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// Talking 'bout Love 
// Story: The definition of "Soulmate" 
// by The SideKick 
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After having prevented another episode of self induced hysteria Fluttershy had decided with a great deal of reluctance and an even greater deal of prodding from Angel that she needed to ask her friends for help. Her first visit of the day was with Rarity, who had become me her confidant when it came to most matters like these. After a brisk walk and the normal greetings Fluttershy was now seated with an freshly emptied cup of tea across from Rarity, who had just finished up some gossip regarding some silly rumors that Twilight was going to get rid of her wings just because she found them inconvenient. 

Steeling her nerves as best as she could Fluttershy thought it was time to inquire about what she had come here for before she scared herself off from ever doing it.

"Um, Rarity? There's something I'd like to ask you about, if it's alright with you of course."

Taking the last sip of her own tea Rarity  put on that smile of hers that she would never admit was a grin but very much was in fact a grin.

"You have need of my advice darling? How wonderful! Whatever is the matter I will be sure to give you my best help."

"Thank you Rarity. You see, I-"

"OH OH, do you need dating advice?!"

"Ex-excuse me?"

Rarity had a starry look in her eyes, her imagination starting to take over.

"I could just tell from the moment I opened the door that you were in need of romantic assistance. Is it Corn Hopper? I know he was more than willing to help with your animal rescue efforts more than a few times."

Fluttershy felt her blood siphoning it self all into her cheeks, but before she could even speak Rarity was gasping and holding her own face by the cheeks.

"Is it BIG MACINTOSH?! I should have seen it sooner really, unless-"

Another gasp and now she had reached across the table to take hold of Fluttershy's face this time, gleefully frantic look on her face.

"IS IT RAINBOW DASH?! Are you at admitting to having long hidden feelings for her?!"

Pushing Rarity back forcefully, which for the butter pegasus was something more akin to gentle nudging, Fluttershy slammed back into her seat gasping as she tried to fight off the darkness surrounding her vision. With a shameful smile Rarity poured her another glass of tea, a bit of steam rising from the cup.

"I am dreadfully sorry darling, I let my insatiable appetite for gossip get the better of me. Drink some tea, it should help you feel better."

Just nodding Fluttershy shakily took a long swig of the hot tea, the burning not bothering the seasoned tea sampler. The warmth helped to sooth all but her most persistent of anxieties away. After a few more breaths and a few more sips of fresh tea she was able to give Rarity a weak smile.

"Again I do apologize, I really shouldn't have jumped to conclusions like that and have startled you."

"I-it's fine Rarity, I know how you can get sometimes. To be honest I was kind of expecting it, but wasn't quite...prepared."

Fluttershy scraped at the table with a hoof awkwardly, feeling less than comfortable about asking Rarity what she had been thinking about, but she had been the one to come to her in the first place. When Rarity gave her a supportive smile she knew it would be alright, she just had to get it out.

"What I wanted to ask you is...oh how do I put this?"

Looking Rarity in the eyes with one of her own covered by her hair Fluttershy just spat the words out as quickly as she could.

"Whatisyouropiniononthewideheldbelievethataponiessoulmateistheirdestinedlover?! EEP!!"

Scared by her own outburst Fluttershy hit the ground, hooves over her head and eyes closed. After a polite cough got her attention she slowly unwound herself and sat back up to find Rarity wearing a puzzled look on her muzzle.

"Would you mind repeating that just one more time dear, slowly please?"

"Oh, ye-yes. Um...What is your opinion on the wide held belief that a ponies soulmate is their destined lover...?"

Fluttershy was ready to dive again, nervousness nearly radiating off of her. As for Rarity, at first her expression was just all that more puzzled, than ever so slowly her little frown grew into that huge grin again.

"Why my dear, sweet Fluttershy, have you meet your soulmate?"

Leaning away from the unicorns hungry stare Fluttershy could hardly find her voice.

"Well yes, in fact I meet them...when I was a filly?"

She wasn't sure why it had come out as a question, but Fluttershy couldn't seem to find a better way to say it. 

As if it were tied to a switch of two emotions Rarity's face went back to betraying puzzlement.

"When you were a filly? Are you telling me that you've known your soul mate since you were just a little filly, being able to see color for all these years?"

And with rush of realization the switch was flipped again, though a twinkle to her eyes was added to Rarity's ever returning grin this time.

"It is Rainbow Dash isn't it?! That's why you two were always so close. While I by no means hold nothing more than her grand disregard for proper self care and even basic fashion sense against her, I could never truly understand how the two of you being of such different personalities could have been friends for so long. It just seems so obvious now that I can see it!"

Fluttershy let off a nervous laugh.

"It's true, Rainbow Dash is my soul mate..."

Seeing her friends unsure expression...*FLIP*

"But you don't love her, do you?"

A squeak and a nod was all Rarity got for a response.

"Oh dear, I suppose I'm still getting ahead of myself."

Fluttershy shuffled quietly in her seat, waiting for Rarity to continue the conversation.

“Let me ask, Just exactly who is your soulmate dear?”

“Ra-Rainbow Dash...I think."

Fluttershy would have rather have Rarity mad at her than giving her the unreadable expression of neutrality that she was.

"You think? As in, you don't fully know?" Rarity said in an overly calm manner.

"Well...yes."

Silence for a moment until Rarity spoke once again in that calm manner that was starting to really creep Fluttershy out.

"I do believe that you're going to have to explain to me dear what you mean, because how could you POSSIBLY not know who your-!"

Rarity cut herself short when she noticed her voice raising and starting to scare the butter pegasus.

"I'm sorry dear, I'm just having a great deal of difficulty understanding, so if you could?"

Nodding slightly Fluttershy tapped her front hooves together for a moment in thought before she began.

"Yo-you see, back in flight school when me and Rainbow dash met for the first time there was a rush of things all happening at once. Of course you know about how she defended me and went on to make the sonic rainboom, but what you don't know is that after she had won the race and she couldn't find me she went searching nearly all of Cloudsdale for me. When she didn't find me there she figured I must have been blown off  by the rainboom and started looking for me on the ground. When she found me I was talking to some new squirrel friends."

Fluttershy's eyes started to drift as she recalled the memory, a light blush gracing her cheeks.

"It took a couple of minutes to get my attention, those little squirrlys were just so cute, but when she finally got me to look at her I couldn't figure out what I was seeing."

Rarity held up a hoof to stop her timid friend.

"Am I to venture that you were seeing her in color for the very first time?"

"Um, yes. I hadn't really noticed the change before, I was really distracted by all of the new things, and I kind of thought in the back of my mind that  was just what the ground looked like. But when I looked at Rainbow Dash it began to sink in what actually happened."

Fluttershy partially hid her face with a hoof as she said the rest.

"And suddenly all the implications of Rainbow being my soul mate came rushing to my head and with the rush of getting my cutie mark still going it all became a little too much and I...passed out."

The blush that was burning Fluttershy's face softened a bit when Rarity patted her hoof with one of her own while giving her a reassuring smile.

"I can understand all the strange and new things getting to you when so much of it happens all at once, and fainting certainly not the worst thing that could have happened to you in that situation. Please do continue."

Fluttershy returned the smile and nodded happily.

"When I woke up I was back in my house with my mom and dad doting over me. They told me that Rainbow had freaked out and tried taking me Clouds Dale Hope General Hospital when she ran into them on the way. That took me and told her that it was a common problem I had, which...it was, and that she didn't have to worry. While they had told me that I remembered that I could see colors and told them about it. My poor dad nearly passed out himself while my mom was very excited, telling me how amazing I am to have gotten my cutie mark and find my soul mate all in one day. "

Fluttershy's eyes unfocused a bit, mind as accurately as it could recalling the talk.

"With there being no point in waiting now that I had already found my soul mate they gave the talk. It kind of lost some of it's importance with the bits about how I didn't to rush into finding my soul mate or that I could live a perfectly happy life without ever finding them so they made those parts brief, but the thing that always stuck with me was what my mom had told me."

Closing her eyes Fluttershy recited the words like they were old and sagely phrases passed through the generations, though they did hold the same weight for her.

"A soul mate my dear is a pony that helps your life feel so much more complete than it was before. You'll find that your life will be so much fuller than it was before, that you feel just all that much better when you're around them. Some ponies have said that the reason you see in color when you find your soulmate is that the ponies are filling in a very special place in each others souls that wasn't there before."

Letting out a sigh as if it had been a private burden she had been holding to herself for such a long time the peach butter pegasus looked at her friend with a cautious curiosity.

"I always kind of assumed that meant I was supposed to be in love with Rainbow Dash because of our connection, but I never had the will to ask her out or even ask about it, and she has never told me anything. Not once has she ever even seemed to acknowledge it in the slightest. My thinking was that maybe she just wasn't ready to be in a relationship yet and didn't want say anything until she was, but there has been something that's come up that has me worried."

Rarity nodded and took a long sip from her tea before putting a hoof to her chin furrowing her brow, a a few "hmm's" and "hum's" as she thought all this information over. After a moment Rarity had one simple question.

"And just what is it that has you worried?"

The question was almost enough to send Fluttershy flying through the front door as fast as her wings could carry her, but after a moment to imagine Rarity as Miss Ice the stuffed polar bear from the council of the big soft bed she tried to speak.

"-~-~."

Having learned long ago to be patient with her Rarity leaned in a smidgen.

"Could you repeat that dear?"

Gulping Fluttershy nodded slowly.

"I've fallen in love with Pinkie Pie."

Rarity leaned some more.

"I'm sorry dear but you'll have to speak up some more."

Pinching her eyes closed Fluttershy tried again to get it out.

"I've fallen in love with Pinkie Pie."

While quiet Rarity definitely heard her that time as indicated by her eyes going wide as dinner plates, a sparkle lighting them up while her mind tried to catch up to her in built love of romantic gossip and spat out the first thing that made it to her mouth.

"What?"

This was more stunned what rather than an actual request of information, but the self named ball of shyness didn't know between her embarrassed fear and iron shut eyes  the difference and in a burst of a need get this done with she blurted out nearly right into the unicorns ear.

"I'VEFALLENINLOVEWITHPINKIEPIE! Eeep!"

With it out there loud and embarrassed Fluttershy quickly covered mouth in surprise at her own outburst as Rarity tried getting the hearing back in the ear that had been assaulted.

"I think I heard you that time dear."

"I'm sorry..."

Flicking the hoof she had used to try and clear her her with Rarity waved off her friend's concern.

"Nothing to be sorry for, but now that is out of the way."

A Discord worthy grin spread upon the white mare's face.

"You've been smitten by a particular party planner?"

Fluttershy smiled sheepishly, no offense to sheep of course.

"Ye-yes. That's why I came to talk to you today."

"You're worried that just because Pinkie Pie isn't your soulmate that you two can' be together right?"

Fluttershy nodded at first, but tried to speak.

"That, and I-"

"Darling~ we both love our melodramatic romance stories and I certainly would love to see one unfold before my own eyes, but Just because she is your soulmate does not mean Rainbow Dash absolutely must be the one you have to love."

The rest of Fluttershy's old sentence died in her throat.

"Really?"

Rarity put her nose to the air to pronounce her words a bit more.

"Of course not, why I've know a great deal of ponies that have met their soulmates well past starting a healthy relationship with another, and not one of them went gallivanting off with them and left their loved ones behind because of it. Not only then it would be a rather sad sight if ponies had to wait until finding them that they could begin to date, could you imagine having to hold out for your entire life and never finding love just because you never found one random pony that gave you something you very well could live without and not lose a single thing any other pony else could have? It would just be dreadful!"

Fluttershy was a bit taken back by surprise.

"Is that really how you think about it?"

It's all she could say at the moment, her mind mulling over what Rarity had said.

"Would I say it if it weren't? Fluttershy-"

Reaching over the magic dressmaker put a hoof on the timid animal carer.

"-soulmates are a special thing by all means, don't for a moment think otherwise, but you can be with somepony your entire life and not once have even the slightest romantic feeling for them. You and Rainbow Dash will always have something special together, but so will you and Pinkie Pie, both just as meaningful in all their own ways."

Putting a hoof on top of her friends Fluttershy could not help but smile.

"Thank you Rarity, that was beautiful."

"As the next best expert to romance to only Cadence herself I have an obligation to use my vast knowledge to help any friend in need of romantic help. Those romance novels are great study material." Rarity said with a smirk having sat back in her seat, making Fluttershy giggle.

"That did help clear up some of my problem Rarity, I really appreciate it, buuuut..."

"Buuuut-?"

"I still don't even know what Rainbow Dash thinks. I honestly have no idea what she even thinks about the whole concept of soulmates in general. I don't want to start seeing Pinkie without even knowing if Rainbow might actually be interested in me. I mean, I'm not sure if I would want to go out with her, but I would like to know, you know?"

"Well than there's only one thing you can do, ask her."

"I know, but-"

"Ah ah, no more "buts". It was unhealthy of you and her to have never said anything and it would only be more so if you were to try and ask Pinkie out too. I know it's a scary proposition that you might have to break her heart dear, no one wants to do that to their friend, but that's the key word here. "Friend" is what you think of her. One of if not your closest friend, but tell me with absolute honesty-"

Rarity leveled her gaze with Fluttershy's.

"-do you LOVE her? Have you ever felt the same way about her as you do with Pinkie now?"

Unconsciously Fluttershy began to go through all of her shy tendencies, such as not making eye contact, playing with her hooves, blushing, and wiggling in her seat.

"...No..."

"Then this is what you need to do. You go find Rainbow, ask her about you two being soulmates once and for all, and if she has a romantic interest in you, well I'm sorry to say dear but you will have to tell her you're not interested. But I know you can do it, just as when you helped her confront her separation issues with tank."

As ever patient as she could be Rarity let her friend shuffle around in her seat quietly, Fluttershy not saying a word for a good few seconds before letting out a deflating sigh.

"Your right Rarity, it's what I have to do."

Completely leaving her seat the element holder of generosity wrapped the element holder of kindness in a soft hug.

"And don't forget dear, Rainbow is above everything else your friend. I'm sure that no matter how she feels she will be supportive of just as me  or any then rest of us would be."

And then with a sudden shove and a bit of magic Fluttershy found herself standing outside the boutique dazed from the sudden rush of magic, Rarity in the doorway with grin and look of determination on her face.

"Now get out there and get it done! I'm absolutely am DYING to hear about how you fell in love with Pinkie and how your confession is going to go, so hurry along do what must be done before I explode with anticipation!"

With that Fluttershy was turned around to be facing in the general direction of Rainbow Dash's house and given a slight push.

"Good luck!"

After a second to get her bearings Fluttershy found that Rarity was waving her off. With a gulp Fluttershy began walking, mind churning with possibilities.

("Okay Fluttershy, you've got this! It's just talking with Rainbow Dash, your best friend. Talking about how you two have never talked about the fact that your soulmates, and about how you're in love with Pinkie Pie, and that even if she's in love with you you're not interested in her. Which would break her heart. But she wouldn't tell you that because that's how she is. That would make everything awkward between us and-")

Stopping on shaky legs looked back to Rarity who still standing at the door. She gave her a smile and a hoof gesture to keep going. A fake smile and a turn around a corner later Fluttershy had her back up against a wall and breathing like she had just ran a three part marathon.

("Maybe a detour to help me...think about what I'm going to say to Rainbow when I see her.")

Weakly she nodded to herself, walking unsteadily in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres, the opposite direction of Rainbow Dash's house, making sure to side step Rarity's house.

("Yeah, a detour...")