"You've been a good girl, Winona," Fluttershy said before biting the end of the bandage to tie a knot. The brown border collie panted and wagged her tail happily as Fluttershy made the last tug to complete the cast on her leg.
Fluttershy then walked to one of her kitchen cupboards, where she found a bag of dog treats. She fished a biscuit from the bag and carried it back to Winona between her teeth, to which Winona cheerfully barked and stood up on her hind legs.
Fluttershy dropped the bone-shaped biscuit in Winona's mouth, then nuzzled her with her cheek as she loudly crunched and swallowed her treat.
Winona's leg had been badly broken under a carriage wheel, so Fluttershy had reset her fractured bones and nursed her back to health in her cottage for a few weeks. Fluttershy had just completed Winona's walking-cast, so now she'd be able to return her to her home.
Fluttershy gently picked the little dog up from her operating table and flapped her wings to slowly descend to the ground, saying, "It's time to bring you back to Applejack, Winona."
Winona barked again, then began licking Fluttershy's face, to which Fluttershy closed her eyes, giggled, and squealed in protest.
"Wow," she heard a raspy voice say from behind her. "You still never stop impressing me with how well you handle those animals, Flutters."
Fluttershy grinned, then turned to face her girlfriend. Rainbow Dash was standing there, grinning back at her.
Like Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash was a Pegasus. But while Fluttershy was meek, feminine, and traditionally beautiful, with sweet, light blue eyes; a custard coat; and a long, pink mane and tail, Rainbow Dash was sleek and athletic, with a toned, sky-blue physique; messy, rainbow-colored hair; and hawk-like magenta eyes.
As signified by the pink butterfly Cutie Marks on Fluttershy's flanks, Fluttershy was a caretaker and comforter to animals by profession. She lived a rather quiet and simple life, spending her days caring for the animals placed in her care, and in her free time reading while lounging on her bed. Rainbow Dash, by contrast, was an energetic and restless daredevil whose ideal day would have consisted of performing stunts in the sky for hours before taking a long, lazy nap on a fluffy white cloud, basking in the sunlight. Rainbow's speed and impulsivity were reflected by her Cutie Mark, which was a multicolored lightning bolt flashing from a small thundercloud.
Though it seemed that one could not find more perfect opposites than the submissive, timid Fluttershy and the brash, proud Rainbow Dash, they had been deeply in love with each other since they were fillies. They had begun a sexual relationship when Fluttershy was a young teen, but they had only started their true romantic relationship just a few months prior to the day that Fluttershy had finished treating Winona's leg.
Nonetheless, though Rainbow and Fluttershy had only been a couple for a short time, they were still very happy with each other. Though there was still lingering tension and occasional conflict between them over their admittedly sharp differences, they had found that their bond was strong enough to overcome any obstacle they had encountered, no matter how great.
"Thanks, Dashie," Fluttershy said. She stepped forward, gave Rainbow a kiss, then said, "I'm going to bring Winona back to Applejack's."
"You gonna be alright?" Rainbow asked. "It's pretty late. I could walk with you."
Fluttershy shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Don't worry, Dashie."
"Alright...." Rainbow muttered. She smirked as she added, "I'll be napping. Wake me up when you get back, alright?"
Fluttershy nodded. "I will."
"Sweet," Rainbow said, then she leaned forward to meet Fluttershy's lips again. She allowed the kiss to linger for a few moments so she could breathe in Fluttershy's scent. Rainbow could tell from Fluttershy's familiar aromas that she was in heat, and so she looked forward to a very enjoyable night when her girlfriend returned home.
Once Rainbow pulled back, Fluttershy gave her a soft smile before whispering, "Bye, Dashie," and turning towards her front door.
After exiting her treatment room and passing through her parlor, Fluttershy opened her front door and called back, "Here, Winona!" After Winona excitedly bounded to her side, Fluttershy opened the door and they stepped out into the night.
It was a crisp, clear night, and it was late enough that nearly all the town's windows were dark. Fluttershy's quaint, yellow little cottage was one of the only houses with its lights still on, and so Fluttershy and Winona were bathed in a comforting glow as they crossed over Fluttershy's front walkway. Winona trotted beside Fluttershy as they went onto a dirt road and walked towards Sweet Apple Acres.
After about ten minutes, Fluttershy began wishing that she had brought a scarf; this early-spring evening was chilly enough to make her tremble. As she and Winona walked on, she also began to grow increasingly aware of how quiet it was. Fluttershy darted her eyes between the shadowy corners and alleys she passed as her ears swiveled and twitched, listening for any sounds beside the falling of Winona's feet. Something about the absolute stillness unsettled Fluttershy, though she couldn't place exactly what.
However, Fluttershy took comfort in knowing that she had Winona as a companion; if anything attacked them, Winona would more than likely be able to fight them off. Knowing this made her feel a little safer, and caused her to make a little smile, but she soon realized: she'd be returning home without Winona. She'd be traveling back all alone.
Fluttershy's heart began beating faster, and she paled as she resumed her paranoid search of the emptiness around her. She softly whispered to herself, "Ponyville is safe. You're probably going to be alright, Fluttershy...." but her uncanny dread remained. She kept Winona close to her side and walked quickly.
Soon, however, Sweet Apple Acres came into view. Fluttershy sighed relievedly upon seeing light pouring in from the Apples' farmhouse window, and her anxiety slowly lifted as she walked through the farm's gate and went towards it.
Winona barked and ran to the house's front door, though the cast over her injured leg made her movements a little stiff and awkward. Winona then stood and scratched at the door, which was opened as Fluttershy stepped up onto the porch behind her.
Applejack stood behind the door, and once she had swung the door open Winona immediately stood and began licking her face. Applejack laughed, "Hey, cut it out, Winona! Down, girl!"
Winona immediately obeyed, happily panting and looking up at her master.
"Much obliged, Fluttershy," Applejack said, nodding to the young Pegasus. "Thank ya'll for fixin' up Winona for us."
"Not at all!" Fluttershy cheerfully replied. "Have a good night, Applejack!"
As Fluttershy began to turn to leave, Applejack said, "Wait."
Fluttershy blinked, then said, "Oh. Um, yes. Nothing's wrong. I'll be fine."
Applejack made a small nod. "Alright...." she muttered. "Well, 'night, Fluttershy."
"Good night, Applejack," Fluttershy replied, then she walked back down the porch as Applejack closed the door behind her.
Fluttershy's fear rapidly returned when she was back out of earshot of Sweet Apple Acres. She anxiously tried to reassure herself that there was only a very small chance of anything happening to her, but something caused her to dwell on that tiny chance. She quickened her pace as cold sweat began to run down her cheeks.
However, Fluttershy suddenly stopped; she heard something behind her. Freezing with panic, she listened, and she soon determined that it was the sound of approaching hoof-clops.
For a fraction of a second, Fluttershy's mind raced as she attempted to decide weather to look behind herself to see what it was or to begin galloping away to flee, but she said to herself, "Don't worry, Fluttershy; it's probably just another harmless pony," took a deep breath, and continued walking, telling herself that they'd stop following her after a few minutes.
However, Fluttershy continued to hear the hoof-falls following her after several minutes, and so after gathering her courage for a moment she looked behind herself to see who it was.
The pony following Fluttershy was a skinny Earth Pony Stallion. He had long, greasy black hair; a dull gray coat that reminded Fluttershy of gravel; and a pair of eerie gray eyes that were gazing directly at her. Fluttershy had occasionally seen him around town, but she didn't know him; she had vaguely heard that some of the many fine scars over his face had come from bar fights, and she remembered that his Cutie Mark was a mace. Everything about him seemed to indicate that he was violent and frightening, so Fluttershy had never approached him.
What's his name again? Fluttershy wondered to herself. I've heard it, and I know it begins with an "n." N... N... No... Fluttershy blinked as she struggled to remember. I think there's an "o." No... No... Not... Important? Fluttershy shook her head. No, that's not it. That'd be stupid. I'm pretty sure it sounds like "Not Important," though...
As Fluttershy was trying to remember his name, however, the Stallion picked up his pace. Flinching with fear, Fluttershy began walking faster, as well. However, she heard the Stallion trot even faster, so she decided to confront him and see what he wanted.
Fluttershy turned around to face the Stallion. With a polite but anxious smile, she said, "Hello. Did, um... did you need something...?"
Seeing that Fluttershy had stopped, the Stallion smirked and came to a stop when he was a few feet away from her. "What're you doin' out so late, Babe?" he asked. Something about his low voice sent a shiver down Fluttershy's spine.
The Stallion chuckled, then stepped closer to her. Fluttershy instinctively took a step back.
"You know, it's pretty cold out tonight," the Stallion said. "Name's Noir, Babe. Why don't you come with me inside someplace for a drink?"
Fluttershy was trembling and her heart seemed to be attempting to escape her chest. "N-n-no, thank you..." she stammered, taking another step back. "Th-thank you for the offer, but I really need to get home...."
"I could warm you up a little," Noir said, a broad smile spreading over his face. "We could have a little fun, too. Come play with me, Babe."
Fluttershy was now steadily walking back from him. "N-no, thank you, I don't-"
"I know you want it, Babe," Noir said, his eyes narrowing threateningly. "I can smell it. I can see it. Show me that tasty little ass again."
Without another word, Fluttershy spun around and broke into a gallop. She heard Noir begin running after her, as well.
Fluttershy ran with all of her might, but she could hear Noir steadily gaining on her. She knew she'd never be able to get to her cottage before he reached her, so she turned into an alley, attempting to outmaneuver him. However, she skidded to a stop before she ran into a brick wall that was blocking her way.
Fluttershy turned around to see Noir turning into the alley, as well. For a moment, Fluttershy was still with terror, and she stared fearfully at Noir as he slowly walked towards her, wearing a disturbingly menacing smile.
"H-Help!!" Fluttershy cried, but no one answered her. Noir continued to approach her, and in seconds he'd reach her, so Fluttershy spread her wings and attempted to take to the air.
However, before Fluttershy was more than a few feet above the ground, Noir leapt up and struck his fore-hoof against her head, causing her to cry out in pain and fall back down.
Fluttershy was sprawled facedown across the filthy alley floor as Noir stepped over her. She attempted to get back to her feet, but Noir struck the back of her head again, drawing tears and another pained cry from her. "If you try to run again, I'll knock you out," Noir growled.
Tears streamed down Fluttershy's cheeks and her head throbbed as Noir began to crouch down on top of her. She was absolutely paralyzed with horror; she'd never been so terrified in her entire life.
Suddenly, something wet and slimy trailed over the back of Fluttershy's neck. Fluttershy flinched and let out a small whimper as Noir began to lecherously lick her.
As Noir buried his muzzle in Fluttershy's hair and took a long, deep sniff from it, Fluttershy called, "H-Help!! Somepony he-AAAAH!!"
Noir had bitten hard on her left ear. "Shut up," he muttered. After he released her ear, he growled, "Be still, and be quiet. I'm in charge now, Babe."
Noir placed his fore hoof under Fluttershy and roughly turned her around so that she was lying on her back and facing him. He then pinned Fluttershy's forelegs under his hooves, and Fluttershy struggled to escape him in vain; he was far stronger than her.
Fluttershy stopped struggling and looked with horrified, tearful eyes up at Noir. He was smiling down at her with a cruel, hungry gaze.
"Please... no...." Fluttershy whispered, looking at him with a weeping, imploringly begging stare.
Noir chuckled and leaned down.
"Plea-" Fluttershy began, only to be silenced by Noir's open mouth. As he slid his tongue in, Fluttershy could taste the faint traces of hard liquor, tobacco, and other disgusting things in his saliva. She let out a few muffled cries in protest, then closed her eyes and began sobbing.
* * *
Rainbow was sitting on Fluttershy's bed, gazing anxiously at the clock hung over the bedroom door. She had slept for about half an hour, but then had woken up to go to the bathroom. When she returned, she had checked the clock and seen that Fluttershy had been gone for over fourty-five minutes.
Where is she? Rainbow thought. Did something happen? I mean, I guess she could've been invited by Applejack to have a caramel apple or something, but it shouldn't take this long, and if she was gonna stay there she should've told me-
Suddenly, however, Rainbow heard the front door loudly slam open downstairs, causing her to jump. She then heard Fluttershy shriek, "RAAAAAAAAIIIINNNBOOOWWW!!" in the most bloodcurdling wail she'd ever heard escape from Fluttershy's lips.
Panicking, Rainbow immediately jumped up and bolted out of Fluttershy's bedroom. She sprinted down the hall and down the stairs, where she found Fluttershy standing and sobbing at the door.
"Fluttershy!" Rainbow screamed, to which Fluttershy whipped her head around to face her. Rainbow saw that Fluttershy's forelegs were bruised, her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and there were a few small cuts on her left ear. Once Rainbow reached Fluttershy, she began, "Are you oka-?!" but then grunted, "Oof!" as Fluttershy threw herself onto her, holding tightly around Rainbow's neck as she loudly continued to sob.
Rainbow stood motionless as Fluttershy wept into her shoulder for a few moments, but then Rainbow pushed her away and held her by her shoulders at arm's length and looked directly into her eyes as she said, "Fluttershy! What happened?!"
Fluttershy wailed, "Rainbow... I... I...."
Here she broke into another fit of sobs.
"Fluttershy, calm down!" Rainbow shouted. "Take a deep breath."
Trembling, Fluttershy took a large, choked, wavering breath. Rainbow repeated, "Tell me what happened, Flutters."
"I...." Fluttershy began, then she coughed.
Rainbow gently rubbed Fluttershy's head. "What happened, Fluttershy? Are you okay?" she asked, her panic returning to her voice.
Fluttershy fell into another round of sobs, and Rainbow stood absolutely still. Her face was pale and blank, and her eyes were wide with shock. "W... what?" she said quietly. "Somepony raped you?"
Fluttershy whimpered as she nodded, then buried her face back in Rainbow's shoulder.
It took a good deal of time for Rainbow to process what Fluttershy had just told her. She just couldn't believe it. Somebody had raped Fluttershy. It felt unreal; like a nightmare. Rainbow felt a strange absence of emotion for a few moments as her mind struggled to comprehend what had happened.
Then, like a spark falling on a pile of dry leaves, the realization slowly descended upon Rainbow and awakened a deeper and more powerful burning rage then she'd ever felt before: someone had raped Fluttershy. Sweet, kind, timid little Fluttershy.
Rainbow felt her grip around Fluttershy tighten as her eyes narrowed with pure rage.
Someone. had raped. Fluttershy.
Rainbow felt as though she could let out a roar mighty enough to shake the earth. Every inch of her body was burning with fury, like a volcano raining doom upon all that surrounded it. A single desire shined brighter and hotter in her mind than any had before: to find whoever had raped Fluttershy, skin him, cut his genitals off, then crush his head under a rock.
However, after the initial boiling of Rainbow's anger had subsided, her mind was slowly dragged back down to reality. As much as she wanted to feed Fluttershy's rapist his own entrails, she realized that Fluttershy needed help. Badly.
After Rainbow took a few deep breaths to calm herself, she said, "Come on, Fluttershy. We need to take you to see a doctor."
Fluttershy fearfully looked up at her. "W-what?! N-no! I don't w-want to go back out th-there...!"
"I'm here," Rainbow said gently. "I'm gonna be with you. I'm not letting you out of my sight again. Nobody else is gonna touch you. I promise."
Rainbow gazed imploringly at Fluttershy for a few moments. After a few weak whimpers, Fluttershy looked down and nodded.
"Okay," Rainbow said. She draped her foreleg around Fluttershy's shoulders and gently guided her to the door as she said, "C'mon, let's go."
Fluttershy silently wept the entire walk to the Ponyville Hospital. Rainbow's mind continued to spin and burn as a million different questions filled her head. How bad had he hurt Fluttershy? How did she get away from him? What were they going to do now?
As Rainbow guided Fluttershy down the streets, she also slowly began to feel herself fill with guilt. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought, This is all my fault. If only I'd gone with her, this wouldn't have happened....
However, Rainbow wiped at her eyes and thought to herself, Right now, my only concern is making sure that Fluttershy is safe and sound. Get her to the hospital; right now, that's all that matters.
After about ten minutes, Rainbow and Fluttershy reached the tall, white Ponyville Hospital. They quickly stepped through the front doors, where they found a bored, sleepy-looking Earth Pony Mare playing solitaire at the front desk.
"Hey, miss!" Rainbow shouted, to which the receptionist looked up. "We need a doctor right away," Rainbow said.
The receptionist looked over at the still-weeping Fluttershy. "What happened?" she asked worriedly.
"Somepony raped her," Rainbow replied.
Gasping, the receptionist immediately stood up. "Stay right here," she said firmly. "I'll go bring Dr. Horse right away."
The receptionist galloped away, leaving Rainbow and Fluttershy alone at the front desk. Fluttershy was still trembling, so Rainbow began gently rubbing her back, to which Fluttershy leaned against her shoulder.
In less than a minute, the receptionist galloped back to the front desk with the brown-maned, bespectacled Unicorn Stallion Dr. Horse. His eyes were wide with worry, and he said, "Fluttershy! Were you really just sexually assaulted?!"
A fresh pouring of tears streamed down Fluttershy's cheeks as she whimpered and nodded.
Dr. Horse nodded. "Alright," he said. He turned to the receptionist and said, "Q, go and get me Nurse Daisy."
The receptionist nodded and galloped back down the hall. Dr. Horse then turned back to the two young Pegasi and said, "Fluttershy, please come with me."
"Can... can she come with me...?" Fluttershy asked, turning to Rainbow.
Dr. Horse nodded. "Yes, that's fine, so long as you're alright with it. This way, please," he said, turning to the hall. He led Rainbow and Fluttershy down it, passing a few doors, until he turned into an empty check-up room.
"Sit on the table, please, Fluttershy," Dr. Horse said, patting the cushioned, papered surface of the examination table. After Fluttershy had slowly climbed on and Dr. Horse had closed the door, Dr. Horse said, "Can you tell me what he did to you?"
After sitting still and trembling for a moment, Fluttershy nodded. "He- he hit my head twice, then he bit my ear, then he pinned my forelegs down while he... while he...."
Here Fluttershy broke into more sobs. Dr. Horse let her calm back down, then asked, "So, was it vaginal, or oral, or-"
"Vaginal," Fluttershy whispered.
"That's all?" Dr. Horse asked.
Fluttershy silently nodded.
Dr. Horse walked around to Fluttershy's side and examined her ear, then asked, "Where on your head did he hit you?"
"The top, and the back," Fluttershy replied.
Dr. Horse gently ran his hoof over the crown and back of Fluttershy's head, then he said, "Fortunately, it's nothing serious. It's just a couple of bruises...."
After Dr. Horse had examined the rest of Fluttershy's body, he said, "Well, you haven't received any serious physical injuries. Let's just clean your wounds off, then we have just a few more things to do."
He exited the room, and soon afterward the white Earth Pony Mare Nurse Daisy came in with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some rags. She gently cleaned Fluttershy's bruises and the bite on her ear, to which Fluttershy frequently winced in pain. She then rubbed some alcohol over Fluttershy's right flank, after which Dr. Horse reentered with a tray of syringes and telekinetically injected each of them into Fluttershy's upper thigh.
"What're those?" Rainbow asked while he was doing this.
As Dr. Horse set an empty syringe down to pick up another one, he replied, "Immunization vaccines for several sexually transmitted diseases."
Once Fluttershy had received all of her vaccinations, Nurse Daisy exited and returned with a small tray bearing a large, blue pill and a glass of water. "Would you like to take this?" Dr. Horse asked Fluttershy.
"What is it?" Fluttershy asked softly.
"It's to prevent you from becoming pregnant," Dr. Horse replied.
Fluttershy's eyes widened. "It's an abortion pill...?" she said.
Dr. Horse shook his head. "No; it'll suppress your ability to conceive. In other words, it'll make it less likely a foal will develop in the first place."
After a moment, Fluttershy nodded. Dr. Horse telekinetically lifted the pill up, then Fluttershy opened her mouth, allowing him to place it on her tongue. After Fluttershy swallowed it, Dr. Horse levitated the glass to her mouth, which she downed a couple of gulps from.
After Dr. Horse set the glass back down, he said, "Alright, you're done, Fluttershy. You did really well."
As Fluttershy hopped down from the table, Dr. Horse added, "Come back next week so we can see how you're doing. Would you like us to send someone to escort you home?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "I've got Dashie," she whispered, softly smiling and leaning her head on Rainbow's shoulder. "I'll be safe with her."
"Are you sure?" Nurse Daisy asked.
Rainbow smirked at them. "Yeah," she said. "If anyone tries to get anywhere near Fluttershy, I'll break their nose."
Dr. Horse nodded, then smiled. "Well, I quite believe that," he said. "Goodbye, girls."
Fluttershy and Rainbow exited the hospital together, then took an uneventful walk back to Fluttershy's cottage.
Once they were inside, Rainbow and Fluttershy immediately climbed up the stairs and entered Fluttershy's bedroom. Fluttershy climbed into bed as Rainbow turned out the light, then Rainbow climbed in beside Fluttershy.
In the faint light shining in through the window from the stars, Rainbow saw Fluttershy begin crying again. "Hold me, Dashie...." she whispered.
Rainbow nodded and wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy, pulling her close.
Fluttershy quietly wept into Rainbow's chest as Rainbow comfortingly stroked her back and whispered, "It's okay. I'm here, Flutters. Everything'll be alright...."
Rainbow and Fluttershy were both exhausted, and Fluttershy quickly cried herself to sleep in Rainbow's embrace. Rainbow stayed awake for a while, her mind filled with unpleasant thoughts, her only comfort being that Fluttershy was in her arms. Her anger and worry were still there, but they had been dulled by her tiredness, leaving her to contend with her own remaining intense, unsatisfied physical craving. She desperately wanted to have sex with Fluttershy, but she knew that it would probably be a long time before Fluttershy would recover enough from her psychological trauma to be physically intimate with her again, so Rainbow miserably vowed to relieve herself whenever necessary until Fluttershy was ready. Rainbow would actually have gone to Fluttershy's bathroom at that moment to release the tension she had right then, but Fluttershy needed her there, so Rainbow stubbornly resisted her intense urges and fell into an uneasy sleep.
Rainbow didn't want to wake up. She felt wrung-out, and she was comforted by the familiar sensation of Fluttershy's soft, warm body pressed against her own, so she kept her eyes closed and tightened her grip around her girlfriend, refusing to get up.
However, Rainbow knew that she had work, and that she was probably already quite late. Her eyes opened slightly and she glanced at the clock. It was eleven twenty-eight. Rainbow lightly groaned as she scrunched her eyes closed again. She didn't remember the last time she'd slept in this much. She knew it was because she was up really late last night, but why-?
Then Rainbow suddenly remembered and her eyes immediately shot wide open. She looked down at Fluttershy and saw that her peacefully sleeping lover still had the stains of many dried tears streaked down her cheeks.
Oh, yeah, Rainbow thought bitterly. It's 'cause some piece of shit raped her last night. Rainbow's anger was reawakened, but not as fiery as before; though her desire to maim and break Fluttershy's rapist was as powerful as when she'd first heard about it, her rage was no longer wild and chaotic; it was now cold, piercing, and calculating. Her mind was no longer rapidly spinning a thousand different ways to beat or stab or burn him to death; now, her thoughts were turned to practical strategizing. With icy mercilessness, Rainbow subtly contemplated how she would find him, cause him as much pain as physically possible, end his worthless life, then dispose of his body and hide all other evidence of his murder at her hooves.
Nonetheless, Rainbow's homicidal wrath stemmed from her immeasurable affection for Fluttershy, and she realized that exacting vengeance upon the monster who had harmed her wouldn't help her now. Fluttershy needed her, and so Rainbow remained at her side. Rainbow gazed at Fluttershy's sweet, innocent face for several minutes, thanking her lucky stars that Fluttershy was mercifully granted some peace, if only for a few moments.
Rainbow gently nuzzled Fluttershy's cheek, and felt a blush creeping into her cheeks. Fluttershy's alluring scent and touch sent a shiver down Rainbow's body as her eyes drank in Fluttershy's slender, delicate figure-
However, a thrill of panic suddenly coursed through Rainbow, causing her to push away from Fluttershy and tear her eyes away from her body. Rainbow's disgust in herself nearly made her vomit; she had just stared lustfully at Fluttershy, much in the same way her rapist must have. That she was sexualizing her friend who had been sexually victimized only hours ago filled Rainbow with self-loathing and shame far more potent than that she usually felt.
However, Rainbow's movements awoke Fluttershy, whose eyes fluttered open before she softly smiled at Rainbow. "Good morning, Dashie," she said quietly.
Rainbow gave Fluttershy a weak smile in return. "Mornin', Flutters."
Fluttershy's smile faded as she gazed concernedly at Rainbow. "Dashie, are you alright...?" she asked.
Rainbow swallowed and nodded. "Y-yeah," she said. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."
Fluttershy closed her eyes and softly smiled again as she replied, "Don't worry, Dashie; I'll be alright."
Rainbow nodded and smiled back, though she was still clearly anxious. However, she sat up and asked, "So, uh... would you like me to make you some breakfast, Flutters?"
Fluttershy blinked. "Wh-what? But, Rainbow, you have work, don't you?"
Rainbow gazed astonishedly at Fluttershy, dumbfounded at how selfless she was, even now, in the aftermath of one of the darkest moments of her life.
Rainbow softly smiled and closed her eyes, leaning forward so that her forehead met Fluttershy's. "No, Fluttershy. I'm staying with you for as long as you need me."
Tears welled in Fluttershy's eyes as a smile of unspeakable gratitude spread over her lips. She wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow's neck and gave her a long, passionate kiss.
When Fluttershy pulled back, joyful tears were glistening down her cheeks. "You're so amazing, Dashie...." she whispered.
Rainbow looked away. "Nah, it's the least I could do...."
"You are, Rainbow," Fluttershy insisted. "You're so much more amazing than you realize." Here she gave Rainbow a adoring, tearful smile. "I love you."
Fluttershy kissed Rainbow again, more briefly, then she said, "Once we've finished eating, would you like to take a bath with me?"
Fluttershy's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "What do you mean?" she asked confusedly.
"I mean..." Rainbow said, frowning with anxiety, "I mean... um, are you sure you wanna... um, do something like... like that, even after, um... you know, what, uh... um, ha-... happened last night...?"
Fluttershy blinked, then she softly smiled. "I don't want to do anything," she said. "I was just wondering if you wanted to take a bath with me."
"Y-Yeah, but...." Rainbow began.
"I don't think I'm going to be triggered by it," Fluttershy said. "After all, he didn't take a bath with me. In fact, I think it would be comforting to have your company, Rainbow. So, do you want to?"
After a moment, Rainbow smiled and nodded. "Y-yeah," she said. "I'd love to."
Fluttershy beamed and gave Rainbow another small kiss. Rainbow then walked to Fluttershy's pantries, asking, "You want some oatmeal, Flutters?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. Thank you, Dashie."
Rainbow got to work boiling two servings of oats over the stove as Fluttershy retrieved Angel, her white pet rabbit, from his small bed to hold and gently stroke him. Rainbow wished that she was a better cook; she would have liked to prepare crepes this morning, as they were Fluttershy's favorite breakfast, and Fluttershy absolutely deserved a treat after the nightmare that was last night. However, Rainbow wasn't skilled enough to properly make the delicate cakes, so she settled on preparing oats for them. Fortunately, oats with fresh fruit was another favorite breakfast of Fluttershy's, and so Rainbow was rewarded with an immensely grateful smile from Fluttershy when she finished preparing it.
Fluttershy topped her oats with apples and strawberries before eating them, and Rainbow poured some milk and cinnamon over her own. After Fluttershy had poured a little milk over her own bowl, as well, they ate.
Once they had finished their breakfast, Rainbow walked with Fluttershy into her bathroom. Fluttershy drew them a hot bath as Rainbow hung two fluffy pink towels over the towel rack, then they both climbed in.
As Rainbow and Fluttershy shampooed their coats and manes, Rainbow caught herself staring at Fluttershy's glistening, damp form. With another pang of guilt, Rainbow looked away and glared into the foaming water beneath her. She was just raped, for buck's sake, she angrily thought to herself. Cut it out, you bucking pervert. You're such a slut. First Scootaloo, and now this. Celestia, how'd a whore like me get a girlfriend as awesome as Fluttershy?
Rainbow sighed. Well, Fluttershy is my girlfriend. How long is it gonna be before I stop beating myself up for craving her?
Rainbow glanced again at Fluttershy, who was now holding a hairbrush between her hooves and combing it through her beautiful long hair. She was softly smiling, causing Rainbow's own expression to ease a little. Well, as long as she's okay, and as long as she's happy, I'll be alright. I guess I'll stop being such a tight-ass when she wants to have sex with me again.
After Fluttershy and Rainbow had rinsed themselves off, Fluttershy moved to Rainbow's side and snuggled against her, holding her and leaning her head on Rainbow's shoulder. Rainbow draped one of her forelegs around Fluttershy's shoulders and softly smiled; she felt unspeakably honored that Fluttershy depended on her for comfort at times like these.
After their bath, Rainbow and Fluttershy were significantly more relaxed then they had been before. They lounged on Fluttershy's sofa together and dozed, savoring the peace and tranquility they had for the moment.
At about ten o' clock, however, Rainbow sighed and sat up. Her movements roused Fluttershy, whose eyes opened as she concernedly asked, "What's wrong, Dashie?"
"Nothing's wrong," Rainbow replied. "I just wish we could snuggle all day. But we have things we have to do."
"Like what?"
"Well, I can't leave Scootaloo alone all day, for one. We should probably also try to find out what you should do to recover."
After a moment, Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. You're right, Dashie," she said.
Fluttershy stood, as well, then Rainbow said, "I think we should go to see Twilight; if anypony would know what to do, it's her."
Fluttershy nodded. "I agree," she said. "Let's go."
Rainbow and Fluttershy exited Fluttershy's cottage, then walked to the Golden Oak Library. The library was a great, hollowed-out oak tree across town that bore a beehive, several windows, and a red front door. Rainbow and Fluttershy quite liked the beautiful tree, and were frequent visitors to it and its occupants. One of the occupants, their friend Princess Twilight Sparkle, held a particularly special place in their hearts; the brilliant young Alicorn was the one responsible for bringing the two of them together last autumn.
When Fluttershy and Rainbow had stepped up to the front door and were facing the candle painted over it, Rainbow knocked on it. It was promptly answered by Spike, a small, purple baby dragon with green eyes and spines. He immediately grinned upon seeing them and said, "Hey, Dash! Hey, Fluttershy!"
"Hello, Spike," Fluttershy replied with a small smile.
From behind Spike, Fluttershy and Rainbow heard the voice of Twilight shout, "Hi, girls! I'll be with you in just a second..."
After a few moments, Twilight emerged from one of the rooms branching from the circular main floor of the library. She was wearing her usual friendly smile, but otherwise she didn't look at all like a Princess. She wasn't taller than an ordinary, mortal pony, and her violet, pink-streaked hair was straight, unostentatious, and still. Aside from her horn in combination with her large, violet wings and her Cutie Mark of several purple and white shining stars on her flank that was slightly more elaborate than it was when she was merely a Unicorn, it would be easy to mistake Twilight for not being an Alicorn at all.
"Hi, Twilight," Rainbow said, giving her a small smile in return.
"Did you girls need something?" asked Twilight.
"Yeah, but, um..." Rainbow said, glancing anxiously at Spike.
"Do you think we could speak to you alone, please, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.
Twilight blinked, then nodded. "Of course," she said. She turned to Spike and said, "Spike, could you go walk outside for a while?"
Spike raised a brow, but nodded. "Sure. I'll be in the market," he said. He then exited the library, waving and calling back, "See ya later!"
"Bye, Spike!" Rainbow called back as Spike shut the door.
Once Spike had departed, Twilight turned back to her other friends and asked concernedly, "Is something wrong?"
"Oh, yeah," Rainbow replied. "Big time."
Twilight cautiously nodded. "Alright. What is it?" she asked, a tinge of anxiety in her voice.
"Fluttershy got raped last night," Rainbow replied.
Twilight's eyes widened and her jaw fell open. "W-wha-what?" she asked, stunned.
Fluttershy nodded. "Y-yes," she whisperingly stammered. "After I walked Winona back to Applejack's last night, a Stallion chased me into an alley and then... and then he raped me."
Twilight's expression was one of tremendous shock, horror, and disbelief. "Y-you... But..." she said, unable to articulate any other words.
Fluttershy and Rainbow were silent as they allowed their revelation to sink in. Twilight then said, "Are... Are you alright, Fluttershy?! Did he hurt you?!"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, I'm okay, Twilight," she replied softly. "He hit my head, bit my ear, and bruised my arms, but I didn't get any serious injuries."
"Did you see a doctor?!" Twilight asked worriedly.
"Yes," Fluttershy replied.
"Have you told the Guard yet?!"
"No," Fluttershy said. "I don't know how to."
Twilight nodded. "Alright," she said. She immediately galloped to her supply closet, where she retrieved a parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. When she returned to Fluttershy, she said, "Here. Write down everything that happened, then I'll send it to the Guard."
"Will they send the piece of shit to prison?" Rainbow asked, her voice low and dangerous.
Twilight's eyebrows furrowed in anger as she shook her head. "Probably not," she said. "He could claim that he and Fluttershy just had rough, consensual sex, and then it'll be her word against his. Unless he confesses, there's no way to prove it wasn't. All they can do is monitor him."
So they won't throw him in prison? Rainbow thought to herself. Good. Then I'll be able to kill him myself.
Fluttershy took the parchment, quill, and ink, then said to Twilight and Rainbow, "Um... would you... would you mind leaving me alone to write this? I... I don't..."
"We understand," Twilight said. She and Rainbow walked into another room, allowing Fluttershy to pen her letter in privacy.
Once they were alone in another room, Rainbow asked angrily, "What's the point of writing a letter to the Guard if they can't do anything?"
"They can't convict him," Twilight replied. "However, they can keep a closer watch on him and arrest him immediately if he puts a hoof-tip out of line."
Rainbow scoffed. "Oh yeah," she muttered bitterly. "As if he isn't going to be careful to make sure he isn't caught from now on."
"He might not," Twilight replied. "Criminals don't tend to be very intelligent."
"And what if he is?" Rainbow asked. Her glare intensified as she asked, "What if he gets away with violating Fluttershy?"
"All we can do is wait and hope," Twilight replied. "Besides, the most important thing is making sure that Fluttershy is safe and recovering."
Rainbow sighed. "Yeah..." she muttered.
Twilight and Rainbow were silent as Fluttershy wrote the rest of her letter. When she was done, she gently knocked on the door Rainbow and Twilight stood behind. When they opened it, they saw that her eyes were puffy from crying again. "H-here," she said, holding the letter to Twilight between her teeth.
"Thank you, Fluttershy," Twilight said, levitating the letter away and embracing her. "You won't have to do that ever again."
Fluttershy whimpered and nodded, hugging Twilight back.
After about a minute, Fluttershy released Twilight. "So, what else should we do?" Rainbow asked.
"Well," Twilight said, "I think that it would probably be a good idea for Fluttershy to get counseling. I'll point you in the direction of a Dr. Rose Arch; I've heard very good things about her." She smiled.
Fluttershy nodded. "Thank you, Twilight," she said softly.
Twilight was silent for a moment, then asked, "Um... do you want to tell our friends, or would you prefer that they didn't know, or-"
"Could you tell them, Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. "I... I don't really like... um, talking about it..." she added.
Twilight nodded. "Alright. Just the other girls?"
"I think you should tell Spike, too," Fluttershy said. "We shouldn't shelter him from the harsh truths of the world."
Twilight nodded. "Alright. Well, goodbye, girls. I hope you'll be able to recover from this."
"Thanks," Fluttershy said, smiling gratefully.
After Rainbow and Fluttershy had exited the library, Rainbow said to Fluttershy, "Let's go get Scootaloo. I'm gonna stay with you for a while, and we should probably have her stay with us while I'm there."
Fluttershy nodded. "I agree," she said.
So Rainbow and Fluttershy walked to Sweet Apple Acres, where they located the Cutie Mark Crusaders' clubhouse. The clubhouse, which was a treehouse perched on one of the Apples' greater trees, was silent as Fluttershy and Rainbow approached it for a moment. Then suddenly, they heard the voice of Sweetie Belle pour out from one of the windows, shouting, "Horse apples! You got a full house?!"
They heard Scootaloo laugh before saying, "Yep! This sweet little kitty is mine!"
"But I had a straight!" Sweetie protested. "I shouldn't have lost..."
"Ah told you Scootaloo wasn't bluffin'!" they heard the voice of Apple Bloom interject.
Rainbow and Fluttershy stepped up the front ramp to the clubhouse's door, where Rainbow knocked. The door was promptly answered by Apple Bloom, who smiled upon seeing them. "Hi, Rainbow! Hi, Fluttershy!" she cried.
Rainbow smiled back at the yellow, redheaded little filly. "Hey, Bloom," Rainbow replied. "Can we talk to Scootaloo?"
"Sure!" Apple Bloom replied. "She just won all our bits, anyway..."
"Hey, Rainbow!" Scootaloo cried from behind Apple Bloom. Rainbow and Fluttershy looked up to see she was gathering about twenty-six bits into a small cloth pouch as Sweetie Belle glared at some cards scattered beneath them.
"So, you're trying poker, huh?" Rainbow asked, stepping in.
"Yeah," said Scootaloo. "Didn't get my Cutie Mark in it, though..."
Sweetie sighed. "Well, there's two weeks' allowance flushed right down the drain..." she muttered.
"Can you come out with us, please, Scootaloo?" Fluttershy said. "We need to talk to you."
Scootaloo's smile faded. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
Rainbow shook her head. "You're not in trouble," she said.
Scootaloo was silent for a moment. "Alright," she said. She pulled her pouch closed and said, "See you guys later," to her friends before exiting with Rainbow and Fluttershy.
Once Rainbow, Fluttershy, and Scootaloo had descended back to the ground, Scootaloo asked, "So, what's up?"
"Let's go to my place," Rainbow said. "Climb onto my back, Scoots."
Scootaloo obeyed, then Rainbow flew up into the air bearing her on her back. Fluttershy took to the air immediately afterward, then she and Rainbow located Rainbow's floating house and descended until they landed on its dense cloud foundation.
After Scootaloo climbed off Rainbow's back, she said, "What's going on, you guys? What's wrong?"
"Well, uh..." Rainbow said, rubbing her head. "We're gonna be staying at Fluttershy's place for a while."
Scootaloo blinked. "W-why?" she asked.
"Because Fluttershy got raped last night," Rainbow replied.
Scootaloo gasped. "R-really?!" she cried fearfully. "Who did it?! Are you alright, Fluttershy?! You-!"
After a few silent moments, Rainbow continued, "So, I'm gonna stay with Fluttershy for a while to make sure she's alright. And I can't leave you to live in my house alone, so we think you should come with us."
Scootaloo quietly nodded. "Al... alright," she said. She slowly walked up to Fluttershy and wrapped her forelegs around her neck, embracing her. "I'm so, so sorry, Fluttershy..." she whispered. Fluttershy felt her chest grow wet as Scootaloo's tears dampened her fur.
Fluttershy began weeping, as well as she smiled and stroked Scootaloo's mane. "Thank you, Scootaloo," she said gratefully.
They gathered up Rainbow and Scootaloo's belongings from Rainbow's house, then they brought them to Fluttershy's cottage. Once their effects were moved in, Fluttershy took Scootaloo to her guest bedroom. It was rather small, with a two-drawer dresser, a twin-sized bed, and a small reading lamp, but upon feeling the bed and the quilts draped over it, she decided that she'd like it here.
"Will you be okay with staying in here, Scootaloo?" Fluttershy asked. "I know it's not very big. If you want, you can sleep on the couch-"
"No, this is great!" Scootaloo exclaimed. "Thanks, Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy smiled, then nodded. "Rainbow's going to be staying with me in my room," she said. "If you ever need anything, just come and get us."
Scootaloo nodded. "Will do."
Fluttershy then walked back out to her parlor, where Rainbow was wearily lounging across her sofa. "Are you alright, Rainbow?" she asked.
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. It's just... I don't know. I guess this is just really hard to take in..."
Fluttershy nodded.
After a moment, Rainbow asked, "So, should we see if we can make you an appointment with Dr. Arch?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "Maybe later, but not now," she said. "I just want to be with you right now."
Nodding, Rainbow opened her fore leg, allowing Fluttershy to crawl onto the sofa and lay on it beside her. Rainbow gently kissed her forehead, then closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall back into a light sleep with Fluttershy.
* * *
Rainbow was tremendously grateful to Twilight for telling their friends about what had happened; Twilight was able to convince Applejack, Rarity, and Pinkie to leave her and Fluttershy alone for the day, giving them some more peace and relaxation. Needless to say, when Rainbow and Fluttershy encountered their friends again the next day, their friends were highly concerned, supportive, and furious for Fluttershy. Seeing Pinkie's anger towards Fluttershy's rapist particularly chilled them; though Rainbow would have liked nothing more than to skin him, she wasn't entirely sure that Pinkie wouldn't, given the opportunity.
Applejack felt very guilty, and said that it was her fault. Fluttershy gently assured her that she had done nothing wrong, and that there was nothing she could have done to prevent it. Rarity begged them to let her know if there was anything she could do to help. Deciding to heed Twilight's advice, they scheduled an appointment with Dr. Rose Arch; after Fluttershy's first session with her, they decided to schedule an appointment every week for the foreseeable future.
All the while, Rainbow was restless and frustrated; she desperately wanted to continue to be physically intimate with her gorgeous girlfriend, but her love and concern for Fluttershy held her back, as Fluttershy hadn't indicated that she was ready yet. Rainbow spent a lot of time masturbating in an attempt to assuage her intense cravings, but it helped little; nothing could truly replace actually holding and touching Fluttershy's body.
On the evening before Fluttershy's second appointment with Dr. Horse, Rainbow was laying on Fluttershy's bed, resting her chin on one of the pillows. She, Scootaloo, and Fluttershy had just finished dinner, and Fluttershy had volunteered to take Scootaloo to bed.
Rainbow continued to be intensely tortured by her tremendous carnal desires. She hadn't had sex with Fluttershy for a week, and her frustration was beginning to drive her mad. As she had before, she wished desperately that she hadn't slept with so many other girls when she and Fluttershy were fillies; she was accustomed to getting sex from whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted. She was completely unprepared for being in a monogamous relationship, especially one in which her partner had to be abstinent in order to heal.
Rainbow buried her face in the pillow and moaned. Fluttershy was usually as eager as she was, so she'd never had to hold back before. This made Rainbow hate Fluttershy's rapist even more: he had robbed Fluttershy the pleasure of something she enjoyed, even if he'd stolen it only temporarily. But Fluttershy was likely scarred for life by what he'd done, and she'd never truly be done healing.
"I swear..." Rainbow growled. "I swear, if it weren't for Scootaloo and Fluttershy, I'd go out there right now and find him and tear his eyes out..."
However, Rainbow was interrupted by a small knock on the bedroom door. "Dashie?" Fluttershy said quietly from behind it. "Are you awake?"
"Yeah," Rainbow called back.
Fluttershy opened the door, then slowly walked to Rainbow's side. "How are ya doin'?" Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy smiled. "I'm doing well," she replied. She climbed up onto the bed and faced Rainbow as she asked, "How are you?"
Rainbow shrugged. "Fine, I guess."
Fluttershy's lips formed a small smirk as her eyes narrowed. "You guess?" she said.
"Yeah," Rainbow sighed, looking to the side.
Fluttershy slowly draped her forelegs over Rainbow's shoulders, causing Rainbow's eyes to widen as she surprisedly turned back to her. "You've done so much for me," Fluttershy purred. "Surely I can do something to thank you?"
Fluttershy kissed Rainbow, and Rainbow slowly began to return it. However, after a few moments, her eyes opened wide and she pulled away, gazing anxiously at Fluttershy. Seeing the worried expression on her lover's face, Fluttershy asked, "What's wrong, Dashie?"
"Are... are you sure you want to do this?" Rainbow asked.
Fluttershy blinked and was silent for a moment, but smiled and nodded. "Yes, I do," she said. "Don't worry about me, Dashie. I still want you. I still love you."
Grinning excitedly, Rainbow responded by meeting Fluttershy's lips in another passionate kiss.
* * *
Rainbow sat beside Fluttershy, draping her foreleg around her shoulders as Fluttershy leaned her head against her chest. They were sitting in Dr. Horse's office in the Ponyville Hospital, waiting for the doctor to return with the results of the multiple tests he'd performed on Fluttershy.
Fluttershy had told Dr. Horse that she felt perfectly fine, so he told her that she probably had nothing to worry about. He took blood and urine samples from her, and Rainbow read a volume of Daring Do as they waited for him to return and tell them what he'd learned from them.
The door opened, and Rainbow and Fluttershy looked up. Dr. Horse entered, but Rainbow and Fluttershy's hopeful expressions faded as they saw the grim look on his face.
"What's up, doc?" Rainbow asked, a tinge of anxiety in her voice.
Dr. Horse took a breath. "Well, you haven't tested positive for any diseases, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy's soft smile returned. "Oh, that's good," she said.
"However," Dr. Horse continued, "your pregnancy test came back positive."
Rainbow and Fluttershy gazed in shock at Dr. Horse for a few moments. "W-what?!" Rainbow said. "Fluttershy's pregnant?!"
Dr. Horse nodded. "Most likely, yes."
Rainbow gaped at Dr. Horse for a few moments, then stood, glaring at him. "But didn't you give her that birth control pill?! Wasn't that supposed to keep her from getting pregnant?!"
Dr. Horse nodded. "Yes, but it didn't completely eliminate her chances of becoming pregnant; it only reduced them."
There was another tense moment of silence, then Fluttershy quietly whispered, "I... I'm p... pregnant?"
"There's a chance that there was an error in the test," Dr. Horse replied, "but that chance is very small."
Fluttershy looked down, a blank expression on her face.
After letting the news sink in for about a minute, Dr. Horse said, "Now, what I'd advise you to do is abort it immediately. We actually have the pill here right now, so if you-"
"Am- am I in any danger?" Fluttershy asked quietly.
Dr. Horse raised a brow. "Hmm? Well, no, not really. I mean, unless you have an allergy to this specific medication-"
"I m-mean..." Fluttershy said. "I mean, um... would I be in any danger if I let the foal come to term?"
Dr. Horse's eyes widened. "What? Well, n-no, you're perfectly healthy and would likely not have any problems, but aborting it would actually be less dangerous than giving birth."
Fluttershy nodded. "I understand," she said. She stood up, gave him a polite smile, and said, "Thank you, doctor. Can I schedule another appointment in a few weeks?"
After hesitating for a moment, Dr. Horse replied, "Y-yes. However, I recommend that you come back within a month, or the medication won't be enough and we'll have to remove the fetus surgically."
Fluttershy nodded. "Alright. Thank you again for everything."
Rainbow quietly stood and exited the office with her girlfriend as Fluttershy said to Dr. Horse, "Goodbye."
As Rainbow walked with Fluttershy to her cottage, her mind reeled at the revelation that had just befallen them. Fluttershy was pregnant with her rapist's foal. Rainbow steadily felt her fury begin building again, but she again repressed it as she said to Fluttershy, "So, uh... when do you think we should go in?"
Fluttershy's brow furrowed as she looked down in concentration. "Um... in about three weeks, I think?"
Rainbow raised a brow in puzzlement. "Uh... okay. Is it just too intimidating now?"
Fluttershy shook her head. "No. I just read that it won't be worth going until about three weeks."
Rainbow's mouth opened slightly as she gazed confusedly at Fluttershy. What in the world was she talking about?
Suddenly, however, Rainbow's eyes widened as realization fell upon her. "It... won't be worth getting an abortion until you're three weeks in?" Rainbow asked anxiously.
Fluttershy turned surprisedly to Rainbow. "What? No! I'm not aborting it!"
Rainbow ran in front of Fluttershy and stood facing her. "Are you serious?!" she cried. "Why not?! You heard what Doc Horse said; it's perfectly safe!"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes, I know," she answered calmly. "I just don't think it's right."
Rainbow's jaw fell open. "What?!" she shouted. "You don't think it's right to abort it?! Fluttershy, that's your rapist's kid!"
"That's not its fault," Fluttershy replied.
"Yeah, but-!"
"Rainbow," Fluttershy said quietly, "it's a living thing, just like you and me. I shouldn't punish it for something somepony else did."
"But- Fluttershy," Rainbow said, her eyes full of worry, "what about you? Fluttershy, that's your rapist's kid. If you don't abort it, you're going to have to have it. You're gonna have to give birth to your rapist's child."
Fluttershy nodded. "I know that," she said. "And I appreciate your concern for me. But I'm not going to abort it. I'd understand it if you wanted to, but this is my choice, and I'm choosing not to."
Rainbow gazed quietly at Fluttershy for a moment, then hesitatingly nodded. "Y-yeah. Alright..." she muttered.
Fluttershy smiled. "Thanks for understanding, Dashie."
As they began walking again, Rainbow said, "I don't understand..."
"Well, thanks for at least respecting my decision," Fluttershy replied.
Rainbow nodded. They were silent the rest of their journey back to Fluttershy's home.
When Rainbow and Fluttershy entered the cottage, Scootaloo, who was reading a comic on the sofa, looked up from her book and shouted, "Hey, guys!"
"Hey, Scoots..." Rainbow wearily replied.
Scootaloo frowned concernedly. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"I'm pregnant," Fluttershy replied.
Scootaloo gaped at her. "W-what?" she said. "You're pregnant?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes," she said, softly smiling.
After a moment, Scootaloo gasped elatedly. She squealed, "I'm gonna be an aunt! Or a big sister! This is so cool!"
"Um..." Fluttershy said, "Actually, I might, uh... I might put it up for adoption."
Scootaloo's smile immediately faded. "What? Why?!" she asked.
"Well, um," Fluttershy said, nervously looking away, "I want what's best for it. And, um... I don't... I don't know if I'd be a good enough mother for it."
After a moment of stunned silence, Scootaloo shouted, "What?! You'd be a great mom, Fluttershy!"
"It might have a better one in another home, though," Fluttershy said.
Scootaloo sighed disappointedly. "Great. Now I'll never have a little sister..." she muttered.
"I didn't say I wouldn't keep it," Fluttershy said. "I just said that I might not."
A bit of Scootaloo's hopeful expression returned. "So... you might keep your baby?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes. If I decide that I'll be a good mother, I'll keep it."
Scootaloo grinned. "Alright! Well, like I said, you'd be a great mom, Fluttershy!" she cried.
Scootaloo then ran to her room, shouting, "Good night, guys!"
Rainbow was silent for a moment. She then turned to Fluttershy and asked, "So... you might, uh... keep it?"
Fluttershy nodded. "Yes," she said. "I make a decent living, and I'm certainly good with animals. But raising a foal will be a little different."
Rainbow swallowed. "So... so when are you gonna decide?" she asked.
Fluttershy looked up. "I don't know," she said. "But I'm going to decide before it's born."
After a moment, Rainbow nodded. "Al... alright," she said.
They were silent for a while, then Rainbow shook her head and said, "So... anyway..."
Rainbow took a deep breath, then asked, "What's his name?"
Fluttershy turned confusedly to her. "W-what?"
"The father," Rainbow said. "What's his name?"
Fluttershy blinked. "D-Dashie, what are you-"
Rainbow looked fiercely at her. "I'm gonna find him," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "I'm gonna make him pay."
Fluttershy's eyes widened with worry. "N-no, Dashie!" she cried. "You can't-!"
"I'm not gonna kill him," Rainbow said. "But I can't let him get away with this. I can't let him make this happen to any more girls. I'm just gonna make sure he doesn't do this again. Please, Flutters, tell me his name."
After a few moments, Fluttershy nodded. "O-okay," she said. "His name is Noir. He's a gray Stallion with long black hair and a mace Cutie Mark."
Rainbow's eyes narrowed. She'd seen him before. She knew exactly what he looked like. He was always hanging around the bar, and he'd been arrested for disturbing the peace more than a few times.
"Alright," Rainbow said. She turned to the door. "Thanks, Flutters. I'll be back."
Rainbow opened the door, but Fluttershy put her hoof on her shoulder. Rainbow turned back and saw Fluttershy staring fearfully at her. "Don't kill him, Dashie," she said. "He isn't worth it. And be safe."
After a moment, Rainbow nodded. She stroked Fluttershy's cheek, gave her a comforting smile, then walked out into the night.
Rainbow's wings ruffled as she slowly plodded towards the Rotten Apple, the bar she usually saw Noir hanging around. Her magenta eyes were aflame with fury as she quietly made her way towards the monster who'd violated her girlfriend.
Soon enough, Rainbow reached the bar. Sure enough, she saw the gravel-gray, greasy haired scarred Stallion leaning against the outside wall, smoking a cigarette. Rainbow walked towards him until she was about twenty feet away, where she stopped.
After a few moments, Noir looked to the side and saw her. He immediately turned to her, and after a moment he smirked. "Well, hell-o, babe," he muttered over the smoking cigarette in the corner of his mouth.
Rainbow turned around and walked into an alley. She heard Noir chuckle and shout after her, "Hey, were do ya think you're goin', babe?"
Rainbow continued walking forward, and he heard Noir trot in after her. "Yo, I was talkin' to you!" he shouted.
Once Rainbow was deep in the alley, she turned around to face him.
Noir stopped a few feet away from Rainbow, chuckled again, spat his cigarette on the ground, and crushed it under his foot. "What you doin' out so late, babe?" Noir asked, his eyes running down Rainbow's form.
Trembling with disgust and rage, Rainbow calmly replied, "I was out looking for you."
Noir's smile widened. "Really now, babe?" he chuckled, stepping forward.
"Oh, yes," Rainbow growled. "You raped my girlfriend."
Noir stopped, his eyes widening in surprise. "Your girlfriend?" he said. "Who-?"
Then suddenly, realization fell upon him and he burst into laughter. "Oh, you mean that cute little pegasus Mare?"
He laughed some more, then said, "Yeah, she was great. She was crying and begging me to stop the whole time. It was so bucking hot."
Rainbow began to slowly walk towards him. Noir continued, "So, she's your girlfriend, huh? Damn, I wish she told me she was into Mares. Maybe we could've had a three-way then. But I guess we could still have one-"
In the middle of his sentence, however, Rainbow suddenly spun around and kicked his face with her hind legs as hard as she could. She felt his nose break under the blow, and she heard him cry out in intense pain as he stumbled backwards.
Rainbow turned back around to face him, and saw that his nose was heavily bleeding and that several of his teeth were laying on the ground. Noir gazed astonishedly at Rainbow, and saw murder in her eyes. This energetic, impulsive, boisterous Pegasus was moving slowly, deliberately, quietly towards him.
Roaring in anger, Noir lunged at Rainbow, swinging his right hoof at her, but Rainbow nonchalantly dodged out of his path and let him fall to the ground.
As Noir struggled to get back up, Rainbow shoved her hoof into his chest. He cried out in agony and looked fearfully up at her as he felt his ribs bend under her weight.
"She told me not to kill you," Rainbow muttered. "That's the girl you've violated, you worthless piece of shit. Even though you raped her, she still asked me not to kill you. I only promised her that I wouldn't because she's carrying your kid, and I can't leave her alone."
Noir roared as he swung his fist at her again, but Rainbow blocked his blow and struck him in the head. She continued with terrifying calmness, "If I didn't promise her I wouldn't kill you, I would bucking flay you, scalp you, then rip your throat out. But I won't."
Rainbow placed her hoof on the side of Noir's head, placing some of her weight on it. Noir whimpered as he gazed in absolute terror up at her. Though his eyes begged for mercy, he found none in Rainbow's.
"I'm not gonna kill you," Rainbow repeated. "But make no mistake- I'm gonna make you suffer."
Rainbow's heart was pounding, sending adrenaline through her body as she walked back to Fluttershy's cottage. Her hooves were bloody, and she had more blood splattered several places all over her fur and mane. Her expression was still frightening, even now that she had finished punishing Noir. One would have been forgiven for thinking she was a serial killer, if they saw how she looked now.
Rainbow had left Noir in the alley, bloodied, broken, and whimpering. She had never imagined she could gain so much pleasure out of so utterly destroying somepony; every blow she had delivered to Noir fed an exhilarating high of elation that drove her to continue going at him. It was almost like a drug; the longer she went, the better it felt, and the greater her thirst was for more. It felt short, but Rainbow was sure that her beating of Noir went on for a while; she had had enough time to knock more of his teeth out, break two of his legs and several of his ribs, and pummel his face into a bloody mess.
When Rainbow had seen Noir begin to grow weak and unable to continue attempting to fight her off, she realized that if she went much further, she would kill him. It took every ounce of her self-discipline to prevent herself from torturing Noir until he died in agony, but with tremendous effort she had stopped her own blows, stepped away from him, and calmly muttered to him as he wept, "Now go turn yourself in, and tell them what you did. If I see your sorry flank anywhere but a prison cell ever again, I'm gonna finish the job." And with that, Rainbow turned around and began walking back to her girlfriend's home.
Oddly, Rainbow didn't feel satisfied, though she had thought she would. She found that her thirst for vengeance still wasn't quenched, and her overwhelming desire to go to Noir and snap his neck was as powerful as it ever was. Rainbow gazed down at her bloody hooves and muttered to herself, "It's not enough, it's not enough..."
Rainbow took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. She would have liked nothing more than to go back to Noir so she could finish murdering him, but she muttered to herself, "Fluttershy needs you, Dash. What if you got caught? Are you really such a selfish bitch that you'd leave Fluttershy to raise a little foal all by herself?"
Rainbow took another breath. As she continued walking, a slow, sinking feeling began to roll down her throat and into her stomach. She felt nauseous. What... she thought, tears welling in her eyes. What if... What if Fluttershy's kid would... would be better off... without me?
Tears rolled down Rainbows cheeks as she stopped walking and sat in the middle of the road. All of her self-loathing and guilt came crashing down upon her at the same time.
Before they were girlfriends, Rainbow had treated Fluttershy like a cheap toy. Fluttershy had been just one of many girls that Rainbow used to satisfy her own sensual cravings; however, though Rainbow had bedded many other girls, Fluttershy had had eyes only for her. Learning that Fluttershy had been in love with her since they were fillies was one of the most devastating things that had ever happened to Rainbow; she came to realize that every other girl she flirted with or had a one-night stand with had been like a dagger piercing Fluttershy's heart, but Fluttershy had loved her so much that she let her do it, determined to make any sacrifice to keep her happy.
Rainbow wished desperately that she had known that Fluttershy was in love with her; after all, Rainbow had been in love with Fluttershy since they were fillies, as well. They had both believed that the other would reject them if they confessed their feelings, as Rainbow and Fluttershy had both believed that the other liked them only for their physical beauty and could never want them as anything more than a bedmate. Though this was a mistake that both of them were guilty of, Rainbow placed the entire blame for the hurt they had suffered squarely on herself, as she had been the one who had suggested having a sexual relationship in the first place. In addition, Fluttershy had taken no one but Rainbow, while at the same time Rainbow had treated Fluttershy as merely her favorite plaything from a pool of many; for this, Rainbow viewed herself as selfish and unworthy of Fluttershy.
Of course, there was also Scootaloo. Last autumn, Scootaloo had romantically courted Rainbow, stolen a kiss from her, then attempted to lure her into bed. This immensely frightened Rainbow, as she wasn't completely sure that she never would have done it; after all, she would have been lying if she claimed that Scootaloo's feelings towards her weren't returned even a little. Twilight had assured Rainbow that the amount of attraction she had towards the filly was normal, however, but nonetheless a part of Rainbow still believed herself to be a deplorable pervert for harboring any attraction to Scootaloo at all. Though her friends trusted her and assured her that she wasn't, Rainbow still often worried that deep down she was a pedophile who wasn't to be trusted around any little fillies; including, perhaps, Fluttershy's foal, if it turned out to be a girl.
But the thing that caused Rainbow to endure the most weight of her guilt was the fact that she had attempted to convince Fluttershy to abort the foal she was pregnant with. Rainbow was suspicious of her own motives; did she really want Fluttershy to abort her pregnancy for the sake of her well-being, or did Rainbow merely wish to remove any obstacles that would potentially impede her her sexual relationship with her astonishingly beautiful girlfriend?
Another fact also began to clarify before Rainbow: if she continued to be Fluttershy's lover, and Fluttershy decided to keep her foal, then Rainbow would have the obligation to help Fluttershy raise it and act as its other parent. After all, it would be immensely, incontestably selfish and nothing short of disgusting if Rainbow maintained her physical relationship with Fluttershy, but left her to for all other purposes act as her foal's only parent. After all, though Rainbow had no doubt that their friends would help Fluttershy raise it, she knew that Fluttershy would still need a partner who would be with her and support her so she could give her attentions to her baby, especially during its first years when it would require constant care.
But even if she could sacrifice her own freedom for the sake of Fluttershy and her child, Rainbow still doubted her ability to be a good parent to it. She didn't have even the slightest idea of how to raise a foal, and she immensely doubted her own morality and ability to install good values in another pony. Though Rainbow deeply loved her own father, she didn't want to follow his example and teach Fluttershy's child to be promiscuous and irresponsible. But most of all, Rainbow doubted her own ability to raise and look into the eyes of a pony that she had asked its mother to kill.
Rainbow began sobbing. As much as she loved Fluttershy, all of her thoughts compelled her to give her up and allow somepony else to step in and be there for her. Any of their other friends would be a better partner to Fluttershy and parent for her child, Rainbow thought. Twilight, for instance, had already raised Spike, and could rear Fluttershy's foal with great care, intelligence, and compassion. Pinkie, too, seemed a better choice; thought she could be erratic and at times even a little frightening, she had demonstrated herself to be a capable caregiver to the Cakes' foals Pumpkin and Pound Cake. Even Rarity, Fluttershy's closest platonic friend, could potentially grow to love Fluttershy and care for her foal with the same affection she had shown to Sweetie Belle.
Rainbow, in contrast, had stomped on Fluttershy's fragile heart, told her to kill her baby, and considered sleeping with Scootaloo, her own surrogate little sister.
Rainbow's tears flowed over her cheeks as though she were standing in a rainstorm. She quietly, but violently sobbed, and was immensely grateful for the privacy that the late night allowed her for her weeping.
Rainbow had never felt more hatred and shame at herself than she did now. She felt an overwhelming urge to write a letter to her friends, apologizing for everything she'd ever done, then leave it at her house and run away. She'd go work at some brothel; that way, she could have all the meaningless, empty sex she wanted without hurting anypony else. She didn't even care that most of her customers would be Stallions if she did; as far as she was concerned, she deserved far worse anyway.
"It should have been me..." Rainbow tremblingly whispered as tears continued to drip from her chin. "I should have been the one that monster got his hooves on... Fluttershy never did anything to deserve this, but I've done everything to..."
Rainbow continued silently weeping for a few minutes. Once she had used up all of her tears, Rainbow dried off her face with her forelegs, took several deep breaths, then began walking again.
Shortly thereafter, Rainbow returned to Fluttershy's cottage. She saw that the living room lights were still on as she approached it, and upon entering it she saw Fluttershy lying on her couch, reading a novel.
Once Rainbow closed the door, she said quietly, "Hey, Flutters."
Fluttershy looked up, then smiled. "Hi, Dashie," she replied.
However, Fluttershy quickly noticed Rainbow's puffy eyes and tearstained face, and worriedly said, "Are you alright?"
"Yeah..." Rainbow replied.
Fluttershy looked down at Rainbow's bloody hooves. Her eyes widened a little, and she stared silently at them for a few moments.
"I didn't kill him," Rainbow assured her. "He won't be walking anytime soon, though."
Fluttershy looked up at Rainbow, and Rainbow could see sorrow and concern in her eyes. "Do you feel better now?" Fluttershy asked, her tone telling Rainbow that she already knew the answer.
After a silent moment, Rainbow shook her head. "No. No, I... I don't..." she muttered.
Rainbow sniffed, wiped at her eyes again, then walked up the stairs to Fluttershy's bathroom, saying, "I'm gonna go wash up."
Rainbow took a quick shower, in which she disgustedly ensured that every droplet of Noir's blood was washed down the drain. Once she got back out, she went to Fluttershy's bedroom, where Fluttershy was already fast asleep in her bed.
Tears began rolling down Rainbow's cheeks again as she climbed in beside her girlfriend and held her close. Rainbow hugged Fluttershy tightly as she wept, as though it would be the last time she ever did.
* * *
When Rainbow Dash woke up, she was greeted by the sound of Fluttershy cheerfully humming and the sound of sizzling oil. She stood up, walked downstairs, and went into the kitchen, where she found Fluttershy frying some pancakes over her stove.
"Hey, Flutters," Rainbow said.
Fluttershy turned with a smile to Rainbow. "Good morning, Dashie," she replied. "I've made breakfast. Would you like some pancakes?"
"Actually, um..." Rainbow said, gazing at the ground.
Fluttershy said concernedly, "Yes? What is it, Dashie?"
Rainbow gently dug at the floor for a few moments before she said, "I need to tell you something."
Fluttershy blinked, was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Okay," she said. "What do you need to tell me?"
Rainbow was silent for what seemed an hour before she said quietly, almost in a whisper, "I... I think we should split up."
Fluttershy blinked again. "What?"
Rainbow began trembling. "I... I said..." she began, her voice cracking. "I said that I think we should split up."
After a few moments of silence, Fluttershy's eyes widened with horror. "W-what?" she said. "You think we should... split up?"
Rainbow fought back her tears as she slowly nodded.
Fluttershy stared in astonishment and terrified disbelief at Rainbow for a few moments. "... But... why, Rainbow?" she said, her own voice beginning to shake.
Rainbow turned away and tightly closed her eyes as she replied, "It... it's just better this way."
Before Fluttershy could respond, Rainbow whispered, "I'm sorry," before turning around and galloping towards the front door. "Wait- Dashie!" Fluttershy desperately called after her, but Rainbow never turned back as she sprinted out, feeling more tears roll down from her closed eyes as she ran.
Once Rainbow was outside and a good distance away from Fluttershy, she spread her wings and took to the air. She soon found her own cloud house, which she flew into before she ran to her bedroom, collapsed on her bed, and despairingly sobbed into her pillows.
Rainbow wept for several hours, after which she pulled one of her barrels of cider out of her cellar and heavily drank from it. She was absolutely miserable, and she wished desperately that she could curl up in a corner and refuse to move until she died.
Rainbow continued to drink until at last she passed out.
Fluttershy, meanwhile, stood absolutely still as she gazed out of her front door for several minutes. She then sat down, let out a small sob as tears welled in her eyes, then crumpled to a heap in the middle of her floor and loudly sobbed into her forelegs.
"Why, Dashie?" she whispered between her sobs. "Do you just not want me anymore?"
Fluttershy wept some more, but suddenly stopped as a realization fell upon her. She looked up from her forelegs, her cheeks damp and her eyes bloodshot, and gazed again up at the door that Rainbow had just fled through.
"Is it... because I'm pregnant?" she muttered. She slowly climbed back up to her feet, and her eyes began to narrow. "You always said I was the hottest girl you knew, Rainbow. Did you leave me because my beauty's going to be ruined by childbirth?"
Angry tears welled in Fluttershy's eyes and she began to tremble as she continued, her voice gradually rising in volume, "Or did you leave me because I'd expect you to help raise my foal if I keep it? Is that what's going on, Rainbow Dash? Do you want me to be nothing more than your toy?!"
Fluttershy pounded the floor with her hoof as her rage continued to mount. "Is that why you wanted revenge on Noir, Rainbow Dash?! Because he violated your property?! Because he ruined your favorite bucktoy?!"
Fluttershy began screaming as furious tears continued to flow down her cheeks and rain down on the floor at her feet, "WELL, FINE, RAINBOW DASH!! SEE IF I CARE, YOU SELFISH, SHALLOW WHORE!! You know what?! I'm glad you're gone! I'm better off without you anyway! I should've broken up with you years ago! All you've ever done is hurt me and abandon me and... and..."
Fluttershy looked down and sniffed as she tremblingly whispered, "And... and protect me, and walk me home, and hold me when I was scared, and be there for me whenever I needed you, and... and..."
Fluttershy collapsed to the ground and began sobbing into her forelegs. She realized that as furious as she was at Rainbow, she still loved her with all of her heart. She'd never felt so conflicted before; she still felt tremendous pain at having just lost her girlfriend, while at the same time she felt untold hatred and anger towards her. Ironically, she wanted to never see her again, but at the same time she would've given anything to have Rainbow in her arms again.
But ultimately, Fluttershy sank into deep despair; not only had she forever lost Rainbow as a lover, but likely as a friend as well. In her despair Fluttershy cried herself to sleep.
* * *
As Twilight trotted to Frappe's, she gazed down at her feet worriedly. She hadn't seen Rainbow or Fluttershy in a few days. As far as anyone she had spoken to knew, neither of them had left their homes during that time.
Twilight was deeply worried about her friends. If she remembered correctly, they had gone to the hospital the day she'd stopped seeing them to have Fluttershy checked up. What happened in there? Was Fluttershy just diagnosed with a terminal illness? Had Noir caused her some permanent injury?
Twilight hoped to get some answers from her friends. Rarity and Pinkie Pie were meeting her at the cafe for a light lunch, so she had let Spike have the afternoon off to do as he pleased while she was there.
When Twilight reached the small corner shop and entered, she found Pinkie and Rarity sitting at a booth together. They were speaking concernedly over mugs of coffee, so Twilight made a small smile as she sat beside them. "Hey, girls," she said.
Rarity and Pinkie turned to her, then smiled, as well. "Hey, Twilight," they said together.
"Have either of you seen Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash lately?" asked Twilight.
Rarity shook her head as she took a sip of her coffee. "No, I haven't," she replied.
"We were just talking about them," Pinkie added. "I hope they're okay."
"Do you two have any idea what happened?" asked Twilight.
Rarity sighed as she muttered, "Well, I heard a couple of guards say that Noir's disappeared while they were monitoring him, and nopony's seen him since. Maybe that has something to do with it."
Twilight's eyes widened. "R-really?" she said fearfully.
"Fortunately," Rarity continued, "nopony has seen him. Not even those bums he always got in fights with. Things seem to be a bit more peaceful since he's vanished."
Twilight sighed. "Alright..." she said. "Well, I'm going to see Fluttershy and Rainbow anyway, just in case." She then stood up from the table and walked back to the door, crying to her friends as she left, "Bye, girls!"
"Bye, Twilight!" Rarity and Pinkie called back.
Twilight made her way to Fluttershy's house, walking significantly faster than she usually did. Was Fluttershy worried that Noir was going to come after her? Or had something even worse happened since last she'd encountered him?
Twilight was so busy worrying that she didn't realize that she had walked right up to Fluttershy's front door. With a wavering breath, she raised her hoof to knock on the door.
There was no answer. After about a minute, Twilight knocked again.
Twilight was beginning to panic when the door suddenly creaked as it slowly opened. On the other side stood Fluttershy, who looked enormously disheveled and depressed, but otherwise alright.
"Fluttershy!" Twilight said relievedly.
"Hello, Twilight," Fluttershy muttered back.
"Thank Celestia you're safe!" Twilight cried. "What's happened? Are you okay?"
Fluttershy shrugged. "I wish I could drink," she monotonously replied.
Twilight's eyes widened. "You... you can't drink? Why not?" she asked.
Fluttershy gently ran one of her fore hooves over her belly. "It could hinder the baby's growth," she answered simply.
Twilight blinked. "The... the baby?" she said.
Fluttershy nodded.
Twilight stood absolutely still, uncomprehending for several moments. Realization eventually struck her, however, then her eyes widened as she made an enormous gasp. "You mean- you're... you're pregnant?!" she said astonishedly.
Fluttershy nodded.
"But-" Twilight said, staring disbelievingly at Fluttershy. "If- if you're pregnant, then- Fluttershy! Let's get you to a clinic, right now! We can-!"
Fluttershy shook her head and interrupted Twilight, "I appreciate your concern, Twilight, but I'm not aborting it."
Twilight blinked confusedly. "Why not?" she said.
"It doesn't feel right to," Fluttershy replied.
"But- Fluttershy..." Twilight said worriedly, "it wasn't your fault. It shouldn't have happened in the first place. You weren't irresponsible or anything; you were the victim of a crime. That Stallion has no excuse for what he did, so you don't need to feel guilty-"
"I don't feel guilty," Fluttershy said gently. "This has nothing to do with what Noir did to me. I just don't think it's right to kill somepony."
"But you're not killing somepony," Twilight replied. "You're just removing a fetus."
Fluttershy shrugged. "Okay. Whether or not it's a pony yet, it's still a defenseless living creature. It's all the same to me. I'm not going to kill it."
Twilight blinked, was silent for a few more moments, then said, "Okay, but Fluttershy, what about you? You are also a living creature, and your life and happiness also matter. Noir has already harmed you; if you give birth to his foal, it might harm you even more. You might have to relive what he did to you."
Fluttershy nodded. "I understand that. But I couldn't live with myself if I punished something for a crime it didn't commit. It's not my foal's fault that it was conceived the way it was; it shouldn't pay for the sins of its father. I'm going to be better than him."
Twilight opened her mouth to begin arguing more, but could see by the determination in Fluttershy's eyes that to do so would be utterly futile. She contented herself with a sigh as she muttered, "Just... I want you to be okay, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy nodded and smiled. "Just support me and be there for me. That's all I ask for," she said.
After taking another breath, Twilight asked, "Is this why I haven't seen you or Rainbow recently?"
Fluttershy's smile faded and she morosely gazed and dug at the ground. "Well... no..." she muttered.
"What is it, then?" Twilight asked concernedly.
Tears welled in Fluttershy's eyes and she sniffed as she quietly replied, "Dashie... um, Rainbow... she... broke up with- me." Her voice cracked as she spoke these words.
Fluttershy began trembling as tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped from her chin. Twilight gaped at her for a moment before she said, "She... she broke up with you?"
Fluttershy whimpered as she nodded.
"But- why?!" Twilight said, equal parts fearful, angry, and shocked.
Fluttershy sobbed as she shook her head. "I... I don't know..." she said. "I just don't know..."
Fluttershy sobbed some more as Twilight silently gazed at her. After a few moments, Fluttershy whispered, "I... I'd like to be alone, if you don't mind..."
Twilight nodded. "I understand," she said. "I'll see you later, Fluttershy."
Nodding, Fluttershy closed the door.
After a few seconds, Twilight spread her wings and took to the air. As she climbed into the sky, her face burned with anger.
She was going to have a very, very long talk with Rainbow.
Twilight violently pounded on Rainbow's door. "Rainbow Dash!" she shouted.
There was no answer.
Twilight pounded the door again, roaring, "Rainbow Dash, you come here and speak to me right this second!!"
Again, no answer.
Practically fuming with rage, Twilight touched her horn to the door's keyhole and magically unlocked it. She then pushed open the door and shouted again, "Rainbow Dash!"
And again, silence was her only answer.
Twilight briskly trotted into Rainbow's house and made her way to Rainbow's living room, where she found Rainbow sleeping on her sofa.
Twilight was revolted at what laid before her; Rainbow was surrounded by perhaps a dozen empty (or half-empty) bottles of apple cider, and Rainbow herself strongly stank of liquor. Rainbow's mane was also hopelessly tangled, and she had food stains all over her coat and tear stains down her cheeks. Twilight's face twisted with simultaneous disgust and worry; she strongly suspected that Rainbow had been lying here and drinking without bathing or leaving her house since her breakup with Fluttershy several days ago.
Twilight placed her hoof on Rainbow's shoulder and firmly shook her. "Hey, wake up," she said.
Rainbow blearily, slowly opened her eyes before looking up at Twilight. "Oh... hey, Twi..." she croaked.
Rainbow's eyes then turned to one of her half-empty bottles, which she slowly reached her fore hoof towards. Twilight slid the bottle out of her reach, saying firmly, "No. You're not getting anymore, Rainbow."
Rainbow glared up at Twilight, then whined, "Hey, getcher hooves offa my-"
Her eyes then widened as she grimaced with discomfort. "Ugh... I don' feel so good..." she groaned.
Twilight telekinetically lifted Rainbow up and draped one of her forelegs around her own body, then slowly guided Rainbow towards her bathroom as Rainbow muttered, "I think I'm gonna hurl..."
As quickly as she could, Twilight brought Rainbow to her toilet. Rainbow placed her hooves on the seat's edges, stared into the still water for a moment, then suddenly grunted as she heaved and vomited into it.
Twilight patiently stood by Rainbow's side while she retched the liquor back out of her body. Once her heaving had come to an end, Twilight said dourly, "Are you done?"
Rainbow spit into the bowl, then hoarsely whispered, "Yeah... yeah, I'm... I'm done..."
Twilight nodded, then guided Rainbow to her bathtub. She instructed Rainbow to step in, then turned on some water. Rainbow passively allowed Twilight to scrub her coat and mane down with shampoo, comb her hair out, and rinse her off. Twilight then telekinetically dried Rainbow off with a towel before guiding her back out of the tub and guiding her towards her bed.
"Here, get some sleep," Twilight said as she lifted the blankets up.
Rainbow slowly nodded, then tremblingly climbed in between her covers. As Twilight laid the blankets over her, Rainbow hoarsely croaked, "Water..."
Twilight nodded, then went to her kitchen. She got a glass of water, then brought it back to Rainbow. She telekinetically lifted the cup to Rainbow's lips and tipped a few sips' worth of water down her throat before setting the glass down on the nightstand beside her and saying, "Alright, now get some sleep."
Rainbow blearily nodded, closed her eyes, and quickly fell back asleep.
While Rainbow was slumbering, Twilight went around the cloud house and tidied it up. She began by disposing of all of the cider bottles, then flushed and cleaned out Rainbow's toilet, then telekinetically swept and mopped the floors of all the rooms. Upon completion, she returned to Rainbow's side to check up on her. Fortunately, Rainbow seemed well, and was still fast asleep. Satisfied, Twilight left Rainbow's bedroom and flew out of her house.
A few minutes later, Twilight returned to Rainbow's house, carrying a book in her saddlebag. She slid a chair into Rainbow's bedroom, pulled the book open, and patiently read it for a few hours as she waited for Rainbow to reawaken. The book was The Complete Plays and Poems of Ellen Nevermore, a thick volume of over a thousand pages that she kept at hand for any silent and long waits.
Twilight had just finished the second act of Song of the Spider, a horror play she had seen on a date with Princess Luna, when she heard Rainbow Dash groaning and rustling her sheets as she sat up.
Twilight looked up, and saw that Rainbow was blearily sitting upright and massaging the side of her head. "My head hurts like a bitch," Rainbow muttered.
"Hey, Rainbow," Twilight said, setting her book back in her bag.
Rainbow turned to her, wearing an expression of slight surprise. "Oh, hey, Twi," she said. "You still here?"
"Yep," Twilight said. "Would you like a bag of ice for your head?"
Groaning, Rainbow made a small nod.
Twilight stood up, went to Rainbow's kitchen, and got a plastic bag and filled it with ice from the freezer. She then returned to Rainbow's bedroom, gave the bag to Rainbow, then sat back at her chair as Rainbow pressed her head against it.
"Was this over your breakup with Fluttershy?" Twilight said.
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah..." she muttered.
"She was heartbroken, too," Twilight said.
Rainbow cast a glance at Twilight, then scoffed. "I never should've gotten involved with her..." Rainbow muttered. "I'm such a bucking idiot. Any girl I get involved with always ends up getting hurt. And now I've hurt Fluttershy again. I'm a worthless piece of shit..."
Here a tear rolled down Rainbow's cheek, which she quickly wiped away. Twilight blinked, puzzled.
"Why did you break up with Fluttershy?" Twilight said. "I don't understand. You obviously really love her, and really want to be with her."
Rainbow shook her head. "Even if I do, I shouldn't be," she replied. "Fluttershy would be better off with somepony else. Anypony else."
"Why do you say that?" Twilight asked surprisedly.
Rainbow looked directly into Twilight's eyes. "Are you kidding, Twi?" she said. "Everything about me is awful! I treated Fluttershy like some cheap toy, I wanted to sleep with Scootaloo, and I told Fluttershy to abort her baby!"
Tears rolled down Rainbow's cheeks, and she closed her eyes and sobbed. "I'm the worst pony ever..." she tremblingly whispered.
Rainbow then opened her eyes again, and tearfully continued, "You should be Fluttershy's partner, Twilight! Or Pinkie should! Tartarus, even Rarity would be a better girlfriend to her than I ever could! You all haven't hurt her like I have..."
"Rainbow Dash..." Twilight said patiently, stepping towards her and stroking her cheek, "don't be so hard on yourself."
"But I'm horrible!" Rainbow cried between her sobs.
"No, you're not," Twilight gently replied. "We've all made mistakes, Rainbow, and we're all learning. That's what matters, Rainbow."
"But... I told Fluttershy to abort the foal!" Rainbow said.
"So did I," Twilight replied.
Rainbow's eyes widened. "You-you did?" she said surprisedly.
Twilight nodded. "Yes. Both of us wanted Fluttershy to abort her pregnancy because we were worried about her, Rainbow."
"But- how could I ever raise a foal I wanted to be killed?!"
"Rainbow, you did it out of your love for that foal's mother. Not because you hate the foal." Here Twilight smiled. "I'm sure Fluttershy's foal will understand, and will even be grateful that you were so concerned for its mother's well-being."
"But- even so, I can't raise it!" Rainbow cried. "What if it turns out like me?! What if it learns to be irresponsible and careless and-?!"
"You're not irresponsible or careless, Rainbow," Twilight interrupted her. "Even if you were once, you've learned from your mistakes."
"But what if it's a filly?" Rainbow said. "It wouldn't be safe around me! I'd hurt it, just like how Noir hurt Fluttershy..."
Here Rainbow buried her head in her forelegs and began sobbing again. After a few moments, Twilight sighed and said, "Well, if you really do believe that you will, you're right, Rainbow. But I don't think so. After all, you haven't done anything to Scootaloo, and she literally begged you to have sex with her. Like I said before, it's normal to have some attraction to children."
"But enough to want to buck them?!" Rainbow said, narrowing her eyes.
Twilight nodded. "Yes. In fact, I've wanted to sleep with Spike," she said, smiling.
Rainbow's eyes widened enormously as she gaped at Twilight. "W-what...?" she stuttered astonishedly. "You wanted to... to... w-with... Spike?!"
Twilight nodded. "Not intensely," she added, "but I've still wanted to. After all, he's a cute, sweet, smart, good-looking boy. And that's nothing to be ashamed or scared of; in fact, even parents will sometimes have some sexual feelings towards their children."
Rainbow gaped in shock at Twilight. Twilight continued smiling at her for several moments, then said, "The fact that you're disgusted at the very idea that you'll abuse Fluttershy's foal means that you can be pretty sure that you won't, Rainbow. I think that you can trust yourself more than you think. Acknowledge and accept your feelings; just make sure that you don't act on them inappropriately."
Twilight then turned around and began walking out of Rainbow's room. Before she exited, however, she added, "But still, it's up to you, Rainbow. You have to decide for yourself what's right. If you truly believe that you shouldn't be with Fluttershy, then that's exactly what you should do. Just make sure that you're honest with yourself about it."
Twilight then walked out, exited Rainbow's house, and flew away.
Rainbow stared after Twilight for a few moments, then leaned back against the wall behind her. She thought very deep, long, and hard about what Twilight had just told her. She'd never really believed that other ponies felt attraction to children until now. She was quite certain that nearly anyone she asked would have denied it; after all, to admit to it was to make oneself a prime target for hounding and shunning from one's neighbors. But Twilight had just admitted to it, as well, and Rainbow knew that she would never harm any children, least of all Spike.
Not only that, but Twilight had also, like Rainbow, asked Fluttershy to abort her foal. Rainbow was quite easily able to believe that this didn't make Twilight a bad friend; after all, she was the princess of friendship.
Rainbow smiled. So, maybe she didn't need to break up with Fluttershy after all. However, after thinking for a moment, Rainbow's smile faded as she swallowed fearfully from another realization: perhaps Fluttershy wouldn't want to be girlfriends anymore.
Rainbow sighed, then stood up. Well, no matter what, she was going to apologize to Fluttershy for what she'd done. Whether or not she forgave Rainbow didn't matter; Rainbow needed to sate her conscience, and only saying sorry to Fluttershy would allow her to do that.
Taking a deep breath, Rainbow trotted to her front door. She opened the door, flew out, and made her way to Fluttershy's house.
* * *
When Twilight opened the Golden Oak Library's front door, she saw Fluttershy and Rarity sitting at her table. She gazed at them surprisedly as Spike called to her from upstairs, "Oh, hey, Twilight!"
"Hi, Spike. Hi, girls," Twilight said with a kind smile. "What are you doing here?"
"Rarity and Fluttershy wanted to talk to you," Spike said.
"Actually," Rarity interjected, "It's Fluttershy who called this meeting together."
"What meeting?" Twilight said confusedly.
Rarity nodded at Fluttershy, who said quietly, "Oh... um, I wanted to ask you two for advice about something..."
Twilight blinked. "Alright," she said.
"Should I leave?" Spike said, jerking his thumb towards the front door. "I can go to the comic book store."
Twilight nodded. "Yes, thanks, Spike," she replied.
With a grin, Spike jogged out the door and closed it behind him. Twilight then took a seat across from the other girls, saying, "Alright. What's up, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy nervously shuffled her hooves for a few seconds. She then took a few deep breaths, and began, "Okay, girls. First of all, as you both know, I'm pregnant. I visited Dr. Horse just today, and he says that there's no question about it anymore."
Twilight and Rarity nodded. Fluttershy continued, "As you two also know, I've decided that I'm going to let the foal come to term. As a side note, I want to thank you both for respecting my decision, even though you both disagree with it."
Twilight smiled, and replied, "You're welcome, Fluttershy."
"Of course!" Rarity interjected, tossing her hair. "What kind of friends would we be if we wouldn't? Besides, I have no doubt your baby will be just gorgeous!"
Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her hair. "Thanks, Rarity," she said.
After clearing her throat, Fluttershy continued, "But I haven't decided whether I'm going to keep it or put it up for adoption after it's born. And making the decision isn't easy...
"So, on one hand, the baby's father is Noir. He might be the only living creature that I've ever hated, or will ever hate. I'm scared that because I hate him so much, I'm going to take my anger at him out on his child. If I keep it, people will probably also figure out how it was conceived, and might give it grief for it. I don't want it to have to grow up in an environment like that. But most importantly, I don't know if I'll be able to properly raise it. I make a decent living, but I'm going to have to take a lot of time off of work for it. I might not have had to worry about that if I had a parter, but..."
Here Fluttershy began to choke up. "But... Rainbow isn't with me anymore..."
Fluttershy took a few moments to weep and dry away her tears, then continued, "And... and I think that the baby would benefit from having two parents. But I don't want to just go and get a new partner because my baby 'needs' one; I think that its parents should truly love each other."
Fluttershy was silent for a few moments, and Rarity and Twilight nodded. "Alright..." Rarity said quietly. "So... anything else you want to say, dear?"
Fluttershy was silent for a few more moments, took another deep breath, then softly smiled as she began, "But, on the other hand... I love babies. I've always thought that being a mother would be just wonderful, and if I'm not ready to be one now, I probably won't ever be. I think I'd be willing to do the work necessary to take care of it, and I think that Ponyville would be a safe and nice place for it to grow up in. But most importantly, I want to ensure that my baby has the best life it can possibly have. And if I'd be the best possible mother for it... well, then I think I should accept that responsibility."
Fluttershy was silent for a few moments, then said, "So... what do you girls think? You're my very best friends, and I want to know what you two think I should do."
Rarity and Twilight glanced at each other, then gazed thoughtfully down at the table for a few moments. Rarity was the first to speak; she cleared her throat, then began, "So, if I may ask... am I correct in saying that you... want to keep your foal, Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy blinked, looked down for a moment, then quietly said, "I... I think so..."
Rarity nodded. "Very well. In that case, if it is what you want, I think you should do it,"
"I agree," Twilight said. "I don't think you have to worry about being abusive to your child. After all, you're the element of kindness. You can also count on us to give you whatever support we can if you do decide to keep it."
Fluttershy smiled. "Thanks, girls," she said.
"But the most important thing is your own instincts," Twilight added. "If you feel like your foal would do better with another parent, then you should put it up for adoption. If you decide you don't want it, you can give it up. There's nothing wrong with it; you're just trying to do what's best for it. But if you do want it, and do think you're capable of raising it, I think that's exactly what you should do."
Fluttershy thought about it for a moment, then smiled. "Thanks, girls," she said.
Fluttershy stood up, then said, "Well... I'm going home now."
Fluttershy stood up, then her friends did, as well. Once they were all standing, Twilight added, "And remember- you can always change your mind, so take your time."
"Thanks, girls," Fluttershy said, giving Twilight and Rarity each a grateful hug. She then waved to them as she walked towards the library's front door, calling, "Bye, girls!"
"Bye!" her friends called back, then Fluttershy stepped back out and closed the library's door behind her.
As Fluttershy walked back to her house, she gazed serenely at the sky. The longer she thought about it, the better she felt about it. More and more, she felt as though she wanted to keep her baby.
As her cottage came into view, Fluttershy smiled down at the ground, gently rubbed her belly, and whispered, "I'm... I'm gonna be a mommy..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks and hit the ground. What a wonderful thought. Fluttershy was going to be a mother. At least something joyful came out of this whole dark, dark ordeal...
After taking a deep breath and wiping away her tears again, Fluttershy closed the rest of the distance to her house.
Upon opening the door, Fluttershy was shocked to see the very last thing she had expected to:
Rainbow was sitting on her couch.
Rainbow turned to her, flinched, and the two of them gazed at each other silently for a tensely long time. The silence was broken by Scootaloo, who walked out of her bedroom and smilingly said, "Oh, hey, Fluttershy! Rainbow's here to see you!"
"I... see that..." Fluttershy said, her face expressionless and her tone unreadable.
Rainbow swallowed, darted her eyes around, and nervously said, "Um... h-hey, Flutters... uh..."
There was some more tense silence. "I'll leave you two alone for a while," Scootaloo said, cheerfully skipping outside. "Later, guys!" she called as she closed the door.
There was some more silence, at which point Rainbow began sweating anxiously. "Uh..." she said, nervously shuffling her hooves.
"What do you want, Rainbow?" Fluttershy said, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Seeing that Fluttershy was angry, Rainbow gulped and said, "I... I..."
"Yes?" Fluttershy said, an icy tinge to her voice.
Rainbow took a deep breath, scrunched her eyes closed, and blurted, "I'm... I'm so, so sorry, Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy's eyes widened surprisedly. "What?" she said.
Rainbow began trembling. "I'm so sorry for everything I did, Flutters," she said as tears began welling in her eyes. "What I did was... unforgivable. I was scared, and I ran away, and I didn't even tell you why..."
Tears streaked down Rainbows cheeks, staining the carpet at her feet. "I shouldn't have done that. It was cowardly. It was despicable. I know you'll never forgive me, but... I'm still so, so sorry..."
Fluttershy stared in shock at Rainbow for a few moments, then she quietly said, "You... you were scared?"
Rainbow sobbed for a few moments, keeping her head down, before she whispered, "Yes..."
"Why were you scared?" Fluttershy said.
"Because... I was worried for your kid..." Rainbow said, wiping at her face with her fore hoof. "And... I didn't want to endanger it, or abuse it, or-"
"You... were worried for my foal?" Fluttershy interrupted her, her mouth slightly open with astonishment.
Rainbow nodded, looking up at her. "I told you I thought you should abort it..." she said. "And... and I'm a little attracted to Scootaloo. I was worried that if it was a filly, then I might abuse it..."
Rainbow turned her head down and began sobbing again. After a few moments, Fluttershy stepped towards Rainbow. Rainbow heard her approach and looked up at her just in time to see her stop before her and raise her hoof.
Fluttershy then swung her foreleg, slapping Rainbow hard across her cheek.
Rainbow gave a stunned gaze to Fluttershy, who was smirking at her. "You should have told me..." Fluttershy muttered. "We're supposed to be honest with each other, Dashie. You should have told me."
Fluttershy then draped her arms around Rainbow and embraced her, whispering as she gently wept, "You're such an idiot, Rainbow... Honestly, you can be as dense as a rock sometimes..."
After taking a long, wavering breath, Fluttershy pulled back and gazed into Rainbow's eyes. "I love you so much," she said.
Fluttershy kissed Rainbow. Rainbow flinched with shock for a moment, then slowly closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Fluttershy's waist and began to return the kiss.
The kiss was rather long and passionate, and when they pulled apart, Fluttershy gasped for breath for a few seconds before gently stroking Rainbow's bruised cheek and concernedly asking, "Are you hurt...?"
Rainbow laughed. "Nah," she said, shaking her head. "Geez, you're somethin' else, Flutters. Even though I deserved it, you're still asking if I'm alright."
Fluttershy closed her eyes and beamed. "Of course I'm worried about you. You're my girlfriend."
Rainbow beamed back, began weeping again, then pulled Fluttershy back down into another kiss.
Once they had finished making out, Fluttershy laid her head against Rainbow's chest as Rainbow ran her hoof through her mane. "So..." Rainbow said, "have you decided whether or not you're going to keep it?"
Fluttershy slowly nodded. "I think so," she said. "I think I'm going to keep it."
Rainbow nodded. "Alright..." she muttered.
Fluttershy gazed up at her. "Are you going to... stay with me?" she asked.
Rainbow gazed back at her, then looked away and sighed. "I don't know..." she said. "I mean, I want to, but I don't know if I could be a good parent to your kid..."
"I think you'd be a wonderful, mother, Rainbow," Fluttershy said, softly smiling. She closed her eyes and laid her cheek against Rainbow's chest, nuzzling against her as she added, "There's no one I'd rather raise my baby with than you."
Rainbow stroked her hair a bit more, then sighed. "Well, whatever happens..." she said. She then smiled as she finished, "Whatever happens, at least we have each other now."
"Mm-hmm."
"And... no matter what happens, I want to always be your friend."
"Me too," Fluttershy said, more joyful tears pouring from her eyes.
Rainbow still wasn't completely sure she wanted to do this. She'd thought about it for weeks, and she knew that she would have to decide what she would do soon, but there were still a few inhibitions that made her be hesitant about it.
Rainbow was sitting in a rattling train car, propping her head up against her hoof and gazing out of the window as the fields and trees between Ponyville and Canterlot rushed by. She took a deep breath. As many hours as she'd poured into deliberating over this, she still didn't know what she ultimately wanted.
Eventually, Rainbow decided to review the few things she did know. First of all, she had no doubt in her mind that she loved Fluttershy with all of her heart, and would love her until the day she died. Fluttershy had confessed to her that she was worried that Rainbow would no longer be attracted to her when she began to become visibly pregnant, but Rainbow had assured her that she had no reason to worry about that whatsoever.
On the contrary, Rainbow had discovered that she had only become more attracted to Fluttershy as her belly began to swell and grow. Rainbow never would have guessed so before then, but she was fairly certain that she had an intense pregnancy fetish that she'd never known about until now. Her physical craving for Fluttershy became more powerful than it had ever been before, which had caused her to anxiously hope with every fiber of her being that Fluttershy wouldn't lose her sex drive due to her hormonal changes.
To Rainbow's delight, however, Fluttershy revealed herself to be the sort of girl whose libido also grew more powerful as her pregnancy progressed. As a result, the two of them began having incredibly mutually enjoyable sex very often, which Rainbow made as much as she possibly could out of; after all, she knew that she'd probably never get to have such a gorgeous and eager pregnant lover ever again.
However, Rainbow was still hesitant to tell Fluttershy that she found her even more sexy and beautiful while she was carrying a foal, as anything having anything to do with her rape at Noir's hooves was still very touchy territory for her. Fluttershy would even occasionally panic and abruptly end their lovemaking sessions, as she still sometimes had flashbacks to that night. During these times she would usually break down in tears and Rainbow would hold and comfort her, though she was often agonizingly frustrated by that point; she wanted nothing more than to finish getting herself off during these times, but was compelled by her concience to put her own needs aside for her psychologically scarred lover.
Still: Fluttershy was still pregnant, and she was still going to have a foal that winter. The choice before Rainbow couldn't be put off any longer. Her options were clear: to stay with Fluttershy and help her rear her child, or to permanently break up with her and concede that privilege to somepony else. This simple choice was heavy with many other questions, such as: was Rainbow prepared to relinquish some of her freedom for the rest of her life? Was she prepared to publicly come out as a fillyfooler, and deal with any backlash she'd inevitably receive for it? Could she tell somepony the dark, dark truth; that they'd been conceived through truly despicable means, and that they could never know their father like other kids did? And most importantly, could she accomplish what her own father failed to do, and raise this child to be responsible and well-adjusted?
Rainbow took a deep, wavering breath. Fluttershy had told her to do what would make her happy, but Rainbow also felt burdened by responsibility. Would she be happy if she did this? Would it even matter if she did?
Rainbow looked down. Well, I know that I would've wanted my parents to be happy together, she thought to herself.
Rainbow took another deep breath. She looked out of the window, and saw that she'd reach Canterlot in less than thirty minutes. I can always come back and return it, she thought. I don't have to decide right now. My decision won't be final until I ask her...
When the train stopped at Canterlot Station, Rainbow stepped off and gazed around. It was a cloudy summer afternoon, and most of Canterlot's inhabitants were sipping iced tea outside of cafes on the street. Rainbow trotted down the roads, looking around for a shop that would sell her what she needed. She didn't have to look long; within a few minutes she reached the shopping district, which was built near the edge of the steep cliff Canterlot was situated upon. She soon found a corner store with fine jeweled necklaces, bracelets, and rings displayed in the windows, over which a sign bearing the words, Sapphire Aqua Jewelers hung.
This was it. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow pushed past its glass front door.
A bell rung over Rainbow's head, signaling her entrance. One of the shopkeepers, a male Unicorn with a white coat and green eyes who was standing behind the sales counter, turned to her and said, "Good afternoon, Miss!"
"Hey," Rainbow replied, smiling pleasantly.
"What can I do for you?" the Stallion asked, stepping closer to her.
Rainbow was still quite nervous, so she swallowed and gazed away from the shopkeeper for a moment before she said, "I, uh... I came to buy a necklace."
The shopkeeper nodded. "Alright. What kind?" he said.
Rainbow's eyes darted around. "Umm... an... an engagement necklace," she quietly replied.
The shopkeeper's eyes widened slightly. "Ah," he said with a small smile. "You plan on proposing to your Special Somepony, then?"
"Yeah," Rainbow said. Though she was still extremely anxious, she smiled. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me."
The salespony nodded. Rainbow was tremendously glad he wasn't being judgmental or rude, like the other Pegasi from Cloudsdale always were. Then again, this was Canterlot; they were one of the most progressive cities in Equestria, and fillyfoolers weren't something to bat an eye at here.
"So," the Stallion said, stepping out from behind the counter, "I assume you wish to be very careful about which necklace you give to her?"
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I want it to be perfect."
The Stallion smiled. "Very well; let's see if I can help you, then," he said.
The shopkeeper went to one of the necklace displays, saying, "Could you describe your girlfriend for me, please?"
Rainbow nodded. "Sure," she replied. "She's another Pegasus, and she's the most gorgeous Mare ever." Rainbow grinned. "She has a soft custard coat; a long, silky pink mane; and these big, sweet, cute light blue eyes..."
The salespony chuckled. "She's a lucky girl," he said. "I can see how completely you are in love with her."
Rainbow lightly chuckled, as well. "Yeah..." she muttered.
The Stallion levitated a few necklaces onto a cloth laid across the counter, then said, "What's she like? You'd like to get her a necklace that matches her personality, yes?"
Rainbow nodded. "Yep," she said. "She's so sweet and adorable. She's kinda quiet, but she's really cute, and she's kinder than any other pony I know."
The salespony nodded, smiling. "Alright..." he said. He telekinetically lifted up one of the necklaces, then showed it to Rainbow. "What do you think of this one, Miss?" he said.
Rainbow gasped. It was a rose gold necklace, with a delicate and elegant chain at its back that fastened it together. The front was woven together with several wires that made it resemble tree branches, completed with deep orange-gold leaves. The centerpiece was a large, cherry-red ruby cut into the shape of a heart.
Rainbow admired it for several moments. "It's beautiful," she whispered amazedly.
The salespony grinned. "How do you like it?" he said.
Rainbow broke into an excited smile. "It's perfect!" she cried. She looked up at him. "I'll take it!" she said.
Nodding, the salespony levitated it behind the counter, where he delicately laid it in a large white jewelry box. After wrapping it in some white paper and tying it together with a red ribbon, he rang up the cash register, saying, "It'll be twelve thousand, four hundred seventy bits."
Rainbow nodded, reached into her saddlebag, and pulled out a checkbook. She wrote a check for the price of the necklace down, then traded it to the salespony for the parcel. "Thanks!" Rainbow said as the parcel was telikenetically slipped into her saddlebag.
The salespony nodded. "Thanks for choosing Sapphire Aqua," he replied.
"See ya!" Rainbow cried as she waved and exited the shop.
Rainbow walked back to the train station, then reentered a passenger car. She had her two-way ticket punched for her return trip, then sat down at one of the booths and placed her saddlebag and the parcel at her side.
As she was riding back home, Rainbow stared at the white, paper-wrapped package at her side. She'd done it. She had bought an engagement necklace with which to propose to Fluttershy. Rainbow took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and rested her chin over her forelegs, which were folded over a table. "I'm gonna ask her to marry me..." she muttered.
What a bizarre idea. Rainbow Dash was going to ask Fluttershy to marry her. Until recently, Rainbow would never have dreamed that she would even consider the possibility of marrying somepony. She didn't worry too much about the future; as far as her relationship with Fluttershy went, she would have been perfectly content to just let it take them wherever it may.
Rainbow guessed that she had just assumed that she and Fluttershy would simply be girlfriends for the foreseeable future. Even that fact would have made her laugh a little over a year ago; Rainbow Dash, fillyfooler swinger extraordinaire, settling down in a monogamous romantic partnership? She would have laughed herself to tears over the mere suggestion.
But marriage? The idea was simply unthinkable. Rainbow had little interest in bedding older Mares, or in sticking with one partner for very long. Even though Fluttershy was by far the most beautiful girl she knew (aside from the Princesses), Rainbow Dash had to admit that a part of her missed the days when she could treat the world like a buffet of girls in which Fluttershy was her favorite dessert but she could always get a taste of some of the other proverbial "dishes", as well.
As a result, Rainbow was finally forced to confront a question that haunted her since she had first become Fluttershy's girlfriend: did she ultimately love Fluttershy more than the freedom she had always enjoyed before they had become girlfriends, or did she not?
Rainbow continued to gaze at the parcel that rested beside her. In that box, Rainbow could see a huge and intimidating future: a more quiet and unadventurous life in which she could forever bid her dream to someday become a Wonderbolt farewell. Rainbow would need to permanently move into Fluttershy's cottage and sell her lovely cloud-mansion so that she and Fluttershy could expand the cottage in order to make it more suitable for housing a family of four. Rainbow would have to resign herself to living as a weather-pony for the rest of her days, she could no longer be so reckless with her aerial stunts, and she would have to dedicate a massive amount of her life to taking the time to help Fluttershy raise her child, as well as personally parent it.
But above all: Rainbow would take an oath to grow old with Fluttershy. She would surrender what remained of your youth for the sake of her new family, and would never again partake in the many thrills and pleasures of youth that she had enjoyed until then.
But now, as Rainbow thought about it, she began to gradually realize: she wasn't going to be young forever. Even if she left Fluttershy now, she'd still only have a limited number of days to continue to indulge in the hedonistic lifestyle she'd enjoyed for most of her life. In the end, she would inevitably grow old, with or without a partner at her side. She might end up dying alone.
And so Rainbow realized: there was no one she'd rather grow old with than Fluttershy, and she would rather spend the rest of her youth in no other way than having Fluttershy, her child, and the rest of their friends at her side. Rainbow might have been giving up a life of adventure, but she now had the opportunity to begin another: to watch Fluttershy's child grow, and to show it and guide it through this enormous and frightening world. The idea was honestly quite exciting to Rainbow, especially since she had no doubt that she would come to know a foal who would grow to be a pony every bit as amazing as its mother.
It was also a little frightening, of course; Rainbow wanted desperately to give Fluttershy's child a happy home in which it was safe from all creatures and ponies that might wish it harm, and to not repeat the same mistakes her father had made while raising her. But Fluttershy seemed to trust her; she had even told her that there was no one she'd rather raise her baby with than her. Rainbow wasn't entirely sure why Fluttershy felt this way, or what she had done to earn such complete trust from her, but she was nonetheless quite deeply honored by it and took it as a sign that she would be a better parent and spouse than she thought.
As Rainbow was contemplating these things, the Friendship Express pulled into Ponyville's train station. "All off for Ponyville!" a conductor shouted as she strolled past Rainbow's booth.
Sighing, Rainbow stood, placed the parcel back in her saddle-bag, and made her way down the car and off of the train.
Rainbow then walked to Fluttershy's cottage, which she entered while calling out, "I'm home!" so that Fluttershy and Scootaloo would be alerted to her arrival.
"Dashie!" Fluttershy cried joyously from the parlor. She had been reading a book on her sofa; she immediately set it down, ran to the front hall, and caught Rainbow Dash in a tight embrace.
Once they'd shared a quick kiss, Fluttershy asked, "How was your trip, Dashie?"
"It went fine," Rainbow replied, smiling softly.
"What's that in your bag?" Fluttershy asked curiously, pointing her hoof at the parcel in Rainbow's saddlebag.
"It's just something I had to pick up for an errand while I was at Canterlot," Rainbow replied casually. "It's for something I've been needing to fix for a while."
Fluttershy nodded. "Alright," she said.
Rainbow shrugged the saddlebag off and set it to her side as she said, "I'll take it home later. In the meantime, shall I cook us dinner?"
Fluttershy smiled. "That would be lovely, Dashie," she said, gently nuzzling Rainbow's cheek. She then walked back to the sofa and returned to her reading.
Rainbow gazed at Fluttershy for a few moments. Her rounded belly was quite prominent now, but Rainbow found her every bit as lovely as she ever was. As she watched Fluttershy quietly read, she decided: she had made the correct decision. Rainbow would not regret the sacrifices she was about to make; it was easy to realize as she gazed at her Special Somepony that it would unquestionably be worth it.
Rainbow prepared some simple pasta, then had a nice, quiet meal with Scootaloo and Fluttershy. Scootaloo then took a bath, after which Rainbow and Fluttershy took one together (and Scootaloo could hear suppressed squeals and cries of pleasure while they did this, which didn't bother her even remotely). Once they'd dried off, Fluttershy and Rainbow put Scootaloo to bed before retiring to Fluttershy's bedroom.
After they had crawled beneath the bed's covers, Rainbow draped her forelegs around Fluttershy's waist before gently whispering, "Flutters?"
"Hmm?" Fluttershy replied sleepily.
"Do ya know what I think?" Rainbow continued. "I think we should take the weekend off and go to the beach."
Fluttershy grinned, though her eyes remained closed. "Oh, yes," she whispered. "That sounds lovely, Dashie."
"So, you wanna do it?" Rainbow said hopefully.
Fluttershy nodded. "Mm-hmm," she replied. "Let's start getting ready to go tomorrow..."
Beaming, Rainbow gave her girlfriend a gentle kiss before allowing herself to drift into slumber.
* * *
Since the weekend was only two days away, Rainbow and Fluttershy immediately began preparing for their trip. They'd arranged for Scootaloo to stay with Sweetie Belle and her family while they were away, made notices that they'd be taking a few vacation days, and began packing. One of the benefits of going on a vacation, Rainbow thought, was that she'd be able to hide the necklace among her other belongings in her luggage. She wanted to make her proposal a surprise, so as to make it as romantic as she possibly could.
But Rainbow had to admit, she only got more nervous the closer she came to popping the big question to Fluttershy. No matter how many times she reminded herself that Fluttershy loved her, too, the idea never became less intimidating. Rainbow began to wish that the vacation would just get over with already so that all of the tension of her anxious anticipation could be broken.
However, whenever this happened, Rainbow reminded herself: she'd be getting to spend two days on a romantic getaway alone with Fluttershy, and even if Fluttershy refused her, their last days together would at least be beautiful memories.
The idea of their relationship ending over this trip brought a great deal of pain to Rainbow, however. She found herself wanting to cry several times in the hours until her vacation with Fluttershy began, but she swallowed her grief down each time; everything depended on her remaining cool and composed through this.
When Saturday finally arrived, Rainbow and Fluttershy were accompanied to the train station by their friends, who cheerfully saw them off. While they were riding the Friendship Express to Coco Beach (which was a popular resort destination on the eastern coast of Equestria), Fluttershy slept on Rainbow's shoulder while Rainbow read one of the volumes of Daring Do, her foreleg draped around Fluttershy all the while.
When the train arrived at Coco City, Rainbow and Fluttershy stepped off and began making their way down the palm tree-lined roads bustling with other ponies walking between enormous, magnificent shopping malls and exotic, ludicrously overpriced restaurants. Within about fifteen minutes they arrived at the beach house they'd rented for the weekend.
This beach house was a small, lovely, wooden abode with a wide front porch bearing a woven rope hammock that was large enough to accompany two occupants. Inside, they found a well-maintained and stocked pantry, a small brick fireplace, and a small bedroom with a soft, luxurious round king-sized bed.
Once they'd put their belongings away, Rainbow and Fluttershy immediately bathed and took to the bed to celebrate their arrival there together.
Over the next few days, Rainbow and Fluttershy swam, sat in the hammock, fed fruits to each other, and made love. Rainbow's anxiety was largely eased, and she was able to relax and enjoy what proved to be the most romantic moments she'd ever shared with Fluttershy until then.
However, on the last night they were there together, Rainbow knew it was time. At nightfall, she walked with Fluttershy to the shores of the beach, where she and Fluttershy sat and began watching the sunset together.
As they sky gradually pinked and beamed with oranges and violets with the sun sinking beyond the distant horizon, Fluttershy leaned against Rainbow's shoulder, joyful tears willing in her eyes, as she whispered, "It's so beautiful. Thank you so much, Dashie."
Rainbow smiled and draped her foreleg around Fluttershy, replying, "Any time, Flutters."
Fluttershy snuggled against Rainbow, and made a deep sigh of contentment.
After steeling her resolve for a few moments, Rainbow swallowed and looked down at her saddlebag, which she'd brought here with the pretense of needing sunscreen.
After staring at the bag for a few moments, Rainbow slowly released Fluttershy, nervously smiled and said, "H-hey, Flutters, there's something I wanna give you."
Fluttershy blinked surprisedly at Rainbow. "Really? What is it, Dashie?" she said.
Rainbow chuckled. "I can't tell you; it's a surprise," she said, winking.
Fluttershy blinked again, then softly smiled. "Alright, then. Are you going to give it to me, then, Dashie?"
"Y-yeah..." Rainbow said, closing her eyes as her nervous grin broadened. Feeling her face begin to flush, Rainbow reached her head into her saddlebag and gripped the white parcel she'd brought between her teeth. After a moment of hesitation, she drew it out, turned around, and placed it on the ground before Fluttershy.
Rainbow gazed at Fluttershy as Fluttershy gazed uncertainly at the white parcel for a moment. "Can... can I open it?" Fluttershy said softly.
Trembling a little, Rainbow swallowed, steeled her resolve, and replied, "Y-yeah. Go ahead, Flutters."
Fluttershy nodded, then grabbed the ribbon between her teeth and pulled at it, untying it.
Fluttershy then carefully peeled the paper wrapping away, revealing the box underneath. Taking a breath, she brought her fore hooves to the sides and lifted the lid off. She gasped in astonishment upon seeing the necklace that rested inside.
"Fluttershy..." Rainbow said, causing Fluttershy to look back at her. Rainbow, whose face was burning, looked away fearfully as she said, "Um... I've been thinking a lot, Flutters... and, uh... I've realized that..." Here she swallowed. "That... I lo-I love you more than anything. And, um... after everything that's happened, I... I... I realized that I wanna b-be with you... for... forever."
Fluttershy's eyes widened enormously and her mouth opened slightly as she realized what Rainbow was saying.
Looking Fluttershy directly in the eyes, Rainbow said, "F-Fluttershy, I want... I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will... will you m-marry me?"
Fluttershy was utterly stunned as she stared back at Rainbow for a few moments. "R-really...?" she whispered.
Rainbow nodded. "Yeah. Really, Flutters."
"And..." Fluttershy said, blushing as she looked away and stroked her belly, "and it's not just because... because of..."
Rainbow shook her head. "No, Flutters," she said, grinning. "If anything, all your foal did was force me to search myself and figure out what it is I really want. Truth be told, I'm still a little scared to help you raise it, but..." Rainbow took a deep breath, then beamed as she concluded, "but if you trust me, Flutters, I think I can trust myself, too. So... will you?"
After a moment of stunned silence, Fluttershy broke into an enormous smile and gasped elatedly as tears of pure joy streamed from her eyes. She tackled Rainbow in a powerful embrace that knocked Rainbow to the ground as she locked lips with her. After a moment of motionlessness, Rainbow closed her eyes and wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy as she kissed her back.
They kissed very deeply and passionately for a few moments as Fluttershy's tears dampened the fur on Rainbow's cheeks, then Fluttershy pulled back, quiveringly sobbed as she softly smiled down at Rainbow, and made a small nod. "Y-yes, Dashie," she whispered. "Yes. Yes. A thousand, a hundred thousand times, yes."
Rainbow beamed as tears began to pour from her own eyes. "I'm so happy, Flutters," she whispered as Fluttershy leaned down to kiss her again.
