Rarity sighed as Aloe’s hooves worked into her back. On the next table over, she could hear Lotus gently rubbing Fluttershy’s back, working her hooves into the muscles that came with having wings with soft grunts. However, Fluttershy’s usual coos of satisfaction were suspiciously absent today.
Rotating her head while Aloe shifted further down her back, Rarity turned to look at Fluttershy. Her dear friend certainly looked relaxed, her wings falling loosely over the sides of the massage table, there was an inexplicable tightness about Fluttershy.
“Ahh,” sighed Rarity, “there is certainly nothing better than spending quality time with a friend, is there?”
There was a pause before Fluttershy replied. A pause much too long for it to be for Fluttershy’s usual ‘be frightened at everything’ pause.
“No, there isn’t,” said Fluttershy, the same tightness in her voice. Anypony else would have missed it, but Rarity had known Fluttershy for years. Something was bothering her friend. The only question that remained was what. Rarity let silence fill the space between them for a while, until it was time for the two to head for the mud baths.
“Oh, you will simply not believe some of the clients that I had this week, Fluttershy. I fear I will be up to my ears in red ribbon for months,” said Rarity. As she complained about her clients, who had all decided that every dress needed ribbon accents. It wasn’t until Rarity reached the usual point where she was complaining about what silly thing that Rainbow Dash had done that week that Rarity caught any sign of change from Fluttershy.
“Fluttershy?” asked Rarity, “is there something about my dating Rainbow that bothers you? You have avoided the topic for a while now.”
“I think it’s fine,” said Fluttershy, “I mean, you can date whoever you want, Rarity.”
“Fluttershy,” said Rarity, levitating the slices of cucumber off her eyes, “You know that you can tell me anything. If you want to say anything, I promise that I will not hold it against you.”
“No, it’s okay. I’m happy for you.”
“Forgive me if I have a hard time believing that, dear,” said Rarity, “You can tell me.”
“You’ll think I’m just being silly, I know it.”
“I promise that I won’t, Fluttershy.” Rarity kept pushing. She knew that it was cruel, and she didn’t want to do this to Fluttershy, not to one of her oldest friends, but Fluttershy would never do it on her own. Eventually, though,
“Why are you dating Rainbow? She’s not a prince. She’s not romantic, she’s not cultured, she thinks dressmaking is a waste of time, she’s more interested in flying than you, and you have to know that you’ll always be the second thing in her mind after the Wonderbolts, so why? Why couldn’t you pick someone that would understand you, support you, who could be nice and let you work and...” Fluttershy trailed off, pausing for a minute, before leaping forward, planting a kiss on Rarity’s lips.
“Oh, my,” murmured Rarity, watching in a mild shock as Fluttershy realised what she had done, and fled the spa.
******
“Fluttershy, come out!” cried Rarity, as she pounded on Fluttershy’s door.
“No!” wailed Fluttershy, “I’m a horrid pony, and no one should ever see me again!”
“Fluttershy, I promise to you that I’m not mad. A little upset, perhaps, but certainly not mad,” said Rarity. Slowly, the door inched open.
“Fluttershy?” asked Rarity, peeking her head through the small gap, “where are you?”
“In the closet,” murmured Fluttershy. Rarity sighed, and opened to door to the front closet.
“Dear,” she began, “I know what you must feel like right now. But I do love Rainbow, and while she does have her faults, she,” Rarity never got any further in her planned speech than that, because Fluttershy leapt out of the closet, wrapped her hooves around Rarity, slammed the unicorn into the ground in what Rarity could only assume was a perfect wrestling suplex. Rarity didn’t even have time to react.
“Leave me alone!” cried Fluttershy, as she fled to the window of her cottage.
****Time****
Rarity winced as Twilight held a pack of ice against her head. Across the room, Fluttershy was cowering into a ball as much as possible while still remaining standing.
“I’m so sorry, Rarity,” said Fluttershy, “I just don’t know what came over me. I just couldn’t bear to hear about you and Rainbow any more without you knowing how I felt that I just, oh, I just had to get it out.”
“It’s alright, Fluttershy,” said Rarity, “but you do understand that I do love Rainbow Dash, and for all her faults, she does love me back.”
“But she’s Rainbow Dash,” said Fluttershy, as if that explained everything, and to an extent, it did.
“Fluttershy, you of all ponies should know that Rainbow isn’t what she appears to be at first glance.” Fluttershy blushed.