Unexpected Confessions

by Dianwei32

Hindsight

Hindsight

The Next Day

“That went better than expected.” Fluttershy admitted as she left the Carousel Boutique. She could still hear Rarity jumping around and squealing excitedly inside the shop, doing her best impression of Twilight’s infamous “Yes Dance.” The canary mare began the walk back to her cottage, having completed of her visits to both Rainbow’s cloud home and Rarity’s shop.

Alright, so now both Rarity and Dashie think that I chose them and I’ve set up dates with both of them. Fluttershy thought to herself as she meandered down the dirt road leading away from Ponyville. Now I just have to go on the dates and then I’ll be able to pick one of them to really be with. Wait a minute... She stopped walking as an unforeseen consequence to her plan came to mind. How do I break up with the one I don’t choose? How do I explain going on one date, dumping them, and then being with the other one? Oh no oh no oh no... She let her head fall. This was a horrible, terrible idea. What was I thinking?

Fluttershy resumed her walk home. Well... it’s too late to back out now. She thought, resigning herself to her fate. I’ve got a date with Dashie tomorrow night on Friday, and then one with Rarity on Sunday. I just need to focus on getting through those, then I can freak out about having to choose one of them. She looked up and saw the library ahead of her. Ooh! I can try and see if Twilight is picking up on Applejack’s hints yet. Content to let her own relationship troubles take a back seat, Fluttershy trotted over to the library door and pushed it open.

“Oh, hello Fluttershy.” Twilight called, looking up from a book. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. How’s your little... situation?” She glanced over to where Spike was reading a comic book on the windowsill. She avoided mentioning the details since he was still unaware of Rarity’s confession of love.

“Um... not well, actually.” Fluttershy replied, scuffing a hoof on the wooden floor. She leaned in to whisper. “Can we go talk about it somewhere a little more... private?”

“Sure.” Twilight stood up and began walking towards the stairs to her room. “Spike, Fluttershy and I are going upstairs for a minute. You’re in charge while we’re gone.” The baby dragon looked at her over the top of his comic book, arching an eyebrow. He looked as though he wanted to make a comment, but instead shrugged and went back to reading.

Fluttershy followed Twilight up the stairs and closed the door behind her after they reached the latter’s bedroom. As soon as the door clicked shut, Fluttershy fell to sit on her haunches. “I really messed up, Twilight.” She had not planned on divulging her current dire straits, but they came pouring out regardless. “I’m in way over my head and I don’t know what to do. I... I kind of told both Rarity and Rainbow that I picked them and set up dates with both of them for this weekend.”

“You what?” Twilight almost screamed before remembering Spike’s presence downstairs. “Fluttershy, how could you do that? What could possibly make you think that was okay?”

“I don’t know.” Fluttershy slid to lay on the floor, covering her face with her hooves. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. I couldn’t pick between them, so I figured that going on one date with each would let me get a better idea of what being with each of them would be like. I figured that after that I would be able to choose more easily.”

“What about the one you choose to break up with?” Twilight began pacing frantically. “Don’t you think they’ll find it a little weird for you to go on one date, then dump them, then start going out with the other one who you supposedly broke up with beforehoof?”

“I know!” Fluttershy felt tears rising in her eyes, but wiped them away with a hoof. “I didn’t think about that until after I already told them. What can I do?”

“I don’t know... I just don't know." Twilight shrugged, shaking her head.

Fluttershy's mind flashed back to her initial reason for visiting the library. “There actually was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.” She felt blood flow into her face as she tried to find a way to word her next statement. “With all the thinking I’ve been doing about my situation, I got to wondering, is there anypony that you’re interested in... romantically?” She ducked her head down to let her mane fall in front of her, hiding the crimson color in her cheeks.

“Me?” Twilight asked, still slightly confused from her bout of mild insanity. She swallowed before responding. “Um... n-no, not really. I’ve, uh, never really thought about it.” She put her hoof to her chin in thought as her eyes darted back and forth. “I know that it’s the next logical step up from friendship, but I don’t really know anypony that I feel that way about.”

“Really?” Fluttershy asked, picking her head back up. “No pony at all?”

Twilight shook her head, keeping her gaze off to the side. “N-nope. Why do you ask?” Her eyes shot open as an idea occurred to her “Did somepony say that they like me?”

“Oh, um...” Fluttershy briefly considered recounting her conversation with Applejack, but before she could Pinkie Pie appeared outside the window behind Twilight. She floated up, several balloons tied around her waist, shaking her head and mouthing the word “forever.” Fluttershy could only stare in shock as the pink party pony floated by, disappearing from the window right as Twilight turned to see what she was staring at.

“Is everything okay?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.

“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh, I mean, yes. Rather, no... no pony has said anything about liking you. I was just curious.” She stared at the ground as she spoke. “I-If you don’t mind. I’m going to head home and try to figure out what I’m going to do about my own mess.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, a look of concern on her face. “I could try and help you... “Aha! I’ve got it!” She proclaimed with a flourish. “Cloning!”

“C-Cloning?” Fluttershy asked, peeking out from her study of the floor.

“Yes, cloning.” Twilight confirmed, a slight twitch pulling at her eye. “That way there will be two of you! One of you can be with Rarity, and the other one with Rainbow Dash, everypony wins.” A flash of light filled the room. After it faded a syringe and a pair of tweezers floated next to Twilight, engulfed in a purple aura of magic. “Now, hold still. I need a DNA sample.”

“Um... no thank you.” Fluttershy stood up and backed away. She ran into the door, the crazed unicorn still stalking towards her. “Twilight...” She felt a panic rising in her chest. With an effort, she forced it down and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, unleashing The Stare. “Stop.”

Twilight faltered in her advance, the tweezers slipping from her grasp. She blinked rapidly for a few seconds before shaking her head vigorously. “What just happened?” She asked, pressing a hoof to the side of her head.

“You went a little crazy, like mad-scientist crazy.” Fluttershy explained as she stopped The Stare. “You wanted to clone me.”

“Clone you?” Twilight shook her head to dislodge the fuzziness still clinging to her thoughts. “Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would I want to clone you? What could that possibly accomplish?”

“Well, you...” Fluttershy paused. She doesn’t remember? “I was just... telling you about a little problem I was having, but don’t worry about it.” Her shoulders slumped a small amount. “I got myself into this, so I’ll get myself out... somehow. I’ll see you later.” She turned to open the door to the library’s main room.

“Hold on a second.” Twilight called her back from the door. The lavender unicorn looked off to the side, chewing on her lip nervously. “Um, there was one more question I had for you. I’m sorry if it seems horribly obvious, but you know how I can be with obvious things.”

This could be it. Fluttershy thought to herself. She finally picked up on Applejack’s hints. She suppressed a smile as she trotted back to the center of the bedroom. “What is it?” She asked, trying to keep from sounding excited.

“Well...” Twilight stared at the floor and scuffed a hoof. “Are you even... attracted to mares?” She looked up, having gained some courage by getting the question out. “It just kind of seems like you’re focused on choosing between Rarity and Rainbow Dash to make one of them happy, and not necessarily yourself.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy replied, feeling her spirits fall a little. “Well, I don’t know if I’m attracted to all mares in general, but...” Her mind flashed back to the physical sensations of kissing Rarity and Rainbow Dash, along with several amorous dreams about both of them that she had over the past few nights. She felt her face heat up as it flushed a deep red. “I’m, um... I’m definitely attracted to Rarity and Dashie.”

“Hmm. I guess that makes sense.” Twilight put a hoof to her chin, her eyes darting back and forth as she began thinking. Fluttershy knew that once her friend began thinking about something, it was almost impossible to bring her back to reality, so she chose to make her exit. She pulled open the door and made her way back downstairs, leaving Twilight sitting in the middle of her room deep in thought.

Oh no. Not only is Twilight oblivious to Applejack’s hints, she doesn’t even feel the same way. How am I going to break this to her? Fluttershy wondered to herself as she walked along the path from Ponyville to her cottage. First, I have to make it through this weekend, then I can worry about Applejack.