//------------------------------// // Fluttershy // Story: Matchmaker, Matchmaker... // by ThunderChaserCreate //------------------------------// Here's the problem with trying to date Fluttershy: You could be pure evil, and she'd still let you drag her on another date. So, maybe, this could work out. Maybe Fluttershy's doormatty-ness could work to Rainbow's advantage for once. You know, keep her from being dumped until they actually fell for each other. Or... it could totally backfire, like it does in most cases. Rainbow was ready for this, though. Two of five had already been knocked off the list. At most, she was looking at three more dates. Or about twenty-eight... "Rarity, I don't think the next date can wait until tomorrow... I think I should do it now," Rainbow suggested. "Why is that?" she asked. "Well, that was another part of the fortune thing..." Rainbow murmured slowly. "I have thirty days-- well, more like twenty-eight, now-- to fall in love." Rarity gave Rainbow a weird look. "Okay... well, you still haven't told me who you want to ask out next." "I was thinkin' Fluttershy..." she answered quietly as possible. "What was that?" "Erm... Fluttershy?" Rainbow repeated. "Hm..." Rarity nodded slowly. "That could work out. But remember what I said about dating Pinkie? The 'no-no's' list?" "You mean 'no cursing, no--" "Yes. That... times A THOUSAND is how you need to treat Fluttershy. She is so fragile-- once, she got the very tip of her tail- I mean, four hairs, maximum- caught in a door, and she screamed for a full minute." Rainbow had a feeling that this was a gross exaggeration, but nodded. "Don't forget, I've known her way longer than you have. I already know all of this stuff." Rarity shook her head. "No, no. You may think you know her, but she is a completely different pony when--" she stopped herself. "When what?" Rainbow pressed. "When... she... is alone with somepony. You know, spa appointments and... things..." Rarity muttered. She shoved a tea cup up to her mouth before finishing the sentence. "But it's a public place. That's not being alone," Rainbow pointed out. "There's a private... um, sauna..." she whispered into her tea. "Sauna? Is that one of those gross steam boxes?" She gasped aloud. Ravenous-sexual-appetite Rarity, plus pushover Fluttershy, plus steamy, private box... Rarity looked ashamed. "Did you have sex with Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, unable to mask her shock. "No!" she shouted. Relief swept through Rainbow. "Well, that depends on how you define sex..." "Touching each other! In places that aren't normally touched by those you aren't romantically involved with!" Rainbow explained, almost hysterical. Rarity hung her head. "Then... yes, I suppose. She is very fragile, but she has quite a bit of energy." Rainbow shook her head in disgust, letting her tongue waggle out of her mouth. "Gross! No more!" "It happened a few times," Rarity poured, not wanting to stop. She was rather glad to get this off her chest. "We consider each other 'friends with benefits.' It's no big deal, happens all the time." "To who? How do you have sex with somepony and still be friends?" Rainbow asked, purely disgusted. "You mean, and not start dating?" "No! I mean, how can you have sex, and then have normal conversation in front of us?" Rainbow held her head. "Oh, Celestia... this is too much... let's pretend we never had this conversation..." She feigned holding back vomit. Rarity sighed. "What if Fluttershy wants to have the same conversation? It is a past relationship, after all. Technically." "I'll tell her the same thing: please, don't involve me in your bizarre sexual escapades!" Rainbow rubbed her forehead. Rarity was quiet for a minute. "We got to third. Sort of." "What the buck, Rarity? So gross! Celestia, these images will never leave my head!" Rarity giggled. "For such a 'tough mare,' you're pretty sensitive." Rainbow spluttered, trying to come up with a valid excuse for her behavior. "Well, I draw the line when we're talking about friends having sex with each other..." Rarity let a long pause hang in the air. "What if you have sex with Fluttershy?" "Ew! Quit it!" Rainbow buried her head under a cushion, not wanting to deal with this. "What? That's a conversation haven't had yet! How to have sex!" Rarity laughed, wrestling with the pillow over Rainbow's face. "No!" she shouted. "I can't do that with you!" "Oh, you can do kissing, but not sex?" Rarity yanked on the pillow, pulling it and Rainbow off the couch. "Those are radically different things, and you know it!" Rainbow yelled, still tugging on the pillow while Rarity's magic yanked in the opposite direction. Rarity laughed loudly. "How do you know? Apparently, you've never done either!" "Shut up!" Rainbow yelled back. She was laughing, too, but trying to hide it. Rarity threw her head back, giving the pillow a hard wrench. Rainbow kept her grip, taking flight after it. She collided with Rarity, knocked the both of them to the floor. Their cheeks were pressed against each other as they lay there, until Rainbow pulled back, getting a look at Rarity's face. The two of them had immediately fallen silent, but Rarity decided that it was her duty to break that silence. "See, this is where, if I were your marefriend, you would kiss me." "I know that," Rainbow said, not moving. "I'm not stupid. Just inexperienced." The two sat there like that, waiting for somepony to do something. "Would you please get off of me?" Rarity finally asked. "Sorry..." Rainbow stood, her chest coming away from Rarity's. Rarity stood, as well, shaking her mane around to make it presentable. "Well. Are you going to talk to her about the date tonight? Most ponies don't like having dates sprung on them just minutes before you plan on taking them out. You got lucky twice, but I wouldn't count on the streak continuing." "I guess. I don't really see the point in waiting..." Rainbow replied. She didn't make any move towards the door. "Do you need something, dear?" Rarity asked. "Hm?" Rainbow was jogged from her daydream. "No, no... just... trying to find the courage to go. I pretty much got pinned down by you and Pinkie, and... I don't really know what to do." "Speak from the heart, Rainbow. You'll be surprised what you learn about yourself." Rarity was quite wise, really, when it came to this stuff. Rainbow nodded, taking a deep breath and pushing out of the door. She took flight, watching another sunset of her new life. It really was a new life, wasn't it? This was going to change her forever. And she didn't just mean the images of Rarity and Fluttershy doing... things to each other in a sauna. If she actually fell in love with somepony this month, that would be the rest of her life set up for her. Unless it was a fleeting romance, and they were apart within the week. But then... if Discord was just waiting for her to make out with somepony, maybe this wouldn't make a huge difference. You can't take back a kiss, true, but... everypony made it seem like it wasn't a big deal. The brief contact with Pinkie's mouth could not be described as a kiss. Rainbow knew that a kiss should involve some kind of emotion and... well, movement on both sides. What she had experienced with Pinkie was pathetic, honestly. Apparently, Fluttershy had done quite a few non-pathetic things with Rarity, already. So maybe this was the right fit. Rainbow tried to keep lewd thoughts out of her mind as she knocked softly on Fluttershy's door. "I'm coming!" she whisper-called, a volume that only she seemed to be able to pull off. Rainbow tried to smile, but it came off as a disturbed maniac, so she remained stolid in the face of Fluttershy. "Hey..." "Hello, Rainbow! What are you doing here?" She gasped quietly. "Is something wrong with Tank?" Fluttershy, peered around Rainbow, looking for some sign of the tortoise. Rainbow sighed. "No... could I come in? I need to talk to you..." "Of course! Please come in!" she said politely, leading Rainbow through a minefield of napping critters. "What was it you wanted to talk about?" "Well..." Rainbow narrowly avoided a nest of mice, launching herself over it and onto the couch. "Um... it's kinda... touchy." "I'm sure whatever it is, I can handle it! Unless an animal died. Oh! Or something's happened to one of our friends! Is something wrong? Please tell nopony's hurt!" "No, no!" Rainbow put a hoof on her shoulder. "Everypony's fine. It's about me." Fluttershy gasped. "Are you terminal?" "No! I'm fine! I just... was feeling some stuff and... I thought it was time to tell you." Fluttershy's eyes, though Rainbow thought it impossible, grew wider. Rainbow cleared her throat. "I've known you for a long t-time, and I would like to... go on a date with you?" Fluttershy's eyes twinkled, and she smiled hugely. "Oh, Rainbow! I've always had a crush on you! I've been waiting for you to ask!" She threw her forelegs around Rainbow, squeezing her as tightly as she was capable. "Wait... really?" Rainbow asked. "Oh, yes! I was always too shy to tell you..." she giggled angelically. "Um..." Rainbow couldn't think of an appropriate response, so she just gave Fluttershy a small squeeze in return. The tiny amount of pressure made Fluttershy squeal in reply, and she pulled away from the hug. "So..." Rainbow mustered a smile. "So?" "Erm... you wanna go on a date tomorrow?" Fluttershy's face lit up, her eyes and grin swelling. "Oh my goodness! Really? Wait! Do you want to stay the night?" "Uh... sleep here? Together?" Rainbow looked around, trying to find a good excuse. She wasn't ready for this! "Oh, you're right. There isn't enough room in here..." Fluttershy looked disappointed. Rainbow thought quickly, not wanting to turn Fluttershy off toward the idea of dating so soon. "Why don't we sleep over at my house? You're a pegasus, after all." Fluttershy shuffled her hooves. "I'll help you up there. I know you don't really like to fly, but it'll be fine, I promise," she reassured her, rubbing her back gently. Fluttershy looked over at Rainbow and nodded. "Okay," she breathed, then grabbed Rainbow tightly. The two walked carefully to the door, then took off. Rainbow basically carried Fluttershy up through the air, seeing as Fluttershy only flapped her wings feebly every few minutes. They rose gently above the clouds, until they were finally on the walk up to Rainbow's house. It took Fluttershy a while to release her grip. Rainbow wasn't sure whether that was fear, or she was just clingy. Maybe a little from column 'A,' little from column 'B?' "There, see? Easy-peasy," Rainbow stroked Fluttershy's powder pink mane to relax her. Fluttershy took a moment to get control of her breathing. "Thank you." Although Rainbow's home was technically Cloudsdale territory, it was built on its own private cloud. She had inherited the huge piece of land from her grandparents, the only ones who had ever been able to afford such extravagance. Fluttershy, who hadn't even visited Cloudsdale since the Young Flyer's Competition several years ago, was paralyzed by the size and grandeur of Rainbow's tower. "You... live here?" she finally managed to squeak. "Yup. It's all mine! There's even a guest room, just for you." Fluttershy was silent. Wrong move, bonehead, Rainbow thought, She wants to be with you! Duh! "If you want," she quickly recovered. "I... I think I'd rather sleep in the same room as you," Fluttershy said. "C-can we please go inside? It's really high, here... and, you know, there's an edge..." "Oh! Sure thing." Rainbow led the shaking pony indoors, closing the patterned wood as softly as possible behind her. Rainbow's home was a bit of a mess, but the nice furniture made up for it. "Bedroom's upstairs. But we can hang out down here for a while," Rainbow suggested, sweeping a Daring Do book and her gala dress off the couch. Fluttershy stood awkwardly just inside the door, glancing around the room but not at Rainbow. "What's wrong? Come sit down." Rainbow reclined on the couch, patting the cushion beside her. "I'm nervous..." "I... can see that. What are you nervous about?" Rainbow asked. "I don't know what to do! I've... never really been on a date before..." Rainbow sighed. "Look, it's no big deal, just... just come sit here and we'll hang out. Like all those spa dates you have with Rarity. It's exactly the same." Fluttershy's cheeks flushed, but she hid it behind her wall of hair. Oh, Celestia. I just planted sex in her mind. Rainbow thought. This is not how I wanted this to go. Abort! Abort! "Um... look, do you wanna play a game? Would that help take your mind off... things?" Rainbow tiptoed around the subject. There was no reason Fluttershy had to know that Rarity revealed their secret. "Sure," Fluttershy agreed. "What should we play?" She took a few steps into the room. "How about truth or dare?" Rainbow suggested. "Um... okay." Fluttershy came all the way inside, sitting on the floor in front of Rainbow. Rainbow slid down to the floor herself. "Okay. You first?" "T-truth," Fluttershy said without hesitation. Be gentle, Rainbow. She's fragile, Rainbow reminded herself. "Have you ever... had a crush on somepony else?" Fluttershy shook her head vigorously. Oh, boy... "Your turn!" Rainbow sighed in relief. She'd picked a good question, although the answer had hit her hard in the chest. "Dare?" "Um..." Fluttershy thought for a long time. "Could you... say the 'D' word?" she whispered, like she was afraid of getting in trouble. "What, 'damn?'" Rainbow asked. Fluttershy's front hooves flew to her mouth and she giggled maniacally. Rainbow gave her a weird look. She was cute. "I meant... um... " She mouthed 'darn.' "But that was even better!" Rainbow chuckled, shaking her head at Fluttershy's goody-two-hooves nature. "Okay, go." "Truth." "Have you ever... had a wingboner?" Rainbow asked. Fluttershy gasped. "No!" "Really?" "Mm-mm." Rainbow frowned. Fluttershy was just as sweet and innocent as she seemed to all of us. Except Rarity. "Fine. Truth." Fluttershy thought for a moment. "How long have you had a crush on me?" "Er... two..." Rainbow whispered 'days' to herself, not wanting Fluttershy to hear. "Two months?" She gasped. "Two years?" "Well--" "Oh, Rainbow!" Fluttershy ran to her again, giving another wimpy hug. Rainbow knew, however, that it was the best she could do. "Uh..." Rainbow wiggled one leg out of Fluttershy's hug, giving her a gentle pat on the back. "Yup." Fluttershy didn't let go. "Fluttershy? Could you, um..." Rainbow wiggled her shoulders, trying to get her new marefriend to let go without actually saying it. Fluttershy squeezed a bit tighter, then sat back. She was smiling blissfully up at Rainbow. "Did you... wanna keep playing?" Fluttershy sighed happily. "Truth..." "You can't keep picking truth, you goof! I can't think of any good questions!" Rainbow teased. Fluttershy blushed. "Um... I don't like dares, really..." "Just try it. I'll go easy on you, I promise," Rainbow assured her. "O-okay..." "Alright. I dare you... to, um..." Rainbow glanced around the room, searching for inspiration. "Here, come sit next to me." Somewhere, deep inside the tomcolt-ish mare, a romantic flicker of hope kicked in. Something gave her a tricky idea, and right now her need-for-dating side was telling her that it was a good one. Fluttershy pulled her self off the cushy floor and onto the cushion beside Rainbow. "Is that it?" Rainbow stretched her cheek out to Fluttershy. "I dare you to kiss me on the cheek." Fluttershy fell silent. She looked over at the blue expanse of fur coating Rainbow's cheek, biting her lip anxiously. Rainbow did not look at her, just waited for contact while staring into space. As she looked across the room, watching the clouds slowly swirling in a spiral on her wall, she felt the softest of touches brushing against the small hairs on her face. They prickled in response, returning the brush to the smooth yellow lips. They slowly closed in, coming closer and closer until Rainbow could feel moisture on her face. Rainbow allowed herself to smile, letting the kiss remain on her cheek for a few more seconds before turning her head towards Fluttershy. Her lips slid across her face, connecting with Rainbow's. Fluttershy's eyes snapped open, and she made a small sound of surprise, trying to break away. Rainbow didn't buy that for a second. She could move faster than Rainbow thought possible when she was with Rarity, she could kiss somepony on the lips. Fluttershy tried to pull away, afraid that this had been an accident on Rainbow's part, but Rainbow grabbed her cheeks, holding Fluttershy's head against hers. Fluttershy continued to panic for another few moments, then relaxed into Rainbow's embrace. Her eyes closed delicately, and she slowly fell into Rainbow. Rainbow swung her back legs up onto the couch, letting Fluttershy push her all the way down into a reclining position. They stayed like this for a while, so much stiller and quieter than most other couples would be in such a heated moment. When they finally stopped for breath, they said nothing. In fact, they didn't even really look at each other. Fluttershy changed her position from over Rainbow to beside her, one hoof on her chest. Rainbow placed her own hoof on hers, the two of them feeling Rainbow's breathing. Eventually, they fell into sync. Just as Rainbow was drifting off, Fluttershy broke the silence. "I did some stuff with... Rarity..." she whispered into Rainbow's ear. She started to pull her hoof away, afraid of Rainbow's reaction. Rainbow touched her hoof before it could leave her chest, shifting a bit to face her. Fluttershy's eyes avoided her face, looking instead at their hooves stacked one on top of the other, slowly rising and falling on Rainbow's chest. "I know," Rainbow finally said. "I don't mind." Fluttershy let herself look at Rainbow for a moment,. then back at the miss-matched hooves. "I don't. Really. It's in the past. As long as you can be with me now, I don't care about that." Rainbow let her sappiness bleed through. Plus, the sooner she could prove to Discord that she was romantically attached to Fluttershy, the sooner this whole disaster would be over. Nopony should ever be threatened with dismemberment if they don't date their closest friends. I mean, under most circumstances, that doesn't really need to be said. Fluttershy tried to squirm her way to a more comfortable position. "We should just move upstairs. My bed is much bigger than this... tiny couch." Rainbow frowned. Fluttershy giggled. "Okay." In a tangle of limbs and scruffy manes, the two mares made their way up to a larger room, crashing on an impossibly plush bed. They pulled a blanket over themselves, resuming their original position, only less cramped and condensed. Rainbow sighed aloud, settling into her comfortable and familiar bed. She used a wing to pull Fluttershy closer, and their faces met with another tiny peck. "I really like you, Rainbow," Fluttershy said suddenly. Rainbow chuckled. "Call me crazy, but I think I picked up on that." "Heh..." Fluttershy snuggled closer, curling into a tight ball against Rainbow's side. "Sorry... I just-- you know, I can't say it enough. I was too shy to tell you for years, and now... well, now I'm trying to make up for it." "That makes sense." "I guess you're kinda like me, huh?" "What do you mean?" Rainbow asked, turning her head to Fluttershy. "Well... you were just as shy about it." Rainbow looked up at the ceiling. She hadn't really been like Fluttershy at all. She hadn't even had a crush on her. Ever. Or had she? I mean, what is a crush, anyway? What does it mean? Is it love, or a passing fancy? Who knows... "Yeah..." Rainbow murmured. She wasn't so great at being deep, just curt and sometimes sappy. When the times called for it. Fluttershy nodded. "So..." "So?" "Well... are we going to sleep now? Because it's only, like, eight o' clock..." Rainbow pointed to the clock on the wall. "Hm..." Fluttershy stretched a bit, coming out of her fetal position. The bed was large enough for the two of them to lay sprawled out without even touching eachother. Rainbow had made it herself. She was a restless sleeper, and the huge circular surface made it nearly impossible to roll of the edge. "Are you hungry? We could eat something if you're hungry..." Rainbow suggested, flipping onto her back as well. Fluttershy sighed deeply. "No..." "Or..." Fluttershy turned to face Rainbow. "Or?" "Or we could... do this!" Rainbow pounced on Fluttershy, her lips connecting with Fluttershy's neck. She giggled almost uncontrollably, squirming as Rainbow loomed over her. "S-stop! I'm ticklish there!" Rainbow continued, letting Fluttershy's giggles fuel her wild kisses. Finally, Fluttershy found the power within her to reach up and give Rainbow a surprisingly powerful jab in the ribs. Her knees wobbled and she collapsed on top of Fluttershy. The timid mare took the lead, pressing her lips onto Rainbow's, holding the back of her head with a shockingly firm hoof. Rainbow grinned, cutting the kiss short. Fluttershy pulled away for a second, looking almost devilish. This must've been the side Rarity had seen at the spa... Fluttershy took a quick breath, then dove back in, rolling onto her side and taking Rainbow with her. And so the night wore on, the two ponies entangled in each other for another hour or two, then finally tiring and falling into a deep sleep. When they woke up the next morning, neither was quite sure what had been done last night. Rainbow woke up on the floor. Fluttershy woke up with a pillow case over her head. "Mm..." Rainbow moaned, smacking her lips. She sat up slowly, searching the room for Fluttershy. "Flutters? You there?" There was a soft thud as Fluttershy rolled off the edge and hit the cloud floor. "Rainbow?" She pulled off the pillow case with weak hooves. "Flutters? What..." Rainbow couldn't find the energy to finish her sentence. Fluttershy took a quick look around the room, only the top of her head appearing over the bedspread. Her mane was a tangled, matted, knotted disaster. "Oh, gosh! Did we make this mess? I'm sorry..." And so the timid Fluttershy returned. "Well... yeah, but it was flippin' awesome!" Rainbow threw her hooves in the air. Fluttershy whined softly, and Rainbow could actually see her retreating into her shell. "What's wrong?" rainbow asked. She stood up and went to Fluttershy's side. Fluttershy quivered at Rainbow's touch. "Fluttershy?" The mare buried her face in her hooves. "This is so embarrassing..." "Why?" Fluttershy sniffled, then looked up at Rainbow. "That... happens sometimes..." "What?" "I should go now..." Fluttershy stood up, starting to drag herself towards the stairs. Rainbow stood in shock for a moment, then ran after Fluttershy. "Wait, stop! I had a really great time with you! Don't... don't you want to have breakfast?" Fluttershy pushed open the front door. "No, thank you. I think... I think this should be our last date." Rainbow could feel a little twinge at the back of her mind. This was the third time this had happened... this was getting pathetic... "But-- but--" "I'm sorry, Rainbow. I can't humiliate myself again..." "But I really like you!" Rainbow yelled, standing in the doorway as Fluttershy slumped down the front walk. She stopped for a moment. "You do?" "Well... well, yeah!" Rainbow kept going, pushing the angle. "I want to talk, you know? As marefriends. Officially." Fluttershy turned to look back at the door. "Well..." "Let's talk, okay? Tell me about what upset you! We can work it out!" There was a glimmer of hope for a moment, but Fluttershy quickly fled the yard. Rainbow hung her head in despair. "Dear Celestia..." she muttered to herself, "What am I doing wrong? Fluttershy's had a crush on me for years, and I couldn't even land her..." She wandered her way back inside and into the kitchen, shoving two slices of previously mangled bread into the toaster. "Hey!" the bread yelled at her. That wasn't normal for bread. Rainbow pulled the slices out of the toaster, tossing them on the counter. "Whaddya want, Discord? You've done this trick before, it's not impressive." As predicted, Discord's face slid around to the front side of the slice of bread, and he proceeded to mold it into a more Discord-like shape. "You could at least pretend to be surprised. Or even a little annoyed?" Discord suggested. Rainbow twitched an eyebrow, then started at her breakfast again. Discord quickly came out of the bizarre, but expected, form, making himself comfortable at the kitchen table. "Well?" Rainbow prompted. "I don't have all day, I've got to go drag somepony else out on a date." "Har, har," Discord mocked. "So? You have a critique for me?" Rainbow complained, pulling a bear-shaped bottle of honey from the cabinet over her head. "Well... yes, in a way. Honestly, Rainbow Dash, I've never seen you try so little." The toaster 'dinged,' shooting the two slices up in the air to be caught by a waiting plate. "What?" "You let Fluttershy walk away after only a few minutes of discussion! Don't you want to know her deep, dark secret?" Discord pleaded, wishing for more entertainment. "Honestly, I--" "I don't care. Here it is: whenever Fluttershy gets romantically involved with somepony, and then 'turned on' by them, as you so crudely put, she has a complete reverse of personality!" Discord blurted. Rainbow grimaced, preparing to leap at Discord, then stopped. "Wait, how do you know this stuff?" Discord scoffed. "Well, I am not ashamed to say that I enjoy a little mare-on-mare action when I can get--" "Ew! You should be! Dear Celestia, I have had enough of this kinky weirdness..." Rainbow pulled the toast out, slathering them with honey and sitting across from Discord at the table. "Oh, it's not that weird." "Go on. Clearly, you've got more to say, or you wouldn't be wasting your time here," Rainbow said, taking a bite of her messy meal. "She calls her 'Flutter-slut.' It's quite the little 'kink'--" "Yup! Heard enough! Outta my house!" Rainbow gave Discord a shove out of the chair. "Fine," Discord muttered. "Honestly, though, you should be trying harder. I might decide to move that deadline up a little if you don't cooperate. Not that I don't already know who you end up with..." "Yeah, yeah, whatever..." Rainbow kept shoving him, pushing him out the door like a piece of trash had hit the floor rather than a living thing. Discord allowed himself to be rolled down the front walk and off the edge of the cloud. He then promptly disappeared. Rainbow munched on her current bite of honey toast, wondering what to do next. Chase after Flutttershy? Or, preferably, head to Rarity's for advice? She sighed as the question was answered for here. Rarity came trotting up to Rainbow's cloud, waving to the denizen. "How did it go?" Rainbow just shook her head. "Back to the drawing board, Rares. She'll never think of me romantically again." Rainbow floated down to the ground, standing before Rarity and looking ashamed. "That's too bad. Though I'd be lying if I said I didn't see it coming." "Why didn't you warn me?" Rainbow demanded. "It's like she's three different ponies! The bashful one, the worshiper one, and the wild animal one!" "Honestly? I thought she would be different with you. I'm a bit... intimidating when it comes to romantic situations." "No kidding..." Rainbow rubbed her arm gently, staring at the ground. "Well. Who was next on your list? Unless you want to try Fluttershy again--" "Don't think so. She was a wreck this morning... Sort of. Really, she just turned uber-shy and split before we could even eat." Rainbow kicked at the ground. "It isn't your fault. She's... fragile. But she won't stop being your friend." Rarity put a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder for comfort. Rainbow smiled a bit. "Thanks. I appreciate it. These last few days have been... well, rough, to say the least." Rarity nodded, then sighed, pulling Rainbow into a hug. "Stop it! So mushy!" Rainbow pushed away, but kept smiling. "So? Who are we tackling next?" Rarity asked, already heading for the boutique. Rainbow trotted to her side. "Not sure..." "You've got two left. Who's it going to be? Twilight or Applejack?" "Mm... Applejack?"