//------------------------------// // 172. Good News, Everypony! // Story: Azure Edge // by Leaf Blade //------------------------------// Fluttershy stretched her arms above her head as she lounged in the plush chair of the Bitsburgh inn’s lobby. Yesterday had been a long day, and she was still reeling from it. All she wanted to do now was sit down, drink some tea, and wait for Pinkie Pie to arrive; Fluttershy had even considered going to Pinkie’s room herself, but she didn’t want to impose, and Pinkie was sure to come by the lobby and see Fluttershy eventually. And ‘eventually’ turned out to be sooner than Fluttershy thought, as Pinkie walked into the lobby alongside Applejack before Fluttershy had even poured her tea. Pinkie’s eyes lit up when she saw Fluttershy, and the gesture was more than mutual, Fluttershy standing up immediately and holding out her arms as Pinkie ran to her and leapt into Fluttershy’s embrace. Pinkie planted a tender but aggressive kiss onto Fluttershy’s lips, and Fluttershy treated herself by sucking on Pinkie’s tongue for a second before their lips parted. She just hoped Pinkie didn’t think that was weird… it had been a while since Fluttershy had kissed, and she still felt kinda rusty. “I missed you!” Pinkie beamed. “I missed you too, sweetie,” Fluttershy giggled and rubbed her nose against Pinkie Pie’s. “I missed you so much.” “Ooh,” Pinkie bit her lip and put a hand on Fluttershy’s bare chest, Fluttershy sighing contentedly at Pinkie’s touch, “you even unwrapped yourself for me.” “I live to please,” Fluttershy chuckled and sat back down onto her chair, Pinkie taking a seat on top of her lap. “Howdy, Fluttershy,” Applejack said pleasantly, climbing over the arm of the chair across from Fluttershy and lying down in it, her back against one arm and her legs over the other as she removed her rather dapper looking brown hat and placed it on the coffee table in the center of the chairs. “So how’d it go with Rarity?” “Oh yeah!” Pinkie’s ears shot up and did the most adorable wiggle, Fluttershy biting down a laugh at how cute they were. “Are you two friends now? Tell us tell us tell us!!!” “I uh,” Fluttershy bit her lip in the awkwardest of smiles as she thought about everything that had happened with Rarity, but especially how Fluttershy had very recently undressed her. “I think it’s safe to say that yes, we are friends now.” Pinkie gasped in delight, holding her breath for a really long time, and Applejack lurched up and sat up straight, eyes wide as she looked over Fluttershy. “No foolin’?” she said incredulously. “Y’all really settle things between ya?” Fluttershy merely nodded. There would be a time that she— or ideally, Rarity— would have to explain to the others what occurred in the forest, but for right now Fluttershy thought it best to simply lay out the good news, and leave the details for another day. “I’m so happy for you!” Pinkie squealed and buried her snoot in Fluttershy’s chest, tiny arms wrapped around Fluttershy’s even tinier waist. “And for Rarity! And for me too, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash and Spike and Twilight Sparkle! I’m just very happy in a general sense!” “I hope yer feelin’ a mite safer ‘round the rest of us too,” Applejack added, rubbing the back of her neck. “I feel like we maybe haven’t done enough to make you feel comfortable in our little party.” “Quite honestly, I think Pinkie Pie alone has done enough,” Fluttershy laughed softly, putting her arms around the beautiful pink pony who was still engrossed in hugging Fluttershy. “And Rainbow Dash has been sweet to me as well, and you’ve been kind enough. And with Rarity and I now being-” Fluttershy cleared her throat “-close, I’d say I’m feeling as comfortable as I could reasonably expect to.” “Well I’m gla—” “Ooh wait, I just remembered!” Pinkie sprung up and beamed, shaking with anticipation. Or maybe she was just having a sugar rush? “Me and Applejack have some great news for you too!” “Oh yeah?” Fluttershy said happily, stroking her precious Pinkie Pie’s mane. “Tell me all about it.” “Applejack and I are dating now!” Dead silence. All of the light left Fluttershy’s eyes, and she only briefly entertained the notion of caring whether anyone noticed. “Oh,” Fluttershy said flatly. “That’s great.” Pinkie was still smiling; her rush of excitement softened the blow of Fluttershy’s response and it hadn't quite sunk into her yet just how lukewarm Fluttershy’s reaction was. Applejack had no such buffer, and Fluttershy could see she was sweating. Good. “Hey, you guys!” Rainbow Dash’s voice meant a pin would have to be stuck in this conversation for now. Yet another thing to be handled at a later date. Or never. “Oh snap, Fluttershy!” Rainbow grinned and waved at Fluttershy as Rainbow jumped onto the back of a lounge chair and perched there. “You’re back! Good to see you! Everything go alright with Rares?” Fluttershy nodded and contemplated giving a more thorough answer, but Pinkie beat her to it. “It went great!” she yelled. “Fluttershy and Rarity are best friends now!” “Best friends, huh?” Rainbow smiled and raised an eyebrow at Fluttershy, who rolled her eyes playfully. “I wouldn’t say best—” “And Applejack and I are dating too!” Fluttershy felt like she was standing on a train that was roaring down the tracks, and then everything turned to slow motion as the train hit a bomb and flipped over into the air. “No kiddin’,” Rainbow grinned slyly at Applejack. “Damn, girl, yer just irresistible to the ladies, huh?” “It’s the freckles,” Applejack replied with a conceited smirk. “Well,” Rainbow said as she flew over to Applejack, wrapping her arms around the mare’s broad shoulders and sitting in her lap, “make sure you don’t forget about li’l ol’ Rainbow Dash.” “How could I?” Applejack whispered, sliding her hand up Rainbow’s shirt and putting her hand on the back of Rainbow’s neck, pulling her in for a kiss. “Damn,” Rainbow said weakly. She darted her eyes over to Pinkie and flashed a bright grin. “I totally get what you see in her!” Pinkie laughed, and while that sound usually filled Fluttershy’s heart with joy and sweet, tender feelings, right now it crumbled to ash in her ears and left her nothing but bitter. “Y-yo,” Rainbow said awkwardly, head snapping over to look at Applejack, though Fluttershy swore that Rainbow had locked eyes with her for a fraction of a second, “you guys wanna hit the bar for a bit? Sounds like we got a lot to celebrate, y’know?” “Oh that sounds awesome!” Pinkie jumped onto the table and pumped her fists, completely forgetting that Fluttershy was even sitting there. “Where’s Twilight at?” Applejack asked. “Don’t worry, she’s totally fine,” Rainbow waved her hand dismissively and perched on the back of the chair behind Applejack. “She’s like totally back to a hundred percent— those were her words, which means she’s really at about eighty— and she’s taking a load off in her room. Catching up with Spike, y’know?” “Well in that case,” Applejack smiled as she stood to her hooves, swiping her hat off the table and placing it on her head, “I guess I could go for a drink.” “Not a cider though,” Pinkie laughed, and Applejack laughed too. Oh, did they have inside jokes now? How cute. “You wanna go, Fluttershy?” Pinkie held out her hand to Fluttershy, who smiled thinly despite the thought of taking it making Fluttershy nauseous. “Go on ahead,” Fluttershy said calmly. She was calm. “I need a minute.” “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie cheered, Fluttershy wincing at that happy-go-lucky attitude, like she hadn't a care in the world. Usually one of Pinkie’s most precious attributes, but in this moment it grinded against Fluttershy’s last nerve like a millstone. Fluttershy watched Applejack and Pinkie as they left for the bar. Together. Chatting away, Pinkie holding up her hand and Applejack holding it gently. Fluttershy grinded her teeth against each other and stared daggers. She smelled blood. “Fluttershy,” Rainbow called out seriously. Fluttershy snapped out of her haze and gave Rainbow her attention. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle ya. I just wanted to ask, are you okay?” “Why wouldn’t I be?” Fluttershy’s smile became ever thinner. “I may not be good at reading a room,” Rainbow sat down in the chair across from Fluttershy and crossed one leg over the other, “but I know jealousy when I see it. Cuz like, I feel it in my bones. I get it.” “I’m not jealous,” Fluttershy scoffed at the absurdity— the audacity— of such a claim. “Yeah?” Rainbow shot back, unconvinced. “What do you call that death glare you were giving Applejack then?” “I’m not jealous,” Fluttershy growled through gritted teeth. “Fine,” Rainbow shrugged. “But y’ain’t exactly jazzed about Pinkie and Applejack dating, are you?” “Of course I am,” Fluttershy forced those lies out of her throat. “I couldn’t be happier for them.” “That right?” Rainbow hummed. “You’re a bigger mare than I am, I guess. I’m like mad jealous. Cuz you gotta remember, Pinkie’s dating my girlfriend. We’re kinda in the same boat.” “And you’re jealous of Pinkie Pie?” Fluttershy cocked her head. Rainbow needed to start making sense soon or Fluttershy was gonna transform back into her true shape and bite Rainbow in half. Oh no, that was too vicious… she would probably just… feel bad and sulk about it instead. “Maybe ‘jealous’ isn’t the right word?” Rainbow pondered, tapping a finger against her cheek for a moment before becoming uncharacteristically sullen. “Scared, more like. Scared that Applejack will love Pinkie more than me. “That she’ll move on from me now that she’s met someone new. That she’ll abandon me, and all my fears about myself, about how I’m unlovable and I’m scum and I mess everything up all the time, that they’ll all be proven true. “I’m scared.” “We really are in the same boat,” Fluttershy said coldly. No matter how much it hurt her to be honest— and the words felt like knives scraping against her throat— she couldn’t reward Rainbow’s heartfelt sincerity with another lie. “I’m scared too,” Fluttershy continued. “Of course I’m happy for Pinkie finding love with another woman, we talked about polyamory quite a bit already, and we’re both onboard to support each other’s loves no matter who it’s with! “I just didn’t expect to have to share her so soon. I want her to be mine. I want her to love me.” “She does,” Rainbow said casually. “I know,” Fluttershy said, her voice as hollow as her heart right now, “but I don’t always know.” “I feel ya,” Rainbow Dash sighed and placed her hands on her knees, standing to her hooves and moving across the lounging area to stand next to Fluttershy, putting a warm, supportive hand on her shoulder. “And at some point, you’re gonna need to talk to her about it, just like I’m gonna need to talk to Jackie.” “Yeah,” Fluttershy sighed bitterly, whatever was left of her joy escaping through a painful breath. “But for now,” Rainbow clapped Fluttershy’s shoulder, “how ‘bout we just enjoy a drink with some friends?” Fluttershy took a deep breath. She thought about Rarity, about Pinkie Pie and about Rainbow Dash, about Twilight Sparkle, and yes, even about Applejack. She had some good friends. “Yes, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy managed to eke out a heartfelt smile, if only a little one, “I’d like that very much.”