//------------------------------// // 23 – Highs and Lows // Story: Playing House // by Krickis //------------------------------// Chapter Twenty-Three Highs and Lows ⠀ ⠀ There was little doubt that Sunset not taking her birthday off was by design. If anything, she may have even specifically arranged to work just to have an excuse to avoid going out on it. It was no secret that her birthday was never her favorite day, after all. So it was with some guilt that Pinkie had encouraged everyone to get together for it anyway. But in the month since the accident, they’d only had one group outing – Sunset’s proper birthday party several days before, which had turned sour as soon as Fluttershy and Rainbow left. It was time to try for a better one! Besides, it was only for dinner. Just the five Everton friends meeting up after Sunset was out of work, nothing fancy or time-consuming. And Pinkie was positive that it was something they needed to do. It was clear right from the start that Sunset wasn’t into the idea, but Pinkie had managed to get Applejack on board, and she’d managed to get Sunset. At least Sunset was being a good sport about it. “I swear, if someone comes out singing a song, I’m leaving.” Well, she was trying. “Yeah, I really doubt that this is the kind of place that does that sort of thing,” Rainbow said with a smirk. That was true; the restaurant was a cheap bar and grill in a seedier part of town. It wasn’t horrible by any means, but it was the kind of place that one would need to specify that it was clean when complimenting it, since that was by no means a given at a location like this. In short, it was not at all the kind of place that Pinkie would ever approve of for her friends’ birthdays. Not that it mattered though, as Rainbow had only needed to tell Sunset one thing about it for her to agree. “How’s everyone doing over here?” Lightning Dust asked as she walked over to their table. It was sort of strange to see her waiting on customers, as nothing about her ever said ‘customer service’, but she did a good job. Maybe too good. Rainbow raised her glass. “I’ll have one more of those mixed drinks.” “You got it. Anyone else?” “None for me, thanks,” Applejack said. “I gotta work in the mornin’. I’ll take a water though, if ya don’t mind.” Sunset downed the last of her drink, apparently determined to go round for round with Rainbow. “I’ll have another.” It was all Pinkie could do to not wince at the sight. This would be her third one, and they didn’t go light on the alcohol here. “Uhm, I’m okay. I’m still working on this one.” Fluttershy took another small sip of her own. That was a relief, as she was also on her second. “Alright, so we got a hangover for Rainbow and Sunset, and we’re trying to avoid one for AJ.” Lightning Dust looked to Pinkie. “How about a soda for the designated driver?” “Sounds good,” Pinkie said. “Thank you, Lightning!” Lightning Dust walked off to get their drinks, and Rainbow grinned at the others. “Told you this place was cool.” “Yeah, this is my kind of place,” Sunset said, leaning back in her chair. She smirked and took a bite of her grilled cheese. “Or at least it would be if they had more vegetarian options.” Rainbow shrugged. “Gotta make do with what you can, I guess.” Pinkie still wasn’t sure this restaurant was a good idea. There really wasn’t anything wrong with it, even if it lacked any sort of wow factor, but their only reason for being there was for the drinks. None of them were old enough to drink legally, but since Lightning Dust knew Rainbow, she just made a show of checking their IDs then pretended they were old enough. And Pinkie didn’t have a problem with that normally; although she was the designated driver for the night, she did usually drink when her friends were. But it worried her to see alcohol involved after their previous birthday get-together had gone poorly. And of course, watching Fluttershy take another sip of her drink made her even more uncomfortable. It had only been a month since her accident, after all. It was hard to tell if the alcohol helped Sunset unwind or just made her more irritable. As far as Pinkie could tell, it seemed to somehow do a little of both. Still, she couldn’t just give up on trying to cheer her friend up. “See, it’s just five friends having dinner together. You don’t even have to think of it as a birthday thing.” “I guess…” Sunset turned her attention to finishing the last of her meal. Fluttershy took hold of Sunset’s hand. “We just want to spend the day with you because we care about you.” Sunset sighed and for a second, Pinkie thought she was going to complain about that as well. But then she managed a smile, even if it was an exasperated one. “Yeah, I know.” On her other side, Applejack clapped Sunset on the back. “Aww, don’t mind her. You know how people her age get.” Pinkie wasn’t sure teasing Sunset about her age was helpful. “Applejack, you’re older than her.” That wasn’t true, strictly speaking. None of the others seemed to have noticed the discrepancy in Sunset’s age, but Pinkie had figured out that she was somehow a lot older than she said she was. There was no telling how much older since she wouldn’t talk about it, but that was probably at least part of why she didn’t like to celebrate her birthday. Applejack just smirked. “Maybe, but some of us wear the years a little more clearly than others.” “Yeah, that is true.” Sunset nudged Applejack playfully. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll grow up someday.” It was nice to see Sunset joking around. As usual, Applejack just seemed to know exactly what to do with Sunset, even if it had seemed like the wrong thing at first. Maybe things really weren’t that bad after all. Lightning Dust soon returned with their drinks, to the thanks of everyone at the table. Since everyone was either finished with their food or would be soon, she also brought the check. Sunset reached for it, but Applejack got it first. “Nothin’ doin’, I got this one tonight.” “I can help,” Pinkie said, already reaching for her wallet. “With all the drinks we’ve had?” Sunset tried to grab the check, but Applejack moved it away. “Come on, you’ve got to let me pay something!” Without ever looking at the check, Rainbow pulled out some money and set it on the table. It was more than enough to cover what she’d ordered. “We got it, Sunset.” Sunset frowned, but didn’t try to convince them. “You know, uhm, it… it wouldn’t be so bad to let our friends treat you once in a while,” Fluttershy said. “I just don’t want anyone putting themselves out just for me.” Sunset took a large drink and looked off to the side. “Besides, it’s not like we have any reason to try and save money anymore.” It was immediately clear that those words were as painful for Fluttershy to hear as they were for Sunset to say. No one said anything, though. No one wanted to be the one to address that topic. Instead, Applejack placed money on the pile then passed the check to Pinkie, who did likewise. Even though they’d ordered nine drinks between everyone, the place was cheap enough that it wasn’t too bad split three ways. And even if Pinkie had been the cheapest since she’d only had soda, she was more than happy to cover a third herself, as well as chip in to leave Lightning Dust a generous tip. Silence hung over them as they waited for everyone to finish their drinks. Fluttershy finished hers quickly, and Pinkie didn’t care if she finished her soda or not. Since Applejack probably felt the same about her water, it was mainly Sunset and Rainbow that they were waiting on. For better or worse, Rainbow seemed to be eager to hurry things up. She drank quickly, and Pinkie was left unsure if she was more worried about that or about where the conversation might go. But if all the booze was getting to Rainbow, she didn’t show it. On the other hand, Sunset sipped hers slowly. She didn’t seem to be aware that the others were waiting on her, and there was no more doubt about how the alcohol was affecting her: Sunset was definitely looking more irritated the longer they sat there. The table’s mood was so low that even Pinkie struggled with what to say. But that didn’t mean she could just give up. Better to try shooting for a conversation, no matter how benign it was. “So, guess we’ll have to keep this place in mind next time we want to get together.” Applejack nodded, clearly happy to have something to build a conversation on. “Yeah, I reckon it was a good suggestion, Rainbow.” “Yeah.” Rainbow barely seemed to be paying attention, and it occurred to Pinkie that she was glancing at Sunset even though she hadn’t said anything in the past few minutes. “What did you think of it, Fluttershy?” Pinkie asked. “It was, uhm…” Fluttershy looked down at her empty drink. “I think I’d like to come back.” “The drinks are pretty good.” Sunset punctuated her sentence by taking a large drink which made Pinkie frown. “Can I have some?” Fluttershy asked. Sunset obliged and passed the glass. “Are you… sure about that, Shy?” Pinkie asked. Fluttershy hesitated when the drink reached her lips. “The doctors didn’t say anything about not drinking,” Sunset pointed out bitterly. “Since we’re all tiptoeing around the subject.” Fluttershy winced, then took a long drink. Rainbow narrowed her eyes and didn’t pull any punches in her tone. “Yeah, imagine us having a little tact. Almost as if it’s a sensitive subject.” Sunset matched her glare. “Excuse me? I think I know that a hell of a lot better than any of you do.” “Any of us?” Fluttershy set the now empty glass down. “I didn’t mean you, obviously.” “No, you just wanted to get upset at our friends who came out to show you a good time.” Sunset frowned and turned away. “Don’t give me that, I said I didn’t want to go out tonight.” “Can you just get over yourself!?” Rainbow rose to her feet. “Jesus, we want to celebrate your birthday with you, and you make us out to be the bad guys for it!” Sunset stared at her incredulously. “I didn’t say that! Just for fuck’s sake, I tell you I don’t want to do something, then you’re surprised when I don’t have fun doing it!” “Alright fine! We’re a bunch of assholes for taking you out on your birthday!” Rainbow pointed accusingly. “But that doesn’t excuse you making Fluttershy feel like shit.” “What?” Sunset stood up as well. “I didn’t –” “Sunset.” Applejack rose as well and took hold of her arm. She didn’t yell, but she did speak forcefully. “We’re going for a walk. Now.” Although Applejack took a step towards the entrance, Sunset stayed where she was. “I’m not a fucking kid, AJ.” “Could’ve fooled me.” Since Sunset wouldn’t move, Applejack folded her arms and fixed her with a disapproving stare. “Ya maybe wanna start acting your age? Realizing when someone’s tryin’ to help you would be a good first step.” “Yeah, okay, I know you all did a lot for me by taking me out tonight. And I do appreciate the thought, but I just wanted to stay home!” “That’s nice and all, but I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about you and me goin’ for a walk ‘fore you say somethin’ you’re likely to regret.” “Oh, right, because this is my fault.” “I didn’t say it’s your fault, just that you’re actin’ like a child about it.” “So what, it’s my fault then?” Rainbow asked. “Because where I’m standing, there’s only person –” “Not helping!” Applejack shot at her. “In fact, both y’all are acting worse than children right now. And if you’re not gonna take a walk to calm down, then I think it’s best for all of us if we just drop it and get out of here.” “That’s something I can agree with,” Sunset muttered. On top of the fact that the mood was growing increasingly hostile, it had to have occurred to her that everyone was staring. Without waiting for the others, Sunset turned and walked out of the building. Everyone else hesitated. Pinkie had been so taken aback by her friends’ sudden hostility that she’d wound up shrinking away from it as much as she could without leaving her seat. Looking around now, she saw that Fluttershy had done the same. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. Well now, that wouldn’t do. Not while Pinkie Pie was around! “She probably just wanted that walk after all.” “What the hell is her problem?” Rainbow asked. “Has she been acting like that a lot, Shy?” “It’s… it’s my fault.” Fluttershy kept her eyes on the table and her voice quiet. “I shouldn’t… shouldn’t have pushed her to come today.” Rainbow frowned. “No way, this is not your fault.” It was silly to try to play it off as if nothing happened, and as much as Pinkie liked silliness, this didn’t quite seem like the time. “I think maybe everyone had a little too much to drink. Applejack’s right, we should probably call it a night.” It really wasn’t ‘everyone’ so much as ‘Sunset and Rainbow’, but there was no way Pinkie was going to say that right next to Rainbow. Besides, the end result was the same; they all agreed to head home for the night, so Applejack led the way out of the restaurant. They found Sunset leaning against Pinkie’s minivan, waiting for them. At least the rain that they’d been having for the past few days had let up, so she wasn’t wet while she waited. She kept her eyes off her friends, but Pinkie thought she looked more embarrassed by her outbreak than upset. She unlocked the minivan and everyone climbed in. Rainbow sat up front, which was good – it would be harder for her to talk to Sunset if she wasn’t right behind her. Sunset and Fluttershy took the middle row, with Applejack sitting behind the couple. The whole way to Rainbow’s house, the only sounds in the car came from the radio and Pinkie singing along to it. She had hoped that she could get the others to join in with her, but she had no success. It was probably for the best. Silent car rides with friends might be uncomfortable, but it was better than… whatever that had been back at the restaurant. Maybe things would turn around after they dropped Rainbow off. “Good night, Dashie,” Pinkie said as Rainbow left the vehicle. “Thanks for the suggestion, we’ll have to go again sometime!” “If we’re not banned after that,” Rainbow muttered. If Sunset heard her, she chose to pretend otherwise. Although there was no doubt that Sunset must’ve heard when Rainbow turned to Fluttershy to tell her, “If you need me for anything, call me. Alright, Shy?” Fluttershy seemed more uncomfortable than appreciative of the gesture. “Uhm, of course. Good night, Dash.” “Night, Shy.” Rainbow addressed the others, but not all of them. “Later, AJ, Pinks.” She closed the door, and Sunset didn’t show any indication that anything had happened at all. Well, no big indication, at least. Pinkie was now positive that her expression was one of shame. “Next stop, Applejack’s!” Pinkie announced as she pulled out. Conversation came a little easier with Rainbow and Sunset separated, although Applejack’s tone was clearly still forced. “So uh… how ya feelin’, Sunset?” “I’m fine,” Sunset answered, although she didn’t sound like it. She sounded exhausted. “You just need some sleep,” Pinkie said. “Tomorrow, you’ll be good as new!” “Yeah.” Sunset leaned her head back. “I just need some sleep.” It was good to hear Sunset’s voice without her yelling, even if they didn’t hear much of it. The drive to Sweet Apple Acres was almost as quiet as the one to Rainbow’s had been, and Fluttershy didn’t talk at all. When they reached Applejack’s house, she paused on her way out to give hugs to both Sunset and Fluttershy. “Y’all let me know if ya need anything.” “I think we’ll manage,” Sunset said. “See you, AJ.” “You two take care.” Since it would be hard to hug Pinkie in the driver’s seat, Applejack just patted her arm. “G’night, Pinkie.” “Good night, Applejack.” Even after she was out, she stopped to wave goodbye. “You two next,” Pinkie said as she waved back. “Yeah…” Sunset sighed. “Everything okay?” Pinkie asked, then thought better of it before Sunset could answer. “Wait, you’re probably tired of that question. Let’s try another one: Why does everyone assume that woodchucks can’t chuck wood? I bet they could if they tried.” Fluttershy gave a small laugh, and Pinkie caught Sunset glancing at her as she looked behind to back up. “I’m… sorry, Shy. I acted like an ass all evening.” Pinkie shifted into drive as she pulled onto the road and kept her eyes off the couple to give them as much privacy as she could. She did listen intently, however. “No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you to go out when you didn’t want to.” Sunset sighed. “No, it was fine. I just went and made a mess of the evening… Rainbow was really pissed.” “Let me worry about Rainbow.” “I should apologize to you too, Pinkie. And, well, to everyone.” “No need to worry about me,” Pinkie assured her. “I’m just happy to hear you two sounding better.” “Don’t worry,” Sunset said with a bit of her usual cockiness showing through again, “I’ll be sure to take good care of Fluttershy.” “You sure about that?” Pinkie asked with a grin. “I always kinda thought it was Fluttershy taking care of you.” “Pinkie, Pinkie, Pinkie…” Sunset chuckled. “Come on now, you should know those aren’t mutually exclusive.” “I don’t think I do much to take care of anyone these days,” Fluttershy said sadly. “I can’t even take care of myself…” “You take care of lots of people,” Pinkie said. “You always make me feel better when I’m feeling down.” “Pinkie, you’re never feeling down,” Sunset said. “Well not when you two are around, silly! How would you ever know?” “Oh, so it’s both of us now?” Sunset asked. “Of course it is!” Fluttershy laughed, which was a sound Pinkie loved hearing. It had been too long since she’d heard Fluttershy sound happy. “I wish we could just have a day like this. Laughing and making silly jokes, just like we used to.” “We can,” Sunset said. “I know I kind of messed things up tonight, but things are going to get better. I promise.” “You know, we don’t have to call it a night,” Pinkie pointed out. “What do you mean?” Fluttershy asked. “I mean that the three of us should hit the town!” It was for the best that they dropped off Rainbow, and Applejack did have work in the morning, but that was no reason for the rest of them to give up on the night. “I… I don’t know,” Fluttershy said. “What would we even do?” “Whatever we want! We could catch a late movie, or see if there are any good bands playing, or see if the arcade is still open, or anything!” “I… I don’t know…” “Well… why not?” Sunset asked. “We can just go home if that’s what you want, but you did just say you wanted to do more fun things. So what do you say? A night out could be good for both of us.” Pinkie glanced in her rearview mirror in time to see a slight smile crawl across Fluttershy’s face. “You know what, you’re right. Let’s do it, Pinkie.” “Alrighty, now that’s what I wanted to hear! Look out Everton, because here we come!” Pinkie turned onto a different street, one leading downtown. Her spirits soared as she drove, confident that nothing could go wrong now. It was easy to see exactly where the night had gone wrong. The three friends had first gone to a movie, which had been the highlight of the night. While a movie wasn’t the best for socializing, Pinkie was sure that’s why Fluttershy had suggested it. They had all liked the movie, even if Pinkie liked seeing her two friends cuddling up together while they watched it even more. After that, Pinkie had suspected they’d call it a night, but they didn’t. They wound up walking around downtown looking for places that were still open, and stopped into a bar to get a few sodas and watch a little live music. Which, in retrospect, had been a terrible idea for reasons other than their ludicrous prices. Since none of them knew anyone inside and they didn’t have fake IDs, it wasn’t like they could get alcohol. At least, Pinkie wouldn’t have been able to get alcohol. Sunset struck up a conversation with the bartender where she sprinkled in some light flirting, an offhand comment about how annoying it was that all the kids were out of school for the summer, and capped it off with casually ordering a drink. Somehow, Sunset had managed to get the bartender to completely neglect to ID her with nothing more than her boundless charisma. Pinkie wondered if that was how she got alcohol regularly, but decided she didn’t really want to know. ‘It’s okay,’ Pinkie told herself. ‘We’re just gonna watch a little more of the show, then I’ll get the two of them home. It’s not like she’s really drinking too much.’ “Can I get a couple more?” Sunset asked the bartender, who obliged far too willingly. Sunset passed one of the drinks to Fluttershy. “This guy really isn’t that good…” Fluttershy said about the performer as she drank some of her… whatever it was. Pinkie tried to not pay too much attention. “He’s not that bad,” Sunset said. The guy was playing guitar and singing along to a recording of the other instruments. “I guess. But Dashie’s band is much better.” Sunset chuckled. “Yeah, you would say that.” “It’s true.” “I agree with Fluttershy,” Pinkie said. “Bitchette has been sounding really great lately.” Sunset smirked. “Maybe they could come play here. Then we can get free drinks as part of their entourage.” “I don’t think it works that way,” Pinkie said, although Sunset didn’t seem to hear over the sound of Fluttershy’s laughter. “I think they could get into much better places. That we could also get free drinks in.” “Well, I’m all for that!” They both laughed and Sunset put an arm around Fluttershy. “Love you, Shy.” “Love you too, Sunny.” “So, uh…” the bartender said from behind them. “You two together then?” Sunset momentarily looked shocked, but it was completely gone by the time she turned around. Flirting was one of the ways she’d gotten him to skip the ID check, and finding out she was taken might burn that bridge. But Sunset just looked at Fluttershy and beamed. “Yup! Imagine, someone like me with a girl like this? I mean, how lucky can I get?” The bartender was clearly irritated, but couldn’t say anything without looking like a jerk. “Yeah, sure. Well, you two enjoy yourselves, I should check on my other customers.” They waited until he left, then Fluttershy laughed. “I… don’t think we’re getting any other drinks.” “Yeah, me either.” Sunset finished off her drink, then set the glass down roughly on the counter. “Well, whatever. It was good while it lasted.” “Yeah.” Fluttershy finished hers, then mimicked Sunset with her glass. They both laughed again. “Wanna get out of here?” Sunset asked. “Yeah, let’s go.” Pinkie breathed a sigh of relief, then followed the couple out of the bar. It was great to see the couple happy, but Pinkie didn’t care what they said. It wasn’t good to drink that much after such a bad accident, and she was wary of another blow up like in the restaurant. “Where to next?” Sunset asked, looking around. “What do you say we get you two home?” Pinkie suggested. She was prepared for them to protest, but not for how good they would be at it. “Aww, come on, Pinkie.” Sunset wore the biggest grin Pinkie had seen on her in ages. “You gotta help me show this lovely lady a good time!” Fluttershy blushed and grabbed hold of Sunset. She normally was too shy to go for public displays of affection, and yet here she was, holding onto her girlfriend in the middle of a crowded downtown sidewalk. “Please, Pinkie?” Well that just wasn’t even fair. Pinkie resigned herself to her fate with a smile on her face. “How can I say no to that!? What’s next?” “I think we should go…” Sunset started walking, with Fluttershy still holding onto her. “This way!” Fluttershy just giggled. ‘As long as we stay away from anywhere with more alcohol, it doesn’t really matter. They already drank what they’re going to, and this way I can keep an eye on them.’ Sunset seemed to notice something and stopped. Pinkie couldn’t tell what it was, because Sunset quickly turned to face Fluttershy instead. “Shy, I love you. I love you so much.” Fluttershy smiled. “And I love you too, Sunny.” “And you know… I’m always going to love you, no matter what.” “I’ll always love you.” Fluttershy beamed and pulled herself closer to Sunset for a kiss. Sunset kissed her, then stepped back and grinned. “And I want to prove it. So that way, no matter what happens, you’ll know that I love you and always will.” “Silly Sunny, you don’t need to prove anything, I already know that.” “I know, but I want to.” Sunset gestured across the street to a shop, and Pinkie’s mind reeled when she saw what kind of shop it was. “I’m gonna get a tattoo!” Fluttershy’s face moved from shock to wonderment, but she shook her head anyway. “Sunny, you don’t have to do anything like that.” “Yeah, I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Pinkie said. “I mean, a tattoo? That’s forever! Shouldn’t you think about it a bit more?” Sunset shook her head. “Nope. I already know. Yeah, it’s forever, but so are we.” “I just don’t want you to regret anything.” Sunset chuckled. “Come on, I’m not gonna get Fluttershy’s name across my ass. How could I regret something tasteful like… butterflies. Three butterflies for Fluttershy.” Pinkie still wasn’t convinced. “That does sound really nice, but –” “Exactly!” Sunset turned her attention back to Fluttershy. “Come on, what do you say, Shy? You think it’s a good idea, right?” “I…” Fluttershy stepped forward again and leaned her head against Sunset’s chest. “Do you really want this?” “I do.” “Then… I do, too.” It was the way they looked at each other after speaking that changed Pinkie’s mind. Or rather, that melted away her ability to speak her mind. She was by no means convinced that this was a good idea, but she wanted so badly for them to be this happy from now on. This sure that no matter what, things would work because the two of them would make them work. “Alright then, what are we waiting for!” Pinkie raised a fist in the air and led the charge to the tattoo parlor. “Let’s get you those butterflies!” There was always the chance that the tattoo parlor would be closed, but they soon found that wasn’t the case. Within minutes, Sunset was telling an artist what she wanted and rolling up her sleeve so he could get to her shoulder. He did a few sketches, they agreed on a price, and she signed some forms. It was a straightforward process that took maybe half an hour, then they were inking it in. “Does it hurt?” Fluttershy asked as he worked. “A little,” Sunset answered. “Not too bad. It’s more like a mild stinging sensation that just keeps going. So you know, not great, but it’s worth it.” “It definitely is,” the tattoo artist said. Predictably, he was covered in tattoos, many of which had to have hurt a lot more than a few butterflies on a shoulder. They watched as the butterflies took shape. Between his hands, the needle, and the ink, it was hard to see the ones he was working on while he did them, but they could clearly see the ones he finished when he moved onto another. The butterflies were two-toned, pink wings and teal bodies, which stuck out nicely on Sunset’s amber skin. Pinkie had to admit, they did look great. Maybe she really wouldn’t regret them in the morning. “Uhm,” Fluttershy said as they were finishing up, “would… do you think I could get one, too?” “What?” Sunset nearly turned so quickly that she risked messing up the tattoo. “You sure about that?” “I… I’d like a sun.” Fluttershy looked at Sunset and smiled. “A red and yellow one, in the same place.” “I don’t know, Shy,” Pinkie said. “Isn’t this a little sudden?” “It doesn’t matter anyway,” Sunset said. “I’m sorry, Shy, but we don’t have enough money for another one right now. Maybe another time.” “Oh…” Fluttershy cast her eyes down. It was perfect. It didn’t come down to any of them deciding if this was a good idea or not, it simply wasn’t feasible. Which was why Pinkie shocked herself with what she asked next. “Are you sure you really want this?” Fluttershy looked at her, equal parts determination and love for Sunset. “I am. I know I want to do this. Pinkie took a deep breath then smiled. “Then I’ll pay for it.” Of course, Sunset was quick to shoot it down. “No way, you don’t have to do that.” Before Pinkie could answer one way or another, Fluttershy was already speaking up. “Sunny… I really want to do this. I love you, and I want to show that just as much as you do.” Sunset hesitated, and the tattoo artist finished as she did. “Tell you what, since this is a couple thing I’ll give you a special rate on the second one. If we get it done tonight.” Sunset sighed. “Fine, but at least let me cover part of it.” They switched places and Fluttershy went through the same process that Sunset did. It was strange to see Fluttershy sitting in the chair for a tattoo, and Pinkie could only wonder what Rainbow would think. “Ow!” Fluttershy winced when the needle touched her skin, but she held still. “How you doing, Shy?” Sunset asked. Despite the needle, Fluttershy managed to smile. “I’m looking forward to this being done, but I’m alright.” Because it was one solid picture, the sun was a little harder to watch come to life than the butterflies had been. Still, it was incredibly cool to see what they could, and Pinkie found herself jealous of both of her friends. Maybe someday she’d do something similar. The whole time he worked, the tattoo artist joined them in friendly conversation to help keep Fluttershy’s mind off the needle. She didn’t talk much, but it was clear that it helped her a lot. “All done,” he said after a while. He brought over a mirror for Fluttershy to examine herself. The yellow showed up a lot less on her yellow skin, but it was a distinct enough shade to be visible. And more importantly, the couple would both know it was there. Although her doubt still never fully left, watching Sunset and Fluttershy beam at each other quieted it more. After a few suggestions on how to best take care of the tattoos, the group was on their way out. They all left the tattoo parlor with no regrets, and all they could hope for was that they’d still feel the same in the morning. “So are we ready to head home now?” Pinkie asked once they were out. “I know I am,” Sunset said. “As much as I love the tattoos, I’d also love to go and lie down after getting mine.” “I agree completely,” Fluttershy said. She reached for her arm, remembered herself, and left it alone. “It’s itchy.” “I heard that gets worse over the next few days,” Sunset said. “Can we stop at a store on the way back for some of the lotion the guy recommended?” “Sure thing,” Pinkie said. “I can’t wait to see what everyone says after this one.” “Me either,” Fluttershy said. “But really… I already know what the only person who matters thinks.” “Yeah, me too.” Sunset paused as they reached the minivan. “Love you, Shy. Forever.” Fluttershy giggled and kissed Sunset before opening the door. “Love you too, Sunny. Forever.” Pinkie couldn’t help but beam as brightly as if she were the one in love. ‘Please let things work out for them… Please, just let this work.’