Like Copper Sulfate in Flame

by NightCoreMoon


...but also Beautiful

/x/x/x/

Twilight sighed as she turned off the water while it was still lukewarm. Her hair clung wet to her back as she stood, dripping. She looked down at her wrists, the scars almost completely healed up.

“Not about to do that again...” she murmured to herself before sliding the frosted glass door open. “Just go to sleep... maybe you'll feel better in the morning.”

She stepped out onto the bath mat, wasting no time at all before grabbing a towel off the rack and slinging it around her shoulders. She leaned forward and gathered her hair before twisting it into the towel and folding it over, bringing it back up into a neat bun. This was a technique Rarity taught her how to do, and it worked like a charm. She’d told Twilight how to do it properly the first time Twilight came to bed with wet hair.

Rarity...

Twilight avoided clenching her fists, as that would disturb the raw flesh from her earlier accidental stabbing. She couldn't avoid clenching her jaw, however, which caused a wave of pain to roll in from her neck. She didn't outwardly react, though.

Instead she just grabbed another towel and tied it around her waist, not caring too particularly much about ~modesty~ considering she was alone in the house except for Spike, who was a dog and didn't care what clothes she was or was not wearing. Both parents were away on business and Rarity was probably staying the night at Sunset’s again so she’d be alone for the time being anyway.

She grabbed for her glasses on the corner of the sink and slipped them on, briefly taking herself in through the mirror.

Her eyes still looked red and puffy, and definitely bloodshot. At least she just looked tired, and not like she’d been crying on and off for the past few hours. Although as Rarity pointed out. she seemed to always look tired no matter how much sleep she got.

Twilight gently bumped the counter with a knuckle, intending it to be a light punch because she could not stop thinking about Rarity, but subconsciously figured it was much more intelligent not to do that.

She quickly collected her clothes and pushed the bathroom door open, stepping over to her bedroom. She slipped the door open and dropped her package in the hamper, turning and contemplating whether to put on her bathrobe anyway. However she’d yet to get it deep cleaned, and the prospect of dried bloodstains touching her arms was unpleasant to contend with. Besides, she was just putting the dishes away.

Briskly down the stairs she walked, taking in the black sky through the translucent windows adorning the door frame. She reflected on the length of time she was actually gone as she strode into the kitchen towards the sink. She thanked her earlier self for soaking the bowl and spared no time sticking it into the dishwasher or flipping the switch.

Satisfied she was finished, Twilight glanced to the top of the refrigerator at the allergy pills she’d once grown entirely dependent on for falling asleep.

“No...” she muttered, heading back to the stairs. “I can't just take steps back because of this...”

As she was halfway up, the doorbell rang and her heart stopped for a moment.

Quickly she undid her towel and retied it at her chest, somewhat grateful the door was locked. As she turned and cursed whoever it was that chose this infernally late hour to bother her, this train of thought was stopped as she glanced through the peephole.

“What the hell?” Twilight quietly asked herself before undoing the lock and opening the door a crack. “Rarity? Sunset?”

The two new arrivals looked up at her, confusion etching across their faces, presumably at the length of time... and the quick cursory glances down merely intensified the expressions.

“Hey Twi,” Sunset greeted, raising her hand. “Sorry it's late.”

“Yes, we...” Rarity hesitated, before Sunset tightly gripped her hand, refueling her resolve. “We’d like to speak with you about something. Is now a good time?”

Twilight said nothing but stepped back, opening the door and waving her hand inside.

Rarity and Sunset nodded and stepped in, removing their shoes as Twilight closed the door behind them.

“Not that I’m not always glad to see either of you,” she began, adjusting her glasses. “But why so late? Aren't you two... studying...”

This caused their cheeks to redden as Rarity became suddenly incredibly occupied with analyzing the dining room. Sunset was the first to speak.

“Look, um. There's something we wanted to say to you, and it isn't really gonna be easy because...” she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. “Well, it's something normal for me but it's probably less normal for both of you. It's hard to explain.”

“Do you wanna talk in the living room?” Twilight asked, gripping the knot holding her towel firmly in place. “We don't have to stand here.”

Sunset nodded, and the trio headed down the hall to the living room. Sunset and Rarity took the couch, and Twilight took a chair diagonal to them.

“Help yourself to the kitchen,” she said, crossing a calf over her shin. “And before you say anything, I’m... happy for you two.”

Rarity nodded, and Sunset sighed.

“Alright, I’m just gonna cut to the chase here,” she said, chopping her free hand on the arm of her seat. “Rare and I aren't dating. Okay? I’m dating Spitfire. Our relationship is not romantic in the least. It's just sexual.”

Twilight blinked. “What.”

“Friends with benefits, darling,” Rarity supplied. “What happened today is we were studying, but we reached a point where we were both getting frustrated with the amount of material we had to contend with. The two of us contend with stress very differently, so, ah...”

“I masturbate.” Sunset said, blunt. “I told her that and was gonna head to the bathroom to take care of it, but the problem with that is you know my bathroom. The door’s a curtain. It would've been awkward. So after a really painful discussion- well, painful more for her than for me...”

“I expressed that I wouldn't be uncomfortable if she took care of that. In fact, the opposite was true, and it intrigued me a bit. So, she, uh... she started to do it. And I, ah... wanted... in.”

It was Twilight’s turn to blush as the unpleasant feelings crept their way back in alongside some not so unpleasant feelings. Having just purged most of them she was torn between asking them to leave, and waiting to hear more.

“Long story short,” Sunset said. “We ended up fucking, and we both really liked it, at least I hope-”

“I did.”

“Okay then, we both did. So Rare blogged about it knowing full well everyone would see it within the next few minutes and we hoped that it would be clear that we wanted some absolute privacy for a little longer to do it again. It wasn't long enough until Pinkie found it and everyone talked about it.”

“Except...” Rarity almost whispered. “Your reaction was... not positive. The hesitation, the all caps, the joke, the emoticon. That's your false support style of text based communication. That's how you text when you're upset, and... and here I see now that you've been crying today, confirming my suspicion. And, I see on the entertainment center the movies you watch when you're particularly upset when it comes to romantic things.”

Twilight cursed Rarity’s perception, looking away.

“I'm fine.” She said. “I was... occupied. Look, I’m- why did you come here in the middle of the night to tell me this?”

Sunset put her fingers together and took in a deep breath.

“I read your memories when you were in the coma, so I know everything up until then. I'm sorry I never said anything about it before, I just wanted to know what caused you to do what you did. That's why I ran away to Equestria, because I felt ashamed, like it was my fault. Like I failed you. And then when I came back and you were fine, it...” she sighed. “I didn't want to bring back bad memories for you. But after what Rarity told me, I know that I need to be straight with you about that.”

Twilight gave an expectant look to Rarity, wheels turning in her brain faster than she could process them.

“And I was... concerned, as to how you took the news. I knew your feelings for Sunset too. They're quite obvious. And I know you have some feelings for me, considering you told me that you had a little crush on me the first night I came to live here. In the heat of the moment, I’d forgotten about that, considering it was something quite special to me, being my first actual gay sexual encounter. But after the fact, I simply felt rotten. Not for doing what I did, because it was... very nice... but because I knew you wouldn't take it very well.”

Twilight stood up and walked across the room, turning her head away.

“So, what...” she growled. “You came here to tell me in person that the two girls I’m closest to, and love the most, are having sex with each other, and you're conscious of my feelings, and... I don't get this, are you seeking my approval? Or are you just trying to, what, let me down easy? I'm not a baby, I can handle this. I didn't cut again, I didn't pop pills again, I didn't try to kill myself again. I took care of things in a healthy way. I mean yeah eating too much ice cream is bad for you in the long run but I do cardio so it's fine, okay? I can do this, and you can do that, but it doesn't help me at all when you're constantly rubbing it in my face!”

She whirled on her friends, who were looking away with guilty expressions.

“Look. I love you both. But I don't want you to be here if you’re gonna treat me like a fucking child over this. I was sad, yeah, I still am. I was sobbing when I typed out what I did. But I fucking got over it. Yeah, I wish I was there, I wish I was one of you, I wished beyond all hopes for years that I could have a chance to be with either of you, with any girl, but that’s just not gonna happen. So let me be selfish and upset on my own for a few days, okay, because this isn’t gonna help me. At all. I got over Rainbow, I’ll get over you. Just give me time!”

“Twilight, please!” Sunset said, standing up. “That isn't what either of us meant. I lied! Okay? I lied when I said I didn't have feelings for you back. I’m with Spitfire, I can't date someone else too. But I can fuck them. Sex isn't as big a deal to ponies as it is to humans, that's why I could have sex with Rarity. I just couldn't date you. And I would’ve done something similar to this with you if the opportunity ever came up... I just didn't want you to regress considering how fucked up you got at my photos.”

“And I'm not trying to baby you,” Rarity added, standing up as well. “I just mean that... you have such a big heart to have so much love for so many people. And you deserve so much more than you seem to get on a daily basis. It hurts me to see you so upset and lonesome. And... and I know all of the things you do when you think I don't notice. The way you look at me when you think I'm looking away. The things you do for me when I overwork myself or oversleep. How often I wake up with your arms around me...

“I honestly thought you simply felt the same way towards me as you do to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy, just a close friend you can be affectionate with and it not be anything weird. I thought that over time the romantic feelings you said you had for me faded to that quasiplatonic thing Fluttershy calls it. I know you, so well now... I fell in love with you. The real you, not the fake you that you put on around others. I just didn't think you felt the same. I figured that if you did, you would have asked me at some point, but it’s been seven months now. You weren't tutoring Rainbow Dash for one before your first date. I didn't think you had feelings for me any more, but seeing your reaction made me realize that I was wrong.”

“We both like you, Twilight...” Sunset finished. “The reason we came here is because... we wanted to know if you wanted in on this.”

Twilight just blinked.

“It's called a herd,” Sunset said. “In my people we usually have a primary romantic interest whom we marry, some have two. Sometimes there’s a breeder relationship between a mare and a stallion. And sometimes there's some casual sexual partnerships with varying degrees of romantic behavior. Spitfire is my primary. I don't have a breeder, not yet at least. I doubt I ever will. And I asked Rarity to be a part of mine, and... and I wanna ask you to be a part of mine too. That's why I came. It's something we both want, and I just wanted to know if you wanted to be a part of it too.”

“And I...” Rarity sighed. “I grew up desiring a nuclear family. A husband, two children. But now... now, I have a career to worry about. I'll have a family one day, but for right now I just want intimacy. I want to explore my sexuality. I want to date girls. And, if I have feelings for you and you me, and the three of us are all willing to have sex with each other, I just want you to know that the opportunity is here. Because I... oh shit she's fainting!”

Thunk.

/x/x/x/

Twilight woke up on her bed, not alone.

On her left lay Rarity, and Sunset sat on her right. Both were on their phones.

“...mm?” Twilight asked, leaning forward and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “R...ity? Suns?”

“Someone’s finally awake,” Sunset said, winking. “You feeling okay? You hit your head pretty hard.”

Twilight rubbed the back of her head, which was swelling slightly. “...yeah?”

“Oh good, I’d hate to know I was responsible for hurting you. However indirectly. That was mostly gravity but we contributed.”

“I don't remember what happened... I think when I hit the ground I dreamt you... no, that's ridiculous. Sorry I yelled at you.”

Sunset draped her arm over Twilight’s shoulders. “It's okay. We should've been to the point from the get go.”

Rarity did the same thing from the other side. “So do you have an answer for us?”

Twilight blinked again. “Answer to what?”

Sunset snickered. “You were clean out. Do you wanna have sex with me and Rarity?”

Twilight slowly turned her head. “What?”

“It's a simple question darling. Sunset and I are here, the house is empty, and uh... your towel fell.”

Twilight looked down. “So it did.” She looked back up at the two of her friends. “So like... you're for real?”

They nodded.

Twilight reached over to pinch her arm, then leaned back onto the pillow.

“Well, um... if you both want to... then sure.” She smiled as they both took a hand and leaned down with her, planting twin kisses on her temples. A river of golden silk flowed down through her body, warming her body and purging out the bad energy.

“...be gentle?” She asked.

Rarity and Sunset nodded as they started to remove their clothes, and Twilight just lay there and watched, blissful contentment blanketing the room.

“Can I, uh...” Twilight blushed and reached her hands down her body. “Can I watch you two first?”

/x/x/x/