta conserve water.” Twilight mumbled in her sleep, her legs twitching. “‘S awfully small shower.” She giggled a bit, a tiny trail of drool leaking from her mouth onto the book.
“Twilight.” Rainbow poked the unicorn a little harder, causing her to shy away and giggle.
“Careful, AJ... ticklish there.” Twilight leaned forward, nuzzling into the book and smearing her drool over several lines of text.
“Twilight!” Dash shook the sleeping mare with a hoof, causing her eyes to finally flutter open.
“Mmm... Apple—” Twilight blinked a couple times and looked up at the blue face floating before her. “R-Rainbow Dash?” Wiping a hoof across her mouth, she sat up, quickly asserting her professional demeanor. “Hello, Rainbow, what can I— Oh no. Ohnoohnoohno!” She finally noticed the blotch of drool on her book and quickly wove a spell with her horn, gently removing the splotch of saliva and fixing a few smudged letters. Once she fixed the damage, she let out a relieved sigh and looked back to her visitor with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, what can I do for you, Rainbow?”
Dash chuckled into a hoof for a moment before remembering why she had come. “Oh, right. Um, I was wondering, are the Canterlot Royal Gardens open to just anypony, or do you need to get permission from, like, Princess Celestia to visit them?”
“The Gardens?” Twilight cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowed. “I... don’t know, to be honest. I think it would be a good idea to ask the princess, just to make sure. Why do you want to know?”
“I’m planning a date for Fluttershy and me.” A grin spread across Dash’s face as she said the words. She held the tickets out so that the other mare could see them. “We’re gonna go see the Wonderbolts, and I was hoping that afterward we might be able to take a walk through the Royal Gardens.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Twilight tapped her forehoof against the cast on her other foreleg. “The last time she—”
“Celestia! What happened to your leg?” Rainbow floated closer, poking her head down to get a better look at the cast. “When did this happen? I mean, I saw you yesterday with Applejack.” She raised her head to see the unicorn looking away, her ears folded back. “Twi? What happened?”
Twilight sighed and slumped into her throne of cushions. “I tripped and fell while running with Applejack. It wasn’t that bad, but I kind of... ran home on it.” She held up her good foreleg to preempt Dash’s incoming question. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Crossing her forelegs to cover the cast, she sat up a little straighter. “Anyway, the last time Fluttershy visited the Royal Gardens was—”
“The Grand Galloping Gala.” Dash finished, pressing a hoof between her eyes. “Right. Forgot about that. She drug the hoof down her muzzle, resting it on her chin. “Hmm... do you think she’d want to go back because of what happened at the Gala, kind of a—” She stopped as Twilight gave her a deadpan look. “Eheh. So, no Gardens, then. Maybe a nice picnic instead.” Pursing her lips, she looked around the library while she thought. After a moment, she shook her head. “Could you go ahead and send a message to the princess anyway, just in case?”
“Sure thing.” Twilight smiled, then looked off to the side. “Princess Celestia is on a diplomatic visit to Stalliongrad, but I’ll have Spike send a message to Luna.” Turning back, she pulled the book she had been reading before her unscheduled nap in front of her. “Is there anything else?”
“Nope. Thanks, Twi.” Dash clutched the Wonderbolt tickets to her chest in preparation for flight and smiled at the unicorn. “See ya later.” Without waiting for a response, she flapped her wings once, banking into a tight turn and zooming out the library door.
*
Rarity closed the door to her shop behind her, checking to make sure that the sign read ‘Closed’ before plodding across the showroom. Looking at the clock, she let out a sigh. She had expected there to be pain when she finally got home and could let her tears flow freely, but instead she felt numb, almost empty.
Sitting at her kitchen table, she tried to convince herself that everything she was doing was for the best. They’re happy, and that’s what matters. If I can help that in some small way, I will do so gladly. Laying her head on the table, she tried to focus on her friends’ happiness, picturing the pair strolling through the streets of Canterlot and simply enjoying each other's company. Hmm... something’s missing. In her mind, she gave Fluttershy the dress she had been working on when she went to the library with Pinkie, adding a few finishing touches that she hadn’t gotten to before. She smiled and sat up, floating a pencil and parchment into the kitchen so that she could commit the design to paper. When she was done, she looked down at the design with a pleased smile.
Now, we can’t very well forget about Rainbow. Rarity brought a second piece of parchment into the kitchen and set it before her, her pencil hovering above it and waiting for inspiration to strike. Maybe... Her pencil raced across the paper, tracing out a rough sketch before it stopped abruptly. No. With a flash of magic, the parchment crumpled into a ball and flew off to the side, landing by the doorway. Another piece floated in to replace it. How about... Once again, the pencil flew across the parchment, the various lines eventually coalescing into a dress design. Hmm, no. The parchment met the same fate as its predecessor, landing in a crumpled ball next to the previous sheet.
Several hours later, the pile of rejected designs had grown large enough to almost reached the top of the counter it rested against, and Rarity’s sketch pencil had shrunk until it was barely more than a nub. Slumping forward, the unicorn rested her head on the table, letting the remains of her pencil clatter down. Why is this so difficult? She closed her eyes and a spectrum of color played across the insides of her eyelids. Sighing, she pinpointed the source of her frustration. It’s that messy, infuriating, gorgeous mane of hers. No matter what I do, something clashes with one of the colors in it.
With a faint pulse of magic, she grabbed the last three sketches she had discarded and flattened them out as best she could to look at them. The only thing I’ve been able to make work is something using chromatic fabric... but I used that for her Gala dress. I want to do something new, something different, but I can’t get anything to work. Resting her chin on the table, she tossed the parchment back onto the pile and rubbed her temples with her hooves. Come now, Rarity, you can do this. This is important. It’s their first date as a couple, and they’re going to Canterlot to see the Wonder—
In a blur of motion, Rarity bolted upright, her eyes widening as inspiration hit her. “Ideeeeea!” She sang aloud, her pencil leaping up and flying across the parchment. As the design unfolded, she couldn’t help but smile, imagining Dash’s reaction when she put it on. When it was done, she glanced back and forth between the two designs and the clock, biting her lip as she tried to figure out where she was going to find the time to craft both of the dresses before her friends left for Canterlot in the morning.
Seven o’clock. I’d better put on a pot of tea... it’s going to be another long night. With a flick of her horn, she filled a kettle and set it on the stove. Grabbing both sketches with her magic, she walked back out into the showroom. Shortly, a flurry of fabric, needles, thread, and scissors was whirling around the room, draping themselves across a pair of blank equinnequins and sewing themselves together. The maelstrom of activity was interrupted by the whistling of the tea kettle back in the kitchen.
Rarity carefully set everything down and trotted back into the kitchen to fix herself a cup of tea. A minute later, she returned to the main room, cup floating behind her, and sat down to take a sip. Letting out a contented sigh, she looked out the window to see Celestia’s sun disappearing over the horizon, the last vestiges of sunlight bathing the few scattered clouds in hues of orange and yellow. Sipping on her tea, the fashionista admired the sunset for a few moments before rolling her neck and eliciting a series of cracks. Her red glasses floated up and landed on her nose as she stood up and walked toward the dress forms.
Well, time to get to work.
*
“Oh Rainbow Daaa—” Rarity’s singsong call was cut off by by a yawn. After it passed, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Ahem, oh Rainbow Daaash!” She craned her neck up, looking for any sign of movement. A few minutes passed, and she was getting ready to call out again when the pegasus in question poked her head out of a window.
“What do you—” Rainbow looked down at the unicorn and saw something draped across her back, though she couldn’t figure out what it was from up in her house. “Oh, hi Rares. Be down in a sec.” She disappeared back inside, only to zoom out of the same window a moment later, flaring her wings and banking into a wide turn that slowly brought her to the ground. “Hey, uh...” Glancing off to the side, she fluttered her wings nervously. “I know I said that it’s cool to come by whenever and all, but I didn’t mean you had to do it the next morning. What’s up?”
"Well, I figured that with—" Another yawn forced its way out of Rarity's mouth, which she covered with a hoof. "Pardon me. As I was saying, I thought that with your upcoming visit to Canterlot today, you might be interested in these." With a flare from her horn, she floated the dresses off of her back and hung them so that Dash could see them. Fluttershy's dress had a pastel purple top with a light green skirt and darker green vine patterns swirling around the edges. Meanwhile, Dash's dress was a form fitting electric blue piece with yellow accents running down the sides.
“Rarity, these are awesome!” Dash leapt forward and grabbed hold of her dress, twirling around and letting out a squeal of glee. She stopped mid-spin and floated over to hover in front of Rarity. “First the tickets, now these... what’s going on, Rares?” She looked at the other mare curiously, but clutched her dress to her chest.
“Well, I... that is to say...” Rarity sighed heavily. She was going to have to lie again. Putting on her best smile, she forced herself to continue. “You see, I had planned ahead, thinking that things would... work out better. Between the three of us, you know? The tickets were an unexpected bonus, but I had intended the dresses as gifts for the two of you. Though the original intent has been spoiled, I made them specifically for the two of you and I want you to have them. I will not turn around and sell your dresses simply because of—” She broke off as Rainbow gave her an incredulous look. “Please, don’t look at me like that. Take them, won’t you? Call them gifts from a friend if you must, but they were made from the heart.”
Rainbow looked back and forth between the dress in her hooves and the unicorn who had made it. "Rares..." She felt a lump rise in her throat, and she swallowed to force it down. "This is... it's too much. All of it. First, the tickets. Now this? I... I can't take them." With a pained grimace, she held the dress out, waiting for the unicorn to take it.
“I insist, darling.” Rarity laid Fluttershy’s dress across Dash’s hooves, pushed both dressed into the pegasus’ arms, and turned on the spot. “I am the Element of Generosity, after all. I believe I am allowed to give my friends gifts if they deserve them.” She turned back, just for a moment, and smiled. “Besides, you have a formal event to attend. It wouldn’t do to be underdressed now, would it?” She winked and turned back, starting to walk away and calling back over her shoulder. “Show her a good time, won’t you?”
Without warning, Rainbow landed in front of her, carefully, almost reverently, placing the dresses on the grass by the road. Rarity would have protested against the garish treatment of her designs, but she was interrupted by two forelegs wrapping around her neck. Dash gave her a tight hug, even extending her wings and wrapping them around Rarity’s shoulders. By the time the pegasus finally let her go, Rarity was gasping for breath.
“Thanks, Rarity. I mean it.” Rainbow smiled warmly and gathered up the dresses, taking to the air but flying slowly so as not to risk damage to the gowns. She threw one last meaningful look over her shoulder before she rounded a bend in the road and disappeared behind a stand of trees.
As soon as Dash was out of sight, Rarity let out a huge yawn, bringing her hoof up to cover her mouth. When it finally ended, she began the walk back to Carousel Boutique. She was already late for her appointment with the silken softness of her bed.
*
Rainbow was nothing if not fast, though she did hold back some, only flying at half of her top speed as she zipped toward her marefriend’s cottage. As it came into view, she set down near the small bridge and draped the dresses across her back, using her wings to try and smooth out some of the wrinkles that had formed during the flight. Good thing Rares isn’t here. She’d beat me to a pulp if she saw what I did to her dresses. She trotted across the bridge and up to the front door, knocking on it while she kept working to iron out a particularly stubborn kink in Fluttershy’s dress.
“Hello?” Fluttershy stuck her head out of the doorway, her eyes darting around before settling on the pegasus in front of her house. “Oh, hi Dashie.” She perked up, her worried expression brightening into a warm smile as she pulled the door open and stepped aside. “Please, come in. I just finished feeding all the animals, so I just need to take a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.” She craned her neck up to try and look at the thing draped across her marefriend’s back, but Dash flared her wings to block her sight. “What’s that?”
“It’s part of the surprise, but, uh, it’s not quite ready.” Rainbow looked over her wing at the dresses, seeing that the stubborn wrinkle was still there. A thought flitted through her mind, and she bit her lip as she tried to ignore it, but it was too late. “Say, Flutters... I worked up a bit of a sweat flying over here. Do you think that I could get a shower too?”
“Oh, um...” Fluttershy shied away a bit, her face lighting up in a fierce blush. “I-I don’t know. M-maybe you could, um, go first, and I’ll just wait.” With a scuff of her hoof on the floor, she ducked down and hid behind her mane, glancing up to see her marefriend’s reaction.
“Come on, ‘Shy.” Dash rolled her eyes and walked into the cottage, angling her wings to keep the dresses hidden as best she could. “Here, you run upstairs and get it started and I’ll be up in a second.”
“W-well, um, I-I...” Fluttershy chewed her lip for a moment, but ultimately swallowed and nodded. “O-okay. I’ll just, um, go get the shower started, then.” She turned and trotted over to the staircase, stopping for a second to look back before heading up the stairs.
When the sound of running water drifted down the staircase, Rainbow laid the dresses out on the couch, taking care to not create any new wrinkles in the fabric. She found the stubborn wrinkle in Fluttershy’s dress and stretched it with both hooves, grinning triumphantly as she finally flattened out the crease. Trotting over to the stairs, her heart rate jumped at the thought of sharing a shower with her marefriend.
With an excited flutter of her wings, Dash trotted over to the staircase and made her way up to the bedroom. A few wisps of steam floated out of the doorway to the bathroom as she entered, and she pushed the door open and walked in, looking around the room. To one side, a wooden tub sat below a shelf with an array of bottles lined up, and a sink with a mirror was just past it. On the other side of the room, a plastic curtain hung to enclose a shower easily large enough for two, maybe even three, ponies. Steam billowed over the top of the curtain, and Rainbow pulled it back to peek in on her marefriend, who was letting the water run over her with her eyes closed. Sneaking into the shower, Dash crept up on the other mare and darted in for a kiss on the cheek.
“Eep!” The kiss caused Fluttershy to jump, splashing water everywhere. She looked around, a minor panic in her eyes before she saw Rainbow. Her ears flattened back and she tried to hide behind her mane, but it was plastered to her neck. “Oh, h-hi, Dashie. I, um...” Her words trailed off, lost amongst the patter of water pattering on the floor.
“Hey, could you pass the soap?” Dash asked, stepping forward to get under the water and turning to wet her coat. She took the offered soap from her marefriend, who was blushing slightly, and started rubbing it along her legs before moving on to her trunk. When she was done, she passed the soap back to Fluttershy and hopped under the stream of water again. “You better hurry up, ‘Shy. We gotta get going.”
Fluttershy took the soap back and slowly started moving it along her own body, becoming a bit more comfortable. “So, um, what are we doing today? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”
Rainbow pursed her lips for a moment, then shook her head, spraying water everywhere. “Nah, it’s cool.” She paused, letting the moment drag out before she revealed their plans with a flourish. “We’re going to Canterlot!”
Fluttershy’s eyes lit up and she dropped the soap. “Canterlot.” She murmured, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “Really?”
“You bet.” Dash smiled back, then darted in for a quick kiss on her marefriend’s lips, seeing a blush when she pulled away. “There’s a Wonderbolts show there this afternoon, and I’ve got tickets. Now, hurry up, slowpoke.” She playfully bumped the other mare’s flank with her own.
Fluttershy picked up the soap and resumed cleaning herself. “Oh my, that’s very exciting.” She put down the soap and ducked into the water to wash it off. “What time does the train leave?”
“The first train to Canterlot leaves at ten.” Rainbow poked her head out of the shower. “Where do you keep your towels?”
“Ten?” Fluttershy repeated, cocking her head in confusion. “But, Dashie, it’s only a little before nine. Why do we need to hurry?”
“Well...” Dash began before trailing off. After blinking a few times, she rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “I, uh, guess we don’t really need to. That’s just how I do things.” She concluded with a shrug.
Fluttershy giggled and shook her head, smiling shyly as an idea came to her. “Um, then wh-why don’t you sit down?” Her marefriend raised a questioning eyebrow and she could feel heat flooding her face. “I could, um, wash your mane for you, if you want.”
“Oh.” Rainbow chuckled, but eventually shrugged and moved to sit in front of her marefriend. “Okay, sure.” She craned her head back and shook it to get as much of her mane slicked back as possible. The sound of a bottle opening was her only warning before a blob of shampoo landed on her head. “Ah! Cold!” She jerked away from the bottle, which only caused the cold liquid to trail down her neck and back. A mumbled apology mixed with some giggles came from behind her, followed shortly by a pair of hooves that worked the shampoo into her mane.
“Mmm.” Dash let out a contented sigh as Fluttershy’s hooves continued to work, gently massaging her scalp while the shampoo lathered up her mane. Her wings unfolded and drooped down at her sides, causing rivulets of water to run down each feather. Slowly, her marefriend’s hooves worked their way down, rubbing along Rainbow’s neck and eventually down to her shoulders. After dipping her head into the shower stream to wash off the shampoo, Dash leaned back, pulling the other mare’s forelegs around her into a hug. “Thanks, ‘Shy.” She nestled into the embrace. “That felt really nice. Do you, uh, want me to do yours?”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.” Fluttershy rested her head on Rainbow’s shoulder, giving the other mare a quick squeeze.
“Come on, I want to.” Dash gave her marefriend a peck on the nose and wiggled out of the hug, moving around behind Fluttershy and coming face to face with her waterfall of a mane. She followed the strands of wet hair down, whistling in surprise when she saw that the yellow mare’s mane nearly reached the base of her tail.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Rainbow clapped her hooves together and looked around. “Uh, where’s the shampoo?” Fluttershy handed her a pink bottle, and she held it over the expansive pink mane, squeezing out a healthy dollop of liquid. After looking down at the sheer amount of hair she had to wash, she squeezed out another small blob of shampoo then set the bottle down. In an effort to imitate what Fluttershy had done for her, Dash put her hooves on the slowly spreading splotch of shampoo and began vigorously rubbing it around. She heard a pained whimper escape the other mare’s mouth and felt her pull away a tiny bit.
“Sorry.” Rainbow stopped, took a deep breath, and started working the shampoo into Fluttershy’s mane again, making sure to move more slowly and keeping a very gentle pressure with her hooves. She gradually made her way lower, but had to stop and add more shampoo once she reached her marefriend’s shoulders. Taking her time, she ran her hooves through the mass of pink before her. She couldn’t help but smile as Fluttershy let out a blissful sigh. I could get used to this. After another minute, she had reached the end of her marefriend’s mane. Some of the shampoo and lather had fallen down, landing on the pink tail below. Dash decided to keep going, and began to work the shampoo into Fluttershy’s tail.
“Eep!” Fluttershy let out a squeak and curled her tail around herself, pulling it away from the other mare’s hooves.
“Sorry! Sorry.” Rainbow laid a hoof on her marefriend’s shoulder. “Probably should have asked first.”
“Oh, um, i-it’s okay.” Fluttershy slowly uncurled her tail. “It just startled me, but it felt really, um, nice.” Her response was barely above a whisper by the end, and her cheeks were tinged with a blush that had nothing to do with the steamy air of the shower.
Dash smiled and went back to work, running her hooves through Fluttershy’s tail slowly and gently so as not to pull on the hairs. After a little while, she reached the end. “Okay, done.”
Fluttershy leaned forward and washed the lather out of her mane and tail, then turned the shower off, letting the water drip from her hair for a bit before turning around. “Thanks, Dashie. That felt really nice.” She smiled and leaned over to nuzzle Dash’s cheek. Afterward, she pulled the curtain back, shivering as cooler air replaced the warm steamy air that had been trapped in the shower. After shaking as much water as she could from her legs, she trotted over to a rack with two towels hanging from it. “Do you want a towel?” She asked before grabbing one and draping it over her head.
“Hmm.” Dash thought for a moment, then spotted a window. “No thanks. I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for a response, she ran over to the window, throwing it open and diving out. Scanning the ground, she spotted Fluttershy’s herb garden and angled toward it. As she passed over the plants, she started to spin, sending the water still in her coat and mane flying in all directions. Once she was dry, she banked around and flew back through the window, landing next to her marefriend, who was still dying off. “There we go. Oh, I watered your herb garden for you.”
“Really?” Fluttershy dropped the towel onto her back, carefully drying her wings and flank. “Oh, thank you.” When she was done drying herself, she placed the towel back on the rack. “So, what—” She stopped as her eyes moved up to Rainbow’s mane, and she brought a hoof to her mouth to try and stifle a bout of giggles.
“What’s so funny?” Dash moved over to the sink and looked in the mirror, then broke out in her own round of laughter. Her mane was a complete mess, or at least, more so than usual. Most of it was blown back from the quick flight, but strands of all colors stuck up at random angles. “Oh, wow. You got a brush I can borrow?”
Fluttershy pulled the brush back, pouting slightly. “But I want to.”
“No fair.” Rainbow sat down and crossed her forelegs. “You know that nopony can resist that.” She heaved and exaggerated sigh. “Fine, go ahead.” Her affected annoyance disappeared as Fluttershy brushed her mane. The brush moved through the hairs with a feather-light touch, yet still removed all of the knots and tangles.
“There. That’s better.” Fluttershy put the brush down on the sink and leaned over to kiss Dash on the cheek. “So, what do you want to do now?”
“Now, the rest of the surprise.” Rainbow grinned and sidled up to her marefriend, draping a wing across her back. “Close your eyes.” Once the other mare’s eyes were closed, Dash led Fluttershy downstairs and over in front of the couch. “Okay, open them.”
“Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy clapped a hoof to her mouth when she saw the dresses, immediately gravitating toward her own. She picked it up, holding it to her chest as though afraid it would disappear if she was too rough with it. “It’s... beautiful.” The skirt flared out as she spun in place, revealing the swirling vines embroidered along the hem. Clutching it tighter, she let out a happy little squeal, then turned back to her marefriend. “Oh, Dashie, they’re wonderful! Where did you get them?”
“Well, Rares kind of... made them for us.” Dash admitted, running a hoof over her own dress. A knot formed in her chest as she looked at it, and the uneasy feeling that she couldn’t identify from earlier returned. Shaking her head, she brushed it off and stepped over to her marefriend’s side. “Here, let me help you with that.”
“Oh, um, thank you.” Fluttershy mumbled as Rainbow helped her into the dress. Meanwhile, her mind raced, trying to figure out when and why Rarity would have made them such lovely dresses. In turn, she helped her marefriend into her dress, blushing as the form-fitting fabric drew her gaze to Dash’s rump. “Um, did Rarity say why she made us these dresses?”
“Yeah.” Dash responded, a hint of sadness in her voice. “She said that she made them as... gifts for us, and she was going to give them to us whe— if the three of us had gotten together.” Trying to take her mind off of the unicorn, she looked at the clock on the wall, which read nine-thirty. “Say, who did you get to watch your animals for you?”
“Oh, it was—” Before Fluttershy could finish, a knock came from the door, so Rainbow trotted over and pulled it open. Applejack stood on the other side, watching Winona run off to play with the other animals.
“Hey, AJ.”
“Well howdy, Rain—” Applejack’s greeting died in her throat when she turned and saw Dash. Her mouth hung open limply as she looked the pegasus over. After a few seconds, she shook her head and smiled, forcing herself to look Rainbow in the eyes. “Ya look great, Dash. ‘Shy’s a lucky gal.”
“Uh, th-thanks.” Dash mumbled, looking off to the side in embarrassment. She shuffled aside, making room for the farm pony to enter. “Y-you probably need to talk to ‘Shy about her animals and stuff.”
“Yep.” Applejack trotted inside, unable to tear her eyes away from Rainbow. Skirting around the couch, she made her way over to Fluttershy, who gave her a quick rundown of what each group of animals ate and when to feed them, even going so far as to include a list. Once Applejack was reasonably sure she knew what to do, she ushered the yellow pegasus over to the door, reassuring her that her furry little friends would be fine. “Come on, sugarcube. Ah’ve been runnin’ Sweet Apple Acres fer years, Ah’m sure Ah can handle a few rowdy critters fer one afternoon.”
“Oh, of course. I’m sorry. I wasn’t, um, trying to say that you couldn’t or anything, it’s just—” Fluttershy stopped, took a deep breath, and smiled. “Sorry. I tend to worry a bit when it comes to my animals. I’m sure you’ll do great. Thank you again, Applejack.”
“Really, sugarcube, it’s no trouble at all.” Applejack lowered her head and gave Fluttershy once last nudge out the door, where Rainbow was waiting for her. “Now, you two go have fun on yer date, and don’t you worry none, ‘Shy. Ah’ll take care of yer critters.” She waved goodbye as the couple made their way down the path to Ponyville, waiting for them to cross the bridge before she closed the door.
“Sweet Celestia.” The farm pony slumped down, leaning against the door. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the picture of Rainbow Dash dressed up out of her mind, and the pegasus’ sheepish expression somehow managed to make her seem even cuter. Applejack pulled her hat off and ran a hoof through her mane.
“Consarnit, Rainbow, why’d ya have to be so... so... beautiful?”
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Whew... two ten thousand word chapters in a row... at least, the Tango version of the previous chapter was ten thousand words. This one's not a dream, I promise.
Why must you taunt Applejack so ;_;
Poor, poor Rarity
Wasn't Twilight not supposed to use magic for a while?
damn, damn, damn! I need to get caught up like, a lot! the last I remember was Fluttershy dying and Rainbow and Rarity getting married... then if I remember right I kinda got pissed at the story and stopped reading
i'm just going to go off some of the comments that fluttershy is in fact not actually dead? and it was only a dream?
if so that's a real shitty dream to have your best friend killed(however it happens) to have a different friend all to yourself? that's pretty Shallow(that bitch).
2762719 She's supposed to lay off anything more than simple levitation.
2762755 Well, that's not quite what happened. Rarity hit her head and had a blackout. During that time her brain ran wild in a dream in which Shy drowned. She grieved, and eventually turned to the other pony that was grieving the most because she had loved Shy too. The death drew them together, and they started dating, then they got married. But then... she woke up. And here's the kicker. Rarity saw a side of Rainbow she'd never seen. She wanted Rainbow to join Shy and herself, why have two happy ponies when you can have three? But from there... things only got more complex.
Dear lord, the bittersweetness. It's killing me little by little!
Still a compelling read, though I really wish Rarity could find some measure of happiness outside the dream world. Still loving the whole bit between AJ and Twilight as well.
i.imgur.com/R3X0i.jpg
I really like how you handle things, the situation seems like it could be rather hard to write well, but you address it in a way that flows smoothly and leaves us wanting more! That said, Rarity needs a happy chapter, it sucks seeing her so sad.
2762789
)
ahhh... okay...
but, DAMN! spoiler...(critics are never happy, thanks for filling me in
I really liked the characterizations of each character for this chapter. You just really nailed it, especially with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I really wish Rarity was more like this in the show because she is just a paragon of virtue in this fic. I mean literally everything she has done is just so benevolent and altruistic and she has the largest burden of anyone yet she decides to keep it and soldier on without telling anyone. While Rainbow Dash is still caring and willing to look past everything, but completely oblivious to Rarity and AJ's plight.
Although seriously what was up with RD not telling Fluttershy where she got the tickets, I mean she already had to say Rarity gave her the dresses. Boy Rarity's generosity sure has been taken advantage of with Fluttershy not telling about her and Rarity, and now this.
2763193 oh you know what you expected you sick bastard......
.......fuuka.warosu.org/data/cgl/img/0067/64/1365864073496.jpg 
This is some really complex shipping you got going on here.
Next time, I'm using FedEx.
2762755
You need to go read and get informed before you start slinging insults. You make yourself look pretty thick in the head when you admit to knowing nothing and then still pass judgement on what you don't know.
Wait. Dash mentioned that Rarity made the dresses for when the three of them got together. ... Has it been so long that I've forgotten, or was the fact that Rarity had actually become okay with the idea of them being in a three-way relationship only mentioned TO Dash, and not to Shy? Should this be news to her or not?
2763589
Christ that comment was almost a year old.
When I wrote that I meant that the author is in a Flutterdash group meaning they're a fan of FlutterDash, and they're not in any Flarity group.
And what kind of group bans you from writing stories outside of that group?
2763615 In fairness, Flarity doesn't really have a group, its a rare enough pairing that noone seems to have made one.
2763599 Dash told Shy that Rarity had told her about the plan to get all three of them together back when she first had her confrontation with Rarity. So yes, Shy knows.
I think rarity likes rainbow dash more than fluttershy(which I LOVE). This story is(and excuse my French) FUCKING AMAZING. Keep it comin
Why does everyone have to behave so irresponsibly? Rarity's sleeping herself into unemployment, Twilight's denying her unhealthy crush is unhealthy, and AJ can't grow up past being a hormonal teenager and get over herself.
DId I mention that Dash is so far in de Nile she's got a pyramid up her butt?
2763587
I really don't want to be that guy but, i'm sorry there is no sarcasm font.
jeez...
also you might have not read the first part of the comment or just not have read in between the lines. I was going off of what I read UP TO as well as the various comments as I have OBVIOUSLY not been keeping updated on the story(this one is FimFics fault, not notifying me)
so, i'd greatly appreciate if you didn't go around... I don't know... assuming? as well as "slinging insults" as you put it.
thank you
2763630
Create one! Naow! Rarishy needs it's own group.
2763630
I prefer RariShy myself
2763799
Rather than /assuming/ that I am assuming, try looking at your post from a perspective with a little more light and fresh air. Rather than simple dismissing it as my problem, realize how you've made yourself come across. Just a bit of advice, 'friend'. Miscommunication often lies in the overlooked faults of the original poster, especially those who are quick to divest themselves of any responsibility for what they type.
2763677
Thanks Steel. Memory like a colander, and it has been awhile. Just making sure whether I should be ready for Fluttershy to suddenly realize what Dash said by the next chapter.
2763940 Usually I don't play sides or get involved in internet fights, but honestly you seemed a bit confrontational.
How Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight are all feeling about their respective love interests.
s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/photos/images/original/000/121/463/Applejack%20do%20want%20but%20cant%20has.jpg?1304911958
Fuck it. Someone suggest a six-way relationship to Pinkie Pie. She'll be in to it, then she can start working on the rest of them.
2763599 Dash mentioned Rarity's line of horseshit about being the initiator of the whole thing to Fluttershy, yes. And Fluttershy worked out that Rares covered for her and lied her happy ass off to prevent Dash from getting pissed at Fluttershy.
It's going to be downright hilarious when it all explodes in Fluttershy's face, as it inevitably will. This whole cluster's getting so tangled that I'm thinking the only thing that could possibly work is Pinkie Pie fixing everything with orgies.
2762352 Revenge for the unintentional crushing of Twilight. :x
2764586
That's what I've been saying for a while now!
2764636
Pah. There just needs to be AppleDash + Twi, for some happy AppleDashLight shippings!
Screw Fluttershy. RariShyPie works just fine!
Well at first I was totally for the FlutterDash... Now I'm completly into the possible RariDaShy threesome
AJ Needs to get her head out of her plot hole and get over Dashie.
And I can't wait for this whole can of worms to explodes in Flutters face.
I predict Rarity takes too many sleeping pills and dies. Then it would be like this:
2766433 Pretty sure that's meant to be colleague.
Darn it RD, is that guilt you are feeling? Or is it the seed of love starting to take root? I think Rarity might be a better gardener than she think she is.
2765823
It is the Dominationing!
Next, please.
Here is my prediction.
Rarity is going to guilt rainbow into a threesome.
And somehow pinkie will create
2771276 So you wanted Rarity to give up all hope of happiness for herself in favor of the two ponies she loves being happy?
This is steadily working its way into an everyone-loves-everyone route.
And I love it!
2763193>>2763506
The moment that whole sequence started, I immediately thought "this is one of those times when the story intentionally sounds like it's talking about sex, but subverts said setup and is talking about something else." It was rather obvious and I've read that sort of thing a bunch on this site, so when I started reading it I just sort of rolled my eyes.
2764717>>2764586
But, nopony did. Everypony seems to be in love, but nopony fell in love with poor little Pinkie Pie. 
I would think Pinkie Pie might be sad about that.
For a while now I've been wondering how Pinkie Pie is dealing emotionally with this whole mess. I mean, she may not have a specifically set romantic attraction, but she has feelings, too! I've also thought that maybe she has her own personal reasons to be upset by all of this. Based on Pinkie's reaction when Fluttershy told her about Rainbow Dash and Rarity having crushes on her (entirely positive and celebratory, as if it would be obvious to say yes to both of them), I feel like Pinkie Pie would have responded positively if any of her closest friends had asked her out. She'd be overjoyed to be in a relationship with one of her best friends!
2776326 I think Pinkie would be happy that her friends were happy, even if none of them were in love with her... You know, assuming that her friends ever unravel the mess of crushes, confessions, and unrequited love between them.
2779974 Actually Absently works as well
absently [ˈæbsəntlɪ]
adv
in an absent-minded or preoccupied manner; inattentively
This was a great Chapter I think it will eventually lead to this
and 
I can't wait to see how the situation blows up in Fluttershy's face 
But she is a strong mare and will get through the eventual shit storm 
excuse my french 
I WANT MOAR SOON 
If that is alright with you 
2792235 Sorry about that. But the previous chapter had a big impact on Rarity.
Commence read.
Rarity continues to fight on. Twilight still needs to get in gear, and AJ....welp
man this story gets better and better every chapter! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
could work.but here i am so desperate to see it work out for them!
i love it enough that this is the only time i have ever thought
however its kinda sad to see how Pinkie has more or less been left out of the story. i can't remember the last time she turned up. and everything is better with a Pinkie involved. like a aw or somethin'
2821524 Come on, Pinkie was in the last chapter! She went to the library with Rarity, remember? Now, before that?
...
...
I don't know the last time Pinkie showed up. But take heart! Pinkie plays a role in the upcoming chapter. You know, assuming I can ever actually get it written.
Woo nice new cover