“One... two... three... four!” Pinkie counted with her hoof, concentrating hard. “Four! Quatre! Quatro! Vier! There’s only four of us here, now! Dashie and Flutters have yet to arrive!”
Twilight watched as Pinkie Pie bounced around, counting their friends for the seventh time in the past ten minutes. While it was cute, it was easy to tell that it was slowly getting tiresome. She decided to take matters into her own hooves by grabbing Pinkie within her magic aura and pulling her over to herself.
“I know you’re excited, but counting us, expecting it to be different, won’t change the fact they aren’t here yet.” Twilight explained with a gentle tone. “So, why don’t we all just relax a bit?”
The pink earth pony pouted, appearing petulant. “Because! This is going to be so exciting, don’t you know? Oh, but you’re right, my sweet Twilight! I should relax! Allow me to do so, and therefore I shall relax myself! After all, relaxation is important, if not more important!”
“My sweet?” Twilight was once again taken back by her friend’s choice of words, feeling a bit flustered by them.
“Well, Ah for one got a few choice words for this ‘new’ Fluttershy...” Applejack said with a minor hiss of irritation. She had not forgotten the incident from the other day and was more than ready to speak her mind on the matter.
Rarity flipped her hair dramatically, “I quite agree! That new Fluttershy is such a ruffian like I’ve never imagined! It’s as if someone had taken her and Rainbow Dash, put them into a blender, hit puree, and out came.... this!”
Twilight snapped from her thoughts for a moment, considering what was said. “Don’t you think that’s a little harsh, Rarity? I haven’t even met her yet.”
“Shhh!” Pinkie suddenly jumped up. “You girls hear that? By the door! They’re here!”
“Pinkie, there’s-” before Twilight could finish, a knock came from the door. Twilight was admittedly startled by this, as were the others, but she had learnt better than to question such things. “I... just get the door.” With a quick trot over to the entrance of the library, she opened the door only to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy in the middle of a heated, and possibly playful, discussion of some kind.
“Face it, Fluttershy, you know I won that last game! You just knocked the board off the table before you could accept defeat!” Rainbow Dash declared, smirking at her.
Fluttershy pushed her back a bit. “As if! You know the only reason you won was because I-” she stopped in mid-sentence, realizing that somepony was now standing before them. “Oh, hey Twi. We late?”
Twilight shook her head. “No, you’re not. We haven’t started yet... but I am afraid to ask what you were talking about now.”
“Hey, I may be awesometastic and can tell you all about that fact, but even I have standards to what I don’t tell!” Dash said, blowing a raspberry.
“RRRRight, of course you do,” Fluttershy teased while she rolled her eyes, “you so didn’t drop a huge hint as to what happened just now.”
“Did not! Just stating a fact! Sure, I talk about how awesome I can be, but come on! I don’t talk about that!”
Pinkie chose that moment to show up, appearing behind the two pegasi. “You two silly lover birdies! It’s time for the sleepover party! You can bicker about your sexual tension later!”
“Okay, seriously speaking here, how did you do that?” Fluttershy quickly questioned, looking a tad bit worried about entering the home now.
Twilight just sighed, unable to give her a real answer. “She’s Pinkie. Simple as that. You’ll get used to it.” She stepped aside, smiling, allowing the three to enter. “Come in, please.”
Both pegasi entered the library, joining up with Rarity and Applejack. Pinkie, meanwhile, remained alongside Twilight, and winked at her.
“This is going better than I thought, so far!” She said, giggling. “If for nothing else, this evening is sure going to be entertaining! I wish I’d brought my camera!”
“And by good, you mean an all-out war, right?” Twilight exhaled heavily, resting her head against Pinkie. “This is going to be a disaster.”
Shaking her head, Pinkie brought a foreleg around her for support. “Don’t be silly, Twi-Twi. We’ve got it all under control! You’ll see. Just have faith, and have fun! Besides, you’ll have me to help you!” With a wink, she kissed Twilight’s cheek. “And you know I’ll never let you down, my sweet honey!”
Once more, Twilight was left speechless by her friend’s decree. She could not fathom as to why she felt this odd pull to her friend, or why Pinkie was acting the way she was as of late. However, Twilight could not ignore the fact that, in a way, she liked it. As odd and foreign as the feeling was, she enjoyed it. This only made her question it more as she looked back to her friend, feeling her heart skip a beat.
“Thanks Pinkie.” Twilight manage to speak up, fighting off a blush. “Guess I can try to have fun.”
“Atta girl!” Said the party pony, nuzzling noses with her, then kissing her snout. “C’mon! It’s party time!”
Pinkie nuzzled her, then hopped off to rejoin their friends in the middle of the room.
‘I really hope everything will be okay...’ Twilight thought for a brief moment, but shook it off, remembering Pinkie’s words. ‘She right. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?’ With a new mind set she returned to the room with her friends, all of which were at last present. ‘Yes this will be a fun night. I just know it.’
Upstairs, Pinkie happily introduced the alternate Fluttershy. “Ladies, allow me to formally introduce Fluttershy! From the other reality! As you know, she’s not quite the same Flutters we all remember, but let’s make her feel welcome! She is with Dashie now, after all!”
Rarity appeared stricken by this, but said nothing of it. “...I see. Well, Fluttershy, dear, it is quite nice to finally meet you. How are you finding it here, so far?”
Fluttershy stared at her, almost absent mindedly, before fighting off the urge to snicker. “I’m sorry, but your accent! Oh man, it’s killing me... Yeah, I’m finding this to be a pretty stellar place and- Oh sweet Luna, your voice! Ha!” Unable to hold it any longer, the yellow pegasus began to laugh loudly while trying to apologize, all of which were in vain.
“And what, might I ask, is wrong with my accent?!” An offended Rarity wanted to know.
Fluttershy, still trying to recover from her laughing fit, grinned up playfully. “No, no, no, no, no, you see, where I’m from, you got this much more rough and tough voice and no accent. You sound like AJ! And-” a thought occurred. “Oh my gosh and she sounds like you! This is too good!”
Applejack walked up, a little irate that this comment. “Now hold on there, pardner! I ain’t exactly likin' the way ya said that.”
“Ha ha ha! Where’s a camera when you need one?!” Fluttershy continued to chuckled a bit more before fighting it off. “I’m sorry, okay? It’s just back in my reality, Rarity here was a lot more, um, “fun” I guess would be the word. No offense to you. She was my racing buddy and we’d compete a lot, ya know?”
“C’mon Rare, AJ, settle down!” Rainbow Dash spoke up. “She’s not used to you guys like this!”
“Ugh...” Rarity slapped her forehead. “...All right, all right. You’re just used to a different... sort of Applejack and myself.”
Applejack, still irate from the other day did not back down however. “I don’t rightly remember gettin’ an apology from this here Fluttershy and I ain’t droppin’ nothing ‘til Ah do.” Her voice was a tad bit stern and she appeared to be looking more at Dash than Fluttershy. “Ya almost-”
“Whoa whoa whoa whoa!” Said Pinkie, coming between them. “Now, let’s not get in a fight! Applejackie, you tell your side of the tale. Then Flutters, you tell yours! Go!”
AJ sighed in annoyance. “Ah weren’t about to fight, Pinks, but fine. Winona got out yesterday and Ah went ta find ‘er. While Ah was looking, Ah saw these two,” she pointed over at the pegasus, “rolling around in the mud, gettin’ frisky. Then, they threw mud at mah face and flew off.” Applejack snorted at the last part.
“Okay, that’s... actually pretty accurate.” Fluttershy said, slightly nervous. “So, yeah... Sorry about that. I wanted a little bit of Rainbow and got carried away. I shouldn’t have thrown mud up unless you were trying to get in on it too and I shouldn’t have yelled. Happy now?”
“Ah guess Ah can- wait, whut?” Applejack realized the full extent of what was said.
“...It was exactly what it looked like,” Dash clarified, looking away.
“Sweet Celestia!” Rarity’s eyes went wide. “You can’t possibly mean that you-”
“Ooooohh!” Pinkie giggled behind her hooves. “Well then! Now I know what this is going to call for! Don’t you, Twi-Twi?”
Twilight, who had remained silent through most of this, was not sure what her friend meant by this, but was willing to take a shot in the dark. “Um, Truth or Dare?”
This made Pinkie’s jaw drop with shock, to which everypony else reacted in the same way. Oh, they knew what this meant.
“Twilight! You guessed it right! That means you’re a mind-reader! Hooray!” Pinkie hugged the alicorn, kissing her cheeks. “Wonderful! Yes it is! It’s time for Truth or Dare!”
Twilight shook her head, blushing furiously in Pinkie Pie’s grasp. “What have I done?”
“Well... I suppose we could play that...” Rarity gave a mild shrug. “It couldn’t be worse than the first time.”
AJ shrugged as well, her eyes darting away. “Ain’t that the truth...”
“Sounds fine to me, I guess!” Dash said indifferently, but grinned. “Could be fun!”
“Excellent! I shall go fetch a bottle!” Declared the pink earth pony, rushing off to do so.
“Hey, uh, you guys?” Fluttershy spoke up. “Mind if I sit this out? I, uh, I don’t really like this game.”
Dash caught on, then rubbed her back. “Yeah, I hear ya. I’ve had some real rough rides with this game back in the past. But trust me, Fluttershy, it’s not gonna be anything overly extreme or stupid! Heck, the worst that could happen is that Rarity forces you to wear your hair a certain way for the rest of the night!”
Fluttershy sighed heavily. “Oh, I’m not worried about me...” She mumbled to herself.
“...Then what’s up?” Dash wanted to know, puzzled.
“Don’t worry too much about it. Just don’t let the bottle point at you.” She winked a bit.
Rarity snickered, shaking her head. “Now this, I have to see!”
Dash rolled her eyes. “Oh, whatever. Fine. Have it your way, Flutters! You’d better hope the bottle won’t point at you when it’s my turn to spin!”
AJ chuckled a bit, approaching Dash. “What ya gonna do? Dare ‘er to kiss ya? Ah think ya don’t gotta do that ta get one from ‘er.”
“Real funny, AJ!” Dash blew a raspberry, then smirked as she stole a kiss from Fluttershy. “Like I need to dare her to do that!”
“Okay, backers!” Pinkie reappeared with an empty glass bottle that she set down on the floor. “Twilight my sweet honey, it’s your home, so you spin first!”
“My sweet honey?” Twilight questioned her friend for a moment, but shook it off. “Right, sure. I’ll go first.” Using her magic, Twilight spun the bottle counter clockwise. As it slowed it laid on Applejack. “Okay, AJ, you know how this works. Truth or dare?”
“Ah’ll take a dare!” Applejack snickered, swishing her tail.
Twilight placed a hoof on her chin, trying to think. “I dare you to... dress up in a cape and magicians hat and refer to yourself in third person for the rest of the evening.”
“....Yer makin’ me act like Trixie?” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
She got up, going over to a costume trunk to look through. Moments later, with Twilight’s costume hat of Star Swirl the Bearded, the only magician’s hat available, and a blue cape, Applejack returned.
“There. Applejack’s all set,” she said, looking displeased. “M-Ah mean, her turn.”
With that, Applejack spun the bottle, which pointed to Rainbow Dash. With a slight chuckle, AJ sat down.
“All right then, RD,” Applejack snickered a bit, “Ah, er, Applejack here ask of ya, truth or dare? Ya chicken?”
“I’m no chicken, Applejack! And you can make that a dare!” Rainbow Dash smirked, flipping her mane. “Bring it on!”
AJ almost chuckled, but she held it aside for what was coming next. “The great and powerful Applejack dares ya ta not use yer wings ‘til sunrise!”
“Urgh....” Dash looked at her wings with despondency, but nodded. “All right, fine. A dare’s a dare. Not like I’m going anywhere between now and tomorrow morning, anyway.”
She then spun the bottle, which landed on Pinkie. With a wide grin, she faced her fellow pranking buddy.
“All right, this should be good! Truth or dare, pinks?” Dash grinned.
“Truth, Dashie!” Pinkie said with a bright smile.
“Seriously? You’re picking truth? ...Eh, we’ve had two dares, gotta change it up!” Dash shrugged a bit. “Okay, then! Do you... Like anypony?”
Giggling, Pinkie nodded. “Sure I do! I like everypony I know!”
“Uh, Pinks, I don’t think that’s what she means.” Fluttershy deadpanned.
“It’s not? Ohhh! Then you have to be more specific, silly!” Pinkie winked, giggling madly. “Yes, I do have a crushie on somepony!”
Twilight’s heart stopped for a moment. ‘Does she mean me?!’
Dash grinned, eager for the answer. “Yeah? Well, tell us! Who is it?”
“Nopey-dopey-lopey! You asked if I had a crush, and I answered it! To find out more, you’d have to wait until I choose truthie again!” The curly-haired pony winked, snickering. She then spun the bottle, which then landed on Rarity. “Perfecto! Okay, Rare-Bear, truth or dare? ...Hey! That rhymed! Awesometastic!”
Rarity gave a weak chuckle. “I’ll take truth, darling. Ask me what you will.”
Pinkie thought for a few moments, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. For a few moments or so, the room was quiet, as the rest of the group stared at her with question. It was time to think of a good question, something to make it count and make it fun.
“Got it!” Pinkie suddenly said, startling them. “Tell me, Rare-Bear, if you could have somepony as your slave for the next twenty-four hours...who would it be, and what would you make them do?”
Applejack trembled a bit at this. “Applejack doesn’t wanna be thinkin’ o’ THAT again...”
At Fluttershy’s confused look, Dash giggled. “Long story, Flutters.”
“If you say so... This sounds like a story I’d like to hear later.” Fluttershy giggled.
Rarity considered for a moment, blushed, then nodded. “Well, I suppose... Um... If it was for only twenty-four hours, I would have Appl- no, Twilight! I meant, Twilight. So that she could use her magic to assist me with dressmaking. Oh, and the publicity of having a princess wearing one of my outfits would be wonderful... yes. That’s what I was going to say. That.” She let out a nervous laugh.
“Oh, really?” Dash grinned, snickering. “Sure sounded like you were about to say Applejack! Tell me I’m not the only one who heard that!”
Pinkie snickered, winking. “I heard it, too!”
“Are the two of you insinuating that I lied?” Rarity placed a hoof on her forehead, letting her hair drape her face. “I’m hurt you would think that of me.”
“No, no, no! We know you’re telling the truth about having Twilight model your dresses, silly filly!” Pinkie said, shaking her head. “But we know you were about to say Applejackie before you changed your mind!”
Rarity picked her head back up. “Well then, I did answer your question truthfully, so I do believe it’s my turn.” She spun the bottle, ignoring the frustrated groans within the room.
The bottle then landed on Fluttershy. This, of course, changed the mood completely, as everypony’s curiosity was heightened.
“Well, then! Truth or dare, dear?” Rarity gave a keen smile.
Fluttershy snickered a bit. “Well, I’ll start off slow just this once. Truth.”
Eyes sparkling, it was clear that Rarity was going to jump upon this like a shark smelling blood in the water. “Marvelous! I do have more than one question... but perhaps I shall ask them in due time. For now, however, I will ask this. Did you... have a special somepony back in your reality?”
Fluttershy’s mood sank at hearing this. “No... I... Let’s just leave it at ‘no’, okay?” She asked Rarity in way that felt almost similar to their old Fluttershy.
Rubbing her back in comfort, Dash gave her friends a silent nod to pretty much let them know not to ask further about this. Applejack and Rarity exchanged concerned glances, but said nothing further.
“Well,” Pinkie spoke up, trying to cut the tension. “I do believe it’s your turn, Flutters!”
“Huh, I guess it is.” Fluttershy said smiling a bit. She spun the bottle furiously as it landed on Pinkie again.
“Yay, I won!” Pinkie laughed, rolling onto her back.
Fluttershy started to giggled a bit. “Oh, this will be good. So, Pinks, pick your poison. Truth or dare?”
“Dare time for me!” Pinkie clapped her hooves with delight.
This made Dash grin. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
“Great!” Fluttershy grinned wildly. “Pinks, I dare you to kiss Applejack!”
“Say what?!” Applejack’s jaw dropped.
“Eh? You want me to kiss Applejackie? Okay!” Pinkie sauntered over to her cowgirl friend, and kissed her on the cheek.
“You didn’t let me finish, Pinks.” Fluttershy giggled madly, shooting a glare between Twilight and Rarity. “It’s gotta be on her mouth. With tongue.”
“Ohhhhh!” Pinkie realized, looking thoughtful. She cast a quick glance to Twilight and Rarity, and then smiled. “Well, okay! I can’t promise it’ll be my best, but I’ll try! Hold on, Applejack!”
“Wait! Ah didn’t agree ta this!” Applejack shouted over to Fluttershy. “Ah-”
“C’mere!” Pinkie cut her off, and kissed her right on the lips.
It wasn’t forceful, but it definitely held a lot of passion, which Pinkie poured her all into. She even ran her hooves along her back and sides, to further entice the orange earth pony. Their friends watched with their mouths agape, no more so than Rarity and Twilight, each of their expressions a mix of shock and something else. Especially when Pinkie’s tongue met Applejack’s, engaging in a heated duel.
Dash had to admit, it was pretty enticing to watch!
After a few more moments, Pinkie pulled away and gently released Applejack. “That was nice! You have very sweet lips, Applejack! You even taste like apples!”
Applejack on the other hoof was completely dazed, blushing a deep shade of red. “... Damn, sugarcube...”
Looking down at the floor, Rarity pawed at it lightly with her hoof. She clearly looked a mixture of livid and yet uncertain, trying not to look at either of them. “...Indeed...” She said, her tone cross.
“Damn is right!” Dash exclaimed, whistling. “You sure gave it your all, Pinks!”
“What can I say? I’m quite a dramatic!” Pinkie giggled, sitting back with Twilight.
Twilight looked a bit unhinged by the display, her mane slightly frizzy from the display. ‘She just kissed her. Applejack... Like that. Does that mean when she kissed me, it was just nothing? I’m... confused. Does she like me or not?! Darn AJ why did you-’ she stopped in her thoughts, ‘Why am I getting so worked up over this? I don’t like Pinkie, do I? No, she’s just a friend... Who happens to be a great kisser... And- do I like her?’
Snapping from her thoughts, Twilight tried to give her a smile back despite how fake it must have looked. “I guess you are, Pinkie.”
“Right! Pinks, you’re up!” Fluttershy giggled a bit, clearly amused by her dare.
“Here we go!” Pinkie spun the bottle, which then landed on Rarity again. “And there it is! All right, truth or dare?”
Rarity looked up a bit out of it, before realizing it was her turn once more. “Oh, right... Dare.” She spoke almost absent mindedly.
“Hmmm...” Pinkie pretended to think, and then smiled brightly. “I dare you to...make out with Applejack!”
“And the Devil said what now?!” Applejack almost fell backwards in shock of this dare.
This now had Rainbow Dash falling over and laughing. “Aw man, this is too good! Looks like you’re getting popular tonight, AJ!”
Rarity was perplexed by this, blinking a few times. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that for me, darling?”
“Make out, as in, lots of kissy, with your good ol’ friend Applejack, of course!” Pinkie said, winking at her.
“Oh, oh my...” Rarity blushed brightly looking over at Applejack curiously. “Well, I’m not going to back down from a dare...”
The white unicorn approached her friend, going slowly. All the while, Applejack looked a mixture of terrified, and yet curious, herself. Neither moved for a few moments, they just stared at one another. Rarity made the first move, slowly leaning in and capturing the orange mare’s lips with her own. Unlike earlier, when Applejack had frozen up before giving in, she immediately kissed Rarity back. Their hooves encircled each other, heads tilted, and they grew caught up in their passionate kiss. Even to where they were moaning lustfully! It went slow, gentle, but still riding with desire. Their tongues met shortly after, dueling madly.
Whump!
Rarity eventually pinned Applejack to the floor, neither breaking their passionate lip-lock. It seemed as if their friends weren’t even in the same room as them anymore!
“Wow,” Dash remarked, wide-eyed. “And here I thought the kiss from before was on fire!”
Pinkie giggled, winking at them all. “I told you!”
“That’s, um... unexpected.” Twilight stared at the two.
“I suggest we leave the room, turn off the lights, and come back in an hour to see if the two bucked one another yet!” Fluttershy giggled a bit, pushing Dash off balance a bit.
“Whoa! That’s nuts!” Dash said, shaking her head.
Fluttershy smirked at her, getting up a bit. “Rule one of attraction, Dash. Opposites always attract. Oh, and rule of dealing with farmers: stay away from them when they look like that.” She pointed over the two ponies locked middle of a heated make out session.
“Very true indeed, Flutters!” Agreed Pinkie, nodding sagely. “We should leave them alone for a while! C’mon, everypony! Let’s get a nice smackerel!”
Twilight nodded, walking over to the door. “Pinkie Pie, I have never agreed with you more. A small snack sounds great.”
“I’m so there.” Fluttershy exhaled with a grin, following after.
“Me too!” Said Dash, following after them.
They went upstairs to the kitchen, to which Twilight and Pinkie went to search the fridge and pantry for some snack foods and drinks. Dash and Fluttershy playfully nudged each other, taking a seat at the table. Not much could be said, considering what they were walking away from, but that didn’t mean everything had to just end.
“So!” Dash said, breaking the silence. “I got a letter in the mail today, from the head Weather Division in Cloudsdale. There’s a big event going on this Friday in Las Pegasus, and it sounds pretty awesome!”
Fluttershy laughed a bit, trying not to show her excitement. “Sure, does! I’ll admit, it was kinda trippy for me to see Derpy Hooves as the mail pony, but the event itself sounds like a lot of fun.”
“It does! They hold these things all across Equestria, great way to travel!” Dash said, leaning back in her chair. “So we’re thinking of going out there for the weekend!”
“Ooooh! That’s right, you said you were a weather pony in your world, Flutters! Soooo! A fun little vacation out to Las Pegasus! The flashiest and coolest city in Equestria!” Pinkie giggled, grinning widely at the two. “Should be tons of funsies!”
“Don’t it?” Fluttershy remarked, waving her hoof. “Well, we were considering on asking you two if you wanted to come along with us. After all, little Miss ‘I’m the fastest flyer out of Cloudsdale’ here can’t hold her cider worth a bit.”
“Hey!” Dash stuck her tongue out at her.
Pinkie bounced up to Twilight, looking eager. “Yes, yes, yes! Can we go!? Can we go?! Pwease, Twilight?! Pwease?!”
Twilight stared down at her friend in a mixture of confusion, delight, and uncertainty. “Well... it’s only for one weekend, correct? I suppose I could have Spike stay over at Rarity’s and watch for any letters from the Princess... and a little vacation from this stress would be nice... okay, we can go.”
“YAY!!!” Pinkie squealed, hugging the alicorn and nuzzling her. “This’ll be awesome! Hooray!”
“Yeah, it’s from Friday to Sunday,” Dash confirmed. “We were thinking of heading out Friday morning, and then coming back Monday morning.”
“At least that’s the plan,” Fluttershy added. “We all know that anything can and will happen between now and then!”
“You’re right about that, Flutters!” Pinkie winked. “It’ll be awesometacular!”
Chuckling at her antics, Rainbow Dash leaned back in her chair again, staring up at the ceiling. She exhaled, thinking to herself, while her mind reeled.
‘So, yeah... we’re going to Las Pegasus... Fluttershy and I, along with Twilight and Pinks... Y’know, I always thought I’d take Fluttershy out to the city with me... The Fluttershy I know. Mmm, guess that’s not happening anytime soon. Aw man, this sucks... I really miss her....’ Dash thought, feeling her happy expression melt into a sad, thoughtful look.
“Something on your mind, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked her thoughtfully as Fluttershy looked over at her chair as well.
“...Nah, nothin’, really,” Dash said, sitting up straight.
Pinkie pouted, looking unconvinced. “That’s not an explanation, Dashie.”
“Look, Dash, if you need to talk about something, we can.” Fluttershy added to what Pinkie had just said, doing her best to sound sincere.
“It’s nothing. I just… I just miss Fluttershy, okay? It just crossed my mind, that’s all,” said the cyan pegasus, looking away from them.
“Awwwww... but that’s normal, Dashie! You don’t have to be ashamed of that! We miss her, too!” Pinkie said, smiling. “We’re all getting by just fine, right? Doesn’t mean we can’t miss her!”
Twilight nodded in agreement. “Pinkie’s right, Rainbow Dash. We all miss Fluttershy, too. Remember, this was my fault that this even happened in the first place, so I don’t intend to rest until this is solved. Even on this trip, I plan to bring a few books with me to see if there’s something I might not have noticed. So, we are going get her back, I promise.”
“...Wait a minute,” Rainbow Dash suddenly looked up. “...What do you mean, this is your fault?”
Pinkie blinked, her eyes wide. “Ohhhh! Yeah.... we should explain what happened, Twi-Twi! It’s just as much my fault as is it is yours!”
Twilight sighed, looking away for a moment before speaking. “Well, this going to be hard to explain, but let me try. I’m sure by now you’re familiar with the term multiverse...”
“Hello! We’re back!” Rarity said as she and Applejack came into the kitchen. “Terribly sorry, darlings, we just got a little carried away! We-...is everything all right?”
Rainbow Dash was now sitting on the floor, near the table, looking stricken and distraught. Like her wings would never lift. Her ears were drooped, she was hunched over a bit, and was breathing heavily.
She felt so... lost. Completely lost and distraught, as if her body now felt nothing. A little whimper escaped Dash’s lips, as she stared straight ahead at nothing. Everything around her felt as if it disappeared, she could barely hear the voices of her friends. Only her pounding heart, which seemed to tear heatedly, was what reached her ears.
“...Dashie?” Pinkie stepped forward a bit.
Applejack did so as well. “RD, ya feelin' okay? Ya don’t look quite like yer usual self...”
“Hey, give her some room to breathe.” Fluttershy stepped between the three ponies defensively. “Pinks, you know she’s not taking this too well after just a few minutes ago.”
“Oh, dear... This is about Fluttershy, isn’t it?” Rarity realized, her eyes wide.
Twilight walked over to the group. A slight bruise on her cheek was enough to let the others know something had most certainly happened. “Yes, Rainbow Dash isn’t taking this well at all. She’s really upset right now...”
“Look, Rainbow Dash...we’re really-” Pinkie reached out to touch her shoulder.
Only for Dash to slap it away.
“Don’t touch me!” Dash growled, her cerise eyes hardening as tears pooled in them. “This is YOUR fault! Your fault!! Why can’t you sit still?! Oh, that’s right, it’s too much of a hassle for you! Even when you were told NOT TO MOVE! But you did anyway! In a dangerous experiment! I’m no science expert, but even I know better! And you just-!! Urgh! Thanks to you, Fluttershy may never come back! And all because of your carelessness! Both of you! I just-! How COULD YOU!? You took her away from us! From me! I may never see her again! I’ll lose her forever! Don’t come near me!”
Before anypony else could get a word in, Rainbow Dash flew out of the room and into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Twilight shook her head in disappointment. “... I knew she would react this way. It’s why I didn’t want to tell her. Pinkie,” she gently placed a foreleg over her friend’s shoulder. “You know she didn’t mean all of that. She’s just upset and angry. She just needs time...”
“...I know...” Pinkie’s hair had then gone flat and straight, imitating her distraught mood. “But she’s right, Twilight. It is all my fault... She has every right to be angry at us. Especially me. We just... I was careless, and it cost us our dear friend, and pulled Fluttershy here, out of her world... She’s a stranger in her own home... Just as our Flutters is... All of this was because of me...”
“That’s not true, Pinkie.” Twilight corrected her. “It takes two to create a problem. I’m just as much at fault as you. No, I’m more at fault. I shouldn’t have even been attempting that spell... but we’ll get our Fluttershy back.”
Applejack moved to her side as well. “She’s right, sugarcube. Y’all’re doin’ the best ya can to fix this here problem and Ah fer one am proud of ya fer taken this much responsibility fer this. But ya ain’t gotta hold it up all by yerself. Ya got us, yer friends.”
Nodding in agreement, Rarity joined them as well. “I couldn’t agree more, darling. We’re right here to help you all through this ordeal. One way or another, whatever happens, we’re going to be there.”
Pinkie, now becoming Pinkamena, managed a smile. “Thank you, girls...”
Fluttershy looked over at the group of friends with a weak smile. ‘Look at them all. They’re all so close, just like they all are in reality. Eh, even Pinks is looking like my Pinkamena... I never really thought about it, but I miss them all. Especially Rainbow Dash. This world isn’t so bad, but here I am causing all types of problems for them. I know it’s not really my fault, but it sure does feel like it. I wish there was something I could do...’ She exhaled, looking away for a brief moment before an idea popped into her head.
“Hey... everypony?” Fluttershy called over. “I’m gonna head out for some air real quick, this is just too much for me to take... but I’ll be back in just a bit, okay?” She didn’t wait for a response as she quickly left the room, out of sight. ‘This is so stupid, but it might work. I just know my ears are gonna feel weird after this...’
“....Where’s she going? What’s she gonna do?” Pinkie wondered, her mane slowly coming back to life.
Nopony had an answer to that.
In Twilight’s bedroom, Rainbow Dash lay on the guest bed, crying her eyes out into the pillow. It was all she could think to do, much like she’d done earlier that morning. Everything was clear, now she knew the truth. An experiment, a freak accident. Carelessness. It all weighed down on her, pretty much crushing her heart. She trembled, sniffling as she sobbed loudly into the pillow. Her head throbbed painfully from all of her crying, her cheeks soaked with tears.
“Flutters...” Dash moaned, trembling. “Why’d you have to go...”
It's so loud inside my head
With words that I should have said.
As I drown in my regrets,
I can't take back the words I never said.
Sniffling, Dash curled up, staring blankly at the wall, losing herself in the saddening memories...
“Fluttershy... when’s it starting?” Rainbow Dash sighed, adjusting her pitch helmet for the umpteenth time. “Seems like the butterflies missed the memo or something...”
Fluttershy giggled a bit. “Oh, Rainbow... this is a seasonal event, they do this every year, regardless if we are here.” She moved closer to Rainbow Dash slightly, fluttering her wings. “It’ll be starting at any moment now.”
“Oh, all right,” Dash pouted, laying on the ground. “You’re just lucky that you’re my pal!”
“I know, but you must like coming here with me, don’t you, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked her cutely, smiling sweetly at her. “After all... if you ever wanted to not come you could say no...”
The pout on the cyan mare’s lips became more pronounced. “I had nothin’ else to do...”
Fluttershy place a hoof over her lips to cover her giggle. “So, you had nothing to do every year that we came to this?"
“....Yes!” Dash sat up, crossing her forelegs. “I had nothing else to do and you always give me those eyes whenever you ask me!”
Fluttershy moved even closer to the cyan mare, sitting side by side and placing the binoculars down on the grass. “Well, at least I’m making you come with me... so this works out for both of us. I have somepony to watch the butterflies with and you have something to do.”
“It’s boring...” Dash grumbled, looking away.
“Oh... I’m sorry.” Fluttershy shied away a bit.
A sledge of guilt overcame her, as Dash looked over at her best friend and sighed. She crept closer, bringing a wing over her back.
“... It’s boring, I like butterflies and all, but I guess it wasn’t much my thing… But at least it’s with you, Flutters.”
Fluttershy smiled slightly, blushing a bit as she rested her head against Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “I know, Rainbow. I just wish I could show you what I see when I see them here... At least, if it really is boring... we can be together to make it more fun.”
In actuality, watching the Butterfly Migration was far from the worst or even the most boring past time. Dash knew this far well, and actually did think of just how pretty the migration could be. A little slow, if nothing else, but it was nice.
“.... Yeah... we can...” Dash murmured, nuzzling Fluttershy’s head, leaning their heads together. For good measure, she even brought her foreleg around her.
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy looked up at her friend, smiling warmly. “Can I ask you to... make me a promise? It’s a little selfish, but... would that be okay?”
The cyan pegasus regarded her friend curiously. What could this have meant? Especially if Fluttershy regarded it as selfish?
“Well, sure... what is it?” Dash asked.
Fluttershy looked away briefly, blushing a bit, before looking back to Rainbow Dash. “Would you... promise me to come here with me every year…? Just the two of us?”
“Don’t we already do that?” Dash rose an eyebrow, a bit puzzled. But she exhaled, nodding. “Yes, I promise. I promise to come with you to the Butterfly Migration every year. Just you and me.”
“Oh, thank you, Dashie...” Fluttershy cuddled closer to her friend, simply enjoying the warm. “Rainbow, I-”
Before she could finish, the Butterfly Migration began, but in the most breathtaking way they had seen in years. Thousands of butterflies blanketed the sky, flying in a set of double helixes in a fluidic motion. Each twist and curve added to the form, until the large formations met, sowing through the large rainbow in the distance.
Naturally, Fluttershy observed it with a bright smile and dreamy eyes; Rainbow Dash found her own gaze drifting to her companion. How radiant and beautiful she looked, just simply admiring something that she perceived as wonderful. Dash felt her heart melt, glad to see that such a thing could excite Fluttershy. If there was indeed one thing she felt thankful for, it was this. Seeing Fluttershy this happy and spending time with her was worth it.
It was worth every second, every butterfly.
A soft blush dusted her cheeks, but Rainbow Dash leaned in and pecked Fluttershy’s cheek. She looked away, her own blush growing, and to hide the goofy smile on her face.
Fluttershy looked over to Dash with wide eyes, “R-Rainbow?” she began to question, but smiled instead. She simply cuddled closer, casting her gaze upward once more. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“... Yeah...” Dash murmured, looking at her again. “Beautiful. And the butterflies sure look pretty, too. Real pretty.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Of course they do. The monarch butterfly is always very pretty...Oh, and the rainbow sets the scene so perfectly. How lovely.”
Dash wasn’t sure if she was relieved or frustrated that Fluttershy had missed what she’d said. But then again, she could mull it over later. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy spending time with her best friend.
Sniffling, Dash rolled onto her back, clutching one of the pillows against herself. She felt as if her body were going numb, with the pain in her heart going beyond any sort of physical force.
“I broke that promise... I’m gonna break it if I never see her again... if she never wants to come back...” Rainbow Dash whimpered, staring tearfully up at the ceiling. “I’m sorry, Flutters...”
Breathing heavily, she rolled over once more, hugging the pillow. The memories continued to override her mind, taking her down completely. She felt her body seize, her tears fall, ready for another sobfest.
At least, until she heard a tap at the window. Ears perked, she rolled over, facing the bedroom window.
From the other side of the window came a weak coughing, muffled by a hoof. “... R-Rainbow? Are you in there...?” The voice soft, weak, almost fragile.
All too soon, Rainbow Dash jumped up, wide-eyed. Her heart skipped a beat, she listened hard, and knew. It had to be. She recognized that sweet, angelic voice anywhere.
“...Flutters?”
“C-Can you hear me?” Fluttershy called back.
“...Yeah, yeah, I can hear you!” Dash looked around for the voice’s source, her heart pounding. “Flutters? Is that you? Where are you?”
The tapping came from the window again. “... Over here.”
Practically fleeing to the window, Dash pushed it open, enough for a pony to come in through it. The anticipation rose within her, making her hooves shake, and her body warm up. Her ears rang with the sweet voice she knew so well, hope rising through her mind.
“F-Fluttershy? Fluttershy?”
Entering slowly to the room from the window was the yellow pegasus in question. She looked drenched, wet, soaked. Her mane covered most of her face as her tail slumped down, almost touching the floor.
“Rainbow? I’m sorry...” She called over, her voice sounding weak.
Stricken, all Rainbow Dash could do was stare at her. Her heart pounded, her very being filled with many emotions. The fear, the regret, the guilt, the despondency... And yet, the joy, the wonder, the relief, the love....
“Fluttershy...!” Dash cried out tearfully, enveloping her beloved into her hooves. Tightly she hugged her, sobbing all over again. “I missed you, Flutters! I can’t believe it’s you!”
Fluttershy shook her head, voice trembling. “No, I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash...”
“No, no! Don’t be sorry, it’s not your fault! It was never your fault, never!” Dash uttered, her voice broken with emotion. “I’m just glad you’re okay-I...I don’t know what I’d have done... if something happened to you...”
“Why do you have to make this so hard...” Fluttershy hung her head low, sniffling.
“...W-What do you mean?”
Fluttershy looked back, crying. She placed a hoof up to her face, pushing her hair aside, showing Rainbow Dash her eyes. Those sharp, daring eyes of a fighter now, filled with tears. She looked beaten, but not weak, even now. She uncurled her tail, letting several earrings fall to the floor.
“I’m sorry, Rainbow Dash... I’m not her...” She cried, biting her lip. “I just needed to see you... I didn’t mean to make you think I was... her. I just... care about you too... I’m sorry.”
Defeated, distraught, and overall lost, Dash shook her head. She didn’t even have it in her to feel angry at the deception of this. Yet she also couldn’t even feel upset, knowing that Fluttershy was only trying to help. It had been her own delusions. Her own hope. Her own eyes deceiving her.
“...No...” Dash mumbled, cuddling against her for warmth. “I’m not... I’m not mad. I just missed her too much, and practically imagined... you were her. Don’t leave me, Fluttershy... just hold me... I need you...”
Fluttershy wiped a few tears away. “I can do that...” She pulled Dash into a full embrace. “I know you miss her, Dash, and I know I can’t ever be her, replace her... but I’ll be here to help you through this until you see her again. I promise.”
Gently squeezing her a bit tighter, Dash nuzzled her neck. “I won’t be her, either... I can’t replace her... But I’ll be there with you, too...” She sniffled a bit, trembling, and looked up at her. “I don’t want you to be her, I just... I want you to be you… Y’know I meant it, when I said I love you... right?”
Fluttershy smiled just a bit, shaking her head. “...Rainbow Dash, I know what you said, but I know how you feel better than you know.” She started to stroke the cyan mare’s mane, “I know what you said, but I know what you’re doing... I’m doing it, too. You love her. You told me that, remember? You don’t have to lie to me, Dash.”
“I’m not. Of course I love her, I always have... And you love the other me. But like you said, there are other kinds of love. I know how I feel, and I know you’re not her. I’m not trying to make you her, either. Face it, I know. We love our... er... well, we love the other you and I more, we’re always gonna. But that doesn’t mean I don’t love you, too. Like I said, it was crazy. But I know it’s there. I know I love you, too.” Dash now pulled back, looking ashamed. “I’m not tryin’ to replace the other me, or making you replace my Fluttershy. I just... I can’t do this without you, either. But it’s not even just that. It’s everything. You! All of you. I just know how I feel, okay?”
Fluttershy merely smiled, nuzzling against Dash, tearfully. “And like I said, I’ll be there for you. I love you too.” She tightened her embrace. ‘You still don’t see it, do you? I know you must feel the same way I do, but this feeling is different. I want to be there for you, I really do and in some way... this is a blessing. I finally understand. I understand why I was so afraid in my reality. I really can’t take back the words I never said... I’ll be there for you Dash, both of you and mine. And when I see my Rainbow, I’ll make things right with her, and I have you to thank for that...’
The warmth overcame her, filling her. Dash felt a sense of ease, comfort, and amazement all over again. Much like last night, then this morning, she knew it was true. Somehow, everything was going to be all right. Whatever happened, it would be okay. There was nothing to fear.
Dash nuzzled her sweetly, managing to smile through her tears. “Thank you, Fluttershy... I-I feel better now. And y’know I’ll be there for you, too. This is even harder for you, anyway, isn’t it? Well...we’re gonna make it, like we said, either way it goes. And y’know, I have to thank you for all this, too. You gave me that kick in the flank to just come out and admit how I feel, ya know? I’m sure glad you did, too.”
Fluttershy looked a bit shocked to hear this, but smiled anyway. “Yeah, you sure needed it. I know I did too. So, don’t worry about me... I’m pretty tough, after all. And this world, as different as it is, is a lot more like my own than you think. I guess you’d say it’s like a mirror. Everything’s flipped, but it’s not bad. So, if I am here to stay, I can’t complain about it. I did get to meet you...”
“I’m just sorry you lost everything else... and all I lost was my best friend. But... then again, I did get to meet you, too,” Dash smiled a bit more. “And I’m sure as hay not complaining about that. So if you are here to stay... Yeah, I definitely won’t be complaining.”
Fluttershy nuzzled her a bit. “Trust me when I say I would rather lose my home world than lose my best friend. Even if-” she paused for a moment. Thinking of something that Dash could not tell. “Maybe... maybe she read my letter... maybe even if she never sees me again, she’ll at least know I was sorry...”
“...Letter? What letter?” Dash asked, curious.
Fluttershy sighed, smiling to herself. “Don’t worry about it... Chances are everypony is glad to be rid of me. I doubt they would find it anyway. It was just a nice thought, that’s all.”
“...Well, knowing my Fluttershy... she must be at your place now, and if she found anything like that, she’d tell the other me... so that she’ll know the truth...” Dash murmured, shaking her head.
On some level, this small piece of information gave her a fragment of peace. Even if it was truly unlikely, the thought of redemption, however impossible, despite the fact was she may never see her Rainbow Dash again, it made her happy to know that she may know the truth.
“I hope so. I really do.” Fluttershy muttered silently as she rest her head against Dash’s.
“Me too, Fluttershy,” Dash said, kissing her sweetly and holding her close, resting her head against hers. “Me too.”
Fluttershy pulled away a bit, forcing herself to giggle. “Hey, come on, I’m supposed to be helping you feel better, not vice-versa. Besides, we still gotta talk with Twilight and Pinkie.”
“....I can’t now,” Dash looked ashamed, her gaze downcast as her ears drooped. “I got so mad I… I just hit Twilight... and I was all mean to Pinks...”
“More of a reason to talk to them about this,” Fluttershy corrected her, trying to still sound supportive. “Trust me, I’ve been down this road before, and the sooner you clear the air, the better. I feel that silence is worse violence in this case.”
“...You’re right...” Dash sighed, shaking her head and standing up on all fours. “It’s not like they did it on purpose, it was an accident... I shouldn’t have been so mad.”
Fluttershy stood up beside her, grinning. “Hey, I never said you didn’t have the right to be mad. If I was in your horseshoes, I’d want to kill somepony by now. I’m just saying you gotta know when to let it go. You vented, you calmed down a lot, enough to know you were wrong, and now, we clear the air.”
“...It’s not even just that, I was just reminded about how much I miss her so much...” Dash went toward the door, wiping her eyes. “Fluttershy wouldn’t want me moping... she’d want me to be strong, to move on, and to try to overcome this. But every time I remember how much I miss her, I just... feel like someone cut off my wings...”
“I can understand how that feels...” Fluttershy shook her head. “Trust me, I do, but you’re right about her wanting you to be strong. She’s gonna want to see you tackle her down when she gets back, ya know?! Oh, and, uh, don’t go cutting off you wings or your new name will be Saddy McSadderson.”
“I’m not gonna cut my wings off,” said the cyan pony, shaking her head. “I just said it felt like it. Trust me... I’ll be tackling her when I see her, I’m not gonna be able to hold back!”
Fluttershy chuckled a bit, picking up her earrings. “Good. Now go out there and scream your apology!”
Casting her a small smile, Dash nodded and exited the room. She returned to the kitchen, finding her friends still there and partaking in having something to eat. Once she came in, they all fixated their gazes to her, stopping in their current conversation. Tension. It filled the air, so thick that you could cut it with a knife. While nopony seemed upset or scared, it was clear that they didn’t know what to expect.
“Hey... Look, Twilight, Pinkie... I’m sorry about earlier. I just... got really upset, and plus... I remembered that I missed Fluttershy s-so much...” Dash said, choking a sob as she said this. “And I’m sorry I hurt you, that wasn’t something I was trying to do. There’s no excuse for that. What happened was an accident. Not like you guys were trying to-”
“Dashie...” Pinkie cut her off, giving her a gentle smile. “It doesn’t matter if it was an accident or if we didn’t intend for it. What happened was still careless on our parts. We take responsibility for it, and we’re going to atone for our mistake. Don’t you worry about that, Dashie.”
Twilight nodded, smiling slightly. “Pinkie’s right, Rainbow Dash. We know that this is our fault, and we don’t blame you for being mad at us. But we’re going to do what we can to fix this.”
“I know, you did say that. But it’s like I didn’t even hear it, all I was thinking of was... my own selfish... well, anger,” Dash admitted, looking away and rubbing her foreleg nervously.
“Aww, Dashie...” Pinkie came over and hugged her. “Don’t say that! We all say and do things we regret when we’re angry! All the time! Besides, of course you took this the hardest. Flutters is your best friend, you know her the best and has always been a constant in your life. It’s no wonder you’re traumatized! We understand. We miss her too, and we’re gonna get her back! But we see why it hurts you the most.”
Stiffening ever slightly, Dash managed to relax and return the hug, appreciative of Pinkie’s consolation. She sniffled a bit, fighting back tears.
“Thanks, Pinkie...”
“You’re welcome, Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie smiled, and then pulled back. “And besides, you love Flutters, of course you miss her!”
Voice breaking, all Dash could do was nod. “...I do love her. More than anything. I’d clip my own wings if it would bring her back...”
“Awwwww!” Pinkie giggled, looking among their friends. “See? Everything’s going to be all right!”
“I thought you said you wouldn’t go cutting off you wings, Dash?” Fluttershy walking into the room with her earrings back in.
“You know what I mean!” Dash stuck her tongue out. “I’d only do that if there was no other way.”
Pinkie snickered, “Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen! That’s just silly! So! Are we ready for some food? I think all of this saddy-waddy stuff worked up an appetite!”
Twilight giggled a bit, leaning forward in her chair. “Agreed. Something to eat would be great about now.”
“I couldn’t agree more, dear!” Rarity proclaimed, winking toward Applejack.
Applejack, blushed a bit, tipping her hat. “Uh, yeah, Ah think so, too.”
“Hey, uh...” Dash spoke up again, “You guys still want to come to Las Pegasus with us?”
“Of course we do, Dashie! Why would it be otherwise?” Pinkie grinned.
Fluttershy walked over between the Pinkie and Dash. “Well, we gotta know if you two can hold your cider better than she can, of course!”
“Hee hee! I can hold my cider just fine! Dashie can’t!” Pinkie strolled over to Fluttershy and whispered, “One time Dashie had too much cider, and was all over Flutters, calling her sweet names and giving her kissies! It was sooooo cute!”
Fluttershy giggled a bit. “Seriously? Oh dear Luna, anypony got pictures?”
Nodding, the pink pony produced some photos seemingly from out of nowhere. “Uh-huh! Here they are! I caught quite a few of them! Dashie is quite an affectionate drunk, it’s sweet!”
“Haha, she looks like me when I get wasted!” Fluttershy laughed out laughed out loud.
AJ looked over the table giggling wildly. “That ain’t nothin’! Y’all should have seen ‘er back after Pink’s last party! She was outside makin’ out with a tree callin’ it ‘Shy!’ It was killin’ meh!”
“Applejack!!” Dash cried, wide-eyed. “You said you wouldn’t tell ‘em about that!”
“It’s true!!” Pinkie snickered, shaking her head.
She showed a few photos of that, a hilarious depiction of Rainbow Dash tenderly making out with a tree. The next photos to follow were Fluttershy (also drunk, it seemed) prying her away from it, before she tackled them to the ground and started making out with her.
“And now I know what the biggest difference between our worlds are!” Fluttershy chuckled. “All you ponies can’t hold your cider!”
“I can!” Pinkie winked. “Takes me a while to even get tipsy!”
Fluttershy grinned wickedly. “Then, when we get to Las Pegasus, you and I are having a drinking contest!”
“Challenge accepted!” Pinkie declared. “Twi-Twi, you’ll be able to keep watch over us!”
Twilight sighed, rubbing her forehead. “I suppose I can do that.”
Fluttershy snorted with a smirk. “You’re going down, party pony!”
This was indeed going to be quite a long night, as it were.