> The Center of Her World
>  by SaintChoc
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Chapter 1: Matchmaking
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was a cloudless afternoon in Ponyville. A brilliant blue sky hung overhead as the sun's powerful rays beamed down, casting stark shadows underneath the flying forms of Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. The two pegasi were returning from a flight through the hills outside of town.

Rainbow looked over at Fluttershy as the pair glided down towards the ground. The somewhat frail pegasus was slightly out of breath, but still smiling brightly. 

"You're gettin' better at this, Flutters," Rainbow said. "Remember the first time we came through here, and you kept needing to stop? Now look at you! Barely sweating."

Fluttershy giggled. "The first time we came through here, you were also going about three times as fast and telling me to keep up."

Rainbow laughed. "Alright, well, we're both getting better." Fluttershy laughed with her. The pair of them leveled out as they skimmed the ground, gracefully moving around the trees in their path. Ponyville was still a ways off in the distance. They heard only the sounds of rushing air and the chirping of birds.

Rainbow perked her ears up. "So what are those birds saying?"

Fluttershy's ears twitched as she slowed down just a touch. Rainbow fell back with her.

"Well… it doesn't translate directly, but one of them is marking his territory, saying 'This is my area'... One is them is looking for a mate... Two of them are just saying 'Look how well I can sing!' 'Well, I can sing better!' 'No, me!'" Rainbow laughed.

"And there's another pair…" Fluttershy concentrated, then beamed warmly. "They're just singing a happy duet."

Rainbow took a long look at Fluttershy's smiling face. She saw a lot of beauty in the world through Fluttershy these days.

"That one looking for a mate…" Rainbow said. "Y'ever try to help those guys out? I bet you'd make a great wingpony," Rainbow said, grinning.  

"There was one…" Fluttershy said. "There was one bluejay whose voice I'd been hearing for a few weeks outside my bedroom window, and he started to sound so sad… I got to know him a little better, and then I flew over to Applejack's orchard and found a female. I didn't drag her back or anything, but I… well, I put in a good word." Her eyes lit up. "I saw him just last week! He had a nest with three beautiful blue eggs!"

"Nice!" Rainbow said. "That's awesome! You matchmaker, you." Fluttershy giggled.

They approached the borders of the town, Fluttershy's cottage growing nearer. "Alright. See you this evening?" Rainbow said.

Fluttershy nodded and flew closer to Rainbow. "See you this evening!" They shared a brief kiss before Fluttershy broke off, flying for her front door. 

Rainbow continued flying, a wide grin on her face. She started to hum a tune, flapping her wings in time. 

She looked back, checking to make sure Fluttershy was inside her house.

"Alright… time to stretch." She smirked.

With one powerful beat of her wings, she burst forward, shaking leaves off of the trees around her. She soared towards the center of town, barrel rolls and loops punctuating her flight path.

Her eyes settling on Twilight's castle, Rainbow veered towards it and spotted Twilight through an open window, writing in a book. She circled the castle twice before looping back and gliding through the window. "Hey, Twilight!"

Twilight looked up. "Hello, Rainbow! What brings you around?"

Rainbow hovered over the table supporting Twilight's book. "Ehh, just killin' time. Fluttershy needs some time to herself, and needs to make sure all her animals are taken care of for tonight. The usual. So you get to entertain me!" Twilight rolled her eyes, smirking.

Rainbow flipped over and peered at Twilight's book. She saw two different styles of handwriting. "Wait, is this the book you use to talk to… who was it? Sunset Shimmer!" She peered closer, almost blocking Twilight's view. "What are you talking about? Tell her I said hey." 

Twilight chuckled. "You haven't even met her, but sure, why not?" She put her quill to the page and wrote another line. "Rainbow Dash has now said 'hey' to Sunset Shimmer."

"Nice," Rainbow said. She spotted Spike walking past a doorway and waved. Spike waved back.

"Sunset just came up with a few theories," Twilight said, "on the connection between our journals that might help us figure out a better method of traveling between worlds than that contraption over there." Twilight motioned to the magical mirror in the corner, still surrounded by wires and machinery, currently inactive. "Probably won't pan out, but half of science is failing, after all. Her thought process can be all over the place."

The book buzzed, indicating a new message was coming through. Twilight read the new line. "Uh. Speaking of which, Sunset wants to know what your favorite food is." She shrugged at Rainbow.

Rainbow blinked. "What? Peanut butter and jam sandwich, I guess. Nothing fancy. Bonus points if it's zap apple jam." She looked to the mirror. "So what's wrong with that 'contraption'? I mean, all I know about it is science science science humans magic science, but it seemed to work pretty well." 

Twilight relayed Rainbow's answer to Sunset. "It's fine, but it could be better. I don't think it's efficient enough to let more than a few ponies through a day, for example. If we made something better, it could open up a lot of possibilities." 

The book buzzed again, another message from Sunset appearing on the page. "Ah! She says peanut butter and jam sandwiches is what human Rainbow Dash likes best, too. They don't have zap apples over there, of course." She giggled softly at Sunset's words. "She sounds pretty excited. This whole alternate reality thing is pretty fascinating."

Rainbow cocked her head, thinking. "...I've never really thought about the fact that there's someone else just like me." She paused. "Is she really, like… the same?" 

Twilight nodded. "Yeah, all of our matches are pretty much exact copies in different bodies. Every single like and want and personality quirk seems to match up. Spike and I have met our twins a few times now." She chuckled. "It might be neat to start arranging some sort of meeting, where everyone can meet their twin, but… on the other hoof, some of them might go a little, um, crazy." She started replying to Sunset. "Or I would, if I put the Pinkies together…" she mumbled under her breath. 

The room was silent for a time as Rainbow was lost in thought. Twilight continued exchanging messages with Sunset, wrapped up in discussion on alternate realities and future experiments.

"Does she like flyin—" Rainbow spoke up. "Wait. They can't fly, right? Does she like, uh… running? That sounds lame." 

Twilight smiled. "She does!"

"Huh…" Rainbow contemplated this. "Is she the best? She's totally the best at everything, right?"

"If you ask her, she is." Twilight laughed.

"Yeah. 'Cause she is." Rainbow grinned. "This other Rainbow sounds pretty awesome. I mean, to be expected, of course." Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. "Ooh! What about her and, like, Human Fluttershy? Are they together? They gotta be, right? Sooner or later."

"Hmm… I don't think we ever talked about that. I think I did hear Fluttershy was with…" Twilight frowned. "Huh. I don't remember. But I guess it must be you. I mean, her-you. Hold on, I'll ask." She scribbled out a message.

Rainbow's head lowered to the bed again. "Heh… I wonder how long it's been for them. Two months, just like us? Maybe even longer!"

The book buzzed, and Twilight began to read the new message. Her expression shifted to a mix of surprise and curiosity. "...Huh."

"Well? Lemmee see!" Rainbow swooped off the bed, grabbing the book and flying into the air in one smooth motion. Her eyes fell to the latest message: Yeah, she's with Pinkie. Those two are probably the cutest couple I've ever seen. Why? What's it like on your end?

Rainbow stopped and re-read the message, a confused frown beginning to dominate her expression. She glanced at the previous message to make sure Sunset was talking about Fluttershy, then re-read it again.

Twilight nodded to herself, deep in thought. "Now, that's interesting. That's a pretty big divergence."

Rainbow slowly closed the book, wordless.

Twilight noticed her expression. "Oh… um, is everything alright? I mean, it's not… well, I guess I can't really imagine what this must feel like to hear."

Rainbow nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm… I'm fine. I gotta get going. Gotta get things ready for tonight."

"Alright. I'll talk to Sunset some more." Twilight studied Rainbow's expression. "Don't think about it too much, alright? There's still a lot we don't know."

After a pause, Rainbow gritted her teeth and soared out the window with a flap of her wings.
> Chapter 2: Imagining
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow paced about her lounge area, teeth still gritted, babbling to herself. "Don't think about it, huh? Yeah, I'm great at that. I'm awesome at not thinking of stuff. Go me. Not Thinking Of Stuff Champion of the Year. Niggling thoughts? What are those? Never heard of 'em. I'm awesome at not thinking of stuff."

She looked out the window for the fifth time in as many minutes. The sun hung low in the sky, about to make contact with the horizon. 

She went back to pacing, a trail of scuffs starting to appear on the marble flooring. Her eyes were scattered and unfocused.

Looking out the window once again, she saw a yellow and pink form in the sky making its way towards Rainbow's front door. Everything else melted away, the focus returning to Rainbow's eyes. A smile spread over her face in the span of a second.

She flew out a nearby window and soared over. "Hey, Flutters!" Fluttershy smiled back and they met with a kiss. They held the moment for a while before gliding for the front door together.

Rainbow pushed open the door, letting Fluttershy in, then followed. She grinned. With the sweeping staircases and large statues, her foyer had to be the swankiest entrance area in Ponyville. They provided very good housing for weather ponies in Equestria.

"Angel's becoming so responsible!" Fluttershy said. "It won't be long before I could be gone for days at a time, and he'd make sure every animal was fed." She paused. "Um… but, of course, I wouldn't do that. That wouldn't be very nice to Angel."

Rainbow chuckled. "C'mon, let's go to the kitchen. I have a surprise for you." 

Fluttershy brightened. "Ooh! You have me intrigued, Rainbow Dash." She giggled and trotted along as they navigated through Rainbow's house.

"So does Angel get to feed himself, too? What perks does he get for this job of his?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh, yes. I let him take a bigger portion for helping me out." She paused, thinking. "Other than that... I think the job is its own reward, for him. I let him use his own judgment to handle misbehaving animals, and I think he likes getting to boss the other animals around… sometimes I think he, um, might be a bit harsh, but if I'm going to put him in charge, I have to trust him... "

"Well, if anyone can turn him into an actual contributing member of bunny society, it's you." Rainbow grinned, and Fluttershy smiled back. "Remember not to put up with any guff, though. If he starts being a jerk and making dumb excuses, just stamp your hoof and yell 'No!' And then give him that look. Not quite ‘The Stare’, but that judgmental look that's so much worse, somehow."

Fluttershy giggled. "He doesn't need that these days, but it's sweet that you're worried."

"So, yeah, the surprise!" Rainbow said. The kitchen was around the next corner. "I don't usually have very fancy food here, and I know that kinda blows sometimes..." Fluttershy grew giddier.

They turned the corner as Rainbow continued. "Now, it's not done, but I got…"

Fluttershy's gaze swept the kitchen. A pot of water was on a lit burner, not yet boiling, with a sealed package of pasta next to it. Three whole tomatoes sat on a cutting board on the counter opposite.

"...it… started," Rainbow finished. "Okay, I really thought I'd gotten farther. I got stuck on a few things, and... Yeah, this is embarrassing."

Fluttershy giggled. "It's still very sweet, Rainbow. Thank you." She nuzzled into Rainbow's neck. Rainbow extended one of her wings and pulled Fluttershy closer, unable to control her smile despite her embarrassment.

The sun finally touched the horizon and gradually sank below. Fluttershy helped Rainbow through the cooking process, boiling the pasta and crushing the tomatoes for a sauce. Fluttershy dug through Rainbow's shelves looking for ingredients to add flavor and dress it up, emerging with limited success. By the time they sat down in the lounge area to eat, the sky was a deep orange color.

"Sho whegn hhe msseshh—" Rainbow swallowed her mouthful. "So when he messes up really bad, what do you do?"

Fluttershy thought for a moment. "I don't let him mess up that badly, I suppose. I'm usually able to see when something he's doing is probably going to go wrong, like when he pulls out the wrong birdseed for the grackles. That never ends well."

"Aw, see, then Angel's never gonna learn!" Rainbow said. "Sometimes you gotta let the fire burn a little so you can see how to fix it for good."

Fluttershy chewed slowly, pondering. "...But then my cottage would be gone."

"No, I mean, metaphori—Wait, are you saying he's actually started fires?"

Fluttershy nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"Yeah, probably you'll want to stop those. But otherwise, you know, if you let things go wrong, then you can look at the mess left behind and have a really good idea how to make sure it never happens again. That's why I pretty much just jump into everything." She took another bite. "Mmakksh mme look mpretty dumm smmtimes, but heym!"

Fluttershy giggled. She took another bite, chewed softly, and washed it down with a sip of water. Rainbow looked at the food and nodded, swallowing. "Yeah, it's… it's definitely food," she said. Fluttershy giggled once more. "Shoot. I'm sorry, Fluttershy. Tell me again what all I should have for next time? I'll do better."

"It's okay, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "For next time… parmesan cheese is nice… herbs, like basil… garlic, if you want…" Rainbow resisted the urge to scrunch her face up. "Oh, and, if you want to make it look fancy, parsley sitting on top is always nice." She smiled.

Rainbow laughed. "Making it look better with no work? Count me in!" Fluttershy laughed as well.

Rainbow was down to her last few bites. "Well, even if salt is about the only thing in this that's not a tomato or starch… this was fun." She grinned. "I'll try to get a little more done on my own next time, though."

Fluttershy smiled brightly. "You know I'm always happy to help, Rainbow. I had a lot of fun too."

Rainbow finished up her meal, then walked towards the couch nearby. "Parmesan, basil, garlic, parsley… I'll write that down later. I'm pretty stuffed." She hopped on the couch and lay against the side, stretching herself out. "Ahhhhh… Anything you want to do now? Play a game?" 

Fluttershy took one more bite before wiping her mouth on a napkin and trotting over, a few mouthfuls remaining on the plate. She hopped up as well, laying with her back against Rainbow's chest. "I'm happy just being here," she said.

Rainbow wrapped her front hooves around Fluttershy, and Fluttershy closed her eyes, beaming. Her front legs tucked in over Rainbow's. "I'm happy you're here too, Flutters," Rainbow said quietly. "Thanks for… for suffering through these bad dates for me." She chuckled, but it was a humorless chuckle.

"Anytime, Rainbow," Fluttershy said.

Rainbow kissed Fluttershy's forehead and used one of her hooves to stroke Fluttershy's hair gently. "You know, I…" She paused. "I dunno. Maybe it's silly, but... I can't imagine my life without you anymore," she said.

Fluttershy shifted, tucking her head in on Rainbow's chest. "You don't have to," she whispered back.

The sky was dark at this point, and before long, Fluttershy was quietly sleeping. She was the picture of peaceful slumber.

Rainbow's eyes stayed open, staring at the ceiling.
> Chapter 3: Crossing Over
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, Rainbow's eyes remained open. The lines on the wall had long been thoroughly tallied in triplicate. Fluttershy snored softly.

Rainbow looked out the window at an empty night sky. A great many thoughts were swimming through her head. There was no clock visible from where she lay, so she could only stare at the sky and hope that it would start to grow lighter soon.

Her eyes fell on Fluttershy and she sighed. Gently, she wriggled out from beneath Fluttershy, taking the greatest of care not to disturb her. She placed a pillow for Fluttershy's head to rest on and draped a blanket over her.

Once she was sure that Fluttershy's sleep would continue uninterrupted, she quietly moved for a window and fell out, unfurling her wings near the ground and gliding away. She moved higher into the sky with a few powerful flaps, thankfully seeing a hint of light on the horizon. She soared around the borders of Ponyville, trying to kill some more time.

As soon as the sun broke the horizon, she made her way for Twilight's castle. She headed towards the bedroom window before rethinking it and soaring to the front door. After a moment's pause, she knocked.

A minute later, Twilight opened the door, magically supporting a cup of coffee. "Rainbow! This is early for you."

Rainbow opened her mouth to reply, but Twilight continued. "Or… hmm. You couldn't sleep, huh? I knew I shouldn't have let you leave before we talked it through a bit more. I'm sorry."

Rainbow scoffed lightly. "Yeah, well. Got time to talk about it now?"

"Of course!" Twilight moved back and let Rainbow in. They made their way up the stairs.

"So…" Twilight began. "Obviously I can tell you're not okay with what you've heard. But I don't actually know why. I don't want to make light of what you're feeling, but it's not a big deal. It's a whole other world, with different ponies. Er, not ponies. You know what I mean. It doesn't reflect on—"

"That's not what you said before. They're like us in every way. That's what you said." Rainbow's words were terse.

"Well, yes—" Twilight stuttered as they walked into her library. "Yes, they're the same as us, but it's still a different world. Environmental factors need to be considered here."

"'Environmental factors?' Since when does that matter? If you're—If you're supposed to be with someone, what does it matter what world you live in?" Rainbow paused, but continued as Twilight opened her mouth. "And don't tell me I shouldn't be believing in that stuff. The six of us were connected since we were fillies. That's how the world works."

Twilight raised her eyebrows, nodding. "That's actually a pretty good point. Look, I still don't know everything there is to know about how we relate to our alternate universe pairs, so I probably shouldn't keep speculating and making things more confusing. Sunset has a spare period before lunch, so she should start messaging me back then. Then we can continue comparing notes on each universe's counterpart. We can make some real progress if you're here with me."  

A rush of air escaped Rainbow's nose in exasperation. "I really don't want to have this whole conversation second-hand through some book. You guys write pretty fast, but that's still gonna take forever."

"Well, what would you suggest?" 

Rainbow looked to the corner of the room. 

Twilight followed her gaze, her eyes landing on the magical mirror. "Oh, come on."

"You think she's not gonna go for it?"

Twilight pursed her lips. "I'd like to say no, but she probably would freak out at the chance." She sighed, then looked to the side, thinking. "I'll send her a message so we can start talking about it. No promises."

Rainbow grinned as Twilight departed for her bedroom. "Awesome."





The sun was now wholly in the sky as Rainbow lay splayed out on her stomach on one of the round tables in the library, idly spinning a book on the wooden surface. She looked to the vast shelves around the room, adorned with hundreds of novels and textbooks. "You think she's really read all of these? Or do you think she just kinda pretends? Like a… literary poser."

"Mmmrmglglrgmm." Spike lay on another table, also on his stomach, his arms at his side and wearing a small blue robe. A steaming cup of coffee sat beside him.

"Yup. Mornings. I hear that." Rainbow spun her book again.

Twilight trotted into the room, her journal magically floating at her side. "Alright, so, she'll be waiting for us right on the other side of the portal. She'll take us up to an empty classroom to talk, and then we'll be gone before lunch period starts. Hopefully. We're already later than I'd like."

Rainbow frowned. "Wait, she can't just come through to here?"

"Oh, no, she… she's not really ready for that. Not for something so casual, anyway."

Rainbow hesitated, then nodded with resignation. "Yeah, alright." She looked to the mirror. "Um… does it hurt?"

"It gets pretty uncomfortable, but I wouldn't say it hurts. Having second thoughts?"

Rainbow shook her head.

"Why is this so important? You seem focused on something, but you're not letting me in on it."

Rainbow avoided Twilight's gaze, trying to contain her impatience. "I just… there's something I need to know."

Twilight craned her head forward and raised her eyebrows pointedly. "You need to know what, exactly? What is it about Fluttershy being with Pinkie in particular you need to know more about?"

Rainbow didn't want to answer, but Twilight wasn't giving in. "I need to know more than what you know, apparently. Let's just leave it at that."

Twilight glared at Rainbow, then sighed. "Listen. You have to be seen as little as possible. No more than necessary. That goes for both of us. Yes, everyone over there knows there's something weird and magical about that group of seven—and they're managing to take it awfully well—but I still don't want to have to explain a 'double Rainbow' situation."

"Yeah, sure. Ready?" Rainbow focused on the mirror.

"Hey! This is important, alright?"

"I got it! I'll follow your lead. It'll be fine. Ready?"

Twilight gave a small exasperated huff. She exhaled and used her magic to place her journal in its slot at the top of the machine. Immediately, a powerful glow formed on the symbol of a sun modeled after Celestia's cutie mark—a glow that soon lifted off and split into magical tendrils that connected the book to the two coils flanking it. Though Twilight had seen this process multiple times by now, it was only the second time for Rainbow. She stared with some awe.

The magic crept along the rest of the machine, activating various lights and turning on various mechanisms. Finally, it gathered into a great ball of light and, with a snap, flickered out and transformed the mirror's glass into a swirling portal of pink and white light. 

Twilight grinned. "That never gets old." She walked towards the portal. "You coming?" 

Rainbow swallowed and lowered her head. She charged forward, nearly knocking Twilight over, and leapt into the portal. Twilight's exclamation of "Woah, careful!" briefly entered her ears, but faded away as a paradoxical mix of intense wind and absolutely nothing dominated her hearing. She felt stretching, pulling, a whole lot of spinning, and saw only bright lights—and then, nothing. 

She realized her eyes were closed. She opened them, finding herself lying on concrete, some very unfamiliar limbs attached to her body. Lifting her head slightly, she stared wide-eyed at her appendages, finding a pink striped skirt and thick boots on her person.

"Hey!" A voice came from beside her. She looked up to see a two-legged being with brilliant red and yellow hair—the same hair she'd seen once long ago in the Crystal Empire—bent over and extending a hand towards her. 

"I'm going to guess you're Rainbow Dash." Sunset Shimmer smiled. "Welcome to Canterlot High."
> Chapter 4: Running
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rainbow took Sunset's hand and let herself be pulled up, knees wobbling. "Woah!" Her every instinct told her to drop back to the ground.

"Yeah, it'll take a bit," Sunset said, adjusting the straps of her backpack. "Basically, you have to learn to trust that you can balance on two legs now. It'll take time, but that's basically it." Sunset held her hand gently. "Huh. Same clothing and everything…"

With a flash, Twilight came out of the base of the statue behind them. "Rainbow, you can't just toss other ponies around like that! The last thing we need is to damage the mechanism and turn it off when you're halfway through, or send you somewhere else, or… all sorts of things! Be more careful!" She ducked as one of Rainbow's flailing arms flung out towards her. "I wanted to come through first so I could help you with this whole 'upright walking' thing, but… I see you're moving forward on that." She looked Rainbow up and down. "Huh. Same clothing and everything."

Rainbow's feet were planted far apart from each other, putting her in an awkward squatting position. "You said we don't have a lot of time. Can we just—" She started shuffling towards the school entrance in a slow crab walk.

Sunset snorted, lifting Rainbow up by her arm and tucking herself under it, supporting her weight. Twilight did the same with her other arm and they moved for the entrance, Twilight attempting to offer advice. "Okay, that's it… You've only got one foot to support yourself at a time while you're walking now, so remember that. Alright, stairs! Just—Lift one foot, and—There you go…"

A buff student in a football jacket jogged up the stairs next to them. "Ha! Rainbow took a nasty spill, huh? Nice." He went through the door in front of them, throwing it open enough for Sunset to catch it. 

Sunset chuckled. "Thanks," she called after him. The trio made it through the doorway and into the lobby. "Alright, the classroom I'm aiming for is on the second floor, so…"

"More stairs! Awesome," Rainbow said, as they lurched towards the stairway. She broke away from the helping hands of Twilight and Sunset and stepped onto the stairs on her own, clinging to the handrail for support. By the next landing, she was relatively steady.

"It's two doors down on the right. 216," Sunset said as the trio reached the top. This hallway was thankfully empty. They followed Sunset's directions and moved into the classroom. Rainbow leaned against the teacher's desk within while Twilight inspected one of numerous counters in the room, each with a sink and a gas nozzle. "Ooh! Fancy. I don't think I've been in here before."

Sunset closed the door behind them and set her backpack in the corner of the room. "So! We should be all clear. There's a big field trip today, so this lab's empty at least for this period." She leaned back against a counter and folded her arms. "So let's get this started, then. What did you want to know?"

Rainbow slid herself back until she was solidly sitting on the teacher's desk. She breathed out. "Tell me about the other me. The other Rainbow Dash."

Sunset nodded. "She's brash, independant, brave… She's loyal to her friends, and isn't afraid to get in anyone's face, especially if they're messing with her friends. She loves to be the hero, which results in both that protective nature as well as making her super-competitive. More often than not, though, she really does manage to be the hero." She paused, thinking. "What else… If you prove you're not a quitter and can take some ribbing, she'll be a fast friend, but if you start showing her up or ignoring her, she can get a little cold. Well, not cold. More like hot, actually." Sunset chuckled.

Rainbow stared into the corner of the room, mimicking Sunset's pose and crossing her arms. Her jaw was set. 

Sunset studied her expression for a bit. "I'm not sure what more I can tell you. Can you be more specific? What exactly about her did you want to know?"

Rainbow's eyes met Sunset's. "Where was she when this thing between Fluttershy and Pinkie started?"

Twilight cast an awkward glance towards Sunset. Sunset exhaled. "Ah-ha. Well, uh… I mean, I dunno. Fluttershy and Pinkie were just spending more and more time together and then, one day, Pinkie passed me in the halls and said 'I have a date with Fluttershyyyyy!' and kept going. That's how she told all of us. Basically everyone in the whole school, actually." She paused awkwardly. "Was it any different for you and Fluttershy?"

Rainbow clenched her teeth. "Not really," she mumbled.

"Okay. Well… our Rainbow didn't seem to react with anything but genuine happiness. I'm pretty sure I saw her hugging both of them and talking about how awesome it was. I mean, I didn't talk to her in-depth about it or anything, so… it's possible she wasn't as happy as she acted? I honestly don't know, but she seemed perfectly fine."

Rainbow uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the edge of the desk on either side of her. Her knuckles turned white as she squeezed.

Twilight's expression was a mix of concern and frustration. "Rainbow… there's nothing wrong with this. If everyone on this side of the mirror is happy, then there's nothing to be done. Is the problem that you're 'losing'? You didn't win Fluttershy in every universe, so that makes you a failure?" She opened her mouth to continue but stopped, her hand going to her forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm not a psychologist. I shouldn't be trying to guess at this." She looked to the ceiling, her hand falling to her side again. "I'm just… I know there's something going on, but it's frustrating that you won't tell me. I can't help you until you talk to me."

Rainbow stared back at Twilight for a moment, then sighed and nodded. She opened her mouth to speak before being cut off by the school bell ringing.

"Woops." Sunset looked up. "Guess we spent a bit longer than I thought setting this up."

"No, no, no!" Twilight said as the noise in the hall grew with the bustle of students. "Gah! We won't be able to leave until lunch is over!" She slumped back onto the counter behind her.

"Well, we'll just have to wait it out. Luckily, I came prepared." Sunset picked up her backpack and opened it up. She took out a sandwich covered in plastic and unwrapped it, dropping the bag. She leaned against the wall and took a bite. "So, read any good books lately?"

Twilight squinted at Sunset for a moment before resignedly answering. "Of course I have."

Rainbow stayed seated on the desk, thinking over what Sunset and Twilight had told her, and watched them idly compare experiences they'd had with their own Rarity or Applejack and chat about what they'd read recently. She lay back, staring at the ceiling tiles.

Several minutes passed. Rainbow stood up off the desk and wandered over to the window and glanced out over the courtyard, seeing various students milling around between the school's entrance and the statue she and Twilight had emerged from. Some students had familiar hair and features, while others were total strangers.

Suddenly, she stopped, her eyes locked on a figure with distinctive rainbow-colored hair and the same clothing she herself had on. She was dribbling a soccer ball back and forth across the grass near the statue. 

"What's up, Rainbow? Recognize someone?" Twilight said from the other end of the room.

The other Rainbow Dash dribbled her ball around the corner of the school and out of sight. "Uh… maybe. Out of curiosity, how many of these guys can you recognize?"

Twilight and Sunset both walked over and peered through the window. "Mmmm…" Twilight squinted. "Ooh! I've seen her around. Usually carrying that cello. Oh, and she's a big-time fashion photographer. Fluttershy and Rarity have worked with her."

"Seriously? That's awesome!" Sunset said. "I wonder what she would say if we told her she already achieved her dreams in another world?"

Twilight laughed before continuing to scan. "I've seen her around, I think… oh, and that's Lyra Heartstrings beside her! I was friends with her in Canterlot!"

Rainbow inched back gradually as Twilight and Sunset were focused on the courtyard. Once out of their peripheral vision, she turned around and headed for the door. 

"Oh, and there's Sweetie Belle and Rarity. Mmm… I think that's it. Anyone I missed, Rainbow?"

Sunset was turned around, eyes wide. "Uh… Twilight?"

Twilight turned around and made a strange choking sound. The classroom door was wide open.   

"Oh, no, no…" Twilight sprinted to the door and looked both ways down the hall, seeing only miscellaneous students "...no, no, no, no, no!" Sunset appeared next to her, appearing equally fearful.

Twilight clutched her head. "What do we do now?"
> Chapter 5: Burning
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A blur of unfamiliar faces raced past Rainbow Dash as she hurried down the hallway. Her footing was still uncertain, but she otherwise gave an appearance of normality.

"Hi, Rainbow Dash!" came an unfamiliar voice. "Sup, Rainbow?" came another. Rainbow turned around as she walked, seeing smiling faces but no one she recognized. "Uh, hey... guys! Keep it, um, real."

"...Rainbow Dash?" Now, that voice was familiar. Rainbow faced forward again to see an orange-skinned girl with a denim skirt and stared at the extremely familiar cowboy hat atop her head.

"Sugarcube, I know you're fast and all, but not that fast," Applejack said. "I just saw you in the..." She took a few steps back and looked through a window towards the ground below. She never finished her sentence, looking from the window to Rainbow with wide eyes, almost fearful.

Rainbow stepped towards the window as Applejack hurriedly moved out of her way. The other Rainbow was back in view near the statue, dribbling her soccer ball in circles.

Rainbow gritted her teeth, her hands tightening into fists. She looked around, finding stairs further ahead. She began to make her way towards them.

"...You're not our Rainbow Dash, are you?" Applejack said from behind her. Rainbow paused at the top of the stairs, already one step down. "I don't know what's goin' on, but you don't look too happy. Whatever this is about, I'm sure there's some kinda misunderstandin'. She's one of my best friends—I know she didn't mean any harm."

Rainbow's expression softened. She stood with one hand on the handrail, thinking.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Twilight emerging from around a nearby corner. Rainbow winced and prepared for the stern reprimanding.

"Oh! Hi, Rainbow! Not practicing today?" Twilight smiled brightly with a hint of shyness. Rainbow blinked and took a closer look; Twilight was wearing thick-rimmed glasses and a more traditional plaid school uniform.

Rainbow breathed out. "Hey, uh, Twilight. Yeah, I was just... um, I gotta—"

Her breath caught in her throat as a familiar pair of eyes trailed behind Twilight. She knew in an instant, without any words, that Fluttershy stood before her. She held a purple dog in her arms.

"R-Rainbow?" said Fluttershy quietly, wide-eyed. Twilight looked at Fluttershy in confusion, before her own eyes started to widen, her gaze moving back to Rainbow.

It was the same voice Rainbow had heard a thousand times before, down to the last quiet syllable. She stood transfixed, staring into Fluttershy's green eyes. There was no doubt in her mind; she saw the same soul, the same life she knew so intimately. She saw their whole history in Fluttershy's eyes—and she felt without question that for everything she felt for Fluttershy, Fluttershy looked at her in the same way.

After a moment longer, Rainbow's nostrils flared and she started down the stairs.

Ignoring the calls from the girls behind her, she rushed as best as she could, shoving other students aside and attempting to keep her balance using the railing. She fell down near the bottom but quickly rolled onto her side and leapt back to her feet. She sprinted through the exit doors, tossing a student aside and sending her books flying.

She stood on the steps just past the doors. "Rainbow!" she snarled across the courtyard.

The courtyard went silent as dozens of confused students looked towards her, then at the shocked Rainbow Dash at the other end. Murmuring started up as one Rainbow staggered down the steps towards the other.

The Rainbow of the human world stood her ground, tense, confused. After a moment's thought, she blinked in realization. "Wait, you're—the other me, aren't you! From—" She stopped herself, looking at the students around them, all eyes on the spectacle. "Look, this is cool and all, but don't you think maybe we shouldn't be—"

"So where were you? Huh?" Rainbow continued to advance towards her doppelganger. "Where were you when she needed you?"

"What? When who needed me? What the heck are you talking about?"

Rainbow took a final step towards her twin and gave her a hard shove. "Tell me how you screwed it up, Rainbow. Tell me what you did to drive Fluttershy away."

"Hey!" Rainbow staggered backwards further onto the grass. "What is your problem? What does this have to do with Fluttershy?"

"You're not good enough for her, are you? Tell. Me. Why." She took another step. "Are you just blind? Are you running from her?"

"I don't know what you think I'm doing wrong here, but Fluttershy's one of my best friends. Don't tell me I don't care about her. She's one of the most important people in my life." Rainbow looked her aggressive twin up and down nervously, her hands balled into fists.

Rainbow ground her teeth together. "Not nearly as important as she should be."

"What, am I not up to your standards? I'm just doing life wrong, and you're here to set me straight? Is that it!? Who are you to tell me I'm not good enough!?" This world's Rainbow moved forward to shove the Equestrian Rainbow back, who responded by grabbing at her arms and pushing forward. The pair of them stumbled over the soccer ball and fell to the ground. One Rainbow landed on top of the other as the murmuring in the crowd around them grew into shouting.

Putting all her weight on her arm and clumsily pinning her double, Rainbow spat her words with fury in her eyes. "Tell me! Tell me what you did! Tell me what you did to lose her!"

"Get off of her!" Twilight's voice came from behind her. A pair of purple arms interlinked with hers and yanked her off her twin, who quickly rose to her feet, angry and breathing heavily. Rainbow tried to fight Twilight off, but still didn't have the dexterity to do much but flail her arms ineffectually. "Calm down! Have you gone insane!?" This one was the Twilight she knew.

Sunset rushed to the human world's Rainbow with Applejack close behind her. "Are you okay? Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what got into her. I wouldn't have brought her here if I thought she was going to be like this. I'll explain everything later." She turned to Applejack. "Right now, we need to get this crowd to… stop being a crowd." More students had piled out of the school, creating a veritable mass audience for the day's events.

As Applejack and Sunset tried to break up the crowd and send them away, the Equestrian Rainbow began to relax as her adrenaline faded. She slumped slightly in Twilight's arms, swallowing, then called out after the other Rainbow, who was brushing herself off and picking up her soccer ball. "Hey."

The other Rainbow turned to face her, glaring. "What?" she snapped.

"Are..." Rainbow stood up straight, and Twilight hesitantly released her grip, moving to her side in case she needed to intercept. "...Are you happy?"

"I was doing pretty well until my psychotic twin started attacking me, yeah!"

"...Never mind," Rainbow said. She headed towards the statue, her twin heading off around the corner of the school.

Twilight jogged after Rainbow, and spoke coldly. "Don't—We can't go through right now. Wait for the crowd to leave, at least. We've got enough to explain as it is."

Rainbow obliged even as she avoided eye contact. She leaned against the corner of the statue and slid down until she was sitting on the ground. Twilight mimicked her, sitting against the corner on the other side of the portal, clutching her forehead.

Rainbow looked up at the second-floor windows; the lines of students peering down at her slowly started to trickle off. In one, she saw Fluttershy and Twilight. Fluttershy was still holding what she figured must be this world's Spike and gazing at her with sad, concerned eyes. Rainbow inhaled, feeling as if she was choking for a moment as Fluttershy slowly moved away from the window. This world's Twilight hesitated before following.

It grew quieter. The murmurs began to die out, the loudest sound being Sunset and Applejack offering various made-up explanations to the students.

"Every day..." Rainbow said. Twilight looked towards her, glaring. "Every day, I'm afraid that I could lose her. That she'll figure out what a piece of trash I am. That she'll realize she'd be happier without me."

Twilight said nothing, her expression softening.

"Some days, the only thing that gets me through it is the thought that it's just meant to be—that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are supposed to be together. I have to believe that. I want to believe that.

"But... this is proof that that's not true. This world proves that I could lose her at any moment. This Rainbow and this Fluttershy never even came close."

Rainbow's voice cracked as she wiped her eye with the base of her hand. "I just wanted to know what I needed to do to fix that. That's why I wanted to come here. I'm... I'm sorry, Twilight. I should have told you. And you shouldn't have let me."

Twilight stared at her for a long while, no more anger in her expression.

Finally, Twilight spoke. "And it really never occurred to you that maybe you're looking in the wrong direction?"

Rainbow looked back at her, confused.

Twilight looked at the courtyard and saw that most of the students were gone. Lunchtime was almost ended. "Come on. We can go through now." She took one last look around and crawled into the shimmering side of the statue.

Rainbow sat for a moment longer, thinking. She looked up to the second-floor windows again and saw them empty. With a heavy sigh, she shifted over and moved into the portal.

Another bout of flashing lights, roaring wind and squishing, and she was thankfully back on four legs. She wandered over to a nearby table and slumped her head onto it.

"Spike? Spiiiiike!" Twilight looked around. "Where did he get to now? I don't think he's got any shopping to do..."

Rainbow's eyes settled on a piece of paper in front of her. "I think there's a note here, Twilight," she said, tired.

Twilight looked over and levitated the note towards herself, smiling softly. "Oh, how I've missed you, magic. 'Me and Fluttershy have gone to the human world to find you two, 'cause Fluttershy has questions! Here's a note in case we totally miss you.'" She paused, frowning. "They went to the human world...?"

Rainbow frowned as well, and slowly raised her head off the table. She thought back, her mind racing. A sense of shock overtook her.

"That was her," she said, her eyes moving rapidly. "That wasn't the other Fluttershy. That was her." She turned around and headed for the portal again. "I have to go back. I have to—"

"If they went to the human world, then that means this has been used six times in..." Twilight looked to the top of the machine. "Woah!"

Rainbow stopped in her tracks as Twilight's horn flared and the portal turned back into a normal mirror with a loud crackle. "Hey, no, no, you can't—What did you do!?"

Twilight held the journal aloft, wisps of smoke coming off of it. "I was afraid of this. This thing can't take that much use, Rainbow. We can't lose this journal. Without it, I've got no other way of reaching or even contacting that side." She waved it in the air, blowing on the singed corners. 

"So, what, you're just going to leave her stranded over there!? She could be trying to get back right now! She saw me! She knew it was me!"

Twilight pursed her lips. "I can put it back and keep the machine in dormant mode, so it'll only turn on when it sees that someone's trying to come through. But I can't let you use it yourself, Rainbow. If we lose this, I'd have to go talk to Celestia and see if she has some way of making a new one connected to Sunset's. And I don't even know if that's possible." She gingerly placed the warm book atop the machine. "You know, I told Spike to put it in dormant mode when I went through. I knew I should have made sure he was awake. No wonder it's overheated."

Rainbow nodded. "Right. I'll... I'll wait." She sat down a few feet in front of the mirror.

Twilight sighed softly. She walked over to Rainbow and nuzzled into the side of her neck before beginning to walk out of the room.

Twilight paused. "Rainbow... like I was saying earlier, just remember that there doesn't have to be something wrong with that Rainbow. Maybe she's different, maybe she's not... but she's not the only factor, here." She continued, departing the library.

Rainbow's eyes fell to the ground. She thought for a few minutes in the empty, silent library.

"This isn't about me at all," she said finally. "...Either of me."
> Chapter 6: Socializing
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes, a soft smile on her face. She peered out the window of Rainbow's home, seeing the bright sun a fair distance above the horizon.

She shifted, feeling only a blanket covering her. She looked around, then bolted up, her eyes rapidly scanning the room. Unfurling her wings, she sailed through the adjoining rooms, searching the house.

She landed back in the lounge and sat on the ground, trembling for a brief moment before composing herself. She looked outside once more and launched through the patio door, sailing towards Ponyville proper.

Fluttershy circled the town once, looking in every direction for the telltale multi-coloured mane. When she found nothing, she swooped in closer, checking the ground level. A few early risers waved to her, and she waved back. 

Finding nothing, she flew to Twilight's castle and knocked on the front door. After a few moments, Spike opened it up, clad in a blue robe and carrying a cup of coffee. He rubbed one eye with a fist. "Mmn. Hey, Fluttershy!"

Fluttershy smiled. "Hello, Spike. That's a very cute robe."

Spike deflated a touch. "S'posed to be debonair…" he said quietly. "Anyway, what's up? Twilight's not around. She went to the human world with Rainbow for… something."

"Well, I was just wondering if she'd…" Fluttershy's eyes widened with a snap. "D-did you say with Rainbow!?"

"Yup. Not that long ago. I think, like… that world's Fluttershy is with that world's Pinkie Pie, and I guess Rainbow Dash wanted to go there and talk to someone, for some reason… I dunno. I was kinda zonked out." Spike was moving his hands around to demonstrate the various interpersonal connections, spilling coffee on the floor.

Fluttershy blinked, absorbing the information. "...The other Fluttershy is in a relationship with Pinkie? That's…" A small smile started to form on her face, but it quickly faded. "Oh, goodness, Rainbow… oh, Rainbow. I need to talk to her before… Oh, I don't know what might happen!" 

"Well, you could always have your own adventures in humanland." Spike took a sip of his coffee.

Fluttershy looked at the ground, thinking, then nodded intently. "I'll do it. This can't wait." She moved past Spike and began walking up the stairs.

"Woah, really? I'll come with you!" Spike said, following behind. "You'll need someone to teach you how to walk on two legs, and I do that all the time!"

"Two legs…?" Fluttershy said quietly. She swallowed.

The pair made their way to the library and stood in front of the portal, still sparkling with magic. Spike scribbled out a note, chugged the last of his coffee and tossed his robe to his side. “It's fun, don't worry about it. It's also really weird, but focus on the fun part!” He ran for the portal and jumped. “Come through when you’re ready!” he said just before his form disappeared into the swirls of light.

Fluttershy stared wide-eyed, then looked around the now-empty room. “Well… here goes… nothing…” She closed her eyes and ran through, yelping as wind rushed all around her and a blinding light filled her vision despite her closed eyes; at the moment, she wasn’t sure she even had eyelids. A sense of terror and regret overtook her.

As suddenly as it started, the wind simmered down to a gentle breeze. She heard the chirping of birds and started to relax.

She heard Spike’s voice. “Awesome! So, two legs isn’t that hard. The first step is to just…”

Fluttershy opened her eyes to see that the words emanated from a purple dog with green fur atop his head. He balanced on his back two legs, wobbling back and forth for a moment before falling forward back on all fours.

An awkward silence passed between them.

“Gonna be honest here,” he said, tight-lipped. “I have had better-thought-out plans than this one.”

"Spike…? Spike!" A voice rang out that Fluttershy recognized to be Twilight's immediately. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at the groomer's!"

Fluttershy turned around, standing on all fours. "Twilight! Is that you? I'm so glad I found you!" She wobbled. She sensed something about her position was off, but her mind was more focused on Twilight's appearance, standing in front of her with a proper-looking school uniform and carrying a schoolbag over her shoulder. "Goodness… you look so different in this world. Your hair's done up, and you have… glasses?" She frowned. Twilight stared at Fluttershy, then at Spike, her eyes growing wide. 

Spike nodded. "Yup. Other Spike here. How've you been?" He motioned at Fluttershy with a paw. "And this is the other Fluttershy! Fluttershy, Twilight. Twilight, Fluttershy."

Fluttershy took a few moments to process the information. "So.. you're not the Twilight I know? Oh! I'm… I'm sorry. How rude of me! ...I think." Her face twisted up.

Twilight blinked. "Um… don't worry about it…!" She hesitated before reaching a hand out. "For now, let's just get you on your feet. Of course, I guess you don't have those back home, huh? Feet."

Fluttershy took Twilight's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. For the first time, she took a good look at her new form, seeing a large green skirt and a white tank top. She lifted one leg out, getting a glimpse of a large green boot before she began to shake, her stance uneasy, and she placed her leg back on the ground. "No…" she finally replied. "No, this is all quite new to me…"

"Here, let's…" Twilight brought Fluttershy over to the side of the statue she had emerged from, letting her lean on it and figure out her balance. "What brings you two over here?"

"Well… I heard Twilight and Rainbow Dash had come over here, and I need to… I wanted to find them." Fluttershy looked at the ground for a moment, but then met Twilight's eyes. "Have you seen them?"

Twilight shook her head, and looked towards the school. "No, but I haven't been here at all today. I transferred here at a pretty weird time, so I only have a few credits left to finish—which means I don't have many classes." She smiled. "But I always come here for lunch to see my friends."

"Lunch?" Fluttershy said. It was at that moment that the school bell rang. 

Twilight chuckled. "Lunch. I guess we should get you inside? Normally I'd say we need to keep you hidden so no one sees double—or, at least, that's what the other Twilight decided and it seems like a good idea to me—But! Luckily, I'm pretty sure our Fluttershy is still at home with a cold. We can just say you got better." She smiled. "So, um…" She awkwardly offered her arm for Fluttershy to hold on to.  

Fluttershy smiled back and gently grabbed hold. Twilight slowly led her to the school's entrance and guided her up the stairs. The school became more alive as they approached, students rushing to and fro on the way to their lockers and to the lunchroom.

Fluttershy looked down at Spike, who walked beside her. "Um… are dogs allowed in here…?" 

Twilight giggled softly. "Principal Celestia made an exception for me and my Spike... kind of bending the 'service dogs' rules. As long as he's away when it's actually class time." She opened the front entrance door and the group walked in. 

"Hi, Fluttershy! Feeling better?" one unfamiliar student said as she passed. 

Fluttershy was caught off-guard. "Oh! Um, yes, thank you! Hello! B-bye. Thank you!"

"Heyy, Spike!" Another student said, bending down to Spike a scratch under the chin. "Who's a good boy? Whosagoodboy?" Spike replied with a bark and wagged his tail.

The sound of the bark drew many more eyes towards them, and more students approached to pet Spike or greet the girls. "Wow, there's… a lot of students here…" Fluttershy said, swallowing nervously. 

Twilight looked sidelong at Fluttershy's expression and studied it for a moment. "Do you want to go meet the others? They should be in the lunchroom now. Maybe they've seen the other Twilight or Rainbow." 

Fluttershy's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, goodness, um, I do, but… in this new body, and this new place, and the new versions of my friends, I… um..." Her eyes darted around the room.

"Alright. Spike! C'mon, boy!" Twilight guided Fluttershy towards the stairs. Spike followed, pulling himself out from underneath the mass of hands and eliciting a few good-natured cries of 'Awww!' The group traveled up the stairs, Fluttershy slowly growing more confident with her footing.

At the top of the stairs, Twilight lead the group forwards down a hallway and around the corner of a T-intersection. One direction stretched far into the distance, but the direction Twilight brought the group down only had a few lockers' worth of space before ending in another stairwell. This area was quiet, with only a few students remaining in sight. 

"Just a little spot I found for when I need a second to myself. We can spend some time here and go searching again once it's calmed down a little," Twilight said, smiling. She let Fluttershy lean on the wall before slipping out from under her arm. She opened up her schoolbag and pulled out a plastic bag of nuts. "My snack of choice. Hungry?" she said, offering Fluttershy the open bag. "It'll be good practice for these crazy things we call fingers." She grinned.

Fluttershy smiled back. "You're very kind. But I guess I should have known that, huh?" They both giggled. 

Fluttershy took a long look at her hand before reaching into the bag and clumsily grasping a few nuts. She lifted them about an inch before all but one tumbled to the floor. "Oop!" Twilight laughed, causing Fluttershy to laugh as well.

Spike scurried about, eating the fallen nuts off the floor. "Five-second rule! ...Of course, with dogs, I think that's more like five days. Or years. Either way." He crunched down on the last nut.

Fluttershy blinked. "You really get into the spirit, huh?"

Twilight giggled. "You have no idea." She reached into her bag. "Speaking of which, I think I still have a few extras…"

Spike's ears perked up. "Ooh! Is it the bacon-flavored stuff again?"

Twilight pulled out a bag of bone-shaped dog treats. "Nope! Just normal stuff."

"Booo," Spike grumbled. "Well, c'mon. Gimmee!" He grinned and stuck his tongue out, panting. He looked at Fluttershy. "Hey, they're pretty good! Don't knock it 'till you've tried it."

Twilight smirked. "Y'know, my Spike actually does tricks and works for them." She tossed a treat towards him anyway. "You're lucky you're so cute."

Spike eagerly caught and ate the treat, then haphazardly rolled around on the floor. "I'm willing to give it a shot! I'll just do stuff I've seen Winona do."

Twilight laughed and tossed him another treat before leaning against the wall and slinking down to the ground. Fluttershy did the same, sitting beside her. For a time, they sat silently, with only the sounds of Twilight giggling as Spike made more clumsy attempts at tricks. Fluttershy alternated sets of fingers attempting to pick nuts out of the bag.

Twilight tossed one more treat to Spike before looking over at Fluttershy. "Do you want to start looking again?" 

"Um… maybe just a little bit longer," Fluttershy replied.

Twilight frowned slightly. After a moment, she spoke. "I'm sorry. About earlier."

"Hmm?" Fluttershy said. She pressed her fingers too tightly and shot a nut across the hallway. "Oop."

"I mean for thrusting you into a big new environment like that. I should have known to ease you into it."

"Oh, that's perfectly alright." Fluttershy smiled brightly. "I know it must be confusing, trying to remember to treat me like the Fluttershy you know… but as if she didn't already know these students, and this place."

Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it. "...Yeah. Right."

Fluttershy cocked her head. "What is it?" 

Twilight stuttered for a moment. "It's… Well, it's not just that. The Fluttershy I know probably, uh… she would have… hmmm." 

Fluttershy stayed silent, waiting patiently.

"It's just… ever since she and Pinkie got together, she's been, well… really good at meeting new people. She can't keep it up forever, but she's way better than she used to be. And since she and Pinkie got together shortly after I showed up, that's the Fluttershy I've mostly known."

Fluttershy stared through Twilight. "...Huh," she said quietly.

"...But I don't know you, or what you've been through. I'm sorry for assuming. And…" Twilight slapped her forehead with her hand. "Ergh! I sound so dumb right now. I don't mean to talk about how much your counterpart is—I mean—nngh!" She grasped her hair and tucked her head in between her legs, covering herself with her arms.

"...I-it's okay," Fluttershy said. She stayed silent for a moment before continuing. "I can tell you more about myself, if you'd like." She forced out a smile.

Twilight peeked at Fluttershy from beneath her arms, then relaxed. "I'd like that."

Fluttershy breathed out. "Well… to start, though I love Pinkie Pie very much, we're not anything more than friends on my side. But—"

"Hey! There's Applejack!" Spike interrupted, looking down the hallway the group had come through. 

"Oh! The gang must be done their lunch. Do you want to go meet her? One-on-one?" Twilight said.

Fluttershy nodded. "That sounds good."

Twilight stood up and rushed ahead to make sure Applejack didn't get away. Spike walked over to Fluttershy. "The teachers are okay with me being here, but they'd still rather I was being carried and stuff. Pick me up?"

Fluttershy opened her arms, letting Spike leap in, and stood up to walk down the hall after Twilight. She smiled. "Finally something that feels familiar... Carrying a small animal."

"Thought it might help," Spike said, looking up at her. Fluttershy felt his tail wag. "This place can be pretty scary, but everyone's pretty nice. And you got me! I know I'm furrier than normal, but it's still the same soothing voice." He grinned.

Fluttershy giggled. "Thank you, Spike."

"Oh! Hi, Rainbow! Not practicing today?" Twilight's voice came from just around the corner in front of them. 

Fluttershy froze.

Spike perked up. "Wonder which Rainbow it is. Are you gonna be able to tell?"

Fluttershy hurried forward and walked around the corner. Her eyes met Rainbow's, standing at the top of the stairwell, and Rainbow stopped in mid-sentence. Fluttershy saw only familiarity in Rainbow's eyes; only the same pony she knew. Though she had never met the other Rainbow, she couldn't possibly fathom how she could see so much history in any being she didn't know so intimately.  

"R-Rainbow?" Fluttershy said quietly. Twilight turned to her, confused, but realization spread across her face as she turned back to Rainbow.

Rainbow stared at Fluttershy. Fluttershy stood paralyzed, not certain what was going to happen next. 

Finally, Rainbow gritted her teeth, clenched her hands, and shot down the stairwell. "Rainbow! Rainbow!" Twilight called after her.

When Rainbow made no move to return, Twilight's hand flew to her forehead. "I—I totally blanked! I'm so sorry! I forgot that you were looking for Rainbow, and I didn't even consider that could be…" She paused. "...Why didn't you stop her?"

Fluttershy said nothing, watching as Rainbow disappeared down the stairs at a full sprint. She had a deep and sad frown.

Suddenly, another student looking much like Twilight came running through. "Hey, have you guys seen—" Her familiar voice was cut off as her eyes fell on her twin. "Woah! Aah!" She tried to cover her face and looked around wildly. She spotted a student looking confusedly between the two of them. "Uhh, twin sister! You're seeing things! Weather balloon!" She ran down the stairs, still yelling excuses.

The student that Fluttershy figured must be Applejack began to speak. "This is one of those weird days, isn't it?" she said in her familiar country drawl.

Behind Applejack was a long row of windows. Though all of them were closed, the group of them heard an angry cry pierce through: "Rainbow!"  

Applejack moved to the window and peered down. "Hoo, nelly… I think I'd better get down there." She moved to the stairwell and started to descend. Fluttershy and Twilight walked up to the window to see one Rainbow angrily stomping over to the other—within moments, they were tangled up in a shoving match. 

"What's gotten into her!?" Twilight said. She turned to Fluttershy—Spike had on a look of alarm, but Fluttershy showed no surprise. 

As the other Twilight ran to Rainbow and pulled her off, this world's Twilight clutched her head. "This is insane. Shouldn't you go down there? I know it's scary, but if you can talk to her—"

"I'm not scared," Fluttershy said quietly. "I'm just letting things go wrong." Twilight blinked, confused.

The situation finally started to de-escalate. Sunset and Applejack were speaking to the crowd as the pony Twilight and Rainbow sat down against the statue on both sides of the portal. Twilight stared ahead angrily, while Rainbow's eyes traveled upwards to the second-floor windows. They met Fluttershy's eyes once again. For a moment, Fluttershy just looked back at her.   

Fluttershy moved away from the window, still carrying Spike, who only looked lost. Twilight followed. "She's who you're with on the other side, isn't she? Instead of Pinkie." She moved back briefly to peek out the window. "What do you want to do now? You found them. Isn't that what you wanted?"

"I could go to her and tell her that she doesn't need to worry," Fluttershy said, without turning around. "That it doesn't matter what any other Fluttershy would do. That it only matters what I would do, and I would never think she wasn't good enough. But… I know that wouldn't be enough." 

She turned to face Twilight. "I want to talk to Fluttershy," she said. "The other Fluttershy. I need… I need to learn more."

Twilight stared back and nodded hesitantly.
> Chapter 7: Meeting
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fluttershy and Twilight departed out the back of the school and walked around to the street. Fluttershy let Spike hop out of her arms and walk alongside. 

Twilight's fingers were hurriedly tapping on a device. Fluttershy looked at her, curious.

Twilight looked up. "Oh, I'm just texting her to meet us at the park. She already agreed to pick up Spike from the groomer's for me, so I'm just asking her to bring him there." She looked back at the device as her fingers continued to fly across the keypad. She glanced sidelong at Fluttershy. "I should tell her to wear another outfit, too…"

"Texting?" Fluttershy said.

Twilight chuckled. "You know those journals Twilight and Sunset use to message each other?" Fluttershy nodded. "Well, pretty much everyone over here has one of those in their pocket." She waved the device.

"Wow…" Fluttershy said. "This world sounds amazing."

"I guess so. I don't really know any others," Twilight said, laughing. "But I like it well enough!"

The three of them turned down a street and walked down to a peaceful-looking park. Twilight led them down a gravel path flanked by trees, shadows dancing across their faces. "She should be here soon." She pointed to a three-story building just visible through the trees on the other side of the park. "That's where I live."

"You live there all by yourself?" Fluttershy asked. 

"Yup! My family mostly pays for it—they were sending me to a much fancier school beforehand, after all." She laughed. "But I put a little towards it with my part-time job."

Spike sniffed along the ground, stopping in front of a tree. "I'm pretty sure other Spike buried something here…" He grinned and began to dig. "It's totally mine now." 

Twilight chuckled, then looked at Fluttershy; she was sweeping her eyes over the environment. "I'm… having such a hard time getting it through my head that this is all new to you," Twilight said. "Fluttershy has been here more than once to play with Spike. It's so weird to watch you… lost." 

Fluttershy laughed softly. "Lost is right…"

Suddenly a purple blur darted underneath Fluttershy and jumped at Twilight's legs. "Hey Twilight! Hey! Hey Twilight!" came the familiar voice of this world's Spike. After receiving a few pats amidst his leaping, he ran over to his double. "Hey! Hey other Spike!" He leapt on top of his twin and the pair began rolling around, laughing. 

"Ahhh, I almost had it!" the dragon Spike said. "I was gonna dig up that bone, and then… probably bury it again." He stopped. "...I think it might be time to start worrying about how much I enjoy dog life."

Fluttershy blinked. "So… your Spike talks too? Do… do all dogs talk in this world?"

"No, that was… that's new. There was… uh... " Twilight giggled. "It's a long story."

"I think Twilight's still getting used to it," came a voice so familiar yet alien. Fluttershy turned around and her breath caught in her throat as a perfect match to her came into her view, though with a pink hoodie and a yellow skirt. "And you must be… me," the new arrival said, smiling brightly and clasping her hands in front of her.

Fluttershy unconsciously mimicked her, also clasping her hands in front of her, a tad more hesitantly. "Yup, that's… me."

They stood silently for a moment. Twilight looked between the pair. "I don't know if this is inappropriate for me to say, but… this is incredibly fascinating. Can I take notes? No, I won't take notes. That's weird." The Fluttershy she knew laughed; the Fluttershy she didn't chuckled softly.

The two Spikes chased each other through the trees. "Hah! Too slow!" one said; it was hard to tell which.

The new arrival watched them with a smile on her face. She sniffled. "Oh… My cold hasn't quite left yet. I'm not contagious anymore, but—" She sniffled again. "I'm still, um, sniffly."
 
"I have a few water bottles at my place. Do you want me to get you one, Fluttershy? And do you need anything, Flutter—" She paused. "I'm already seeing a problem here."

This world's Fluttershy giggled. "I'm fine! Really. And call me Shy for now. Like Pinkie does."

Twilight nodded. "What about you?" she said, turning to the other Fluttershy. "That would leave you with 'Flutter'..."

"Flutters… works," she said, smiling.

Shy breathed in before stepping forward and wrapped Flutters in a tight hug. "It's so wonderful to meet you!" She pulled back, looking Flutters in the eye. "There's so much to talk about!" 

Flutters was caught off-guard, squeaking in surprise at the embrace. "Um… it's good to meet you too!" She smiled shyly.

Twilight laughed. "I had mentioned she was more forward these days." 

Shy pulled away and blushed slightly. "Yes, whenever I'm feeling nervous, I just… think about what Pinkie would do." She giggled. "And she usually hugs people."

Flutters nodded and spoke hesitantly. "Whenever I'm scared, I just think of what Rainbow would do. Or… well, at least, I think of her being out there, and that's enough." She chuckled. "Of course, I'm usually scared for very silly reasons, but…" 

Shy giggled. "And I never really have a reason to be nervous, but… it's nice to have someone help you remember that."

Flutters smiled brightly. She began to relax, enjoying speaking to someone who understood her so perfectly.

Shy sat on a nearby park bench. "So you and Rainbow Dash? That sounds nice. I hope you two are happy." Twilight picked up a stick and tossed it towards the two Spikes, glaring when they ignored it and continued running around.

Flutters sat on the other side of the bench. "We are! I hope you and Pinkie are happy. She's an absolutely wonderful pony. Or… um, person?" Shy laughed and nodded. 

Shy thought for a moment. "She can be overwhelming sometimes, though… Even when you're alone with her, she's just so loud, isn't she?" Flutters opened her mouth to speak, but Shy continued. "Oh, goodness, I don't mean to… I don't mean to sound like I just want to complain about her." 

She looked at the ground. "I just don't like to complain to her face or anyone else about... how they are. I don't want to look like I'm needy or ungrateful, and I really do like being with her. It's just nice to have someone else that, um… that I'll know feels the same way before I say anything."

Flutters pondered on this. "I did feel the same way… Rainbow Dash can be very intense. But I talked to her." Shy looked back up at her. "She doesn't make everything a competition anymore. Even just seeing her slow down to keep at my pace feels wonderful—because she's doing it to make me happy." She smiled, her eyes unfocused.

Shy cocked her head. "...Huh." 

The two of them watched the trees shift in the sunlight around them, the wind creating a gentle rustling.

Shy sniffled loudly once more and coughed. "Goodness, I'm worse than I thought. I hope I'm not annoying you two..." She stood up. "I'll go get that water, Twilight, if that's okay. Do you have your key?" 

"Are you sure, Fl—Uh, Shy? I can get it." Twilight pulled out her house key from her pocket.

"Yes, you two stay here. I'll just be a minute." Twilight tossed Shy the house key, and Shy smiled brightly at the pair before jogging towards Twilight's apartment. Its backyard was connected to the park.

Twilight took Shy's spot on the bench. "So what do you think of her? Is she… uh, familiar?"

"She is," Flutters said. "A bit different, but I still feel like I'm inside her head… Everything she says, even if I don't feel the same way, I understand perfectly."

Twilight nodded slowly. "She's been one of my best friends as I try to fit in at this new school and with these new friends… She's kind, and gentle, and I trust her more than I would have ever thought I could trust a friend. If you met me a year ago… I mean, I hardly talked to anyone that wasn't family or my dog." She looked towards the two Spikes rolling in the dirt and chuckled softly. "Shy was right. I'm still getting used to him talking back…"

She shook her head and turned back to Flutters. "Anyway, my point is—When I talk to you, I… I feel like I can trust you in the same way. I hope that's not, um, weird…"

"I don't think that's weird at all." Flutters smiled. "I am a little surprised, though. You don't see me as someone else after all?"

"Well… no, I know you're not the exact same person. But..." Twilight took a moment, thinking. "I can tell you're every bit as kind and gentle as she is."

Flutters' heart warmed as Twilight continued. "I-I mean, I know it doesn't make much sense, because you are someone else, but—" she said, growing a touch more flustered.

"It's okay," Flutters said. "The six of us in the other world have a bond we've never been able to explain… maybe it just carries over here. Between all twelve of us." Flutters smiled gently. "And Sunset, I suppose? I still haven't met her."

"Oh, she's great. She's so intellectually curious! We can talk for hours about what we've discovered about Equestrian magic." She grinned.

Shy returned, sipping from a bottle of water. She held two bottles in her hand, one of water and one of apple juice. "I found this in there as well. I thought maybe you might want one," she said, offering the apple juice to Twilight.

"Oh, I forgot I'd gotten those! There's a pack of six in there, right? You could have gotten one for yourself."

Shy shrugged, somewhat sheepishly. "You just offered water, so I didn't want to assume…"

"Shhhyyy." Twilight shook her head at Shy. "You're silly. But thank you," she said, taking the apple juice. Flutters took the other water bottle.

Twilight took a swig of apple juice and checked her phone. "Shoot, I'd better get ready for my class soon." She looked around. "Where have the Spikes gotten off to? They get so wild when they're together."

"You really only have one class a day?" Flutters said. She examined the bottle trying to figure out its workings before Shy reached over and unscrewed the lid.

"No, normally I'd have another, but there was a field trip today," Twilight replied. "I didn't go because I already work at the aquarium. It's a fascinating place, but I've kind of seen enough fish to last a lifetime." She stood up and wandered off. "Let's see if I can find those Spikes…"

Flutters stood up and began walking down the path with her twin. The shadows of the leaves danced across their forms. 

"When were you planning to go back, Flutters?" Shy asked.

Flutters thought for a moment, frowning. "I…" She paused. "...I'm not sure yet. But I don't think I'm done here." 

Shy nodded. "I couldn't imagine leaving this world to go to another. Who convinced you to do it? I know they'd have to drag me through…"

"Well, Spike suggested it… but I think he might have been kidding. It was certainly my decision. He just came along."

Shy stopped and turned to Flutters. "It was your decision?" Her mouth hung open. "That's incredible to me. Did you have any idea what was going to be on the other side?"

Flutters shook her head. "Not much. I knew that Twilight had gone through multiple times, and she obviously made it out fine, but other than that…"

"Even then!" Shy said, resuming her walk. "You're braver than I am… but you did mention that earlier, didn't you? That Rainbow helps you to be brave."

Flutters nodded slowly. "But you didn't need that…" she said quietly.

"Hmm?" Shy cocked her head.

Flutters took a moment to get her thoughts in order. The rustling leaves and their boots against the gravel were the only sounds in the air.

"My world," Flutters began, "has… gigantic beasts and monsters. Humongous, towering dragons that could eat you in a single bite. Evil creatures that can't be reasoned with—who want to take over the world and make everyone their slaves, or kidnap your friends and take their forms. As a filly, I spent some nights afraid the sun might never come up again, just because of a legend I heard—A legend that eventually came true."

Shy stared wide-eyed. "Well, if I wasn't afraid of crossing over before…" she said under her breath.

"There's so much danger in my world, but Rainbow makes me feel like she can protect me from anything. She's kicked dragons in the face. She's broken the speed of sound to save her friends. I've never seen her back down from… from anything.

"But.... this world isn't like that, is it?" Flutters said, looking at Shy.

Shy looked at the floor, thinking. "I didn't grow up with fear like that," she said. "Well, school liked to talk about tornadoes and quicksand a lot, but you can't, um, kick those in the face…

"There was only one real fear I had that affected me as I grew up—the only thing that really made me freeze up, time and time again, unable to speak, until I was just so frustrated with myself I wanted to scream."

"Other people," Flutters said suddenly, realization spreading across her face.

Shy nodded. "Pinkie showed me that people aren't that scary… If you smile at them, they usually smile back. Like I said—Whenever I get nervous talking to someone, I just think about what Pinkie would do, and how many friends she has doing what she does." She smiled.

"That makes perfect sense," Flutters said. "We grew up in different worlds, so we need different things. There's nothing wrong with that."

Shy frowned. "Of course there's nothing wrong with that. Why would there be?"

Flutters stammered softly for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed herself off subtly, looking away. Twilight appeared once more, Spikes in tow, but stayed quiet, sensing the mood. 

"...Do you ever wonder," Flutters said, "for all Rainbow and Pinkie offer us… do you ever wonder what we offer them?"

Shy gave a resigned chuckle. "All the time," she said. "I just try to think that as long as she's smiling, maybe I'm doing okay."

Flutters nodded, but stayed silent.

Twilight spoke hesitantly. "Um, I did talk to Rainbow a bit today, in school. Before she ran down the stairs. I know it's not much, but…" She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "She was quieter than the Rainbow I know. Just enough that I could tell there was something different about her. Like I said, it's not much, but… I dunno. I think she is getting something from you."

Twilight looked at the two Spikes behind her, focusing on one that Flutters could only assume was hers, however she was able to tell. "Alright, I definitely need to get ready for class now. You can stay here with Other Spike and the girls, but you guys can't run off like that, okay? Shy will put you away when Flutters has to go." She turned to Flutters. "Don't feel like you need to leave, though. You're more than welcome to stay in my apartment until I get back!" 

Flutters smiled. "Thank you. But I think I'll be leaving soon after all."

"Alright!" Twilight said. "If this is the last I'll see you for a while, then… it was nice to meet you. Even if I felt like I already have." She smiled brightly.

"Same here," Flutters said, giggling softly. Twilight turned around and headed for her apartment.

"So you feel like you're done here now?" Shy asked.

"Yes, I think I have something to go back with," Flutters said. "Although… there's something else I'd like to take with me. Or, someone else."

Shy looked at her questioningly.

"...When does school end?" Flutters asked.
> Chapter 8: Standing Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Flutters stood in front of the statue, breathing deep, Spike sitting at her side. The school day had been out for half an hour now, just long enough for the student body to have completely cleared out. Two others were there with them. 

Flutters turned to her companion. "Ready to go through?" she said. "It feels a little strange, but I promise you'll be alright."

Pinkie Pie turned to her with a wide grin. "Of course! I'm a Pinkie Pie, not a scaredy-pie."

Shy gulped. "Be careful, okay? I heard there were, um, dragons, and evil creatures, and, and, and…"

Pinkie whirled around and gave Shy a big bear hug. "It can't be all bad over there, silly! That's where the other Flutter came from!" She pulled back and looked into Shy's eyes. "I'll tell you all about it when I get back, 'kay?" She leaned in and kissed her lightly.

Shy smiled. "'Kay."

"Time's a-wastin'!" Spike said, leaping through the portal. Flutters steeled herself and walked through as well, hearing a faint 'Bye Shy!' before the roaring wind muted everything around her. 

Once again feeling her four legs, she walked forward, emerging from the swirling colored light. Her eyes adjusted to the library's light levels, and she saw Rainbow Dash lifting her head up from the floor.

"Fluttershy!" Rainbow leapt to her hooves. "Are you okay? I wanted to go back, but—I should have—" She shook her head. "What were you doing over there for so long?"

"Hi, Rainbow." Fluttershy smiled softly. "I wanted to help, so… I did some talking."

"With the other Fluttershy? Good. That's—That's good. I realized too late I should have done that in the first place. All I was thinking about was what my other self was doing." 

"With—Well, first I should mention that I thought I'd bring someone along to help me—"

With another flash, a four-legged Pinkie Pie hopped out of the portal. "Ooh, this place is shiny! Hello, pony-types!"

Rainbow stepped back, her eyebrows furrowing. Her jaw tightened.

"Rainbow, this is Pinkie… the Pinkie that's with the other me," Fluttershy said. "It's not her fault that it happened, and it's not the other Rainbow's fault, either. Just listen to us."

Twilight emerged from another room. "Fluttershy! Spike! You're back!" She quickly took the journal off of the mirror device to allow it to cool down. She paused as she spotted the third newcomer. "Pinkie? Did you—" She looked out the window at Sugarcube Corner, then at the mirror. "Did you come from there, or there…?"

"Ohmigosh, there's another Twilight here, too!" Pinkie exclaimed, bouncing up and down. "Hi, other Twilight!"

"Pinkie, you—you know me. We've met."

"Oh, right. I didn't recognize you with the, uh…" Pinkie rotated her hoof around the entirety of Twilight's body for several seconds. Rainbow looked sidelong at Fluttershy and coughed.

"So, um…" Fluttershy began, "I know you think it just proves that something could go wrong if the other Fluttershy isn't with the other Rainbow Dash, but—but that other Fluttershy isn't me. You don't need to worry, Rainbow. You're good enough. I promise you."

Rainbow looked away. "I… I don't know, Fluttershy. I just don't know how that can be true if we can see that there's a you that didn't want me."

"It's not about y—" Fluttershy stopped herself and sighed deeply. "In this world, there's… monsters, and evil, and danger, and… I've been scared of that all my life. I've been scared of so many things. I can handle it, but you… You make it so much easier to handle. Because I know you can protect me." Rainbow looked at her, wary.

Pinkie stepped forward. "But over there? We don't have stuff like monsters, and evil, and evil monsters. Yeah, it's been weird the last few months, but pretty much all of that was from this side. Not pointing fingers! Especially since I don't have those right now." Spike snickered. 

"Point is, my Shy doesn't have to deal with that! Since she didn't grow up with a general feeling of… not-safeness, what she needed was something different. And that's okay!"

Rainbow's gaze bounced between the two ponies in front of her. She was silent. Fluttershy's hopes began to grow. 

"So… that's it? Because this world is scarier, I'm a better catch?" Rainbow answered. Fluttershy swallowed bitterly, deflated. "There's supposed to be more to this than—If both Fluttershys are the same being, then it shouldn't—"

"They're not," came Twilight's voice from behind her.

Rainbow's head whipped around. "You told me—"

"I was wrong," Twilight said flatly. "I was wrong, Rainbow. There's more to who you are than just your 'soul,' or whatever you want to call it. Decades of life will change any pony—if you're not the same pony you were ten years ago as a teenager, how can you say Fluttershy is the same pony as the one who spent her whole life in a different reality?"

Twilight walked closer to Rainbow. "A lot of things make each of us who we are. Life is one of them. If this life has made Fluttershy the perfect pony for you to be with, then don't look at other lives. Focus on this one. Focus on yours, and hers." Twilight laid a hoof across Rainbow's shoulders.

Rainbow's expression had softened. She looked into Twilight's eyes a moment longer, then looked at Fluttershy; a soft smile worked its way onto  her face. "Yeah. Yeah, alright."

Fluttershy looked back at Rainbow, her eyes glistening. "I don't know a lot about how all of this works, I—I was just trying to help." She looked at the floor. "All I know for sure is that when you're holding me, everything is perfect. I don't want to lose that. I’ve never slept more peacefully than when your hooves are wrapped around me…"

Rainbow's gaze was far away, her smile growing. She leapt in the air, using her wings to keep herself aloft. "You're right. All of you! I don't need to worry about this stuff! She's the only Fluttershy I need to worry about, and I know she—"

"...And this morning was the first time you weren't there when I woke up," Fluttershy finished.

Time stood still. Pinkie and Twilight said nothing, frozen together, not even wanting to move a muscle. Rainbow slowly lowered herself to the ground and stood in front of Fluttershy.

"Why did you leave me behind?" Fluttershy said, looking at Rainbow through the part in her own hair. "Why didn't you ask me to help when it was something that involved us both?"

"...I don't know," Rainbow answered. "I guess I just thought—" 

"We could have worked this out together, but instead it—it felt like you abandoned me. In another world, even."

"I guess I just thought it was my own weird hang-ups, so it wasn't on you to—"

Fluttershy ground her teeth together. She raised her hoof and slammed it on the ground. "NO!" she screamed. 

Pinkie and Twilight both took a step back in shock. Rainbow retracted a hoof and looked at Fluttershy wide-eyed.

Fluttershy stared at Rainbow dead in the eye, nostrils flaring. "This was never just about you! This was about you and me and you should have let me help!" Her voice cracked, but stayed strong. "I spent all that time in the other world talking to the other Fluttershy because I knew that it wouldn't be enough for you to hear that it only matters what I would do, and that I would never think you weren't good enough. But you know what?" She took a step forward. "It should have been enough, Rainbow! It should have been enough coming from me! It should have been enough to hear that I think you're wonderful the way you are, and that I don't care what any other Fluttershy thinks, and that—and that I—"

"I love you," Rainbow said quietly.

Fluttershy stuttered, her eyes flickering. A million emotions crossed her face.

"I—I'm not just saying that to get you to stop, or anything. I—This was a bad time. I'm sorry." Rainbow stepped towards Fluttershy gently. "It's just… thank you for saying this. You're right. All of it. And I..." 

Rainbow grit her teeth. "I don't want you to ever let me get away with that. With being stupid and selfish and—" She swallowed. "Please don't let me get away with that. Because I want to be good enough. And if you tell me when I'm not, I'll believe that I can be." She took another step. "...Okay?"

They were a breath apart now, looking into each other's eyes. Fluttershy was breathing heavily, adrenaline escaping her system. "Okay," she said quietly. "Okay."

Rainbow moved closer, and Fluttershy shot forward, wrapping a hoof around her head and kissing her—a long and deep kiss. They both set their flanks down on the floor, and Rainbow extended her front legs and pulled Fluttershy towards her, holding her tight and nuzzling into her neck.

Pinkie sidled over to Twilight. "Yeah… that's not my Shy." She looked at Twilight and shook her head. "Dunno who that is, but it's not my Shy." She grinned. "She's pretty cool though." She did a quiet happy dance in place, humming.

Twilight watched Pinkie's hooves. "Didn't you just become a pony like five minutes ago? Doesn't it feel weird?"

"Nah. Feels pretty natural." Pinkie continued dancing. Twilight stared at her.

Fluttershy and Rainbow pulled back from each other. Fluttershy blinked back tears. "You know that I—"

"Yeah, I know," Rainbow said. "But… you can say it if you want."

Fluttershy grinned. "I love you too," she said quietly.

Rainbow embraced Fluttershy again. Time slowed for the pair.

"Thank you for what you did," Rainbow said. "I know you shouldn't have had to. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Rainbow," Fluttershy replied. She buried her muzzle in Rainbow's mane.

The two pegasi shut out the world. For a moment, all that existed was each other.
> Epilogue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night sky was utterly clear, without a cloud in sight. Pinkie had gone back through the portal hours ago. Rainbow and Fluttershy sat in a chair outside Fluttershy's cottage, watching the stars. Fluttershy lay in Rainbow's lap, wrapped in Rainbow's front legs.

"...You ever wonder how many worlds are out there?" Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow looked down at her. "Hmm?"

"The human world is just one other world. There could be hundreds more. Thousands! Millions!"

Rainbow grinned. "You're thinking about who all the other Fluttershys are with? Maybe there's a world that's so weird and complicated that she needs Twilight to make sense of it."

Fluttershy laughed. "Maybe there's one that's much more focused on appearance, and Rarity helps her feel pretty."

"Maybe there's one where ponies haven't invented electricity or transportation yet, so she needs Applejack to till the land and provide for her."

"So I'm just her housewife?" Fluttershy giggled. 

"Hey! Trophy wife. All the other colonial mares and stallions are totally jealous of her," Rainbow said. 

Fluttershy snorted. "Well, it doesn't just have to be about me. Maybe there's a world where you're with Applejack!"

Rainbow cracked up. "Me and Applejack? Man, we'd probably just end up fighting all the time." Fluttershy laughed.

It was quiet again as they peered into the reaches of space. Only the sounds of crickets rang out.

"All those other worlds are okay, I'm sure. I hope those Fluttershys are happy," Fluttershy said, snuggling into Rainbow's chest and closing her eyes. "But I'm glad that I'm in this one."

Rainbow leaned her head down and kissed Fluttershy's forehead. "I'm glad that you're in this one, too."

The sounds of crickets stayed steady as the pair drifted off to sleep.