//------------------------------// // A Night of Beautiful Stars // Story: Every Cloud // by D4ftP0ny //------------------------------// The Royal Wedding- an event that had been looked forward to with eager anticipation- had almost ended up in a hostile force taking over Canterlot. The Queen of the Changelings had succeeded in disabling Princess Celestia and trapping her, and all hope had seemed lost… but Princess Cadence, along with Twilight Sparkle’s older brother Shining Armor, had defeated the Changeling army and sent them hurtling away from Canterlot. The wedding had resumed, and to everypony’s delight, it had gone blessedly to plan. The ceremony was beautiful, complete with Sonic Rainboom thanks to Rainbow Dash, and after the new husband and wife had danced the party had really started. Fluttershy sat at one of the many tables that were scattered throughout the castle grounds, her eyes happily half-shut as her hoof gently caressed the lip of her third glass of wine. Fourth. Sixth. Whatever. The pink-haired Pegasus smiled softly as she watched her friends carry on like there would never be another party in Equestria once this one was finished; and after seeing what she’d seen today, Fluttershy was inclined to believe that at the very least there would never be another one quite like this. The bride and groom had long since departed, and after their carriage had disappeared into the gathering night Princess Celestia had bid them all good night, as well- after all, she DID get up very early in the morning. Fluttershy giggled to herself. I wonder if she’ll have any problems with the sun in the morning after what that Changeling queen did to her… Fluttershy’s pickled mind suddenly conjured up an image of the Princess of the Sun accidentally setting the sun spiraling across the sky in strange designs, and she giggled wildly at the thought. However, the party hadn’t ended there. Once Celestia was sequestered safely away, Princess Luna had taken over, bright-eyed and ready to keep the party going as long as there were ponies willing to continue. Pinkie Pie had been ecstatic, of course; the pink pony had seemed more than willing to continue until she passed out on her hooves, which, from the amount of alcohol Fluttershy had seen her consume, should be any time now. The party pony was currently dancing with a white-coated unicorn wearing a pair of flashy shades, and the two were getting very, very close indeed as Princess Luna took control of the music. I wonder… I wonder what she’ll play… Fluttershy thought dreamily. Maybe something soft and beautiful… with stringggsss… Her eyes slowly drifted closed as the Moon Princess shifted a few records around with her hooves and magic. I love string-musics… so soft and soothing… Suddenly, the speakers poured soft piano music into courtyard, and Fluttershy felt herself relax even further. It was played so beautifully, so carefully, that she felt her mind being carried away on a wine-colored tide, out into- and then a wave of deep, vibrating sound exploded into the night, and every pony in the whole courtyard jumped several inches into the air, except for Pinkie Pie and the white DJ unicorn who both squealed in delight and began dancing, their bodies rubbing against one another in a most provocative fashion. The song made Princess Luna laugh happily and clap her hooves together as she levitated the pair of headphones sitting on the turntable to her head. Fluttershy blinked, trying to make her eyes focus on the slightly-blurry Princess. I never knew she could do that… that whole… spinny-thingy. But to her seemingly endless surprise, the Princess gave the records on the table a deft spin with her hooves and proceeded to… what was that phrase…? To drop the bass. Soon, the hypnotic beats had drawn ponies again to the dance floor, and as Fluttershy watched the whole group began to pulse and move to the sound of the loud music. Luna’s horn lit up, and the simple lights that had illuminated the night winked out, plunging the entire crowd into darkness- but it lasted the briefest of moments as orbs of light, each pulsing in time with the music and each shifting colors independently, appeared out of nothing and floated above the crowd, who lifted their hooves and cheered for the Princess. Luna tossed her mane behind her and allowed her eyes to glow bright white for a moment in the darkness of the DJ booth, something that even six months ago would have drawn fear from her subjects; but now it only caused the ponies on the dance floor to cheer louder and dance harder, and Fluttershy found herself smiling as her hoof tapped along with the beat. Her soft teal eyes floated from pony to pony, occasionally finding one of her friends among the crowd- Spike had long since been put to bed in the Castle, but the rest of her friends were still here. She found Rainbow Dash on the far side of the crowd, dancing close to Spitfire from the Wonderbolts… almost as close to her as Pinkie was dancing with the DJ. The cyan Pegasus had her magenta eyes riveted to the other flier and Spitfire seemed to be sharing her enthusiasm, enough that Fluttershy found herself blushing slightly and turning away, seeking to find a less… stimulating place for her eyes to rest. She saw Twilight off to the side, her cheeks flushed brightly and a glass of wine bobbing dangerously around in the aura of her magic. The purple unicorn was speaking animatedly to another unicorn, a mare with mint and white colors that Fluttershy recognized as one of the ill-fated bridesmares that the false Princess Cadence had brainwashed to guard the real Princess Cadence. The yellow Pegasus tried vainly to remember the mare’s name, as she was sure she’d seen her before, but her alcohol-soaked brain refused to capitulate, instead drawing her attention to how the mint unicorn’s cheeks were a demure shade of pink as she spoke with Twilight, and how her golden eyes seemed to be riveted to her conversation companion, forsaking the rest of the room for the light in the purple unicorn’s smile as she spoke. As Fluttershy watched, she felt a small grin creep onto her face and her eyelids grow heavy again. Oh my… she likes Twilighhhht… that’s so kyyeeewwwt…! However, as Fluttershy watched, Pinkie Pie parted ways with the DJ pony, who gave her a very affectionate nuzzle on the cheek before dashing off to where Princess Luna still commanded the DJ booth, seeming content to hang out with the blue alicorn as she continued her non-stop ballad of party music. Pinkie Pie began bouncing her way lazily around the dance floor, wobbling only slightly despite the copious amount of alcohol that was no doubt running through her system. From the other side of the dance floor, Twilight’s eyes brightened, and with a hurried goodbye to the mint-colored unicorn she set the cup of wine she’d had off to the side before rushing towards Pinkie at a brisk if wobbly-hoofed pace. The other unicorn took a half-step after Twilight and opened her mouth as if to shout something after her, but after a moment’s hesitation she closed her mouth and seemed to shrink in on herself, bowing her head as she turned away towards the dessert table. Fluttershy’s eyes widened and she felt her heart break a little for the mint unicorn. How… didn’t Twilight see that sshhee wanted to talk and dance and… and… whatevvrrr? But as Fluttershy’s eyes slowly found Twilight again, it was easy to see why; Twilight’s attention was on Pinkie Pie. The purple unicorn forded the crowd quickly, her eyes intent on the pink mare ahead of her, and when she reached Pinkie she threw her forelegs around the other mare’s neck… and planted a very passionate kiss on her lips. Pinkie Pie’s eyes widened, but only for a moment; then they were closed, and even with her lips locked against Twilight’s, it was easy to see that Pinkie was smiling. Fluttershy felt her cheeks flush deeply as she averted her eyes, trying to find somewhere else to look. Her wandering eyes finally found somewhere safe to look when she found Applejack, the orange earth pony’s cowboy hat being easy to pick out amongst the finery of the rest of the room. As she watched, Applejack threw her head back, tossing her immaculately braided mane over her shoulder as she slammed a tall, thin shot glass full of a liquid that shimmered and sparkled in the throbbing lights as if it were infused with gold. The apple farmer finished the small drink in seconds before slamming the glass back to the table and grinning at the pony who shared it with her- a sky-blue Pegasus that Fluttershy vaguely recognized as Soarin’ of the Wonderbolts, who finished his own shot a moment later only to glare at the smug orange mare across from him. He said something curtly to her, dropping his glass to the table in an angry gesture; Applejack laughed loudly enough that Fluttershy could hear her from across the party, but unfortunately Soarin’s words to her were lost amidst the din- though if Fluttershy had to guess, they probably weren’t very polite words, judging from his face. Applejack simply grinned at him before grabbing the mostly-empty bottle on the table, righting Soarin’s glass before pouring some more of the shimmering liquid into it and her own. Soarin’s face fell, his ears drooped, and he said something that made Applejack laugh heartily; it didn’t take much speculation on Fluttershy’s part to figure out what he’d said: “Another one!?” The mare across from him nodded firmly, and Soarin’s head slumped to the table hard enough that the glasses leaped into the air slightly. Applejack threw her head back and laughed again, and it was such a happy sound that Fluttershy couldn’t help but smile broadly as it echoed across to her eager ears. After a moment of laughter, the orange mare hopped down from her chair, tilting only slightly to one side as she made her way over to Soarin’; without even disturbing her hat, the earth pony slid her head beneath Soarin’s wing and helped him stand, which judging by how his hooves seemed to be sliding out from under him at all times he needed. Fluttershy giggled again. It’s like his hooves are made of butter... She put her hooves to her muzzle as she giggled once more… and then her eyes widened as a sudden, crazy notion struck her squarely between the eyes. She stared at her own hooves in curiosity, her mouth pursed, and as quickly as she could she check to make sure nopony was watching, her teal eyes darting back and forth rapidly. Then, after she was certain that she was not being observed, she brought her hooves a little closer to her mouth… and her delicate pink tongue darted out, giving her right hoof a small lick. Immediately her shoulders slumped in disappointment. Ooh… Not butter… She lowered her hooves again and sought Applejack, but she wasn’t at the table anymore. Fluttershy frowned and tried to force her eyes to find her orange friend again; finally she spied the duo, Applejack and Soarin’, slowly creeping towards a door that would take them into the castle. AJ’s face was flushed as she helped the Pegasus, and Fluttershy smiled a fuzzy smile. Awwwww… she’s blushing..! Applejack is… very… very pretty when she blushes… The yellow Pegasus leaned heavily on the table in front of her, her hooves beneath her chin as she watched the two enter the castle and vanish from sight. They’re… kinda kyewt together… She found herself giggling again at the prospect of Applejack with a Pegasus- what would Rainbow say? The hypnotic beat suddenly morphed again, fading into the background ever so slowly until it became a gentle pulsing in the back of Fluttershy’s chest, as if it were her own heartbeat instead of an outside force. The movement on the dance floor changed abruptly with the music; ponies were suddenly moving fluidly, dancing around and with one another as if they were all made of water, flowing against one another before sliding away to confront another dancer. Princess Luna was barely visible in the pulsating lights, but Fluttershy got the distinct impression that she was smiling in a very sly way. Pinkie Pie and Twilight were dancing as close as two ponies could dance while still staying two ponies, and Rainbow Dash was doing the same with Spitfire, her magenta eyes half closed and her mouth open just slightly, as if she was having trouble getting enough air as she rubbed up against the flame-colored mare. Fluttershy frowned in concern. Oh… maybe Rainbow should take a break… I… I’ll take her some punch… or something. She started to move from her table to do just that… when her eyes found her last friend, and she froze in place, one hoof extended awkwardly in mid-air. Everything else, everything she had seen that night, everything she had intended to do… everything faded away from Fluttershy’s world as she came into view. The pulsing lights muddled and morphed the tones of every pony on the dance floor except hers- her bright, snow-white coat blazed with color, reflecting each one perfectly as they cycled through their constantly-shifting pattern. The bouquet she’d caught so eagerly earlier that night was held securely in the gentle blue aura of her magic as she danced gracefully through the crowd, the serene white of her bridemare’s gown flowing like tamed starlight around her as she moved. She paused here and there only for a moment, dancing with a new partner for mere heartbeats before moving on like a honeybee to the next flower, her perfectly curled tail bouncing coyly as her hips swayed to the music… and the very sight of her made Fluttershy’s mouth go dry. There were only two words that would describe such a vision: perfect… and Rarity. The white unicorn swayed this way and that as she let herself be swept away with the music, her eyes closed as she danced, the bouquet hovering near her head. Fluttershy felt her cheeks begin to flush as she watched Rarity move, her hoofsteps sure and light, her body moving so fluidly that it was almost as if she were a mirage, an angelic illusion, and not real at all. The music faded away as Fluttershy’s heartbeat swelled in her ears, filling her world with the steady thump-thump, thump-thump that drove all other sound from her. Rarity was truly a vision tonight, seeming to be completely unfazed by the unfortunate events that had transpired earlier in the day; her mane was still perfect, the gentle blue makeup she used around her eyes was smooth and unmarred, and her coat was as pristine as a new fallen blanket of snow. She was so beautiful tonight that it almost hurt to look at her, but it was a pain that Fluttershy was used to, one that she sought out and reveled in... and one that she had been afflicted by for quite some time now. Fluttershy’s ears drooped slightly, but only out of shame for how brightly she was blushing. She could feel the heat rising more brilliantly in her cheeks as Rarity came closer to her, the alcohol making it impossible for the Pegasus to stop staring at the pony who had been the object of her silent affection for almost a year. She had thought at first that the pull she felt towards the white unicorn was nothing more than strong friendship… but when Rarity had managed to encourage Fluttershy into a whirlwind modeling career, something so totally outside of the Pegasus’ comfort zone that she would have never considered it otherwise, she realized that what she felt deep in her chest every time Rarity looked at her with those beautiful sapphire eyes was something much, much more than friendship… but she’d never considered just how much more. It wasn’t until Fluttershy had tried to take the advice of the minotaur, Iron Will, that she’d realized the full extent of her feelings for Rarity. She had turned into an aggressive bully… but that hadn’t kept Pinkie Pie and, to her surprise, Rarity from coming to her aid when she needed it the most. Seeing the unicorn there outside her home, after the things Fluttershy had said to her, ready to help her despite the insults that she had yelled… something inside the yellow Pegasus had, at that moment, realized the most horrible, wonderful thing that she could ever think of or remember: She had fallen in love with Rarity; hopelessly, irrevocably, abashedly in love. Since that day she hadn’t spoken to another pony about her feelings… and had done what she could to stop spending so much time with Rarity, even to the point of missing the great dragon migration to avoid being in too close of contact with her. Luckily, her past fear of dragons had been enough of a reason for her to, as Rainbow Dash had put it, “freak out”, and nopony had questioned her; and while she certainly still did not much care for dragons, it was her fear of what she might do or say around Rarity that had driven her into hiding and not the prospect of being near the dragons. When Twilight had received the invitation to the Royal Wedding, Fluttershy knew that while they were in Canterlot there would be no way to avoid spending time with Rarity… but her friends had needed her, and the Princess herself had asked for her assistance, so she had steeled herself and taken the plunge… but thankfully there had been plenty of work to do once they had arrived. And that was even BEFORE the whole Changeling fiasco had happened. All in all, Fluttershy felt that she had done quite an admirable job keeping her feelings for Rarity a secret… But now, with half a dozen glasses of wine flowing comfortably through her veins and Rarity edging closer and closer to her… Fluttershy realized with a wave of surprise that right now, in the cool arms of the loving night, there was nothing she wanted more right that moment than to be near that beautiful white unicorn. She settled back into her chair, her eyes unable to leave Rarity for even a moment as she danced from stallion to mare, mare to stallion, flitting from partner to partner more gracefully than any butterfly. Her tail flicked against Twilight as she danced past, and the purple unicorn managed to take her lips off of Pinkie Pie long enough to glance at Rarity; the white unicorn gave her such a smug, knowing look that Twilight blushed even more deeply than she already was and even managed to look slightly embarrassed before Pinkie wrapped a pink hoof around her neck and pulled her back into a deep kiss. Rarity laughed, but she smiled fondly at the two as she moved on, past Rainbow Dash and Spitfire, whose gazes upon each other were so intense that they seemed to be in a world that consisted only of one another. Fluttershy saw Rarity lift a hoof to her mouth and giggle demurely as she passed the two Pegasi, slowly dancing and weaving her way across the floor. Fluttershy felt her heart pound as Rarity came closer, the unicorn casually side-stepping a rather rowdy dancer without batting an eyelash or losing the beat of her dance; Rarity had always complimented the Pegasus on her natural grace and poise, but Fluttershy always felt clumsy and club-hoofed around her. Suddenly, Rarity stepped from the dance floor, leaving the crowd of ponies behind… and Fluttershy’s pickled senses realized that she was now standing barely five pony-lengths away from her… and that Fluttershy was staring at her like a socially-awkward colt at his first co-ed dance. She closed her mouth (which she hadn’t realized was open) and started to turn away… but it was too late. Rarity had seen her staring and was now making her way towards Fluttershy wearing that small, demure smile that only Rarity could wear so well. Fluttershy’s heart pounded even louder in her ears as she turned to the table and tried to make it look like she was doing something, anything when Rarity got there. She scanned the tabletop, but the only thing she had were several of her own empty wine glasses (she could have sworn there were fewer here the last time she’d looked), a small tray of peanuts and an empty plate. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Rarity approach, and in desperation she took one of her empty glasses, slid the empty plate beneath it and put the tray of peanuts atop the mouth of the delicate wine glass before sitting back casually, as if that had been her purpose the entire time. Rarity alighted onto the chair next to her as if she had indeed been floating over the dance floor and not actually dancing. “Oh my,” she said, just loudly enough to be heard over the music, “If I wasn’t seeing it first-hoof, I’d never have believed that Princess Luna could manage such an… invigorating soirée.” Her magic set the bouquet of flowers down, ignoring the delicate glass and peanut tray structure, and immediately picked up one of the folded napkins on the table; she dabbed it gently across her forehead as she smiled breathlessly at Fluttershy. “I don’t believe I’ve danced like that in quite some time!” she admitted, moving the napkin to her cheeks. “Not since… well, there was that one party just before Twilight’s birthday, when I was here in Canterlot…” The unicorn trailed off, turning her eyes back to the group as she dabbed the glistening sweat from her coat, moving it from her cheek to her jaw, pressing gently against brilliant white for a moment before lifting and moving down slightly to repeat the process. Fluttershy found herself mesmerized by the movements, so simple and delicate, as the napkin moved from her jaw to graceful neck, dabbing lower along the perfect, gentle curve of the unicorn’s neck towards the neckline of her dress. Lower and lower the napkin dabbed, until finally Rarity’s magic pressed it against her collarbone, just above where the dress hid her coat from view. Fluttershy’s cheeks ignited as she realized that there was nothing in Equestria she would not give at that moment to watch Rarity continue drying her coat in such a manner, the thought so bright and insistent in her mind that Fluttershy squeaked aloud, thankfully too softly to be heard over the music. Rarity’s eyes returned to the table and met Fluttershy’s own, those beautiful blue eyes that had captured her heart more certainly and completely than any trap that could have been conceived. Suddenly, the music changed again, this time dropping even lower until there was nothing but a gentle string section backed by delicate synthesizer and bass. The sound was so ethereal and beautiful that immediately every pony on the dance floor found a partner and began to dance closely with them. The white unicorn DJ nodded in approval to Luna, who looked simply giddy from her position next to the turntables as she watched the newly paired couples dance to the soothing, flowing melodies that seemed to enfold all who heard them into a gentle blanket of emotion. Luna’s horn blazed again, and the flashing lights that had permeated the night changed again, fading from multiple colors to a pure silvery light that matched the stars themselves; ever so slowly they began to give off soft sparkles that fell in gentle drops around the dance floor. “Well, at any rate, I’m glad to see her out and about,” Rarity said in a much softer voice. She smiled serenely at the group of dancing ponies as they swayed. “This has certainly been a memorable evening… one I shan’t forget soon.” Fluttershy’s heart pounded insistently against her ribs as the lights above the dancers began to spread out to encompass the entire courtyard, slowly filtering over the tables; one made its way over the table where the two friends sat, sprinkling a gentle silver dusting of magic over Rarity as it passed. Rarity giggled lightly as she held up her hooves, catching a small amount of the ethereal stardust on them before turning to Fluttershy, her eyes sparkling. Fluttershy felt her throat squeeze tight as Rarity moved, causing the magic sparkles that had settled into her mane to shimmer like ten thousand diamonds and reflect in the eyes that Fluttershy loved so much. Even Rarity’s pristine white coat had been touched by the stardust, her whole body seeming to glow in the darkness like an ethereal goddess that for one night had been given leave to be on Equestria. With a smile Rarity held her hooves up and blew gently on the sparkles that rested there; as if by command they leaped from her hooves and floated directly at Fluttershy, who was so transfixed by her table companion that she didn’t even flinch as the magic floated to her and settled itself into her mane. Rarity giggled again. “You look positively radiant with that stardust in your mane, Fluttershy,” she said softly. She sighed and smiled dreamily off into the sky. “Today may not have been everything we’d hoped for… but tonight… tonight has been everything and more.” “N…not yet it hasn’t.” Fluttershy blinked, wondering where that voice had come from… but when Rarity’s curiosity-filled gaze returned to her, she blushed and clapped both hooves to her mouth as she realized that it had come from her. “What… do you mean, Fluttershy?” Rarity asked gently. “Did something happen? Oh… are you still upset about the Changelings, darling?” Those blue eyes filled with concern, and suddenly the hidden boldness that had forced the words from her mouth before returned, even stronger than before. “N-no, Rarity… I’m not worried about the Changelings…” She couldn’t believe she was saying this; and to Rarity, no less! She had contemplated telling somepony about her feelings, had been almost sure she would tell SOMEpony… but never in her wildest daydreams did she ever consider telling Rarity how she felt… but there was something in the air tonight. Whether it was the music as it washed around them like an ethereal tide, or the magical orbs as they slowly painted the entire room in sparkling starlight, or the beauty of the wedding and the emotions as Princess Cadence and Shining Armor had pledged their lives to one another... or even if it was the ridiculous amount of wine that Fluttershy had imbibed as she’d watched others dance. Whatever it was… Fluttershy had suddenly found her voice, and there was but one thing it wanted to say. “I… I want to tell you something, Rarity…” she began, her voice barely audible. “I… I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately… ever since Photo Finish and the modeling… and especially since Iron Will and my sudden… bad attitude.” Rarity smiled at her and waved a hoof. “Oh darling, are you still worried about those? Please, bygones and water beneath the bridge.” But Fluttershy shook her head, perhaps a little more firmly than she had intended, because the whole room spun for a moment as she looked at Rarity again, her teal eyes wide and imploring. “No, Rarity, please… it’s not that… I’m not worried… but I… I have something that I have... I have to tell you.” The Pegasus took a deep breath. “I… back before Photo Finish… back before all of that… I started to have… well, I know we became friends a little faster than the rest of the group, and we started spending a lot of time together… and then my heart started to think of you differently…” Fluttershy watched Rarity’s face go from quiet understanding to mild confusion; a gentle frown creased the unblemished white of her forehead. “Fluttershy…” she began in a gentle tone, “You’ve had quite a bit to drink tonight… perhaps you should-,” “No, Rarity,” Fluttershy said, surprising herself again with the firmness of her response… and the desperation that was etched in her words. “Please… I have to tell you this… for the love of Celestia… I want you to know…” The white unicorn watched her face closely for a long moment as the music changed again, fading to a soft guitar and piano that seemed to make the stars around them sparkle all the brighter. Finally, she nodded silently, and Fluttershy felt the words well up in her throat again. “I… I started out thinking that it was just being friends with you… that it was just… I don’t know… friendship that was different… but then, when Iron Will came around, and I said all those awful… awful things to you… and you were still there for me…” Fluttershy felt her eyes begin to burn, but the words wouldn’t stop coming. She squeezed her eyes closed and turned away from Rarity slightly. “Ever since then… wh-whenever you come around, I feel… I feel like there are ten thousand butterflies in my stomach, all trying to go somewhere different. I feel like my heart is trying to use my wings and fly away…” She took a breath as her words came faster and faster, spilling out of her before she could make the conscious effort to stop them. “And I know I’m not making any sense… but Rarity… I feel like I’m flying when I’m around you, and when I’m not I feel like my hooves are… are tied to rocks, and they won’t let me go, and you’re the only one who can set me free… the only one who makes me want to be more than me, more than who I am, because… because I want to be with you… a-and you make me want to fly, fly, Rarity, fly higher than I ever have before, but not with my wings… with my heart…” Fluttershy turned back to Rarity, her teal eyes shimmering in the starlight as the words she had longed to say and dreaded more than anything burst from her lips: “…because… because I love you, Rarity.” The words seemed to drop into the world like a magical spell, because everything around Fluttershy seemed to freeze, including Rarity; the music slowly faded away as she watched the white unicorn’s face melt from concern to confusion to completely blank in the matter of a few moments. Saying those words seemed to have taken all of the courage out of Fluttershy, as if they had been supplying it to her from the beginning; she felt herself shrink beneath Rarity’s azure gaze, and as the moments ticked by, Fluttershy felt tears welling up in her eyes. She’s going to be mad, was her first thought. She’s going to be angry, and she’s going to hate me, and she’s going to tell all our friends what a horrible, horrible pony I am, and she’ll never speak to me again…! But Rarity just watched her, her gaze neutral, her expression completely unreadable… and as she watched her, Fluttershy’s heart slowly began to break. A sob slowly began to work its way up her throat, and hot tears began to blur her vision. “R-Rarity,” she choked softly, burying her head in her hooves. “P-please… say something… anything… please… don’t look at me… please, Rarity…” She felt wet warmth on her cheeks, and tried her best to become invisible… or to teleport somewhere, like Twilight could… anything to be away from here… but she couldn’t. She was stuck here until she could gather the courage to run away, and she knew deep in her heart that by the time she raised her eyes again, Rarity would be gone… and everything would be done. Then, so gently she almost didn’t notice it, a hoof touched hers; ever so slowly Fluttershy raised her red-rimmed eyes, her curiosity getting the better of her shame. She blinked to try and clear her eyes of tears, to see who had come by to check on the poor, sobbing mare in the corner… …but she found a pair of clear, sapphire-blue eyes gazing across at her from the chair next to her… and her heart seemed to come to life again. Rarity hadn’t left… she hadn’t run, she hadn’t vanished… she had pulled a chair over to Fluttershy, and was smiling at her in that soft, unreadable smile that Rarity did so well. Fluttershy took a deep, shuddering breath. “Please…” she squeaked. “…say something…” Rarity’s smile quirked just slightly, and she gently put one hoof on Fluttershy’s left cheek, lifting her away from the table. Fluttershy sat up, unable to work against the unicorn despite her sudden surging fear as to what Rarity might do… but as soon as Fluttershy was upright, Rarity placed her other hoof on Fluttershy’s right cheek, just as delicately as the first. Fluttershy’s heart began to slam against her ribs as if begging to be released as Rarity leaned forward, the delicate jasmine perfume Rarity wore teasing her nose as the white unicorn leaned closer… and closer… As she watched, Rarity slowly closed her eyes… And suddenly, Fluttershy’s world exploded around her as Rarity brought her lips tenderly against her own. It was as if her entire body was suddenly blazing with fire, a fire that could never be quenched except by the pony in whose hooves she so willingly rested herself. Fluttershy felt her tears redouble themselves and she let out a muffled sob as she leaned eagerly, whole-heartedly into the kiss, wrapping her hooves around Rarity and pulling her closer until the heat of the other pony’s body was directly against her; Rarity wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy’s neck as she kissed her deeply, her soft lips parting slightly as she ran a hoof through the Pegasus’ mane. Fluttershy found herself doing the same, and the blazing heat in her flared to new heights as Rarity’s tongue gently rolled against her own, the amazing silkiness of it sparking desire in the Pegasus that she had never known. She felt as though she would melt, simply turn to yellow mush as the heat in her built; the scent of Rarity, of jasmine and lavender, of fresh silk and the barest hint of sweat, filled her nostrils, her head, her entire being as the kiss lingered. Suddenly, with a final gentle roll Rarity’s tongue retreated and the white mare broke the kiss, nipping gently at Fluttershy’s bottom lip as she did so; she pulled back, and Fluttershy felt as though her chest were going to explode as she locked eyes with Rarity. The unicorn smiled, and a gentle blush touched her cheeks as she leaned forward once more to nuzzle Fluttershy’s cheek, and whisper the five words that the Pegasus never thought she would hear: “…I love you too, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy heard herself sob again, and she pulled Rarity close; the unicorn giggled and wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy once more, holding her close as the magical starlight around them danced and sparkled, making it seem as if the two mares were suspended in the sky itself instead of nestled in a castle… and for Fluttershy it was fitting, because it felt to her as if her heart were well and truly flying. Everything had gone better than she had ever even dared to hope… everything seemed to be going perfectly. And for that one brilliant, shining night… it was.