Chapter 1
Rarity took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. The pegasus mare before her was as stunning as ever, which was not helping her focus. The winged pony's eyes sparkled a bright blue, capturing Rarity's attention away from her flowing pink mane and pristine wings. Her friend's dress, designed by Rarity herself, perfectly accentuated the mare's natural curves and complimented her shimmering yellow coat. The smile Rarity received from the pony across the way was enough to melt her heart, yet gave her the courage to speak her mind.
"Fluttershy darling, you look simply gorgeous."
The pegasus blushed a bright red and hid behind her hair, never breaking eye contact. "Thank you, Rarity. You look amazing yourself. I can't thank you enough for all this. Between dinner and the dance, I don't think I've been happier in years."
The unicorn didn't need to hear anything else. Seizing the moment, she closed the gap dividing herself and the stunning mare. She nuzzled against Fluttershy's neck sweetly, then laid her lips upon the mare's neck. The shy pegasus gasped, prompting a smile and sinister thoughts in Rarity's head. The next kiss was placed lower on Fluttershy's body, and Rarity continued to move downwards. At this rate, she would soon be able to steal a peak at the mare's-
"Good morning, Rarity!" The voice that ripped the white unicorn from a particularly enjoyable slumber belonged to her sister, Sweetie Belle.
"Ahhhh!" The startled mare panicked for a brief moment, then removed her sleeping blindfold. "Sweetie! You mustn't wake me so crudely!" Before she continued to scold, Rarity saw the look on her sister's face. The filly seemed surprised at how violently her sister had awakened, but she also looked remorseful. Noticing that tears were starting to form in the youth's eyes, Rarity took action. She lifted Sweetie in her magic and brought her into a warm embrace under the bed cover. "Oh, don't cry dear. I'm sorry I yelled, I was just shocked is all."
Sweetie Belle wiped her damp eyes on a hoof and snuggled into her older sister. "I'm sorry too, sis. I know you like sleeping in on the weekend, but I was getting hungry. Can we get something for breakfast?" The filly's stomach growled, which made her sister giggle.
"Of course we can. Why don't you give me a minute to fix my bedhead, then we'll take a trip to Sugarcube Corner, okay?"
The unicorn filly nodded enthusiastically. "Okay, but hurry up!" She squirmed out of her sister's hooves and rushed downstairs, already smelling pastries fresh from the oven.
***
A short walk to the bakery and two doughnuts later, Rarity and Sweetie Belle sat at a booth in Sugarcube Corner. Bouncing joyously, a pink earth pony approached the sisters. "Hiya, Rarity and Sweetie Belle! Can I get you two anything else to eat? Maybe a milkshake?" Pinkie offered her patrons an ear-to-ear grin.
The elder white unicorn smiled back at her energetic friend. "Milkshakes sound great, Pinkie dear. One for each of us, please?" The pink party pony pranced off purposefully, leaving Rarity and her sister alone again.
"Hey, Rarity? Can I ask you something?" Sweetie Belle questioned.
"Of course, Sweetie. What do you want to know?"
"It's about this morning. Before I woke you up, you were mumbling in your sleep."
The element of generosity's eyes widened. She knew that her dream had been lewd, and certainly not something a filly like Sweetie Belle should hear about. "W-what did I say, exactly?"
The younger unicorn scrunched her face in confusion. "You were muttering Fluttershy's name, over and over again. I didn't listen long, but you sounded... strange."
Rarity blushed deeply. "Oh... I see." Sugarcube corner seemed much hotter than it was a minute ago, and Rarity could feel sweat forming on her forehead. "And did you have a question concerning that, dear?"
Watching her sister grow flustered and embarrassed, Sweetie's suspicions were confirmed. A large smile developed on the filly's face. "Rarity... you love Fluttershy, don't you?"
The gasp that Rarity was about to let out was instead produced by Pinkie Pie, who nearly dropped the two milkshakes she carried on her back. "You're in love with Fluttershy, Rare Bear? That's so super duper cutsie wootsie!"
By now, the pale unicorn was ready to faint from humiliation, her face burning like a fire. "C-come now girls, love is a rather strong word. But I admit, I do admire that yellow pegasus. And recently, my admiration has grown into... attraction."
Pinkie looked disappointed. She puffed out her cheeks in irritation before grabbing Rarity's and forcing the unicorn to lock eyes with her. "Rarity, I expect more from you. You know how special a mare Fluttershy is, and she deserves more than an admirer. Do you love her, or not?"
"Pinkie dear, it's not that simple. I'm not saying I don't love her, but love usually comes from a long-lasting relationship, which she and I don't have."
The party mare scoffed. "You two have been in a relationship for years! No, not dating, but just as close! You and Fluttershy visit the spa together, you've shopped together, saved Equestria together, you know everything about each other! Isn't that enough to know whether or not you're in love?"
"I... well, of course..." Rarity sighed. "Yes, Pinkie Pie. I do love her. What does it matter to you, anyways? I doubt Fluttershy would want to date me, the poor dear hardly talks during our spa visits. How could we make a romantic relationship work?"
"Um, big sis?" Sweetie waited until both mares turned to face her before continuing. "Why don't you just ask Fluttershy out, and go back to being friends if you can't be a couple?"
Rarity returned her gaze to Pinkie, who nodded excitedly in agreement. The unicorn laughed and threw up her hooves in defeat. "Alright, I'll ask her." Her companions continued staring at her expectantly. "After Sweetie and I finish these milkshakes." The mare and filly still stared, and neither had blinked. Rarity's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Alone."
"Oh, come on!"
***
With a promise to her sister to meet her back at the boutique in an hour, Rarity left for Fluttershy's cabin near the Everfree forest. Celestia's warm sun shined down on Ponyville, brightening the day as it rose to its full height. The neatly kept dirt road met Rarity's hooves as she worked her way across town. With nopony in sight and no other distractions available, the mare's mind wandered restlessly. Already the unicorn was growing nervous, both for herself and her pretty friend.
Rarity reached Fluttershy's house around noon. The yellow pegasus hovered gently in her front yard, attending to a bird house. She was ignorant to the approach of her unicorn friend, and Rarity wouldn't dare surprise the mare when she was flying. Too many times had a startled Fluttershy's wings locked up, leaving the poor element of kindness to plummet to the earth.
"There you are Mr. Sparrow," the cream colored pegasus said happily, "brand new bird seed, and I fixed up your broken roof, too!" The bird chirped and flitted about gleefully, clearly grateful for its caretaker's help, before pecking at the new source of food. Fluttershy landed with a smile on her face, one that grew once she turned around to find Rarity standing behind her. "Hello, Rarity. I'm glad you came to visit, is there something you wanted?"
The cheerful look on the mare's face and the way she tossed her flowing pink mane was torturous to Rarity. C'mon, Rarity, She thought to herself. Just ask her! At least say hi, before she wonders why you're silent! "Hello, dear. And yes, I do need something. It's a question I need to ask you." She begged her cheeks to retain their natural color, but could feel heat rising into her face.
Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. "Are you feeling alright, Rarity? Your face seems a little flushed. You know you can ask me anything, right?"
Amazing, The blushing unicorn thought. I'm about to put the poor dear on the spot, but she's more worried about my well being. Well, that's why I'm here, right? That, along with a couple hundred other reasons. "I'm perfectly fine, I assure you. What I wanted to ask was..." Spit it out, already! Rarity swallowed hard. "Fluttershy, would you like to go out with me?"
The pegasus took a minute to process what she had been asked. After a few tormenting seconds for Rarity, the worried look on Fluttershy's face turned into a small smile. "Of course I would, Rarity. We go out all the time, what made you so hesitant to ask?"
Rarity's heart stopped when she heard Fluttershy accept, then started up twice as fast when she realized the mare had no idea what she meant. Oh goodness, how awkward. "No, I mean Out out, dear. Like a date. Do you understand?"
Oblivious to any misunderstanding, Fluttershy nodded confidently. "Yeah, like our spa dates. We usually go on Wednesdays, but I wouldn't mind an extra trip to take the edge off. Let me grab some bits, okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she trotted up to her front door and entered her house.
As Fluttershy disappeared from sight, her unicorn friend blinked. She blinked again, in disbelief at the yellow mare's reaction, or lack thereof. "Did that really just happen?" Rarity asked the sparrow flying overhead. The bird offered no response other than a shrill chirp before retreating into its home.
***
I can't believe she didn't understand that I was asking her out! Rarity thought as she walked to the spa with her pegasus friend. Maybe I should drop a hint? The unicorn pretended to stumble, then leaned into Fluttershy's side for support. She pressed herself gently further until the pair could feel each other's warm bodies against their coats. Rarity began to lose herself in her friend's soft feathers, nuzzling in close until she heard Fluttershy's voice.
"Um... is everything alright, Rarity?" The pegasus inquired. "It looked like you tripped back there."
The unicorn sighed in defeat and pulled away from Fluttershy. "I'm quite fine, dear. But I appreciate the concern." Her quiet companion seemed satisfied with her answer, and turned her head towards the pair's destination; Ponyville's spa. How much more blatant must I be? Rarity wondered. Before she could conceptualize a better way to flirt with her friend, the spa opened before her. Twin doors gave way to reveal twin ponies, who beamed at their guests cheerfully.
"Ah! Both our favorite customers!" Aloe exclaimed. "We were not expecting you until Wednesday! How may we treat our guests?"
When Fluttershy looked to her in question, Rarity responded. "Just a visit to the sauna, today. I need to be home before long."
"As you wish." Aloe and Lotus turned around to lead Rarity and Fluttershy into the spa. They collected the mares' saddle bags and stored them behind the front desk, then ushered their customers into the sauna. Every room in the spa looked completely deserted and unused, as the spa received fewer customers during work hours.
Once pegasus and unicorn were settled into the hot tub and rising steam filled the room, Aloe and Lotus left their guests to themselves. As unexpected as the visit was, Rarity was grateful for the chance to relax. Stealing a glance at her pegasus friend, Rarity found herself lost again in Fluttershy's beauty. Even while reclining against the wall of the tub, she looked serenely graceful and shone in the steam. Rarity decided that today would be the day, no matter what it took.
"Fluttershy?" The unicorn asked. "I'm not sure you caught my meaning before, dear. About asking you on a date?"
The cream pegasus nodded. "Yes? What about it?" Her tone was innocent, perhaps suspiciously so, but Rarity was too focused to notice.
"It's just... I want you to know what this date means to me, darling. I want us to be romantic, like a couple." Again, Rarity blushed as she put all her pride on the line, completely at Fluttershy's mercy. And again, the pegasus seemed completely oblivious.
"Romantic? I think we already are, don't you? You're searching the world for your perfect prince, and I have my dream job deep in the heart of nature."
Rarity facehooved. No! Not romanticism! She thought angrily. "A couple, darling. Like the kind that hug and kiss."
"Umm... Okay. I've never been one for such affection, but I can work on that." Fluttershy offered a heart-melting smile.
Unbelievable
***
A hot bath and a few deflected propositions later, Rarity and Fluttershy stood in front of the Carousel Boutique. The latter was feeling refreshed and pleased from her spa trip with her close friend, while the former was in agony from her continuous failure to woo the object of her desires. Every compliment was returned, and every explanation was brushed off. The normally quiet lull of Ponyville after noon was being dominated by the pleading confessions of a highly embarrassed unicorn. Eventually a crowd began to gather around the pair as Rarity's attempts got more and more desperate.
"Fluttershy darling, I love you! Can you not understand?"
"That's really nice of you to say, Rarity. I love you too! Just like all my friends!"
The blush on Rarity's face no longer conveyed embarrassment, but raging anger. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you!" Tears were forming in the unicorn's eyes as Fluttershy continued to ignore her plight.
"Me too, I couldn't imagine my life without you."
"Why can't you understand? I want... I'm just..."
Fluttershy cocked her head in confusion. "What is it, Rarity? What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to marry me, Fluttershy! I want us to be legally bound to each other forever, and to be madly in love until the end of our days because you're the most important pony in my life! Do you even hear what I'm saying?" The element of generosity collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by frustration.
I have nothing left. Nothing to hide, I've put everything I have out before her. Now she can at least understand my intentions before she leaves my life forever. Goodbye Fluttershy, I wish you weren't so impossibly naive and perfect. Forgive me for making this such a scene.
But instead of flying away in terror or declaring her friend a psychopath, Fluttershy responded gleefully. "Of course! Oh Rarity, of course I will marry you!" She picked her emotionally broken friend off of the ground and hugged her with all the strength she could muster. The mare then locked lips with her new fiance, leaving the poor unicorn with a hundred emotions and a thousand thoughts flying around in her head. Most prominent among those thoughts was the desire to sap every ounce of pleasure and joy out of the moment before she inevitably woke up from what must have been a nightmare turned dream.
Rarity and Fluttershy parted from each other to the wild applause of over half the population of Ponyville. Rarity found she could not wake up, which led her to realize that she was actually engaged to the pegasus in front of her, a mare who until now had acted innocent to her advances. "I..." She began but could not finish.
"I'm sorry I tricked you, Rarity." Fluttershy said with a guilty grin on her blushing face. "I suppose I have some explaining to do."
The unicorn nodded, stuck somewhere in between love-struck and fuming mad.
"I've been head over hooves for you for the longest time, but there was no chance of me being brave enough to ask you out. I was ready to give up on ever being with you, but then I found out that you liked me, too. All the long stares, and the way you always walk me home from our spa meetings..." She turned away from Rarity to mask her humiliation, but turned back when she saw the large crowd still gathered. "I knew that you were my soulmate, but I also knew that no matter how much I loved you, I still would have found a way to mess up romance after being friends for so long. But now, we're going to be married, and together forever! No awkward relationship to struggle with for the next few years! Isn't that great?"
A massively excited Sweetie Belle emerged from the group of onlookers. "I think it's amazing! Rarity, you didn't tell me you were ready to get married!" The ecstatic filly jumped onto Fluttershy's back and hugged the mare with all four hooves. "Can I call you my big sister now, Fluttershy?"
The yellow pegasus nuzzled the young unicorn on her back lovingly. "Of course you can, Sweetie." She deposited her living cargo next to her future wife and gave Rarity another kiss. "I have to attend to a few more animals back home, but I'll come back after dinner, okay? We'll set a date for our wedding and everything!" The smug pegasus trotted off with a spring in her step, parting the crowd as she went.
Stunned into absolute silence, Rarity didn't respond to any of the well-wishing citizens or the joyous cries of her sister. The mare's mind was running on overdrive, working hard to process the strange new direction her life had taken. Without a word or any indication that she was still conscious, the unicorn retired into her home, walked over to her favorite couch, and fainted.