Unexpected Confessions
Chapter Four
Rigging the Game
Time seemed to drag on in endless silence. After a few seconds that felt like hours, Fluttershy peeked out with one eye to see Rainbow Dash and Rarity staring at her from the couch, their expressions somewhere between “stunned silence” and “abject horror.” She involuntarily shrunk down, trying desperately to fall through the floorboards.
“You want to what?” Rainbow and Rarity yelled together, simultaneously regaining the ability to speak. They both started ranting, loudly and animatedly, drowning each other out in a cacophony angry shouting. Fluttershy felt the icy grip of panic rising in her chest. She turned and galloped up the stairs, slamming the door to her room. Even though the door, she could still hear her friends trying to shout over each other for several more seconds before things finally quieted down.
Back in the living room, Dash reached over and pressed her hoof over Rarity’s mouth, stopping her mid-rant. “Where’d ‘Shy go?” She asked, looking around the room to see if the easily frightened mare was hiding behind some improvised cover.
“Please, that’s not necessary.” Rarity spat after removing the hoof from her lips. “I’m sure that she is up in her room, trying to get away from your dreadful shouting.”
“Hey.” Rainbow shot back, offended. “You were shouting just as much as me. In fact, you were probably shouting more than me.”
Rarity opened her mouth for a retort, but held it in her throat. More fighting won’t solve anything. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “We can sit here and argue about who was arguing more, or we can go try and comfort Fluttershy.” She hopped down from the couch and made her way across the room. She stopped at the base of the stairs and looked back over her shoulder. “Are you coming or not?”
Dash leapt off the couch and flared her wings open, gliding over Rarity and landing partway up the stairs. She looked back down the staircase, a cocky grin on her face. “You coming?” The pearly white mare grumbled to herself as the pair ascended the stairs. She reached out with a hoof and knocked on the door to the bedroom.
“Fluttershy, darling.” Rarity called through the door. “Please do come out. Our little... outburst on the couch was merely an overreaction.”
“I don’t know... I think that an epic level freak-out is a pretty normal reaction to somepony suggesting a three-way relationship outta the blue.” Dash snorted and shook her head, her wings spreading and flapping once.
“You’re not helping!” Rarity hissed. Her next comment was interrupted by the bedroom door opening.
“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy immediately launched into an apology, tears welling up in her eyes. “I tried. I really did. I spent days cooped up in my house, pacing around and trying to decide.” A single tear escaped and slowly rolled down her face. “I couldn’t do it. I love you. Both of you, and I could never hurt either one of you like that.” Both Rainbow and Rarity stood frozen in place, taken aback by their friend’s heartfelt sentiment.
She’s really torn up about this. Dash thought to herself. I never wanted to do this to her. It could work, right? All three of- She stopped short as her mind filled with images of Fluttershy and Rarity in compromising positions, too wrapped up in each other to spare any attention for her. It brought back unpleasant memories about her childhood and her mother, who hadn’t had any time or inclination to take care of her either. Several emotions warred within her, jealousy and anger chief among them. Nope... not gonna happen. She stepped forward and reached out to wipe the tear off of her friend’s cheek.
“Listen, ‘Shy. I’m really sorry that we put you in this situation. It sucks, but it is what it is.” Rainbow looked over to Rarity, who was giving her a slight glare. “It’d be awesome if we could find a way for everypony to be happy, but we’re not gonna. Somepony’s gonna get hurt, there’s just no way around it.”
“That was... unusually poignant, Rainbow.” Rarity admitted, genuine surprise in her voice. “However, I have to agree.” She turned to face Fluttershy. “I’m sorry, dear. I wish that there was a way to solve this without anypony getting hurt, but there isn’t. Dash and I will give you space so that you can decide.”
“I don’t think I can.” Fluttershy murmured.
“I’m sure that you can.” Rarity reassured her. She reached out with a hoof and lifted her friend’s chin so their gazes could meet. “Just remember that no matter what happens, both of us will still be your friends.” Dash nodded in agreement.
“Thanks girls. I’ll... I’ll try.” Fluttershy smiled weakly. Rarity and Dash said their goodbyes and made their way back downstairs and out the front door. After they crossed the bridge in front of the cottage, the silence between them finally broke.
“I think we need to set some ground rules.” Rarity stopped and turned to face Dash, who looked at her quizzically. “First, in order to let Fluttershy make her decision as fairly as possible, I believe we should avoid spending excessive time with her.” She held up a hoof as Rainbow went to protest. “I am not saying that we should actively avoid her as we have these past few days, just that we should not attempt to bias her judgment with our constant presence.”
“Fine.” Dash agreed. “Anything else?”
“Just one more thing.” Rarity narrowed her eyes accusingly. “We should not attempt to curry favor from her with gifts or assisting her with tasks she needs completed.”
“Done.” Rainbow extended a hoof.
Rarity put out her own leg and shook hooves with the brash pegasus. “You have no intention of abiding by these rules, do you?”
“None whatsoever.” Dash replied, a predatory grin spreading across her face. “All’s fair in love and war, Rarity.” Without waiting for a reply, she leapt into the air and sped off into the distance. Rarity coughed as the dust settled from Rainbow’s sudden departure.
“Oh, it is on, Rainbow Dash. It. Is. On.”
*
Applejack unhooked the collar around her neck and dropped it on the ground. She turned to admire her work. The newest fields of Sweet Apple Acres were all plowed, ready for the next batch of Red Delicious apple trees to be planted. The farm-pony pulled her hat off and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Heh, wait until Mac sees this…” She leaned against the plow, taking a little longer to admire her handiwork. Pride swelled in her chest at having done several days worth of work in one day, but she knew that she’d have to work just as hard tomorrow, regardless. She turned and began making her way back towards the farmhouse for a drink of water, but stopped as a familiar streak of chromatic light appeared over the tree line. Her heart sped up a bit as she realized the streak of light was headed towards her, but the image brought memories of Fluttershy’s visit the other day to the forefront of her mind.
Is this gonna be what it’s like every time Ah see ‘er? Applejack thought to herself, meandering over to lay down under a nearby tree. A rush of excitement and happiness, followed by a kick to the gut when I remember she’s in love with somepony else? She briefly thought about running deep into the stand of trees and trying to avoid her crush, but before she could Dash landed right in front of her.
“Hey there, AJ. How’s it goin’?” Rainbow trotted over and laid down under the tree.
“Oh, ya know... plowin’ fields, buckin’ apples. Just doin’ farm stuff.” Applejack waved a hoof in the direction of the newly plowed fields. Fantasizin’ about makin’ out with yer best friend counts as farm stuff, right? “So, how’s yer little love triangle with Fluttershy workin’ out?” She strained to keep her voice level as she asked.
“Oh, right, ‘Shy said she talked to you about that.” Dash lowered her head to rest on her forehooves. “Honestly, not good. She actually suggested that her, Rarity and me could all be together in some kind of weird three-way relationship.” She snorted derisively.
Applejack bit her lip to try and keep a smile from spreading across her face. She railed against herself on the inside, disgusted at herself yet unable to squash the little ember of hope smoldering in her chest. Look at yerself AJ, sittin’ here hopin’ that yer best friend gets her heart broken, just so you can come in and pick at the pieces. You should be ashamed of yerself. What would Mac say if he knew what you were thinkin’? Her self-loathing reached a new peak, and the worst part was that she couldn’t deny that some small part of her wanted it to happen. She managed to pull herself out of her downward shame spiral to hear a question break the growing silence.
“Say, AJ. Do you think you could maybe give me some advice about this whole Fluttershy thing?” Dash lifted her head up, but kept her eyes off to the side. “I hate to pull you into this, but you know how bad I am at all the sappy romance stuff, and I’m up against Rarity, the sappy romance queen.” She finally looked up, her eyes pleading. “Will you help me?”
Celestia damn it. Applejack cursed silently. Ah can’t say no to that face, and those gorgeous eyes. She shook her head slightly as she found herself getting lost staring into Rainbow’s eyes. “Sure thing, sugarcube.” She said, reaching up to wipe a hoof across her eyes. Ah’d like nothin’ better than to help the mare Ah love get with somepony else. She felt a devious smile pull at the edge of her mouth. Although... She asked for advice, but she never said it had to be good advice.
Applejack stood up and began walking around, her feelings of shame and self-loathing resurging. Am Ah really about to try and sabotage Dash’s chances with Fluttershy just so Ah can try an’ get with ‘er mahself? Am Ah really willin’ to stoop that low? She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Rainbow laid out beneath the tree. Her friend’s lithe, athletic body was dappled with sunlight filtering through the leaves. Those beautiful eyes looked up at her, waiting expectantly. Yes... yes Ah am. She felt an almost irresistible urge to lunge out and kiss Rainbow, heedless of the consequences, but her iron willpower held, barely. She heaved a heavy sigh. Ah can’t believe Ah’m doin’ this.
“Alright, sugarcube.” Applejack steeled herself. “The first thing you’re gonna want to do is bring her flowers. Fluttershy loves flowers. Ah’m thinkin’ magnolias.”
“Magnolias? Really?” Dash cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Wouldn’t something like roses be better if I’m trying to be all romantic?”
“Nah.” Applejack waved a hoof. “Roses are overdone. Ya wanna be original. Give her somethin’ she’ll remember.” Especially since magnolias happen to be the one flower in Equestria that Fluttershy is allergic to.
“Huh.” Dash furrowed her brow, thinking. “I guess that makes sense. Anything else?”
“Ya need a gift, somethin’ personal that shows ya really know what she likes. Maybe somethin’ to do with her animals.” Applejack felt her confidence wavering. There’s no goin’ back now. She reminded herself. “Ah remember Twilight sayin’ somethin’ the other day ‘bout a rare book on bird diseases and how to cure ‘em. You could go talk to her and see if she knows where ya can get it.” Even if the only copy she knows about is in the Canterlot Royal Archives.
“That sounds like a great idea, AJ. Thanks.” Dash stood up and trotted over, giving Applejack a quick hug. “I’m gonna go see Twi’ right now. I’ll let you know how it goes.” She took to the air, angling for Ponyville, and quickly disappeared over the tree line.
Applejack sat down where she was, feelings of shame, disgust, and hope warring in her heart. After a moment, she let out an exasperated sigh. “If Dash ever finds out about this, Ah am so gettin’ bucked right in the face.”
*
Rarity paced around the show room of Carousel Boutique. Several dress forms were scattered about the room, all bare. She had finished all of her outstanding orders during her three day self-imposed solitary confinement and currently had nothing to occupy her mind from creating scenario after scenario of what the future might hold. She stopped her frantic patrolling after a particularly frightening scenario involving crying, maniacal laughter and excessive amounts of ice cream.
“All of this worrying is getting me nowhere.” She trotted over to a sketch pad, an idea forming in her head. “Surely Rainbow will be attempting to sway Fluttershy, but how?” She grasped a drawing pencil in her magic, tapping it against her chin. Likely with some ridiculous series of stunts or some crude gift. Predictable. She chuckled at the notion, picturing Rainbow spinning and looping through the air, and expecting it to win her Fluttershy. Her little fantasy was cut short, however, when inspiration for her own gift for Fluttershy struck.
“Ah, of course, a dress. Something natural and flowing.” The pencil flew wildly across the sketch pad as she brought the vision in her head to life. “Something that hugs her curves, but isn’t overly suggestive. Modest. Demure, just like her.” She looked over the drawing, a pleased smile unfolding from her lips. Now, what material to use? Velvet? Maybe satin with a nice lace trim? Oh, who am I kidding? I would never dream of making a dress such as this out of anything but the finest silk.
Rarity levitated a dress form over to the middle of the room and grabbed several rolls of silk fabric in her magic. Wait a moment. She thought to herself. What am I going to do about measurements? If I’m going to pull this off, it needs to fit perfectly from the first time she puts it on. It can’t be too big, or she might think that I think that she’s fat, and it can’t be too small or she won’t be able to wear it. She set down the rolls of silk fabric and resumed her pacing from earlier.
I suppose I could ask her to come over here and take some new measurements, but that would ruin the surprise. Rarity put a hoof to her chin as a possible solution occurred to her. I could always use the measurements from her dress for the Grand Galloping Gala. I saved everypony’s sizes for those dresses somewhere. She almost facehoofed when she remembered what happened to the measurements. That’s right... they were lost in the fire after Sweetie Belle’s little “accident” trying to levitate a teacup. She let out an exhausted sigh. I still don’t know how she managed to set a porcelain teacup on fire. Maybe her special talent is pyrotechnics.
“Hmm...” Rarity pondered aloud as a second possible solution presented itself. “Now that I think about it, Twilight has a very similar build to Fluttershy. I could get measurements off of her. The fit won’t be perfect, but it’s the best I can do.” She trotted over to the door, pulling it open with her magic and flipping the sign in the window to “Closed.” She shut and locked the door behind her and made her way down to the Ponyville Library.
*
The Next Day
Fluttershy was pacing around her living room, following the slight indentation in the floor that she was sure had formed from her nearly incessant walking over the past day. “Oh, why does this have to be so difficult?” She complained to the empty room. She had asked the same question so many times over the last two days that she lost track of how many times she had said it. She was sure that she would be happy with either Rarity or Dash, but what should have been a no-lose situation felt vastly more like a no-win one. No matter who she chose, one of them would end up heartbroken. She’d hate me forever… Her worried pacing was interrupted by a light knock at her door. She trudged over and pulled it open to see a winded Rainbow Dash on the other side. “Oh, hello Dash. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.” She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
“Hi... ‘Shy.” Rainbow managed to say between heaving breaths. She took a wobbly step back, her knees shaking slightly. “I... brought you... something.” She pulled open a saddle bag laying across her back and produced a small bouquet of magnolias. “Here... for you.”
“Are tho-... thos-” She stopped and brought a hoof to her nose. “A— Aachoo!” She let out a tiny sneeze. “Are those magnolias?” She finally asked. “I really a— aaa... appreciate the gesture Dashie, but I’m allergic to magnolias.”
“Allergic?” Rainbow looked down at the bouquet of flowers before flinging them away as if they had bit her. “I’m so sorry, ‘Shy. I had no idea.” She pulled open the other saddlebag on her back and retrieved a large, worn tome. “I also brought this. I heard from Twilight that you were looking for it.”
Fluttershy took the book from Rainbow and held it up to examine the title. “Atypical Avian Ailments and Their Alleviation.” A huge smile spread across her face and she leaned over to pull her friend into a hug. “Oh, thank you so much, Dashie! I’ve been looking for this book for months. Twilight said that the only copy left was in the Royal Archives in Canterlot.” She flipped open the cover, her attention drawn to a stamp on the inside. “Inkpot’s Rare and Hard to Find Books. 503 West Stallion Avenue... Vanhoover?” She looked up, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Did you go all the way to Vanhoover to get this?”
“Yeah, I just got back.” Dash replied, her breathing still mildly heavy. “Twilight found some crazy spell that let her magically find any copies of the book. There was one in Canterlot, but she also found that one over in Vanhoover. It’s no big deal though.”
“Just got back?” Fluttershy closed her eyes as she did math in her head. How long does the train take to get out to Vanhoover again? Then factor in time to find the store, get some food, the return train ride... That’s not possible. She opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow with a confused expression. “It should take two whole days to get out to Vanhoover and back. And that’s not even counting the time it would take to find the book. How did you do it?”
“Train?” Dash chuckled, her trademark cocky grin replacing her tired expression. “Who needs a train when you’ve got these babies?” She flared her wings dramatically, but they faltered after a moment, drooping to her sides. “ Ow… still kinda worn out, though. Still, one of the perks of being the fastest flyer in Equestria; I can get places in a flash.”
“You flew? To Vanhoover and back, in only a day?” Fluttershy fell to a sitting position, shocked at the seemingly impossible difficulty of the flight.
“Psh… not even.” Dash puffed her chest out. “I didn’t even leave until this morning. Went to bed early, got lots of sleep, and took off a little after dawn. Well, after breakfast of course. Can’t go flying that long on an empty stomach.” She chuckled again, looking off toward the horizon. “Heck, I passed over Sweet Apple Acres, and it was so early I don’t think AJ was even up yet.”
Fluttershy sat frozen in place, her mouth working open and closed, but no words coming out. Rainbow had flown over halfway across Equestria and back in less than a day just to get her this book. She felt a sudden, overwhelming urge rise within her, and for once acted without thinking first.
She lunged forward, the book falling to the ground. Throwing her forelegs around Dash’s neck, she planted a kiss firmly on her lips. She felt every muscle in Rainbow’s body tense up at the unexpected contact and heard a slight pomfas her wings shot out to their full extension. Fluttershy broke the kiss and stepped back, giggling as she saw Dash’s frozen expression of shock.
Without warning, her knees gave out and Dash fell to the dirt in a heap. “I’m okay.” She called from the ground, raising a hoof to wave off Fluttershy’s impending concerned outburst. “Just really, really tired... and my brain stopped working after... wow.” Rainbow lay on the ground, a huge grin on her face and occasionally breaking out in fits of giggling like a schoolfilly.
“Good afternoon, Fluttershy dear.” Rarity chirped as she approached, levitating a large object covered by a sheet behind her. “And Rainbow Dash, how lovely to see you.” She added in a markedly less pleasant tone. She watched as Dash stood from the ground, her knees still shaking some. “Did I miss anything?”
“Nope.” Rainbow responded before Fluttershy could say anything. “Just came by to see ‘Shy and drop off a book.” She turned and noticed the object floating nearby. “Don’t look now Rarity, but you’re being followed by a ghost.” She held up her hooves and waved them spookily, only to receive an exaggerated eye roll in return. “Well, I’m gonna get outta here, ‘Shy. It’s time for my afternoon nap, and I’ve missed it the last two days.” Dash stopped as she remembered something. “Actually, do you mind if I grab a drink before I head out?”
“That’s fine.” Fluttershy pushed the door open and stepped aside. “You know where everything is.”
“Thanks.” Rainbow trotted into the cottage, closing the door behind her. She paused for a moment until she heard Rarity start talking, then slowly made her way over to a small hutch in the corner of the living room. She knocked on the roof of the hutch and waited for its occupant to come out.
After several seconds, Angel Bunny hopped out of the enclosure. He looked up at Dash with a hostile expression, as if to say “What do you want?”
“Hey there, Angel.” Rainbow said. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that Fluttershy has been kind of upset for the last week or so. Well, I was-” She stopped as Angel began tapping his foot impatiently. “Fine, the short version.” She smirked. “I want you to help Fluttershy choose me, not Rarity.”
Angel Bunny raised an eyebrow, holding out a paw to say “What’s in it for me?”
“Two things.” Dash began, reaching back to open up her saddle bag. “First, if she doesn’t choose me, then Rarity will bring Opal over here, and I don’t think you want that.” She smiled at the brief flash of panic that passed over the rabbit’s features. “Second, I happen to be good friends with a certain pony who works at a certain bakery and likes to make things like this.” She pulled a small, hoof-sized box out of her bag. She put it on the ground and opened it to reveal a small carrot cake. “If ‘Shy picks me, then I might be able to bring things like this over for you.”
Angel hopped over to look at the cake. He sniffed it warily before grabbing a small chunk and tossing it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, an expression of joy slowly spreading over his face. He immediately dove into the cake, pulling off pieces with both paws and eating them.
“So we got a deal?” Dash asked, looking down at the feasting rabbit. Angel stopped long enough to look up and nod before diving back into the cake with a renewed gusto. Rainbow chuckled and began walking back towards the door. “Nice doing business with you.” When she pulled open the door, Dash stopped in her tracks.
“Oh, Rarity. It’s beautiful.” Fluttershy cooed as she craned her head around to try and get a better look at the dress she was wearing. It was made of light green silk that flowed gracefully along her body, ending in a long skirt that ended just short of dragging the ground. Gold thread flowed in a swirling vine-like pattern from the two holes on the back where her wings extended. The final piece of the dress was a gold choker with a butterfly identical to her cutie mark made out of gems. “Are these rose quartz?” She asked, running a hoof along the choker.
“Not quite.” Rarity replied, a minor blush rising in her face. “I had a deal of leftover pink diamonds from a previous order, so I used them to make it.”
“P-pink d-diamonds?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh, my. Rarity, I love it but I could never accept such an expensive gift.”
“It is just that, dear. A gift. I made it just for you, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Besides, I see that Rainbow Dash brought a gift.” She looked down at the book still sitting in the dirt. “So it is only fair that I be able to give you one as well.”
“Um... Thank you, both of you.” Fluttershy reached down and picked up the tome Dash had given her from the ground, taking a moment to dust it off. “I really appreciate the gifts. I know that you’re waiting for me to make up my mind, but-”
“Hey.” Dash interrupted her, trotting over and resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, ‘Shy. I’ve got a tortoise for a pet, remember? I’ve got plenty of patience. You take as long as you need.”
“This from the pony who was trying to forcibly push me into this very cottage not a mere day ago.” Rarity commented wryly.
“That was different.” Rainbow countered. “At that point, ‘Shy had already made her... decision and we were waiting to hear it. This time, we’re still waiting for her to make her choice.” she turned back to Fluttershy. “Seriously, take all the time you need. We’ll both be here whenever you decide. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a nap to take.” Dash trotted a short distance away before leaping into the air flapping her wings, angling towards a bank of clouds off to the east.
“I suppose I will take my leave as well.” Rarity gathered the sheet she had used to cover the dress and laid it across her back. “I’m so glad that you like the dress. I know that we do not attend many events that you would be able to wear it at, but perhaps we can convince Pinkie pie to host a formal-” She stopped just short saying the word ‘party,’ afraid that it would bring the pink pony down upon them. “A formal gathering.”
“Um... before you go...” Fluttershy trotted over to where her friend was standing. She shifted back and forth on her hooves, glancing around as though making sure they were alone.
“Whatever is-” Rarity’s words were cut off as Fluttershy leaned forward and kissed her. The world ceased to exist. Nothing mattered to Rarity beyond the soft pressure of Fluttershy’s lips against her own. Before she could wrap her mind around what was happening, the pressure disappeared.
“Um... I’m sorry.” Fluttershy mumbled, her cheeks flooding with color. “I kind of kissed Rainbow when she gave me the book, so I um... I thought it was only fair for you to get one too.”
“I... you... kiss...” Rarity stammered, waiting for her brain to resume functioning. After a moment, she partially succeeded in reasserting her normal demeanor, although excited squeals of joy kept threatening to burst from her mouth. “Fair. Yes, everything must be fair. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to... go do... something.” She turned and cantered away, narrowly avoiding a fall into the stream.
Fluttershy made her way back into her house, looking first at Atypical Avian Ailments, and then into a mirror on the wall to admire her new dress. “This doesn’t help.” She sighed to the empty room. “Both gifts are lovely, and they both show how much both Rarity and Rainbow care for me. Kissing them really didn’t help either.” She reflected on each of the kisses. They were different, and both mares were too surprised by them to respond, but they were both enjoyable. She felt her face heat up as she relived the feelings in her head.
“Oh, I could just kick something!” True to her word, she reached out with a hoof and kicked an umbrella stand which wobbled back and forth several times before settling back upright. She flipped the book open, reading the stamp again. Vanhoover and back in twelve hours... just to get me a book that she knew I was looking for. Fluttershy closed the cover and looked back to the mirror. She reached up and ran a hoof along the choker. Pink diamonds, and the rest of it is silk... how much would a dress like this cost? She closed her eyes and pressed both hooves to her temples. “I can’t do this.” She complained aloud. Her eyes shot open as an idea flashed in her head. “No... I can’t do that. It’s... It’s not right.” She started pacing the room, chewing on her lip nervously. “It wouldn’t be fair to anypony. No, I can’t. I won’t.” She stopped, her gaze falling to the ground. “Well... It is the best idea I’ve had so far. Maybe just one wouldn’t hurt.”
Fluttershy stomped a hoof. “That’s it. I’ll go on one date with Rarity and one with Dashie, and then I’ll be able to decide.” She quickly looked around the cottage to make sure she was alone. Once she was done, she looked at the mirror one more time.
“What’s the worst that could happen?”