//------------------------------//
// Honesty is the Best Policy 
// Story: Love is Power I: Singing from the Heart 
// by ThaStrangr 
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	She heard the chirping of the Starlings. She felt the sun warming her face. She saw the light shining through her eyes. And for the first time, Fluttershy didn't care. She didn't want to rise. She desired simply to lie there, wrapped in the loving fore-legs of that beautiful mare. She'd awoken some time ago, and spent the entirety of the time wondering whether the previous night was a dream. There had been one occasion when she had convinced herself it had all been in her head. That fear was dispelled when the bed's other occupant had let out an endearingly cute snort. Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to prevent waking her with her laughter. It was truly a magnificent day.

Fluttershy soon heard a new sound, a knocking on the front door. Probably just a customer wishing to check out a book. She, as with all other distractions of the morning, simply ignored it. That is, until she heard said door open and a familiar farmpony's voice echo through.
"Twi?" Fluttershy wasn't certain Twilight would be so quick to tell their friends about their new relationship. As she heard hooves moving toward the stairs she knew she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She lifted herself just enough to be visible over the banister. The earth mare on the floor below looked up to her.
"Well, howdy 'Shy," she greeted, "whatcha up to?"
"Oh, um, Twilight and I were just having a little sleepover, is all. What are you doing?"
"Oh, Twilight promised ta help me with th' apples. Is she set?" Fluttershy looked towards Twilight's usual bed to avoid any suspicion.
"I'm sorry, Applejack. She's still asleep." AJ waved a hoof at her.
"Don't ya fret none. Jest send 'er bah when she's ready. See ya, later."
"Goodbye, Applejack." Fluttershy sighed in relief as the orange pony stepped through the door. She felt the bed shifting and turned around. The unicorn beside her had begun stirring, slowly pulling from the enticing grasp of sleep. Fluttershy giggled and slowly caressed the other pony's waist, eliciting an onslaught of giggles which grew to roaring laughter.
"'Shy, stop!" She managed to choke out through shaky breaths, though the look on her face told she was enjoying this torment.
"I'm sorry, Twilight. I couldn't quite hear you. Did you say more? Well, if you absolutely insist." Now she placed her second hoof next to the first and began to torture her prisoner without mercy. Twilight was practically screaming now and tears stained her face. At last, she gained enough strength to fight back. Her horn ignited and an aura of lavender enveloped her attacker, pulling her off and locking her to the bed. Fluttershy frowned at this turn of tides.
"That's cheating," she said, to which Twilight only chuckled.
"All's fair in love and war. Now, payback time!" She lunged for the yellow mare, her hooves launching this way and that. Fluttershy ached as she choked on her laughter. The pony atop her grinned maliciously as she continued her assault. 

After she felt the little yellow mare had had enough, she stopped and smiled down at her, who returned the expression with as much love and joy, as she leaned in to lock their lips together once more. For one sweet, tender moment. When at last they had pulled away, Fluttershy remembered the message she was meant to relay.
"Oh. Applejack came by a few minutes before you woke up. She said you promised to help her with her apples?" Twilight gasped and jumped out of bed.
"Collecting apples! I completely forgot. I'm sorry, I need to go." She was stopped dead in her tracks as she was caught in a gentle embrace.
"There's only one mare that can make you so frantic now, and that's me. Now relax. First you'll eat breakfast, and then you can go help AJ."
"But-" Fluttershy pressed her hoof against Twilight's mouth.
"No buts. I'm going downstairs to make you some blueberry and cinnamon pancakes so you'll plenty of energy to work." Twilight smiled as the pegasus took wing and flew downstairs. Just the idea of those pancakes made Twilight's mouth water with anticipation. She supposed AJ could wait an hour.

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Twilight finished her incredible breakfast and kissed her chef goodbye as she walked through the door, heading toward the large Sweet Apple Acres at the edge of town. She hopped through the town with a spring in her step. She waved and greeted everypony she passed. The birds sang tunes of harmony softly in her ear. What a gorgeous day it was.
After strolling through town for roughly twenty minutes, she finally reached her destination. The large orchards of Sweet Apple Acres dominated her view. She wandered through the orchards until she heard a familiar sound: hooves connecting with bark. She followed the noise and stumbled onto an orange earth mare. She was hard at work slamming her back hooves into the trees to shake free their supply of delicious apples.
"So Sorry I'm late." The sudden noise started the earth pony halfway through a buck, causing her to miss and swipe along the sides of the tree.
"Jeez, Twilight. Don't sneak up on a pony like that. If I'd spun 'round, I woulda taken yer head off. I told 'Shy to send ya to me when you were ready ta work. Ya got nothin' t' 'pologize for. Anywho, now that yer here, ready ta git ta work?"
"As always."
"Good ta hear."
Applejack led Twilight to a separate orchard abound with apples. Quickly, they set to work, Twilight using her powerful magic to pull apples from the trees whilst AJ ran to another side, bucking like she never had before. It took them a mere two hours to finish their. Perhaps a new record. They both lie, panting, on the hill at the center of the farm.
"Now that there was a harvest! Thanks for the help, Twi."
"Don't thank me, AJ. I was glad to do it."
"Anyway, we're gonna be startin' lunch soon. Yer welcome ta stay."
"Sorry, AJ. I need to get home. I kinda left Fluttershy alone there."
She's still there? I thought y'all were just havin' one of them sleepovers ya like so much."
"Oh well yeah but I invited her to stay through lunch." Twilight started getting a bit nervous, which Applejack was not blind to.
"Y'know, yer acting a bit weird right now. Fluttershy was too, earlier. Acting all suspicious, as though..." She stopped as the pieces fell into place in her mind. She looked to Twilight with wide eyes.
"Fluttershy?" she asked. Twilight jumped and looked around frantically
"What? Where?" She suddenly realized she was acting like a filly with a schoolyard crush. She turned to her friend, still just watching, though she had seen more than she needed.
"Annnnd when did this happen?" Twilight groaned uncomfortably.
"Last night." A hint of an expression managed to find a way to her face. Though it was more shocked than Twilight had hoped for.
"Last night? You mean to tell me you two-"
"No! Nononono. Nothing like that. It was completely innocent. We talked and we fell asleep. That's it."
"Sorry ta seem like I was jugdin'. Guess it was jest outta spite. I am kinda hurt that you didn't tell me this, that I had ta figure it out fer maself. Don't ya trust me?"
"AJ. Don't think like that. Of course I trust you. It's just that Fluttershy and I haven't discussed it. I'm not sure whether we're ready to tell everypony."
"No." Twilight looked back to her, confused.
"I'm sorry?"
"I won't go shoutin' this from the rooftops, but I refuse to keep it from our friends. I'm sorry."
"But, AJ-"
"No buts, missy. Either you two tell 'em, er I will. Tonight. They're our best friends, Twi. We can't just push them out like that. 'Sides, what happens when any o' us try ta do something without tellin' the others 'bout it? When the curtains close, things are ten times worse than they needed ta be. I ain't goin' through it agin. Tell 'em, er I will."
"Okay," Twilight sighed, defeated. But Applejack wasn't finished here.
"And Twi. You should tell her, too."
"I'm sorry, who?" Twilight tried acting stupid. Applejack easily saw through it.
"You know who. The princess would wanna know 'bout this."

Twilight groaned and nodded subtly. Though she wasn't anxious to admit it, she knew Applejack had a point. Nothing good ever came from keeping their friends out. She decided to send a letter to the princess when Spike got home, and go to fetch Rarity herself. Rainbow Dash already know, and Twilight was certain Pinkie found out in some way.
"Well you know, Rarity's probably the only one in the group who doesn't know. Maybe we could wait just-"
"No, Twilight! I'm not keepin' this from Rarity. She has been a good friend ta us." Twilight's hooves shot up beside her head, waving in her defense. She couldn't help but feel that reaction was unnecessarily harsh.
"Okay! Sorry I asked." Twilight had given up on try to sway Applejack. She stood and bid the other mare farewell before beginning the trek back home.

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It didn't take her as long to arrive back at the library. She had cut a few corners to ensure she made it back before Spike and Nyx. However, when she opened the door, she realized she should have cut a few more. Fluttershy was at the center desk, reading the ever-active Nyx a story, while Spike worked away in the kitchen to make the best lunch in the history of lunch. The two heads in the entrance area shot to the door as it opened.
"Twilight!" the little black filly screamed as she pounced on the entrant. "Where've you been?"
Twilight chuckled at her. "Relax Nyx. I was helping AJ on the farm. So what's going on here?"
"When we came home, Fluttershy was just heading out. I think we scared her, 'cus she was sweaty and hyperventilating. Anyway, Spike went in the kitchen to make her a special lunch and she started reading to me."
"Twilight," a voice called from the kitchen, "can I talk to you for a second?"
"Coming, Spike." She trotted into the kitchen where Spike busy tossing a large, complex salad. He turned and winked at her, a slick smile etched on his features.
"So, Fluttershy, huh? Well, nopony can question your tastes." Twilight froze on the spot.
"Huh?"
"I'm a lot more observant than I let on, Twilight. I've seen the way you look at her. You're not that subtle. But I don't think Nyx has realized it. Should probably take care of that. She'd be pretty cross if she found out without you telling her." This sounded oddly familiar. Twilight nodded and gestured for Spike to follow her back to the entrance. When she opened the door, those familiar aqua eyes set on her. Twilight shot her eyes form the other set, to the black filly a few feet off, and back. Fluttershy inhaled deeply and nodded in response as the other two walked up.
"Nyx, there's something we need to tell you. You remember that talent show a couple weeks back, don't you?"
"You bet, I do! Best night ever! Scootaloo is still getting praise for her performance." She looked to Fluttershy. "And we all really loved your song, Fluttershy."
"Thank you, Nyx. I'd hoped you would."
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, that song, she wrote it for somepony." Nyx plastered on a smile that covered the entirety of her face.
"She wrote it for you, didn't she?" Her excitement caused her breath to catch, eliciting a small gasp. "You two are dating, aren't you?!" She was practically hopping now.
"Huh. That wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected it to be." Though Twilight wasn't much surprised. Nyx wa a very intelligent filly. Nyx squealed and wrapped her hooves tightly around her foster mother, who feigned being choked. She then turned and latched onto the other mare with equal force. Fluttershy was more than willing to accept the gesture, and hugged back.
"It's so good to know that you're both okay with this."
"Well, now that that's out, I have a salad to toss," Spike interjected, beginning the walk back to the kitchen, before Twilight spoke.
"Umm, actually Spike, I'm gonna need you for a second. I have to send a letter." Spike spun around as quickly as his claws would allow, as he assumed the purpose of the message.
"You want to tell her now? You don't think it's a bit soon?"
"Believe me, I would have loved to have at least a good week before sharing this with anypony. But, while I was at the farm, AJ kind-of figured it out. She said she always hated keeping things from the other girls, and that if we didn't tell them tonight, that she would." Fluttershy gasped at this information. Such harshness was highly unlike their farmer friend.
"I don't believe Applejack would do something so insensitive."
"Actually, I think I see where she's coming from. The time the town hall was wrecked and Applejack went to a rodeo to win the money to fix it, she didn't tell us she hadn't won, instead trying to earn the money before anypony here realized. And, of course, my... incident with Smarty Pants. I had told you girls that I was going to be late for a report. I had never been tardy for anything, and I was so worried Celestia would be disappointed in me. But I never shared this fear with you, I simply told you my report was almost late, and stormed off when none of you took it seriously I stormed off. Had I discussed it with you, I may have avoided that problem entirely. No matter how big or small a problem, we try to handle it ourselves and we push the others away, which always makes things worse."
Fluttershy was reminded of the time she had spent working with Photo Finish. She'd hated modeling, always being so exposed to the public. But she continued to do so because Rarity had urged her to take the opportunity, being a very unique one. Rarity had refused, in turn, to share was her jealousy of Flutteshy's popularity. Had they discussed these problems outright, they would have spared each other a lot of trouble. Fluttershy lowered her eyes and groaned, which Twilight easily translated to mean "okay".
"So, tonight? Say, eight? We'll round the girls and Princess Celestia up here, and tell them both at once."
"Ummm, both?"
"Well, we already know Rainbow and Applejack know about us, and Pinkie doesn't need to be told. I'm certain she knows. So, it's just Rarity and Princess Celestia."
"How could Pinkie know?" Twilight deadpanned.
"'Shy, what is the rule?"
"Never question anything Pinkie says or does." A pink head appeared from a space between two books on a nearby shelf. If it had been anypony else, materializing seemingly out of thin air would have been strange.
"Yep! I've known since last night. Congratulations! You know what this means?"
"No parties, Pinkie. At least not yet. It's already feeling rushed. We just want to take it slow and calm."
"Awwww, come on. Just a little one? Just Ponyville?"
"Just Ponyville? How many ponies were you actually planning to invite." Pinkie rubbed her forehead as she thought.
"Weeeeeeelll... There's Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, The Crystal Empire-" Fluttershy began panting and fanning herself with a hoof.
"That's... quite a few more ponies than your usual party." Twilight hugged the shaking mess that she cared so deeply for.
"Pinkie. None of that. Ever. You can throw one small party for just our closest friends and our families."
"Oh, alright. But mark my words, Twilight Sparkle," Pinkie moved closer to Twilight and locked eyes with her, "I will have my 'Two Close Friends Become Closer Than Friends with Each Other and Find the True Meaning of Love' party. Maybe not today, maybe not next week. Probably not even before Hearts and Hooves day. But it will happen. Of that, you can be certain." The pink pony didn't break her gaze as she slowly eased back into the potential dimensional rift from whence she came. 

The remaining simply returned to their business, as though the pony were just a light breeze that had blown through. Twilight used her magical grasp to pull a quill and some parchment from a nearby desk. After quickly scribbling a few sentences on the parchment, she rolled it, tied and sealed it, and levitated to her dragon companion, whom then engulfed it in an emerald flame. All that remained was to gather together their friends and throw everything in the air. Fluttershy was breathing heavily and Twilight held her close for comfort. She, however, wasn't certain whether she was attempting to calm Fluttershy or herself as her own heart began to quicken it's already heightened pace.

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A group of ponies of varying sizes were assembled inside the small library. Their hosts glanced through the crowd which proved to be a tad larger than expected. They swallowed their fears and walked slowly up to the front of the group.
"Twilight," said a large, regal mare in the center of the room, "Not that it's not always a pleasure to see you, why exactly have you called for me? Your letter was rather shy on details. The urgency made it seem as though you were in some type of trouble." Twilight's legs shook as she stared back at the worried expression of the pony she considered to be a second mother. Though she was still in a much more stable state than her partner. Fluttershy was frozen, her eyes darting around the room at the many guests.
"Fluttershy?" Twilight attempted to re-attract the mare's attention, but to no avail. She was simply too nervous.
"Fluttershy,darling," Rarity spoke calmly as she stepped forward, "Whatever is the matter?"
Twilight's eyes regarded the audience, whose attention was focused on the shivering yellow pegasus. Twilight knew of a way to waken Fluttershy from her comatose state. Fluttershy made the first move, she brought them together. Now it was time for Twilight to return the favor. She turned Fluttershy's face gently toward hers and pressed their lips together. Several gasps sounded from the crowd, but Twilight didn't notice. The world around them melted away. In that moment, they were the only things that existed.

When they broke off, they did nothing more than stare into each other's eyes for what they believed to be hours. Twilight's eyes widened as she remembered one crucial detail: they weren't alone. She turned to meet a number of smiling faces. Twilight looked toward her mentor, relieved to see a genuinely pleased expression on her face. Twilight looked back to the mare next to her, who was now pulsing with joy.
"See? It wasn't so bad," Twilight assured as she placed a tender kiss of the other pony's cheek.
"Well," rang the elegant voice of the princess, "what did you expect, Twilight? Did you fear we would not accept your relationship?"
"It was an irrational fear, I see now. It was just... a difficult situation. I'm sorry for calling you all the way out to Ponyville for something I could have told you in a letter. I'm sure it's not that important to you."
"Nonsense, Twilight. Anything that's important to you is important to me. And I am always happy to come and see you. But, if you have no other business, I really should return to Canterlot." Twilight's eyes scoured the room, darting from books to tables to ponies, trying to find some conversation topic, some reason for the princess to stay a bit longer. Celestia realized immediately what she was doing. She walked toward her student and nuzzled her lovingly, before turning and regarding the yellow pegasus with the same action.
"I am happy for you two and wish you the best. Goodnight, everyone. I hope to speak with you all very soon." The large mare stepped through the main door of the library and spread her wings, pulling herself off the ground and into the night air, beginning her long flight back to the bustling city.

"I should be on my way as well, dear. Sweetie Belle doesn't want to miss her curfew," A small 'awww' could be heard in the crowd, "But, Fluttershy, you and I will have to discuss this at the spa this week. Well, until then, I bid you all adieu." Rarity hugged the new couple and began a trot to the door.
"Wait up, Rares. I'll walk with ya. C'mon, Bloom. Scoots, we'll walk ya home." Tipping her hat to the evening's hosts, she walked with the white unicorn and three hyperactive fillies out into the cool night.
"Bu-but... where is everypony going? What about the party?" Pinkie's hair flattened slowly, which Rainbow wasn't anxious to see again.
"Uh, Pinkie. You can have the party tomorrow. Now you have a little more time to plan it, so it'll be even better." Rainbow was almost sweating remembering what Pinkie was like the last time she got upset. The pink party pony merely eyed the blue pegasus for a moment, before reclaiming her usual poof hair and bubbly attitude.
"Great idea, Dashie! I'm gonna go home and start planning right now." She hopped through the door and Rainbow, verbally kicking herself for enabling the party nut, followed shortly in tow. 

All was quiet. The four that remained stood in complete silence, looking amongst each other. Twilight glanced back to the door.
"So, I guess that's that then. It's over." The other three responded with simple nods. A smile grew on each of the four faces.
"Okay, now that that's settled, you two," Twilight pointed between the two smaller figures, "it's past your bedtime." Nyx groaned.
"Awwww, but I wanted to hang out with you and Fluttershy."
"C'mon Twilight. Just a little bit longer?" Twilight giggled.
"Sorry, Spike. You two need your rest. You have your chores and Nyx has school."
"Besides, I'll probably be heading home anyway." The others turned to Fluttershy. Twilight had a bit of concern in her eyes.
"You're leaving? It's so late."
"Well, what can I do?" Twilight blushed and looked away, rubbing one of her legs.
"You could... stay here again. You know, if you want."
"That sounds nice."
The group all walked upstairs. slowly so they had just a bit longer to converse. When they entered the main bedroom, Spike, despite his earlier argument, dropped into his basket and instantly dozed off. This drew a series of giggles from the others. Nyx gave the mares a quick goodnight hug and stumbled into her own bed. 

The pair looked over the younger roommates with contemplative smiles before turning to each other. They brought their muzzles closer  together, sharing one final moment before climbing into bed. They wrapped their hooves around each other, getting as close as physically possible. They thought forward, to the days that lie ahead, as their eyes closed. The voices in their heads that had kept them weak and quiet for so very long were, at last, completely silent. All was well.