//------------------------------// // Sunshine - Dianwei32 // Story: Flarity Group Collab // by Jondor //------------------------------// Written by: Dianwei32      “Rarity, I love you!”     Fluttershy clamped her hooves over her mouth once the words were out. She wanted nothing more than to hide behind her mane and never come out, but she needed to see Rarity’s reaction.     Or lack thereof.     Rarity froze, the teapot still hovering above her cup, pouring ever more of the precious liquid into the already overflowing vessel. After a few more seconds, the stream died down, leaving only the occasional drop of tea to trickle out. What felt like an eternity later, the pot slowly floated back down to the table, but Rarity still hadn’t moved. She hadn’t even blinked.     “I’m sorry, darling, but could you repeat that?”     Even the miniscule movement of the unicorn’s lips caused Fluttershy to jump after her prolonged stillness. The pegasus swallowed nervously, it had taken her months to work up the courage to say anything, and now the object of her affections was asking her to repeat herself? “I lo… I-I… lo-lov—”     “It’s alright, dear.” Rarity reached over and held the pegasus’ hoof, only slightly surprised to find it trembling. “I heard you, but I suppose I wish I had misheard.”     Fluttershy felt her heart crumple in her chest, replaced by an aching void. “Y-you wish—”     “Dear heavens, no!” Rarity brought a hoof to her mouth, belatedly realizing what her words could have sounded like. “Not like that, darling! Not at all!” She jumped down off of her chair and ran around the table, throwing her forelegs around her friend. The pegasus rested her head on Rarity’s shoulder, a wet spot of fur growing as her tears fell. The unicorn winced and cursed herself silently.     “I would be delighted, honored even, to call you my marefriend…” She paused before continuing, vainly hoping that the extra seconds would soften the coming blow. “But,” She cursed herself again as she felt Fluttershy cringe at the word, “I’m afraid that I am… otherwise engaged.”     “Y-you…” Fluttershy took a few more deep breaths. “You already have a special somepony?” She forced herself to look up long enough to see Rarity’s nod. “B-but… I haven’t seen you around town with anypony. Wh-who is he?”     “Well, she—”     That one word caused Fluttershy to break down into fresh tears. The main reason she had been so hesitant to approach Rarity regarding her feelings was that she was sure Rarity was attracted to stallions. It had made it easier to put off telling her.     “Darling, I… I’m so sorry.” Rarity pulled Fluttershy tighter. “If I’d known…” She stopped herself, not wanting to risk making it worse and settling for patting the pegasus’ back until she calmed down. Once Fluttershy pulled away and sat up, Rarity blurted out a thought that forced itself to the front of her mind.          “Would you like to meet her?” Fluttershy looked at her as if she’d just suggested some kind of small furry animal genocide, and Rarity immediately regretted bringing up the subject. But since it was already out there, she pressed on. “I understand if you don’t want to, of course, but I think you would like her.” The corner of her mouth twitched up into smile. “Though, I suppose I should say that you do like her, since you’ve met her before.”          “I… have?” Fluttershy furrowed her brow in confusion, trying to think of any mares she and Rarity both knew that the unicorn might consider dating. It was a short, and highly improbable, list. Part of her wanted to just run home and drown her sorrows in the tub of ice cream Angel Bunny kept ‘hidden’ in the back of the freezer, but part of her also wanted to meet this mysterious mare, to make sure that she was good enough for her Rarity. After a few moments of mental deliberation, she nodded. “I… I would. It sounds, um, nice.”          “Oh, thank you, darling.” Rarity pulled Fluttershy into another hug. “I’m sure you’ll get along fabulously. Meet me at the train station tomorrow at ten o’clock.”     “Train station?” Fluttershy pulled back, confusion written clear on her face.     “Well, yes.” A light blush crept into Rarity’s cheeks. “You see, she lives in Canterlot, and I’m afraid we’ll have to go see her instead of her coming down here.”     The noon day sun beat down on the cobblestone streets of Canterlot, sending up shimmering waves of heat down the road. Fluttershy looked up, once again thanking Rarity and her mystery marefriend for picking a café with shade umbrellas. Taking a sip from her drink, she looked up and down the street for anypony headed in their direction, but the roads were empty save for ponies rushing from store to store and shady alcove to shady alcove. No one was staying out under the unforgiving sun a second more than necessary.     Fluttershy looked instead to Rarity, who was glancing around nervously, occasionally looking up to the sky, then down at her seat, taking deep breaths. A shadow passed overhead, causing Rarity to bolt upright and search for its source. Once she found it, she broke out into a huge grin.          Fluttershy tried to follow her gaze, but when she looked up, the sun blinded her. Instead, she stared down into her drink, waiting for whoever it was to land and for Rarity to introduce her.          “Rarity, it is so good to see you.”          Fluttershy’s ears perked up. The voice was familiar, but she couldn’t place it. She heard the gentle sounds of hooves coming closer, followed shortly by the excited staccato tapping of hooves moving away, which she assumed was Rarity galloping to her marefriend.          “It’s wonderful to see you as well, Celly.”          Fluttershy took a deep breath to steel herself and looked up. A short ways away, Rarity was nuzzling… Princess Celestia. Her jaw fell open as her brain refused to believe what her eyes were seeing. The pieces refused to click in her head, until the couple pulled back from each other a bit and kissed. Once they broke apart again, they walked over to the table and sat down across from Fluttershy.          “Fluttershy, darling.” Rarity was the first to speak, though her voice carried an uncharacteristic strain. “I believe you know Pri— Celestia.”          “Of course.” Celestia nodded serenely, her flowing mane drifting down an seeming to wrap itself around Rarity. She watched the pegasus for a few moments, waiting for some sort of acknowledgement, but Fluttershy remained seated firmly in place, unmoving, until she suddenly broke down into tears. Rarity stared in shock for a second, then looked to Celestia, who motioned for the unicorn to comfort her friend. Rarity raced around the table to console Fluttershy, meeting with only minor success for some time.          Once Fluttershy had calmed enough to speak, she began to piece together an apology. “I-I’m s-sorry… I j-just…” She looked up at Celestia, fresh tears welling in her eyes. “I’ll… go now.” Started to get up, shrugging off Rarity’s attempts to stop her.     “Please stay.” Those two simple words from Celestia froze the two mares across the table. They were clearly a request and had no hint of royal authority or demand behind them, just a simple request from one pony to another. Fluttershy looked down at Rarity, who gazed back up with a pleading expression, then back to Celestia before slowly lowering herself back onto her seat. “Now, in her letter, Rarity informed me about what happened yesterday.” The alicorn smiled warmly to forestall any panic from the skittish pegasus. “It is perfectly alright, my little pony. In fact, I believe it presents us with a very… favorable opportunity.”          It was Rarity’s turn to look confused. “How so?” She regarded her marefriend warily, suddenly unsure of where the conversation was headed.          “Fluttershy loves you.” Celestia stated plainly. “Do you love her, platonic though it may be?” A ghost of a smile flickered across her face at the shocked expression that adorned the unicorn’s face.          “Do I…” Rarity simply stared for a moment, her mouth hanging open. When her brain reengaged and she could speak, she swallowed before responding. “I… yes. I love her as a dear friend.”          “And is that not how romantic love blooms? From the tender love of friendship?” Celestia chose her words carefully, aware that she was treading on a minefield that could hurt even her.          Rarity blinked a few times before her face fell. “Celly, are… are you…?”          Celestia leaned over the table, wrapping a wing around Rarity’s back and caressing her cheek with a hoof. “Of course not, love.” Her tone became serious, all traces of playfulness gone after how close she had come to hurting one she cared for. “I would love you as long as you would have me.” She leaned forward for a light kiss, grateful that she felt her marefriend relax and lean into the wing around her back.          “However.” Celestia sat back up. “I know that it can be… difficult to be with me. The secrecy. The rare occasions we can see each other.” She tried to smile, but the sadness in her eyes gave away its lie. “I would hate for you to feel… neglected because of me. And, if you wish, I would fully support and condone you establishing a relationship with Fluttershy.”          “Celestia!” Rarity clambered over the table, knocking over the drinks in her path. At the other edge, she threw her forelegs around the alicorn, burying her face in her ethereal mane. “I… I couldn’t!”          “Oh, Rarity.” Celestia wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend, holding the unicorn close. “I have lived a long, long time. I have seen, and been a part of, many different kinds of love. Each unique and precious to me.” She laid a trail of kisses along Rarity’s neck, moving up toward her ear. When she spoke again, it was barely a whisper. “It would not sully or lessen what we have. In fact, should you wish, Fluttershy may join us in any of our… outings.” She nipped at Rarity’s ear, then leaned back so that she could look her marefriend in the eye. “You don’t have to answer now, but think about it.”     Rarity looked to Fluttershy, who was staring in shock, then back to Celestia, who merely smiled. “I… I don’t want to hurt her.”     “You won’t.” Celestia darted forward and kissed the unicorn on the nose. He smile grew as an idea struck her. “I believe a new performance troupe has just arrived in Canterlot, and their first show is tonight. Why don’t you and Fluttershy go? You can have Luna’s and my seats. I’ll make all of the arrangements.” She winked.     Rarity looked into Celestia’s rose eyes for any signs of doubt, but found only love and acceptance. The sight warmed her heart and she nodded. “That sounds wonderful, love. Thank you.” She looked back over her shoulder at Fluttershy, who seemed to finally be recovering. “What do you say, darling? Would you like to spend the rest of the day here and take in a show tonight?”     A dozen conflicting emotions warred in Fluttershy’s heart and mind, but she forced herself to nod. “O-okay. That sounds… nice.”