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// The worst part of it all, is that I desperately still want someone who never wanted me 
// Story: Irrelevant 
// by Undome Tinwe 
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It had taken weeks for Smart Cookie to build up the courage to confess her feelings.

Somehow, despite her regularly telling the leaders of Equestria off for their foolishness, this felt different. It was easy to determine why, of course. One's duty to the nation was very different from one's romantic thoughts, after all.

Still, Cookie was no coward, had helped forge this new nation from the shadows. And she was certain that she belonged with Hurricane.

The three Equestrian leaders each had their own office in Castel Everfree. Hurricane's was at the very top of the East Tower, as close as she could be to the skies. "Come in," the mare said, her voice as rough as her personality.

Cookie stepped inside. "Howdy, Hurricane," she said with a polite curtsy.

"That's Commander Hurricane to you," Hurricane corrected. "If I have to share power with those other two grounders then I will at least be addressed properly."

"Sorry, Commander." Cookie took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Whatever, not like I can expect anypony to have any respect for my position anymore." At least Hurricane had put down her papers to focus her attention on Cookie. "So, what business brings you here, advisor?"

"It's somethin' personal, Commander." Cookie stepped forward, her love and desire winning out over fear as she spoke clearly and confidently. "I... you're an amazin' mare, Hurricane." Before she could be corrected, Cookie spoke on, her words coming out in a hurried rush. "I love your passion and your strength and your dedication and your grace and you're so beautiful and..." She paused, putting every ounce of emotion in her next words. "I love you, Hurricane. And I'd love to court ya if you'd let me." She paused now, waiting with bated breath as the object of her affections stared at her for an eternal, silent second.

And then Hurricane laughed.

It wasn't a loving, joyous laughter, like what Cookie imagined she would hear once they were together. No, Hurricane's laughter was mocking, an ugly thing that tore her heart to shreds.

"You must be joking," the pegasus commander said when she caught her breath again. "Why would I ever deign to lower myself to you? A Commander should have a partner worthy of her position, not some earth pony advisor who couldn't swing a sword to save her own life."

"I..." Cookie didn't know what to say. She loved Hurricane, with all her heart. "Please, I might not be a great warrior like you, but I'll be faithful and loyal to you. Promise."

"If I wanted to somepony to follow me around, I'd just get a dog." Hurricane scoffed. "Return to your duties, advisor, and let us not speak of this again."

Despite the dismissal, Cookie still had to try one more time. "I'll always be here for ya, Hurricane," she said quietly. "No matter what."

"I told you to use my title," Hurricane admonished. "Whatever, I've got a bunch of boring paperwork to do, so please take your leave."

Finally, with her heart in pieces, Cookie did as instructed, giving another curtsy before she left the office. Her cheeks burned with shame and anger, but she couldn't bring herself to hate Hurricane. Not when she still loved her so much.

It didn't matter that she had been rejected— Cookie intended to fulfill that promise, and to remain by Hurricane's side until her end.

But, she was also smart enough to recognize that Hurricane wasn't a good leader, that if she were to continue in her position, Equestria would be stillborn. No, this conversation had convinced Cookie that whatever she felt for her, she also had to do what was right for this nation.

Perhaps it would be wise to whisper in a few ears, to plant the seeds that would lead to a better leader being installed for the pegasi. Pansy would not be a good candidate, but it might be worth speaking to her to determine a good successor. Once she had that determined, Cookie could maneuver conditions to have them take over.

And a part of her hoped that maybe, just maybe, if Hurricane wasn't burdened with the duties of a Commander, didn't feel like she had to pick a partner of equal standing, then they could be together, just as Cookie had dreamed.

It was a faint hope, but Cookie clung to it as she cried outside of Hurricane's office.





Fiddlesticks was starting to get desperate.

She'd exhausted every scenario she could think of, and still she hadn't found the right moment to confess outright yet. Lightning wasn't picking up on any of her hints, either, and at this point she'd tried recreating every moment from her past that had led to finally being with her true love.

So, it was time to get back to basics. Fiddle was a simple mare, and sometimes the simplest solution was the best.

Which was why, after a long day at work, Lightning had found her friend waiting for her with a bottle of brandy. "I'm not really into hard liquor," she commented dryly as she closed the door behind her.

"You'll like this one," Fiddle said with complete confidence. It was one of those odd quirks of Fate that kept turning out to be true. She poured out some of the golden liquid into a glass of ice.

Raising an eyebrow in doubt, Lightning nevertheless took the proffered drink and brought it to her lips. "Huh." Another sip. "Okay, yeah, this is pretty good."

"Told ya. So, how was your day?"

As they drank, Lightning and Fiddle talked, with Fiddle refilling Lightning's glass every time it got low. Soon enough, as expected, Lightning's low tolerance for anything stronger than wine kicked in and the mare was slurring her words as she spoke.

That was when Fiddle enacted the next stage of her plan. "So, tell me about the Elements," she said casually, taking another sip from her glass and enjoying the light buzz in her head.

Lightning looked confused. "Eh, what's there to tell?"

"Well, they ruined your life, right?" The advantage of Lightning being drunk was that Fiddle didn't have to beat around the bush anymore.

Lightning snorted. "Yeah. But I deserved it."

"Did ya, though?" Fiddle goaded. "It was just a couple of mistakes. And they took everything from you over it. That don't sound too sporting to me."

"It..." Finally, for the first time, there was anger flaring in Lightning's eyes. "Fine, yeah. I'm pissed. Just because they're important ponies, they get their way, and the rest of us have to take whatever shit they throw at us."

"I'm sorry," Fiddle said sympathetically.

"Those assholes did so much worse, and they're heroes." Lightning didn't even seem to have heard Fiddle's comment. "Meanwhile, I try to get ahead even a little and I get stomped down. It's not fair, and I hate it."

Before her eyes, Fiddle saw Lightning transform, her usual depression transmuting into anger as she stood up and loudly on the floor. Her heart raced at the passion in Lightning's voice as she kept ranting. "If that stupid filly had just done what I told her, if the Elements hadn't just decided to go on a fucking balloon trip during a live training exercise, I'd be a star right now. It'd be me performing all over Equestria, with the crowds kissing my hooves."

She threw the glass to the ground, and it shattered into glittering pieces. "Fuck it all. I don't even know why I bother anymore, when the world just keeps shitting on me."

"I'll be here for you," Fiddle assured her. "Don't matter if the whole world's against you." This was it, the moment she'd been waiting for. Lightning would realize that Fiddle was the only mare who would love her, and they would be together again.

"Yeah, well, fuck you too." The venom in Lightning's voice shocked Fiddle, throwing off her script entirely. "Fuck you for giving me something to hope for, just so that Fate or Harmony or Celestia can take it away from me too."

"W-What do you mean?" Fiddle asked, panic flaring up in her mind as she struggled to find a way to salvage this situation.

"I know you got the hots for me," Lightning replied, and though she was still clearly drunk, her words were as sharp as usual. "I'm not blind. But everything I touch turns to shit, and I can't do that to you. You're too good for me. So just, get out while there's still a chance for both of us, and fuck you for letting me get hurt one more time."

She stomped over to the door and slammed it open so hard that it knocked the dust from the nearby windowsills. Fiddle just stared at her in horror, until Lightning punched her forehoof against the wall, startling her. "I said get out!"

Wordlessly, Fiddle did so, staring at Lightning's angry, hopeless eyes one last time before making her way out. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Yeah, me too," Lightning said with another snort.

Fiddle shook her head. Lightning didn't understand, didn't know what Fiddle had done. The guilt that normally gnawed at her heart was not clawing away at her soul, trying to plunge it into Tartarus. Lightning was more right than she knew, and that knowledge was what kept Fiddle from saying anything more as she made her way out of the pegasus mare's house.

It seemed it was finally time to pay the price for her sins.