Chapter 1
A happily crackling campfire is always a good place to bond with and get to know those you love. Tonight was no exception, the Elements of Harmony making their journey to another town in need of Friendship decided to skip the inn and sleep under the stars tonight. With a Sonic Rainboom the mostly cloudy skies were cleared in seconds with no effort from five of the ponies, who had to set up the campsite, tents, fire and dinner. Long after Celestia had lowered the sun the gang was still sipping freshly bottled spring water, telling jokes and singing, currently listening to Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash reciting a song from their childhood.
“Prepare for trouble!
Talking trouble, walking trouble, double trouble, big trouble’s gonna fol-low you.
Team Rocket’s rockin!
Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again”
With the duo falling silent three ponies stomped their hooves in approval. Both Pinkie and Rainbow pulled their muzzles away from a stick Pinkie used as a microphone. “I had no idea you knew that Pinkie, but I should have known. And thanks for pitching in Fluttershy, I guess I didn’t think three voices out that well.”
“Thanks you. It was fun,” she said dropping her head, allowing her mane to cover her slight blush.
“So, gals, since we’re on the subject of trouble, wanna cause more ruckus?” Applejack questioned.
Princess Twilight giggled. “What do you have in mind?”
The farmer smirked. “Ah notice there’s one thing we ain’t never talked about in the two years we’ve known each other.” Waiting a pregnant pause for dramatic effect, “Boyfriends.”
A symphony of eye rolling and groans followed to Applejacks amusement and confusion. “What? What did Ah say? Somethin’ wrong with boyfriends?”
“Um, Applejack,” Fluttershy answered from her right side. “None of us have really had a…boyfriend in the past two years. No-one significant to talk about I mean. There have been crushes, but nothing has really worked out…” She tossed a glance at Rarity who rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Am I not allowed to talk about my hopes and dreams? Well, it will happen for me, one of these days.”
The Pink Menace on Rarity’s left side spoke her mind. “Wow. Six young, healthy, beautiful mares, and none of us have had a date in two years. Preeeety sad if you ask me. Go on. Some-one ask me!”
Twilight spoke to Pinkie, “We have our whole lives ahead of us. We can take some time to enjoy each other’s company without complicating things like that.”
“Yeah. We have our whole lives ahead of us, and wouldn’t it be great to find one pony- Or griffon, donkey, whatever. How great would it be to spend all that time with someone who completes you?” Rainbow Dash asked out loud in a rare moment of raw sentiment.
Rarity was the first to call her on it. “Since you know exactly what you are talking about, I suppose you want me to make the gown for your wedding next week? And remind me again of how many hearts you’ve broken to get to this point?”
Dash flicked her head and turned away. “It’s not for lack for trying. All the guys I like are, just, not quite everything I’m looking for. And yes Rarity, you can make my gown when I do get married.”
“Well, since the subject was brought up, why not go around and say which way our barn doors swing?” Five sets of eyes turned to her, as if asking if that was what they were talking about in the first place. “Ah think we have a good idea ‘bought one another, but let’s set the record straight. Heh? How ‘bout it?”
“Yaay! This is gonna be so much fun! Because- because Reasons. That’s why! Me first! Can I go first Applejack?” More eyes rolled and groans escaped muzzles.
“Sure darlin'. Then why not go clockwise after you?”
Her already big smile stretched further, her dimples threatening her ears. “Okie doki Loki! Make sure not touch your brothers hammer. So, yeah. I like both sexes. Big surprise huh?” Pulling a pencil and paper from her mane she started doodling. “I can’t wait to find the perfect stallion and settle down with him and make sweet pancakes and babies and memories to get lost in when I’m old and senile but no-one thinks anything of it since I’ve always been so crazy.
“But I’m not going to say No if some sweet little thing struts up to me and wants to start a riconic relationship. If she’s pretty enough it will be hard to let her go when she’s done with me. Fluttershy knows what I’m talking about.” Pinkie continued her doodle as four pairs of eyes turned to the butter-yellow pegasis, who blushed so quickly it could have set her own personal record. “Yeah. Go on Flutters. Tell them!”
Fluttershy’s pupils shrank to pinpricks and she gently rocked side-to-side, in no condition for story telling. Pinkie took her cue. “Oh well. Guess I will. The third week after I moved to Ponyville and started working for the Cakes, Fluttershy, a pony I never meet before walks up to me and asks ‘Excuse me miss. Do you know where I could find a pie?’ A pony hitting on me did say that once, but he knew my name. For all I knew, she was also making an innuendo too. So I said some things to her, and invited her back to my place, I had plans for her. She seemed nervous so I asked her if she actually was into me before we got there. She said No and I dropped it. So we played board games on my bedroom floor for an hour sharing an apple and pear pie. And that’s how I meet Fluttershy!"
Said pegasis nodded briefly, showing signs of coherent life allowing Pinkie to further embarrass both of them. “Oh Flutters. You really missed an opportunity there. Oh well! I’m still here if you change your mind.”
Every pony was silent, looking between both pink haired ponies, not knowing what to say until Twilight realized it was her turn.
“Okay. Well, I identify as Straight. Got it? I like stallions.”
Pinkie’s head popped out from behind Twilight’s back and tilted. “Buuuuut?”
Taking a deep breath, “There…have been mares who’ve…caught my attention…in ways I did not think they would. Exactly.” She looked around to patiently waiting faces.
“So, darlin'? You actually do swing both ways?” Applejack inquired, settling on the ground and crossing her front hooves.
“No. I-Just think about them in more-than friendly ways. And day dream about them, enough so I can safely call them crushes.” Twilight’s face turned a shade of pink.
Rarity encouraged her. “Go on. Tell us about them.”
“Ugghh!” Twilight sighed heavily. “Okay! There’s three of them, and I’ve meet them all since I came to Ponyville. One of them, I won’t say a word about her. Nothing. The other two are…They all share one trait in particular: they put up shells to look bigger than they really are, but underneath they are such softies. Sometimes I wonder why they do it. Often their ‘tough-girl’ persona prevents them from making, or even having friends, and that’s kinda sad, all three of them are great mares and the world should know them.”
“Ah! Our Princess Twilight likes tsundere types doesn’t she?” Rarity giggled, even if she hardly knew the word herself, but Twilight certainly did, and her reaction was enough reason to say it.
“Come on, Twilight. Drop a name or two.” Rainbow punched her shoulder.
“You girls aren’t going to laugh are you?” Five heads shook. She waited. “Beatrix Lulumoon, despite her flaws and past, is a powerful unicorn, and could live up to her own expectations for herself with guidance and discipline. We have been writing to each other since we last saw the other in person, and I’m going to invite her to stay at the li-Castle next time we meet face to face. She’s really opened up to me, and I think I’m the only one she can turn to when things get bed. I don’t know if she feels the same way-romantically-about me. She and I have had our problems but I think we would make a great team as friends, lab partners, roommates, more than all of the above. She’s just…great.”
Fluttershy interrupted. “How come you’ve never introduced us? Would we know her by another name?”
“Uhh, there’s also…Princess Luna.” Rarity blinked once and let her mouth fall open. Applejack sputtered, Rainbow fell backwards off her log, and Fluttershy blushed again. Pinkie kept her smile in place and acted as if she knew all along.
“So, yes, Princess Luna. I don’t talk to her as much as Beatrix, but she reminds me of my past self a bit. Unsure, trying too hard, gullible, and nothing breaks my heart like the thought of her being unhappy. Whenever I imagine the two of us together, she’s crying and I’m comforting her. Maybe she has a thing for me too. The whole ‘my heroin!’ thing? I want to get to know her better.
“That’s my turn. Rainbow, your now.” Rainbow Dash groaned but resigned to taking her turn.
Keeping her eyes on the ground, “I’m gonna have to side with Twilight on this. I like the D. Stallions make me…happy.”
Applejack gave a short nod. “Uh huh. Explains the reverse harem that follows you ‘round everywhere.”
“Shut up. I-Stallions can be intimidating to talk to. Alright?”
“My brother once told me there’s nothing scarier than talking to a pretty mare your own age.” Applejack nodded along with Twilight sentiments.
“Yeah. Same thing. But then, I like to think I’ve always had a strong libido, so if I do start seeing somepony I should avoid that. I mean-I can’t have a baby and join the Wonderbolts. Even if my body does retain this gorgeous, sleek look,” Dash leaped to her hooves and stuck various modeling poses to the giggles of everyone. “I’m still going to have to drag a baby cross country and hire a nanny or something. So, to avoid that, staying single simplifies things. So, yup. That’s my story.”
“No it’s not. Both of us mentioned something involving a pony, now it’s your turn.” Pinkie informed her with a nod.
“Me too?” Five heads nodded, Fluttershy with reluctance.
She sighed. “I could simplify things another way too. Also like Twilight, a…mare has…Just one! And I went to Twilight to ask her what I should do. She’s got no more experience than the rest of us, but I thought, or hoped, she would understand. And she did.” Rainbow flashed Twilight a smile who blushed and smiled back. “She worked out who I was talking about and said I should talk to her about it, and I did, and she feels the same way. I mean, she likes me too, but she’s a little unsure, and is doesn’t want to hurt what we have now. We’ll get to know each other more and, if we decide to go for it, we’ll try to make it work. And if we find some-one else, we’ll be okay with that too.” She was grinning, looking at the dirt, thinking of a future where she could be happy without her mare.
Twilight broke the silence. “Girls, without Rainbow talking to me like she did, I don’t think I would have been brave enough to tell you about Luna and Beatrix. So, again, thank you Rainbow Dash.”
“Were you scared we would judge you Twilight?” asked Fluttershy.
“I don’t really know what I was scared of. And I think it’s your turn now.”
“Oh my. I’ll keep this short and simple.” She fidgeted on her seat. “I like the stallions. No, there are no mares I have been interested in. I have thought about it, but can’t see what you girls see is so appealing.”
“If Rainbow thinks stallions can be frightening, you must be shaking in your horseshoes dear.” Rarity offered.
“Oh no. I mean, stallions can be-usually are big but…”Her blush started to return, climbing up to her ears before deepening. “But I’ve faced full grown dragons, manticores, I even spent a whole day with Pinkie with her hair flat. I’ve been in scary situations, and there’s the thought of…of…” Fluttershy turned around and lost her line of thought, her face a deer shade of red when she noticed her wings standing fully erect. She buried her face in the dirt.
Rarity tried to put her hoof on Fluttershy’s back before she shied away. Rainbow chuckled and let her have her space. “Word of advice girls, DON’T call Fluttershy a fillyfooler. Bad things have happened to ponies who did that, and I doubt even Pinkie could explain it all.”
Twilight, forgetting her situation despite her experience with wings tried continuing the subject. “So Fluttershy, tell us about a stallion you’ve had your eye on.”
Lifting her face from the ground and ignoring clumps of dirt falling from her, she still had crimson cheeks. “Well, Twilight, we meet your brother a few days before his wedding soo…But I’m sure your sister-in-law knows how lucky she is. And Applejack, your brother…” She face-planted before finishing her sentence, again giggles rang out.
Pinkie bobbed her head. “She’s right Applejack. And I think I speak for all of us here too. Right girls?” Three heads nodded in agreement.
“Ah know! Ah know, my brother gets all the mares he wants. Gals, you wastin’ your time. He’s already seeing ‘the purtiest dame in Ponyville’ as he puts it. Faust knows who it is though. He zips up tighter than a Baltimare mob bank when Ah ask 'im ‘bout her.”
“Aand because she’ll never say a word about it, my dad too.” Rainbow grinned.
“What dear?” Rarity shook her head. “What about your father?”
“Fluttershy likes my dad too. Didn’t you tell me that once Flutters?” The head, dug it’s way deeper into the ground after nodding. “None of you have meet him, but he’s the coolest pony around. I can’t say I blame her. It’s just weird since she’s known him since she was, what was it? You were four right?” The head nodded again.
“Yes. That's the only reason why it would be weird. Tell us about your mother Rainbow. I don’t think I have ever heard you so much as mention her.” Implored Twilight.
“I don’t have a mom.” It was simple and kept everypony quiet. “As far as I know, she pushed me out and evaporated into thin air. My dad never talks about her. I even got him bombed on sheep vodka, drilled him with questions, and he didn’t say a word.”
Seconds passed. “Umm, right. So, what were you saying about weird things Pinkie would not be able to explain?” Twilight asked to avoid another awkward situation.
Rainbow climbed onto the ground and leaned against her log. “Oh, right! Fluttershy, you mind if I tell the story? It’s not like you’ve ever said anything about it?” Fluttershy remained still. “Great. Okay, so we were in flight school together. You all know what it’s like: all the colts are idiots, most of the fillies are sluts or depressed because they can’t be sluts. Homework, sports, rumors, the single worst time of growing up. Well there were rumors that Fluttershy was gay. There were rumors I was gay, Brolly was supposed to be a eunuch, you get the idea. And because Fluttershy never stood up for herself she was an easy target. I stood up for her, but that encouraged ideas that she and I were an item.
Fluttershy finally poked her head out of the dirt again. “You didn’t help matters by saying we were one.”
“Aw geez. Can’t you let that go? Fine. One day this dude is at Fluttershy’s table talking to her, and she really doesn’t want him to be there. So I, having a great idea as usual, go up, put my wing around her and act a little too friendly. He wants to know what’s goin’ on, I tell him public displays of affection with my girlfriend are okay if their under three seconds. I had no idea what I was talking about but he bought it and left. Then the rumors intensify.
“So, back on topic. One day when we were in our third year, October, two and a half dozen kids find chicken eggs in their desk during first period. Silly right? A harmless prank, and they included some-one from almost every clique, it was actually funny the first few days. Then things escalated quickly. Everypony found their eggs on Monday, on Friday, these same ponies all woke up to find someone had egged their houses in the middle of the night.” Eight eyes either jumped open or narrowed at this revelation. “Two kids, brother and sister were staying at their mom’s house that night when they usually sleep at their dad’s, their mom’s house was egged too.
“You with me so far? This escalated from chicken eggs to thirty counts of vandalism, and maybe even two counts of stalking. But no-one drew any connection between Monday and the Friday until later that weekend, and after that we all had much bigger problems. I thought it was strange, but could not get around to asking everyone who was targeted. That’s exactly what the eggs in the desk were, they were a message: I know who you are. Then the next Monday rolled around.
“It’s a day neither I, nor anyone who was there that day will ever forget. A lot of girls were absent that, most of them Egg girls. One showed up, late, and it turns out she was wearing a wig. She had a long, flowing head of hair yesterday, and that morning she woke up to find it shaved off. Shaved. Off. And laying on her pillow next to her. Some sicko really wanted to get to her, and they did just that.” All six ponies sitting and laying around the campfire shuffled uncomfortably at personal thoughts. Rarity peeked behind her and scooted closer to Applejack, Twilight nearly cast a locater spell and Fluttershy flapped her wings.
“I was not targeted, but I felt violated by that. But it get’s even worse. One of the colts who heard her say what happened had a similar story of his own. When he woke up his mane was fine, but there was a string tied around his penis. And the other end was tried around a surgical knife. And there was a dotted line around his penis. You get the message girls! I don’t want to know how scared he was, but he wasn’t alone. All the other Egg boys had the same experience. And that’s still not the end of it.”
Rainbow looked around, everyone waited with a pained expression on their faces. “There was this teacher, McRobie. What a bitch. Fluttershy knew her, all the students had something nasty to say about her. I don’t know how the staff felt about her, but I can’t imagine she was popular among them. But sense when do adults make sense right? So Monday about noon, a police officer comes in with a drug sniffing pig, cloud-walking charm, I guess and has a go through the classroom. She got a hit on McRobie’s desk, it was just food, but then they found the pictures. Child. Porn. Pictures.”
Rainbow’s audience was clearly uncomfortable now, looking around and shifting their legs. “The officers cuffed her right there. They abandoned the drug search, dragged her away, she never set hoof in that, or any other school again. They found twenty pictures in her desk, and more than two hundred in her home, and she maintained her innocence the whole time; they did not belong to her. She was convicted and is spending the rest of her life in some prison looking over her shoulder every minute of the day.
“As you can imagine, the school had a lot to talk about for a very long time. I was at a loss to explain all what happened, and since I wasn’t involved I had to hear everything second-hoof. My dad never hugged me so hard when I told him about McRobie, I guess I can’t blame him for being scared. That was the end of it, as far as I know. The police couldn’t do much about the vandalism except catch the culprit in the act. But twenty-nine counts of breaking and entering, that they could investigate, not that they turned up with anything. Whoever did it slipped in and out like a breeze; no witnesses, no conveniently dropped business cards, and no confessions written in blood. They interviewed the students trying to find some connection between them, but they were so diverse they couldn’t find anything they didn’t share with dozens of others. Nothing to go on, and that was the end of that.
“Nothing weird happened after that. News went back to being drama, rumors, normal high school garbage. But no-one forgot about anything for a while, courtesy of the girls who had their heads shaved. They all found wigs for a while, then worked with short styles until they got exactly what they wanted, except for who did it to them. It wasn’t until, almost a month later I was laying in bed and remembered eavesdropping on McRobie. She was my teacher at the time and was talking to someone about who knows what and she said, her exact words; ‘Fluttershy’s a pansy, she’ll just run off to her fillyfooling girlfriend Rainbow Dash.’
“This is where it all comes together. I realize a lot of the Egg kids had called Fluttershy a fillyfooler, but some I weren’t sure of. So I confront her about it and ask her two names, and yes, all of the Egg kids called Fluttershy gay, including McRobie.” Rainbow looked to her, seeing she had been sitting calmly and patiently waiting. “I’m not proud of this part. I blew up at her. It was just the two of us visiting some bird sanctuary, nopony heard us. I called her so many names, I said a lot of things I’m not proud of. She was a shivering wreck on the ground when I had my say and stormed off. I took some time to cool down and though things over, and I misjudged the whole situation. Girls, it's Fluttershy. I thought she broke into ponies houses and could have cut their dicks off. I was convinced she planted hundreds of pictures of foalcon in a desk and called in a drug tip. How could she even plant chicken eggs in desks in someone’s desk? I think one would be her limit, and then she would confess to it when they found out.
“So I go back and apologize for everything. And, being Fluttershy, she forgives me just because she’s like that. So, I guess that’s the end of that.” Rainbow leaned back and let somepony else speak for a while.
Silence fell as every pony churned the thoughts in their head for a bit. “Well Ah for one agree with ya Rainbow Dash.” Applejack turned her attention to Fluttershy. “Flutters, Ah didn’t know ya back then, but the Flutters Ah know today could never do that.
Rarity bowed her head. “Yes darling. Please forgive me for thinking for even the tiniest moment you had something to do with this.”
“I know you had nothing to do with it Fluttershy.” Twilight offered.
Pinkie asked, “Did anyone else say anything to you Shy?”
The canary yellow pegasi shook her head. “Oh no. No-one said anything to me about it, something I’m grateful for. My reputation probably kept ponies from thinking I knew or wanted to hear about it.” She smiled gently.
“Ah will admit, I can see you doing…questionable things for a friend, but not yerself. Ah mean…” Applejack trailed off as her eyes landed on Rainbow Dash. Rarity noticed something odd too, and soon four faces looked at the cyan peagsis.
Rainbow looked around in confusion. “What?”
“Rainbow, just how many of these Egg kids called you a fillyfooler?” Applejack accused.
“And just where you the night all this happened?” Pinkie also accused.
Rainbow flapped her wings to leap into the air. “Woah, woah, woah! Hold your hooves. I can’t account for Thursday night, I was asleep but no-one else can confirm that. But the night before fillies and colts woke to find they had been violated I was in Manehattan, visiting my uncle and cousin. Okay? That leave me in the clear Pinkie?” Pinkie nodded. “And Applejack, some of these kids stuck up for me. When others called me that and other names, this one kid, Regis, put a stop to it. He even tried getting me a date to help stop rumors.”
“Until your back was turned.”
All eyes jaunted to Fluttershy. Rainbow asked, “Excuse me?”
“Regis was pretty sneaky, and you never knew did you? He was spreading rumors about you, always seeing that they reached the right ears, and he was careful so no-one ever said he actually said it. He started that one about you and Haildrop under the bleachers at the hockey game against Canterlot!”
“Uh, Haildrop?” Twilight asked.
Rainbow answered, “First openly gay filly in our school year. Grade A bitch. I hated her, and the feeling was mutual. But she always said she would get me into her bed one day. Has not happened yet. Of course when the rumor started she ate it up and said ‘Yes! She needs more practice before I let her go any further south!’ And why would Regis say that Fluttershy?”
“I don’t know. But I heard him with my own ears, many times. He was not your friend Rainbow.” She had a finality in her voice Rainbow rarely heard.
After seconds of silence Twilight sought to break the tension. “Soo, where does that leave us? Two and a half dozen kids and one teacher all called Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy fillyfoolers. Are these all the ponies who called you by that name?”
“No” Rainbow and Fluttershy said as one, Fluttershy turned away.
“A lot more than those kids called Fluttershy that now that I think about it.” Rainbow finished her thought.
“And us six are the only ponies who know of this connection between them? Fluttershy? Do you have something you want to say?”
Fluttershy’s ears were tinged red, she took a deep breath, “Are you accusing me of something Twilight? Than you should have hard evidence instead of here say. Besides, you said a little while ago you knew I had nothing to do with it. Why the change?” Her voice shook but Fluttershy held her gaze.
“I…don’t know what to say.” No-one did. Everyone avoided eye contact.
Rarity was the first to speak with, “We were playing a pleasant game, and I think it’s Applejack’s turn.”
“Aw yeah! Well, I’m with Rainbow. I’m straight, you KNOW I wanna bite of that Applesnack. But there’s just one mare for me. And unlike you two,” She looked at Twilight and Dash, “I actually did something about it.”
Applejack threw her leg around Rarity’s neck and gave her a peck on the cheek. Rarity giggled. “We’ve been seein’ each other for two and a half months now, and after a recent tiff, we think we’re ready to tell y’all.”
“D’aww! That’s cute. You two actually thought no-one knew, didn’t you? Hehehehe…” Pinkie lost herself in a fit of giggles.
“Ye knew?”
“Yes, we all did.” Fluttershy informed her.
“Rarity smelled like sweat and dirt one evening but was grinning like an idiot. What was I supposed to think?” Rainbow pointed at the white unicorn. “And you were saying ‘darling’ so often it was kind of hard to miss.”
Twilight looked at the position of the moon. “Do you two think this will work out between you? I knew you had chemistry but not like this.”
“Twilight dear, Applejack has every quality I am looking for in a pony. Being with me will change her, but the only thing I want to change is her grammar.” Rarity squeezed the hoof in hers.
“Ah always wanted my own little fussbucket, and now I got one that puts up with me, and goes out of her way for me.”
“It’s getting late girls. I was thinking of going to bed. Unless someone has a better idea?” Fluttershy asked.
“Nope. I’m gonna turn in too. Goodnight!” Pinkie spun around and dived into her tent. Twilight extinguished the campfire and made her way to her own tent.