The Main 7 are split into 3 teams - each team must take proper care of a simulated baby doll for their Home Ec. Class. Will these makeshift families succeed?
The Main 7 have and will always be the best of friends - nothing could ever separate the bonds they have with each other.
But the ultimate test is placed upon their relationships - the dreaded Home Economics "Parenting Project"
The girls find themselves split into teams of 2 (with one group of 3) as they must successfully take care of a "fake" baby doll - with the need to be fed, changed, burped - and oh did I mention cry? These babies need to have been properly taken care of, lest they receive a failing grade.
Of course, perhaps there's more to this assignment than meets the eye...
How will these groups of girls deal with the concept of being parental figures?
What discoveries will these new families make about each other along the way?
Will pre-established and new-found bonds be formed or shattered? Regardless, these teenagers are going to learn the ups and downs of parenthood, one way or another.
Home Economics Class. The bane of most students' existence at Canterlot High. Sure the class in of itself was very practical- many of them were sure they would use the skills they learned one day - but still, who wanted to spend 45 minutes every day - in addition to homework - learning things like cooking, cleaning, and managing a budget?
There was a sort of solace though - at least for 7 teenage girls silently dreading (well, most of them anyway; Pinkie and Fluttershy seemed to enjoy it to some degree) the class they were currently enduring. At least they were all together for this exact period every day.
Of course, blessings had the power to morph into curses at any moment.
The teacher for this class, Mr. Frenette, seemed to be oddly excited today, making the majority of the class gulp in fear. The last time he was this excited was the time he made the class all write stories; this wouldn't be so bad if Applejack's so called "Fanfictions" hadn't been bad enough to make several students cry, yet he seemed to ignore the painful responses of the farmer's short tale as he allowed her to write a second one.
Needless to say, Applejack was the black sheep of the class for a week. Let it be a lesson to never allow her to write again. She still felt a blush on her cheeks whenever someone mentioned Fanfictions around her.
"Alright class," Mr. Frenette finally proclaimed, "I've got some exciting news for you!"
"Ooo!" Pinkie happily chirped in equal excitement, "Is it another 'Spike Journey', perhaps a 'Chronicle'?" she pointed to the dog currently napping in Twilight's backpack (She always pictured him as a dragon for some reason though).
"No, but good thought Pinkie." he warmly dismissed, causing the girl to beam right back.
"I'm going to be giving you a special assignment!" he clapped, earning several nervous glances.
Fluttershy however didn't seem bothered by this. Besides maybe Pinkie, she was probably Mr. Frenette's biggest fan.
"What kind of assignment?" she happily questioned.
"You're all going to be parents!" the man excitedly announced, reaching behind his desk to reveal several baby dolls, each wrapped in a thick cozy blanket and coddled in a tiny little cradle.
Most of the class groaned, not too keen on having to take care of some toy.
"This... doesn't seem too bad..." Sunset airily cautioned, eyeing the toys in confusion.
"And the best part - I'm going to assign you into teams! Each team has to take care of their baby together and bring the resulting doll back tomorrow. If the toy is not brought back in the same, healthy condition you see now, then you fail the assignment."
Rainbow delivered an ice cold glare at Sunset, making her gulp nervously.
"At least it can't get any worse..." the cyan-coated girl muttered.
"Each baby is programmed to require 'makeshift' eating, sleeping, and changing. Do these things right, and your baby will be happy. Failure to do these things though will make your baby cry; I can keep track of how much each baby cries using this monitor here." he pointed to the program on his computer.
Now it was Sunset's turn to glare at Rainbow, making the girl wince at the revenge treatment.
"Alright! As for the teams we have..."
Mr. Frenette proceeded to go around the room, delivering the dolls to the rather miserable teenagers and their partners before he only had 3 babies left.
"...Pinkie and Fluttershy."
"Yes!" Pinkie excitedly cheered at being handed the baby, causing the timid girl next to her to blush.
"Isn't this great - first we're dating and now we have a baby together!" Pinkie squealed, only making Fluttershy's reddening face worse.
"Ummm... yes... she's lovely..." Fluttershy stammered, slowly developing a warm smile at the little toy wrapped in a pink blanket.
"...Sunset and Twilight."
"WHAT?!" both girls exclaimed, Sunset's shocked form being handed the baby.
At the loud exclamation, Spike awoke from inside Twilight's bag with a few yawns.
"What's happening?" he grumbled, catching the attention of the passing teacher.
"Not much. Sunset and Twilight have a kid now."
"Aw. I figured that would happen years from now." the dog nonchalantly stated, only making the two startled teens' conditions worse.
"SPIKE!" Twilight yelped, pushing the dog back into the back with a pink blush on her cheeks while Sunset's whole face silently became as bright red as a tomato.
"...and lastly, I have an odd number of students and an even number of babies so, eh... Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash." he quickly shrugged, before casually tossing the baby on the desk, eliciting a cry from the toy already.
Rarity and Applejack wordlessly acknowledged each other, while Rainbow awkwardly glanced between the two of them.
As each of the pairings processed the project pushed in front of them, the school bell interrupted the thoughts in the room with a loud ring - indicating it was the end of the class period.
"Alright, everyone. See you tomorrow. Good luck!" Mr. Frenette called out, most of the students sighing and grumbling in response.
"Have a good day, Mr. Frenette!" Pinkie and Fluttershy happily cheered, exiting the room with their friends.
"And that's why those two are my favorites." he happily sighed from the chair at his desk, beginning to type out a plan for his next class.
Outside of the school, the gang of girls sat around at their normal afternoon spot at the base of the building - directly across from a familiar statue said to possess a kind of magic portal.
"So..." Applejack awkwardly stumbled, "This is a thing."
"Oh, darling. It's no big deal. All we have to do is care for the doll for one night and we're done." Rarity assured, placing a delicate hand on the farmer's back, much to her not so secret enjoyment.
"Yeah. And with me around, our baby will be the best around." Rainbow triumphed in between the pair before she caught second wind of what she just said. "Wait..."
"But what if something goes wrong? What if we are bad parents, what if we..." Twilight began hyperventilating before an orange hand cupped her chin with a small smirk.
"Twilight, it's ok. We're going to be fine - as long as we work together." Sunset promised, though she soon backed her hand away from her friend's face as both girls found themselves blushing again, much to the amusement of everyone else.
"Now I know why Frenette put you two together." Spike snickered, receiving a small glare from the annoyed lavender girl.
"It's not like that, Spike! We're just...friends..." she stammered.
"Yeah... just...friends." Sunset agreed, although her face seemed to twist in a subtle frown not noticed by anyone except for Spike.
"Uh-huh." the dog's eyebrow rose in a deadpan expression. "I suppose he put Pinkie and Fluttershy together when they're already a couple..."
"A perfect couple by the way!" Pinkie exclaimed, rocking the baby back and forth.
"Yeah...perfect...." Fluttershy seemed to quietly smile, though if anyone paid real close attention, they could see her smile tremble.
Though no one seemed to notice as Spike continued.
"...put Rarity and Applejack as a pair as they seem to grow more attached to each other, and put you two together when you each blush at the mention a relationship - all as a mere coincidence."
"That's right! Coincidence! Just random probabilities!" Twilight all too quickly assured, much to Sunset's chagrin.
"Wait, what about me?!" quipped an annoyed Rainbow Dash, realizing she was forgotten in the equation.
"Meh. Either like he said there was an odd number of students, or maybe he sees you three as one big couple." Spike smiled, though Rainbow seemed to disagree.
"... nuh-uh. That'd be... that'd be weird." Rainbow awkwardly chuckled, while Rarity and Applejack looked to her with puzzled looks.
"Well guys, as much funny fun fun as we are having, I have to get going and feed Pinkieshy here some cupcakes." Pinkie dismissed, beginning to pack up her things, including the baby that she kept cradled in her arms.
Fluttershy however grew a mixed expression.
"Um... Pinkie? Babies don't eat cupcakes... and besides... it can't actually eat."
Unfortunately for her, Pinkie seemed not to notice as she mindlessly cooed and cradled the baby, leaving Fluttershy secretly feeling annoyed.
"Woah, woah, wait!" Sunset interrupted, catching up to the energetic girl's quote, "Pinkieshy?"
Pinkie only rapidly nodded her head as if Sunset's question was the silliest thing she ever heard.
"Of course! Our babies, silly! This here is Pinkieshy, that one is Sunlight, and over there we have...uh... Rainityjack." Pinkie stumbled a bit at the last baby.
"I do like the name Pinkieshy..." Fluttershy commented with a blush.
"Pinkie! Don't name our child that! It sounds like we're a couple!" Twilight nervously scolded.
"Yeah, wouldn't want that." Sunset grumbled. Spike seemed to notice the her disposition though as he rubbed his head against the girl's leg, the red-head appreciating the gesture as she scratched him behind the ears with a smile.
Rainbow blushed at the name of their baby, before she hastily shrugged it off with a bold demeanor.
"Y-Yeah! We need our baby's name to be something cool, like... Twispike?"
At that name, all three babies began crying spontaneously, the six other girls and dog giving her glares.
"Ok, ok! How about Spikelestia?"
Two of the babies continued crying as Sunlight proceeded to simulate hurling noises, indicating the baby 'vomited'.
"Rainbow! What the hell?!" Sunset narrowed, cradling the baby as best she could.
"UGH! Fine! Rainityjack it is." Rainbow crossed her arms in a slight pout, though her darting eyes told a different story.
The three babies instantly stopped crying, giving off a cute round of giggles instead, seemingly satisfied with the final solution.
"Alright everyone, best of luck on your assignments! We'll see each other tomorrow morning." Twilight stated after all the babies had calmed down, each of the teams giving off their round of goodbyes as they all proceeded to head in different directions.
Despite the goal for the dolls to be properly 'cared' for, each baby was going to find out how well their 'mommies' would work together, as three distinct groups of parents began their own chapters into the lives of nurturing. But could there be something more to each set of parents? Something more than meets the eye?
For better or for worse, each baby would soon discover events more promising than a simple "project".
Meanwhile, back in the classroom, Mr. Frenette - frantically typing on his laptop - paused to view the room of empty chairs once filled with students in front of him. In particular however, he noticed 7 chairs that had been taken by an intriguing group of girls.
"I have a feeling they'll learn more than simple baby-caring." he happily sighed, continuing to type once more.
Truth be told, Rainbow really didn't mind this project as much as she made her grumbling sound earlier. The chance at getting together with one of her friends and showing them how awesome of a parent she could be sounded thrilling to her. She could prove to everyone that she was "totally radical" at another thing all while hanging out with her best friends - it sounded as good an idea as any other.
Unfortunately for her, the close-knit bond Rarity and Applejack were currently sharing challenged things quite a bit, the bitter tomboy trailing behind the more affectionate pair as they carried the baby all the way back to Applejack's farm.
"Normally I'd suggest my place, but there are a bunch of sewing objects lying around and I wouldn't want the poor thing to get hurt. Besides, with more space and people at the farm, someone can always be looking after the baby." Rarity explained, tickling the baby with her finger as it gave a soft coo.
Despite her earlier skepticisms, Rarity found herself growing attached to the toy as the three began their trek back to the farm. The more it giggled and cooed, the closer the fashionista felt with it - almost as if its actions started sounding more like an actual baby. As she gazed into the figure's painted eyes, she started to imagine the baby take on a familiar form... a form she secretly missed somewhat.
"No problem Rares. We've got plenty of room for the night. Ya ok spending the night with us, Dash?" Applejack called back to her sulking friend.
Rainbow took a moment to snap out of her trance, realizing she was the one being addressed. "Uh... yeah, of course." she gave her best smile and a reassuring thumbs up before Applejack turned back around to focus on the bundle of joy in Rarity's arms. The rainbow-haired girl was left alone again.
"Heh, ya know it's funny." Applejack marveled at the tiny form, "The more I look at it, the more it reminds me of when Apple Bloom was just an infant."
Rarity gave a bright smile, turning to her friend.
"I know exactly what you mean. I just started thinking about Sweetie Belle when I would watch her as a toddler. She was just the cutest little thing."
Rarity gave a bittersweet sigh, looking at the road ahead.
"I sort of miss those days sometimes. I mean, Sweetie's growing up and it feels like she just won't stop."
Applejack gave a hearty chuckle, patting the girl on her back.
"I know the feeling. I look at Apple Bloom and I still see this baby face, but she ain't a baby anymore. I used to be her big sister and caretaker, but now it feels like she's moving on."
Rainbow mentally grimaced. "Moving on?!"
Rarity agreed.
"But they're just pre-teens now, they still have a lot of growing to do, while we..."
"...get left in the dust." they both replied in unison, stopping in stunned silence before they found themselves lost in each other's eyes, both ladies smiling as they felt light blushes on their faces.
"...left in the dust?" Rainbow's mind replayed, her eyes wincing at the obviously closer pair in front of her.
She watched the scene in front of her with slight worry, fearing that they forgot she was there.
"Ummm... I feel the same way... about Scootaloo I mean!" she quickly announced her presence, forcing her two friends to turn back towards her in puzzlement.
Rarity was the first to object, a sympathetic brow craned in slightly bewilderment.
"Darling, while that is a sweet sentiment I'm sure, Scootaloo's not really your sister..." Rainbow felt her head pathetically cast downwards, "...not that there's anything wrong with being an adopted sisterly figure, that's great in fact!" she quickly iterated, "It's just..."
Applejack decided to take the initiative to finish.
"Well, ya haven't really had to take care of Scoots like we have with our sisters."
But all Rainbow heard replaying in her head was a phrase that rocked her soul.
"...like we have."
Rainbow dejectedly rubbed her shoulder with a hand, looking away from the pair.
"Right. I-I guess that's true."
The two regarded their normally boisterous and confident friend's change in demeanor with concern.
"Darling, are..."
But before Rarity could finish, Rainityjack, bundled up in her arms, started crying.
"Goodness! I bet that means she's hungry!"
"Let's get back to the farm. Dinner'll be coming around shortly ah'm sure." Applejack announced, the two heading in a more fast-paced walk to the acres.
"Ya coming Sugarcube?!" she hollered, glancing back at Rainbow in the distance.
"Yeah. Coming." Rainbow sighed, still taking her time to catch up to the others.
True to her words, once the trio and baby arrived at the farm, supper time arrived shortly after. Rainbow's attitude perked right up at the sound of food. Admittedly, she was starving from her long day at school (containing a period of PE where she wiped the floor with the other kids in soccer, like she always did); plus she knew that Granny Smith's cooking was some of the best culinary experiences she ever witnessed, eager to partake in a meal stuffed with quality masterpieces and a guarantee of a few heavenly desserts to boot.
Rainbow quickly took to a seat at the table once dinner was called, anxiously waiting to fill her stomach full of food until she heard the footsteps of the others approaching.
"Ah still can't believe you have to pretend to feed that thing." Apple Bloom replied incredulously, gawking at the two older females as she took a place next to her older sister.
"It ain't so bad ah guess," Applejack sheepishly stumbled, "Besides, it reminds me of when ah'd cradle you when you were a baby." she smiled, taking joy in the memories (and perhaps enjoying embarrassing her little sister just a tiny bit).
As Granny arrived to place generous helpings of turkey, potatoes, and yams on the table, Apple Bloom began hurriedly filling up her plate, a tint of pink displaying on her cheeks.
"Sis, not in front of company." she pouted, earning a chuckle from Big Mac, watching his two younger siblings playfully go back and forth.
"Not my fault ya'll were the cutest lil' thing." Applejack defended, only making Apple Bloom groan.
Rainbow began filling up her plate too, watching the scene with a feeling of awkwardness, though as she looked over at the purple-haired girl, intently watching the conversation, that awkward feeling doubled. Rarity wasn't technically part of this family either, so why did she feel much more comfortable than she herself did?
Then Rainbow noticed Rarity absentmindedly clasping Applejack's hand into her own.
"Oh. That's why."
And suddenly Rainbow was slowly starting to lose her appetite.
"Besides Apple Bloom, you may have to do this assignment one day yourself. Who knows - you may even get partnered up with Sweetie Belle." Rarity teased, making the younger girl's face blush even more.
"Stop it..." Apple Bloom's bright red face mumbled, earning a chorus of laughter around the table.
Seeing how close the two sitting next to each other were and even alluding to the possibility of their younger sisters made Rainbow's mind suddenly dissolve into a tizzy. She could only watch the round of laughs around the dining room with sudden nausea, a gulp slowly crawling her way out of her throat.
"What about Scootaloo?!" Rainbow quickly exclaimed, abruptly ceasing any merriment in the room. The cyan girl herself almost didn't realize she had said anything until all eyes made their way towards her, prompting her to retrace her steps.
"I mean... what if Apple Bloom got partnered with Scootaloo? Heck, maybe Sweetie Belle gets to be Scootaloo's partner, we don't know." she cautiously explained, focusing on her plate as she casually poked at the yams with her fork.
Rarity and Applejack exchanged nervous glances, looking back at Rainbow with eyebrows raised.
"Darling, we were just making a joke. Who knows if Apple Bloom even does Home Economics when she's our age?"
"Y-Yeah, I know but I'm just saying don't count out certain possibilities if it happens. Maybe all three of them get to be together, who knows?" Rainbow awkwardly blushed, not daring to look up and meet the others' faces.
Applejack felt her head tilt ever so slightly, trying to find some form of a crack within their company's demeanor.
"Sugarcube, why are ya suddenly so worried about what happens with Scootaloo and this project?"
Rainbow looked up at her plate, eyes darting around before they settled on her friend.
"Maybe because I don't want her to feel left out."
Now Rarity was trying to pick at straws.
"Left out how? You've been acting quite strange today Rainbow Dash."
Rainbow felt a light tinge warm up her cheeks as she hurriedly refocused on her plate, even if she didn't feel like eating anymore.
"N-no I'm not. Everything's fine."
Applejack's brow narrowed ever so slightly.
"Rainbow, we all know as well as ya'll do that that's a dang lie! Ever since we've got paired up for this project, you've been actin' funnier than Pinkie on Taco Tuesday. What's going on?"
Now anyone who knew Rainbow could tell you that when she was placed on the spot in tense situations, she instantly defaulted to her escape emotion of choice - anger.
If only everyone currently seated at the table remembered that at this very moment.
Rainbow found herself slowly standing up from her chair, her lightly shaking form pointing a finger in the direction of the farmer and the fashionista.
"I-I'm not the one who's acting weird! You two are!"
Rarity gave a light gasp, putting a hand over her chest as if struck and slightly offended.
"Us?! Whatever did we do?!"
"Oh, don't even pretend like you don't know!" Rainbow snarled with a roll of her eyes.
Now it was Applejack's turn to get up, quietly handing Rainityjack to Rarity. Though she was less hot-headed than Dash, she could get easily flustered when she wanted too.
"Now wait just a moment! Don't try to point the finger at us without telling us what's going on! All we've been doing is spending time together taking care of the baby!"
"Exactly! That's the problem!"
Now Applejack was stumped, but she wasn't backing down either.
"What kind of problem are ya having Dash, because no one else seems to be having this problem except for you!"
Rainbow felt her shell crack for a split second, shaky palms clenching into fists as she re-glared at her accusatory friend.
"Gee, you're right about that! Everyone gets to feel 'super special' except for me!"
Rarity felt her sympathies grow even more, wondering what was hurting her friend so much.
"Rainbow, what are you talking about?" she asked, genuine concern on her face.
Rainbow couldn't take it anymore, feeling bitter tears sting her cheeks. The rest of the family was either engaged in the argument or silently viewing from their seats.
"I'm talking about you two laughing together, holding hands, the way you look at each other, you're practically a couple!"
Granny and Big Mac gasped in surprise, however, Apple Bloom merely shrugged, having paid close enough attention to her sister to know how she really felt.
Applejack paused before her glare reignited.
"Well, we haven't exactly been public with this yet, but what if we were?!"
"Oh please." Rainbow gruffed, rolling her eyes again. "You two have been as subtle as Twilight's love for nerd stuff."
Despite the poor quip, it seemed to hit home, causing Applejack and Rarity to sheepishly retreat for a split second. Meanwhile, Granny and Big Mac both felt embarrassed, having never realized the so-called "obvious" romantic endeavors of their granddaughter and sister. Apple Bloom only silently nodded her head, agreeing with Rainbow.
"And what about me?!" Rainbow countered, tears continuing to fall.
"What about you?!" Applejack retorted, not too fond of these mind games.
"WHAT IF I LOVED YOU BOTH?!" Rainbow roared, fist pounding on the table.
Silence met the room for several moments, until the sound of a baby's crying took control of the room.
Snapping out of her enraged state, Rainbow anxiously glanced around the room to see everyone simply gawking at her, their mouths hung open in the process. The worst (in her opinion) though was Applejack and Rarity; the farmer simply standing motionless as her eyes widened - while Rarity's eyes began quivering ever so slightly, her mouth gasping several times to speak, yet remaining silent.
Rainbow suddenly felt sick to her stomach, realizing she couldn't take those words back. There was no hiding anymore.
"I-I need some air. Excuse me." she quickly bolted from the dining room, opening the back door to the fields as she left everyone in a state of shock.
Applejack and Rarity finally acknowledged each other, quietly muttering the same thing.
"You feel the same way?"
Their eyes lit up in sudden realization, their in sync responses catching both girls off guard.
Realizing they both indeed had similar thoughts, Rarity politely asked if the three at the table could watch the doll for a few moments; having agreed, the two older girls jogged outside after their friend, hoping she wasn't too far.
Thankfully for the two girls who didn't have super speed abilities, they found the third sitting ever so precariously on a wooden fence, watching distantly over the horizon of the fading sun.
With slight reassuring smiles, the two nodded in silent unison before making their way over to the tomboy.
"Dash? We know something was up earlier. We're sorry we forgot about picking back up on that until just now." Applejack apologized.
"We've actually noticed your behavior ever since class earlier. We should've been there for you a lot sooner." Rarity was quick to add on to the apology.
Dash simply sighed, not taking her focus off the trees in the distance.
"It's not your fault. Dumb old Dash here felt left out but kept trying to play it cool... just like she always does."
Both ladies' eyes softened at the self-chastising the usually confident soul was delivering to herself.
"Sugarcube, you are not dumb! Ya could've communicated better, but we know how tricky it is for ya sometimes." Applejack stated, before she paused, finding the right way to phrase the million dollar question. "Ya'll really have feelings for the both of us?"
Rainbow pathetically nodded.
"Yeah. I guess I have for a while, but I know how competitive AJ and I are when we're together and I know how different Rarity and I are - what with her fashion and me with sports and stuff..."
Rarity and Applejack each felt a sharp sting of pity for their normally brash friend. They never realized this was hiding.
"...I guess I never thought I stood a chance with either one of you. But then, you two started hanging out a lot more together and I kept hearing rumors at school about you two having crushes on each other, and I... I felt jealous."
"...but then we get paired up for this project, but I kept trying to hide the truth. I... I'm sorry. I'm happy for you two, I really am!" she genuinely smiled earning slight cheerful looks right back.
"...but I guess I was left in the dust." having remembered the line uttered earlier.
Applejack propped herself up on the fence right next to Rainbow.
"Sugarcube, ya shouldn't have to hide anything from us."
Rarity took considerably more effort to hoist herself up, but she eventually took the other side of Rainbow.
"Agreed. We can work anything out between us. That's why we're all so close with one another."
Rainbow felt a smile building up, before it turned into a skeptical frown.
"You mean you two aren't weirded out or anything?"
The white-skinned girl offered a roll of her eyes.
"Darling, after all the fantastical and magical adventures we've been on, you seriously think this is the thing to turn us off?"
Rainbow couldn't help but give a large snort.
"Ok. Fair point."
The farmer placed a hand on top of the girl's shoulder, laying herself back ever so slightly.
"Besides, Rarity and I kind of both realized maybe we have a thing for ya too."
The rainbow-haired girl's eyes widened in shock.
"Really?! B-but you just said you two..."
Rarity offered a courteous giggle.
"Rainbow, have you ever heard of polyamorous relationships?"
The girl only scratched her head in confusion.
"Is that some kind of band?"
Applejack shook her head playfully in exasperation.
"Ya big goof! It means more than one partner in a relationship."
Now Rainbow's eyes sparked in realization.
"Wait... but... I..."
Rarity decided to step up to the plate, seeing that Rainbow's vocal cords were temporarily on the fritz.
"Being in a poly relationship means we have to respect each other and give equal love and attention to each partner. It takes patience and hard work to maintain this sort of relationship, but seeing as we both have feelings for you in return, we'd be more than willing to give things a chance if you are."
Rainbow felt her brain ready to explode any moment. This was like a dream come true - like a full-on sports scholarship to a prestigious college - dream.
Finally, she found her voice.
"This sappy moment never leaves us, but you two are worth it."
Before either other girl could ask what that meant, they found themselves cradled in a tight group hug, warm smiles soon appearing on all their faces.
"We love ya too ya dork." Applejack teasingly stated.
Rainbow brushed her off, though she couldn't hide the pink on her cheeks.
"Yeah yeah, I know. But seriously, if you two are willing to try things with me, I'd be happy to do the same."
"Then perhaps we're not so different after all." a coy Rarity stated, lightly pecking a burning cyan cheek.
"Let me try that." the farmer replied, pecking the other cheek.
"Alright, alright! Enough 'tasting the rainbow' for one evening! We've got a baby to take care of!" Rainbow bounced off the fence and back onto the plains below in triumph, before turning back around to view the other two sheepishly.
"...that is... if I can help out too?"
Rarity smiled, jumping down from the fence as well.
"Of course! Rainityjack needs attention too! You can change her diapers!"
"...nah, that sounds more like a 'Rarity' thing." Rainbow coolly replied before taking off in a lightning fast sprint towards the house.
"Agreed." Applejack quickly stated, jumping down from her perch, running back in the direction of the home as well - albeit nowhere near as fast as Rainbow.
"Wh-what?" Rarity sputtered, before realizing she had been had. While she was nowhere near as fast and "in-shape" as the athlete or the country farmer, she wouldn't allow them to make a fool out of her that easily.
"Get back here you two!" she hollered as she ran, the two girls ahead of her laughing in the distance.
While the group of three seemed to be destined for rough patches when they were first assigned the project, somehow the three teenagers knew they would get through the assignment - and any events that followed - together.
To say Fluttershy was giddy about getting the chance to do this project with Pinkie was a huge understatement.
The two girls have practically been a well-developed couple for the past year or so, being deeply in love with each other. They had gone to movie dates, restaurants, hiking trips, beaches, practically everywhere together. In the quiet girl's opinion, this was the best year of her life. Pinkie always knew how to make her smile, cheer her up when she was upset, how to get her to have fun; her infectious, bubbly demeanor was a shining beacon for her on many cloudy, anxious filled days - a source of happiness in a sometimes dark world. Fluttershy wasn't sure what the future for the pair was, but she secretly hoped they could be together forever.
Which is why she was so ecstatic about the prospect of taking care of this inanimate child - it was pretty much the chance to explore the two's skills as parents, and more importantly as a family. Not only would she get the chance to spend time with her love, but they could prove to everyone that they could work well past the typical "high school relationship".
As Fluttershy smiled down at the cradled toy in Pinkie's arms, she felt a tingly sensation inside of her. What if they got married one day? What if they had a child of their own? Created a fun-little family with a bunch of furry friends and a child or two? Warmth spread across her cheeks as she envisioned their lovely future together - if they could work well together as "parents" for this doll, then her fantasies could become realities one day. A future where she and Pinkie were together - it couldn't get better than that.
"And then we can teach you how to ride a bike, and go ice-skating, and bake cookies..." Pinkie trailed off to the little bundle of joy in her arms, snapping Fluttershy out of her daydreams. As she began listening to her girlfriend excitedly ramble at the toy, she couldn't help but giggle. She knew that Pinkie's ideas were obviously far-fetched (and hopefully she was joking), but seeing the look of excitement on her face was downright contagious. She was the sweetest thing in her turquoise eyes.
"I'm glad we're going to my place. We have the whole house to ourselves since Zephyr's with friends and my parents are out of town. We'll be able to live..." Fluttershy blissfully sighed, "...like an actual family."
"You betcha!" Pinkie turned to her with a smile. "This'll be great. The two cutest things in the world with me!" she announced, causing the timid girl's cheeks to flare, albeit with a large smile on her face.
"I was thinking maybe I could cook us dinner tonight. I haven't had the chance to practice in a while and I'd love to do it for you, Pinkie." Fluttershy warmly smiled.
However, Pinkie only looked back to the baby with the same bubbly grin on her face.
"It's fine, I can take care of dinner. Don't worry about it."
Fluttershy felt her positive mood falter, her smile transforming into a small frown.
"But I want to."
Pinkie said nothing, preoccupied with the baby and not paying her any attention, leaving the girl to coldly give a small sigh.
As much as she loved her relationship with Pinkie, life always offered a tiny sliver of harsh reality.
Fluttershy definitely wouldn't say their bond was perfect - in fact one glaring weakness always upset her. While Pinkie was shown to be an excellent girlfriend - always doing her best to love, pamper, and take care of her - perhaps she did it too well. Whenever Fluttershy wanted to do something to help out or offer her own input on a suggestion, it felt like she was talking to a brick wall. All too often she would be met with either a frustrating ignorance or a failed reassurance that she didn't have to worry about it, the other girl having it covered.
But Fluttershy didn't want to be left out of things, she didn't want to just sit back and watch Pinkie handle everything. She wanted to contribute to things together as the couple she thought they were supposed to be. It was like the bouncy teenager thought she couldn't be trusted with anything!
As time went on and the number of these incidents increased, Fluttershy realized that her girlfriend wasn't intentionally trying to hurt her - she just wanted to show how much she loved her, being too wrapped up in her own head. Still though, a brick wall was a brick wall and no matter how soft or sweet it was trying to be, it still hurt.
She kept trying to tell Pinkie that she wanted to do things, she wanted to help out; but again, it was like it was going in one ear and out of her dismissive mouth.
The rest of the walk back to her place proved to be silent for the meek girl, wrapping herself in her own thoughts.
"It's fine. It's always fine with her."
But then as she got closer to her front doorstep, an alarm went off inside her head.
"Is this how it's always going to be? Do I really want to spend the rest of my life with someone who doesn't want my help? I love Pinkie, but I want us to be a team - not a performer and an assistant."
"Fluttershy? Hello! Fluttershy?!"
"Huh...what?" Fluttershy snapped out of her train of thought, seeing a pink hand snapping in front of her face, a worried look attached to the owner of the hand.
"You ok Flutters? We're here." Pinkie announced, gesturing to the door they were standing directly in front of.
With a slight blush, Fluttershy quickly unlocked the door to her home, beckoning for her guest(s) to come inside.
"I hope this works out..." she faithfully hoped, closing the door behind her.
After a few minutes of situating themselves (plus allowing the chance for Fluttershy to take care of Angel and some of her other household pets), she slowly made her way downstairs towards the living room - only to see Pinkie ever so gracefully rocking the doll on the couch. She knew the bubbly teen could be overtly sweet and nurturing, but to see her this calm and relaxed invoked a sense of warmth in her. Pinkie could be a great mom one day... " Maybe we could be great moms one day." she corrected herself.
Fluttershy felt a sense of joy inside her as she slowly made her way to Pinkie, hovering over her shoulder from behind the couch.
Pinkie turned to acknowledge her beautiful girlfriend.
"Hey Cutie."
She blushed at the nickname.
"Right back at you. What'cha doing?"
"Just holding Pinkieshy. I think her eyes are slowly closing though. She probably needs a nap."
"Oh!" Fluttershy beamed, hoping this could be the chance for the couple to work in unison, "We can take her upstairs..."
"Don't worry. I got it." Pinkie quickly stated, slowly getting up from the couch and tiptoeing her way up the stairs.
Meanwhile, Fluttershy merely glanced at the now vacant stairs with a narrowed look on her face.
Wasn't this supposed to be their project? Weren't they supposed to be a team?
Before she knew it, Pinkie trotted back down the stairs, making her way back over to the couch.
"Isn't she the sweetest thing?"
Fluttershy had to keep her tone and smile in check, becoming more agitated at the idea that Pinkie didn't seem to want to allow help with their makeshift family.
"Yes. She is."
Then Fluttershy suddenly remembered the task that she was going to do, allowing her the chance to get the evening's dinner situation taken care of.
"Hey Pinkie, I'm going to run to the market real quick and get some supplies for dinner. Do you mind if you stay here and watch Pinkieshy for a bit?"
Pinkie all too suddenly glanced over her shoulder to stare at her girlfriend, a worried and puzzled frown developing on her features.
"I thought I told you not to worry about dinner?"
Fluttershy's happy smile all too quickly fell, a mild annoyance soon taking over.
"Yes. But I told you that I want to make dinner. I want to practice cooking a little bit."
Pinkie's frown only worsened.
"But...Flutters..."
Seeing the upset look on her girlfriend's face instantly made Fluttershy forget her irritation for the time being. Despite her frustrations, she knew Pinkie truly had the best intentions at heart. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, she decided on settling for a friendly, yet direct approach that allowed her to know she wanted to do this.
With a soft sigh and a wavy smile, she instantly sat down on the couch next to Pinkie, placing a hand on top of her shoulder.
"Pinkie, I know you just want to help, but I want to help too. We're supposed to do this together and I would love nothing more than to contribute. So how about I go out and come back to make dinner and you watch the baby? Please, Pinkie? I promise you I would love nothing more than to cook for you."
Pinkie monitored her sweetheart's gentle, yet stern plea, feeling a small smile capture her.
"Yeah, of course. We'll be the best parents around!"
To say the often emotional girl was touched was putting it lightly.
Wrapping Pinkie in a tight embrace in a strength that was surprising coming from the meek girl, she warmly smiled as she kissed Pinkie's cheek.
"Thank you, Pinkie. You're the best!"
Pinkie blushed, returning the kiss right back.
"Nuh-uh. You are."
Staying silent in the hug for a moment, Fluttershy then made her way over to the door with a small purse in tow.
"You coming Angel?"
With a speedy hop down the stairs, the tiny bunny made his way over to his owner before hopping in the surprisingly spacious bag.
"Good boy." she cooed, before walking over to the door. Then, she remembered one more thing.
"Oh! I almost forgot! Think we can feed Pinkieshy together when I get back?"
Pinkie's head tilted in confusion.
"But...?"
"Pinkie..." Fluttershy lightly scolded in response, sending a light glare for half a second.
"Fine. Sounds good." Pinkie lightly sighed, returning a thin smile.
"Thank you!" a light sing-song voice chorused, the door closing behind her a moment later.
However, once Pinkie was certain Fluttershy was out of sight and hearing distance, she leaned back onto the sofa with a heavy sigh.
"Flutter-Butter says I'm the best, but how can I be the best girlfriend/mother around if I let her take care of the shopping and feeding? What kind of person am I if I let her do chores like that?"
Pinkie's eyes dawned in realization, slowly standing up with a confident look.
"Don't worry my sweet, sweet Fluttershy! I, Pinkamena Diane Pie, will prove that I'm the best!"
With a few small grocery bags and purse in hand, Fluttershy made her way up the doorstep before opening the door to her home. She hadn't been gone too long she figured, she was able to find everything with relative ease - the only thing that took forever was the line at the checkout but the kind girl wasn't bothered too much. As she made her way inside, she found Pinkie in an almost identical position to the one she left her in, though now with a cradled form in her lap as well as her cell phone in one of her hands.
"Huh. The baby must've woken up from the nap. Good, we can feed her together."
"Hey Sweetie." Fluttershy angelically announced, placing the bags on the dining room table next to her.
Pinkie immediately perked up from her phone, before picking up the baby and running over to her girlfriend with a super wide grin on her face.
"Hey Cutie." Pinkie called back, hugging the girl. "How was the trip?"
"Great! I've got everything I need to make..." she began to hum before she got a good glance at the baby. While the toy itself seemed fine, there was a noticeable difference that made her instantly freeze up. Eyes doubling in size, she frigidly pointed at the bundle in Pinkie's grasp.
"...Pinkie...?" she lowly replied.
"Yeeeeeesssss?" Pinkie obliviously drawled out in an overly energetic voice.
"Why is there cupcake on her face?"
Indeed, swirled around Pinkieshy's lips was what appeared to be strawberry frosting.
"Oh that." Pinkie nonchalantly waved a hand. "When Pinkieshy woke up from her nap, she started getting hungry so I decided to feed her. She didn't seem to eat the cupcakes, but luckily I found this cute little plastic bottle tucked away in her blankets that she seems to enjoy much better."
Fluttershy found herself snapping back to the situation at hand, giving a disapproving look at her partner.
"So you fed her after I asked if we could feed her together when I got back?" she swore she felt her right eye begin to twitch.
"Yeah, it's fine. I got it." Pinkie casually reasoned.
Now Fluttershy was positive her eye was twitching, a wave of anger pouring over her.
"It's fine. Of course. It's always fine."
Steadying herself with a long exhale, Fluttershy kept her voice low.
"Pinkie. I said I wanted to help you when I got back. I also told you earlier that the baby can't eat cupcakes."
Pinkie tilted with an inquisitive frown.
"You did? When?"
Fluttershy felt her patience starting to wear thin.
"Earlier outside the school."
"Huh... I guess I learned my lesson." Pinkie happily stated.
"One lesson anyways." Fluttershy grumbled, turning around to put the groceries away. On a more positive note, at least now she could begin preparing...
"Oh! By the way, dinner should be here shortly."
Fluttershy's body immediately tensed up, driving herself back over to Pinkie with a gradual glare.
"What?!"
Unfazed, Pinkie offered to elaborate.
"I didn't want you to worry about preparing anything as soon as you got home, so I ordered a pizza tonight - and maybe you could cook another night."
The typically sweet and kind girl felt a bitter snort escape her nostrils, now fully possessed with anger.
"Didn't I tell you that I wanted to make dinner?" she pointedly asked.
Pinkie's face contorted into a slightly worried expression for a moment - processing this.
Unfortunately, any chance of Pinkie understanding the situation flew out the window.
"Don't worry. I made sure to order the Vegetarian Lover's just the way you like it."
While she would've normally gushed and thanked her girlfriend for being thoughtful, her normal pleasantries were the least of her concerns.
"Pinkie Pie! The pizza isn't the problem! The problem is I specifically told you what I wanted and you didn't listen to me!" she seethed.
Pinkie felt her eyes quiver as she looked over at her now raging partner. Something wasn't right here.
"I was just..."
She was stopped however as a furious Fluttershy stomped past her, making her way grouchily up the stairs. Angel Bunny quickly trailing behind her, giving the pink girl a harsh glare on his way up.
"Where are you going?" she curiously prompted.
"To be alone!" a growl retorted before the loud slam of a door echoed throughout the house.
Pinkie nervously looked at the baby in her grip, wondering what went wrong.
"But... I did everything right, didn't I? Ok, so maybe you have some frosting on your face, but still..."
The doll said nothing, apparently giving her the silent treatment.
"Not you too! You don't think she's mad do you?!"
Again, nothing.
"I hope you're wrong." Pinkie prayed, bouncing up the stairs with fake child in hand before she approached Fluttershy's bedroom with slight apprehension.
With a chorus of light knocks, the door soon opened to reveal a cold, glaring form staring at her.
Pinkie's hopes for a misunderstanding dwindled.
"Yes Pinkie?!" the girl rigidly stated, arms crossed as she leaned against the door frame.
"Heeeeeyyy Cutie-Patootie, how's that booty?" Pinkie playfully snapped her fingers, hoping this teasing would invoke her normal playful laughter, a smirk, anything that a not angry Fluttershy would do.
All that ended up happening was an even more pointed look, if that was possible.
Pinkie nervously chuckled, deciding it was time to get the show on the road.
"So... Pinkieshy had this insanely crazy idea that you were angry at me..."
"I'm very angry at you." Fluttershy nodded in cold agreement.
"Exactly, I knew it would be ridiculous... wait what?!" Pinkie took a small step back, as if the admittance was a physical slap.
"I'm very upset, Pinkie."
"Why?"
"You never let me take care of anything, you're always doing stuff for me!"
In a somewhat expected display of her scatterbrained personality, Pinkie seemed to momentarily forget her girlfriend's wrath, taking the previous statement as a compliment.
Before the other girl could object, Pinkie wrapped her in a bone-crushing hug, closing her eyes as she let out an enthusiastic grin.
"Awww, you're welcome! I love you!"
This seemed to snap something in the other girl's head however as she quickly shoved the affectionate girl away, her eyes burning.
"NO! Dammit Pinkie!"
Pinkie loudly gasped, covering the doll's ears as she gave a soft glare.
"Fluttershy! There is a child in this room!"
For the briefest of time, fading out of her anger, Fluttershy let out an apologetic expression.
"You're right. Let's put her in the spare bedroom."
As Fluttershy and Pinkie both tucked the doll in the bed - not caring whether she was tired or not - they quickly closed the door and returned to their previous positions across the hall.
"So, you were saying about Dammit's?"
"Right, thank you." Fluttershy gave a polite smile before the switch to rage turned back on, re-discovering her glare.
"Dammit Pinkie! You don't get it do you?!"
Pinkie's brow rose. "What do you mean? I just want to help!"
Fluttershy snorted angrily.
"That's the problem! You do everything for me, but you never let me handle anything! I keep trying to tell you that I want to do something or I offer suggestions - and you never listen!"
Pinkie harrumphed a little, folding her arms.
"I do so listen! I'm just trying to be the best girlfriend I can!"
"By doing everything yourself?!" Fluttershy jabbed a finger into Pinkie's chest.
"Yes! I don't want you to worry about things like chores and such! I keep telling you 'It's fine'!"
There was that oh so common phrase again - "It's fine".
Fluttershy paused, feeling tears running down her cheeks before she ultimately pounced, going face-to-face with the now shocked girl.
"YOU KNOW WHAT PINKIE PIE?! IT'S NOT FINE! IT'S NEVER BEEN FINE! YOU KEEP BRUSHING ME ASIDE WITH EVERYTHING! THROUGHOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP AND NOW WITH THIS GROUP PROJECT! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A COUPLE! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A TEAM! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO THINGS TOGETHER!"
Pinkie felt her heart sink at the vocal tirade, never knowing things between them were this bad.
"Flutters... I..."
But what was said next ultimately shattered her.
"Perhaps we need to rethink our relationship!" Fluttershy cried, slamming the door in front of the heartbroken teen's face.
Pinkie felt like the door hit her in the face, but in all honesty, it probably could've and she wouldn't even feel it; the cracks in her heart were radiating a greater pain.
"She...she wants to rethink things... no, NO!"
Pinkie felt her sobs pouring out before she took off down the steps, collapsing onto the sofa as she released all the newfound anguish she found herself in.
"What have I done?!"
Pinkie wasn't sure how long she had been crying - it could've been 5 minutes or 5 hours, but she didn't care. What did catch her attention however was the chime of Fluttershy's doorbell, indicating there was company. But who could possibly be expected to show up at this hour - with the two residents of the home either trembling in emotions or releasing a gallon of tears into the cushions? With a second chime however, Pinkie realized it was up to her to answer the call. Grudgingly making her way over to the door, she opened it, only to be surprised at who was behind it.
"Hey Pinkie. Pizza?" Mr. Frenette questioned with a smile.
That's when Pinkie remembered earlier.
"Oh, right. Pizza!.. wait, pizza?"
"Mr. Frenette? What are you doing here with a pizza order?"
"I'm a pizza delivery man at night." he boldly claimed.
"I thought you were a teacher during the day?" Pinkie questioned.
"Teachers don't have amazing salaries..." Mr. Frenette bitterly sighed.
"Oh... well...thanks..." Pinkie sadly stated, taking the pizza from her teacher as she placed it on the dining room table behind her.
"Pinkie... you alright?" Mr. Frenette noticed the depressed stance of his normally perky student, making him worriedly glance at her.
Pinkie sighed, looking out into the night sky and realizing how late it was.
"It's a long story." she mumbled.
"Well, I don't have any more deliveries to do - and as your teacher, I am worried about your well-being - so I'd love to listen." he sat down on the small doorstep, patting the spot next to him, gesturing her to sit down.
With an appreciative smile and a light sniffle, she happily obliged before taking a calming breath.
"Ok... here goes..."
*Fast Forward through Explanation*
"...and that's why Flutters is upstairs bawling, I'm downstairs bawling, and the baby is the only one in this house who isn't bawling." she recapped, Mr. Frenette having been fully invested the whole time as his eyes widened in shock.
"No wonder why Fluttershy is upset." he reasonably stated, receiving a mild snort from his pupil.
"It seems like everyone understands that except for me! All I'm trying to do is be supportive and help her out!" she cried out, resting her head on her lap in dejection.
"I know you Pinkie and I have no doubt that you're just trying your best, I'm sure Fluttershy understands that part too; but there's more to this than you realize. You can't just do everything for someone all the time - especially in a relationship."
"Well, why not?!" Pinkie looked at her teacher, not understanding where he was going with this.
The teacher began thinking of a way to explain this to the creatively-minded individual (being kind of an eccentric type himself) before an idea popped in his head.
"Tell me this Pinkie. If I kept doing stuff you kept offering to do - say I keep making cakes before you get the chance to, even though you really wanted to - and I keep waving you off, would you be happy?"
Pinkie gasped upon picturing that scenario in her head.
"Of course not!" she exclaimed, shocked someone would even do that.
"Oh. Why not?" he lightly asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because then what would I ever do?! I'd feel worthless!"
Then her eyes widened, suddenly gaining a very good perspective as to what her girlfriend was feeling.
"I-I made her feel worthless?"
The teacher gently patted the girl's shoulder, a sympathetic smile on his face.
"I'm sure not intentionally, but it can't feel too good to feel like someone doesn't want your help, right?"
Pinkie nodded.
"And isn't the point of a relationship doing things together and not leaving everything to yourself?"
Pinkie once again let out a gasp.
"So that's why... she wants to reconsider... I made her feel... What have I done..." her tears reignited as she buried her head into her lap.
"Pinkie."
With that calm voice, Pinkie looked up from her tears to see a reassuring, yet serious expression on the man's face.
"I'm pretty sure you two can work stuff out - people say things when they're hurt or angry - but you need to fix this before it gets worse, understand?"
Pinkie sniffed as she traced the ground with a finger.
"I-I just wanted to be the best girlfriend ever. The one she deserves."
Mr. Frenette smiled, glancing up at the moon in the beautiful night sky.
"Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is let others help - especially when they offer. One day if you two are married, you want to be able to rely on each other."
He looked back at her.
"I know how much you two love each other, but you've got to be able to communicate and listen with one another. Let her be able to do her share, or better yet, work together. My money is betting on the fact that she wants to prove herself for you, just like you do for her. And how can your bond survive if there is no sense of trust between you?"
Pinkie slowly felt a warm smile as she slowly stood up, prompting him to do the same.
"You're right. I never meant to make her feel like she was worthless or that I didn't trust her. I just got so worried that she'd be upset if I didn't handle things... but ignoring her and brushing her aside wasn't handling things. She so badly wanted to feed the baby and make dinner for us, but I still went ahead and managed everything anyways."
Mr. Frenette gave a warm, shining smile.
"Go to her. Make things right. Tell her how much you want to be together."
Pinkie gave one more sniffle before she tackled her teacher in a hug.
The man however felt a little uncomfortable.
"Ummm... Pinkie? Teachers shouldn't be hugging students."
She only giggled.
"You're not a teacher silly, you're a pizza delivery man."
He gave a hearty laugh back, hugging her for a moment longer before letting go.
"For better or worse."
"If you ever need me, you know who to order from." he said, beginning to walk away.
"Thank you!" she called out, "And when we get married, you get the front row at our wedding!"
He smiled as he made his way to the door of the car.
"Looking forward to it. Good luck with your 'assignment.'" he winked, "The important one."
And with that, he waved as he drove off, leaving Pinkie with a determined smile, glancing back at the interior of the house.
"Don't worry. I won't fail."
Maybe Pinkie spoke too soon with that whole 'confident' attitude persona, as she had been shaking nervously in place outside Fluttershy's door for the past 10 minutes now - the slight sounds of sniffling coming from the bedroom only making her more anxious.
"What if she doesn't want to see me again? What if she hates me? What if..."
But then she paused as she heard a masculine voice in her head.
"Make things right."
No! She wouldn't bail now! Even if Fluttershy never wanted to speak to her for the rest of their lives, she still deserved to hear a proper apology! She deserved to know how much she'll always love her!
Bracing herself, Pinkie gave a slight knock on the door...before throwing caution to the wind and just going inside.
As Pinkie took a couple steps forward, she saw her target. There she was - head stuffed in a face full of pillows, lightly shaking as Angel Bunny gently rubbed her shoulder in a soothing motion.
However, as Pinkie cautioned another step, she was soon noticed by Angel who glared her daggers. Pinkie never thought a bunny could be so menacing but here they were.
Regardless, she steeled herself, making her firm voice known.
"Angel, can you please give us a few minutes? This is important."
The bunny seemed surprised at the seriousness in the bubbly form for a brief second before his daggers re-sparked, sending a low-bearing growl in her direction.
What the bunny didn't realize was that another head perked up from the call, gently sitting up on her bed with red, puffy eyes staring at Pinkie for a moment, trying to find something in the pink human's soul.
Finding nothing but sincerity, Fluttershy's eyes softened as she turned towards her scowling bunny.
"Angel, please."
The bunny looked up at his owner before he sighed in resignation, hopping out of the room as he left the two girls alone.
"What is it Pinkie?" the girl on the bed asked, obviously still hurt but noticeably less enraged than earlier.
Pinkie supposed she should take this as a good sign, but she'd rather have her love not upset at all. She mentally winced at the tear-stained form in front of her.
Pinkie sighed. She could've taken this one step at a time but she chanced stepping right into the fray, lest she say the wrong thing before the apology began.
"I'm sorry about what I've been doing. I-I never meant to ignore you or push you away; all I wanted to do was take care of you - because I love you."
Fluttershy's eyes softened even more as she felt herself leaning forward, her curiosity offering the girl to continue.
"But all I did was take control over everything in our relationship - even if I had the best intentions. I know you said you wanted to take care of the cooking and feeding but I still did it anyways because I felt bad you were doing stuff; little did I know that going behind your back and not listening to you would hurt much worse."
Pinkie felt her tear ducts burst once again, bowing her head in shame as she carried on.
"I know you probably hate me right now - I don't blame you, I would hate me too. I probably made you feel like you weren't important in this relationship and that's the exact opposite of what a relationship is supposed to do! We should've done stuff together as a team, you should've been able to tell me these things without me brushing them aside!"
Fluttershy felt deeply moved by the words being spoken, her heart beating tenderly as slowly rose from the bed with a concerned gasp on her face.
"She really is sorry. She finally understands..."
Pinkie sniffled, turning her head away.
"You know, I was so excited for this project! I thought it'd be cool to pretend we were parents - hoping that one day we could actually become some. I was hoping if we were still together we could one day get married and maybe even have a family."
"Pinkie..." Fluttershy muttered, feeling a different variety of tears fall. Unfortunately, Pinkie still hadn't noticed.
"But you deserve someone much better than me - someone who actually listens to you. I tried to be the best girlfriend for you but all I was was a gigantic jerk. I'm sorry. I-I'm... I think I should leave... I love you, Fluttershy." she tearfully began walking out of the room - hoping she at least made it up to the angel of a woman - before she was ultimately stopped dead in her tracks.
"PINKIE! WAIT!"
Before she could fully turn around and acknowledge the situation, a yellow-skinned girl tackled her - barely able to keep the two standing - as she hugged her passionately, rubbing her head against her neck.
"Pinkie! I love you too! Please don't go!" Fluttershy cried, staring into the pink girl's blue eyes with a warm smile on her face.
Pinkie blinked rapidly, clinging onto the girl for dear life.
"Y--you do?! But you said we have to reconsider our relationship."
Fluttershy quickly wiped the tears from her girlfriend's eyes.
"I said that because I thought you'd never understand! I was just really angry and needed some time alone! But I do love you Pinkie! I want us to work this out!"
Pinkie finally found her smile as she now wiped the tears from Fluttershy's eyes.
"I do too! I want you to be happy, us to be happy!"
Fluttershy and Pinkie both gazed into each other's eyes before they pressed their lips against the other's - wrapping themselves in a tender and passionate kiss.
After the kiss, the two girls merely looked at each other before throwing themselves into a colossal hug.
"I love you, Fluttershy!"
"I love you more Pinkie!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Yuh-huh!"
They then both proceeded to start laughing, letting the joyful moment last as long as it could until it naturally subsided.
Pinkie let go of Fluttershy first, awkwardly shuffling her foot on the ground.
"Do you think... do you think we could start over?"
Fluttershy looked at the girl, a warm smirk on her face as she tilted her head playfully.
"Do you promise to work on communicating with me and working together as a team from now on?
Pinkie eagerly picked up her hand as a sign of oaf.
"I promise Fluttershy, as I stand here before you, or my name isn't Pinkamena Diane Pie."
Fluttershy giggled at the overly formal display - Pinkie quickly joining in - until they heard a fake crying coming from the distance.
"Looks like Pinkieshy's up." Fluttershy stated.
Pinkie nodded at her, forming an idea.
"After we wake her up - that pizza I originally ordered finally came. We can either do that or you can cook and I'll offer to help if you need it. What do you want to do?"
Fluttershy stood there with the widest grin imaginable. This was like a million puppies at once.
"Let's stick with the pizza since it's late, and maybe tomorrow we can do the cooking here since I have the place to myself?"
"Okie Dokie!" Pinkie positively gave a thumbs-up, gesturing for her beautiful girlfriend to accompany her in checking on their temporary child. Fluttershy giggled with glee.
"You know, Pinkie? I think this is the brand new beginning of a beautiful relationship."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." she agreed as the two began walking side-by-side to a solo room down the hall.
"Hey, did you know Mr. Frenette is a pizza man?"
Pinkie and Fluttershy - a relationship with the potential to stand the tests of time. While they both knew their bond wasn't always easy - having many ups and downs along the way and still to come - the gratifying love that the two held for each other was worth fighting for, no matter what lied in store. Most importantly though, Pinkie and Fluttershy now knew that they could and would do it together - and they wouldn't have it any other way.
Sunset and Spike felt themselves awkwardly staring at Twilight's focused glaze - curiously poking and prodding the baby as they walked, her eyes squinted in deep concentration.
"Uh... Twi? What are you doing?"
Twilight, not taking her focus off the doll, proceeded to answer the question in what was commonly referred to as "the scientific explanation".
"I'm studying the toy's basic components to understand its materialistic chemical balance - also regarding the technological mechanisms that allow said toy to imitate basic life functions."
"So you're basically trying to understand how the baby works?" Sunset asked, her brow raised.
"Precisely." Twilight gave a smile, continuing her 'research' on her latest specimen.
"Don't worry," Spike quipped, walking between both ladies as he looked up towards Sunset. "She'd do the same thing with an actual baby too."
The lavender girl instantly turned around with an embarrassed look on her face, only made worse by Sunset's desperate attempts to conceal her laughter. Needless to say, she was failing miserably.
"Spike!" Twilight moaned, while the dog and the other girl next to him were openly chuckling.
"What? You would."
"No, I wouldn't!" she affirmatively huffed.
"You absolutely would! You'd try to test and see if the baby could be taught mathematical equations as a newborn." Sunset added, only further embarrassing the girl.
"You two are humiliating!" Twilight blushed, though not making any attempt at moving away from the group.
As the talking dog and his owner began trading jabs back and forth, Sunset began reflecting on the pair of comrades accompanying her - specifically the geeky science girl that was Twilight Sparkle.
Ever since she had met this universe's Twilight during the Friendship Games, it was like the two instantly formed a close-knit bond that she couldn't explain. At first, Sunset tried to reason that she liked this Twilight so much because she reminded her of a familiar Equestrian Princess, but after awhile of getting to know this specific entity more and more, she realized she liked this Twilight more so than the alicorn through the portal (no offense to her of course).
She couldn't pinpoint exactly why the two were so close though - maybe it was their rather studious and geeky personalities (though Sunset hid hers slightly more often), maybe it was the fact that both could relate to feeling like an outcast in their original communities (even though some things differed and some of the things that should've differed were eerily similar), maybe it was for the way that they played off each others' snark and sarcasm; whatever the reason, one thing Sunset definitely knew was that the two teenagers hit it off with each other extremely well - a fact that Sunset wouldn't ever trade.
Pretty soon she found Twilight coming over to her place - whether it be for homework sessions, magical theory seminars, simply escaping from her home near Crystal Prep, or even just to hang out - almost all the time. She thoroughly enjoyed having her for company - the two often able to talk for hours, cheer each other up on the worst days, and just simply feel comfortable around each other. Sunset loved all her friends at Canterlot High truly and dearly, but there was something about Twilight that was special...
...even though the other girl didn't seem to want to feel the same way for some reason.
"You doing alright Sunset?" Spike asked, snapping the red-head out of her thoughts.
Of course, Sunset loved Spike too. Who else could help her tease Twilight like he could? He also knew how to comfort her in the toughest moments - able to support her to the best of his ability. He was more than just a simple, magical-talking dog, he was like a little brother to her. A little brother the former isolated villain greatly appreciated.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about what to do tonight." she calmly assured.
Twilight, having seemed to brush off her earlier misfortune alongside Spike, looked at her with a puzzled look.
"You sure it's alright if we spend the night?"
Sunset merely quirked at her with a deadpan expression.
"Twilight, my place is practically a second home for you two. If I don't mind all the other times you're over, I won't mind this time..."
"...as long as you don't create more mutated corn zombies in my apartment..."
Twilight scoffed, rolling her eyes with a slight darkened blush.
"That was one time."
"One time too many." shuddered Spike.
"...and as long as Spike doesn't track mud in the house."
"Oh sure, blame that on the dog!" he playfully scowled.
Twilight quickly smiled, turning towards her friend.
"We won't. We promise."
Spike rolled his eyes as they continued walking.
"She wouldn't kick us out anyways. She loves us too much to do that and she knows it."
As funny as Twilight being humiliated was, Sunset often realized that karma always seemed to come back around; her face immediately turned a shade of red as she picked up her head to focus on the opposite direction, away from the knowing smirks of the other two.
"Alright... so maybe I do..." she admitted.
Twilight giggled into her hand before another giggling form in her grasp regained her attention.
"What do we do about Sunlight?" Spike pondered.
Twilight turned to him with a slight blush on her cheeks.
"We're not seriously calling the doll that are we?"
The dog merely shrugged - well as much as a dog could anyways.
"The others seemed to keep their names, what's the big deal?"
Twilight felt her blush darken, turning back to look at the baby.
"I don't know... it just feels weird..."
Unbeknownst to her, Sunset's head - still in the opposite direction from earlier - winced at the rejection that seemed to carry on in her friend's tone.
"Why is it weird? She seems to feel something for me too, I see her blush. Why does she keep trying to hide it though?"
Meanwhile, Spike could easily pick up the tension carried by both girls as they rounded near Sunset's apartment. He desperately wanted to break the ice and dissolve the walls the two - specifically Twilight - seemed to be building around themselves, but he wanted them to figure it out for themselves - even though the pain they slowly started to bury themselves in hurt to watch.
But for now, Spike reasoned it was best to remain silent.
"I'm not sure why you keep hiding Twi, but I know you. I know you want this, so why keep denying it?"
For the time being, the trio and doll made it successfully back to Sunset's place, the orange girl snapping out of her funk as she opened the door to welcome them in.
"Right this way - the coolest hang out this side of Canterlot. Just please don't touch the chocolate cake in the fridge."
"Chocolate Cake?! Sure, I could eat!" Spike happily exclaimed, running his tiny body towards the kitchen.
Twilight was soon to follow him, handing the baby to Sunset as she chased after him with panic stricken on her face.
"Spike! You know you can't eat chocolate!"
Sunset merely watched the two's antics with a fond smile on her face. She loved these two goofballs and the wacky shenanigans that came with them.
Though as she watched Twilight, her smile fell, giving off a bitter sigh.
"If only we could be more."
Then her glance fell down on the baby in her hold, remembering the name that had caused her friend's flustered demeanor in the first place.
"Why can't we be more?"
After their initial arrival, the trio soon found themselves in a relaxed rhythm. Twilight was in the dining room, working on some of her homework -... that was due a month from now - while she took careful watch over the infant, thankful that the doll only needed a "diaper change" once. Sunset and Spike meanwhile were in the kitchen, getting dinner prepared for the three of them. Sunset busily scrounged through her tiny kitchen as she compiled ingredients and spices to concoct a warm, thick soup with a growing heavenly aroma.
Spike (who had washed his paws before he jumped onto the counter), watched the girl's natural handiwork with the food preparation in awe.
"Wow, Sunset! I'm always impressed with your cooking skills. Where'd you even learn this stuff?"
In response, she soon glanced over at Spike, stirring the recipe together in a giant pot. Her face contorted into a small, knowing smile.
"When you go to a different world and live by yourself for as long as I have, you tend to pick up a few things."
Spike's impressed face fell into a slight form of regret, not intending to bring up such a cold, hard truth of Sunset's life.
"Oh... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." his ears drooped before he felt a warm hand rub his head.
"Don't worry about it." she assured him, "I developed a liking to cooking; it tastes better than fast food all the time anyways." she smirked, causing the dog to return a grin.
"Besides, with friends constantly coming over and a certain someone having become like my resident, I'm never really alone."
Twilight's head perked up, realizing the emphasis in the phrase was meant for her.
"I'm not over all the time." she pushed her glasses to the bridge of her nose in a huff.
Sunset rolled her eyes.
"Uh-huh. I think you spend more time here than at your house."
Spike snickered, agreeing with Sunset's jab. They did often find themselves over here - whether it be for a few hours or even over night. They had to admit they've become accustomed to the quaint, yet inviting apartment.
"Is that such a bad thing?" the lavender girl retorted, glancing over her shoulder from her book to spot the kitchen.
"Never said it was. You know you're always welcome." Sunset smiled, turning back to her stove.
Twilight's mouth seemed to pause mid-comeback, finding herself taken back at the shift from snarkiness to sincerity.
"Th-thank you." she finally stumbled, propping herself back into her reading before a set of wails made themselves known.
"Even the baby was moved by my sentiments." Sunset sagely noted, moving back towards the refrigerator.
"I highly doubt that was the reason." Twilight countered, picking up the doll and cradling it ever so gently.
"She's probably hungry." Spike suggested, prompting the girl at the table to retrieve the pretend bottle she found in the blanket earlier.
After a few moments of "drinking", Twilight proceeded to pat the baby on the back, eliciting a small burp. She then gently placed it back down in front of her nonchalantly, earning some shocked looks from the other two.
Twilight noticed something was amiss, turning around to view the gaping reactions aimed at her.
"What?" she innocently prodded.
"I didn't know you could do that." Spike reasoned, Sunset nodding in agreement.
"What? I know enough about babies."
The duo's shock vanished, replaced by deadpan expressions.
"You were observing it like it was a mutated experiment earlier." Sunset dryly pointed out.
"...Ok... so maybe I picked up some baby books at the library by accident one time." she sheepishly blushed.
"That sounds more believable." Sunset grinned.
"Still though, who knew you had it in you? Maybe you could be a mom one day?" Spike complimented.
The girl only shook her head rapidly.
"I don't think I really want kids. I like them occasionally, but I'd rather not have a little one or several running around."
"Same here. I can babysit, but that's as far as I'll go." Sunset agreed.
Twilight gave a soft laugh, until she felt a sentence come pouring out of her mouth.
"Who knows if I'll even have a husband one day."
Sunset's happy aura instantly petered out, replaced by a more longing, distant look instead.
Twilight immediately stopped laughing, realizing what she had said as she quickly turned around, suddenly not interested in viewing Sunset's expression.
The dog nervously glanced back and forth between the two humans worriedly, his paws trying to reach out to Sunset.
"Sunset...?" he began before a sudden timer on the counter-top interrupted them.
Sunset immediately took back to the stove, realizing that the timer indicated dinner was nearly complete, all it needed now was for the stove to be turned off and the soup to be given a few minutes to cool.
"Soup's almost ready." Sunset called out, though not with the same gusto she usually carried as she stared at the stove, not taking the chance to look back behind her.
Twilight meanwhile silently cleared her books and belongings from the table, her own eyes cast downwards, placing the baby and its cradle on the couch.
Spike meanwhile witnessed all of this with a pitiful expression.
"Twilight didn't mean that, I know she feels differently."
He then glanced back around at the other girl, seeing her mindlessly stirring the soup as she placed it off the stove top.
"But if she keeps hiding things, they're only going to distance themselves more. She's going to hurt Sunset."
The canine began contemplating what he should do before a loud gurgling from his stomach had made itself apparent. Reluctantly pushing away the dilemma at hand for now, he surrendered to the hunger that overcame him.
"Alright, food first. I just hope this 'parenting project' doesn't permanently change things..."
"So much for not changing things..." Spike muttered, watching Sunset take care of the dishes while Twilight was making sure the baby was taken care of. His mind shifted back to the meal that they all shared together; while the three were no strangers to eating together, in fact dare he say they did it frequently, tonight's dinner had been anything but the typical affair - and he didn't like it one bit.
Whereas the dining room would usually be filled with hearty discussions and humorous anecdotes exchanged back and forth, a void filled with dreaded silence enraptured them instead. In place of the loud clatter of utensils coinciding with bouts of laughter, there was the meek clanging of their spoons to the bowls of soup, silently slurping the meal as neither girl dared look at each other.
He felt like he was being tortured watching the depressing evening meal unfold, though he knew the two main occupants were suffering much worse. Both teenagers quietly ate away, not willing to risk a conversation, much less eye contact. The tension in that room was so thick you could cut it with a knife - though Spike supposed since the girls were eating soup, a spoon would have to suffice.
He sighed to himself as he ate away at the tiny portion of soup left in his dog bowl.
"Forget trying to work through everything right this moment, I just need to return this apartment to a shred of normalcy."
That's when he perked up, realizing there was an activity the three always participated in - one they couldn't refuse. It wasn't a permanent solution by any means, but if it meant restoring some of the happiness and conversation between them, it would work for now.
"Hey guys, how about a movie?"
Soon enough, Spike allowed himself an inward grin as his temporary fix seemed to be working. As he laid his head on Twilight's lap, he allowed himself to see that both girls were now sitting on the couch, smiling in comfort and relaxation as they gazed at the screen in front of them.
"I'm surprised you chose 'Frozen' though." Twilight finally commented, turning her head towards Sunset in slight bewilderment.
Sunset merely shrugged with a grin as she continued watching, "Meh. I don't just watch horror and action, you know."
Her grin grew even wider as she peered at a certain princess on the screen.
"Besides, Elsa is hot."
Spike cocked his head over to the girl in somewhat of a snarky fascination.
"You think everyone is hot."
Sunset only gazed back at him, a wry grin enveloping her features.
"You are not wrong."
Twilight though felt an increasing blush circulate around her, trying to focus harder on the movie than on a certain other female in the room.
Small idle chatter flicked on and off between them, continuing to watch the movie in relative interest.
After a while though, it was nearing the end of the movie. (*Certain events that I won't spoil*) had just occurred as the story was entering its final reprise. The trio gave a content sigh as each of them found themselves thoroughly enjoying the film.
"Now I know why this is so popular." Twilight commented.
"Yeah. Pinkie and Rarity have both been begging me to watch it. Now I know why." she leaned her head back on the cushion of the sofa as she sighed.
As Spike smiled though, he suddenly felt his inner thoughts get the better of him.
"They're comfortable now. Here's your chance to slowly nudge them - just a little subtle poke though."
He bounced back and forth with the idea for a minute until he realized that these two were not going to fix things themselves - on the contrary, they'd probably make it worse until it exploded in their faces.
Steeling himself slightly, he took his shot.
"You know - this movie kind of reminds me of us."
Both girls turned to address him curiously, their heads slightly tilted.
"How so?" Sunset asked.
"I mean - Anna and Elsa both had issues with each other in their little family, but they came out stronger than ever after seeing the love they have for one another."
"Spike, they're sisters." Twilight slightly scoffed, not seeing the point to her companion's claim.
Sunset meanwhile seemed to widen her eyes in growing realization.
"I know," he defended, "But I'm sure this lesson can also apply to anyone outside of a sibling dynamic. About not hiding or concealing things and letting true selves shine."
"I mean after all, we are kind of like a family." Spike concluded hopefully, grinning as he glanced back and forth between the two.
Twilight felt herself pause for a second, stunned into silence for a moment of clarity before she turned away from the others, staring longingly at the arm of the couch.
"Spike... we can't be a family."
In a scary set of circumstances that painted the scene much more dramatic, the television finally turned to static - having gone through the credits - as Sunset effortlessly hopped up from her seated position, silently walking away from the duo on the couch, her hair perfectly concealed her eyes from their viewing distance.
Both girl and dog looked up at the third with worried looks in their eyes.
"Sunset...?" Twilight weakly muttered, her hand reaching out.
"You're right. I guess we can't. All that time we spent together - it just meant we're friends."
As Sunset began slowly making her way out of the living room, Spike felt his heart begin to quake. He couldn't take this anymore. He couldn't dare watch two girls he cared deeply for just keep pushing themselves through the confinements of pain they placed themselves in.
"EVERYBODY STOP!" he harshly yelled, stopping her in her tracks as both she and Twilight gaped at him with concern and a dose of fear. He never normally yelled or got this upset.
"This has to stop!" he lowered an octave, "You two can't just keep pushing yourselves away like this! I and most likely all of our other friends know that you two really like each other but you both keep shying away from it and it's clearly not working!"
Twilight tried her best to replicate her normal, slightly annoyed tone - glancing down at the dog.
"Spike, that's ridiculous! I don't..."
"BULLSHIT!" he harshly interrupted her, effectively halting any arguments.
If the two girls weren't drawn to attention before, they certainly were now. They could hardly remember a time where he swore.
"Twilight, that is the biggest lie ever and we both know it! Every time you two get really close to each other, I see how you blush and try to brush everything off. If anyone ever mentions a relationship to you, I see how you skittishly look at her. And ever since earlier when you got pulled into this 'baby assignment', you've gotten super defensive whenever anyone mentions you two together - as parents, a family, or any other format!"
"You keep trying to push your feelings down, but you're only hurting yourself the longer you deny it! Worst of all, every time you do, you make Sunset upset! She tries to hide it, but I know how hurt she is when you recoil at the thought of being more than friends. This needs to stop now, I don't care what happens, but you two need to work this out and get things out in the open!"
He finished, slightly panting from his long-winded tirade as the two girls felt their eyes sparkle.
No one spoke for the longest time - Twilight curling with her hair, while Sunset rocked back and forth anxiously on her heels - until at last, the lavender girl spoke.
"You're right, Spike. I do have feelings for Sunset."
The dog felt a small smile creep up while the orange girl behind them felt her heart beat ever so faster.
What shocked them both however, was when Twilight then bowed her head downwards in shame.
"But I can't."
That beating heart in her chest now formed a crack as she felt a slight sting of tears come over her.
"Why can't you?!" the dog barked incredulously, sick of hearing denials - and now excuses.
"I..." she began, stuttering.
"Twilight..." Sunset whispered.
"BECAUSE IT'S WRONG OK?!"
Just like that, time seemed to stop moving. The temperature in the room seemed to drop 20 degrees as all three beings merely stood in the frigid wasteland that their conversation had taken them to.
Unfortunately, the silence was eventually broken as Sunset - heavy tears dripping down her face - quickly ran out the front door in a huff.
"Sunset, wait! I-I didn't mean it like that..." but it was too late, for as soon as the sentence was uttered did the door forcibly slam behind the fleeing teenager, sending her in a weeping mess.
"Sunset..."
"Sunset..." Twilight cried out again dejectedly, immediately regretting her outburst.
Her internal turmoil was short-lived however as a harsh paw slap to the cheek provided her with some external pain.
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" Spike scowled, sending his best friend daggers. "WHY WOULD YOU EVEN SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!"
Twilight rubbed her eyes repeatedly, formulating her response.
"Spike, I-I didn't mean to say that... it's just... you wouldn't understand..."
"You're absolutely right! I don't understand how you can love someone and say something awful like that to them!" he bitterly growled, "If you don't feel that way, why would you say it?"
"BECAUSE EVERYONE WOULDN'T APPROVE!"
Spike felt his anger immediately vanish, looking up at his owner in bewilderment.
"...what?"
Twilight sniffed.
"Mom, Dad, Shining Armor, our friends... they all want me to marry a guy some day. I know they're not homophobes or anything, but I know they want me in a straight relationship. You should've seen how happy everyone was when I was dating Timber Spruce - back at Camp Everfree."
Twilight felt more tears rapidly falling.
"At first, I thought he was cute; but after a while, I just wasn't interested in him. I didn't know why at first but as soon as I started looking at Sunset, I knew she was different. But she and all the others - they were so happy to see me with him - I didn't want to let everyone down."
Spike now felt guilty for snapping at her. What she said was wrong, but he also didn't know this side of the story.
"Twi..."
She continued in a shaky voice.
"I didn't want to hurt Sunset, but I thought if everyone saw us together, they'd grow angry at me. I just didn't want everyone to hate me..."
Spike proceeded to rub himself against her weeping frame, consoling her for several long minutes until she had finally calmed down.
With a light pat on her shoulder (which wasn't easy as he had to stand up on 2 paws), he looked back at her with a gentle smile.
"I'm sorry I got so mad. You ready to hear why you were wrong though?"
Twilight would've normally grown more flustered at the thought of being wrong, but in this situation she was glad she could be; plus she was also eager to hear what Spike had to say. Silently nodding her head, Spike continued.
"Everyone wasn't excited because you were happy with him, they were excited because you were happy."
"W-what?" her eyebrows rose.
"You said it yourself - our friends and family aren't homophobes. They'd be happy no matter who you were with, so long as you're happy. Anyone who really cares about you just wants to know you're in a loving, healthy relationship, that's all."
Twilight formed a shaky, quivering smile, glancing down at the dog.
"You...you really think so?"
"I know so." he iterated. "Who'd be upset if you were interested in women? Pinkie and Fluttershy - who are already a couple? Rarity - who's as progressive as can be? Applejack - who was the first to congratulate Pinkie? How about the girl with the rainbow hairdo? Shining and Cadance? Your parents?"
Twilight went through the list of names - trying to process any argument to Spike's claims - before it hit her like a ton of bricks. There was no argument. If half of them weren't gay or bi, then the rest were supportive nonetheless. She may have been with a guy before but changing that wouldn't make others think any differently - at least the ones who properly cared about her.
Her eyes widened as the light bulb went off in her head, a steady smile climbing as she wiped away the rest of the tears.
"You're right Spike. I've been so stupid. I can't believe I would've thought..."
"Hey hey. You're not stupid! Maybe what you said was dumb, but it's okay to have fears - even if they don't turn out to be true. Still, maybe not the best idea to push everything deep down and turn others away." he sagely offered, making the girl give out a light giggle.
"Agreed. I may be an intellect when it comes to science and academia, but I know very little about social things like this."
"Our friends are the best teachers." he replied, "And we'll always love you no matter what."
Twilight gave off a radiant smile, hugging the dog tightly as the two snuggled into the embrace.
"Thanks Spike. I'll always love you too."
Though the moment was short lived as she realized something.
"But how am I going to find Sunset and explain all this to her?" she worriedly began to panic, gently placing the dog down as the two began to think.
"You don't have to."
"You don't have to." a new voice called out, slowly walking inside to reveal...
"S-Sunset?!" Twilight squeaked.
"B-but... How...?" Spike babbled, failing to comprehend.
Sunset ran a hand through her slightly red eyes, giving a soft smirk.
"When I ran outside, I quickly realized I was running out of my own apartment..." she blushed, awkwardly rubbing the back of her head.
"I was going to come back in until I heard you two talking through the door, so I decided to wait to make my presence known."
Spike blinked in compliance.
"Wait... so does that mean you heard...?"
"Every word." she nodded with a small smile.
Twilight quickly stood up, walking cautiously over to the other girl. She had heard her confession? She knew how she felt?
"S-Sunset. I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to say..."
"It's alright. I forgive you." she interrupted, a gentle hand reaching out to her. "I know how nervous you get and..."
Surprisingly, Twilight leaned back from the hand as a determined spark ignited in her eyes.
"No, please! I know you've heard what has already been said, but there's something else I have to tell you! Something important you deserve to know!"
Sunset found herself mindlessly nodding, noticing the conviction in her eyes. Spike sat behind them in awe.
"Even if you don't want to be together with me anymore - which I completely understand - what I said about us 'not being a family', that's not true! Ever since I met you, you've always had a special place in my heart. You're my best friend and you always will be! I love spending time with you - we just work well together for reasons even I don't understand sometimes."
"Even if I held no attraction to you, I shouldn't have hidden from you and hurt your feelings in the process. What we have here - this is a family to me without a doubt and I took it for granted. No matter what happens next, I want to enjoy this family with you if you feel the same!"
"No matter what, I'll always love you Sunset Shimmer."
As soon as her heartfelt speech ended, she was soon tackled by a weeping Sunset, her arms grabbing her waist as she held onto her for dear life.
"Tw- Twilight... I love you too."
Twilight simply let a single tear fall as she hugged back with all her strength.
Watching from the distance, Spike couldn't help but feel happy tears threatening to take control of him as well, blinking them away as best he could.
After a tender moment of silence, Twilight was the first one to speak.
"It was still wrong of me to act like I was a homophobe. I know you've been bi for a long time now."
Sunset merely looked at the girl across from her, giving a light shrug.
"I'll admit it did hurt, but that's why you're doing the cooking next time."
"Don't punish yourself with burnt cereal!" Spike quipped from the distance, earning a friendly glare from Twilight while Sunset proceeded to clench her sides in laughter.
"So wait... does this mean...?" Twilight began.
Sunset, realizing what she was implying, leaned closer to her as she spoke in a soft, playful voice.
"Does this answer your question?"
And with that, Sunset's lips touched Twilight's as the two connected for a passionate kiss. While Twilight stood shell-shocked at first, it didn't take long for her to reciprocate the affection back, both finally achieving a goal they had been secretly waiting for for so long.
Spike watched the two's romantic display, a feeling of pride surging through him.
"There's my family."
While the initial plan may have been for the caring of the doll known as Sunlight, a different form of Sunlight came to be that very evening. Like with parenting, sometimes it's hard to know what to do or how to feel in the moment, giving way to feelings of doubt and insecurity. Fear and worry are inevitable parts of life everyone must go through though - sometimes all it takes is a little push past our comfort zones to create the most magical moments of all. Indeed, new life was born in that apartment - in the hearts and souls of two - in Sunset and in Twilight.
Early in the morning the next day, Mr. Frenette was currently typing at his desk - eagerly awaiting to see the results of his class assignment later in the day - before a round of knocking interrupted him from his work.
"Come in!" he called out.
The door soon opened, revealing a set of 7 specific girls (and one dog) from his Home Economics class - each with smiles on their faces as 3 'babies' were carried in alongside them.
"Ah girls. And Spike too!" his smile brightened as he observed the toys with satisfaction. "I see each of your babies are looking well. Looks like you did good work with your projects."
"About that..." Twilight began, a slight sheepish grin on her face, "We wanted to talk to you about the assignment."
The teacher surveyed each of the students' humble, yet cheerful expressions, soon paving way to a mild form of curiosity on his face.
"Sure... What's up?"
"Well, you see..." Rarity started, "We find it 'quite the coincidence' as to how you spread out our teams."
"Oh?" Mr. Frenette stated, a subtle smirk growing on his lips.
"And when we worked on this project in our groups, we each grew closer with our partners..." Applejack continued.
"So we're basically wondering if there was more to this than just simply taking care of a doll?" Rainbow bluntly stated, the rest seeming to visibly relax upon the whole question being pushed forwards.
Mr. Frenette gave a delightful little hum, taking a sip from his water bottle.
"I guess it was pretty obvious, huh?" he rhetorically asked.
"You mean... you partnered us on purpose?" Fluttershy curiously questioned.
The teacher gave a warm smile, looking at each of the girls.
"I admit most of the class was just the assignment, but with each of you, I knew there was something in your relationships - or potential relationships in some cases - that you were struggling with. As a teacher, I can't just outright guide you along without you approaching me, but if I had an activity that encouraged partners to work together..." he motioned with his hands, encouraging them to finish the puzzle.
Sunset gave a light gasp.
"You mean... you knew about each of us and what we were going through?"
The teacher nodded.
"After 4 months of seeing you everyday, I picked up on some key signs."
"I saw the way Rainbow jealously looked at Rarity and Applejack whenever they worked together in class."
Rainbow sheepishly blushed as Rarity and Applejack gave her knowing smirks.
"I saw the way Pinkie and Fluttershy struggled to communicate."
Fluttershy wrapped an arm around Pinkie, who just warmly smiled.
"And of course, I saw the way Twilight admired Sunset."
Twilight gave a bashful smile while Sunset and Spike rolled their eyes in a friendly way.
"I hope you don't mind me noticing, but I thought I could help you out a little bit."
The gang exchanged confused glances at each other, still one question lingering in their minds.
"But why did you want to help us?" Pinkie seemed to ask the question going through each of them.
Mr. Frenette propped up from his chair with a slight chuckle, slowly trotting over to the whiteboard as he gave a little jaunt back and forth.
"They say a good teacher ensures their students successfully learn the material, making sure they're ready to apply their skills to the next level..."
He now fully viewed the group of students as he continued.
"But they say a great teacher encourages their students to be the best they can be, to make sure they can live a happy and successful life outside the classroom."
He grabbed his water bottle off his desk.
"As a teacher, I always like to know that you kids are happy and healthy. I want to make sure you keep your bright and positive energies for the world waiting for you out there. Of course, this also means that I wanted to make sure the bonds you shared didn't prevent you from that happiness."
"I can teach you all about how to cook, to clean, or to manage a budget - while your other teachers can share history, mathematics, literature, science - but the most important lessons you'll ever learn are with the family and friends you make. Jobs and opportunities and experiences may come and go, but love is one thing that always remains constant."
Each of the girls found themselves touched at the passionate sentiment the educator had bestowed upon them - Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Rarity each crying slightly at the beautiful display of words.
"Th-thank you." Twilight gently stated. "You did help us learn. We all learned different skills in communication and expression that have made the bonds we share greater than ever before."
"And hopefully they stay that way for a long time to come." Spike noted, each of the girls nodding in agreement.
"I know they will. That's all I can ask for." he lightly commented before a bell rang out, indicating it was time for classes to start.
"Looks like classes are going to start. I'll give you your 'A's during class later since you passed some critical life skills."
"Thank you." Sunset bowed in appreciation. "For everything."
Mr. Frenette bowed before he displayed a prideful smirk.
"I want to be invited to any weddings!" he called out as they began walking away.
"I already promised you the front row at me and Fluttershy's!" Pinkie sing-songed back, making the other girl blush.
"W-what?"
And just like that the door to the room closed behind them, the group of girls navigating through the hallways as they headed to their lockers.
Sunset smiled as she led the girls to another day of academia.
"You know - maybe Home Economics isn't so bad after all."
