The Pink-Maned Pair

by Twilicorn

First Tellings

"Itspinkiepiethatithinkiminlovewith," rushed Fluttershy, her voice scarcely audible. Rarity sighed, standing from her perch. Walking to Fluttershy's side, she began stroking her mane gently, simply comforting the pegasus.

"Can you repeat that, darling?" asked Rarity, her voice a soft, welcoming tone.

"I-i-i... I think I'm in love with Pinkie," confessed Fluttershy, choking back a sob as she finished.

"Why is that a bad thing?" asked Rarity, her confusion for once not fake.

"I'm not supposed to like mares! I'm supposed to have foals with a stallion!" she cried, her voice rising. "I'm wrong!" she sobbed, burying her head in her hooves. Rarity's own hoof kept stroking gently, letting Fluttershy's cries echo through the small room slightly.

"Sweetie, there's nothing 'wrong' with you at all! Do you know Lyra and Bon Bon?"

"Y-yeah?" sniffed Fluttershy, her eyes watering.

"What do they do?"

"Bon Bon's a candymaker, and Lyra plays in the Royal Orchestra," said Fluttershy.

"And guess what? They're getting married in the spring. Is that a problem?" she continued, raising her eyebrows to accentuate her point.

"I guess not," admitted Fluttershy, lifting her head slightly. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"If they can do just fine, why can't you?"

"It's different!" exclaimed the pegasus angrily, or at least as angry as she could sound without yelling at a dragon.

"Not really. What about Rainbow Dash? We all know she leans that way too," she whispered, as if she was spreading juicy gossip.

"R-really?" eeped Fluttershy, looking around as if she expected Rainbow Dash to pop out at any moment.

"Really," confirmed Rarity. "Now, how are you going to tell Pinkie?"

"Tell her?" asked Fluttershy indignantly, staring at Rarity as if she expected turnips to sprout from her ears. "Why would I tell her when I can be perfectly happy and safe not telling her?"

"Do you really want to keep it a secret, dear?"

'Do I? I don't know. Telling her would be easier, but what if she doesn't like me back? What if she hates me forever? What if-'

"Don't think like that," silenced Rarity, somehow reading Fluttershy's mind as she gently set her hoof on the other mare's shoulder. "You will tell her. How, you have to decide, but I can set something up too. Whatever is easiest for you. I want you to be comfortable," added Rarity.

'What a good friend,' thought Fluttershy with a sniff. "I, I don't know if I can tell her yet," sighed Fluttershy. "But maybe I'll try," 'Someday,' she added mentally. "I should go," she said, craning her head to look at Rarity.

"Come back soon darling!" cried Rarity, waving good bye as Fluttershy walked out the door.

"Bye!" called Fluttershy, already in the hallway. She walked down the hall, half full of confidence and half full with worry. 'What if I tell her and she does like me?' echoed through her mind as she walked towards home, looking forward to having dinner.

-------

Fluttershy looked up at the night sky, laying on her back lawn on a small blanket. Her hoof was raised to the sky, tracing constellations. Angel Bunny sat next to her, cuddled into her mane. She smiled as she heard light snores from him, coming in light flutters. As she traced, thoughts bounced around her head. 'Maybe I should tell her. What's the worst that happens? We are the elements of harmony. What can go wrong? What could happen? Even if she hates me, she can't hate me forever, right? Right?'

Shaking her head, she slowly stood up, letting Angel Bunny fall onto her back, tucked between her wings as she lifted the blanket between her teeth, carrying it back inside. She set it down in a loosely folded square on the couch, then trotted up the stairs, deciding to retire early. She set the sleeping bunny in his bed next to her own, then hopped in to her bathroom, taking a quick shower.

Returning to her room, she snuggled under the butterfly-printed covers adorning her bed, and within a few short moments was asleep.

-------

Fluttershy was sitting across a small table from Pinkie, looking deep into her eyes. The room was decorated for a party, but they were alone, simply sitting by each other. Fluttershy cleared her throat, then smiled softly. "Pinkie?"

"Yes Fluttershy?"

"I love you," said the yellow pegasus, looking at Pinkie, searching for a reaction. And a reaction she got. Pinkie's mane slowly deflated, her eyes narrowing to glares. Her whole body took on a greyish tone, not like that of when Discorded, but grey all the same.

"What did you say?" hissed Grey Pinkie, slowly standing. "What did you say?!"

"N-nothing?" cowered Fluttershy, shrinking as small as she could.

"You said something!" cried Grey Pinkie, leaping on Fluttershy. The greyed hooves began pummeling her, hitting her over and over in the same spot until Grey Pinkie tired of it, moving to the next clean inch of Fluttershy's body. And all the while, Fluttershy just sat there, cowering under her hooves like the doormat she was.

'Like the doormat I am,' she thought.

"Like the doormat I am," whispered Fluttershy as she woke up. She blinked rapidly, looking around in fear for the Grey Pinkie. Confident she wasn't there, Fluttershy stood from her bed, ready to start the day away from that dream. As she trotted down the stairs, her thoughts were interrupted by rapid knocking on the door.

"Hello," said Rarity kindly as Fluttershy opened the door.

"Yes? What do you need? There isn't another dragon, is there?"

"Oh, goodness no! The girls and I decided you needed a day off, so Applejack is going to take care of your creatures for you while you go have the meal Pinkie prepared for you at Sugar Cube Corner! She made you a whole breakfast herself, and it'd be terrible to waste it, wouldn't it be?"

"Oh, of course. I'll head over there right away," smiled Fluttershy gratefully, stepping out of her home and heading down the lane. She followed her hooves towards the town's center, ignoring the hustle and bustle of the early marketeers. Waving politely to Big Macintosh, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith at their cart and nodding a polite hello towards the other early morning salesponies.

Just as Sugar Cube Corner loomed ahead, she stopped in her tracks, staring at the building. 'What in Luna's name are you doing? Just going to walk in there?' she asked herself as another voice piped up. 'Yes, yes you are. She's being a good friend!'

Fluttershy shook her head, ignoring odd looks from passerby as she mentally argued with herself. With a cartoonish puff of smoke, the first voice disappeared, replaced only with the confident one as she continued towards the building. 'Yes. Yes I am.'