Tough Decisions
Unexpected Confessions
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.”
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YAY! A new chapter!
Sorry this one took a while longer than the others, but it needed some fairly serious work before it was ready for other people to read it. On a related note, I have pre-readers now, so massive thanks to Karrakaz and Steel Resolve for helping me make this (and subsequent) chapters readable.
Yay, new chapter! Now we get to watch the web of love get snarled.
my money is with all of them ending up in a six-way.
God AJ you're tearing my heart out here.
As if a love triangle wasn't enough, this is damn juicy and I want more.
Continue on. Wonder how Twilight will see this. She has seen the least amount of time.
I feel like i read this idea before, but before it was a 3000 word 1 chapter story. And badly written for laughs.
But this is funny, and awesome, and heartbreaking and funny again.
I have mixed emotions...
Overall though I like it a lot!
MOAR please
I can picture the next chapter opening with Twilight having resorted to a chalkboard or a flipchart to keep track of this rat's nest of relationships. Can't wait to see how this ends!
And I realize it's not up for a vote, but I'm hoping this story won't end with a happy fuzzy polyamory ending. So many of these fics end up that way that it borders on becoming the stock resolution: "Three character tags plus Romance? Yep, we know where that's going."
This is a good as ever. Just... did you add this story to a certain group within a certain folder?
Because at this point that's a bit spoilery, even if it's one of the paths I had envisioned in my head, unless you're going for the full roster. Just saying..
1510295 that was not dia, that was me covering all the possibilities.
Well that was enlightening. It might take a little doing but maybe no one will have to choose anyone..... Ponies heard together so maybe there's a silver lining here.
I was at the brink of tears after that confession, would have cried if it was longer.
Dear me...this is...sad...
WY KAN YOU NOT GET ALONG? I vant all of you to be ha-a-a-appy...
Awaitiing further releases.
MORE, MORE I SAY!
1510233
Oh please. We see more of the 'edgy' tragic endings where almost no one's truly happy, or someone gets left out/behind because everyone else feels that an all-encompassing happy ending is the norm, without even bothering to check and see that there's more people who think like them in not wanting to do something that a number of other people have done, and wind up doing the exact same thing everyone else is doing!
Having an actual happy ending for a change would be frickin' lovely at this point.
1510594
We must have different reading lists. I think 4 of 5 love triangle (quadrangle? dodecahedron?) fics I've read in the last week or two have ended with "I love you both, I just can't pick! So I choose both of you! *kisseshugslovelovelove* Yay! We were all in love with each other and never knew it!". I actually had to check previous chapters at least twice to make sure I wasn't re-reading the same couple of stories.
That's just a personal observation, not a scientific study of shipfic endings. And how ever Unexpected Confessions ends up, it'll be a great read, because it's a Dianwei32.
1510689
Agreed.
1510689 Remember, Shy already tried that. Simple solution is out.
My... My oh my... Oh my oh my oh my...
What complications are these? Life and Times of a Winning Pony complexity. That's what.
This is a royal mess. Even Celestia would he scared to get her hooves in this soup.
Or maybe she's in the middle of her own demented quadrilateral in Canterlot.
Who can save Harmony from itself?
1510776
True, until this latest chapter. Dash admits she'd like a 3/4/6-way, but has personal issues with it: "...I can’t take that risk. I’m not worth that kind of heartache." And then AJ does her best to convince Dash that she is worth it. Fluttershy tells Pinkie that she still loves Rarity and RD, but that they declined a 3-way, so now Pinkie has it in her head that "...all we have to do is convince them that it’s a good idea." Especially when Fluttershy admits she doesn't know why they turned down the offer. If the next installment gives Rarity a reason to change her decision... as they say, no brakes on the shipping train.
I can only see one way for this to end: Applejack develops a crush on Twi and they become marefriends, RD realizes that she loves AJ and lets down Fluttershy, RD finds out that AJ and Twi are together and it's already too late. Fluttershy can then devote herself to Rarity, but Rarity finds out about the whole double-date thing and can't forgive Fluttershy. Cut to Pinkie Pie, she's at sugarcube corner sitting in front of a huge chalkboard, she taps her hooves together and smiles evilly, "All according to plan."
If it's twice a year, it should be "semiannual." "Biannual" is every two years.
good, good, keep the mojo flowing and you should be alright
thats my way of saying
COOL STORY BRO! I MEAN IT!!!!
This is a great chapter, with both AJ and Dash taking turns breaking my heart.
But the best part is Pinkie Pie. Too many folks write her as a one-note joke, even though she's much deeper than that in cannon.
Instead here she takes Fluttershy's confession, and the problems its going to cause, seriously and does her best to offer useful advice.
Because if you want everyone to be happy, sometimes there are problems that need to be solved first - and it would be a pretty poor Element of Laughter who couldn't see that.
This is getting interesting by the update. Here's to hoping Twilight offers good advice rather than a confession.
I wouldn't mind that six-way relationship...
1511015 Biannual can mean either "twice a year" or "every two years".
From the Dictionary.com definition of the prefix "bi-"
That being said, I'll go ahead and switch it to "semiannual" to avoid further confusion.
We need need a relationship chart because this is getting crazy! The only one of the mane 6 that doesn't have a crush (that we know of yet) is Pinkie Pie. Never would have expected this just from reading the bio and seeing the image. Will definitely be interesting to see how and where you take this
*That feeling you get when you get really into the story and then you see the ending of the chapter*
MOAR! plz :)
Great Chapter! I love this story!
Ponyville: Where lesbians run rampant
Oh this will be great
Can't wait for the next chapter, why do I have a sinking feeling that Twi is in love with AJ though 
This will get very complicated very fast. 
Keep up the good work. 
Oh dear. Oh all the genres I think romance is the hardest to write.
This is testament to that.
Yes, a 6 way is the only answer.
Then you can add in Big Mac for emergency heat relief, and herd management...
Eeyup!
Or maybe not...
Then have Twilight freak out that the Elements of Harmony are somehow responsible!
Fun!
Or should I say... moms."
Dashie say what now?
You've given us another wonderful chapter dear, thank you.
immediately popped in my head
Also when I read "She imagined Princess Celestia watching her through some giant telescope, a grin of perverse pleasure on her face"
1515494 I'm not sure if this is supposed to be a compliment or a criticism.
1517681 A bit of both.
I find it hard to read, but I can understand the relationships.
Scratch that!
I was commenting on your skill as a writer. Being able to write something so complex and have it understandable.
1520749 Oh, well thank you, then.
That was an amazing chapter can't wait for more your story is just amazing keep it up :D big well done
T.peters
Rarity-->Fluttershy<--Rainbow Dash<--Applejack? This will end well.
I'm hoping for
and 
Have I ever told you that I'm not a fan of Fluttershy shipping? Well, that's only because it's not often pulled off this well! You manage to take every aspect of each character's personality and utilize it perfectly for any situation. This fic has made perhaps the best use of Fluttershy's character since Steel Resolve's Green, and it's awesome to see that he is your pre-reader, along with the talented Karrakaz. It took me a while to find the time to read this chapter, but I'm glad that I did, and I'm already excited for the next chapter. You sure know how to keep us wanting more!
1527396 How does that work if AJ is in love with Rainbow?
1526956
I'm sure you didn't mean to do it, but that comment took the amount of pressure I was feeling to make sure that the story lived up to everyone's expectations... and doubled it.
1527458
Haha, don't even worry about it. You've been meeting those expectations since Walls. It seems to come naturally to you. Just keep doing what you're doing. :)
Darn you ending the chapter with a cliffhanger! Just as it was getting to the good part!
This part reminds me of one thing in particular. Namely this:
fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/218/b/7/my_only_witness_by_niban_destikim-d4f9bqx.jpg
i wait for the moment i read someone saying "You son of a mother" in a fanfic
Hoping for
and 
and 
This entire fic is 'Dream up all the ships and they shall happen!' so my hopes probably won't be too far out.
Okay, that was just priceless
And... It's also an awesome idea for a new fanfiction
1543775 ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh yesssss!!! FINELY someone who really gets shipping!!!
They should all be together!
