//------------------------------// // "Coming-out day" // Story: My Little Pony - Friendship is magic : New adventures // by Poggy //------------------------------// The wake-up call was not only difficult, but late. It was past 10 a.m. when Twilight opened her eyes. She was worried to not find Spike anywhere, when she heard his voice some rooms away. She lay down in her bed, absently listening to the conversation between him and Rarity. "Rarity ! I’m-I’m sorry ! I was… I…" "What are you apologizing for ?" Rarity asked with a surprised tone. "It’s me who has to apologize. You just shouldn’t look at me in such a… a… I cannot even give a name to whatever I am looking currently. Stay here please". A door was heard, and then another. Rarity took a brief shower before coming back to her room. "Much better, don’t you think ?" She asked to the little dragon. "You’re always beautiful Rarity, but I wasn’t talking about that… You see… We… we… kind of slept together", Spike spluttered. "Did we do something ?" His friend interrogated bluntly without realizing what she was saying. The baby dragon almost fainted. It took all his mental strength to reply : "I-I-I… don’t know". "Whatever the answer is, it…" Rarity stopped as she brutally realized what they were talking about. "It doesn’t… well… it bothers me a bit", she said bashfully. Her cheeks flared a botchy red ; she staggered and recoiled like she was hit by a giant sledgehammer. "Oh my… oh my… oh my…" The unicorn collapsed on her bed and stuck the pillow on her head, almost piercing it with her horn. Spike sit next to her. "Rarity, we’re not sure…" He whispered in a soft voice ; he could not stop blushing. Rarity literally sank in her bed, her entire immaculate body shaking from painful spasms of shame and sadness. "Spike… I can… I can… feel it… in my body… and… I-I-I start to… remember some sensations…" She sobbed, her uncontrollable tears drenching the pillow. The baby dragon froze, his mind briefly escaping the world, preventing him from hearing the two very loud gasps coming from the adjacent rooms. He was dreaming : that was the only possibility. His head started to spin as he too regained small fragments of memory from the night. “I… I… with Rarity”. He began to tear up too : not only their friendship was broken forever, but no one would ever accept them as a couple ; there was nothing to do and nowhere to go. "I’m so sorry Rarity. I’m not… not worthy of being your friend. I think I’ll return to the Dragon Lands once we’ll get back to Equestria, or rather just… leave Equestria altogether". "What… what are you talking about ?" Rarity sobbed. "I just… I just wanted things between us to… go slowly… and… no… I’m lying… or I wouldn’t have… done that. I don’t know what I… wanted anymore, and… it doesn’t matter anyways. We did it. We did it. And…" Suddenly, in a flash – or rather in a raging flow not unlike those of the jungle’s waterfalls – she remembered precisely all what happened. She brutally stopped her uncontrollable sobbing and her mind lighted up with a limitless joy as it got rid of any sentiment of sadness and shame ; she loved Spike and Spike loved her back ; there was nothing to be ashamed of, but, besides that, the intensity and clarity of the recollection were overwhelmingly joyful. "And it was wonderful", she concluded as she stood up, sat and gave the dragon a genuine smile while drying her tears. "To tell you the truth, I… I wasn’t sure of what I was feeling for you before… but now, I can tell that… I love you Spike. I truly love you". It was true : the night of love has been wonderful. She remembered each detail, each moan, Spike’s warm scales against her fur… Her friend smiled too, albeit weakly ; he put his claw on her hoof. "I hope I’ll remember that night", he said, blushing again. "I… I love you too, Rarity". "You’ll remember eventually, and just like me, you will never forget it. But you can just ask me, my little Spiky-Wikey", Rarity purred before kissing him on the lips. Twilight heard everything, including the other gasp ; she was not sure where it came from : it was too muffled by the walls. She could not decide what to do ; things were done, so she had not much of a choice anyways. She wanted to blame herself, the alcohol, Rarity or even Spike, but shook her head dismissively ; they seemed happy together once over the shock. She thought she had not given so much attention to her assistant’s infatuation with the lovely fashion designer, and had convinced herself that, whatever the result, the two would always remain friends. But now they were past that : they were lovers. “Never, ever, underestimate crushes, Twilight Sparkle… I wonder if I’d stay in Canterlot High…”, she thought before going to the bathroom. As she was showering, an unrelated thought hit her so hard she almost screamed in pain : it was like her brain was struck by lightning ; she recoiled, panting heavily. However, the pain quickly subsided and she instantly forgot the whole experience. While she was unaware of what had blossomed in her, she suddenly felt extremely relieved and relaxed ; she resumed her shower like nothing had happened. Everyone came down almost at the same time, with Rarity and Spike together ; they drew some puzzled looks. The ponies sat at the same table as the day before ; Applejack even took the chair she had apologized to. The breakfast came quickly : there was jam, bread, butter, cereals, sugar, milk, coffee, apple, grape and orange juice. "It was quite a night", Starlight resumed. "Did you still sleep well, everypony ?" "Like a rock ! Maud would’ve been proud !" Pinkie Pie replied laughingly before digging in her cereals. Rarity and Spike did not reply to Starlight’s question but simply blushed. "Ah hope Ah didn’t say nor did somethin’ stupid. Or did some stupid things", Applejack groaned before slowly drinking her coffee. "I think you apologized to the chair you’re sitting on", Starlight recalled. "If that’s all, I’m cool with it", Applejack replied. "Truth to be told, that chair’s pretty comfy". "And you flirted with it", Starlight added. "Oh. That’s huh… much more huh…" Applejack spluttered. "It was awesome !" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. "But things are… blurry after the third glass", she added sheepishly. They chatted in a good mood and ate profusely. Fluttershy was the only one who stayed silent, focusing on her breakfast. Although she was always a quiet pony, except when she was drunk or enraged, she was far too quiet today, even for herself : Rainbow Dash was the first to notice it. "Hey, Fluttershy, what’s the matter ?" She interrogated. "You’re so… silent. Even for ya". Her friend squeaked something that sounded like a faraway kitten meow. "Huh… You can speak louder y’know", Rainbow Dash groaned. But the timid pegasus could not say what she wanted to ; at the same time however, the pressure of the secret was crushing her ; and at least one of them knew too ; she was torn with indecision. "Spit it out !" Pinkie Pie encouraged. Spike and Rarity looked at each other and nodded. "By the way…" Spike began. "I-I-I-I h-h-he-heard y-y-yyou this mo-mo-mor-morning !" Fluttershy finally exclaimed splutteringly, pointing her hoof at Spike and Rarity. Everyone looked at the dragon and the white unicorn with confused looks, except Fluttershy, who was still pointing her hoof at them, and Twilight, who was the other one who knew their secret. "What’re ya talkin’ ‘bout ?" Applejack interrogated. "They-they… I-I-I’m so-so-sorry… I-I heard everything… I-I didn’t want to… but… you-you…" The timid pegasus spluttered, blushing profusely and hiding behind her mane. "What ?" Rainbow Dash asked. Starlight was the first to put the pieces together : she turned a bright shade of red and put her hooves on her face. She wanted to slide under the table and would have done so if Pinkie Pie had not screamed for the whole world to hear : "YOU SLEPT TOGETHER !?" "More than that actually… but for the sake of politesse, I’ll spare you the details", Rarity replied calmly with assurance ; she bit her lip and her cheeks reddened however. Everyone except Twilight and Fluttershy froze. Pinkie Pie’s jaw hit the table. Applejack spat out her coffee, fortunately on the table. Fluttershy, already almost at the table level, slumped further on her chair, finally disappearing from view. Rainbow Dash was still searching what Rarity was meaning when she finally understood. "WHAT !?" She screamed to the point of shaking the whole inn ; she searched for a place to hide, found none, and opted to imitate Starlight : putting her hooves on her flushed face. Twilight was enjoying her currant jelly, silently waiting for the storm to cease. "Is… is everypony okay ?" Spike asked timidly after a full minute of crushing silence. "I… I… just don’t know what to say", Starlight replied finally. "I mean, we… we all knew that you liked each other very much, especially you Spike, but…" "So you two are lovers now ? You’re. The. Cutest. Couple. Ever ! We need a party ! And a wedding ceremony ! And then a wedding party !" Pinkie Pie exclaimed cheerfully as a shot of confetti popped out her nearby party cannon. "Slow down a little darling", Rarity tempered, reddening slightly at the mention of the wedding. "We’re definitely not at this stage yet". "Ah don’t remember love stories between ponies and dragons", Applejack pointed out as she drank twice in her mug to compensate her missing gulp of coffee. "Dragons weren’t peaceful creatures before Princess Ember… And even now, there are some who aren’t totally reformed. I can’t think of anything that could prevent such a romance", Twilight countered. "We feared you wouldn’t take the news in a… good stride", Rarity admitted. "I am ashamed. You are all my friends, and I shouldn’t doubt you, especially after all these years". "It’s okay", Rainbow Dash dismissed. "To be honest, I’m not sure what I would’ve done if I was in your place. Just imagine the huh… the total chaos with me and… Princess Ember…" She trailed off before suddenly clapping her hooves on her treacherous mouth, too late however. This time, all the eyes were on her ; confused looks were plastered on each of her friends’ faces. "It was… was… just an example. Yes, that’s it, an example ! Not that I…" She spluttered unconvincingly. Seeing that her friends were not buying it in the slightest, she grumbled something incomprehensible, blushed, and looked sideways. "Can’t hear ya sugarcube", Applejack said. "I… mares…" "Just a little louder", Starlight encouraged. "I like… I like mares. I’m-I’m... I'm gay. P-Princess Ember was an example, I’m-I’m not really attracted to her, but she’s pre-pretty… for a-a dragon I-I mean. At-at first I-I wanted to say Garble and…" Rainbow Dash fell silent and her head and ears dropped. Her friends stared at her with surprised looks and gaping jaws, except one. "And so what ?" A confused Twilight asked. "What’s strange in that" ? "Learning that one of your friends – a friend among your very best friends – is gay doesn’t faze you, even a bit ?" Rarity interrogated, shaking her head in confusion. "Why should I be surprised ?" Twilight repeated before biting in her second jam toast. "Did you know that Rainbow Dash was a lesbian ?" Rarity asked, opting for another approach. "No, I didn’t". "And suddenly knowing that she is a lesbian doesn’t come off as a… complete surprise to say the least ?" "Not at all. I’m not that interested in the sexuality of my friends, it’s their intimacy after all. If they’re happy, then it’s perfect. If they aren’t, I’d help them to improve their relationships, that’s what we do actually. Besides that, the stallions - mares’ ratio is severely imbalanced in Equestria in favor of the latter. Many mares are lesbians. For example, just in Ponyville, Lyra and Bon Bon are together, as DJ Pon3 and Octavia, and maybe Aloe and Lotus Blossom. There’s no problem with that, and there will never be". "No, of course not", Rarity nodded, "you have a point. But I thought, and I am not alone, that you, of all ponies, would be surprised". "Is there anypony you like ?" Starlight suddenly asked to Rainbow Dash, changing subject. Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head with a hoof, relaxing a little, seeing the positive reactions of her friends. "Well, not… not really. I just find some mares… very beautiful". "For example ?" Applejack pushed. Rainbow Dash grinned as she stared intently at the farm pony. "For example ? You, my dear AJ. I wasn’t so drunk yesterday when I said you were a firm pony…" Applejack demeanor shifted in a split-second ; her face decomposed, her jaw dropped. She was mortified : her mug was shaking in her hoof, spilling coffee everywhere, and her cheeks and muzzle were slowly turning scarlet. Rainbow Dash burst into a long fit of laughter. "Just kidding. Well, you’re pretty, but not my type. No offense". "None taken", Applejack replied as she calmed down and finished her coffee, with more than half of it spilled everywhere. Rainbow Dash kept on explaining her feelings : "I find Spitfire attractive, but it’s not something physical… I love her strength, her status, her authority… And I always thought of Derpy as the embodiment of cuteness just as we’re the Elements of Harmony, but at the same time she’s so… clumsy. I could say Lyra and DJ Pon3 too, they’re just gorgeous. And last but not least…" She flew behind Fluttershy and gently stroked her mane. "I’m in love with Fluttershy’s mane !" She laughed as a red Fluttershy sank again under the table. "Kidding Flutters’ !" Rainbow Dash giggled. "Well, almost, because your mane’s truly awesome ! Heh, I’m disappointed that he ain’t here, because I would’ve made your brother go totally crazy if he heard that !" "You know", Twilight interrupted as she prepared a third toast, "I actually find some mares pretty attractive too. And I also liked Flash Sentry… and a few stallions to the same extant. When I seriously think of it… that technically makes me bisexual… but, as a scientist, sexuality’s just a spectrum like any other". "That’s the coming out day", Starlight chuckled nervously. "If anypony asked me sooner, I would’ve replied the same", Twilight affirmed before biting in her toast. "I guess…" She added. "Anypony else wants to come out ?" Rainbow Dash asked, a ferocious smile on her face. Applejack really wanted to say nothing. She had nothing to say by the way. But she suddenly realized it was not true ; and as it was not true, she was compelled to say the truth : she began to shift uncomfortably on her chair and at her own consternation, opened her mouth : "Ah… I kinda feel somethin’ fer… somepony, she spluttered. “Hugh… Honesty… Can’t hide anything… and definitely can’t hide that… Here you go, Applejack”. Years ago, in the-the summer camp. But I-I was too young to understand… I think... What I-I wanna say is-is… Rara’s kinda cute… And her voice too and… huh… I… huh… just-just wait. I’m-I’m forced to say the truth, and-and that’s the truth, but how the hay I wasn’t aware of it in Equestria !? What the hay’s happenin’ to us !? Why do love and crushes stuff seem so important all of sudden !? Why the hay are we…" "Wait a second !" Pinkie Pie interrupted suddenly : she looked at Spike and Rarity, who blinked innocently. "Do you want a baby ?" Instead of answering, the mare and the dragon fainted. "Never had so much fun", Rainbow Dash laughed as they left the dining room. "And you let your secret out", Starlight reminded her. "Yeah, but I’m totally cool with it. And I’m not the only one ! Thanks !" Rainbow Dash replied, winking at Spike and Rarity. "Applejack’s question stick in my mind", Twilight recalled. "Why are we letting out our love secrets, our deepest intimacy, so suddenly ? Except for Applejack, it’s not like we’re really forced to do it, and we can obviously notice it, but something compels us to say everything related to… love". Everyone except Twilight froze in place, paralyzed ; being manipulated was one of their worst fears : they remembered how many dangerous situations and close calls had happened because of this kind of subversive magic. "And all of these secrets are true it seems, so we’re not being influenced to lie or even act against our will. I can tell, however, that something’s growing as we go towards civilization. It’s the feeling that I had yesterday : something’s resonating with us, with our magic, but something positive and benevolent. I’ll tell you if it becomes more precise", Twilight concluded without any worry ; after the revelation of Spike and Rarity’s romance, not only she has opted to go with the flow, to stop worrying and stressing for once, but she was feeling more relaxed than she had ever been ; she decided she liked that kind of spirit and went in her room, whistling tunelessly. They left the inn before lunch, after Toad, the receptionist, explained how to go to Luigi’s mansion. He added that the place was scary at night, so they should better hurry ; he corrected himself however, because Toads were not exactly the fastest race of the Mushroom Kingdom. Just before their departure, with their accord, he took a photo of the ponies and Spike : he would pin it in a frame at the entrance for every customer to see.